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    Sababa

    4.2 (378 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated a few days ago

    Sababa Reservations

    Order Sababa Takeout or Delivery

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    SABABA ATMOSPHERE

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    Casual
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    Romantic

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    Recommended Reviews - Sababa

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    Grilled Broccoli
    Cassie M.

    Everything was fresh, delicious, & flavorful!! The fried cauliflower was such an interesting combination with the golden raisins, & tahini. The braised lamb shank was cooked to perfection, & fell right off the bone. The Israeli couscous was also cooked perfectly, & the flavors danced in your mouth. I'd never had Mahalabia before but it was like a gourmet chocolate pudding. Very tasty! The service was quick, they did a great job keeping up with water refills, which as someone who is always thirsty at dinner, I appreciate it. The restaurant was very lively, and had good vibes! Pricey but worth a stop at least once!

    Charred Eggplant.... this was delicious
    Greta S.

    We went to dinner at 630 on a Wednesday. The place was filling up. It was bustling but you could still have an easy conversation. Our group consisted of me, my husband and my brother-in-law. We began with cocktails... I had the Smoked Fig Manhattan and richard had the Cradle of Civilization ". Mine was served with a lid on... which they removed... and the smoke inside was let loose (lol). Nice presentation. For starters, we ordered the Salatim. A great way to taste 5 different dips with the pita bread served. We also tasted the hummus of the day, which was served with arugula pesto. Quite nice combo. Then we ordered Israeli salad, charred eggplant and sweet potato falafel. My favorites were the eggplant and sweet potato falafel!!! Tom has the butterscotch dessert... it was too sweet for me... not like a butterscotch pudding... more a whipped texture. Coletta, maître d', came by several times throughout our meal checking on us. It was a wonderful night!

    Honeynut Squash Falafel
    Nams S.

    Salatim, Roasted Halloumi, and the seasonal falafel remain favorites. So does the charred eggplant. The use of labne as the base in the falafel and eggplant adds to the dish without overwhelming it with dairy. The latkes on the Hanukkah menu are the thicker in the middle variety but texture was perfect. Please bring the Chocolate Tahini Caramel Tart back on the dessert menu. Glad to have Simone as the server again, he knows his art.

    Maxine J.

    EVERYTHING was AMAZING. From making my reservation with Michael to the PERFECT service provided by Youseff and his team. The restaurant is stunning, so much class and ambience packed in such a quaint environment. There was not one single complaint from our group of 14 (celebrating our Matriarch's 76th birthday). The food was delicious, presentation impressive, and portions hearty. The drinks (Fig Manhattan, Zhug Margarita, Prosecco, Pomegranate Fizz, etc.) were noteworthy. We sampled just about everything and, as impossible as this is to believe, we would absolutely eat everything again and again. As I'm writing this ... I want some more hummus, lamb shank and lamb kabab, and another pomegranate fizz, and glass of Chardonnay (Le Petite Silex Sancerre). However, next time I will NOT be buying bottles of the Chardonnay ... spent almost $200 on just that! *Sigh* BTW: That's not a complaint ... just a lesson learned. Please put Sababa/The Little Blackbird (sister restaurant) on your bucket list and try EVERYTHING ... the Israeli salad, fried cauliflower, all the meats I mentioned above, Brussel sprouts, chopped chicken liver, falafel, etc, etc. Yeah, we were absolute gluttons but remember, we listen and we don't judge. Definitely want to return to eat upstairs and/or on the deck. Hoping you make it there as well. When you do, tell them you saw it in Yelp.

    Maria-Elena T.

    A friend ordered out the Brussels sprouts! They were incredible!! So much flavor and the sauce and dried cranberries really added to it. The pita had a lot of flavor but needed to be warmed up. Now I want to go there and try more things!!!

    TG Salatim
    Maggie M.

    I'm always on the lookout for great middle eastern food and this place did not disappoint! The decor is very chic but casual. We got the salatim- every dip was delicious, but especially the Brussel sprout baba ganoush. We also got the beef kofta kebabs and the lamb shank - the lamb fell right off the bone, it was so good! And the service was very fast. I definitely plan on coming back here.

    Rooftop
    Tonia K.

    Came in for a business lunch (private area reserved) and it was lovely. The restaurant team tending to our group was efficient and polite, explaining dishes (and pronunciation, lol). We had a set menu to accommodate vegans/vegetarians and other dietary restrictions. There was good variety and everyone seemed to enjoy. Lovely dining room and rooftop set the ambiance. Sorry for the photos in low lighting- not my finest visual work, I know. Lol. Hope this still helps!

    Whiskey cocktail - varies day to day, happy hour
    Victoria M.

    I have been to this restaurant once before and had such a delicious meal and a wonderful time. I decided to pop in prior to zoo lights. I hadn't been for about a year or two, so decided to see how things compared to my last visit. I sat at the bar and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a happy hour. I ended up getting a whiskey cocktail, the happy hour spicy/chili, broccoli, and the salmon kebab. Everything was delicious, but my absolute favorite was the broccoli. The cool hummus below it mixed with the spicy flavors and the chili just absolutely blew me away. The whiskey cocktail as well was just perfectly made. And while the salmon was cooked well, I can't say that I truly enjoyed it. The sauce on it just really didn't do it for me. It was somewhat sweet and I just really didn't enjoy it. I was sad to see that the prior white fish that they used to have wasn't there anymore. Maybe next time I visit I will see it on the menu! The bartender was frequently checking up on me, and the service was spectacular by the other members of the service team. Despite the restaurant being semi full, I constantly felt like I was being checked on. I never had an empty glass, and I never had an empty plate in front of me. Sufficed to say, this place is still providing amazing food and great service. Overall, I had a wonderful time. I really love walking into this restaurant. It has a very cool and cozy vibe. I wouldn't say it's too dimly lit, but it provides a somewhat darker lighting. That really allows you to relax and enjoy your company and your food/drinks. I will definitely be returning and highly recommend this restaurant.

    Baklava
    Elizabeth M.

    we had a lovely double date and the desserts are probably the best I ever had in DC for me. However we felt like the plate portion sizing could have been more clear. The beef kofta was delicious, well-seasoned and flavorful but we didn't feel like it was shareable sizing for a table of 4, and the staff didn't really say what's the recommended number of plates for a party of 4. The pomegranate mocktail was amazing. Overall we would return!

    Amy B.

    Sababa is a classy restaurant that is a little dark inside, so it'd be perfect for a special occasion, birthday dinner, or date. It's probably the nicest Israeli restaurant in the DMV, and even so, the prices are still reasonable. Sababa offers a menu with plenty of vegetarian options and will not leave anyone disappointed. Everything was delicious and fresh. Of course, the hummus and pita were fantastic. Service was very good. I'll be back!

    Eggplant
    Michelle L.

    Wonderful service, delicious food and a pretty restaurant. We ordered four small plates and one large for a group of three and it was plenty. Everything had wonderful flavors.

    salmon benedict
    Sonya H.

    A delightful Mediterranean spot up in Cleveland Park, serving up incredibly flavorful dishes for brunch and dinner! I came to Sababa for a Sunday brunch with an old college friend. We arrived right when they opened at 11 AM and they were already quite packed, so I would definitely recommend making a reservation unless you want a 30+ min wait. However, even with how busy they were, the staff was incredibly friendly and the service was efficient and attentive. Our server kindly walked us through the menu and recommended we order a couple of things to split, in true Mediterranean tapas fashion. My friend and I were, tragically, not super hungry so we went against our server's advice and each got an eggs benedict on latkes; mine came with smoked salmon, and hers with lamb. The benedicts were enormous, probably 2-3x the size of a normal benedict on an English muffin. And it was delicious -- the latke was nice and crispy, and was a good, hearty base for the smoked salmon and perfectly poached egg. The egg yolk and hollandaise mixed into the most delightful rich, creamy sauce, and they topped the whole thing with capers, fresh dill, and pickled red onions to help cut through the heaviness of it all. As delicious as it was, I definitely started to feel a bit of flavor fatigue after about half of the dish; the latke was a bit too heavy to make it your entire meal, but that's also why the server recommended we try a bunch of different things to share (so it was really our fault for disregarding his words). I'll have to come back with a larger group (or just hungrier) to try a bunch of different dishes! I'd also love to come back for dinner -- the dinner menu seems absolutely incredible, and I've heard nothing but amazing things about their hummus. tl;dr -- great food, great vibes, and great service. And listen to your server when they tell you the best way to order...they really do know what they're talking about.

    Lamb benedict
    Lauren F.

    I've been to Sababa twice now: once for dinner a while back and once for brunch. The dinner was a great experience. We got the spread/salad sampler, which was delicious and served with fluffy pitas, as well as two kebabs. The salmon I particular was great. It was enough to have leftovers the next day even with 2 people. The only underwhelming part was the dessert, but overall I thought it was great. Unfortunately, but probably not unsurprisingly given how different brunches can be, that wasn't true for my last visit. The service was just as excellent as the first time, but the lamb was under-seasoned and even the harissa seemed bland. I liked the Hollandaise sauce, but as a whole the lamb benedict dish just didn't taste very good, and that really should have been a home run of a flavor combo. I would recommend them as a dinner spot, but I think the brunch menu just probably doesn't get the same love. 2 for brunch, 4 for dinner, so 3.5 if I could rate it that overall for good service but two very different food experiences!

    Pita bread

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Excellent food. Delightful and helpful service. Very nice space, with great sound absorbing features.

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    3 years ago

    Great food and phenomenal service are both present at Sababa. Definitely order the Salatim starter.

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    3 years ago

    It's a really nice place, great food, great service, must try chicken liver! Wasn't too busy, probably because of Covid situation back then.

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    2 years ago

    The food is amazing, as well as, the ambiance and staff. They meet their customers' needs and the food was delicious.

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    2 years ago

    Love it here! The mezze is so good. We go whenever we're in Cleveland Park. Cute bar area too.

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    Sababa Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Sababa

    I believe all meats will be kosher here?

    This restaurant is not kosher. But, it's very good and has plenty of fish and vegetable choices.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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