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    Cafe Fili

    4.5 (157 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Cafe Fili Takeout or Delivery

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    CAFE FILI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Classy

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe Fili

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    Wrap and salad
    Estee L.

    Cafe Fili is always tasty and fresh. Whether you have a salad, platter, or bowl, you will enjoy. The room is lovely and full of sun. It's fun for a coffee or an after work glass of wine. I especially love the fresh and healthy salads. They are a filling lunch or dinner. They also have a nice big table to gather a group.

    Gabrielle H.

    The manager is a sweetie pie. The black guy who is a bartender...he's awesome! Therefore the drinks are great. The flight shots are always a hit when I bring people there. HOWEVER....the new food menu is not good. That is the only reason I'm giving less than 5 stars. The menu changed without notice and I was looking forward to certain items that are no longer there. I think this is more of a bar because the food is not a focus or management.

    Breakfast sandwich
    Dave M.

    The "breakfast sandwich" is out of this world good. The combination of the soujouk sausage, bacon, and cheese is magic. The sesame bread adds yet another layer of complexity. The hummus trio is fantastic as well. The pita bread was decent, but the pita chips were truly stellar! Staff was cheerful and friendly, would definitely return!

    Leroy R.

    Visited this restaurant on a couple occasions and it's hit both times. I would call it a hidden gem because both times it wasn't too many people there. It is kind of off the beaten path. The customer service is always nice. I've eaten at the bar both times and the bartender is attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Highly recommend.

    Lamb shawarma bowl
    Shamie D.

    Highly recommended! Fresh, colorful entrees at a reasonable price point. Love the lamb shawarma bowl. An easy walk from the Capitol and the Hart building.

    Wall art
    Kayla P.

    Cute spot located very close to union station. Came in for dinner on a week night and the place was decently busy. The server was kind and attentive. For food, I had the lamb shawarma which was very tasty and actually the perfect amount of food, although the pita bread that came with was pretty dry. My friend got the lamb sliders which also looked pretty good!

    Lamb Shawarma
    Celina G.

    Cafe Fili graciously hosted our team for dinner. We sat at their largest table past the bar and next to the wall of wine. Throughout the meal, they took care of us very well with drinks and water! We shared a bunch of different appetizer dishes and then ordered from the mains, bowls, and salads. I had the Lamb Shawarma and there was plenty to take home for another meal. As a team, we rarely go out and eat together. Weekday dinner was not too loud and busy inside the restaurant, so it was perfect for us to talk and hear each other. There's a lot of choices for Mediterranean cuisine in DC and this one feels a step above the much of the fast casual out there.

    Chicken Bowl
    Gracie D.

    Such great service! We got seated at 5p and was done by 5:50. Right by Union Station so super convenient while waiting for our train. The food is so good - great flavor! We got the Chicken Shawarma & Lamb Kofta, and hummus trio with a side of spicy lamb. The cocktails were different but still very enjoyable. Love it and can't wait to come back!

    Maria L.

    This is a favorite restaurant of mine. I loved when it was on Wisconsin Ave known as Cafe Olé! Loved the personable staff and the food was incredible! Here-- the food is wonderful too! Tried the hummus with lamb- yum, but I wish it would come out warm on top on the hummus. We loved the grilled pita chips that come with it! Mom had the chicken kabob platter-- good, however mentioned the chicken was a bit dry. I had the Lebanese Celebration which was amazing! I brought home leftovers because the dish is pretty large. Would definitely come back :) I'd love to try another dish or two and dessert!

    Falafel bowl
    Tanvi G.

    Cafe Fili was a really nice spot with an elegant, modern interior. The food was aesthetically presented and very flavorful. We tried the hummus trio which came with harissa, beet, and classic hummus. The crispy chickpeas in it and seasoned pita elevated the flavors to new heights. The falafel bowl was plentiful with a mix of 4 balls drizzled with tahini, harissa hummus, fattoush, couscous and grilled cauliflower. Service was prompt and servers were very nice. Had a great experience here and will be back!

    Interior far corner
    Rachel H.

    Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing here? While the service was attentive, I can't shake that I would not want to order here again. I hosted a work lunch here and the space was perfect for that. Super empty around 11:30 on a Monday. We had our pick of the two-person tables. No one entered in the hour we were there. I appreciated not having to talk over the din of other diners. I ordered the gazpacho, unsweetened iced tea, and Fatoosh. The gazpacho was too acidic for my tastes and the Fatoosh lacked any of the bright taste I usually associate with the minty dish. Just disappointing on the whole. Given how perfect this was to host my work lunch, I will probably host another one here, but I will absolutely be ordering something different.

    Interior/entrance (and my finger)

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

    We absolutely love Cafe Fili. Chris is such a fabulous bartender - the drinks are always on point. And the lamb shawarma is amazing

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    6 years ago

    Great Mediterean foods . So tasty and authentic . Love the Shawarma bowl so delicious

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    4 years ago

    Amazing latte and I travel around for the best, the sweet server who handed me my drink, I thank him!!

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    4 years ago

    Chris is amazing. Love the drinks but Chris will make you something special. Enjoy DC!!

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    5 years ago

    I had a bad customer service experience, wrote to the owner, and we resolved the issue. Mistakes happen, but I'll give them another chance.

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    6 years ago

    Ambiance is great, staff is amazing, and the food tops it's all. 100% recommend this place.

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

    I spent $20 on a platter and they gave me 4 balls of meat. Way overpriced for what you get.

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    Page 4 of 4

    Ask the Community - Cafe Fili

    Happy hour days & times?

    Every Day 4-6pm. $2 off all drinks and food specials

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    Agora DC - Cauliflower**

    Agora DC

    4.0(1.8k reviews)
    2.0 miDupont Circle
    $$$

    A complete vibe! I…read morecame here with a coworker of mine the day before 4th of July for lunch and drinks, and I left full and happy. There is a parking garage around the corner of the restaurant so that makes things very convenient. The inside decor is gorgeous and is chic but also funky fresh. I got grilled octopus over a bed of bean salad that had pieces of pomegranate in it - 10/10. The savory taste of the octopus paired against the sweetness of the salad was really delicious. For desert I got the baklava option that comes with ice cream - INCREDIBLE. You have to order it if you come here.

    Went there twice to taste different kinds of Turkish dishes. One time for dinner and the other for…read morelunch. Overall the food was good. The serving size of the dishes I ordered were medium to small. The service was far less satisfactory than food. I tried the following dishes: 1. Complimentary pita: ~40g per piece. Not salty and paired well with the other dishes. Definitely get some! 2. Lahmacun: The lamb+beef mixture was tasty. It came with 4 pieces. 3. Branzino: ~6oz. The fish was grilled to perfection; juciy tender, and the skin was nicely charred. It was served with freh parsley and seasoned grilled tomato (salt+oregano I think). 4. Imam Bayildi: Half of an eggplant topped with sauteed onions and tomatoes. While itself was pretty normal, it went so well with the Ottoman rice. 5. Ottoman Rice: The true highlight of all the dishes I tried! It was basically Basimati rice cooked with dried apricots, raisins, almonds & pine nuts mix, and seasoned with black currant. Overall it was warm, earthy and lightly smoky. The apricot slices added some delightful sweetness and juiciness to the dish. Should pair well with Labneh, chicken and seafood. But to be honest, I can simply eat this stuff along for a whole meal! 6. Tabbouleh: They went against the traditional recipe by substituting the bulgur with quinoa and added some pomegranate arils. I liked the special texture of quinoa. The sweetness of pomegrante arils also enriched the flavors. However, I had to constantly spit the seeds when enjoying the salad. 7. Kofte: Adana style ground beef patties. Just like what I make at home haha! I ordered it as an add-on to my salad at lunchtime. It came with only 2 pieces which weighed no more than 3oz in total... Despite the delicious food, service was disappointing. The first time, the dinner, was Okay. While my food came out slowly, at least my server was aware of it and asked me how I liked the dishes. The second time, the lunch, was horrible. Even before I was seated, my server made me feel that he was reluctant to serve me, and emphasized that I had to order asap. "Luckily", I had already decided what to order. After I got my dishes, no one in the restaurant asked me if the food was Okay. And at the check, my bill was thrown onto my table. In comparison, the two ladies dining next to me came even after I started eating, but were greeted warmly and were given lots of time to decide what to order; not to mention that the staff gave them lots of suggestions, asked about their dining experience, and even chatted with them about sightseeing in DC, etc. Such discrimitory treatment is really unacceptable.

    Photos
    Agora DC - A quiet dining room. The main dining room was much more noisy.

    A quiet dining room. The main dining room was much more noisy.

    Agora DC - Weekend Bottomless Brunch

    Weekend Bottomless Brunch

    Agora DC - Mocktail çiçek

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    Mocktail çiçek

    Barbouzard - Onion Soup Gratinée

    Barbouzard

    4.4(73 reviews)
    2.0 miDowntown

    I treated my friend to brunch after seeing all the hype on TikTok, Yelp, and Instagram, and it…read moreabsolutely lived up to it! This was easily one of the most entertaining brunches I've experienced in the DMV, while still maintaining an upscale vibe. From the singer taking special requests during brunch to the live entertainment afterward, drummers, dancers, and a saxophonist turning things into a full brunch party...we were thoroughly entertained from start to finish. What really stood out, though, was that the food matched the energy. At some places, you get great entertainment but mediocre food - not here. Everything was beautifully presented, served at the perfect temperature, and genuinely delicious. My friend was so impressed with her birthday celebration that she thanked me for days afterward. The service was impeccable, the space is stunning with plenty of Instagram-worthy moments, and despite how busy it was, it somehow still felt warm and welcoming. If you're in the mood to get dressed up, enjoy an upscale brunch, celebrate a special occasion, or impress someone on a date, this is definitely the place. I'm already looking forward to my next brunch party here!

    Gorgeous restaurant! I felt very underdressed but I loved the vibrant atmosphere…read more STARTER: Prosciutto - very large portion, had plenty to take home, thinly sliced and addictive ENTREE: Hanger Steak Au Poivre $56 10 oz black angus hanger steak, pomme frites & green beans, green peppercorn sauce *I really enjoyed the steak but I didn't finish it because I polished off 2 trays of bread by myself...andddd I don't regret it. COCKTAILS: Smoked Old Fashioned $18 BB Bourbon, BB House Bitters, Syrup, Smoke *I loved the smokiness of the drink and it went great with the bread because I had no self control... Our service was consistent throughout dinner and they packed up all of our leftovers very nicely and set them aside on the counter while we chatted and they didn't rush us with the bill like a lot of establishments do. **Would you believe it that the server packed me a to go box of bread? I am dead. I could not stop laughing when I saw that. I will definitely be back! ;)

    Photos
    Barbouzard - Bread

    Bread

    Barbouzard - Katama Bay Oysters

    Katama Bay Oysters

    Barbouzard - Bread service

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    Bread service

    ala - GOLDEN CAULIFLOWER

    ala

    4.2(1.2k reviews)
    2.3 miDupont Circle, Downtown
    $$$

    Small plates middle eastern-fusion restaurant with a cool vibe and great food…read more Table, booth, and bar seating I came here with my fiancé and we split small plates of hummus, falafel, brussel sprouts, and a chicken skewer. The hummus and Brussel sprouts were the best, and the chicken was solid as well, but we didn't love the falafel. Solid selection of drinks. My fiance got a passionfruit cocktail but thought that it was too sweet for her taste On inKind!

    We were only able to secure outdoor seating, and unfortunately the ambiance outside is not great…read more The patio was wet even though it wasn't raining that day of the day before. There is nothing pretty or appealing about seating outside. The buffet is inside the restaurant which also makes it a bit of an inconvenience. The restaurant inside is on the smaller side and feels a bit crowded near the buffet area. They had a lot of food selections which was great, however, we were disappointed that the taste of the food did not match the great presentation of each dish. Overall the dishes were bland, lacked flavor, and were too oily. Even the mashed potatoes were bland and not tasty. Nice selection of desserts too, but again, nothing exciting, juts a typical dessert buffet selection (brownies, cupcakes, chocolate fountain..). The standout were the baklavas. The highlight of our outing was the service. Everyone was very attentive and nice.

    Photos
    ala
    ala - Adana Kebab

    Adana Kebab

    ala

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    Namak - Spreads

    Namak

    4.4(88 reviews)
    2.7 miAdams Morgan

    July 2026: I recently went back to Namak to try their new Sunday brunch with a couple of friends…read moreand enjoyed it immensely. We were seated immediately and had outstanding service from start to finish. We all shared the pikilia (sampler of all five spreads), all of which were delicious with special kudos for the labne and the muhamarra. I got the Adana for my main dish, which was outstanding. The lamb was perfectly cooked and seasoned, the sumac onions provided delicious crunch and flavor, the rice was well-done, and the lavash was the perfect accompaniment for the lamb. I also got the Turkish coffee which was solid, and split the coffee cake with a friend. While the coffee cake was fine, it tasted more like a honey or spice cake instead of a coffee cake. I look forward to my next visit to Namak! July 2024: A great addition to the Adams Morgan dining scene! My friend and I recently went here for a weekend dinner and were seated immediately at our reservation time. It was extremely busy when we initially arrived; however, after an initial service snafu (which our server apologized for), we received outstanding service with our dishes coming out in a timely manner. Namak's ambiance is lovely, with blue-and-white tiling, lots of natural light, wood tables, and Greek, Turkish, and Persian decorations. Namak automatically includes a 20 percent service charge and clearly indicates this charge on their menu and receipt, which I appreciated. Namak also has plenty of vegetarian options. My friend and I split the four dishes listed below: Kuru Patlican Dolmasi: An OK dish with well-cooked rice but there was too much salt and there was minimal flavor other than the sauce (there needed to be more sauce). Ahtapot: A phenomenal dish, Michelin-star caliber in presentation and execution, and one of my five favorite dishes I have had at a restaurant this year. The octopus was prepared and grilled perfectly-the best octopus I have ever had. The carrot puree was aesthetically stunning and provided excellent sweetness and freshness, with the pickled onions adding acidity and crunch. The greens on top added further brightness and flavor to the dish. Finally, the blue tilework on the plate below capped off a beautiful array of colors for the dish. It is worth coming to Namak just for the Ahtapot-it was that good. Ispanakli Pide-Another delicious plate, with the pide excellently baked, the right amount of fresh spinach and dill, and the perfect amount of feta to complement the other ingredients. Roasted Cauliflower-While the cauliflower was perfectly cooked, it needed a bit less salt and far more tahini, za'atar, and pomegranate seeds. I would have paid $2-3 more for the dish to make it outstanding if there had been substantial tahini and pomegranate seeds at the bottom. My friend and I split the Anatolian cheesecake for dessert. While the sour cherry compote was delicious, I was disappointed that I couldn't taste the Turkish yogurt and Greek feta. I look forward to my next visit to Namak!

    It's my fault for trying restaurants that serve food that isn't spicy and full of flavor. The…read moreingredients are fresh and the service is FANTASTIC. The food is so forgettable. The pita bread was the best thing in the meal. I think we got the muhammara spread. I can't remember. The zucchini fritters were dry, the spinach was cold, and the trout was bland. However, the decor is beautiful! The bar is very romantic! My favorite cuisines are West African, East African, Caribbean, Indian, and Thai, so take my review worth a grain of salt if you don't care for those cuisines.

    Photos
    Namak - Bar area

    Bar area

    Namak - Branzino and Duck Confit in the distance

    Branzino and Duck Confit in the distance

    Namak - Lamb shank

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    Lamb shank

    Urfa Tomato Kabob

    Urfa Tomato Kabob

    3.7(9 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    Some days Urfa is a 3, some days a 4, some days a 5, very inconsistent…read more I really want this place to be 5 stars but they don't make it easy. I typical get the falafel platter with rice, veggies and salad and it's delicious! The falafel are quite good (yes deep fried-some days a little too much but so good). The meal itself with veggies, rice, salad and dressing is a really good meal. And I always get hummus on the side. Their hummus-as a middle easterner I find it weird they have hummus and a hummus dip on the menu. Keep it traditional with the hummus - one of them is super soupy like which is disappointing and when I order I can never remember which one I like. Hummus shouldn't be thin it's not tahini (although made with tahini) :) Also what I dislike is that I always ask for no bread or no sauce and they always give me 3-6 pieces of huge bread when I specify no bread and it just goes to waste EVERY time. I hate wasting food and I can't eat gluten so it's just frustrating-I wish they would read the notes when people order or listen better. I still order from here knowing that my meal will be either mediocre or great, it's a chance I take sometimes when I crave their falafel platter.

    In these times I am doing everything I can to support small business, especially restaurants, so I…read morewas hesitant to even write this review, but decide to based on the food and the subsequent treatment of my request. I ordered a gyro and eggplant salad. I requested the pita for the gyro be separate so it didn't get soggy. That was not done. It's not the biggest deal but it would be nice if customer requests were honored. The bigger issue was the eggplant salad, which was rancid. I literally had to spit out what I had eaten and then throw out the container. When I asked for a refund (just of the eggplant salad) I was told that was not possible, which I do not understand since the food was spoiled and could have made me sick :( Very disappointing experience all around.

    Photos
    Urfa Tomato Kabob
    Urfa Tomato Kabob - Hummus falafel salmon

    Hummus falafel salmon

    Urfa Tomato Kabob

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    Cafe Fili - mediterranean - Updated August 2026

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