Layali Dubai

Great place for family and friends to get together. The food is fabulous and the service is professional I would recommended to all my family and friends.

I would’ve given it 0 star if I had a chance.
First of all the service is very bad, food was cold I went to get sweets they asked to have a seat and that they will bring it over and they never did I waited for like ½ an hour for nothing and at the end when I asked for the check, they don’t take cards and they’re charging taxes as well as an extra $ 10 for the service even there were no service it was an open buffet!!!
Well I paid in cash I remained seated for 25 mins just to get my change back !!!
Seriously never coming back here

Great authentic Arab place in heart of Astoria, Queens!!!
A lot of arab customers what makes this place much better than other fake authentic places!
Hookah is kinda cheap and on point!
Live music and bellydancers on weekends!
Staff barely speaking english but in my opinion this making your experience in this place more interesting and you feel yourself in vacay in some Middle Eastern country.
Service charge and live music charge included in check!
Delicious food!
They dont have any liquor (not even BYOB) but still big choice of real good tea and soft drinks!
Cash only!!! But no worries if you dont have some dolla bills, they have ATM on the first floor!

I stopped by with a couple of friends on a rainy Saturday afternoon after we had a rather big lunch elsewhere in Queens. We were looking for a place to sit, relax, have some tea or coffee, but most importantly, we wanted hookah.
My first impression of the place upon entering — it’s very dimly lit, and the décor looks like the cover of the late Edward Said’s book «Orientalism». Because it was afternoon, there weren’t that many people, but as the afternoon progressed along, people did trickle in. It seems like the place really gets going on Saturday evenings, once the entertainment portion of the night begins.
The hookah is divine! I would recommend getting the fruit head (usually a grapefruit) for a several reasons — 1. more tobacco compared to the regular clay/​ceramic bowl 2. it lengthens your smoke session 3. keeps the tobacco cool 4. amplifies the flavor
We got a couple of hookahs because my one friend doesn’t share his at all. The service was great and the staff made us feel completely at home. We ordered a teakettle, had some sweets and a plate of fruit.
I haven’t tried the food yet, but I’m hoping to sample it on my next visit to Astoria.
Keep in mind though… on Saturday night there is a $ 20 cover per person for the entertainment, which features a live band and a belly dancer.

Food is good and so is the service. The only reason why I’m giving it 4 stars is because they charge an entertainment (music fee) if you come in at a certain time during the evening.

Went to a kids birthday party on a Sunday night a few weeks ago. What a party! Parking was easy on the street. The space was great and the food was delicious!
Beautiful décor and best belly dance performer I have ever seen!!!

Where do I start this place hands down it the best hookah lounge I been too. I came here with three of my coworkers on a Monday night. Jihad and his staff went out there way to make us feel comfortable. Excellent customer service as soon as you walk in the door. This place is so pretty I love the Moroccan feel of this place. The atmosphere is beautiful from the comfy couches, the music, the details on the walls, the ceiling need I say more lol. The food they serve is Lebanese sooooo delicious. And let me don’t forgot the mint tea I order it was so amazing. We even got complimentary Lebanese tea which was also good. The hookah was smooth just how I like it and how it’s suppose to be. Overall this is a excellent place to go to. By the way Friday nights there is live music

I came here to celebrate my friends Birthday. The owner told us what was the deal with the entertainment and the charge after 11:30 pm. We arrived at 8:30 and left before that so there was no problem.
The food was wonderful and enough so we had to take some home. Our waitress was great and the owner made us feel welcome. I will definitely go back and maybe stay for the entertainment

I never write reviews, but my experience here was so horrible I had to share it. The service is soooo slow, the food was cold and i told the lady and she takes the plate brings it back still cold. I ordered tea and when i poured it into the teacup it exploded and the hot water went on my friend, the waitress came and said she will give us another one and we refused, but she still did and charged us for it even though it tasted like warm lukewater with no flavor. She never brought us water, then charged us automatic gratuity. Its a nice place but they could do so much better with the service.

4 stars –and not 5, for extortion. «Music charge» and forced gratuity for a party of 2. Not cool. Allow me to tip happily, out of the kindness of my heart. Don’t tack it on the bill, like you did me a favor by having me at your restaurant. It’s not like a post apocalyptic world and we’re hiding from zombies, seeking refuge at your restaurant… you know what I mean?!
With that said, the place is really nice and the staff was very attentive and polite. They kept chaning the coal in the shisha every 15 mins which kept it burning well and allowed us to stay there and enjoy for hours. Will return.

Food was delicious! (Fava bean appetizer was generous and über flavorful, grilled chicken salad was seasoned perfectly) Hooka was good and attendants were dutiful about replacing coals. Food service was TERRIBLE! Waitress was super inattentive. She ‘forgot’ to put in the order for our appetizer and forgot our drinks even though we asked 3 times… getting and paying the bill took forever. We were the only non middle eastern people in the place and I wonder if this poor service was intentional. great food but I probably wouldn’t go back because the service was awful.

Where do I start with this review?! As you can probably tell from my previous check ins and reviews, I enjoy a good hookah… Which this place has. But that’s not all…
You have two options when you walk in on a Saturday night. You can do the $ 20/​person option which is for the live music and then you can buy everything a la carte. Or, go for the $ 50/​person, you get live music, an assortment of at least 8 (yes, 8!!!) appetizers, an entrée, soda, and water which we did. We had tons of apps, and ordered different entrees to share and try and had tons of food left over which we brought home.
The hookah was good, the food was amazing, the band and singers were great too. But the belly dancer stole the show. She danced to probably 5 – 6 songs and was amazing. She was talented, beautiful, and could tell she was having a good time as well.
They don’t serve alcohol here though. Womp, womp! But that won’t deter me from visiting again one bit.

Come for the buffet during Ramadan. Its excellent and a ton of options! Make sure you reserve early and get there early because not only is it packed, the whole area is swamped with people during that time. Took us an hour to find parking many blocks down. Food is great, service is alright, but again have only been here for the buffet and its crazy packed. Excellent variety though and tastes like a good home cooked middle-​eastern meal. They also run out of certain dishes fairly quickly.

Hey, my name is Figgy, and I had the pleasure of dining at Layali Dubai this past Saturday night with my friend to watch my friend’s wife perform at the venue. We were both blown away! The food, the pageantry, the service were all top notch. Middle Eastern cuisine and culture at it’s finest at Layali Dubai.
As a Latino, with an Indian friend that accompanied me this evening, we obviously do not speak the Arabic language but it did not prevent us from enjoying the entertainment; I am very in-​tune with the culture as I have many Middle Eastern friends but the entire experience was very new to us and we loved every minute of it. The awesome hostess Adeer took care of us providing us a tremendous table, the best waitress ever, and even calling me to confirm the reservation that afternoon. We arrived right before the belly dancing portion of the entertainment (photo provided) which was amazing. The performer is very beautiful, talented, charismatic, and she even performed a routine with flames which was very cool. Now I am biased about one of the singers the very talented Rana because her husband is one of my closest friends but she rocked the house as did the other singer that performed that night.
The food was amazing! AMAZING! Arguable the best Middle Eastern food I have ever had in New York City. We had the Chicken Kabobs with a seasoned rice and a thin crust pita bread that was seasoned with a pesto oil. Everything was delicious! The chicken was perfectly seasoned, the rice was amazing, the pita was the hit of the night. The soups (spinach and chicken/​pasta) they provided before the meal which were included with the meal were delicious. What an amazing night and friendly atmosphere from everyone from the staff to the patrons. The owner of the establishment does an excellent job providing a quality experience.
As perfect as the experience as it was for me, I have seen a couple of people online complain about problems with reservations, wait times, no drinks, the entertainment charge, etc. In my experience, and I look for things to put in my reviews, I did not notice any issues, and the place was packed on Saturday night so ignore those criticisms. Regarding the drinks, the place is dry, no drinks. As I understand it, there is a mosque across the street, and the establishment is respectful of the Islamic faith which I give them credit for doing because it adds nicely to the atmosphere that there is no booze.
My one criticism, small one, I will admit that I am not a fan of the $ 10 or $ 20 entertainment charge because I am used to places eating the cost of entertainment but many places like Club Aladdin in New Jersey for example charge the same fee so I guess that is a staple of the business model for Middle Eastern lounges. I will say that once you get over the charge that everything else is quality for the money charged especially the food which is worth every single penny.
I highly recommend this spot and I encourage everyone to check it out. As-​salamu alaykum :)

I had one of the best Layali (nights) of Ramadan in Layali Dubai, I found hospitality and smile from all staff, amazing Arabic dishes ever, fun and joy atmosphere all around, my friends and I are all satisfied with the serves. I am sure this will not be my last visit…
Thanks to the owner for hospitality and generosity…
Thanks to the staff…

My friend took me here for a late birthday celebration. We went on a week night, so the place was empty. The space was filled with sofas and lots of pillow cushions. The room had dim lighting, making the ambiance very romantic. There is an area for a band or musician, but they were not playing the day we were there. I believe they also have belly dancers on the weekends.
We ordered a cold sampler platter, which came with hummus, babaganoush, eggplant, tabouli, grape leaves and falafel. We also shared and order of kibbeh and kufta. The food was good and the portions were surprising large. My favorites were the kibbeh, because it was moist and the eggplant, because it had nice flavor.
The prices were without a doubt very reasonable. the cold sampler came with 6 appetizers and only costs $ 15! It was a steal in my books… and we even had food left over. We each took a to-​go bag.
Our waiter was extremely nice, helpful and attentive. At the end of our meal, he brought out a fruit platter for us. The fruit platter was also big. It came with grapes, pineapple, cantaloupe and strawberries.
I am interested in coming back on a weekend to see the live acts.

I can’t tell everything perfect
Food, excellent costumer services, owner, singers 100%

The shisha is divine, I usually get double apple and thursday nights is free ladies shisha night. Food is okay with reasonable prices. If you were fortunate enough to be there on Belly dancing night you won’t be disappointed. Great atmosphere and friendly staff.
Three and half Unilocal

I’m suprised to see that this place has fewer than 4 stars! I had a great experience here celebrating a friend’s birthday, which just so happened to fall on a magical night here called Ladies Night. On this special night, starting at 9 PM, EACH female member of your group is treated to one free hookah of their choice (although there is a small upcharge if you want to get a deluxe option). This to me is an unheard of deal!
Although the hookah was a little too strong, it was overall pretty good and the staff came around very often to change the coals.
The food was DELISH! I loved my falafel wrap, which was well sized, came with yummy fries, and at ~$ 8, very well priced too. My slightest of slightest comment is that I wished there was some hot sauce in the wrap.
Bonus points for the extremely courteous and friendly staff. This will definitely be my place of choice next time I’m in Astoria for hookah!

I go to Layali Dubai every other weekend because of the food, hookah, music and the singers. On weekends there is a minimum charge of $ 30 per person and $ 10 music charge. It might sound too much but to be honest it is worth it. Its Arabic best nights are Thursday, Friday, and especially Saturday. make sure you make reservations if you’re a big group. A lot of people celebrate their birthdays and graduation parties at Layali. Everyone starts singing and clapping the energy is always positive!
Thursday is Ladies night and i believe the hookah is half price! Although they do not serve alcohol they have a big variety of non-​alcoholic drinks and teas.
I’d say this restaurant is different than the other Arabic restaurants just because of the people who go there/​/​/​mostly are families, children, and groups of people. the atmosphere, décor, music, and food will make you have a good time. *thumps-​up*