Scratch-Made Middle Eastern Food at a Tiny Manhattan Counter
Order lamb gyros and warm lentil soup at Rakka, with red dipping sauce for falafel.
🥣 Small Room, Full Plates
Rakka keeps things compact at 156 1st Ave in Manhattan. The cooking starts from scratch, with spiced lamb gyros bringing the Middle Eastern menu into focus. There is an emphasis on protein rather than a mound of rice, and the seasoning stays measured. This is a counter meal with plenty happening on the plate, even when the room leaves little space to spread out.
Pair the falafel with red dipping sauce, an accompaniment worth making room for in your order. While orders are being prepared, staff sometimes pass over small samples of warm lentil soup. Indoors, there are just a handful of tables, keeping the scale of a meal here distinctly small.
Rakka is open daily from 11 AM to 11 PM. That window leaves space for a midday bite or an evening stop. Keep the limited seating in mind when choosing how many people to bring along.
