The Best Eastern Mediterranean Food in the United States
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The best Eastern Mediterranean food in the United States, according to the experts: the James Beard Awards, AAA, and USA Today have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Sarma comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Boston and New York.
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Shukette and Dalida hold the next two places. The James Beard Awards and the Michelin Guide show up on more of this list than any other guide.
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Rank 1. Sarma
Eastern Mediterranean
The menu at this lively Somerville small-plates spot runs Eastern Mediterranean at its core, then wanders wherever it pleases, poutine with fried halloumi curds one moment, jalapeño cornbread with feta the next. Chef Cassie Piuma treats the mashup as a method, not a gimmick, and it holds together more often than it has any right to. A James Beard Outstanding Chef nominee, she keeps the room packed and the menu long enough that regulars still find surprises.
The awards
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Chef · Cassie Piuma
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- USA Today USA Today: Restaurants of the Year
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Chef · Cassie Piuma
- AAA Three Diamonds
- USA Today Restaurants of the Year
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Rank 2. Shukette
Eastern Mediterranean
The awards
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: New York State · Ayesha Nurdjaja
- The New York Times The New York Times: 2021 · Critic's Pick · Restaurant Review
- The New York Times The New York Times: #69 · The 100 Best Restaurants in New York City
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: New York State · Ayesha Nurdjaja
- The New York Times 2021 · Critic's Pick · Restaurant Review
- The New York Times #69 · The 100 Best Restaurants in New York City
Why #2, not #3
Both places show 84. This one's exact Score is 84.4 and the next is 84.2, so it ranks first. We round what you see, but we rank on the exact number.
- #2 Shukette (this place) 84.4
- #3 Dalida 84.2
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Rank 3. Dalida
Eastern Mediterranean
The pita here gets rolled and hearth-baked to order, and it arrives so pillowy and toasty that whatever else you planned to eat almost feels beside the point. This is a lively Mediterranean restaurant in the Presidio, drawing from the Istanbul playbook, with a menu built for sharing, from flaky borek to short rib kebabs. The room fills with people who came for a quiet neighborhood dinner and stayed for another round of spreads.
The awards
- Esquire Esquire: The Best New Restaurants in America
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times: The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- Esquire The Best New Restaurants in America
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times The 101 Best Restaurants in California
Why #3, between #2 and #4
The places on either side also show 84. This one's exact Score is 84.2, the one above is 84.4 and the one below is 83.7, so it ranks between them. We round what you see, but we rank on the exact number.
- #2 Shukette 84.4
- #3 Dalida (this place) 84.2
- #4 MeeshMeesh Mediterranean 83.7
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Rank 4. MeeshMeesh Mediterranean
Eastern Mediterranean
The hummus comes with schug, herb tehina, and enough conviction to make every other hummus in town feel like it needs to apologize. This is a casual Eastern Mediterranean restaurant drawing from Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, with a menu that roams widely and settles nowhere predictable. The chef behind it earned a James Beard nomination for Best Chef Southeast. Come hungry enough for babka.
The awards
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best Chef: Southeast · Noam Bilitzer
- Eater The 18 Best Louisville Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Southeast · Noam Bilitzer
Why #4, between #3 and #5
The places on either side also show 84. This one's exact Score is 83.7, the one above is 84.2 and the one below is 83.6, so it ranks between them. We round what you see, but we rank on the exact number.
- #3 Dalida 84.2
- #4 MeeshMeesh Mediterranean (this place) 83.7
- #5 Mandolin Aegean Bistro 83.6
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Rank 5. Mandolin Aegean Bistro
Eastern Mediterranean
The blue door and whitewashed facade in Miami's Design District look like someone shipped a Greek island courtyard over wholesale, and the interior mostly confirms it: mature trees, orchids, and ceiling fans shading wood tables outdoors. This mezze-heavy Mediterranean bistro earns a Michelin Bib Gourmand on small plates, baked feta, and grilled fish, with house bread arriving in little paper bags. The honey pie with salted shortbread crust is the reason to save room.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- The New York Times The New York Times: The 25 Best Restaurants in Miami Right Now
- Eater Eater: 38 Essential Restaurants in Miami
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Miami Right Now
- Eater 38 Essential Restaurants in Miami
Why #5, not #4
Both places show 84. This one's exact Score is 83.6 and the one above is 83.7, so it ranks second. We round what you see, but we rank on the exact number.
- #4 MeeshMeesh Mediterranean 83.7
- #5 Mandolin Aegean Bistro (this place) 83.6
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Rank 6. Oleana
Eastern Mediterranean
A row of boncuk, the blue glass amulets meant to ward off evil, lines the wall above the wood paneling at this Cambridge neighborhood restaurant, which has been pulling people in for Eastern Mediterranean and Turkish cooking longer than most of its neighbors have been open. Order broadly across the small plates menu, because the vegetables section holds its own against the fish and meat. The room is warm, the kitchen visible from the back room, and the garden fills up fast in summer.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Boston Magazine Boston Magazine: #19 · Top 50 Restaurants in Boston
- AAA Three Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Boston Magazine #19 · Top 50 Restaurants in Boston
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Rank 7. Pera Soho
Eastern Mediterranean
The awards
- The New York Times The New York Times: 2012 · Critic's Pick · Restaurant Review
- The New York Times 2012 · Critic's Pick · Restaurant Review