Located on East 53rd Street in Manhattan, ilili offers a refined yet approachable interpretation of Lebanese cuisine, drawing inspiration from Beirut’s culinary heritage while embracing the techniques and sensibilities of modern dining.
I like to think of myself as a romantic. At one point, that might’ve even been true. A belief born of youthful naivety, nurtured by Hollywood, and gradually eroded through years of the trial-and-error process known as dating. The trouble with loving something is that the more you experience it, the more difficult it becomes to recapture the joy that made you fall in love with it in the first place.
Before restaurants, I wrote extensively about film. Cinema was once my greatest passion, but as the years went on, what I loved most gradually became an object of my frustration. I increasingly worry that I’ll end up experiencing that same indifference toward food. Too often, restaurants seem content to offer interchangeable experiences, uninspired menus, and dishes that feel as though they were conceived by committee and assembled from the latest Sysco catalog.
Yet every so often, something comes along that rekindles that first love. A reminder of why the passion burned so brightly to begin with. For me, that something was ilili.
Rest assured, the restaurants I’ve praised on this site remain dear to me, and I stand by what I’ve written. However, the past month has been a parade of middling meals, lackluster lunches, and disappointing dinners. None was particularly terrible. In fact, that might have made them more interesting. They were simply forgettable. That unfortunate streak finally came to an end at ilili Midtown, the latest concept from Executive Chef and Owner Philippe Massoud.
Located on East 53rd Street in Manhattan, ilili offers a refined yet approachable interpretation of Lebanese cuisine, drawing inspiration from Beirut’s culinary heritage while embracing the techniques and sensibilities of modern dining. Traditional mezza share the menu with inventive contemporary dishes, creating an experience that feels simultaneously familiar and exciting.
Our evening began with a glass of sparkling wine from Lucien Albrecht, bright, refreshing, and an excellent introduction to the meal ahead. More importantly, we made what would prove to be the evening’s best decision: we surrendered the menu to our waiter.
Rather than selecting dishes ourselves, we invited him to guide us through an authentic Lebanese dining experience. To be fair, this is something I would normally do anyway when reviewing a restaurant. What better way to experience a place than to trust the folks who run it? Our lovely waiter enthusiastically obliged, orchestrating a progression of traditional favorites, refreshing interludes, and indulgent specialties. There was a genuine warmth to his approach that immediately put us at ease. It felt like stepping into a family home in old Lebanon, with our host delighted to share his culinary traditions with us.
We began with hummus, fittingly enough, considering that ilili’s signature preparation is based on a Massoud family recipe dating back to the 19th century. Topped with pine nuts, the hummus was everything the dish ought to be. Exceptionally nutty, fresh, and luxuriously smooth, it paired perfectly with the complimentary house-made flatbread. I rarely discuss the bread served at restaurants, but I’ve found that truly exceptional dining experiences extend the same care to the bread as they do to everything else. ilili is no different. The bread itself was crisp and well-seasoned, with a subtly sweet, almost cinnamon-spiced flavor that made it dangerously addictive. According to the restaurant, its kitchen produces an astonishing 10,000 loaves each week. Having tasted it, I can certainly understand why the ovens remain so busy.
Next came the mouhamara, a traditional spread of walnuts, sundried peppers, and pomegranate molasses. Its complexity reminded me of some of the more intricately spiced Indian dishes I’ve enjoyed, with a depth of flavor that seemed to reveal something new with each bite. It was an excellent demonstration of how a relatively simple preparation can deliver such an extraordinary range of flavors.
The moussaka followed, a traditional eggplant ragout prepared with tomatoes, garlic, and old-world spices. You should know, as the reader, that I am not particularly fond of eggplant. More accurately, I despise it, and given the choice, I generally avoid it entirely. Yet ilili’s preparation had me reconsidering a prejudice I’ve held for years. The eggplant was expertly seasoned, its natural richness complemented by layers of spice that transformed an otherwise unremarkable vegetable into something genuinely delightful, and, more importantly, something I actually enjoyed.
Photo by the Knockturnal
The tabbouleh provided a refreshing contrast. Rather than arriving as a conventional salad, the parsley, mint, tomato, and bulgur were arranged atop individual lettuce leaves, creating delicate, ready-to-eat bites. Our waiter explained the traditional approach to enjoying the dish, encouraging us to simply pick up each leaf and eat it by hand. Bright, lemony, and refreshing, it was one of those moments where the presentation made the experience just as memorable as the food itself.
Then came what was perhaps my favorite of the opening dishes: the Kibbeh Naye Beirutieh. Imagine the finest beef tartare you’ve ever tasted, then imagine something even richer. This traditional Lebanese preparation combines raw beef with bulgur, onion, and mint, resulting in an unusually dense, almost velvety texture. The meat possessed a savory richness that bordered on the creamy complexity of cheese, while the sharpness of the onion provided a welcome contrast. Rather unexpectedly, the combination reminded me of a deconstructed hamburger, albeit one elevated to a level of sophistication that would make even the finest steakhouse envious. I mean that as the highest possible compliment.
Our waiter wisely punctuated the richness of the preceding dishes with two lighter courses. An heirloom tomato salad was bright and vibrant, its freshness providing a welcome respite, while a mahi-mahi ceviche offered another refreshing combination of flavors. Both impressed in their simplicity, allowing the natural qualities of their ingredients to shine without unnecessary complication.
Photo by the Knockturnal
Then came the evening’s crowning achievement: the lamb shank. Prepared over a reported 72 hours, the lamb arrived alongside Lebanese dirty rice and a beautifully layered potato preparation. The presentation alone was impressive, with the waitstaff removing the bone tableside so effortlessly that it scarcely seemed attached in the first place.
Photo by the Knockturnal
The meat itself was magnificent, its richly seasoned, crisp exterior giving way to an impossibly tender interior. The rice was equally exceptional, fragrant and beautifully seasoned, absorbing the lamb’s rich juices and creating a combination that reminded me of the perfect biryani. Not because the dishes were identical, but because both achieve that extraordinary marriage of aromatic rice, beautifully prepared meat, and deeply satisfying flavors.
And then there were the potatoes. Potato, butter, potato, butter, repeated seemingly without end in an intricate arrangement of delicate layers. You don’t need an expert to know that’s a recipe for success. Rich, delicate, and almost melting, they were so wonderfully decadent that I could have happily spent the remainder of the evening eating nothing else.
The Brussels sprouts were an unexpected revelation of their own. Accompanied by yogurt, fig jam, walnuts, and grapes, they possessed a wonderful sweetness that perfectly balanced the vegetables’ natural earthiness. I’ve enjoyed Brussels sprouts at some of New York’s finest steakhouses, but ilili’s version ranks among the very best I can remember.
By the time dessert arrived, we had long since surrendered any pretense of restraint. We began with black sesame and Arabian milk ice creams served with a honeycomb cracker, an intriguing pairing that offered two remarkably different expressions of flavor. The black sesame possessed an unexpectedly savory, nutty richness, contrasting with the delicate, floral sweetness of the Arabian milk ice cream, whose fragrant notes were reminiscent of orange blossom. The artfully made honeycomb cracker added a delightful sweetness of its own, with an almost stroopwafel-like quality.
Photo by the Knockturnal
Our final course was the Knafe Bil Jibneh, a traditional Lebanese sweet cheese tart accompanied by sesame pillows and orange blossom syrup. Presented for sharing and cut into quarters, it was a fitting conclusion to an extraordinary meal. Fragrant, indulgent, and sweeter than one might expect from a cheese-based dessert, it paired beautifully with the ice creams. We were already bursting at the seams, but happily finished every bite.
Yet for all the praise deservedly directed toward the food, it would be a disservice to ilili not to acknowledge the hospitality that made the experience so memorable. There are restaurants where service is technically flawless, where plates arrive promptly, glasses are never empty, and every interaction is conducted with impeccable professionalism. Then there are restaurants where, on top of all that, the staff make you feel genuinely welcome, where hospitality is not simply a matter of efficiency but an expression of warmth and generosity. ilili belongs firmly in the latter category.
Over the last few months I’ve been revisiting a number of films I called my favorites and I was delighted to discover that I loved them just as much as I did years ago. The experience reminded me of something I had almost forgotten. I never actually stopped loving movies. I had simply learned more about what I loved, and perhaps more importantly, why I loved it.
I’m no longer the starry-eyed boy who finds beauty in every film he watches even though there is beauty in it all. Nor am I the diner who expects every meal to become a treasured memory. Experience has made me more discerning, perhaps a little more cynical, but no less capable of recognizing something extraordinary when it comes along. This is true in film, food, and probably even dating. And I know when I see something extraordinary, I make sure to make my thoughts known.
ilili is undoubtedly one of those rare experiences worth going out of your way for.
