“ Bought a couch and celebrated with a big lunch! We did a few Yelp searches for lunch spots in the area of the store we planned to stop into and 12 Chairs caught my eye. I love love love Israeli food so it was an easy choice. We put our name on a list for 2 around 1:30 and circled back about 35 minutes later to a free table outside. Outside space is very limited (I think there was just 3 tables on the sidewalk) and veryyyyy cramped. It was comically tough to squeeze in and not have my tush knock something over on the next table. We started with the dreamy halloumi and the pelmeni. Both were amazing. I think the pelmini might have been my favorite dish of the entire meal. They were small Russian meat dumplings packed with so much flavor. If you are only getting one app and want it to be heartier than just a dip, get these. The halloumi was also incredible and loved the garlic confit it was served with. For my entree, I got the masabacha: Slowly cooked chickpeas, tahini, spicy lemon, cumin, onion and a brown egg (served warm). It was basically like a hummus stew, but in the best way. It was warm and cozy and loved the sliced brown hard boiled egg it was served with. It went perfectly scooped up with some pita. I tried a bit of the borek which was also a winner. I really don't think you can go wrong. Enjoy! ”

“ Had a reservation for 8:30 and we were seated at 8:40. VERY loud music but super fun. They passed out tambourines. The service was great. Food was delicious. The 2 best dishes were the cauliflower and schnitzel. I have a nut allergy so I am usually very scared to eat Israeli food bc of nuts but the kitchen prepared with no nuts. Falafel and tahini was delicious. Israeli salad was decent. The fries were fine nothing special. Pita was great. Such a fun dinner just very loud. Highly recommend. ”

“ Delicious breakfast! Came here three times in my one week trip to New York. The Israeli breakfast is the perfect combo of ingredients and is a great deal for your money. It comes with an egg cooked to your preference, bread, Israeli salad (cucumber and tomato), and various soft cheeses. A tea and a juice also comes with your meal. The service is quick and friendly, and I enjoyed getting to know the staff during my days there. Will definitely be back the next time I'm in town! ”

“ One of the best Israeli food I had issue Israel ! The atmosphere is great , service is excellent , and the food is fantastic . What else would one need to thoroughly enjoy? Here's what we had - 1) falafel w tahini starter - high quality falafel (the green kind !) and Hugh quality tahini . Perfect match . 4.3/5 2) hummus w meat - their version has also mushrooms , pine nuts and fried onion . So good . A good size portion well . One of the best I had . 4.7/5 3) pita w schnitzel - a generous portion , fresh schnitzel , fried eggplant , matbucha- so simple and so yummy . 4.2/5 We ended w Turkish coffee and mint tee and have throughly enjoyed the experience Will be na l for sure ! ”

“ THE MEAL WAS DELICIOUS! The restaurant was packed when we walked in for dinner with tables set pretty close together. It has a super lively atmosphere. - Hummus: Taste and presentation both 10/10. I could eat this nonstop! - Babaganoush: I still dream about this eggplant. Next time I'm in NY, I'm definitely coming back for this dish. It was cooked perfectly and paired beautifully with everything else we ordered. ”

“ A few of us stopped by 12 Chairs for brunch and it was a solid spot. The menu had a wide range of options, including Israeli dishes and typical American dishes. I went with the Moroccan fish, which was tasty and cooked nicely, but I thought it could have used a bit more spice. The cous cous was pretty plain, so it didn't really do much for me. However, the pita and hummus hit the spot! Even though the restaurant was pretty busy, the service was good. I'm not sure if I'd go out of my way to come back, just given how many other options there are in the area, but I still very much enjoyed it! ”

“ Truly surprised with myself for not writing a review for 12 Chairs sooner! Amazing brunch spot but also great for a delicious dinner. They used to be really small (only 12 chairs) but have since expanded into the space next door as well as offering on street and in cabin outside dining. I do recommend making a reservation as it gets very busy especially on the weekends. The brunch menu every dish comes with a generous portion of fresh Israeli salad, and includes the option to add coffee or juice for a reasonable addition. I always always always get the BOREK Traditional cigar dough filled with potato puree and runny egg, folded into a pocket and fried It's so tasty and always perfectly prepared, and the salad it comes with really compliments the richness of the borek. My friend usually gets the shakshuka and then if they're not sold out, an order of Jachnun for later. JACHNUN Hand-rolled Yemenite dough cooked overnight with a touch of date honey, served with a hard-boiled egg and crushed tomatoes (one piece). Saturdays and Sundays only and they sell out by the afternoon. 12 chairs isn't know for their customer service but I have never had a bad experience. You may just need to be assertive in asking for water refills but our server on this recent visit checked on us frequently. I once had to engage with management about a disappointing take out order, I corresponded with Rotem via email using the email listed on the website, and received a phone call at my convenience from is manager the next day. They were Incredibly receptive to my feedback, refunded me for the burnt item and also offered a gift card for my next visit. That made me a loyal returning customer, as no restaurant can ever be truly perfect, but the way in which mistakes are acknowledged and addressed speaks volumes for their professionalism and value of the customer, ”