SHMONÉ

A Village address that jumped 606 spots in a single year; and earned it

SHMONÉ ranked #118 on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list in 2025, up from #724 in 2024. That kind of climb doesn't happen by accident. This is Eyal Shani's West Village outpost, if you know his work elsewhere, you already have a reason to book. If you don't, the short version is this: the cooking is produce-obsessed, the menu changes daily, the room at 61 W 8th St is small enough that every seat feels considered. The question is whether the format suits you; and whether you can get in.

The room and the format

The space is small and sleek, built for a specific kind of evening. Counter seating gives you sight lines to both the bar and the open kitchen, which is the right choice for a solo diner or a pair who want to watch the operation. Tables are available for groups, but the intimacy of the room is one of the things that defines the experience. This is not a venue for a loud party of eight, it's a venue for two or three people who want to pay close attention to what's in front of them. The ambience reads as celebratory without being loud, which makes it a reasonable option for a date or a focused dinner with a friend who eats seriously.

The kitchen runs a daily-changing menu rooted in neo-Levantine cooking. Some dishes reappear, most don't. OAD's description flags asparagus prepared with green and white alternating, a Jerusalem bagel served hot with olive oil and seeds, bone-in beef short rib, all cited as standouts. The cooking relies heavily on the grill. You're not going to find yourself ordering off a laminated menu here; the point is to surrender to what's available. If that format frustrates you, Nur NYC offers a more structured Middle Eastern menu in a comparable price tier.

The late-night question

SHMONÉ closes at 10 PM Tuesday through Saturday, with a 5:30 PM opening every night it operates. Sunday is closed entirely. There's no late-night window here in the traditional sense, last seating lands before most New York dinner crowds have finished their first course elsewhere. If you're hoping to end a night out with a serious meal, the kitchen timing requires planning. A 9 PM reservation is the latest realistic option, the room will be winding down by the time you're through. For a genuinely late meal in the Israeli-Levantine category in New York, Miznon NYC or 12 Chairs may suit a looser schedule better. SHMONÉ rewards an earlier, unhurried dinner more than it fits the end-of-evening slot.

How SHMONÉ sits in the NYC Israeli scene

New York has a real depth of Israeli and Levantine cooking to compare against. Balaboosta and Miss Ada offer warmer, more neighbourhood-friendly takes on the same cuisine. SHMONÉ operates at a different register: the daily-changing menu, the Eyal Shani pedigree, the OAD ranking put it in a tier where the cooking is the main event. It's not a casual drop-in. If you're travelling and want one serious Israeli meal in New York, this is the more ambitious choice. For a broader look at where this fits in the city's dining options, see our full New York City restaurants guide.

For Israeli cooking in other cities, Ash'Kara in Denver and Berta in Berlin are worth tracking if your travels go there. And if you're building a full New York trip around food, our New York City hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide are useful starting points.

Ratings and trust signals

• Opinionated About Dining (OAD) Casual North America 2025: #118, up from #724 in 2024
• Chef: Eyal Shani, also known for HaSalon and other concepts internationally

Practical details

Address: 61 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011. Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 5:30 PM–10 PM; Sunday closed; Monday 5:30 PM–10 PM. Reservations: Booking is rated Easy, reserve ahead but last-minute options may be available, particularly on weeknights. Dress: No formal code listed; the sleek, intimate room reads as smart casual. Group size: Well suited to 2–4; counter seating for solo diners or pairs is the recommended configuration. Price range: Not formally listed, but OAD's casual-tier ranking and the daily-changing format suggest a mid-to-upper casual price point for New York, expect to spend more than a neighbourhood Israeli spot and less than a tasting-menu room. Getting there: W 8th St puts you in the heart of Greenwich Village, accessible from multiple subway lines at West 4th St/Washington Sq.

Pearl picks, if SHMONÉ doesn't fit your night

• For a more neighbourhood-casual Israeli dinner: Balaboosta or Miss Ada
• For a quick, flexible Levantine meal: Miznon NYC
• For a structured Middle Eastern tasting experience: Nur NYC
• For serious American fine dining comparisons: Alinea in Chicago, The French Laundry in Napa, Providence in Los Angeles, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Emeril's in New Orleans, Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg