What I really liked about Union Square’s Cafe Zaffi is that it’s run by four women—Mary Attea, Camari Mick, Nicole Vitagliano and Jennifer Vitagliano—who also operate Raf’s and the Musket Room. I dined there with three other accomplished women.

The food was enjoyable, though the seating arrangement felt awkward, the noise level was high, and the dim lighting made it hard to see what we’d ordered. Still, we had a wonderful time, talking and laughing throughout the meal.
The hostess seated us at one tiny round table and one small square table pushed together, which seemed to be the norm for other diners as well.

We sipped Hauvette Petra 23 ($90), Hauvette ‘Petra’, Alpilles, France, 2023, Cinsault, a lovely, crisp, light rose with Syrah and Grenache, while we took small bites of their breads and spreads ($21). That included warm pita, talami & Lavash za’atar oil, eggplant with coriander-chili crisp and their labneh with trout roe.

Our waitress brought our food as space allowed. We also enjoyed a spicy chickpea Bahila stew ($22) with traditional Akawi cheese and salsa verde; a pickled endive, fennel, citrus and tahini salad ($21); and grilled octopus with potatoes, harissa and aioli. The shish barak ($29)—Levantine dumplings in a yogurt sauce with fennel pollen and pine nuts—struck us as unusual, but the grilled hen-of-the-woods mushrooms with dukkah-topped tahini for dipping were a unanimous favorite. Don’t miss them.

I recommend Cafe Zaffri.

Cafe Zaffri
Union Square
16 E 16th St
New York, NY, 10003
cafezaffri.com/menus/