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More than 20 years after opening its doors, Levana is still one of the leading kosher restaurants in New York—importantly, it holds its own against similar non-kosher establishments. In keeping with kosher dietary laws, only kosher meat is served, and there’s no shellfish or dairy on the menu. Although the richly hued interior is showing signs of wear, the earth tone faux-marbled walls and stone archways still create a warm, Tuscan-style setting, where observant Jews of all stripes and their secular friends dine on quail, venison, and free-range chicken and duck. Notably, Levana has a flair for cooking game meats. Kosher carnivores delight in the tender venison, fragrant with Chinese spices and enriched by a sweet juniper berry and red currant sauce. There’s also a savory duo of braised lamb shank and grilled lamb chop stacked high over a bed of Moroccan couscous. A good selection of kosher wines from all over, plus thoughtful pairing suggestions. Bypass the glutinous duck and fig dumpling in favor of the sweet baby-romaine salad, because entrees tend to be large, meat-based, and richly sauced. The pareve, or non-dairy, desserts are alluring, especially the deep-dish warm apple crumble with non-dairy cinnamon ice cream. — Kara Newman

Levana started its “wine bar” at the beginning of 2005, and offers an impressive list of kosher wines from around the world, including Portugal, South Africa, Australia, and of course, Israel.

Note
For delivery, customers must put their order in the day before for lunch and on that morning for dinner.  There is a delivery charge of $30.

Chinese five-spice rubbed Hudson Valley venison, $45; grilled Colorado lamb chop, $55; braised lamb shank, $29.50