Amazing experience! The food was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing, and the ambiance was warm and inviting. Definitely a spot I'll be coming back to and recommending to others read more

I have eaten here many times, It is a go to for many people doing food pick ups. There are also sweet treats in the display case. I usually order the beef lamb kebobs which comes with rice and salad and a grilled roma tomato. It's a great meal for about 18.00 plus tax. They often offer you a cup of tea for no charge just to be a good host. They do not serve alcohol just pop. I have heard them offer a table some more salad if they run out. Come here for some great food on a friendly atmosphere. read more

So, I have driven by this place so often and never knew that they did food. The sign says Lotus Gallery and there is a tiny sign in the window that says Lotus Cafe. Going in, it is so warm and welcoming. I love the rugs, the books, and the jars of tea in the window. What is even more warm is the people who own it. They made us feel like they knew us forever and we were coming as family. Behnam, showed us around. I was so impressed with the library, and the carpets. They also had board games, which I might try next time. Small menu. However, I rather it be small and good, than extensive and poorly done. Not much for vegatarian options. I was disappointed that there wasn't any lamb shanks available. So I made do with the Gheimeh - Boneless spring lamb chops and yellow split peas stewed in tomato and dried lime broth. Served with basmati saffron rice. My husband ordered the Koobideh Kabab - Two skewers of grilled ground lamb & beef served with a grilled tomato & Basmati Saffron rice. We also ordered the Borge tea - starflower. Which sounded appealing. I loved that each tea listed the health benefits. They really care about what they do. Food took awhile, so don't come here if you are in a rush. When the food came out it was well worth the wait. For the price, it was great value for the money. The rice was fragrent, and we could have more if we wanted. My lamb stew was flavourful. It paired well with the yellow split peas. I liked the acidity from the dried limes. My husband's kebab was large and flavourful. He is a meat and carb guy, so he was pretty pleased with his generous portion. I loved the grilled tomatoes and onions flavoured with sumac and ate them both. The tea was lovely and came with saffron sugar. A beautiful touch. The owner kept asking me if we needed anything and how we liked our food. He was pretty proud of his place, and so he should. What a beautiful place to feel like family even if you are not Persian. I will be back and hopefully they will have the lamb shank...if not I am sure everything else on the menu will be just as good. read more

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It was a very interesting experience. My friend from Calgary told me that there is a special event for Persian New Year, Nowruz, at this place. So we decided to go. It was my first time. As soon as I stepped in, I was surrounded by warmth and welcoming attitude of the staff and even customers. Behnam, was extremely kind and polite and I know that everyone tried their best to make sure we had a good experience. The food was really good and we could enjoy "Sabzy polo mahi" for our new year! I found the place clean with a very nice and friendly atmosphere. I will definitely go back there and I recommend this place to people who want to experience something new and different. read more

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Family run restaurant; very friendly. We had the Koobideh and it was perfect. Cooked nicely on the outside and juicy on the inside. The rice was perfect. We also had the Shirazi salad. This was different than the usual because they had used Balsamic which gave it a slight tangy taste. It was good but I prefer it more traditional, sans Balsamic. Overall , it was a great dinner and the atmosphere was very family friendly. We will be going back and would recommend it to friends. read more

I have to blame Mark Wiens, a food vlogger who just recently posted about Iranian food series on YouTube. After searching for Persian foods on the internet, we decided to try Lotus Cafe. Yes it's a bit far from where we live but it's a weekend anyway. I enjoyed many different ethnic dishes. Particularly, if there is a lamb dish, I will be picking that menu at anytime over chicken. As we entered the place, we were wowed by the look. It feels a time travelling to Iran with all the decoration inside. A lady greeted us and we chose to sit by the window for pictures' purpose . We picked surely 2 lamb dishes (lamb shanks and lamb stew), Olovie Salad and Marjoram Tea. When Olovie Salad and warm Persian bread came, I was a bit skeptic as I'm not a big fan of potato salad. But this salad is a bit different than the regular one and the warm bread was making it so comfy Lamb shank fell of the bone and the broth was so flavourful and earthy. Gheimeh (lamb stew) was good too. There are plenty books to read if you are able to read in Persian. Other wise game boards would company you to have some delicious teas. Great service and hospitality by the owner, Benham. We'll be back next time. Thank you for the Persian tea tasting! read more

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Love this place. Place is great the decor out of Iran. The owner very gracious. Food made to order and fresh. The teas Beautiful. So many great flavors. Like I mentioned be prepared to wait a bit for your food, but it's worth it. Really enjoy my time there. read more

Lotus Cafe - Borage tea with saffron sweetner cubes - Middle Eastern Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

My favourite Persian resto of all time! I'm a very fuzzy foodie! Lotus Cafe's lamb shank is definitely a 10/10!!! read more

Lotus Cafe - Lamb Shank & Salad! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

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Walked in on a Saturday morning for a quick bite, the place was empty, and I think they just opened. Really friendly owner seated me at a table, put on some music and brought over a small, but delightful menu. Sitting inside you feel like you are in their living room, bookcases, China cabinets, table cloths, it really is a different dining experience. I ordered the Ghormeh Sabzi, a spinach beef stew with rice, it was delicious. They also brought me a tea which I was not expecting that was also really good. Super friendly, delicious food, art gallery below.....go here. read more

This restaurant is excellent and one of my favourite places to eat in Edmonton! Behnam, the owner and manager, is extremely friendly and attentive whenever we are dining at Lotus. He is always bringing extra bread, condiments, more tea and whatever else you need at the drop of a hat. The restaurant is located in a restored historical home, and is charmingly decorated with all types of Persian art. There is also a Persian library, and a modern art gallery downstairs. The food at Lotus is excellent and has great value! I have tried the Fesenjan (pomegranate and walnut chicken), Zereshk Polo (chicken thigh), Dizi (mutton and chickpea stew), and Gheimeh (yellow lentil stew). Definitely the Fesenjan is a favourite that I come back for every time. All together, you feel like you are welcomed into a family's home and we always enjoy a lengthy and relaxed brunch here on weekends. Thanks Behnam for running such an excellent restaurant! read more

We ventured into the Lotus Cafe' Bistro this past Friday as we begin our Friday night culinary adventures :-) With my companion, we pass this spot every Saturday/Sunday on our early morning "urban walk/run"...and we finally made it! I have to say, at first entrance it reminded me of a spot in Sacramento, CA which was a local theatre... a little house with eclectic pieces of furniture. Here, the tables are large, family style tables, so if your goal is to be have a "romantic" dinner this may not be the place since it is more of a "community" atmosphere. This said, it is an easy place with a very friendly family running it. To this point, the food IS homemade, truly :-) There are few vegetarian options which may deter some folks, however, most of the appetizers are vegetarian and very generous portions :-) The food prepared is very flavourful and again, homemade, homemade :-D A spot to drop in to if your stomach is growling and you need comfort food, ethnic style ;-) read more

Didn't enjoy the food; only way I knew it was chicken was by the way it looked, certainly not the way it tasted, sauce was rather gritty. Rice was good. Coffee was very good. Restaurant itself was not very clean, visible dirt on floor, table, chairs. read more

Thais is one of the places that I will definitely go back again. Friendly people, fantastic food, amazing culture. Fesnejan with rice and Saffron home made ice cream!!! Wowwww. I already have my next meal in my mind for my next visit to lotus Cafe :)))))))))))) read more

Ladies beware! I recently went to Lotus Cafe with my 20 year old daughter for lunch.The manager Danial was very attentive and kept talking to my daughter regarding his photography. The food was tasty, but the manager insisted my daughter take his Instagram account. After we left my daughter informed me he showed her pictures of his photography on his phone. The pictures were of half naked women, some posing around a stripper pole. read more