Bustan
“I ordered apricot margarita which was quite spicy, beet salad with freakishly delicious haloumi, salmon flatbread and lamb terracotta.”
“I don't dine on the UWS terribly often, but when I do, it's normally with a large group and this time was no different!”
“The green Shakshuka, lamb Shakshuka, the hummus platter (the feta, hummus, and tzaziki), and French toast are all good.”
Bustan
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: 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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Wonderful UWS find! My father and I came here after a full day of the American Museum of Natural History. It was the perfect weather to sit out in the back garden, and the pre-fix menu from 5-7 was an amazing deal. The server was impeccable and courteous. He was helpful with explanations and suggestions. The terracotta lamb was out of this world. As was the Silan dessert we nommed on. Oh my stars, will definitely be coming back for a date night with my honey. While we didn't dine on the inside, it was certainly swanky for latenight bites.
How in the world have I lived on the UWS for this long without trying Bustan? If I had to choose (and it's really really hard to choose…food indecision is so real) I'd say Mediterranean food is my favorite cuisine. So Bustan had been on my list for some time. After dining here on Thursday night, I can report with full confidence that Bustan is a solid spot and worth a visit if you're in the area.
Bustan is a pretty versatile spot in terms of occasion. I happened to come here with a girlfriend but it's a totally viable option for a date as well. Dim lighting (at least around dinnertime, I know this is a popular brunch spot too), beautiful interior (sleek/classy but not too fancy) and great allocation of space considering the front half of the restaurant is on the narrow side. Overall, it's more sophisticated feel in comparison to all that surrounds it (Meatball Shop, Jacob's Pickles, Celeste, etc.). Small plates/dips are more than half the menu, so I'd say sharing is encouraged (though I literally say that in every review). In terms of logistics, I made a rez on OpenTable. We came here at 8 and the place was pretty busy, so I'd recommend making a reservation beforehand if you're intolerant of not being able to sit down right away (no judgment, it's New York, I get it).
We didn't break into the drink menu at all, but I can at least report that Bustan has a solid wine list (as many Mediterranean spots do) as well as some solid beer and cocktail options. If you're in the mood for a cocktail, I'd ask about some of their infused liquors–had I been in the mood to drink I would've opted for a fig-infused vodka drink. Now how bad could that be?
Foodwise this menu is just straight up Mediterranean. You've got plenty of dip options, a generous selection of small plates with a good number of entrees as well, tons of seafood and frequent use of feta, yogurt, dill, chickpeas, olives, etc. The friend I was with thankfully has very similar food affinities so we got a pretty stellar sampling. Our eats, below:
Trio of Dips (Hummus, Baba Ghanoush and Taramasalata) with (unreal) homemade focaccia: A
This focaccia was on another level, my God. For starters, it came out steaming and warm–as fresh as it gets. The only issue here was that the bread-to-dip ratio here was subpar. We finished the focaccia with plenty of dip left and this was us being as carb-ically conservative as possible. But don't worry, you can always order more. Dip-wise, it's hard to pick a favorite. I read a few reviews that said the hummus was pretty meh, but I loved it. I'm a sucker for extra texture (think chunky peanut butter/pulpy orange juice) and the hummus, along with some whole chickpeas mixed in, also had some nice nuttiness going on. Pine nuts maybe? In any case, it made the hummus for me. The baba ghanoush was also fantastic–super flavorful and rich. I suppose that leaves the taramasalata as my least favorite, but I still enjoyed it. Least best is a better term, I suppose.
Grilled Roasted Eggplant with zhoung, pine nuts, fresh crushed tomatoes, zaatar, tahini and mint: B+
The ingredients/preparation looked promising but the execution here fell short for me. It wasn't *bad*but I found the flavor to be lacking overall. Am I a Top Chef judge yet? Don't worry South Park, I don't think I'm a real food critic. Anyway, the eggplant was fine but probably my least favorite dish of the night. The pine nuts added some nice texture I guess but that's grasping straws a bit. Call it a poor man's eggplant parm (or just a healthier alternative to eggplant parm).
Charred Octopus with white bean masabacha, spiced crushed tomato, herb tahini, frisee and sumac pickled onion salad and cilantro oil: A-
If there's octopus on a menu, I will almost always order it. It's certainly in the running for my favorite food. This octopus, though far from the best I've ever had, was still solid. And the preparation was not only aesthetically gorgeous but also interested, varied and flavorful. The beans, frisee and onions were worthy accompaniments and the cilantro oil was a beautiful, unique touch. The octopus itself was cooked decently but not fantastic. The outside could've been a touch crispier and it was softer than I typically like. Other than my extreme snobbiness around octopus, I found this dish to be wonderful and very thoughtful.
Calamari a la Plancha stuffed w/ spicy feta, citrus salad, olives and yogurt mint sauce: A
This was a serious home run. I'm sure people are stuffing calamari (in the culinary sense, at least) all over the place, but this was the first time I had tried it. And man, was it a slam dunk. How many sports cliches can I fit into a paragraph before getting my point across? The answer is a lot. Like the octopus, the preparation here was beautiful. The calamari was yummy and paired well with the feta. And overall, the flavors were fresh and varied. The yogurt/mint sauce was light and fluffy and was super tasty with the citrus. Order it.
I've been exploring the UWS since one of my awesome friends moved into the neighborhood. We decided to stop by Bustan for dinner and it truly did not disappoint. I love the way the restaurant looks and it would be such an awesome date place.
1 – We started out with Homemade Focaccia bread and 3 dips (Hummus, Tzatziki, and Spicy Feta). Let me tell you this, the bread is delicious and we just couldn't resist requesting for another one. Of the 3 dips, Tzatziki was my favorite.
2 – Greek Salad. This was probably one of the best greek salads I have ever had. They have a block of feta cheese on top of the salad and it was really good.
3 – Lamb Terracotta was the heaviest meal of the night. It was beautifully presented in a large round bowl and it was topped with this pastry dough that was cooked for a short period of time. The lamb was a little gamey for me, but the pantry dough on top was delicious. Basically, I stuffed myself with carbs all night!
4 – Must order the Guava pureed champagne. You will not regret!
Great upper west side Mediterranean: A review of brunch
The interior is quite spacious as there's an outdoor seating area in the back, roof off during good weather and roof on in the winter. Since it was semi raining yet pretty warm, the roof was half on for our group.
Starters:
Focaccia and 1, 3, or 5 dips. I'd go with 5 for sure. This is a must to share with good sized portions of hummus to babaghanoush and unlimited fresh, warm flatbread focaccia (don't be shy about asking for more).
Merguez Shakshouka:
This is always my go to main dish at Mediterranean brunch. Bustan does it perfectly, though disclosure I love my food on the saltier side. The tomato based sauce was perfectly seasoned, piping hot. Egg was perfectly cooked with oozing yolk when popped. I opted for the lamb sausage, which came as heaping portion that complimented the sauce and egg perfectly.
OVERALL:
Excellent brunch spot for groups. Will be back to try the rest of the menu.
I'm being generous by giving 4 stars because what I ordered was more of a 3 star ordeal (had a picky friend I was dining with), but I have high hopes for the other dishes on the menu. The place gets packed so I recommend making a reservation unless you want to wait. The ambience is great and there is seating at the bar if you decide that you don't want to wait for a table and want to eat at the bar. I always appreciate when this is an option.
Ordered the mezze platter which was great. Served with a long piece of salted, oiled, toasted bread. Could have used more bread but I think that's just because it was so good. The dips were great- the spicy feta was a nice addition to the usual hummus and tzatZiki. Also ordered the sizzling shrimp which came on a cast iron skillet…sizzling…. Really flavorful. Tasty little bites. For a main we shared the chicken. Meh. Really nothing to write about. Pretty bland and not memorable. Get the lamb. Looked amazing.
Would definitely return, but would ditch my picky friend.
I came here for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon and I was impressed with the ambiance and attentive service at this restaurant. The waiter was very helpful giving recommendations. I also liked how the prices were very reasonable for lunch and the portion sizes were very large. I got the prix fixed lunch menu for $25. The rose water panna cotta was amazing, as was the lamb kebob dish. I would come back again the next time I am in the area and want Mediterranean food.
We really enjoyed our meal here.
We had an amazing bottle of wine to start, then we shared the hummus bowl with a lamb kebab, and the lamb terracotta. Everything was so delicious, we live just around the corner so it's dangerous. needless to say, we'll be back.
P.S. If you order dessert, the Turkish Sundae is outstanding.
Love the outdoor seating that Bustan offers. Instead of street-side al fresco dining, they have a backyard that is much more quiet and intimate. Love that they take reservations! Indoor dining seems to be on the dim side. Funny enough, though they don't have music playing in the main dining area, they blast the music inside the restrooms.
My friend and I both ordered the Bustan Benedicts. It comes with either a side of home fries or salad. When our plates arrived, I couldn't tell whether I had an order of home fries with a side of eggs benedicts or an order of eggs benedict with a side of home fries. Similar situation with the salad. But the home fries were delicious, contrary to many other Yelp reviews that I read. Although the home fries were on the soft side, did anyone ever say that home fries had to be crispy? I liked the potato-iness. The eggs benedict was delicious although honestly, I couldn't really taste the mint that was supposed to be in the yogurt sauce. I loved that the eggs came on top of challah bread instead of the typical english muffin. I love challah bread.
Though iced coffee is not on the menu, they did serve iced coffee when I asked. At the end of our meal, my friend and I shared a kanafeh, which is honey-lavender gelato on top of a warm pancake made of shredded phyllo dough, ricotta, and rose water syrup. It was mediocre, and we could've done without.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience. Attentive service and a great atmosphere. I live on the UES, however, and because Bustan didn't really wow me, I wouldn't trek out here for a second time at Bustan.