Huda

On any given weeknight in Williamsburg, people go to trivia, pay for a guest pass at their crush’s rock climbing gym, and wash dishes while listening to a 90-minute podcast episode. But spending an evening at this snug Levantine bistro will surely be better than all of those.

Huda's white marble bar is the sort of place we'd happily sit on a random Wednesday, drinking arak with mint and ice and eating blistered grapes that come out hot and smoky with a pile of feta and mint. All the food here leans bright, with acidic pops from pomegranate, yogurt, and labne. Canker sores may not fare well, but you and a friend will. Portions are generous and everything—from the roasted lamb dish to the smoky shish barak with yogurt—is built to share.

The house arak with mintphoto credit: Louise Palmberg

Great food aside, the easiness of the space and reasonably priced drinks are the main reasons to come to Huda whenever you're in the mood to get out of the apartment. House arak costs $12 and the extensive wine list has options from $14-18 by the glass (including a few wines made in Lebanon). So kick back, eat some hot grapes off the vine, and let J. Cole and modern Lebanese music wash over you. Your bathrobe and parasocial obsession with a certain podcast can wait until tomorrow night.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Louise Palmberg

Carrot Salad

Who knew carrots could have the texture of angel hair? A very refreshing, crunchy, and bright salad that is a positive addition to any table.

photo credit: Louise Palmberg

Blistered Grapes

The first few bites of hot, charred grapes are delicious. They almost taste like they’re cooked in reduced booze, and get a little lift from mint and salty feta. But as they cool, they become really hard to pull off the stem in one clean bite. Eat them quickly or you’ll be eating pieces of grape stem.

photo credit: Louise Palmberg

Kalamari Mishwi

The only place hummus shows up on Huda's menu is in this grilled squid dish. Which is sad, because their hummus is excellent. The broken olive vinaigrette makes the dish, though. This is one of our favorite things on the menu.

photo credit: Louise Palmberg

Batata Harra

A crunchy potato pancake with a spicy sauce. Best paired with the kalamari, and dipped into the hummus and olive vinaigrette.

Shish Barak

This chewy, rich, nutty shish barak is always on the menu. It’s served with a big spoonful of yogurt and smoky chile oil.

Mansef

Tender lamb shank that slides right off the bone. The nut and fried shallot mixture on top packs a punch. But, the lamb needs the yogurt sauce like your house plant needs attention.