Having tried many restaurants in the New York, there are a few crucial ingredients that are required to making it an overall good experience; Service, Ambience, and of course the Food. Mezetto, located on the Lower East side, on the corner of Houston and Allen, passed all three tests with flying colors.

Small Dishes at Mezetto

As written on their website, “Mezetto,” which is derived from the word ‘Meze’, refers to a selection of small dishes that are typically served in Mediterranean cuisine. With a bistro-meets-tavern vibe, Mezetto puts a modern and creative twist on the traditional. Their dinner menu has a huge variety of appetizer/tapas style dishes, making this spot ideal for large groups and dates, allowing you try a little bit of everything. Even better, many items are vegetarian, making it easy to accommodate everyone in your party.

I absolutely love how so many restaurants are transitioning to more of a tapas style menu, allowing everyone in your party to pick something they like and enjoy a bit of everything. Sticking with this tapas trend, my friends and I decided on multiple items to share, rather than individually ordering entrees.

Appetizers at Mezetto

We started with the Mezetto trio of hummus, eggplant caviar, spicy feta, which came with their grilled za’atar flatbread. It was quite the authentic start to our meal. Next came the burrata, complete with bruschetta, garlic toast and a balsamic drizzle. It was creamy and decadent.

One of my favorites of the night was, hands down, the falafel buns. As someone who doesn’t eat much meat, I’m always disappointed to find pork buns on every menu and hardly ever a vegetarian option. Mezetto’s falafel bun hit the spot and made up for all those lost times. Their falafel is perfectly crisp on the outside, but unlike the average falafel found in the city, I was pleasantly surprised by its moist inside, rich with flavors and spices of the Middle East. The Spanish-influenced pickle relish gives it a nice bite and complexity as well. My friend Jess noted that she especially like the bun because she finds that pita overwhelms the falafel, but the bun, which is light and almost airy, allows you to fully enjoy every aspect of the dish completely.

And continuing on my hunt to find the best charred octopus in the city, I of course ordered it for the table. Out came another beautiful presentation, with the charred octopus as the main attraction on a bed of heirloom bean succotash, spicy tahini, mint & citrus vinaigrette.

It was perfectly charred, a bit smoky, and the delicate succotash blended nicely with meaty texture of the fish. All of these appetizers were fun to share and perfectly portioned for each of us to enjoy. Honestly, I could have ended the meal with just the appetizers, as I was full and satisfied, but try and say no to homemade truffle gnocchi and let me know how that goes… It was definitely a crowd pleaser to say the least.

To complete the meal, we had the Mini Baklava Doughnuts, as well as the Halva parfait. For the record, I’ve never in my life enjoyed eating Halva. I’ve tried many times, but it just never went well. Until Mezetto. This dessert blew me away. The Halva shreddings on top of the ice cream, complete with the toffee-coffee sauce looked like a piece of art, almost too pretty to eat. But boy am I happy I did.

Overall my experience at Mezetto was one for the books. The passion and creativity behind the menu is clear in its presentation and taste. I look forward to going back again for brunch and trying even more items. Chef Bahr Rapaport, thank you for a delicious meal that will be hard to top.

For more information on Mezetto check out their website

Mezetto
161 East Houston Street
New York, NY