Al Badawi

Verdict

Al Badawi is the right call for anyone wanting generous, flavour-forward Palestinian cooking in Brooklyn at a price that leaves money for dessert. At the $$ price point, the portions are large enough to share, the cooking is confident, and a 2024 Michelin Plate confirms the kitchen is doing something worth noticing. If Atlantic Avenue is your destination for Middle Eastern food, this is where to start.

About Al Badawi

Al Badawi sits on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, a stretch that has carried Middle Eastern restaurants and grocers for decades. The address is 151 Atlantic Ave, and the first thing you will see is the colorful faux floral display at the entrance — a signal that this is not a low-key operation. Those flowers continue inside, hanging above the kitchen and across the walls. The room is lively and visually busy, which sets the right expectation: this is a place that commits to everything it does, including portion size.

The cooking is Palestinian, and the format rewards sharing. The mezze platter is the logical entry point — an enormous spread of dips served with thin, unleavened saj bread pulled straight from the domed oven near the door. The bread arrives hot, and the dips are plentiful enough that ordering the full platter rather than picking individual items makes practical sense for two or more diners. After mezze, the mains scale up considerably: mounds of rice loaded with shredded chicken, garlic tahini, and pita chips, or bone-in lamb paired with fermented yogurt sauce. These are dishes built to feed groups, and the pricing reflects that generosity.

If one dish earns particular attention from the Michelin citation, it is also the simplest: thin flatbread covered in melted cheese and ground pistachios. It is the kind of dish that justifies a return visit on its own terms, and it is a useful reminder that Palestinian cooking at its leading does not need complexity to deliver impact. For context on how this compares to other Middle Eastern options in the city, Ayat leans into a similar Palestinian identity and is worth comparing directly, while Kubeh and Mesiba cover adjacent Middle Eastern ground if your itinerary allows more than one meal.

Drinks at Al Badawi

The database does not include a dedicated bar program for Al Badawi, and the $$ positioning suggests the focus is squarely on food rather than a cocktail list. That is consistent with the Palestinian and broader Levantine dining tradition, where the drinks play a supporting role to the mezze and mains. If a strong drinks program is a priority for your evening, this is not the venue to anchor that around. For a fuller picture of Brooklyn and New York bar options, see our full New York City bars guide. What Al Badawi does well in the drinks context is the non-alcoholic side: freshly baked bread and dips pair naturally with whatever is on the table, and the experience is built around the food rather than the glass.

Leading Time to Visit

Atlantic Avenue restaurants tend to fill up on weekends, and Al Badawi's 4.5 rating across more than 1,000 Google reviews confirms this is not an under-the-radar spot. For a more relaxed visit with easier seating, a weekday lunch or early weekday dinner is the smarter move. If you are bringing a group, the large-format dishes make this an excellent choice, but call ahead or plan to arrive early on Friday and Saturday evenings. The casual, colourful room means there is no wrong season to visit, though the warm, filling rice and lamb dishes make autumn and winter visits particularly well-suited. For broader context on dining across the city, see our full New York City restaurants guide.

Who Should Book

Al Badawi works well for food enthusiasts who want to eat substantively without spending a lot. The Michelin Plate recognition means the kitchen has been assessed by a credible third party, which reduces the risk for first-time visitors. Groups of three or four are the format this kitchen is built for: the mezze platter, the large rice dishes, and the flatbreads are all designed to be shared. Solo diners can eat well here, but the portion sizes mean you will either over-order or under-experience the menu. If you are exploring Middle Eastern food more broadly across New York, pairing a visit here with a stop at Mamoun's gives you a useful contrast in format and price point. For a view of how Palestinian and Levantine cooking is being handled elsewhere, Bait Maryam in Dubai and Baron in Doha offer useful international reference points. Closer to home, Astoria Seafood is worth knowing if your group wants a different style of no-frills, high-value eating in the outer boroughs.

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