Sawa

A bright, blue-trimmed restaurant, Sawa in Park Slope makes vibrant Lebanese food with a menu that’s great for sharing with your family or a double date. Start with some minty arak cocktails or wine from Lebanon and Morocco, and then go wild with your order. Watch chefs in the big open kitchen grabbing pita from a domed oven, before you dunk the still-steaming bread in some muhammara with pomegranate seeds or a thick hummus with tender chunks of beef cheek. Don’t skip the kibbeh arnabiyeh, a large lamb shank stewed in tahini, or the perfectly cooked whole dorade in tomato-pepper stew. Our only complaint? The portions are too generous to try everything in just one visit.

photo credit: Francesco Sapienza