Azuri Café

Sometimes the fixings upstage the falafel.

Though fresh from the fryer, the three patties on this small platter ($8.75) were a bit stiff; on previous visits, savory pastries including a spinach buracka and a beef sambusak were nice but not noteworthy. But blanketing my plate, the little-bit-of-everything salad — hummus, tabouli, beans, eggplant, tomato, cucumber, parsley, carrot, radish, a pickle — was refreshingly lively. It's even more enjoyable when you can find room at one of Azuri's sidewalk tables; the interior is rather functional and snug.

Azuri Cafe
465 West 51st St. (near Tenth Ave.)
212-262-2920
Closed Friday evening and Satrday