Mombar

by christina l.

this is one of my favorite places in ny!  the food is great but what makes it special is that the owner is a fantastic artist who did the decor himself.  he made the tables and had the vision to transorm elevator doors into art.  everyone is always amazed that such yummy food comes out of such a small kitchen.  i would go and just eat bread with the spiced oil and dessert ever day if i could.

by Holly M.

Great atmosphere, incrediblly friendly service, cozy environment and great authentic food. It's almost like having dinner in someone's home with the open kitchen and friendly chef. Sometimes there is a wait for food if it's busy because there is one incredible chef making everything from scratch. I highly recommend any of the tagines. I had Egyptian friends introduce me to this place who also hold it in high regard.

by Kari B.

This is one of the best restaurants in Astoria, period. The food is consistently excellent, the chef is friendly and wonderful, and the interior is eclectic and fascinating. You can keep going to overhyped, bland places or you can try food cooked with love.The service is a little slow, but good things come to those who wait. The lamb tagine here is amazing, as well as the striped bass and the Mombar sausages. The complimentary bread is amazing, as are the mussels. Basically, get anything on the menu and you will be satisfied. A must-visit for any Astorian.

by David S.

This was such a wonderful meal!  I'm a big fan of the Kebab Cafe so i figured i needed to try his brother's place... We walked in and were greeted with big smiles and welcoming attitudes.  My friend and i had the tasting menu, fantastic deal!  $30 for bread, appetizer, and THREE entrees... Sure they were smaller than your usual entrees, but only slightly... We walked out of there totally stuffed!The meal started with farmers bread in a sauce that i think had balsamic viniger, hot fresh and wonderful.  The chef asked us what we like and we told him he could suprise us.  He asked if we ate tripe and feeling adventous we said we would try it.The appetizer was kinda like sausage stuffed with rice and other things... Like someone mentioned below it was a little bland, but overall very good.  It was definitely stuffed in some sort of Offal.  Good start to the meal.  The first entree was some sorta fish dish, perhaps tilapia,  with tomatoes and peppers with couscous.  This was fantastic.  Moist fresh fish with wonderful flavors.  Excellent dish.The next 2 meals were almost identical to each other which was a slight disappointment.  They were both with rice tomatoes, peppers, carrots, zucchini, chick peas served with rice.  The first dish was Lamb tagine and was just incredible!  The lamb was very noticeably Lamb, meaning it has that funky lamb taste that i love.  It was extremely tender, moist and lean.  The second dish was the tripe.  This was my first time eating tripe and thu i'm proud that i tried something new and sorta adventurous, i really did not enjoy it that much.  I've never had something so soft yet chewy at the same time... Very very strange texture.  Not much flavor to the tripe itself beside the sauce, which is guess is a good thing considering what it might have tasted like were it not cleaned properly!  It was disappointing that both the last 2 dished were basically identical, thu they were very good.The house wine was $4 a glass!  Decent wine to.  The waitress was the chef's wife and was very nice.  They were both thankful for our business and i will certainly be back.  We had a feast of a meal for $30 each... No room for dessert, but we did walk up the block for some mint tea and hookah.  Wonderful evening.  I highly recommended this place for those that want to dine.  I believe the meal took over 2 hours, which is fine with me!  If it were possible, this would be 4.5 stars.

by Olivia C.karen T.Jen W.Natasha S.David J.

I walk past here almost everyday and the huge udjat (eye of Horus) definitely beckoned me to have a try... This beautifully adorned restaurant was actually a post office in a former life... Look closely and you can still see some old fixtures incorporated in the art... I came here for the first time with 3 other people who were equally impressed.  The server welcomed us from the outside and directed us to sit by the window.. He was extremely friendly and funny and took the time to explain everything on the menu and make great suggestions.  Dinner starts with an awesome flakey and buttery  egyptian bread.  We ordered a spread sampler and entrees and left sickly stuffed... like can't get up and walk stuffed... I swear they put some sort of drug in the food as we all fantasized about it for about 2 weeks after..   it's BYOB and I encourage BYOW (water)... This place is highly recommended to the adventurous eater and one who is not too prissy... The restaurant definitely needs a good scrub down.. We killed a water bug climbing the wall (which i really don't fuss about since every place in NYC is infested... a few of my friends are waiters at top notch places... you'd be surprised)  I just think it adds to the charm.  One of the few welcoming restaurants on the block.My spouse and I live in the borough that contains the best restaurants in New York City. Thankfully, Manhattanites still have difficulty navigating Queens, leaving us mostly in peace to enjoy our amazing chefs in intimate comfort. For our special guests, good friends, and when the occasion calls for it, our number one restaurant of choice is Mombar.Mombar is owned by Moustafa El Sayed, who is the chef and the artist who decorated the front and the inside of the space. (His brother Ali owns the Kabob Cafe just up the street.)  I initially found Mombar by scent. There was no signage for the place, just a wonderfully decorated front, but when I strolled past it, the manager opened the door and the aroma of Egyptian coffee floated out to draw me in. (Egyptian coffee is as thick as you'd expect from that part of the world, enhanced by floating a cardamon seed on top.)Walking inside is like walking into a combination of folk-art gallery and the home of your favorite Egyptian uncle's place. The walls and ceilings are designed with found-tile mosaics, and each table-top is uniquely decorated, all by the chef. Chairs and benches with pillows are standard fare for seating.For a white-bread Midwestern Scots-German girl, I find Middle Eastern culture and atmosphere very homey. On our most recent trip, the manager/waiter and the chef greeted my partner and me, and our guests, with their usual combination of cheerful handshakes and friendly "we haven't seen you for so long" comments. This time, however, the chatter had added content - Moustafa and his brother Ali recently hosted Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern on one of Bourdain's television shows. http://www.youtube.com...Here's the thing about eating in Mombar: we've been there often enough, the chef knows us and we trust him. He always knows my spouse will have the duck glazed with molasses. He knows that I will try anything else, and have a fondness for tajines. We frequently encourage our guests to have the chef's tasting menu (I often go for that myself), but for the first time we were dissuaded by the waiter."You must try something we made for Mister Bourdain and Mister Zmmern," he insisted. How could I refuse? Okay, granted... I'm not an organ meats fan, but then, I wasn't raised eating most of what makes up my diet these days, nor was I raised to tell a chef that I wouldn't try something he was eager to make. So I agreed to try the lamb cheeks. Our guest was torn between the chef's tasting menu and just going for the rabbit tajine. The waiter listed off what he was already bringing to the table, and suggested that what we should round out the table with tilapia. We started with egyptian layered bread (imagine a phyllo that has weight) with three spreads - fresh hummus, the best babaganouj I've ever eaten (smoky!) and the Egyptian national food: foul. Pronounced "fool," this is a mashed fava bean spread usually eaten for breakfast.. and for snacking the rest of the day. Then the lamb cheek dish arrived, piping hot. It was a rich "meat spread" that was best eaten on pita.Food orgasms continued with the main courses - lamb shank, duck glazed in molasses, and the tilapia tajine. My side of spinach was infused with the juice of the lamb, while the spinach on the side for the duck main course was sharper, more greek in its lemony-garlic goodness. The three of us shared the food, and Moustafa personally came over to check on us. This is a touch I always appreciate at Mombar - there is no presumptive "how's everything" as if it's a rhetorical question. The staff cares, and the chef engages in conversation with us.Moustafa, in fact, will not only offer specials to us that aren't on the menu (like the lamb cheek spread), but will tailor his "chef's tasting" menu. We once brought a friend to Mombar who was recovering from a serious bout of diruticulitis, and Moustafa sat with us for a good 10 minutes, going over each dish he could make or enhance, to ensure that the tasting menu would not aggravate a medical condition.As awesome as our dinner was, we had to save room for dessert. My partner had the Egyptian bread pudding (one of those great Middle Eastern dishes that could also be an awesome breakfast), and I had Chef's surprise. Moustafa makes great, simple desserts that are generally a combination of a fruit wrapped in pastry, and drizzled with the syrup of another fruit. This time it was poached pear on a bird's nest, drizzled in pomegranant syrup with a scoop of cardmamon ice cream. Yum!When you're looking for this place, look to the right of the 3 princes and you'll find it there. It doesn't have a huge light up sign. Its a bit paired down if you didn't realize it. When you walk in, you realize this is a family run place. They are friendly and helpful, and have great suggestions. The chef came out and talked to us, gave us recommendations for the table, and had suggestions for our vegetarian friend. Everyone there is just super nice. The food is amazing. The lamb tangeen, so tender and flavorful. The mom-bar itself was different, but you gotta try it with the sauce. The hummus and baba ganush was so fresh and flavorful! You could tell it was hand made, and NOT from a jar or can. And eat the apple slices that come with it! The chef loves it when you praise just how wonderful everything is, and it is! The decor inside, is different from all the other restaurants, you'll like it and feel at home. You gotta try this place! You won't be disappointed. Its not a HUGE place, and they only take cash. But if you want some good food, definitely try this place out. The area where this is located has a large Egyptian/Arab community so there are lots of places to try.I finally made it to Mombar last Friday night.  The decor is cute and kitschy.  The mixed appetizer plate that we got with hummus, babaghanoush, foul and something else that I can't remember was fresh and tasty.  Our entrees were good but I really can't say spectacular.  What was spectacular was the service.  Friendly, funny, attentive and polite.  We felt like "regulars" on our very first visit.  I think it's the personal attention that prompts people to give Mombar 4 or 5 stars.  I would give them 5 stars on that factor as well.  I didn't like the fact that you have to pay for water.  Nevertheless, we will return again with our own drinks (which you are allowed to bring) for another visit.As other Yelp'ers have mentioned, eating here feels like you're in someone's home.  It's very mom-and-pop and you're treated that way.  The chef came out and personally greeted us (which we loved!).  He ran through the specials and answered every question we had.  We ordered the Artichoke with Lemon Juice appetizer, the Lamb Chops and Philo-wrapped Salmon entrees.  All of this, plus 2 glasses of wine and 1 bottle of water came to $65.  A tad pricey, but worth it.  Everything was delicious!  Very tasty (not over spiced, everything was perfectly cooked) and all with an authentic and homemade quality.  Because everything is made from scratch and there is only one chef, prepare to spend time here.  Even though the there were only 3 other tables with Guests, we waited 40 minutes for our appetizer (worth it!) and about the same amount of time for our entrees (worth it!).  Also, we didnt appreciate being charged for the water (especially having to wait so long for our food) but that's ok.  Lastly, you can bring your own wine here which is good to know for next time.When I go back, I want to try the tagines.  They passed our table and looked/smelled amazing.This was a great experience and we will definitely return and recommend to our friends!

by Nancy R.

From Slovakia to the Nile, that's where a day in Queens, New York's most diverse borough will lead you.Although they specialize in Mombar, a melange of meaty goodness, we stuck to meatless items out of respect for our veggie friend.  Complimentary flatbread (sort of like Egyptian foccaccia) to wet the palate.  Kickin eggplant, intoxicating tabouli, and the spinach with garlic -- do NOT get me started. And the chef comes out to greet each table. The only caveat that precluded 5 stars was chewy coffee. Call me an ignoramous of Turkish brew, but I don't like coffee that requires a fork.  Sadly, I've never been to Egypt, but at least for a night I was temporarily transported there, via Queens.

by Molly T.

i'm torn about this place. if i didn't know about the brother's restaurant just a few doors down, i might have been thrilled to have discovered an astoria gem with eclectic decorating, a byob policy and excellent appetizers. but since i've been to kabab, it's impossible to not compare the two restaurants, and mombar just isn't the same. we went recently because kabab was closed. it was crowded on a friday night so they sat us in the back corner at benches with a low table. they were pretty nice about it and said we could stay there to eat so we did. mombar is 2 to 3 times the size of kabab, and the host (is that the brother, or is the brother the chef?) comes over and gives a very similar spiel about the specials. we pondered the $30-per-person tasting menu but it sounded like we'd get more variety by just ordering separate things. we got the hummus/babaghanoush/foul appetizer, stuffed sausage, and an artichoke salad. then we split two entrees-one with baked eggplant and the other with lamb. before the appetizers came they brought us this amazing oily roti-esque bread. all the appetizers were excellent (i loved how smoky the baba was, and the spicy fava bean spread was the table favorite) so we were excited for our main courses. that's where the disappointment set in. though they sounded quite different from his descriptions, they looked identical. a clay pot filled with peas carrots zucchini and then you had to dig around for the main ingredient. they were both good but we knew that had we been in ali's kitchen he wouldn't have permitted us to order two dishes that were so much alike. maybe it's our fault that we ordered incorrectly, and if i do go back maybe i'd just have the appetizers and skip the entree. but chances are that whenever i find myself in little egypt it'll be to eat at kabab cafe. sorry, mombar!

by karen T.

My spouse and I live in the borough that contains the best restaurants in New York City. Thankfully, Manhattanites still have difficulty navigating Queens, leaving us mostly in peace to enjoy our amazing chefs in intimate comfort. For our special guests, good friends, and when the occasion calls for it, our number one restaurant of choice is Mombar.Mombar is owned by Moustafa El Sayed, who is the chef and the artist who decorated the front and the inside of the space. (His brother Ali owns the Kabob Cafe just up the street.)  I initially found Mombar by scent. There was no signage for the place, just a wonderfully decorated front, but when I strolled past it, the manager opened the door and the aroma of Egyptian coffee floated out to draw me in. (Egyptian coffee is as thick as you'd expect from that part of the world, enhanced by floating a cardamon seed on top.)Walking inside is like walking into a combination of folk-art gallery and the home of your favorite Egyptian uncle's place. The walls and ceilings are designed with found-tile mosaics, and each table-top is uniquely decorated, all by the chef. Chairs and benches with pillows are standard fare for seating.For a white-bread Midwestern Scots-German girl, I find Middle Eastern culture and atmosphere very homey. On our most recent trip, the manager/waiter and the chef greeted my partner and me, and our guests, with their usual combination of cheerful handshakes and friendly "we haven't seen you for so long" comments. This time, however, the chatter had added content - Moustafa and his brother Ali recently hosted Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern on one of Bourdain's television shows. http://www.youtube.com...Here's the thing about eating in Mombar: we've been there often enough, the chef knows us and we trust him. He always knows my spouse will have the duck glazed with molasses. He knows that I will try anything else, and have a fondness for tajines. We frequently encourage our guests to have the chef's tasting menu (I often go for that myself), but for the first time we were dissuaded by the waiter."You must try something we made for Mister Bourdain and Mister Zmmern," he insisted. How could I refuse? Okay, granted... I'm not an organ meats fan, but then, I wasn't raised eating most of what makes up my diet these days, nor was I raised to tell a chef that I wouldn't try something he was eager to make. So I agreed to try the lamb cheeks. Our guest was torn between the chef's tasting menu and just going for the rabbit tajine. The waiter listed off what he was already bringing to the table, and suggested that what we should round out the table with tilapia. We started with egyptian layered bread (imagine a phyllo that has weight) with three spreads - fresh hummus, the best babaganouj I've ever eaten (smoky!) and the Egyptian national food: foul. Pronounced "fool," this is a mashed fava bean spread usually eaten for breakfast.. and for snacking the rest of the day. Then the lamb cheek dish arrived, piping hot. It was a rich "meat spread" that was best eaten on pita.Food orgasms continued with the main courses - lamb shank, duck glazed in molasses, and the tilapia tajine. My side of spinach was infused with the juice of the lamb, while the spinach on the side for the duck main course was sharper, more greek in its lemony-garlic goodness. The three of us shared the food, and Moustafa personally came over to check on us. This is a touch I always appreciate at Mombar - there is no presumptive "how's everything" as if it's a rhetorical question. The staff cares, and the chef engages in conversation with us.Moustafa, in fact, will not only offer specials to us that aren't on the menu (like the lamb cheek spread), but will tailor his "chef's tasting" menu. We once brought a friend to Mombar who was recovering from a serious bout of diruticulitis, and Moustafa sat with us for a good 10 minutes, going over each dish he could make or enhance, to ensure that the tasting menu would not aggravate a medical condition.As awesome as our dinner was, we had to save room for dessert. My partner had the Egyptian bread pudding (one of those great Middle Eastern dishes that could also be an awesome breakfast), and I had Chef's surprise. Moustafa makes great, simple desserts that are generally a combination of a fruit wrapped in pastry, and drizzled with the syrup of another fruit. This time it was poached pear on a bird's nest, drizzled in pomegranant syrup with a scoop of cardmamon ice cream. Yum!

by Jodi K.

Hidden gem.  Best food, best personal experience.  Great decor.  I've eaten at restaurants that get national press that aren't this great.It's out of the way, but worth it.  Call it an adventure, hop on the train and get your ass there.  Now.The chef came to our table and personally served every selection.  The flavors were so complex and absolutely wonderful.  Down to the last detail it was an unforgettable meal.  I miss it.  I'll never find anything like that in LA that isn't high-brow, pretentious, more style than substance and overpriced.Get over your Queens fear.  After dinner complete the experience at one of the Egyptian coffee shops round the way for sheesha and coffee.  This is such an authentic and friendly neighborhood.  When we lived in Astoria, we would walk around over here all the time.

by David J.

As other Yelp'ers have mentioned, eating here feels like you're in someone's home.  It's very mom-and-pop and you're treated that way.  The chef came out and personally greeted us (which we loved!).  He ran through the specials and answered every question we had.  We ordered the Artichoke with Lemon Juice appetizer, the Lamb Chops and Philo-wrapped Salmon entrees.  All of this, plus 2 glasses of wine and 1 bottle of water came to $65.  A tad pricey, but worth it.  Everything was delicious!  Very tasty (not over spiced, everything was perfectly cooked) and all with an authentic and homemade quality.  Because everything is made from scratch and there is only one chef, prepare to spend time here.  Even though the there were only 3 other tables with Guests, we waited 40 minutes for our appetizer (worth it!) and about the same amount of time for our entrees (worth it!).  Also, we didnt appreciate being charged for the water (especially having to wait so long for our food) but that's ok.  Lastly, you can bring your own wine here which is good to know for next time.When I go back, I want to try the tagines.  They passed our table and looked/smelled amazing.This was a great experience and we will definitely return and recommend to our friends!