EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN
Balade
A Lebanese village table on First Avenue — mezze, charcoal-grilled kafta, and plenty of toum.
Roland Semaan opened Balade on First Avenue in 2010 to cook the food of a Lebanese village table, and the room — low light, cushions, traditional artwork — still feels more like a long dinner at someone's house than an East Village restaurant. Lebanese cooking lives in its mezze, and this is the place to graze: labneh bi toum, loubieh bzeit (green beans stewed in olive oil), tabbouleh heavy on parsley, and hummus with warm bread.
From the charcoal side, the mixed grill of kafta, shish tawook and lamb arrives with toum, the whipped garlic sauce that defines the Lebanese table. Manakeesh and sfiha come from the oven, and weekend brunch adds eggs with za'atar and labneh. It is a dependable, warm room rather than a showpiece, and that is the point.
Editor’s tip
Build the meal from cold mezze first and add the mixed grill last — and ask for extra toum.
Make an evening of it — beautiful stops nearby
Also in the neighborhood
Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 13, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.