We made a reservation for dinner to check out this spot. Great food options. Did the pre fix menu. Flavors were amazing. Hummus is a MUST! 10/10! Tried the angus kabob, and scallops! Both were amazing and flavorful! Our server was great as well. Really great recommendations. The hostess seemed disheveled. We had a reservation but she said she couldnt find it. Then she said she found it but still needed me to show her confirmation. Ambiance was great! Noise level was medium. They do have a rooftop situation when the weather is nicer. read more

Sifr - Angus kabob - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We got the tasting menu and shared the variety with the whole group so we got to try a bunch of stuff. Sifr does lamb very very well. Of all the dishes we tried, the lamb item always stood out amongst all the courses. Both the lamb shank and kebab are super delicious. The chicken and fish while good paled in comparison to the lamb. Also love that all the meat is halal. Food from this part of the world is meant to be eaten with rice so I don't love that you have to order it separately from the meat. I wish it came with the meat dish it is supposed to paired with. read more

My boyfriend and I came here for their restaurant week dinner to celebrate Valentine's Day early and we had a lovely time. We were seated on the heated rooftop which was a bit cold but the vibes were romantic and perfect for a date night. We really enjoyed the food and had a delightful meal. The standouts for us were the first course with the pillowy bread with the hummus+ dip, which was incredible. Best believe I made sure every bit of that dip was eaten and soaked up. Then we also loved their toffee dessert (we wanted to order different things to try everything/as many things as possible but the kind waiter did warn us that we should get two of the toffee desserts but unfortunately we did not heed him. The mango sorbet was a skip). Otherwise, the rest of the food was good but not amazing and we both concluded that while we had a lovely dinner, we only needed to come back for the above things. Especially at such an expensive price point, I expect food to be closer to amazing, but still! A good meal that we really enjoyed. read more

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I loved Sifr! I went with a few other people and we shared multiple items including the falafel, halloumi, maitake, and harissa. The maitake blew me away! It was such an interesting flavor profile and I've never tasted mushroom cooked that way before! I would love to go again read more

Came here with two friends for Restaurant Week, and we were very excited to check it out! To drink, I started off with the Arba's cocktail (#4) which had Vodka, Suze, Lillet Blanc, Palo Santo, Butterfly Pea Flower, and Tonic. This was delish!! Afterwards I had a glass of white wine that was perfectly chilled We all started our meal with the pita and hummus- this was no ordinary pita and hummus though. I looved the sesame seeds on the puffed up pita, and the hummus itself was so delicious.. we essentially licked the plate clean! For the next course we had the Chicken Kebob and the Lamb Adana Kebob. I wish I had more of these because I loved them both! For my main, I ordered the Branzino and a side of potatoes. Both of these were great as well. For dessert we all had the date pudding which tied the meal together nicely. Overall I loved coming here for restaurant week! Great excuse to try multiple things on the menu, we will be back! read more

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All the food was very good! I highly recommend the roasted butternut squash and couscous. Very nice complex flavors. The service was alright. We asked our server to pick between a couple of the dishes and he recommended some great dishes. We sat upstairs which we thought would be cold but the space was fully enclosed and warm. I would go again for sure! read more

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Went for restaurant week and we had a good time. Our waiter was kind and made good suggestions. The seating area is homey. The food was not was I expected and it makes more sense when you realize it's a fusion- ME and Indian. The spicy potatoes, while not traditional were the best side we got. The lamb had a bad aftertaste. The chicken was delicious, very tender but I wish there was more than two pieces. The fish was good but needed more than just chives on top, maybe Kalamata olives. The mushroom is a great vegan option. read more

Sifr - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Sifr was such a great find during Chicago Restaurant Week. The four-course tasting menu is an awesome deal and everything we tried hit the spot. The pita and hummus were delicious, the chicken and lamb kebabs were flavorful and cooked perfectly. The chicken was my absolute favorite - crispy on the outside and juicy and tender inside with an amazing garlic sauce on top. Both the duck and branzino really impressed me with the persian rice being a surprising stand out. But the real star of the night was the date cake--absolutely phenomenal and the perfect way to end the meal. Definitely a place I'd go back to. read more

Sifr - Chicago Restaurant Week 2026, Branzino - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was looking for a rooftop that could deliver great drinks and small plates, and a friend had recommended Sifr. We went on a Sunday, and it did not disappoint. The plating was beautiful, the drinks were phenomenal, and the food was exactly at the level of execution we hoped for. The service was good too! The chicken shawarma hummus was my absolute favorite, and the muhammarra was very fresh. I could eat the house-made pita all day. Seriously, please bury me in this pita. I can't wait to return for a full dinner, and you should definitely check it out too. read more

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Highlights 1) Great Food 2) Easy to Make a Reservation 3) Rooftop Dining Dined at aside for the first time tonight and it was great! We made a reservation about 2 days in advance online and I am glad we had one as the restaurant did get busy pretty fast. We did the Fall tasting menu (4 courses for $60 per person). All four courses were flavorful and great! Gluten-Friendly menu items are clearly marked. I did the hummus, chicken skewers, cauliflower and mango sorbet. Not a single dish disappointed! Rooftop/patio dining was a great experience on a warm day. Highly recommend! read more

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Amazing food. The table started with the chicken shawarma hummus and the traditional classic hummus which both were excellent along with the pita bread - you get 2 pieces per hummus but they are big. For our entrees we had the chicken kebab and lamb kebab. The chicken was moist and very tasty. My husband was slightly disappointed with the lamb kebab only because he thought he was going to get lamb pieces rather than ground lamb. The table ordered a side of rice and a side of potatoes to share. The rice was excellent and the potatoes were OK (some of the potatoes were hard so I wouldn't order them again). I would definitely recommend trying this place if you haven't yet. read more

Sifr - Beef short Rib Hummus, Chicken Hummus and pita bread - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overall -- I think Sifr was good, but not great (a solid 3.5 stars). I did enjoy their rooftop and the downstairs dining room is cute. Our waiter was friendly and made recommendations which weren't the most expensive items on the menu which I always appreciate. But he did suggest we get one more item and it was way too much food, but having leftovers is nice! The food was flavorful (especially the cauliflower), but I think there was something missing. Maybe the food needed to be warmer? My favorite dish was the mezze platter and U thought the lamb and chicken were both good, and I liked trying a little bite of multiple things. I'm not sure I would necessarily come back but I think it was good to try! read more

Sifr - Branzino, Batata Harra, Hearth Roasted Cauliflower - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Awesome rooftop and ambiance. Fairly well priced, friendly servers. I'd recommend their happy hour.

Went here for my dad's 60th birthday 2 years ago, it was a very memorable meal! They gave us complimentary champagne and a mocktail to celebrate, which was very generous. The mocktail was SO good too actually, it was reminiscent of a strawberry daiquiri. And the food was SO flavorful. We ordered a chicken kebab, a prawn kebab, Tunisian eggplant dip + pita, roasted cauliflower and lamb with rice. My favorite dishes were the kebabs and the eggplant dip. Low key I think the food was better than Aba...........(Aba still wins for atmosphere though) read more

I came to SIFR for a Time Left dinner--sat down with five complete strangers and left calling them friends. The whole evening was unforgettable, and SIFR played a huge role in making it so. First off, the atmosphere is stunning. The interior has this warm, modern Mediterranean vibe with just the right balance of lively and intimate. But the real gem? The rooftop patio. It's a perfect little escape perched above River North--chill lighting, great views, and a breezy ambiance that makes it hard to leave. Now the food--WOW. I can't stop thinking about the falafel--crispy on the outside, fluffy and flavorful inside. Pair that with their tzatziki sauce, which is creamy, tangy, and perfectly garlicky, and you've got a bite of heaven. Every dish we shared was packed with flavor, but those two stood out as major highlights. Whether you're dining solo, on a date, or sharing a meal with new friends like I did, SIFR nails it on all fronts. read more

Sifr - The rooftop patio is beautiful and has amazing views!! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Creative Middle Eastern with lots of unique flavors and the regulars here too. The hummus was special! Creamy, with a bit of oil and pita that paired incredibly well with it. 10 curated drinks available. Falafel appetizer was good but nothing special very substantial. Lots to try here! read more

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SIFR is in a great location and immediately makes a good impression with friendly, welcoming service. We arrived a bit early and waited for the rest of our party at the bar, where we ordered cocktails, and they were excellent. Our favorite was the #2 Itnan, light, refreshing, and perfectly balanced. When we closed our tab, we noticed a 4% surcharge, which initially surprised us, but being from out of town we learned that's fairly common. Once seated, our table shared the Non-Veg Mezze, and everything was outstanding. From the tart pickles and savory meatballs to the labneh, every bite was delicious. My absolute favorite was the Muhamarra, so flavorful and truly next-level. Definitely order extra pita bread because you'll want it. The mezze was more than enough food for four people. For entrées, one of us ordered the scallops, which were perfectly cooked and paired with a tangy sauce that I happily sopped up with leftover pita. The other three of us shared the mixed grill, and it was an incredible spread. The lamb chops, tiger prawns, chicken, maitake mushrooms, berry pilaf, and even the trio of condiments were all excellent. Nothing disappointed. The flavors across the table were beautifully balanced, smoky, spicy, sweet, and tangy, covering all the bases without overwhelming the palate. I was genuinely impressed. I live in San Diego but visit Chicago from time to time, and SIFR is absolutely going on my list of must-return spots. Highly recommend. read more

Sifr - Mixed Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We had a disappointing experience this visit. To start, I made certain to book inside as it's not yet rooftop weather. They seated us up there anyway and assured us it was enclosed and said no other seats were available. They are using plastic sheeting to enclose the area, but not turning on the heaters. They also warned us as we went up that there's only one server so we should be patient. It was very cold throughout dinner. We went to the bathroom on the main floor multiple times to get warm. Service was good, but he was stretched thin and food runners and bussers helped. At first they only offered us a tasting menu and made no mention of anything else. I had to request the ala carte menu and they did bring it, but I was surprised we were being pushed to the prix fixe. I saw another table have the same issue. The food was fine to good with one notable exception. One person's chicken stew was served cold. Not just not hot, but colder than room temp. We were pretty underwhelmed so didn't send it back, but a real disappointment. Lastly, as we headed home the person with a gluten intolerance became ill (she ordered chicken kebab which is listed as gluten free) and continued being ill all night. She's very familiar with the issue of unlisted gluten so has no question that it was the food. Sadly, I don't think we can come back. We so enjoyed it the first time, but this was a poor experience and as it's a pricey meal it's hard to chance it again. read more

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I went when it opened and was excited to go back and was disappointed the most recent visit. The portion sizes on the dips are very small. The butternut squash couscous had barely any squash. The mushrooms were great but other than that not worth it read more

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My friends and I went out for a girls' dinner and made a reservation in advance. We started with the mezze platter, which came with huge pitas. I really liked the platter and all the dips that came with it--especially the muhammara, which was the best one. We also ordered falafel, chicken shawarma, and chicken kebab. The chicken kebab could have been better, but everything else was great. I also tried Turkish pasta (Eriste) for the first time, but the flavors didn't really suit my taste. It wasn't anything special for me, too salty for my taste. On the other hand, the batata Harara was very tasty. For drinks, I ordered chamomile tea, I was expecting something special, but it was just a tea bag with hot water--nothing unique. My friends tried Sitta, and we found it quite interesting and enjoyable. Overall, I liked the place and would recommend trying this place! read more

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Sifr is a vibe and rightfully placed on the Michelin guide! A gorgeous dreamy-scape (especially upstairs), with beautiful flowers and views of the nearby skyscrapers. Firstly, I had a reservation for Friday evening and had an emergency and was unable to cancel within the given time frame and the staff easily changed my reservation to the next day (phew, this is not usual for me, but their flexibility really meant a lot to me and made me feel so much better when I was able to dine the next day). For food, there is an al a carte menu as well as a prix fixe ($60pp). My friend and I opted for the prix fixe which is a shared crudités/hummas, appetizer, entree, and dessert. With this set up alone, we were stuffed before dessert even arrived. There were add-on options available (rice, etc. for the entree), but they were not needed based on all of the food we had already received. The hummas was delicious and came with some veggies and 1 pita per person (fresh and warm). I had the mitake mushroom as my entree. It was a very unique dish, I had not previously had this specific type of mushrooms before. Fried and accompanied atop a peppery sauce. Personally, it was a tiny bit on the acidy side for me, but I liked it, especially the texture. My friend and I decided to split our main entrees; the roasted cauliflower and the branzino. The cauliflower was a very large portion. The branzino was one of the best I've had in the city (plus, no head involved). I loved that it was paired with a chermoula sauce, and I found myself using my extra pita to mop up the extra sauce. Date pudding and ice cream for dessert was tasty, I only wish I had more room to finish it up! I definitely recommend Sifr, especially in the summer on the rooftop! read more

I dropped by Sifr this past weekend with my girlfriends in River North. We made our reservation just a day prior, which required adding a credit card on file, something to keep in mind if you're planning to visit. The ambiance is classy and elegant with a very fancy and modern bar at the back. The service was attentive and overall very satisfactory. Between the four of us, we started with veg mezze platter for the apps. Muhammara was table favorite. It came with pita. Falafel were pretty crispy. Chicken was perfectly seasoned with shawarma spices in the chicken shawarma hummus. I'd recommend to get Batata Harra from the sides. Maitake was decent too. Chicken kebab was a bit meh. It didn't hit the mark for me; the flavor was kind of bland. For the drinks we ordered Sitta cocktail. The mezcal in it was very smooth. Def a great drink if you're into mezcal. We were very disappointed with chamomile tea that we ordered. They served us tea bags and hot water, it was super basic for such a fine dine place and tea lacked the flavor too! Overall I recommend to try Sifr if you're looking for modern middle eastern vibe! read more

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My husband and I had a disappointing experience on Valentine's Day. We were looking forward to ordering from the regular menu such as one of the platters they offer. However, they were ONLY offering a Valentines tasting menu, which ended up being OK- there was no pricing on the menu, so we foolishly assumed it would be priced close to their regular tasting menu which is $60-$65. Note: They advertised the platters and regular tasting menu for Valentine's Day weekend online, so it's no surprise we expected to be able to order one. Imagine our shock when we received the bill and it was $95 each!! Btw 3 out of the 5 courses were (small) shared plates... Oh, and a waiter asked if we wanted more pita to finish our hummus, so we said yes of course, and they billed us $2 for that?? Incredible. I also think it's really grimy there was a 20% gratuity automatically included on the bill AND a 4% surcharge... Like you guys didn't squeeze enough money out of us. Unfortunately, we won't be returning to this restaurant, nor will we recommend it to anyone. read more

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We went during restaurant week and were hoping they would still have their normal fixed price menu but they only were doing a la carte or restaurant week so we ended up doing the restaurant week menu with some wine (no extended wine list which I found odd) For the first course everyone gets the house hummus with pickles and pita. I really enjoyed the hummus and the pita had sesame seeds which was cute and unique. The pickles were just pickled veggies. For the second course we tried the chicken and lamb kebabs. The lamb kebab was me favorite dish of the whole night. It was tender and the sauce was really good. It was definitely a fair but smaller than the chicken though. The chicken tasted good, but could've used more sauce. For the third course we did the branzino and the roasted chicken. I wasn't a huge fan of the branzino - I thought the skin tasted a little burnt and the sauce was a little weak. I did really nice the roasted chicken and couscous. It had a super yummy middle eastern flavor. For dessert, the passion fruit sorbet was kinda sour and really sweet - not my fav. The date pudding was really good, though not quite as good as a sticky date cake. Iykyk read more

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VALENTINES MENU EXPERIENCE (not a review of regular menu): First, I want to say that the staff here was wonderful and the ambiance was lovely! However, if you were thinking about bringing your significant other to Sifr for the Valentine's Day menu ($95 each compared to $60-65 menus normally), I would not recommend it. Saved up to bring my partner here for a special Valentine's Day, spent nearly $300 (was given this estimate ahead of time which I appreciated!) and unfortunately walked away very disappointed. I have had the privilege to be able to eat at some other pricer menu places, and fully trusted that the cost here would be worth it for the blind menu. The menu itself was intriguing when we were given it upon arrival, but the portions were crazy small (I'm talking two courses where the cuisine was the size of my pinky!!). We were lucky to walk away full, but that is mainly because we completely demolished the massive hummus we got after looking around and seeing how small all the rest the portions would be. I don't know if other people who might have had their hummus cleared expecting more to come could say the same... We also asked for an extra pita to finish our hummus and when I checked the bill we got charged for it The price mattered much less than the fact that we got charged for the two little pita discs. How are you going to not give enough to eat with and then charge extra? I woulda thought that the $95 each up front would cover an expense like that?? The food started out good, but the main dish was a disappointment. The lamb loin cuts looked beautiful but were incredibly salty. If the lovely staff wasn't filling our water continuously I think we both woulda felt sick. I personally couldn't finish mine. Maybe I don't know much about lamb, but I thought you usually slow cooked it for a reason... The meat was so tendinous (I looked it up and it's called gristle?) that I felt like I was chewing forever. Overall, Sifr seems like a lovely restaurant and the regular menu looks delightful! I unfortunately left wondering where all the money went in the Valentine's Day experience. Maybe just go and order from the regular menu on Valentine's Day? read more

Simple, understated, and welcoming ambiance. This could be a date, a special occasion, or a work meal. The service was awesome. The food is really good. The pita, hummus, labneh, scallops, halloumi, and lamb were all great. The prices are very reasonable. read more

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We came on a Sunday evening for dinner. The outside of the building is unassuming but it's beautifully decorated inside. We were seated right away and the restaurant didn't really start filling up until around 6 pm. We both ordered from the restaurant week menu and had the pita with hummus (charred green chickpeas, zaatar, zhoug, puffed lentil, evoo), lamb kebob (aleppo pepper, tzatziki, sumac onions), branzino (tahini, lemon, chives, pilaf), and warm date pudding with ice cream. The dishes were really small and I was glad that I wasn't that hungry when we came. Although it sounds like a lot of food it was just enough or barely enough. Everything was flavorful but the hummus and pita were my favorite of the meal. I was really confused that in the description for the branzino it includes pilaf but there was NO PILAF. There's no kid's menu and isn't kid friendly (no kids under age 4 allowed).. We came for hubby's birthday but I found it really odd that they brought out a single candle on an empty plate. Our water was refilled often but I don't think the worker understood us because he didn't speak to us or answer our questions but only nodded. I was only dining with hubby but they still automatically applied 20% tip on the check anyway even though the website says that this is their policy for parties of 6 or more. Overall, food was good and enjoyable but the experience and service was strange. read more

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Went for RW and it was a great taste of what they have to offer. I love the vibe, it's very cool and chic, perfect for a date night or night out. Our server was awesome. Really helpful and gave us great tips to try as much as we could! The food was really nice! The hummus was easily my favorite with the lamb kebab as a close second. Everything is seasoned and cooked really well! I will definitely be back post RW to try more! read more

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We came here to celebrate my husband's birthday. The waiter was friendly and we didn't have to wait for the table. The table and seating area was little congested to accommodate us, our orders and space for our little one. We ordered the veg mezze platter, batata harra and a couple of cocktails. The platter had fresh house made pitas, hummus, muhammara, tzatziki and other Mediterranean delicacies. Nothing was bad but nothing was wow either. It was little underwhelming and we have had better Mediterranean food for the cost. The batata harra was delicious and the cocktails were not great. I'm not sure if I will visit again. read more

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Such a great spot for a group of vegetarian and non-vegetarian diners. We all did the tasting menu, which was really well priced at $60 each. The charred green chickpea hummus was incredible, and I loved the curried cauliflower. The maitake mushroom was just as good as everyone else describes, and I actually preferred my nieces hearth roasted cauliflower over my branzino. I'd been hoping to order the chicken risotto but that was not on the menu the night we went. Service was excellent, we especially appreciated the explanation of the drink menu. It could have been cooler in the room, but I'm not holding that against them, we were in the middle of a heat wave. Our server was kind enough to step outside to snap a photo of us after we finished as well! read more

I was super excited to go to this place and can't lie I was a bit let down. We had friends visiting us and we were excited to go here because Indienne didn't have reservations and we had read that this was from the same chefs. The portion sizes were very small and didn't have any sides. I wish our server would have explained the portions but he actually suggested we order less and that we didn't need as much food. So unfortunately we went to Mcdonald's after we left because we were still hungry! Our server also laughed when I expressed a grapefruit allergy and said that it wasn't exactly their flavor palette. The flavor of one of our dishes really clashed and didn't go well together either. As far as the ambiance, for an upscale priced place it didn't feel super fancy. It just felt overall that the prices didn't match the service or ambiance. read more

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One of our favorite places in the city. Didn't realize this was the sister restaurant of Indienne but it makes sense after going. The service is amazing! Makes for a perfect date spot or celebration spot. We went to celebrate my mother in law's birthday and they paid her such amazing attention. We got complimentary champagne which was incredibly thoughtful. We tried the #7, #8 and #1 drinks and they were all delicious. For our starters, we got the veg platter and then the eggplant spread. The veg platter was a good thing to start with initially because you get to try a little bit of everything. The eggplant spread was delicious. Then we tried the cauliflower, the lamb kebab and chicken kebab. As a vegetarian, i was happy with the veggie options! My husband and his parents enjoyed the non veg options. For dessert, we got the date pudding and the pistachio baklava. 10/10 recommend, will definitely be back! read more

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I celebrated my birthday here with my close friends. We got a table for 10 - we called ahead of time to reserve and as we walked in near our reservation time, our table nicely arranged to house 10 people. It was nice ambiance inside. The service was outstanding and food was very delicious. The pita bread was insanely soft and tasty. Our cocktails were also great. I will come back here for happy hour as well as during summer as they have roof top option. read more

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Birthday made special at Sifr with some great food and even better service. We savored some wonderful muhammara, silky soft hummus topped with flaxseed for crunch and some crispy falafel. The eggplant had a beautiful charred flavor which went really well with the fresh pita. We got so full with apps that we could only try chicken kebab for mains. Will go back again to try more options. Modern ambience with soft music and open kitchen concept elevated the overall experience. read more

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My neighbor recommended going to Sifr for happy hour today! We had such a great time! Happy hours from 4-6 on weekdays. As you know she loves wine, and started with their Prosecco. I had the #2, nice and mild with very subtle taste. After a quick shot, we experienced the hummus, such great flavors and creamy. The herby falafel was crispy and authentic. The fried chicken was superb with the side of creamed yogurt mix. The last drink was my favorite/ SABAA. The flavors combined were superb. Shout out to Art who treated us like royalty! read more

I wouldn't advise anyone to come here. As soon as we walked in we noticed how empty it was despite it being a Friday evening. Shortly after being seated we ordered the hummus with meat to start. We were appalled to find out that the hummus only came with 1 piece of bread and it was an additional $3 per slice of bread. there was also only like 5 chunks of meat in the hummus. Not to mention none of the main dishes even come with rice, except the lamb shank which we ordered. and it was barely even any rice! everything is extremely overpriced and not worth it. read more

We were so lucky that our reservation was upstairs because I don't think we would have as good of a time if we were seated downstairs. Downstairs is crowded and loud whereas upstairs was intimate and had a romantic feel. The eggplant was not what I was expecting but it turned out to be everyone's favorites I would definitely recommend getting the mixed platter. Everything on there was seasoned perfected and good portion. There's 3 pieces of each protein and even mushrooms. Hummus was okay I forgot to take pictures of the drinks. They were delicious, we each got 2 drinks each to try different flavors I would definitely recommend this place and come again read more

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We've tired Indienne and been wanting to try Sifr for quite some time now. The restaurant it self is pretty. The drinks were delicious. I really enjoyed the Sitta. They only gave us the summer tasting menu. I was looking forward to hearing about other things but it seemed like it was pretty much the only option. In the course menu the gave us their puffy pita and hummus. I ordered as side of harissa that combo was perfect. They chicken kebobs have the perfect flavor. The food at this point seem to come out way slower. The cauliflower is literally half a cauliflower head. The date pudding yummy. For the post part enjoyed the food but nothing really stuck out like Indienne. read more

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We couldn't decide what dessert to order so we got all four! Did not disappoint at all!! read more

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Went there for a reception. Crowded space but service was exceptional. Nice location and great open space. Good was buffet style. Nice salads and other dishes fro the cuisine of the region. Lamb chops were the biggest hit Overall an ok experience. read more