Restaurant in New York City, United States
Low-effort booking, solid Israeli food.

A SoHo Israeli all-day spot that holds Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats recognition and a 4.2 Google rating across 1,680 reviews. Walk-ins work, hours run until midnight on weekends, and the food-to-price ratio earns its place in a crowded Israeli field. Book here if you want casual, consistent Israeli cooking without the reservation pressure of Balaboosta or SHMONÉ.
Getting a table at 12 Chairs on MacDougal Street is not a battle. This is a walk-in-friendly SoHo spot with easy availability most days, which makes the real question simpler: is it worth your time over the growing field of Israeli options in New York City? The short answer is yes, particularly if you want a casual, all-day Israeli meal in a neighborhood that charges a premium for far less considered food. Opinionated About Dining listed it in their Cheap Eats Recommended tier in 2023 and ranked it #595 in North America in 2024, which is meaningful recognition for a low-key spot on a street full of tourist traps.
12 Chairs sits at 56 MacDougal St in SoHo, operating seven days a week from 8 am through 11 pm on weekdays and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. The Israeli kitchen runs all day, which is the format's core advantage: you can arrive for a late breakfast, a mid-afternoon hummus plate, or a proper dinner without adjusting your schedule around a tight service window. For a food explorer who wants depth and context, the all-day format here is more useful than many prix-fixe neighbors in the same zip code.
The service approach is counter to what you find at Israeli restaurants trying to trade up in category. This is a relaxed, neighborhood-casual operation. Expect attentive but unfussy service that fits the price point. If you are comparing it to Balaboosta or SHMONÉ, the service gap is real, but so is the price gap. 12 Chairs earns its approach honestly: casual room, casual service, food that carries the weight. At this tier, that is the right trade-off.
The Israeli kitchen tradition behind a place like this draws on the same pantry that anchors Nur NYC and Miss Ada, though with less fine-dining ambition. Slow-cooked legumes, warm spice, and tahini are the aromatic backbone of Israeli cooking, and 12 Chairs plays in that register at a price point that makes it repeatable rather than occasional. If you want a reference point further afield, Ha'Achim in Tel Aviv or Honey and Smoke in London both operate in the same spirit of Israeli food without pretension.
For context on how New York City's Israeli options compare in ambition: Miznon NYC skews faster and more casual still, while Balaboosta and SHMONÉ push toward a more composed dinner format. 12 Chairs sits in the middle, capable of functioning as both a neighborhood breakfast spot and a dinner destination without fully committing to either identity at the expense of the other.
Google reviewers back this up: 4.2 stars across 1,680 reviews is a durable signal on a SoHo block where tourist footfall can drag averages in either direction.
Walk-ins work here. The booking difficulty is low, and the all-day hours across every day of the week give you genuine flexibility. If you are visiting SoHo on a Saturday, arriving before a midday rush or after 2 pm will give you the smoothest experience. Friday and Saturday nights run until midnight, which makes it a workable late option when most comparable spots have already closed the kitchen. No dress code applies. For planning your wider New York visit, see our full New York City restaurants guide, our full New York City hotels guide, our full New York City bars guide, our full New York City wineries guide, and our full New York City experiences guide.
| Venue | Cuisine | Booking Difficulty | Price Tier | All-Day Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Chairs | Israeli | Easy | Cheap Eats | Yes (8 am–11 pm/midnight) |
| Balaboosta | Israeli-Mediterranean | Moderate | $$–$$$ | No |
| Miznon NYC | Israeli street food | Easy | $ | Yes |
| SHMONÉ | Israeli | Moderate–Hard | $$$ | No |
| Nur NYC | Middle Eastern | Moderate | $$$ | No |
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Chairs | Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in North America Ranked #595 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in North America in Recommended (2023) | — | |
| Le Bernardin | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Atomix | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Per Se | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Masa | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Yes. The all-day format running from 8 am to 11 pm daily makes 12 Chairs an easy solo stop at any hour. Walk-in availability is generally reliable, so there is no pressure to plan around a reservation. For solo diners who want a quieter, less transactional experience than most SoHo options, this works well.
You do not need to book ahead. 12 Chairs operates as a walk-in-friendly spot at 56 MacDougal St, and availability is low-friction most days. If you are visiting on a Friday or Saturday evening when hours extend to midnight, arriving before the dinner rush is sensible, but a reservation is not required.
Small groups should be fine given the all-day hours and walk-in-friendly setup, but the venue name and SoHo footprint suggest a compact space rather than a large-group destination. For parties of six or more, calling ahead or arriving off-peak is a practical precaution. Large private events are not documented in available venue data.
Only if the occasion calls for something casual and low-key. 12 Chairs has Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats recognition, which signals solid cooking at accessible prices rather than a celebratory dining experience. For a milestone dinner, Per Se or Atomix will fit the brief better. For a relaxed birthday brunch or a low-key gathering, 12 Chairs is a reasonable choice.
For Israeli food specifically, Balaboosta in SoHo and Taïm are the obvious comparisons in the same neighbourhood tier. If you want a step up in ambition within Middle Eastern cooking, Laser Wolf Brooklyn operates in a different price bracket but is the most-discussed Israeli restaurant in the city right now. 12 Chairs sits in the accessible, everyday end of the category.
Lunch is the lower-friction option. The all-day hours starting at 8 am mean you can visit before SoHo gets busy, and the Israeli menu format suits daytime eating well. Dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, when the kitchen runs until midnight, works for late arrivals, but the atmosphere will be livelier. Neither daypart has a documented menu advantage based on available data.
This is an Israeli all-day restaurant ranked on Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats list for North America in both 2023 and 2024, which is a useful calibration: expect honest cooking at accessible prices, not a chef-driven tasting experience. Walk in, expect a casual SoHo setting, and treat it as a reliable neighbourhood option rather than a destination meal. Dress casually.
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