Zou Zou’s

Dawson the bartender took care of us. He had amazing recommendations and was very welcoming.

Super yummy! After a long flight, we hopped on Yelp to find our first meal of the trip. We stumbled upon Zou Zou's on Yelp and were blown away. The dips spread, which comes with fresh crudités and bread, is a true show-stopper -- each dip was fresh, unique, and delightful. Our favorite was the whipped ricotta.

We also ordered the tuna tartare, which is served more like deconstructed poke. Paired with fig slices, mint sprigs, and a delicious tangy green sauce, the tartare was a great raw option to open the meal.

The lamb chops are a MUST-try -- super tender (melt off the bone), excellent rendering of the fat, and well-seasoned. I insisted that my friend (who doesn't like meat) try a bite, and even she was stunned by how good it was. The caramelized cabbage is good, but the strong tangy flavor could've been better balanced (especially in the middle).

Drinks were delicious. The vibe is modern/romantic and very lively. Great for dates, friend hangouts, and casual business dinners. Service was not the best that night, but honestly, the food more than made up for it. Highly recommend!

I went to Zou Zou's for the duck - regarded as one of the best dishes in the city. Unfortunately, the first time I went I did so for lunch, and sadly learned that they do not offer the duck during lunch (painful lesson). I had a pedestrian salad and vowed to return for dinner in short order. I returned for the duck and wasn't disappointed.

First, a little about the restaurant - large and bustling, servers buzz about frenetically throughout the middle eastern themed restaurant. The menu is limited and likewise middle east themed. Beer and wine options are limited but the cocktail-focused options provide myriad interesting choices. My colleagues ordered and enthusiastically recommended the Road to Jericho. I had a glass of Syrah, which oddly they offer in regular and "glass and a half" options, the latter seeming just like a regular pour.

Appetizer choices drive diners to Zou Zou's featured opener: "the dips" - four unique dipping options served with a modest portion of Turkish flat bread. It's a great sharing dish, but the portions are mismatched with far too little bread for parties of more than two.

On to the main course: the duck borek - a pizza-shaped pastry filled with melt-in-your-mouth duck. The pastry is sweet, like a honey crusted croissant, and the duck is delicately tender. Those not interested in duck can find a similarly delicious option in the crispy Moroccan fried chicken. Crispy and flavorful without being greasy.

Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. I found religion in that dish.

Plenty of food here with a big menu and creative dishes. It is a Mediterranean restaurant with a modern twist. Tables are a bit close and dark ambiance. Service was friendly and average.

1. Dips - We had a sampler for the dips and all were on point! Very different from each other.

2. Crudo - Fresh and with a bit of spice

3. Beet salad - Bigger salad than it looked and this satisfied our veggie craving

4. Duck Borek - Also a big heavy dish. Great to split among a few friends. You can taste the orange in it.

Overall, a good restaurant to come with friends and try at least once!

This restaurant is beautiful, ambiance is classy, and the service is lovely.

I would not dine here with picky eaters as the dishes all seemed to have a twist incorporating creative flavors into what you would traditionally expect- we had a picky eater in the group.

Otherwise the experience is delightful utilizing unexpected flavors and the service is excellent

Wow! I literally could not praise Zou Zou's enough, and, after my visit, I completely understood why it was always so challenging to secure a reservation there. First off, the space was beautiful! It was large, buzzing, and reminded me of a classy Parisian bistro. The host staff was excellent and sat me immediately, even without my companion for the evening, who arrived several moments later. We were then quickly greeted by our waiter, Josh K., who was by far the friendliest and most helpful server I had had in years. He was a true gem!

When it came to ordering, we were very tempted by the $74 chef's tasting menu, which included dips, 3 appetizers, 2 entrees, and a dessert, all served family-style. Even though it was crafted without some of the items we really wanted from the a la carte menu, it seemed like an excellent deal. We decided to start with a drink, while we debated our food options. Neither of us was up for booze that night, so we were thrilled to see that some of the cocktails were available non-alcoholic. I went with the NA version of the Road to Jericho, which was a tart, sweet blend of pomegranate, fig, and orange blossom. It was delightful, and I preferred it to my brother's NA Medjool Daiquiri with pineapple, dates, and lime.

We soon settled on the Chef's Tasting and were so happy that we had, as it was a ton of food for the price. First came the 5 Dip Tower with small bowls of various spreads: chickpea hummus with black garlic oil, ember-roasted eggplant with spiced peppers, whipped ricotta with saffron apricots, green tahini with aquafaba and cilantro, and smoked carrot with hazelnuts and pomegranate seeds. While all of the fluffy dips were tasty, the ricotta with sweet fruit was our absolute favorite. We also enjoyed the accompanying Bazlama fluffy bread and the unique utensil replacements in the form of cruditè (mini-carrots, cucumber spears, and radicchio leaves).

Right after our spreads arrived, the mezze came to the table. It was a bit too much food at once, which Josh also noticed, so he requested that the kitchen slow down the procession. The Fattoush salad included sweet, honeycrisp apples and candied pecans. It was topped with a large, thin crisp cracker-type thing. The Manti were puff pastry bites that were stuffed with spiced beef and served with a garlicky labneh. The Hamachi Crudo was seasoned with ginger blossom, coriander, and sesame. All 3 dishes were fantastic and varied enough to make for a really diverse start to the meal.

As stuffed as we were by the conclusion of that substantial first course, we had to continue on to the entrees. There was a delicate Grilled Branzino, seasoned with chermoula and shiso, and served with braised escarole. The Yemeni Filet Mignon Au Poivre Kebab offered large chunks of tender beef served on a lengthy metal skewer. In addition to the mains, we received sides of Charred Broccoli and Wadi Rum Jeweled Rice, which contained almonds, currants, cheese (yogurt?), and much more. I adored it all, but could have done without the heavily burned flavor of the broccoli.

We wound up with some leftovers, which we packed up in order to save some room for the Kataifi Cheesecake. The beautiful dessert offered spheres of sweet, creamy cheese, sandwiched between two large, thin, crispy round cookie-like discs. It was further topped with some other type of crunchy strands. It was unbelievable!

I had not been as completely satisfied with a dining experience in quite some time. I instantly starting thinking about my next visit to Zou Zou's...

What a great restaurant! The decor is stunning and the food top notch and so flavorful. I came here with family to celebrate a very special birthday. They acknowledged this fact and the service was warm, courteous and on point. The food was delicious , attractively presented and plentiful. We were served their specialty dessert on the house . Their attentiveness and generosity were most appreciated. My only qualm is how noisy the restaurant is making conversation somewhat difficult. But overall it was a wonderful experience and we will be back!

Great vibe, everyone seems happy. We stopped in after ice skating outside in the winter. Drink presentation is amazing. Beautiful glasses, perfect Instagram photo ops. All the good looks yummy. Great friendly n courteous service. I'll have to
Come back to try other things.

Great vibes and lots of vegetarian friendly dishes in the Hudson Yards location. I loved all the dips! They were so yum. Wasn't a fan of the hot cheese but cool to watch them light it up. The cheesecake was yummy! It was like a deconstructed baklava. Such a fun spot! Service was OK. I hope they add more vegetarian options for their mains.

Oh Zou Zous, you have my heart! Everything was literally so beautiful here - from the ambiance and chic decor to the way the food is presented! Ordered their most popular dip tower and pistachio babka and they certainly did not disappoint. Loved all the options on the dip tower and it tasted very fresh, the bread that comes with it is warmed, thick and fluffy.
The babka is basically dessert, probably enough to feed 6-8 ppl! Sweet, citrusy, and nutty. The lemon butter is certainly not needed but a delightful addition. We also ordered the chicken which I thought was delicious but nothing to write home about.
Sangria was light, sweet and fruity. I loved how spacious the restaurant is and did not feel rushed to leave. Great place for brunch and catching up with friends!