Brooklyn’s restaurant scene has another new name to know, and this one is bringing a decidedly elevated take on kosher dining. LIBA NYC has opened inside The William Vale in Williamsburg, introducing a contemporary Mediterranean and Middle Eastern menu that is already giving diners plenty to talk about.
The restaurant comes from the team behind 12 Chairs Café, with Culinary Director Chef Maayan Glass leading the kitchen. LIBA describes its approach as “New Kosher,” combining Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences with classical French techniques and an ingredient-driven approach.
Translation: this is not your grandmother’s kosher restaurant.
One of the restaurant’s defining features is its 800-degree brick oven, which is used for everything from house-made bread to other dishes designed around high-heat cooking. LIBA also operates an in-house dry-aging program, adding another layer to its menu of grilled meats and steaks.
The menu has plenty to investigate, including Tartlet de Tunis, bluefin tuna tartare with harissa and preserved lemon; a Steak Tartare Sando served on toasted challah; and the restaurant’s signature Kebab Napoleon, which layers lamb fat and beef chuck before being grilled on a hot steel skewer.
And then there’s the 14-ounce dry-aged ribeye, because apparently “I’ll just have something light” was never really part of the plan.
Located at 107 North 12th Street, LIBA is also an interesting addition to North Williamsburg, an area better known for its waterfront hotels, cocktail bars and fashionable restaurants than for upscale kosher dining.
For anyone searching for LIBA NYC, kosher restaurants in Williamsburg, new NYC restaurants or modern kosher dining, this is one to put on the radar.
Because Brooklyn just got another reason to cross the river—and this time, bring an appetite.
