A Tel Aviv feast (and party!) at Mesiba In Williamsburg 

By Scott Lynch

Mesiba is attached to the Moxy Williamsburg hotel (Scott Lynch)

Mesiba, which means “party” in Hebrew, is a slick-looking new restaurant attached to the Moxy Williamsburg, a trendy boutique hotel (that’s actually part of the Marriott empire) which itself just opened a few weeks ago on South 4th Street and Bedford Avenue.

It’s operated by Elad Zvi and Gabe Orta’s Bar Lab Hospitality, a group known for its sceney Broken Shaker cocktail bars, the first of which was in Miami. Peak through the curtain in the back and you’ll find a “high energy listening room” called Jolene, where things don’t really kick in until around midnight. Coming this summer: a rooftop bar, sure to make the block a go-to destination.

But don’t let any of that dissuade you! Mesiba is a phenomenal restaurant, one of the best, most exciting new spots in Brooklyn right now even if none of the above is your usual scene. That’s thanks to both a surprisingly relaxed and welcoming vibe in the dining room (the lobby bar, with its motorized drink shakers, feels more frantic) and, especially, to chef Eli Buliskeria.

Buli (as everyone calls him), grew up in Holon, Israel, first discovered that he loved to cook while in the army and, after learning everything he could during a lengthy stint at Tel Aviv’s renowned Herbert Samuel Restaurant, moved with his wife to Bushwick in 2016. Several NYC restaurants later, including Eleven Madison Park and Bustan on the Upper West Side, Buli was tapped by the Bar Lab duo to run the big kitchen here in Williamsburg.

Buli’s menu at Mesiba is “modern Tel Avivian,” and encompasses the flavors and culinary traditions of Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Palestine, and the Eastern Mediterranean. Start with the Frena, a Moroccan flatbread, which is blasted for less than a minute in a 700-degree oven and eats like a fluffy, chewy pita. It’s served with sour cream and a bit of shatta, but you should also get the “Spicy Plate TLV Vibes” for a fiery, garlicky, herby pile-on.

Frena bread, $8, with ‘Spicy Plate TLV Vibes, $7 (Scott Lynch)

The “yalla” section of the menu, which means, basically, “let’s go!,” is packed with winners. There’s a lovely tuna crudo that maybe sounds suspect — the meltingly soft fish is draped over a hefty dollop of labneh, along with almonds and dates — but works brilliantly.

Tuna crudo, with labneh, dates, and almonds hiding under the fish, $22 (Scott Lynch)

“Eli’s Baba Ganoush 2.0” transforms a half eggplant into earthy, smoky heaven, blanketed in har bracha tahini from Israel.

‘Eli’s Baba Ganuosh 2.0,’ $18 (Scott Lynch)

There’s a well seasoned, perfectly charred octopus tentacle, a mushroom shawarma, and a delightful fennel salad that gets a nice acid jolt from slivers of preserved lemon, and some tang from a dusting of East Jerusalem yogurt stone, grated at the table.

Charred octopus, $26 (Scott Lynch)

The enough-for-two entrees fall into the “mesiba” territory on the menu, and the lamb neck is a showstopper, a magnificent hunk of meat — tender, with a beautiful caramelized glaze on top — that your server pulls apart upon its arrival. You can eat it by the forkful, or make bite-sized wraps with the spongy Yemeni bread, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, and various creamy and/or spicy sauces.

Lamb neck with all the make-your-own wrap trimming, $54 (Scott Lynch)

More regular-sized entrees include a plate of kreplach, the potato dumplings stuffed with ricotta and laid on a bed of leeks, as well as head-on prawns on risotto, and chicken musakhan, considered to be the national dish of Palestine and served here with fermented mango.

Kerplach stuffed with charred ricotta, $26 (Scott Lynch)

As you would imagine from a restaurant run by the Broken Shaker crew, Mesiba has a long list of inventive cocktails, which run from $17 to $20, plus a few “dessert cocktails” involving coffee or tea. Dessert itself includes a crunchy, cheesy knafeh and a semi-sweet chocolate pudding that they call simply “milky” on the menu.

Mesiba is located at 353 Bedford Avenue, at the corner of South Fourth Street. It has its own separate entrance, but inside it’s attached to the lobby of the Moxy Williamsburg. Currently the hours are Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5 to 11 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 5 to midnight.