I have mixed feelings about our visit. Ambiance was interesting. We all ordered the "feast" (which I think is the better value). Service was friendly though a bit slow for the place being empty on a Wednesday night. I thought the food was pretty good but the less-adventurous palates in my party did not appreciate some of the spicing or presentation of some of it. I liked the pacing of our courses and the tea and small deserts on offer. We found the price of our food a bit high but that was less of a concern than the disappointment of part of our group. read more

This is the perfect date night restaurant! very romantic to sit in your own boothz. And the food is out of this world! We always share a 4 corner salad, have the authentic soup and share a tajine with bread! It's our favourite restaurant in Calgary xoxo read more

Lots of things going for this restaurant. The decor is very fun and atypical of your usual restaurant. The food is great (and the sultan's tasting menu is very generously portioned--bring an empty stomach. Service was great when we were there and the server was friendly, personable, and knew the food and menu backwards and forwards. One thing in particular that we loved was that all the soft surfaces made for a quite quiet dinner. We could talk at normal voice level and hear each other. One of the few restaurants I've been to in years where that was the case. If I have to complain about one thing, the beer and wine selection is very limited. But that's my only complaint. Overall, when I write a review the most important question is: would I go there again. 100% yes. read more

We didn't like the food! Not bc it was bad. Just a diff palette I guess! Love the ambiance though

Lovely place with beautiful décor inside. Lots of lamps and drapery hanging all over. Great place to have a private conversation with friends because each booth feels like a private area. However it was freezing when we were there, and three hours later it wasn't much warmer. Our feet took awhile to regain their warmth. Service took awhile, but it was extremely busy on the night we were there and it looked like only two servers on the floor. Our server was sweet and friendly. We decided on the feast. Which was 6 courses spread out for the night. We started off with the Harira soup. Warm tomato based soup filled with chickpeas and rice and saffron. Lovely. Then we had the Moroccan Vegetable salad which was a mixture of potatoes, beets, roasted peppers and olives which you eat with your hands with bread. This also was light but tasty to wet our appetite for the other courses. As a disclaimer, you are asked to eat with your hands but cutlery is available if you are uncomfortable. And they wash your hands with warm water twice during the service which is a fun and interesting component of the meal. You can choose from a variety of appetizers. I chose the B'stilla Royale - A delightful preparation of chicken, eggs, onions, ginger, saffron and almonds wrapped in paper-thin layers of pastry and lightly dusted with frosting sugar and cinnamon. One of our friends chose this too and didn't like the sweet sugar with the chicken, but I felt it complimented the flavours and quite enjoyed it. My husband ordered the Briq of Mergez- Spicy lamb sausages wrapped in phyllo pastry served with harissa sauce and lemon. Delicious and lovely harissa sauce to complement it. Our other friend ordered the Spinach Briq which he enjoyed. For mains I chose the Cornish Game Hen tangine with dried plums, almonds and honey.* This was amazing! A huge game hen was nestled in a bed of dried plums and apricots. Moist and delicate it was lovely. My husband chose the lamb couscous, which also was delicious...full of hunks of lamb and stew vegetables. Our friends also were pleased with their meals...the vegetable tangine and the lamb mergez tangine. All came with bread to soak up the lovely stew bites. For dessert two of us chose the Braewat - a pastry dipped in honey stuffed with crushed almonds, and sprinkled with sesame seeds . Pleasant, it was like eating a sesame snap, and a nice twist on the baklava. The other two dishes that were ordered was the chocolate mousse which was pleasant, but the real winner was the vanilla ice cream with mango sauce. The mango sauce is clearly homemade and I could have drank a tub of it. We also had complementary mint tea, which was a little too sweet for all of our liking, but kept us warm. For an interesting night out with friends I would totally recommend this place. Tasty food, interesting atmosphere, and a memorable night out. read more

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Food and service are wonderful. Am sad that they let the ambiance go. Have been going since they were on 17th Ave. Things are not the same.No wonder customers have diminished. Am sad. read more

Delicious & hot chicken tanjune - meat fell off the bone, lovely sauce. Bread to share was tasteless. Very expensive $27 dish. Beer was reasonable $9. Great atmosphere - each table had curtains for privacy. Interesting tradition of wash hands in warm water at the table - refreshing. Yes there was Middle Eastern music but we could not hear it at our table; speakers were in the washroom. Waitress was very friendly & knowledgeable. Instead of separating the bill for 7 guests at our table, we received one bill with a calculator so it took time for each of us to figure out our individual totals. Urghhh! read more

Sultan's Tent - Chicken tanjune. - Moroccan Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

My fiancé and I had a great experience and our server Deborah was incredibly helpful, even to the point of handling a time constraint for us! The food was great and the entire restaurant is an experience. Definitely give this place a try! read more

This is probably my favourite place to eat for a special occasion in Calgary. The ambiance is luxurious and cozy with all the tapestries and cushions, the Morrocan food is very flavorful and delicious, and eating with your hands is fun! Ive been here many times and never had a bad experience. Always get the Morrocan mint tea at the end of your meal - it's the best mint tea EVER. read more

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Popped in for a salad and a glass of wine - got the glass of wine but we were refused any other service - I.e., salads are not enough - unless we ordered an entree. Why? It was 730 and the place is open until ten. Server was very pleasant and apologetic; it wasn't her fault; I feel sorry for her to have to work for whomever was in the kitchen. Very poor way to run a business IMO. read more

Delicious and beautiful! It's been a few years since we've been here and I don't know why it's been so long! The food was succulent and the experience, lovely. We had the Cornish hen tagine and couscous tagine, which was more than enough to fill both my husband's, 3-yr old's, and my stomach. The service was pleasant, friendly and respectful. I really enjoyed the table service hand wash ritual; a necessity when eating with your hands, but done so elegantly. The decor, although unchanged in years, is very pretty and intricate and does not seem dated. I love the tables and private dining feel to the booths. The music was a little eclectic but at an appropriate volume that you could easily carry on a quiet conversation - difficult to find in most restaurants. My only frustration with this restaurant was the location and parking. It certainly is no fault of the restaurant's and they do have a sign on their door telling you where you can park, but in such a busy area it isn't easy to turn around and get back to the parking lot when you easily miss the entrance. You'll spend 10-15 minutes trying to get back there to park. So, a tip: free parking is available on the south side of the building and you are easily able to turn left into the parking lot from 14th ave if you are coming from the north end. If you come from the south (out of downtown) be prepared to take a right into the lot as soon as you cross the bridge into Kensington. I look forward to my next visit and meal here, with the ability to carry on a conversation, and will remember the parking location next time! And I'll also remember to take more photos of the main course - it smelled and looked so fantastic that we dove right in before I got a photo op. read more

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First and last visit here this evening. Interesting decor - as if the restaurant was a tent, with carpet and rug lined walls; low divan seating and secluded tables. After too long a wait we were brought a bottle of unfiltered tap water. I ordered a cranberry-soda which finally arrived after our appetizers. The waiter brought a brass pot and water kettle to our table and started to pour water into the pot - which we thought was a bit odd. Eventually he instructed us to wash our hands under the pouring water. May have been better to explain the hand washing thing before he started pouring! Starters were not too bad though certainly not good. My spinach in phyllo pastry was extremely hot, nicely crispy but really quite tasteless. My companion's salad was comparable. Our main courses were, again, tasteless. My chicken kebab with couscous and vegetables: slightly over cooked chicken breast skewers on a bed of soggy, watery couscous with lumps of stewed carrot, tomatoes, zucchini and potato. My companion's lamb tajine with vegetables : quite tasty and tender lamb but the same tired vegetables. At no point were we asked if we were happy with the food. I asked for a refill on my cranberry sofa and was told that they "don't do refills". And , they must have be short on silverware as we were told to keep our knife and fork from the appetizer. (I always find that to be a ridiculous thing in a restaurant) This is a Moroccan restaurant - where were the beautiful Mediterranean and North African spices? Where were the wonderful dates and apricots? Even the saffron was missing from the lamb dish. The service was slightly overly familiar yet at the same time, perfunctory. The food was slow to arrive but the bill came very fast. Really - they just have to do better. read more

You GUYS I can't even express in words how much I love this place. It's become our go-to treat ourselves restaurant in Calgary. The atmosphere is unbeatable, you feel transported the second you walk through the door. Private fabric-covered booths are SO romantic for a date or just great for any sort of catching up you've got to do with girlfriends :) I've always found the food to be AMAZING, the prices are a bit high but SO so so so so so worth it. And I am a really cheap person so for me to be saying that is HIGH praise. The cornish hen is to die for. Eat it right off the carcas and then maybe lay back on the comfortable bench seats for a bit of a rest because holy moly a "feast" will fill up two people. ( cool tip! They don't charge per person if you order a "feast" which is like a four-course combo thing, only per feast! and one feast is enough for two people by far. read more

The Sultan's tent has very nice food, and we have been numerous times. We have had the sultan/sultaness feast, the lamb, and always ensure to get the moroccan mint tea! But let's be honest, the time required for the food, is far too long. Albeit, the atmosphere is suited to comfort and expect to spend some time waiting for your food, times 3. The service was fine, the problem is the costs! One just cannot justify the costs for such small portions of food and the amount of time to cook it. I am torn here because the food is indeed very nice, but honestly, the menue prices make going there more often prohibitive. Parking is quite tricky also, and I am very glad there is a venue such as this to rate these restaurants, as eating out in Calgary is a culture of small portions of food for large amounts of money, and we as a group need to change the culture. If you go to Sultan's tent, give yourself plenty of time, budget for it, and be patient with parking, and you will enjoy. K read more

Let me just start off by saying that I ADORE this place. It makes me want to go to Morocco all by itself. I was immediately in love with the decor; I really appreciated the drapes that would seclude each booth giving you a bit of privacy. It almost gave the illusion that you were in the comfort of your own home and not at a restaurant. Never having been, I was very impressed with the servers' willingness to explain the rituals of the at-the-table hand-washing, proper eating etiquette and an in-depth and passionate explanation of the menu. We started relatively small, ordering the vegetable couscous and beef saffron tajine. Had I known how amazing the food was going to be, I'd have doubled up and ordered 4 dishes! And then of course would have immediately exploded because the couscous and tajine we ordered were plenty for two of us. The couscous was so nicely flavoured and the vegetables that came with it were amazing. The beef in the saffron tajine was melt-in-your-mouth soft and the sauce in the tajine was incredible. I also think eating it with your hands makes it even tastier. What really blew me away was our server having brought a complementary dessert after having found out it was my birthday with a sweet little birthday candle in it (which was delicious, of course - the dessert, not the candle). The Moroccan coffee and tea we both had with the meal was so delicious. I was expecting the coffee to be bitter but it wasn't at all; the cinnamon and orange blossom in it was just to die for. And the mint tea! Pure perfection. I'd come back in a heartbeat. If they didn't close in 10 minutes I might go over right now after talking about it! read more

Okay, so here's the deal. In terms of decor, atmosphere, entertainment and experience, The Sultan's Tent gets 5 stars, HANDS DOWN. In terms of food though, I'm gonna be honest. Three to four stars. NOT the best middle-eastern food I've ever had. It's true though, just stepping foot into The Sultan's Tent makes you feel like you've been transported half way across the globe. It's AMAZING. I LOVE that on weekends they have stunning belly-dancers who shimmy their way around the room. I LOVE everything from the imported decorations, the art pieces and the statues, all the way to the lighting. But I'm stickin' to my case, the food is alright. Not excellent, just alright. If you've never been, it's definitely worth it to go once and undergo the cultural experience. But I have been once in Calgary and once in Toronto and although both evenings made for a remarkable night, the conclusion was the same. The food is just alright. read more

I love Moroccan food. I love food in general but I have to say that the Sultan's Tent was just ok. I found that The Casbah had a better menu, the restaurant itself was a lot nicer and the portions were waaaay bigger. We were a fairly large group, about 10, and I was well aware that the food would take long because Moroccan food is an art and can't be rushed and all that jazz, I get it! But it took about an hour for the appetizers and another hour for the main, and we ordered the family style platters which were self serve. The appetizers were rather small for the price points and the platters had a larger couscous to meat and veg ratio that I found odd. The waiter even told us that the wait would be longer than usual because they ran out of chicken! WTF? How do you "run out of chicken?" I'm sorry, does this menu not consist of primarily chicken? I guess they had to make a run for the Safeway just up the street.-sigh- The service was incredibly slow and it took half an hour to get the bill. At about $400 for 10, no booze and an 18% automatic gratuity, and most of us were still hungry, we felt really screwed. For $40 a pop, it was not worth the money. For the food quality and taste I give the Sultan 4, the service and portion sizes I give him a 2, for the dismal parking situation I give him another 2 and for running out of chicken during dinner I give him a very disappointing 1. All in all a 2.5 star rating and a "won't be returning anytime soon" from this foodie. read more

Excellent food!! And AWESOME cocktails! The service was super friendly and the place very cozy! It was not inexpensive but it's worthy to try! I would definitely go back there to try all dishes I couldn't try the first time!! read more

Sultan's Tent - Moroccan Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

My co-workers and I decided to visit this restaurant for our ladies' night dinner. We had no problem finding it, however there wasn't a ton of parking and we ended up parking on a side street... no problem really. We were seated in our own private room/tent, very cozy with lots of pillows and bench seating. The music was fun and set the mood, and the lighting was perfect. Our waiter promptly came by and introduced himself. Although I can't remember his name, I must say he has been one of the best waiters I've ever had. He was a younger gentleman, very pleasant, courteous, and knowledgeable. He went through the menu with us and explained each course and what to expect. It was nice as none of us had been there before and we weren't sure what to order. We all agreed on the Moroccan Mint Tea, which was SO GOOD! Before our meal was served, the waiter brought a basin and poured warm water over our hands so we could wash before eating. What a treat!! We all ended up getting the Sultaness Feast, with different mains and appies. I had the soup to start, which was the perfect temperature and texture. We didn't have utensils, and I was happy to sip it straight from the bowl. The other ladies in the group had the salad, which seemed a little more difficult to eat without utensils, but once we figured out how to scoop it up with the bread all was good. I had the B'Stilla Royale for my appetizer, and was simply scrumptious with a mixture of sweet, spicy, and savoury flavours. My main was the Vegetable Tagine, which was slightly spicy with fresh cooked peppers, tomatoes, and other yummy vegetables. Dessert was the Braewat, similar to Baklava but not as sweet. Totally to die for!!! I would definitely come back here! The food was delicious and fresh, and very unique. It was also fun to eat with our hands once we got the hang of it. If you are in a hurry, then this isn't the place to go. Our meal lasted 3 hours, but we honestly didn't notice the time as we enjoyed each course and each other's company. read more

Always a fun experience coming here! The couscous is to die for!!! The ambiance of the restaurant makes going there more of an experience than just a dinner. Great food, cool place = awesome time!!! read more

I've always loved this place, as the atmosphere and decor, plus the overall experience is absolutely fantastic. It's probably in it's way, one of the most romantic places for a date in Calgary, though you really do have to schedule a few hours for a dinner. The whole experience is to create an oasis away from life in Calgary, and they achieve this in spades. Buuuut.... part of that experience involves getting your food at , well, a camel's pace... that is a camel after all of it's legs have been hit with hammers Chicago mob style. Now let's get to the food. The couscous and tangines are simply sublime. I've yet to have a bad meal whereas the meat was tough or under seasoned. It's always been tender, tasty and flavourful with the unique spices, and hints of almond, honey and mint thoughout. I'm especially a fan of the Braewat, a pastry stuffed with almond and sesame and sweetened with honey. It's definately pricey, but the Sultan's Tent and their set meal is probably the best way I know for a "forgive me for not walking the dog" or "forgetting your birthday" dinner. It's a guaranteed way to get out of the dog house! #55 of Yelp's 30-Day Review Challenge read more

I've been eating at this restaurant for probably about 10 years now and it's been consistent for those years. The Sultan's Tent has a great history and there is a reason why it's been open for 30+ years. They have good food and good service, and a good system. It's a full experience. read more

I just went there tonight, this is my very first time trying Moroccan food so I have nothing to compare to. I had the Sultaness feast and there was quite a lot of food. I particularly like the bread, the salad and the B'stilla. The B'stilla was very nicely done, and tasted great with the icing sugar and cinnimon. For entree I had beef couscous, not bad, but didn't stand out. Vanilla ice cream with mango sauce was good, and also the mint tea (it was sweet!) I agree that it was pretty expensive, $39 for the feast, I was gonna get a drink too but $7 is a bit much. Even single entree it was about $20-26. Service was excellent, I didn't have to ask them once to refill my water (I must've had like 5-6 glasses throughout the meal). But the food came reallllll slowwwww. We started ordering our food at 6-ish, and finished at 9pm. I'm glad we had a party of 5 if it were just my fiance and me we might get pretty upset. read more

I went to this place about 10 years ago so things may have changed. However, when I went, it was absolutely terrific. Great food, an appropriate ethnic atmosphere, including the music. A thoroughly enjoyable experience. I recommend without hesitation. read more

This place is great for kids. A truly unique experience for young and old. It's been awhile. I last visited this restaurant with a group of coworkers several years ago. It was great then and our family experience this time was equally impressive. The prices haven't changed much, it's expensive but so was the Moroccan Castle (surprised to see that place gone). Between four of us we shared the Harira soup, 2 appetizers, the bread, a tagine and a couscous dish. It was more than enough food for all of us and we were completely stuffed when we left. We still managed to share a Braewat, Moroccan mint tea and enjoy some Moroccan coffee. In two hours we were in and out. I expected longer and prepared the kids with a pack full of activities. We were pleasantly surprised. A lot of food, unique flavours, exceptional service all in a lovely setting. Thrilled we were able to share this experience with our well behaved 8 & 5 year olds. Looking forward to the next time, we just need to remember to wear loose clothing ;). read more

Love this place! My husband and I went for dinner randomly one night. Doesnt look like much from the outside but the inside is so beautiful. Very quiet and the booths are so comfortable. Nice and low and relaxing with lots of pillows. You could fit 7 people at one booth. The waitress told us to lean back and pushed the table closer to us, they want you to relax! Not too much for a drink menu but your there for the FOOD. This isnt a pub. Food was spectacular and fresh. EXPENSIVE but worth the treat. The decor is beautiful with beads sequins pillows and drapery even over the ceiling. Feels very authentic. My husband and I agreed that we are going to turn a room of our house like this into a relaxation/romance pillowy room, with a low bed, cushions, colourful & sultry drapes, under a starry sky. It is so sexy and romantic! I wouldnt bring children here. We will definately come back! read more

Going to the sultan's tent is an experience. And It is totally worth it. I moved away from Calgary five years ago. Before I left I decided to try all the restaurants I wanted to try but hadn't before I left. I tried the Sultan's Tent. It was an experience. One that was both culturally and culinarily beautiful. So back in Calgary five years later ... it was my first choice for my dinner birthday celebration with a few close friends. We were not disappointed. Three of five of us had the sultans feast. It is costly (about $55) but totally ample food to split with somebody else or indulge yourself. You won't be disappointed. The lentil soup to start was savoury and great. We tried all the phyllo pastry appies which were good. Recommend the Bastille royale and the lamb sausage one. The entries.... what can I say. YUM!!!! When I moved away I started to make my own tagine in my crock pot because I loved it so much and Knew I couldn't get tagine in Victoria. But this was a humble reminder I am just a Canadian who likes to eat and cook trying to make an authentic Moroccan dish. I had the sweet lamb tagine (honey almond and plums) to try it out. Also sampled the fish, The spicy lamb, vegetarian and a lovely couscous with shrimp. Good to share if you are with a group. The dessert, braewat, was lovely and very well paired with the Moroccan mint tea. The whole experience of sitting in the uniquely decorated booth. The attentive and Moroccan dressed server who was knowledgable and made the experience so lovely. The rinsing of hands with orange blossom infused water before and after the meal was just beautiful. Be prepared to treat yourself at this lovely restaurant. And just experience a little taste of morocco in Calgary!!! So glad I made it back and will plan to do so again for my next visit to Calgary. Learn a little about the Moroccan culture and sample some amazing food. read more

Sultan's Tent - Sweet lamb tagine with almonds plums and honey - Moroccan Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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I love Moroccan food. I always wanted to try Sultan's Tent when it was on (or near) 17th Ave, but never had the chance. When they moved to Kensington and became my neighbors, I had no excuse. My fiance, who is a huge fan of middle eastern food, agreed without hesitation. As mentioned in other reviews, both here and on other sites, the atmosphere in Sultan's Tent is nothing short of amazing. It's very authentic and it does feel like you've walked into another country. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing the belly dancers, but I'm due for another visit. The food, in my opinion, is excellent. I've sampled Moroccan cuisine from a few places and the food here is top notch. But, it's not for everyone. Moroccan food can take some getting used to. Several of their dishes are very sweet, almost like desert, which I enjoyed immediately but my fiance had to adjust to. One good example is B'Stilla. The simplest way I can describe this; take an apple turnover, remove the apple, and replace with chicken. Delicious, but might taste strange at first. Moroccan food uses couscous instead of rice. It's somewhat similar to rice in texture, but is much more dry and bland. However, it does a better job of absorbing the taste of whatever it is being served with. One warning with Sultan's Tent and most Moroccan restaurants. The food takes a very long time to prepare and most restaurants will only have one or two people working in the kitchen. Expect to wait at least an hour for your main course and at least half that for an appetizer. We made the mistake of going hungry once and won't do that again. Parking is tough here. There is parking available (literally a few spots) that is shared with other tenants as well as the people living in the condos attached to the building. In all likeliness, you will need to find a place somewhere in Kensington and walk. But trust me, the walk is worth it. read more

Very bad experience. The owner, Mr. Ismaili, showed his awfully terrible side when I took my family (with a 10 months old baby sleeping in his stroller) for dinner to this place. When we were patiently waiting for the nice front desk girt to get us a seat, he stormed in front of us and with no introduction started yelling about why we brought the stroller into his restaurant. He repeatedly scolded us for bringing the baby stroller when I kept saying that neither there is any sign not the front desk girl told me about it when I called to reserve a spot. We lost all taste to eat in this place, so we walked away. He did not offer any apology at all neither he wanted us to go back. He hit his very low point on that night. read more

I have been coming to this place for many years. We always order the feast which includes Moroccan salads, tea, chicken bastilla, the main course with a tajine of your choice and a simple dessert. When we first started going the portions were plentiful for the salads and the bastilla but over time these positions have become smaller and smaller. The last time we went we were surprised to see that there are barely a few bites of salad and the bastilla has shrunk to less than half the size it was. It is now so small, the size of a cookie! For the amount of money that we spend on the meal it was very disappointing. I most likely would not return again. My husband is Moroccan and we enjoyed coming here because it has a true Moroccan feeling with the decorations. It gives you a taste of Morocco. The food tastes very good, my family loves it. But with the small portions it is just not worth the money now. read more

Very disappointing meal... group of 9 and our meal took 4.5 hours. Server got orders wrong, seemed flustered. No significant flavor differences between any of the dishes. The entire time we could hear two kids playing on their tablets beside us - our dinner was accompanied by the sound of cartoons. Will not be back. read more

Great food, terrible service. Dinner shouldn't take four hours. The waitress wasn't even apologetic. Frustrating because I used to love this place but will never ever return. read more

I have no idea why there is so many glowing reviews for this restaurant. I went with a party of 8 in the last few days (16th July 10). Yes, the service is excellent, congenial, menu well explained, atmosphere is nice, cozy, seating comfy, and the Moroccan music is unobtrusive. Yes the food itself is competently done, and beer/wine menu has nice import choices on it. However, either most of the reviewers have not experienced genuine North African restaurants and just take it as that how it is, or perhaps they are satisfied with paying top dollar for INCREDIBLY small amounts of food. Having been to North Africa, I know that restaurants give you a really good deal on a large helping of food. And it's very reasonable price wise. Perusing the menu sitting amongst the party, the urge to have a jaw dropping expression looking at the cost amounts was just about contained for myself. You can pick a la carte, individual items, or a wallet stunning $51 dollars for 'The Sultan's Feast'. Which evokes giant lashings of food and couscous until you burst. But, lucky I didnt pick that...as you will find out. $8.75 for pork Briq??! Almost $19 bucks for the vegetable tangine?! I was thinking that the portions have to be MASSIVE for those eyewatering prices. I picked the veggie tangine, as it was the cheapest main on the menu at $18.75. Curiously, most of the others picked the same. Perhaps they felt sticker shock too, but in a large party, one doesn't want to complain about the prices, as one doesn't want to look cheap. Well...imagine how insulted and ripped off I felt when I was presented with the starter, the Briq (filo pastry deep fried with a filling, tuna is popular in North Africa). (I should mention...the food coming was SLOOOOOWWW. We were starting to joke that they must have fed exed the food from Morocco! Seriously, it must have been 50 mins. Another reviewer states that this seems to be the norm for Moroccan restaurant's. Maybe it's the norm in Calgary, but In Tangiers it was faster. Just because it seems to be the norm, does not make it excusable. If they only have 2 chefs in the kitchen, too bad, get more chefs.) A PITIFUL size. I was thinking it had to be perhaps a bottomless plate. But no. All I got was 2 finger sized, maybe 4.5 inches long by 3/4 in wide briq portions, with a few slices of veggies. Well whoop de do. This has gotta be a joke right? The waiter was gonna bring me more? No. Not a good start. The main course? A 6 inch shallow bowl of veggies, string beans, carrots, that kind of thing. It's usually kinda stir fried or sometimes baked. It had a usual aromatic spicy (not hot spicy) thin sauce. Shallow bowl. As in about in inch deep. Again, whoopee. $19 bucks for a handful of sliced glorified steamed veggies. I could have got a bag of frozen mixed veg from my freezer, zapped it in the microwave and added diluted hot sauce for largely the same thing. In conclusion, everything is nice about this restaurant, but the value is staggeringly poor. Even the beer menu has astronomical markups. $5 for a bottle of Fruli, when it costs $2.69 at the liquor store. Other irritants is the revelation when the staff say that it's traditional to eat with ones hands in Morroco, so no utensils are provided. One gets a hand towel and the hand rinsing bowl. Sure, wonderful and all that to be 'authentic' but it's the 21st century and maybe just leaving some forks next to the bread baskets would have been nice for people that don't want to eat like cavemen. Even the restaurants in Tangiers have knives and forks. Thankfully soup spoons were provided to spoon out the serving of watery spicy (not unlike swiss chalet) sauce, so I used that to eat my pitiful amount of food. I didn't complain about the amount of food as did not want to embarrass the others, but I will certainly never go back here again and will warn my friends. I hadn't eaten much all day and was so looking forward for a belly busting Moroccan portion. Go to Teatro, that's $80 for two people, including drinks and dessert! Hell, I was tempted to go to Denny's! Sure, some 'foodies' may turn their noses up at Denny's but for $8.75 you can get a huge starter, and $19 you can get a 13oz Tbone steak and eggs! read more

Great Food, Nicest Staff, Wonderful Vegetarian/Vegan options. And last but not least LOVE the decor, romantic and intimate. Great for date night or a group. read more

Fun, unique date night idea! The decor and ambience of this place cannot be beat. We had the Sultan's feast and the whole experience from the food to the service was amazing. Eating is done with your hands and my date and I had so much fun feeding each other. The server brings warm scented water to the table to wash your hands between courses. Such a refreshing change from the routine mundane restaurant meal, completely recommend. read more

We entered our cozy booth that felt like a Moroccan tent, with varying colours, patterns and textures. The atmosphere was very warm and romantic. We had the briq of mergez, beef couscous, and saffron lamb tagine, all of which were delicious. We enjoyed the fine ingredients with their subtle spices. We also ordered the pisco sour and cream soda for adults. The drinks had the right flavours, but seemed diluted. We'll return for the food and atmosphere, but pass on the drinks. read more

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This was my first time trying Moroccan food. My friend picked this place because it had good vegetarian options and majority of the food is dairy free (we are lactose intolerant diners). We tried a variety of items on the menu (briq and tarjines were the favourites). The meat dishes were definitely bang for your buck (the meat portions were huge). The food was really good and the restaurant had a nice atmosphere. We would recommend this place. For the vegetarian dishes, it was a bit on the pricier side. read more

Having not yelped in a rather long time due to school obligations, I just had to write a review about the Sultan's Tent where I definitely am a big fan for it. My boyfriend and I had celebrated our 4 year anniversary together where we wanted to go to a restaurant that was special for the two of us. With us both loving ethnic food, whether it is East Indian, Chinese, Greek, or Japanese, we both wanted to go somewhere that was romantic, as sappy as that sounds. After some humming and hawing we jumped onto Yelp to check out the reviews for the Sultan's Tent where we made reservations ASAP. Having never been to the Sultan's Tent, I knew that the restaurant was known for diners eating with their hands. However being a kid in an adult's body, I was rather excited to eat with my hands. With the Sultan's Tent being located in Kensington, you can be faced with the challenge of getting good parking. After business hours (evening), parking is usually free along the road and more accessible to get; if you know the area well, there are other parking lots quite close to the restaurants. On busy nights however, do be prepared in parking some distances away and walking. Walking into the restaurant, you're seemingly taken away into another country across the world. With dim lighting, soothing music, and very beautiful decor, the place just oozes an ambience of intimacy and comfort, making it seem like you are literally inside a sultan's tent. We were seated immediately in a low booth complete with pillows and surrounded by veiled curtains. Unfortunately those curtains seem to give people the illusion that no one can see them because my boyfriend and I were totally spying on a couple that had some pretty good PDA moments...lol. Uhh, ANYWAYS, the menu itself can be a little pricey, where the main course itself ranges from $18 to $27. We both skipped the appetizers as we're rather light eaters where he ordered the beef vegetable tangine, while I ordered the vegetable tangine. For those that have never eaten Moroccan food, the flavours and spices may take some time during the meal in getting used to as some entrees can have a sweeter or "lighter" taste, depending on what you order. For first timers to the Sultan's Tent, do be prepared in eating with your hands as it is customary so don't try and ask for a fork and knife. Although it can be a little awkward eating a full entree with your hands, let the experience add to the flavours of your meal and the atmosphere of the restaurant. Using your hands helps create a slower pace in eating which allows you to socialize with the people you are eating with. Aside to eating at a slower pace, do be warned (as other reviewers have said) that the time to receive your food can take a while. With that being said, do leave the evening open if you can. And not to worry first-timers, before and after you eat, the waiters are there to help wash your hands! :) Being thoroughly impressed with the restaurant, I would definitely love to come back as I had a wonderful experience. Despite the meal being rather expensive, both my boyfriend and I were happy in spending the money as it was worth it for a great meal and wonderful experience. read more

Excellent place if in the mood for something uncommon from the everyday fare of North American food! Love it!! The atmosphere is absolutely great! Colourful rugs/tapestries are everywhere, decorates the walls and individual seating areas throughout the restaurant, the dark restaurant tones down the vibrant colours to make it easily a cozy, night time feel. The background music is authentic and not so loud that people have to speak loudly at one another. Our hostess was very pleasant. She had sat us in a room with a menu, very willing to answer any questions we had about the menu while our table was setting up. Appetizer - The B'stilla Royale had a concoction of various spices mixed with egg, meat, and nuts. Ours came out hot with a sprinkling of cinnamon and confectioner's sugar on top. Very flaky, very savoury, and slightly sweet. Ours was split for three people, perfect for a small appetizer. Main entree - We had ordered the Saffron Lamb Tagine, Mergez Tagine, and the Chicken Vegetable Tagine, all to share among the three of us. The spices were not overwhelming, but definitely notable. Most Moroccan restaurants I have been to has not been the best experience for me because of the preserved lemons, I usually find the lemons having a bit of a pine-sol-like or ammonia tinge that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. This was one of the very few times I have dined that I have really enjoyed the preserved lemon in our tagines, it did not have a cleanser-like taste, but a nice addition to the flavour. Olives give it a nice saltiness, as well. The meats were cooked for a long time, it was flavoured with the spices beautifully, and very tender to eat. We had used the leftover bread to soak up all of the sauce from our tagines. Dessert - We opted out of dessert, but ended the meal with a mint tea to cleanse our palates. It was a little sweeter than I personally preferred, but it was not as sweet as several other places I have had. Great way to end the meal. There is two things I want to include in this review. This is one of the few Moroccan restaurants that still do the traditional hand washing at the table with the large urn with warm water (scented with orange blossom) rather than a sink near the dining area. The second one is eating with your hands. There are forks available, but the true experience is to eat with your three fingers. It also makes the meal more fun, and it actually became a conversation piece as well. Who knew eating with hands would be so enjoyable? The price of the meal is a little higher than a typical dinner out with friends, however, it was worth it. The atmosphere, food, and service was exceptional. I will be back the next time I am in Calgary. read more

I am flabbergasted at the other positive reviews in regards to the Sultan's Tent. First and foremost: we were greeted by a miserable grandmother (seemingly the owner) who couldn't even muster up a smile. The staff are all milling about in polyester hooded cloaks, trying to pass off for authentic Moroccan wear- and instead of being culturally inspiring it came off as fake, cheap and juvenile. the rooms and booths are covered with rugs which I assume are meant to evoke authenticity and romanticism, only spurred the thought of louse and dust mites to me. Now onto the food. Our mains (the chicken Tajeen): Oh yes, such an exotic name to lure an unexpecting patron, was nothing but crock pot (bone in) chicken- a meal I vaguely recall my working mother of three preparing when she had an especially busy day. But oh- The chefs at the Sultans tent, threw in some chunks of lemon and cinnamon and priced a would be 6$ meal at $27. Oh and how else could I forget what the chefs through into my plate? A FOOT LONG HAIR, which I swallowed: inch by inch as I didn't want to gross out my boyfriend and mother. BUT, As I was keeping my self from vomiting all over the tacky rubber table, which HAS NO NAPKINS- because they only provide you with white hand towels- I had a flash back from when I walked by the kitchen earlier in the evening. There were three or four women cooking- ALL WITH THERE LONG HAIR DOWN AND FREE TO FALL INTO THE OVER PRICED CROCK POT SLOP. I did decide to complain to our uninviting, cold, server about the hair that I found- instead of apologizing immediately, he questioned me like I was a prime suspect in a murder investigation: "when did you find the hair?" "what color was the hair?" "How long was the hair." When I told him I ate it because there was no where to dispose of it in a polite manner, and I didn't want to ruin my guests dinner- he asked "did it taste good.?" with a smirk. The nerve. To top it off- they gave us a desert on the house.. which consisted of sticky triangular pieces of bread piled up onto one plate in the center of the table. Sure, sticky deserts can be deletable, but how are you supposed to know if its delectable or not if they don't provide any cutlery. My boyfriend picked one up and and literally fed me and my mother one of them. And let me just say that the taste of it, wasn't worth the awkward eating. To conclude, please, save yourself the money. This hole in the wall is not worth your time or money. read more