Dar 525
“I haven't seen a lot of people in there yet, but I'm confident it will catch on once they have their liquor license and the A/C is blasting properly.”
“Went when it was not very busy super nice food love the dips and the fresh pita bread nice and good food!”
“The test of my family got the Dar burger, falafel, 6 cheese pizza, & kafta platter.”
Dar 525
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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The eclectic dining scene that Brooklyn has been blessed with as of late is certainly impressive (almost as impressive as this particular writer being able to generate love/accolades/compliments to anything Kings County related, in general). However, it would be negligent of me to not live by my own philosophy of giving credit where credit is due; and this place certainly does deserve the star rating that currently graces its Yelp page.
A friend of mine had done some sleuthing a week prior to my visit to this location (same friend who was subject to my very moody "2nd Floor on Clinton" review… just a few reviews ago if you care to peep); anyway, she found that Grand Street in Brooklyn was having their own restaurant week specials… not unlike the citywide Restaurant Week earlier in 2016. From 2/21/16 to 2/28/16, patrons of this joint would be given the option to pick from a 3 course prix fixe menu (again, super similar to any Restaurant Week dinner). Price of said three courses? An astoundingly reasonable $18 (ultimately coming out to around $23-$24 after tax and tip were taken into account).
Despite having initiated the dialogue to go to this spot, self imposed exigencies prevented her from coming, thereby abandoning a 4 person reservation which resulted in myself being a party of 1… for a time. Say what you might about this particular writer's moodiness, but he does just as good a job, as Kambei in "Seven Samurai," of putting a group of misfits together to accomplish a common goal (or Nick Fury in relation to "The Avengers"… for those who lack the privilege/cinematic wherewithal of having viewed the aforementioned Kurosawa master work of Japanese cinema). While I was not able to recruit 6 other "samurai" to my Kambei… I was able to find four for my dinner party that Saturday; they were all equally excited to partake in what would be a fantastic dinner.
Like any leader would, yours truly arrived first to the venue… with the scent of food coming out of the building and into the street generating feelings of excitement for the offerings about to be sampled that night. Slowly but surely, the rest of my party began to gather, and we were seated.
This joint, boasts a lot of space, and I appreciate the layout; while it would be possible for Dar to fit a few more tables onto the floor, they forego this option in lieu of giving their patrons a little more elbow room and privacy. I, for one, respect this housekeeping decision. Additionally, the ambiance was also quite pleasant… dark space with soft lighting combined with the all wooden finish of the space amalgamated into a no-pressure romantic environment (if one was so inclined).
The food, however, was rightfully the star of the show. As there were five of us, we were all willing to try a permutation of menu items and share them amongst ourselves. For the first course, we got hummus, beet salad, mousaka, and lentil soup. Each appetizer course (save for the salad) was accompanied with a wide thing piece of naan (which was a gratefully accepted vehicle by which we transported the appetizers into our mouths). Having been able to try everything, I can say that all apps were tasty, and we were all pleased with our selections.
The entrees followed, and the sheer quantity of food per plate was almost excessive (not that I'm complaining). Being able to pull off quantity AND quality during the second course was the master stroke of the evening. Each plate had our choice of protein (kafta kebob for the 3 ladies, chicken kebob for "Tod," and mergues para mi). Though my choice of protein was nowhere near as plentiful as the protein provided to my companions, I was pleased with my selection; the taste of the lamb sausage I had ordered was on point, with an abundance of spices and texture that coupled terrifically with the hummus, rice, baba ghanoush, and salad with pickled peppers that accompanied the entrees; again, the portions were huge.
The baklava (which we all ordered), was just the proverbial cherry on top. Layers of phyllo containing the cinnamon-y walnut filling and drenched with honey… though I frequently say I am not a dessert fan, you can add baklava to the short list of dessert items that I am fond of every so often (in addition to dutch apple pie, doughnuts [if they are even considered a dessert], and chocolate chip cookies).
Well done Dar. You should really think of moving over to my hood… you'd be more appreciated there I think!
This place is very good and I highly recommended it!
I came here with 3 friends and we had the couscous without meat and then we had the merguez on the side. We order 2 bottle of wine and one of us had a desert. It was very strange to see that they were also offering a pizza menu but the food was delicious, service great. the restaurant was pretty empty which did not give a very interesting atmosphere but it is a good alternative from La Goulette or Cafe Mogador.
Dar525
NY BK East Williamsburg
12:30pm Sunday 12th June 2016
Four Stars
This place is great for a late brunch. The cost is about $30 for an entree and bottomless mimosas, sang. The place has interesting decor and smell. We sat at the bar to be closer to alcohol. The Champagne was modest, the orange juice was tropicana. The food took a bit but it was quite flavorful. I had the Shakshuka: two eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce served with pita and hummus. One egg was overeasy and the other was other medium. The sauce had plenty of tomato chunks and pepper. The Pita was fresh and crispy. Hummus was creamy. The Service was good. Overall, A good brunch spot.
A great Seamless delivery option.
I believe the food is Syrian/Lebanese food… but, of course, it's clumped under the "Middle Eastern" banner.
The bread is fresh and the lentil soup is to die for. Their appetizer options are tasty as well. Spouse has ordered the lamb chops a few times and they are hit or miss. Sometimes they are really tough and over-cooked, other times they are on point.
I have never been to the restaurant, but I am so grateful that Seamless is bringing more and more restaurants to the area that I live in Brooklyn.
We were the only ones there for dinner on Thursday night but I didn't let that deter me.
The food was great! While service wasn't particularly warm, we were never neglected.
My table ordered a variety of things: fattoush salad, hummus, fresh pita, chicken kebab platter, lamb kebab platter, stuffed grape leaves and lentil soup.
My fattoush salad was a bit bland but a generous size. I really enjoyed the hummus with the fresh warm pita.
I tried a piece of the chicken kebab and it was tender and flavorful. Grape leaves were delicious.
Not a bad choice if you are in the mood for Mediterranean food. Prices were reasonable.
Bathrooms were dimly lit but clean.
Came here last night and there was a huge party that left the restaurant with only 3 tables to spare. We waited at the bar and it wasn't a big deal anyway since we were in no rush to end the night. While we waited, one of the guys was more than accommodating and attentive by coming back every now and then to update us on the time. The waitress there was also super friendly and so nice by giving us warm mint tea since we sat by the door that would let in the frigid air every time it opened and closed with each delivery guy. They even brought us some freshly fried pita chips with this addictive zaatar and honey dip.
We ordered the usual chicken kebab (large chunks of tender chicken with the just enough charcoal burn) and a kafta kebab sandwich. The prices here are unbeatable and the food is always so good. Rather than my usual side order of babaganoush, we went for the mezze plate and tried the muhamara, moutabel, hummus, 2 orders of baba. Aside from my all time favorite, babaganoush, and my boyfriend's favorite, hummus, the muhamara was definitely a contender. It's a thick purée of roasted red peppers and walnuts with a little spice. It tastes a bit like a romesco sauce. They definitely didn't skimp on the walnuts, which other restaurants sometimes do so that it comes out runny. I loved it on the warm pita but even more so on the kafta kebab and chicken kebab!
At the end of the night, they gave us complimentary red sangria and honey semolina cake. Everything was delicious and the service was by far one of the best. They more than made up for the 30 minute wait, which again, I really didn't even mind in the first place. This is definitely going to remain one of my everyday go to restaurants for lunch, dinner, or even a laid back date night. I love the ambiance and the decor. Absolutely unbeatable.
What a delightful Mediterranean place!
I have had the pleasure of dining in and ordering take out and both times were great.
The place is affordable! and the portions are generous.
They have wine and beer- no spirits but their Chianti was a hit with my picky wine drinkers. I had the lamb shawarma. Absolutely amazing. The chunks of lamb were perfectly seasoned and incredibly juicy. The salad, hummus and babaganoush that came along with it made this a hearty dinner.
We also sampled a red pepper dip that was delicious.
My hubby went with their sun dried tomato pizza – it was wonderful.
Its usually empty when I go to the establishment- i hope that's because everyone is ordering in!
Excellent place every time I go. I've been here for dinner a few times as well as lunch, and it never disappoints! If you go here during lunch hours, it's pretty empty so never problem getting a seat. Their lunch special is amazing – you can get a sandwich for $5 and this is definitely shareable. My sister and I went the other day and got the chicken shawarma sandwich and green salad to split and both were delicious and full of flavor. The chicken sandwich is seasoned super well and is served with a yummy sauce inside also. The green salad comes with feta cheese, olives, and is a sizable portion. The lentil and chicken soups are fantastic as well.
I live only a few blocks away and keep coming back here because it's super reliable!