"MY YELP REVIEW: How do I love thee, Fig Olive Tree? Let me count the ways: 1. The atmosphere is warm, intimate, and informal. It feels like visiting the neat and cozy little home of a friend whose mom just happens to be a top notch Moroccan Egyptian chef, and takes the time to prepare everything perfectly. 2. The staff are friendly, welcoming, and laid back. As soon as you walk in, you feel comfortable and relaxed; even if you 've only been there once or twice, you are treated like a frequent customer and sometimes *literally* treated to a lovely surprise (in our case, it was traditional Moroccan mint tea, on the house, served in beautiful silvery teapots with fresh mint leaves . The service also tends to be as 'leisurely ' as it is gracious, so when you go there prepare to sit for awhile and watch the entertaining Arabica TV music videos while you wait for the awesome made to order food. And speaking of the food.... 3. OMG, the food!!! For starters, the hummus best we 've ever had, in fact even a tad bit better than Tanoreen 's (which is saying something, since Tanoreen is one of the finest Middle Eastern restaurants in Brooklyn , and served with Fig Olive Tree 's amazing crispy zaatar bread. And then there 's the harera, a rich and hearty Moroccan legume soup, seasoned with sweet spices and served in a large ornate bowl; it could be a meal in itself, but why miss out on the entrees? The latter include such wonderful Middle Eastern comfort food as tagine (yummy Moroccan stew, with your choice of chicken, lamb, or fish fillet , macaroni bechamel (a sort of Egyptian pastitsio, so delicious, affordable, and popular that they sometimes run out of it in the evening , the iconic Moroccan dish couscous (a single serving of this heavenly Fridays only special your choice of chicken, lamb, or vegetarian is big enough for two people , and many more incredible Fig Olive Tree dishes which we haven 't yet tried, but can 't wait to experience! Oh, and it 's all halal so you know the meat is high quality. 4. Laziza a 'non alcoholic malt beverage ' (actually a sort of Lebanese barley soda which comes in flavors like apple and peach. Yum! The apple version is especially good, reminiscent of sparkling Martinelli 's but even better. 5. Warm, syrup drenched homemade coconut harissa (Arabic semolina cake , a sweet and satisfying dessert which isn 't yet listed on the menu, but is displayed on the counter you just have to request it. (They also have baklava and knafeh. There are many other reasons to love Fig Olive Tree a whole menu full of them, and a whole lot of gracious hospitality in the hearts of the staff. We hope that this wondrous little restaurant stays in business and in Bay Ridge forever."
