ZOI Mediterranean Makes NYC Restaurant Week Feel Like a Neighborhood Ritual

New York Wire Contributor

For NYC Restaurant Week, ZOI Mediterranean offers an inviting introduction to its modern Mediterranean dining experience, one defined by warmth, generosity, and everyday elegance. Founded by Onur Safak, both locations in NoMad and the Upper East Side are serving ZOI’s curated prix-fixe menus, which highlight the restaurant’s signature flavors while remaining accessible, well-balanced, and thoughtfully composed.

Restaurant Week at ZOI reflects how the restaurant is meant to be enjoyed: relaxed, social, and woven into the rhythm of daily life in New York. Rather than presenting a pared-down offering, the prix-fixe menu showcases core dishes that aim to capture the spirit of the kitchen, giving diners a clear sense of the food, atmosphere, and hospitality that have helped ZOI become a neighborhood favorite.

The experience begins with a selection of first courses designed to be both bright and comforting. Options include muhammara, fresh kale salad with mint and roasted walnuts, and the Mediterranean Breeze Soup–a layered, satisfying dish featuring short-rib beef, yogurt, chickpeas, orzo, and mint. The soup has quickly become a standout, reflecting ZOI’s approach to elevating familiar Mediterranean flavors through balance and restraint rather than excess.

ZOI Mediterranean Makes NYC Restaurant Week Feel Like a Neighborhood Ritual — Photo Courtesy: ZOI UES

Entrées continue that philosophy, offering a mix of indulgent and hearty selections. Guests can choose dishes such as truffle fettuccine pasta, as well as Mediterranean staples like pesto chicken skewers served with strawberry-avocado salad and pavé potato, or butcher kofta paired with vegetables, onion salad, and pickles. Each dish feels intentional and complete, allowing diners to experience the breadth of the menu without feeling overwhelmed.

Dessert provides a refined conclusion to the meal, with options such as French Kiss brûlée or cold baklava, sweet finishes that nod to tradition while maintaining a modern, polished execution.

While the prix-fixe menu anchors the Restaurant Week experience, ZOI’s setting plays an equally important role. The recently opened Upper East Side location at 1480 Second Avenue was designed as a true neighborhood restaurant–one meant for repeat visits rather than special occasions only. Soft coastal colors, natural textures, and warm lighting create a calm, welcoming environment that encourages lingering. The space feels polished but unpretentious, stylish without being intimidating.

Following the success of its NoMad flagship, the uptown expansion seems both natural and timely. Both locations share the same mezze-driven DNA, emphasizing communal dining and shared plates. Restaurant Week is an especially fitting moment to explore that approach, whether dining with colleagues, friends, or family.

ZOI’s cocktail program further complements the experience. Herb-forward spritzes and aromatic seasonal infusions are crafted to complement the menu, making them ideal companions to mezze and lighter entrées. The bar, in both locations, has become a natural gathering point, well-suited for a casual drink that often evolves into a full meal.

Restaurant Week offers a clear window into what defines ZOI: a focus on connection, thoughtful hospitality, and food that feels both familiar and elevated. Service is warm and intuitive, encouraging guests to settle in and shape the experience to their own pace, whether they’re visiting for a business lunch or an unhurried evening out.

With two Manhattan neighborhoods to choose from, ZOI Mediterranean stands out during NYC Restaurant Week as a restaurant that delivers more than value alone. The prix-fixe menu feels thoughtfully composed, offering a genuine sense of the restaurant’s year-round offering.

Ideal for business lunches, casual dinners, and relaxed group gatherings, ZOI’s Restaurant Week menu provides an accessible entry point for first-time guests and a polished return for regulars. As the season approaches, ZOI Mediterranean offers exactly what Restaurant Week editors look for: strong value without compromise, a consistent dining experience, and two well-situated locations that fit seamlessly into New York City’s daily dining landscape.