A Taste of the Palace just opened up in Riverdale two weeks ago right by Manhattan College’s beloved Jasper Deli. Right on West 238th Street, the new Middle Eastern restaurant has already established itself in Riverdale as the place to go for authentic Middle Eastern food.

A Taste of the Palace offers free delivery and is already on UberEats, Grubhub and Seamless. In addition, they also accept Jasper Dollars. Their vast menu of juices, smoothies and salads, to homemade Middle Eastern cuisine, offers a large variety to choose from.

The Menu

A Taste of the Palace’s menu is packed with traditional Middle Eastern dishes as well as a variety of other healthy options. The ingredients that the restaurant uses are incredibly fresh, which you can taste in any dish or smoothie that you buy. This was one of my favorite aspects. The smoothie was made with real fruit and kale, rather than flavorings and too much ice, which made it so refreshing. A majority of their food is freshly made in the back by one woman. One of the workers claimed that her cooking is “magic.”

The Ambiance

The big windows allow for natural light during the day, making the place brightly lit. The design is clean and minimalistic, contributing to its relaxing atmosphere. This would be a great place to go on an informal date, complete some work or just pick up something quick to eat with a friend. The workers are all super friendly and accommodating. I had a lovely experience going for just the first time this week.

 

What to get

I got the barbecue chicken plate, which came with 2 sides. The restaurant has a long column of side selections to choose from. I chose the hummus (comes with pita) and falafel (comes with tahini). The entire meal was $11.99 (excluding tax) and provided me with a ton of food. I left super filled up without feeling sick because of how fresh and homemade everything was. The new things that I tried I loved. My friend got The Palace smoothie, which is kale, mango, spinach, apple, pineapple and honey. It was the perfect texture with the perfect amount of both real fruit and ice. It is now definitely my favorite smoothie in the area. The desserts are

also all homemade in the kitchen, and they look it too. We got the Baglawa, a dessert prevalent in many cultures, with a special touch added to each. It was deliciously honeyed and flakey topped with a little crumbling of pistachios and sweet glaze. The Chicken Shawarma, a classic dish, also received an abundance of praise in the reviews of the restaurant, so I will definitely be trying that next time.

The Scoop

  I will absolutely be returning to this place as soon as I can. I not only had an amazing meal, but a great experience with both the staff and relaxing mood of the restaurant. Their food is definitely worth a try. They are open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. everyday.