07/29/07

Horrible, Deceptive Experience

by silverpink

Very Dishonest operation going on here. There are all kinds of hidden charges. We had hookahs and mint tea. It was weird. We were the only ones there, and we sat in the back room with no music... dead silence. We had to tell them to turn on the music. We were going to drink, but then saw that one beer cost $10. This is the upper east side! So we got a tiny kettle of tea. $20 dollar mint tea, even though the menu said $1.50 for mint tea. This was clearly a made-up number, so we asked the manager what the deal with the tea was. He was real sleezy and told us it was made with super rare and expensive moroccan mint, imported fresh. The owner is a real snake. I'm suprised that magic beans weren't on the menu. Don't lose your shirt here, big waste of money and time. Worst NYC experience so far. Oh and I've read other reviews on this guy. He charged one group 167 dollars for three plates of couscous.

07/06/06

Delicious food!!

by karmacoma123

We came here with a group of friends on a Wednesday night and LOVED it. The place was pretty much empty so we had a nice corner spot to ourselves. Service was fine, but then again, there weren't that many customers. We liked the Moroccan decor of mosaic walls, hanging lamps and indoor fountain. The food was definitely the highlight though. We had the lamb tagine with prunes, roasted chicken with saffron, and filo pie with chicken and almonds. They were all mouthwateringly delicious. Capped the meal with pastries and moroccan tea.

From the other reviews, I'd say not to go on a weekend. If you live on UES, check it out on a weekday!

• Pros: Delicious food!!
• Cons: It's a little dark in there, and the entrance isn't very appealing.

08/07/05

Maybe you shouldn't go on the weekend!

by mrsmales

I don't know what all the complaints were about - we LOVE this place. It is one of our stand-by restaurants. We've been making our own couscous for years, and this is the first place that we've gone where their couscous rivals ours. The service is a little slow - but it's no slower than a typical European restaurant - and it gives you more time to enjoy the company of your dining companions. We stay away on weekends because we have no desire to see belly-dancers and we don't like to fight typical week-end crowds.

• Pros: ambiance, decor
• Cons: price

05/02/04

Worst evening in NY

by vauchr

This was the worst dining experience I have ever had. The food was bland, the service was painfully slow. We were encouraged to order the more expensive "Sultan" meals--$39 for appetizer, entree, dessert, and coffee/tea. The food was horrible, and full of small bones, the dessert was advertised as "homemade ice cream and pastries"--but we only received 2 small scoops of commercial ice cream--no pastries. We were not given coffee or tea. The belly dancing show was supposed to last for 90 minutes, but instead was 45 mins, and consisted mostly of a small girl (probably under 10 yrs old). We spent a very painful FOUR hours at this place. In the end, the manager tried to add on extra charges--above and beyond the (not-advertised) $5/person for the entertainment and fee for a large group.

I am enraged that I wasted so much money and time at such a place.

• Cons: , deceptive manager, over-priced

03/28/04

Just awful

by mlgesq

If you want bad food, awful service and nasty treatment, than this is your place. The food was terrible. We were a party of six and they refused to put us in the big back room, instead we had to squeeze around this little table. The staff was so rude and nasty, we ended up just leaving without finishing. If you want a houka-- go to one of the other bars in the area (there are a lot). This experience was just awful!

• Cons: , Awful Food