SAFTA -- Five Points, Denver…read more There are restaurants you eat at, and then there are restaurants that briefly convince you that maybe life is worth living. Safta is the latter. Walking into Safta, I immediately realized I had made a tactical error: I had not arrived hungry enough. This is Israeli food with the volume turned all the way up. The pita comes out so impossibly hot, pillowy, and fresh that it feels less like bread and more like someone has smuggled a tiny cloud onto your table. The hummus is the kind of hummus that makes you stare at your dining companion afterward like, "So... why have we been eating the other stuff?" And then there's the lamb. Oh, the lamb. Tender, aggressively flavorful, beautifully spiced -- the sort of dish that causes you to temporarily stop participating in the conversation because you are experiencing something private and spiritual. The vegetables aren't treated like vegetables, either. They're treated like they have something to prove. Every bite is smoky, acidic, herby, creamy, crispy, or some combination of all four. At one point I ate something green and actually thought..... "I understand vegetables now." The biggest problem with Safta is that everything arrives at the table tasting like the thing you should have ordered more of. You think you're being responsible by sharing. You're not. You're creating future resentment. By the end of the meal, I was physically full but emotionally prepared to order another round of pita and simply deal with the consequences. Atmosphere: Beautiful without feeling like it's trying too hard. Food: Ridiculously good. Portions: Generous enough to make your waistband nervous. Hummus: Life-altering. Lamb: A personal attack. My ability to behave normally around good food: Gone. Would I return? Absolutely. Would I tell people about it afterward? Unfortunately, yes. Would I recommend coming here hungry? No. I recommend arriving emotionally, spiritually, and financially prepared to eat everything. 9.7/10. Lost 0.3 points because eventually the food stopped coming and I had to return to reality. Unlike Oliver's Italian.

Located in the Source hotel on the 2nd floor. Almost impossible to get parking in the attached…read moreparking lot. Try to find street parking and walk a little. Service was OK. Coffee was fine but they gave such a large cup and it got cold right away and we felt bad for asking for refills when we still had a good amount left but cold. Lines weren't bad at all on a Sat morning. Basic American fruit/yogurt, bread, pastries. Deviled eggs. Prime rib was good The different types of sauces like baba ghounash, hummus, etc-- those were all really good mixed together with pita bread. Mediterranean salad was good. Cabbage was meh this time. No honeycomb this time :( :( :( I did not like ANY of the desserts. Neither did my partner. So I just had normal fruit/yogurt for dessert which seemed wasteful. Everything else was kind of just meh to me. Not worth the $65/person (with tip and tax). They also include a 5% surcharge on the bill.

I have never had Lebanese food before. The meat was tender and the seasonings were delicious. The…read moreatmosphere was so welcoming. The service was fast and everyone was so nice.

The food at Yahya's Mediterranean Grill was amazing. It tasted so delicious. The staff and service…read morewas fantastic. It is a great small restaurant family business and we will for sure be back again

Fresh ingredients and a great atmosphere! Be sure to show up with an appetite because the portions…read moreare large! The beet salad had oranges and arugula with homemade dressing! Scrumptious! The parking is street parking so plan to walk a bit. Lots of seating for intimate or large groups. Nice decor. Friendly staff and happy hour 11-2 then again in the evening. I'd say you could even show up for a birthday meal.. I did!

This place is DELICIOUS and BEAUTIFUL. I got the gyro plate and my friend got a falafel sandwich,…read moreand together we paid about $38 + tip for our meals. The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because the price differential between these two items is about $5 and instead of itemizing our receipts, our waiter just split it in two, overcharging my friend and undercharging me. It seemed very incongruent to the rest of our otherwise excellent experience here.

I have to start out my review by mentioning that I was in University Hills the other week for the…read morefirst time in a long time and was excited to try one of the middle eastern restaurants down there (in lieu of Damascus, my former go-to in the area). I won't say which, but boy, was it a letdown. The falafel were like little hockey pucks and the pita were like cardboard, flat and stale-tasting. I didn't think you could screw up pita. Only the hummus was passable. All this to say that I have been SPOILED by moving within walking distance of the Byblos in Alamo Placita, which is where a little taco place used to be. It's in a sweet little spot with patio seating on the corner of 4th and Corona, but the draw is really the food. I can't vouch for the meat dishes as a vegan, but WOW is their pita soft, fresh and flavorful, and they replenish it readily. Their hummus is excellent, their baba ghanoush is the best I've had since leaving the greater Boston area (with its abundance of outstanding ethnic restaurants) and the eggplant moussaka is fantastic. Plus they put this fully vegan cream dressing on the garden salad that is out of this world. Byblos has completely ruined me for a lot of other restaurants. As I'm writing this I think I've talked myself into going there for lunch!

Good food! Service is a bit slow but not a big deal…read more............ Yep. That's about it. Nothing else to say.

Ash'Kara is always at the top of my list when I'm craving incredible Mediterranean food. The food…read moreand service is truly top notch, and every dish is packed with amazing flavor. To start, the hummus, pita, and htipiti are a must, obviously! And the za'atar-spiced fries are seriously addicting -- I could eat an entire order myself. Both salads are fantastic and are the perfect addition to the meal. But for the main course... DO NOT leave without ordering the za'atar roasted chicken, bavette steak, and wood-fired carrots. You will be missing out if you do! Every single time we've gone, everything has been cooked to absolute perfection, and the flavors are immaculate. Honestly, I'd lick my plate clean.

Pleasantly surprised that our experience turned out better than we thought it would. A few of our…read morefriends mentioned not liking the food or their experience but we decided to dine here and brought parents. We got a few drinks and placed an order for apps and mains together since it would be easier. And normally you would expect drinks would come first followed by apps and then mains. We got the apps, drinks and mains all together which was a bit odd because our table had no more place. Our server did not ask us and we thought it was understood. The lamb kofte, hummus and mandu dumplings were great! Their pita is fresh and piping hot, unlike other pitas I've had which was a big positive! The main dish my mom got was the carrot dish because she is a vegetarian, it was such a lazy dish! Just extra charred carrots on a bed of chickpeas and sauce - I expected more! Everything lamb was grilled to perfection and tasted really good. The falafel was very tasty as well. Stick to meat options if you decide to dine here. I wish they had a few more vegetarian options in the mains. We decided to skip desserts here because they did not sound appetizing at all. Service was alright. FYI - they will add a 20% service charge irrespective of your party size.

Asli Mediterranean Grill is easily one of our favorite Mediterranean restaurants in the Denver…read morearea. The food is always fresh, flavorful, and you can really taste the quality of the ingredients. Everything we've tried has been excellent, portions are generous, and the service is always friendly and welcoming. The ambiance is also a big part of why we like coming here. It feels warm, clean, modern, and comfortable, and it works just as well for a casual lunch as it does for a nice dinner with family or friends. What I really like about Asli is that it feels authentic and consistent. The grilled meats are full of flavor, the sides are fresh, and everything tastes like it was made with care. Asli is definitely one of those local places that deserves more attention. Great food, great service, great atmosphere, and a restaurant we keep coming back to. Highly recommend Asli Mediterranean Grill if you're looking for great Mediterranean food in the Denver area.

We usually get the felafel sandwiches which are quite authentic and good for Denver…read more I like being able to choose all the ingredients as they assemble it in front of you. And specify how spicy. Having squeeze bottles of amba and tehina for the table is also nice. But I especially appreciate how friendly and helpful the employees are!

Anyone who can get fries that crispy and fluffy, automatically get 5 stars in my book. Carried out,…read moredrove home, saved half in fridge, still pretty crispy. It might be magic. To accompany the magic fries, the entree selection is limited but impactful. The portion size is huge, to help make up for the high price tag. Chicken was super juicy and everything tasted fresh and well-seasoned. I'd say splitting a pita and a fry with two people would easily be enough food. It's counter service. Ambiance inside leaves room for improvement but easily overlooked for really quality food. Limited seating inside but open spots around early dinner time Friday. We took away, but I'd come back to sit down with a bev and one of their tasty-looking desserts.

Went here on a Saturday afternoon and there was thankfully easy prime street parking. The…read morerestaurant is small, but plenty of seating and outdoors as well. You know the place is legit with the amount of chicken they are roasting up! I got their #2 with chicken and chimichurri sauce. Super tasty, all ingredients fresh. If you're in the neighborhood, you can't skip on this spot!

Back to Corsica and had a lovely experience once again! Tried our luck on a Saturday evening with…read moreno reservation and were able to get a seat at the bar immediately. The bartenders and the rest of the staff were extremely friendly and made sitting at the bar a great experience! We decided on a few small plates; cannellini beans, focaccia, carrots, and lemon bucatini. The cannellini beans and bucatini were stand out dishes for sure. I love the experience of ordering small plates so this place is perfect for that although there are larger plates you can order (they do warn you that these take longer to prepare). For drinks I tried both the citron sunrise (frozen citron pressé, chamomile, cappelitti, sparkling wine) and the corsica martini. The citron sunrise was very refreshing although a bit too sweet for my taste. The martini comes with multiple garnishes and most of the drink in a smaller vessel on the side so that you can mix and match and create new martini flavors as you drink which I thought was such a great experience! Definitely going to come by again as their menu selection is quite large and there's lots left to try.

Never a doubt , always a 5/5. This place rocks. Tapas styles, great wines good service great vibes…read more We usually come here on Sundays - the happy hour is awesome. Half off bottles of wine. Really quite an insane deal because of the large selection they have!! The food is awesome, haven't had a single but I didn't like. The bread is weirdly amazing and we always get it haha. Ricotta is super super good and I love the meatballs

This was a fantastic meal from start to finish. The open kitchen lets you watch the cooks at work,…read morewhich adds a lot to the atmosphere, and the inside has a lively, welcoming vibe that's perfect for a date night. The food really stood out. The lamb kabobs were tender and flavorful, the grape leaves were excellent, and the shrimp appetizer so goooood! Loved the pickled onions as a garnish too!

I was surprised. I was looking for a local place to have dinner with my wife and we simply couldn't…read morefind anything in the area of Denver we were staying in. So we settled for Crave Mediterranean Grill and I have to say it was a good experience. I didn't fall out of my seat surprised at the food or the ambience. But the service was good and that always matters.

OMG. This is about the best chicken shawarma I've ever had. It comes with veggies which I…read morenormally don't use but these were prepared fresh and it looked so good I couldn't stop myself. Solid service with a smile. I'll defiantly be back!

Amira is located on a strip mall next to several other places. There is parking right out front…read more You order at the counter and then seat yourself. We got the grape leaves, baba ghanoush, and meat combo plate. The grape leaves were (3/5) because i liked how vinegary they were but the rice was a tad overcooked and I found a hair rolled in one of mine....... Baba (4.5/5) because it had a great flavor! Meat combo (3.8/5) because the chicken was a bit hard and dry but the lamb kebab was good and so were all the sides it comes with. The chicken just didn't quite have the charcoal flavor that i love. Overall, I'd consider coming back because i love supporting small, local, businesses. But our total was quite pricey to find a hair in the food and for hard chicken.