Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in Brooklyn Heights & Downtown Brooklyn (11201)
5 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: January 2026
Our Top Pick
Al Badawi
Palestinian feasts built around wood-fired breads, slow-cooked meats, and shareable mezze in a Michelin-recognized setting.
Notable Picks
#1
Al Badawi
8.8
Al Badawi brings Palestinian home cooking to Atlantic Avenue, turning a narrow Brooklyn Heights dining room into a busy hub for mezze and family-style platters. Since opening in 2021, it has earned Michelin Guide attention for wood-fired breads, slow-cooked meats, and generous hospitality that make it a destination well beyond the neighborhood.
Must-Try Dishes:
Msakhan with sumac-roasted chicken and onions, Lamb chops over rice with roasted peppers, Warm house flatbread with hummus and mezze
What makes it special: Palestinian feasts built around wood-fired breads, slow-cooked meats, and shareable mezze in a Michelin-recognized setting.
8.5
Yemen Cafe has anchored the Atlantic Avenue Middle Eastern strip since 1986, serving slow-cooked Yemeni stews, giant platters of rice, and complimentary marag soup to generations of regulars. With thousands of reviews and national press, it functions as both neighborhood dining room and cultural landmark for Yemeni cooking in New York.
Must-Try Dishes:
Lamb haneeth with basmati rice, Saltah or fahsa bubbling stew, Freshly baked Yemeni flatbread with dips
What makes it special: One of New York’s most important Yemeni restaurants, pairing long-simmered stews and clay-pot dishes with huge portions and late hours.
8.4
Damascus Bread & Pastry Shop is a century-old Syrian bakery on Atlantic Avenue known for its fresh pita, baklava, and prepared Middle Eastern specialties. Dating back to the late 1920s, it draws neighborhood shoppers and destination carb-seekers for trays of sweets, savory pies, and pantry staples that taste rooted in home cooking.
Must-Try Dishes:
Assorted baklava and pistachio pastries, Spinach and cheese pies, Falafel or shawarma sandwiches on house pita
What makes it special: A historic Syrian bakery where locals stock up on pita, pastries, and grab-and-go Middle Eastern dishes from long-running family recipes.
Worthy Picks
7.9
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Comfort Food Classics
Hidden Gems Heaven
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Tutt Heights Cafe is a modest Egyptian-leaning Middle Eastern spot on a quiet Brooklyn Heights block, known for zaatar-covered pitza, platters, and mezze at neighborhood prices. With decades of local love and sidewalk seating, it functions as a casual hangout for soups, salads, and grilled plates before or after a walk along the nearby Promenade.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Tutt Platter, Zaatar Bread Pitza, Falafel Platter
What makes it special: Casual Middle Eastern cooking with generous portions and prices that still feel old Brooklyn Heights.
7.6
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Comfort Food Classics
Heights Falafel is a tiny Brooklyn Heights counter long appreciated for quick, inexpensive falafel, shawarma, and stuffed pitas. It’s a no-frills operation where the appeal lies in warm bread, crisp chickpea fritters, and filling platters that make a reliable workday lunch or low-key takeout stop.
Must-Try Dishes:
Falafel sandwich with tahini and salads, Chicken shawarma platter over rice, Lentil or vegetable soup
What makes it special: Counter-service falafel and shawarma that stay affordable and satisfying a short walk from the Promenade.