“I can’t stop thinking about that dip,” I texted my friend with whom I dined at Amali the night prior.
“I was going to text you the same thing,” he quickly responded.
The dip that continued to live rent-free in our heads was the spicy feta dip from Amali, a small Mediterranean restaurant on East 60th Street in Manhattan. The neighborhood haunt certainly feels like a true hidden gem, with a small sign and an easy-to-miss entryway, but I sure am glad I found it.
Our meal started with complimentary koulouri, a circular-shaped bread completely covered in sesame seeds, served alongside a tangy, herb-forward whipped feta butter. While looking over the menu with a hefty appetite in tow, my dining partner and I realized we could go one of two routes: shareables or stick-to-your-own-lane. With dips galore, a competitive selection of fresh pasta, and too many tempting mains to narrow down, we agreed that shared plates were the correct route for Amali.
Upon seeing the spicy feta dip on the menu, I wasn’t particularly interested and was considering the spring pea labneh instead. It’s one of my favorite cheeses, with a tanginess similar to Greek yogurt but a consistency thick enough to remind you you’re eating cheese. But our server highly encouraged us to go for the spicy feta dip instead, so I trusted his advice.
It looked like a big schmear of cheese with bright green jalapeños on top, served with grilled bread. I don’t think there was even a speck of food left on our plate by the time we were done. We quite literally wiped it clean, and our conversation quickly halted after our first bite. The pistachios added an earthiness to the salty cheese, and it was rounded out with a subtle sweetness from the honey. The dip alone is reason to return to Amali, but our meal didn’t stop there.
We also got oysters and a sunchoke salad. It’s not every day you see sunchokes on a menu and it should be noted that you might not see them when you visit Amali; the menu rotates seasonally. Regardless, sunchokes are one of my favorite root vegetables, falling perfectly between the lines of creamy and sturdy. The addition of pomegranates brightened the heavy, starchy veg, and were executed with such care that they made me feel I could trust in any veg Amali serves. The oysters, which were four bucks a pop, were salty and plump, and it felt quite appropriate to be slurping down aphrodisiacs in such a dimly lit Midtown East establishment. Fetch me a martini while you’re at it, too.
For mains, we split fresh cappelletti and lamb with baby turnips. The cappelletti was heartily stuffed with shredded short ribs and meticulously plated. The lamb was perfectly pink inside, creating a tender, buttery cut of meat. Speaking of butter, the roasted baby turnips it came with had a pretty similar texture to room temp butter — soft enough to cut with a spoon, but still with a toothsome chew.
And what’s a proper date night on the Upper East Side without dessert? We went for the Basque cheesecake. With its signature burnt top and decadently creamy, airy body, it was so smooth that my friend compared it to creme brûlée.
Amali’s atmosphere matches its cuisine. It possesses an unpretentious elegance that feels modern but somehow still old school New York. It can be tough to find a good eatery in this area, but Amali is a friendly reminder that if you look hard enough, there are true hidden dining gems everywhere in New York City.
- Address: 115 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022, United States
- Phone: 212-339-8363
- Hours: Monday 12 p.m.-3 p.m. and 5-9:30 p.m.; Tuesday-Wednesday 12 p.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10:30 p.m.; Thursday-Friday 12-3 p.m. and 5-10:30 p.m.; Saturday 12 p.m.-10:30 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
- Prices: Prices: Mezze: $14-$54; Appetizers $4-$32; Fresh pasta $28-$38; Entrees $32-$56; Entrees for Two: $110-M/P; Sides $14; Lunch Sandwiches $22-$26; Lunch Salads: $26-$34; Simply Grilled $26-M/P
- Takeout and delivery available; reservations accepted
Have a suggestion for a great hidden dining gem in your neighborhood? Reach out to us with your recommendations
Leave a comment