Restaurants serving the Turkish-inspired food of the Middle East have been rife around New Orleans for three decades. Their menus are largely interchangeable. So are the prices, which always seem too low given the volume of food sent out. Because most Middle-Eastern places are managed by Muslims, they don't sell alcohol. But they do allow customers to bring their own wines, beers, or other alcoholic beverages, with no corkage fees. This works as an attraction for customers who might not otherwise get excited. Despite the unusual dish names and presentations, developing a taste for these cuisines comes easily. Suddenly in late 2015--but soon enough to be called the best new restaurant of the year--Shaya opened with a very different approach to this Levantine cooking. It shortly became one of the most popular restaurants in town. It's still is hard to get a reservation there. Chef Alon Shaya, working with his business partner John Besh--performed a total reworking of the flavors. You will recognize about half of the words on the menu, but all of the eating will be revolutionary, with the further claim that the style is Israeli. That alone caught a lot of people's attention.
The building was renovated by the same folks who put the now-extinct Le Foret on the map. After changing hands (Chef Dominique Macquet came and went) and another renovation, Chefs John Besh and Alon Shaya expanded the partnership they forged at Domenica to open Shaya. Oh yes, and Chef Alon is a native of Israel.
The look of the restaurant makes one feel vaguely like he is in a town on the eastern end of the Mediterranean. The tables line up both inside and out, built of pastel-colored, smooth, angular, clean materials (almost all of them hard, making for a high noise level in the dining room). The bar and dining areas merge seamlessly into one another, as is the current vogue. Tables extend well back into the high-walled courtyard, which could also be called an alley. Upstairs is a larger room serving both a la carte and group customers.
If you call for a reservation, even well in advance, you may find the place sold out. It may be easier to just walk in and hope for the best. Especially if you're willing to dine outside. If you want to carry on a conversation, sit near a window, inside or out. Know that the only sign on the building is high and painted in low contrast, making it all but invisible as you pass by. Reward for finding the place: free parking in an adjacent lot, a big help in this restaurant-rich neighborhood.
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| Environment | 1 |
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| Service | 2 |
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| Wine | 1 |
