Good food. Good service. Hidden Fees…read more I came to SIFR for a business dinner and it's definitely a place I would return to. We ordered a variety of dips to start (they were all absolutely amazing but the braised rib eye humus was delicious! My main was the lamb kebab with a side of rice, both were very good. If I were to come back I'd probably either do the prix fixe menu or order family style to get more variety of entrees. The service was friendly, accommodating and reasonably quick. One star was lost for me with the hidden fees. They charged a 4% service charge automatically. Our boss from UK almost mistook this for auto-gratuity and then we had to explain the technical accounting involved in Chicago tipping- awkward. Restaurants really need to end these hidden fees, just raise your prices. Overall I would definitely come back and recommend it as a solid option

Upon arrival, our party of three was greeted professionally and warmly and led upstairs to the…read moreopen-air patio. After another friendly greeting, we were seated and given a quick explanation of the options for our meal and for drinks, as well. One of us ordered the #7 cocktail, sa'baa, which we considered to be medium-sweet, as far as gin-based, fruit-forward cocktails are concerned. Perfectly balanced, in the opinion of the primary drinker. (Me!) My favorite gin cocktail in a while. (#7 SA'BAA COCKTAIL, 5/5) Another member of our party of 3 ordered the #0 N/A SIFR cocktail, which I felt was perhaps the only underwhelming flavor of the evening. However, the order-er of this cocktail thought it was good. (#0 N/A SIFR COCKTAIL 3.5/5) We debated the merits of a la carte versus tasting menu, and went with the tasting menu for all three of us, given our level of late-Friday hunger. Prepare the have ample left over if you opt for the tasting menu without an appetite to match. TASTING MENU OPENING COURSE: Hummus, 4.5/5 For the opening course, we were served the hummus and pita. If you prefer a sturdy amount of pita with every spoonful of hummus, do yourself a favor and order an extra pita per person. The hummus is beautifully seasoned, with just enough oil to provide a sumptuously-smooth texture that delivers the pepper and other flavors with perfect balance. Delicious. (HUMMUS w/ PITA, 4.5/5) TASTING MENU SMALL PLATES COURSE: Scallops (5/5), lamb kebab (4.5/5), maitaki roasted mushroom (5/5) The server and kitchen collaborated nicely to delivery each course perfectly-cooked and perfectly-timed. Despite our late seating, we never felt rushed. All three diners at our table, myself enthusiastically included, felt that this second course was the strongest out of the four courses offered with the tasting menu. Scallops are delightfully and delicately seasoned and briefly flame-kissed, served on top of a luscious, peppery orange sauce. Good lord, what a bite. We wanted five hundred of these. (SCALLOPS, 5/5) The lamb kebab can really only be faulted for how little we were given. I'd hope for a bigger portion. If you know you'll love it, which you will, just order a bonus order of this. (LAMB KEBAB, 4.5/5) Maitaki mushroom. Whew! Just getting started and hitting it out of the park with this one. I strongly felt that this was the strongest bite of the entire meal, though my companions landed firmly on the scallop for this title. A mushroom of this quality cooked with this skill is genuinely difficult to find in all but a few high-end spots, so consider this a rare opportunity and treat. ORDER THE MAITAKI! I will have words for this restaurant if this particular preparation of this particular mushroom ever departs their menu. (MAITAKI, 5/5) TASTING MENU ENTREE COURSE: Ravioli-type Manti-and-morel-mushroom thing (4.5/5), branzino (5/5), lamb shank (4/5) Not as much to say about this course. Obviously delicious, but the branzino was a standout. Maybe if we came again we'd order JUST the branzino from this list, especially if we weren't as hungry. It's so good. Not overly-salty like many fish dishes prepared in this manner. Wow. TASTING MENU DESSERT COURSE, toasted strawberries and cream (4.5/5) This is served cold. It is better that it is. It is very good. Quality berries and quality cream were used. SERVICE WAS SO GOOD! Whoever from the restaurant sees this, if anyone does, ought to track down whoever it was that was serving Nidhi, party of three, on Friday, 06/19 and give them a medal or something. Service like this is a class above what I'd even expect of a restaurant at this price point.

I LOVED my meal here! Ēma (Ay-mah) brings some glamour and glitz to the Mediterranean dining scene,…read morewith an airy, elevated hotel-lobby feel that still doesn't demand a dress code. Dresscode: Smart Casual / Casual Noise Level: Medium (it gets buzzy after 5:30pm) Thursday night Happy Hour was lively, so it took about 10-15 minutes for someone to come around, but service was attentive once we got going. The food is where Ēma really shines. From the Happy Hour menu, the Charred Eggplant Hummus and Crispy Potatoes were generously portioned and great for sharing. On the main menu, the Indian-Mediterranean fusion Bhel Hummus was a party for my taste buds, while the Hot Honey Halloumi and Chicken Kefta rounded out the table nicely. The halloumi is more of a side than a main, but that sweet-and-salty hot honey combo was chef's kiss. For our finisher, the Chocolate Torte knocked us out. Decadent, delicious and chocolate with lots of depth. Overall, Ēma is an excellent spot to order a bunch of dishes for the table and get an elevated meal without feeling stuffy, and delicious without taking itself too seriously. DO's: - Make a reservation ahead, especially for happy hour 4-6pm - Treat apps like small plates, order 2-3 to sample - Entertain their wine list, they have a lot! - Bring vegetarians here, there are plenty of options DON'Ts: - Dismiss the desert menu. It's fantastic and shareable! - Forget to ask for extra pita with the hummus! - Miss out on the LettuceEats loyalty points (check-in with your server before paying your check)

Came for a late lunch. Split a meal: *Whipped spicy feta -…read moreVery tasty. The pita was warm with lots of za'atar. Enough to share with 2-3 people *Braised short rib sandwich - In a pita stuffed with cabbage. The beef was extremely tender. Unfortunately there was several large pieces of cabbage core vs shredded. The fries were crispy and seasoned with za'atar. The au jus provided, tasted it had a bit of red wine vinegar. That was a winner! Would order both items again. The decor is beautiful. Sat at the bar and the bartender wasn't in the best mood. Minus one star for the combination of the large pieces of cabbage core and sat at the bar for about 15 minutes - no one was there to serve us.

This place almost made me shed a tear... it was so delicious & I was so happy I found it haha I…read moredon't know how long this place has been around but it looks new and it is a perfect location! Theres no place like it within walking distance of 18th street. I was skeptical about the falafel sandwich (vegan) but man did it hit. With the Chicken Shawarma too! Sheeeeeesh. And the price is decent for the amount of food you receive. It definitely it the spot and this will not be my last time coming here. I'm already looking forward to the next time I'm here. Thank you Sultan's Market, see you soon! Personal Review: 9.2/10

I had the lentil soup and it was a little different in color from what I've had at other places but…read moreit was good. I also had the beef/lamb sharamaw sandwich and that too was good. They were generous with the chunks of meat.

The food was excellent. the cod braised in butter with grilled cabbage was delicious. The duck…read moreconfit was perfectly cooked and the lentils that came with it were the best I"ve ever had. On the negative side I found the decor while fundamentally well designed a bit dreary. What drove us crazy was that not only did the waiters give a recitation of the contents of the food when it was presented ( it was swift but unnecessary) BUT the waiter began to recite the entire menu ...line by line vegetable, animal , and mineral..I stopped him after two minutes telling himself that we knew how to read and we would simply ask him any questions ,if we had any. I don't no who came up with this ridiculous practice.

go for the pastries…read more.. the entrees are really just "ok" but a great ambiance and fantastic service so i could absolutely be convinced to dine in again. someone please tell me where i can find a good shakshuka. i 100% believed this would be the place but it was a watered down, bland bowl of tomatoes :( maybe that's what shakshuka is? maybe it's just not for me? but i struggle to find anything else worth the price tag. all of the savory vegi items were potato heavy so that left me staring at the pastry counter. not a great spot for the carb conscious :) the pastries are divine - i already plan on heading back just to devour more.

Delicious, flavorful food!…read more Got the family platter for 3 and it was great and a lot of food. (It was more than enough for a table of 4)

This was amazing food Maybe the best Persian and middle…read moreeastern I have ever eaten This can compete with noon o kabob Great kabobs good rice great service and cool inside 4.7/5

The whole concept and aesthetic of this restaurant completely wowed me!! It feels so well thought…read moreout. The service was amazing too, super professional, friendly, always on top of everything without being overwhelming. And the hummus was especially good, and creamy, which I loved!! The food overall was great. Such a cool experience from start to finish.

I really liked this place. They have parking in front of the restaurant and back. I highly…read morerecommend a reservation on Friday-Sunday even if you are just one person. I called them because I wasn't sure if the online version would be too slow. We were a group of three that came in Saturday night at 7 pm. It was moderately busy. The staff were all welcoming with smiles on their faces and attentiveness. Prices were fair for the amount of food you receive. Food portions are colossal so I would recommend one appetizer and one entree if you are a couple. They give you a complimentary dish. We ordered arayes with meat, meat toshka, mixed grill with baba ghanouj, fillet of basa fried, and mint lemonade. They also offer you fresh Arabic coffee before you leave. This is about a 4.5-5. -arayes with meat 4 - this was not bad. It's like a tamer version of the meat toshka. -meat toshka 5 - I prefer this over the arayes because they add the Syrian cheese. This one was bursting with flavor the moment you took a bite out of it. The minced beef and lamb just melt in the mouth. -mixed grill 5 - this came with 3 big skewers (shish kabab, kufta kabab, and chicken tawook. It also has tomatoes and onions to help cut down the meat when digesting. There are two heaping portions of biryani and saffron rice and baba ghanouj. The baba ghanouj was creamy and flavorful. It goes well with the pita bread. The meats were cooked medium well unless you want something. I think next time I'll ask for the shish kababs to be cooked medium rare or medium for a more juicy taste. The chicken tawook and kufta were both succulent. -fillet of basa fried 5 - the two pieces of basa fillet were astronomical. It also comes with two different kinds of rice. The fish was flaky, moist, and seasoned. Make sure you add the lemon and eat it with the sauce. -mint lemonade 5 - this was very refreshing after eating a heavy meal.

best middle eastern food I have ate in in the USA chicken shawarma and the hummus was great 5 starsread more

Good "bang for buck" would be an understatement when describing this place. The quality of the food…read moreat Falafel & Grill is absolutely OUTSTANDING, and comes at a beyond reasonable price. As typical for a counter serve, this facility is no thrills but it's kept very clean and the service is straightforward and great. We've gone back here a few times and have never had an issues with wait time, which is impressive as it can get pretty busy with orders. We've tried both the Chicken Kabob Plate and the Kifta Kabob Plate and both were fantastic. They truly make the meat here the PERFECT tenderness - probably the softest and juiciest chicken I've had in the city!!! The hummus and falafel that the Plate meals come with are also delicious. 10000% recommend for a casual Mediterranean meal or takeout

This is by far my most visited food place in Chicago because I love their falafel so much. I would…read morenot be surprised if everything else on the menu is great, but I've never gotten past the falafel because it's pretty hard to pass up. Incredible prices, too. Thank you to everyone here who has made and served me falafel lol I appreciate you!

Can never go wrong with either option whether if it's chicken or lamb. Food at sultans is always…read moretasty and affordable. Service is fast, and the interior is always clean with good music playing.

Amazing ambiance. Great service. Great food. We sat inside and will definitely be back on a nice…read moreday to sit outside.

This restaurant space is beautifully done inside and you can also sit out on their balcony patio,…read morewhich is such a nice option as well. They have the decor down to the details. We got the smoky garlic hummus, whipped feta, brussel sprouts, and lemon meringue bar for dessert, and honestly everything was amazing. The harissa honey on the brussel sprouts was so good, and the lemon meringue bar with the citrus crema and graham cracker crust was the perfect sweet item to round out the meal. They bring complementary pita with your hummus and dips and the bread with za'atar itself was delicious. They recommend 2-3 share plates per person, but we ordered 3 plus dessert for two people and still had leftovers. So I'd say it definitely depends on how hungry you are! We went for lunch/brunch and were pretty much the first people there, so service was super fast. Our server was lovely and incredibly attentive with topping off water and clearing plates. Definitely would come back to try some of their larger plate options.

I got delivery from here, interesting take on middle eastern food. I go the falafel wrap, with…read morehummus, it did not come with many veggies on it, the falafel itself was quite dry and the hummus was not very flavorful. My partner got a falafel plate. He liked the meal. He also got a salad, which he reports was good. I also got some French fries with tahini and extra garlic sauce. Overall average.

Let's start with the good stuff - tasty bowls that offer a large serving size. The rice was also…read morereally good. It came with hummus (more on that later) and sauces. The not so good - the hummus to me was tasteless and you don't get to customize your bowl. I prefer spicy and there were not jalapeños offered. The red chili sauce I used entirely and it offered so- so spice. I would certainly eat here again, but I would probably be more vocal about what I want extra of for my salad!