NYCReview
photo credit: Armondo Rafael
Frena
Included In
At Frena, you can eat some of the best hummus this city has to offer, with the texture of half-melted ice cream, on fresh, puffy flatbread. Located in the former Taboon space (which closed in 2021), and from the same chef and owners, this Hell's Kitchen spot still filters a good chunk of their menu through their wood-burning oven. You'll find a good mix of meat and seafood, like a crab shawarma on buttery toast, or four dense, juicy lamb meatballs baked in a terracotta pot, in a tomato and tahini sauce that’s unrealistically vibrant outside of tomato season. There's tons of natural light, real trees in large urns, and a wine cellar full of Moroccan syrah and Turkish pet nat. Come here for a nicer date night—larger dishes are in the $40-50 range—and order a bunch of things to share.