Sawa Opens in Park Slope

A tribute to Lebanon on 5th Avenue

Sawa, a modern Lebanese restaurant, opens today in Park Slope, joining other Middle Eastern marvels in Brooklyn like Sofreh, Eyval, and Nabila’s. 

Sawa serves a feast of Lebanese cooking. (Photo by Francesco Sapienza)

Sawa comes from a sister/brother team and a Sofreh and Eyval alum: Chef/Owner Samaya Boueri Ziade, her brother George Boueri, and Chef de Cuisine Soroosh Golbabae, who has worked at some of NYC’s top restaurants, including Gramercy Tavern, Sofreh, and Eyval. 

Sawa, which means “together” in Arabic, embraces Lebanon’s beautiful culture of hospitality, a place where the table is synonymous with family, where food is not just nourishment, but love, care, safety, connection and togetherness.

The menu, developed by Samaya and chef Soroosh, who was born and raised in Teheran, features elevated Lebanese classics through a modern lens, marrying spices and flavors from the region with ingredients from local farmers and producers. 

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I’d say it’s best to start out with mezze, small plates, and a basket of freshly baked pita cooked in an open-flame brick oven, an homage to artisanal bakeries that pack the streets of Beirut. With the pita, have the House Labneh made from cow and sheep’s yogurt strained in house, dusted with za’atar and topped with plump Lebanese black olives.

Then maybe the Samke Nayeh — thinly-sliced carpaccio in a blood orange dressing with marjoram and sumac, and the Kibbeh Nayeh, grass-fed lamb tartare with mint, bulgur and warm spices, served with pita crackers. If you’re a vegetarian, there’s one made from pumpkin stuffed with Swiss chard, caramelized onion, and pomegranate molasses. Yum. 

Large plate highlights include Kibbeh Arnabiyeh – a staple of Lebanese Sunday lunches traditionally eaten during peak Seville orange season – featuring Middle Eastern-spiced meatballs and lamb shank in a tahini stew with bright citrus flavors, served with a side of Lebanese vermicelli rice. How good does that sound?

Also, Eggplant Fatteh is a Sawa signature of warm, fried eggplant with chickpeas, topped with a tahini yogurt mix, crunchy homemade pita chips, pomegranate seeds and pine nuts.

I’m also interested in the Beiruti Samke Harra, a Beirut-style char-grilled whole Dorade served in a spicy tomato and bell pepper sauce, drizzled with cilantro oil.

The cocktail list features some fun Lebanese twists— an Arak Mojito mixed from arak, rum, mint and lime; and a Rosewater G+T with gin, St. Germain, rosewater and tonic. The wine list features Lebanese producers as well as options from Mediterranean countries.

There’s also Turkish coffee, mint tea, and Lebanese White Coffee, which contrary to its name is only made with hot water, orange blossom, and honey if you like.   

Turkish coffee and a slice of Nammoura (Photo by Francesco Sapienza)

Desserts are those delicious Middle Eastern ones that lean into honey, pistachio, and citrus. There is a moist semolina cake called Nammoura that’s soaked in orange blossom syrup and topped with custard and slivered almonds; and Lebanese Lemonade Sorbet, with mint and orange blossom.

The space is gorgeous: airy and sun-drenched, a sort of Beirut-meets-Brooklyn vibe with an L-shaped rattan banquette inspired by the locally crafted cane chairs of Lebanon, carrara marble and oak wood-top tables, a geometric-tiled bar and ornately carved mirrors and lanterns throughout. Walls of exposed brick and peeled plaster feel like something from traditional Ottoman homes. 

One last thing: the entrance of Sawa serves as a market, displaying curated artisanal crafts, spices, pottery and more, sourced straight from Lebanese craftsmen and small businesses so you can shop and eat. What’s better than that?

Sawa is open for dinner Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30–11 PM. Reservations are available via Resy. Follow @sawa_nyc.