Balade Review: Is This East Village Lebanese Spot Worth Your Dining List?

Quick Summary

If you're looking for authentic Lebanese food in Manhattan, Balade is a great place to try. From the delicious appetizers to my favorite dish, the Kousa, everything tasted fresh and full of flavor. The restaurant also has a cozy atmosphere that's perfect for a date night or dinner with friends.

The exterior storefront of Balade restaurant in the East Village featuring its rustic wooden sign, red awning labeled Eastern Mediterranean, and an outdoor dining table set with white linen. — The inviting exterior of Balade on 1st Avenue in the East Village.

Restaurant: Balade
Cuisine: Authentic Lebanese
Address: 208 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009
Price Range: $$$
What We Ordered: Kibbeh, Sambousek, Falafel, Kousa, Beef Shawarma Platter, Chicken Shish Tawook Sandwich, Grilled Salmon, Baklava, Mouhallabie
My Favorite Dishes: Kousa, Sambousek, and Baklava
Overall Rating: 9.5/10 ★★★★★★★★★☆
Food: 9.6/10 | Service: 9.5/10 | Atmosphere: 9.5/10
Best For: Date nights, dinner with friends, and anyone wanting authentic Lebanese food.
Would I Return? Maybe. I still have many Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurants around New York City that I'd like to explore first.

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Quick Summary
Watch My Experience
Why I Decided to Eat Here
The Ambiance
How to Get Here
A Great Way to Try Lebanese Food
The Restaurant Week Value
Would I Come Back?
Final Verdict
Restaurant Information

Watch My Experience

Check out my quick video breakdown featuring a close-up look at these iconic Lebanese dishes, capturing the crisp crunch of the freshly fried mezze starters and the rich, home-style comfort of their signature slow-cooked entrées:

Why I Decided to Eat Here

I don't usually eat at upscale restaurants because they can get expensive. I've always enjoyed Middle Eastern food, so I was excited to visit Balade, a Lebanese restaurant in the East Village, to try more traditional Lebanese dishes that I don't usually see on every menu.

After looking at the options, I knew we were going to try a lot of dishes. There were a few traditional plates that looked too good to skip, so we made sure to pack the table. By the end of dinner, I understood why so many people recommend this place.

The Ambiance

As soon as we walked in, I liked the atmosphere. The restaurant feels warm and cozy without trying too hard. It has a modern look, but it still feels comfortable.

The warm interior dining room of Balade featuring dark exposed wooden ceiling beams, brick walls with patterned accent tiles, a wooden bar with stools, and tables set with white tablecloths.

Personally, I think this is the kind of place that's best for a date night, dinner with friends, or even a business dinner. It doesn't really feel like a family restaurant with lots of kids running around. The atmosphere is much quieter, which makes it easy to relax and enjoy your meal.

The dining room fills up incredibly fast during prime hours, so I'd highly recommend making a reservation before you head over.

The service was exactly what I hoped for. The staff were friendly, polite, and always made sure we had everything we needed. Even when the room got busy, we never felt ignored. Each dish came out at a good pace, so we had enough time to enjoy every course without feeling rushed.

How to Get Here

📍 Get Directions:208 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009

If you're taking the subway, you have two great options to reach the restaurant:

L Train: Get off at the 1 Avenue Station and walk just a couple of blocks.
R Train: Take it to 14 Street–Union Square and enjoy a pleasant 12-minute walk through the neighborhood.

I highly recommend leaving the car at home, as street parking in the East Village can be a nightmare. The subway is definitely the faster, stress-free choice.

A Great Way to Try Lebanese Food

One thing I love about Lebanese dining is ordering a mix of different appetizers, several main dishes, and a few desserts to share. It gives you a chance to experience a different part of the cuisine with every plate that hits the table.

A full dinner table spread at Balade featuring plates of grilled salmon with potatoes, beef shawarma platter, stuffed kousa in tomato sauce, and a chicken wrap with fries under a table lamp. — Sharing a colorful variety of authentic Lebanese entrées and sides.

Here is exactly how everything tasted.

Kibbeh ($18)

The first appetizer was the Kibbeh. If you've never had Kibbeh before, it's made with seasoned ground beef and bulgur wheat. It's shaped into a football-like croquette and fried until crispy. It came with laban, which is a cool yogurt sauce. The outside was beautifully crispy, while the inside stayed juicy and full of flavor. This was one of my favorite appetizers.

A white rectangular plate holding four golden-brown fried kibbeh croquettes arranged around a central white bowl filled with creamy laban yogurt sauce dusted with sumac spices. — Four perfectly fried, crispy Kibbeh croquettes paired with a refreshing laban dipping sauce.

Sambousek ($16)

Next was the Sambousek. It's similar to a small empanada, but with Lebanese flavors. The pastry was crispy, and the beef filling was well seasoned. It wasn't greasy at all, and I finished it in just a few bites.

Four golden, crescent-shaped fried beef sambousek pastries lined up on a narrow white rectangular serving dish over a white tablecloth. — The savory, well-seasoned beef Sambousek pastries—flaky, crispy, and gone in a few bites.

I would definitely order this again.

Falafel ($15)

The last appetizer was the Falafel. It's made from chickpeas and served with a side of tahini sauce.

A top-down view of four golden-brown, crispy fried falafel balls served on a white rectangular plate with a central dish of creamy tahini sauce, pickled turnips, and diced tomatoes. — Perfectly crisp on the outside, soft on the inside: Balade's traditional fried falafel served with tahini.

The falafel had a perfectly crispy outside and a soft center. When dipped into the tahini, it tasted even better. Even though I've had falafel many times before, I really enjoyed this version.

Kousa ($28 - My Absolute Favorite)

Even though we had a lot of food on the table already, we decided to order the Kousa. I'm really glad we did because it ended up being my favorite dish of the night.

A white bowl filled with two tender green squash stuffed with beef and rice, swimming in a rich, vibrant tomato garlic sauce dusted with sumac around the rim. — My absolute favorite dish of the night: the comforting, home-style stuffed Kousa.

The squash was soft but still kept its shape perfectly. Inside, it was filled with a comforting mix of seasoned beef and rice. Everything was cooked in a tomato garlic sauce that added even more flavor. This is the kind of dish that reminds you of home cooking. It was simple, comforting, and delicious.

Beef Shawarma Platter ($29)

Next up was the Beef Shawarma Platter. It comes served with rice and a fresh salad.

A close-up plate featuring a mountain of tender, thinly sliced beef shawarma topped with green onions, a scoop of spiced rice, a fresh side salad with red onions, and a small bowl of tahini sauce. — The flavorful Beef Shawarma Platter balanced beautifully with spiced rice and a crisp salad.

The beef was tender, sliced thin, and full of flavor. It had all the warm spices that you would expect from a good Lebanese shawarma without being too salty or too heavy. The rice was simple, but it paired well with the beef. The fresh salad also helped balance the meal and made the plate feel complete.

If you've already read my review of Moonlite Grill & Chicken, you'll remember that I ordered their Chicken Shawarma Platte there which in my opinion it tasted much better since it has a generous sauce and its not that dry. Moonlite is a great choice if you're looking for a quick and affordable halal meal in Jackson Heights. Balade is completely different. Instead of a casual restaurant, Balade feels more like a place where you sit down, relax, and enjoy dinner. The presentation is nicer and the atmosphere is more elegant.

Chicken Shish Tawook Sandwich ($15)

We also tried the Chicken Shish Tawook Sandwich, which came with fries.

A blue round plate stacked high with golden French fries alongside four cross-sections of a chicken shish tawook wrap showing grilled chicken chunks, lettuce, and pickles. — The Chicken Shish Tawook Sandwich served with a side of fries.

This was probably my least favorite dish of the night. The chicken itself tasted good, but it was a little dry for me. I also wish they had added more garlic sauce inside the sandwich because I think it would have made every bite more flavorful.

The bread was another thing I noticed. It was a little crispier than I personally like. I usually prefer softer pita bread, especially with chicken shish tawook. It wasn't a bad sandwich, but compared to everything else we ordered, this was the only dish that I thought could be improved. Honestly, it was the only plate left with food on it at the end of the night.

Grilled Salmon ($34)

The last entrée was the Grilled Salmon, served with baked potatoes. After eating several meat dishes, the salmon was a nice change of pace. It was cooked well, and the baked potatoes made the meal simple but filling. If you're not in the mood for beef or chicken, I think this would be a good option.

A speckled blue plate holding a large, perfectly seared rectangular salmon fillet, six seasoned roasted potato rounds arranged in a semi-circle, a small cup of white garlic sauce, and a half lemon wrapped in yellow cheesecloth. — The seared Grilled Salmon entrée served with a side of seasoned roasted potato rounds.

Baklava ($10)

For dessert, we started with the Baklava. If you've never had Baklava before, it's made with thin layers of filo pastry, chopped nuts, and sweet syrup.

A piece of golden, layered filo pastry baklava on a small white plate, drenched in sweet syrup and coated with crushed green pistachios next to a metal fork. — Flaky layers of sweet perfection—the pistachio-crusted Baklava was an undeniable standout.

This was one of my favorite desserts. The pastry stayed crispy, the nuts added a nice crunch, and the syrup wasn't overly sweet. Sometimes Baklava can be way too sugary, but I didn't think that was the case here. I finished every single bite before anyone else could grab some.

Mouhallabie ($10)

The second dessert was the Mouhallabie, a traditional Lebanese milk pudding topped with crushed pistachios and homemade syrup.

A round, smooth white Mouhallabie milk pudding sitting in a shallow white dessert bowl, generously topped and surrounded by bright green crushed pistachios and syrup. — Light, creamy, and refreshing: the traditional Mouhallabie milk pudding topped with crushed pistachios.

Compared to the Baklava, this dessert was much lighter. The pudding was smooth and creamy, while the pistachios added a little crunch. It was a refreshing way to finish a big dinner.

The Restaurant Week Value

While Balade is a fantastic spot to visit any night of the year, checking it out during NYC Restaurant Week is a smart move if you want to sample their range on a budget. During the promo, they offer a three-course dinner track for $45 per person.

If you look at the regular menu prices, ordering a traditional appetizer like the Kibbeh ($18), a main entrée like the Beef Shawarma Platter ($29), and a dessert ($10) would normally cost you $57 separate. Using the special menu knocks a good amount off the baseline bill. Because we wanted to try everything, we tacked on the Kousa ($28) and a few extra items, bringing our total to $187.27 after tax and before tip. The promo menu acts as an awesome financial cushion that lets you explore an upscale East Village kitchen without breaking the bank.

Would I Come Back?

Maybe. Not because I didn't enjoy the food. Actually, I thought the food was excellent. The only reason is that New York City has so many Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurants that I still want to explore for the blog. Places in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Heights, and Astoria are still on my list. If I come back to Balade one day, I'd probably order the Kousa again because it was my favorite dish.

Final Verdict

I really enjoyed my dinner at Balade. The appetizers were all delicious, especially the Kibbeh and Sambousek. The Kousa easily became my favorite dish because it tasted like a homemade meal. It was simple, comforting, and full of flavor. The only dish I wasn't completely sold on was the Chicken Shish Tawook Sandwich. I think it would have been even better with more garlic sauce and softer bread.

Everything else was excellent. If you're looking for an authentic Lebanese restaurant in Manhattan, I think Balade is worth visiting.

Restaurant Information

Feature	Details
Restaurant Name	Balade (East Village)
Street Address	208 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009
Cuisine Type	Authentic Lebanese
Nearest Subway	L Train (1 Avenue Station) or Union Square (12-minute walk)
Price Point	$$$ (Refined Sit-Down Dining)
Overall Score	9.5 out of 10 Stars (★★★★★★★★★☆)
Must-Orders	Kousa, Sambousek, Baklava
Vibe	Warm, cozy, and great for a date night
Parking Advice	Don't drive. Street parking is super hard to find. Take the subway.