My fav. place for breakfast/brunch so far in Sydney. The vibe is buzzing, the service is friendly and accommodating and the breakfast menu is YUM. The tagines (both veg and meat) are Delicious, however, better if butter was served on the side rather than on turkish toast (for choice).
I also noted the group menu being served and on all occasions, the recipients looked highly content!. I recommend you try at least once. It is not fine dining, but it's not meant to be, simply YUM food. Cost is a tad on the high side, but the food is consistent enough not to complain (too much anyway).
We had been waiting so long to try this restaurant for Sunday breakfast, we left it for when international visitors were here. What a mistake, they were so rude, well actually just the manager that we didn’t even get to order. We were not allowed to look at a menu until we had been allocated a seat, then when we were seated by the waiter, she yelled out from the kitchen “what are those people doing, I thought they were going to sit out the front”, we had just been waiting out the front for them to open.
The doors certainly weren’t open on time. So we were completely humiliated in front of our guests that I walked down the back to ask her if there was a problem and she replied that we can’t just sit anywhere we like even though the waiter had checked the bookings and seated us accordingly.
She then started ranting and raving so as everyone could hear, even our guests at the front of the restaurant. She said that the table we had been seated at was already taken and that we should have made a reservation, even though the restaurant was empty. We had been so embarrassed by the rude manager that we couldn’t stay for breakfast on principal.
Furthermore, I must have called to speak to the management 4 times since then and they refuse to let me speak. So even though we haven’t tried the food I can definitely say that the manager needs to be changed before we will go there again.
If you enjoy minced meat with spices and omelette as your supreme example of morrocan cuisine then this is it but hasn't stopped hundreds queuing to get in.
I went there recently with a friend for lunch. The waitstaff seated us at two separate tables even though we asked for the same booking. So my friend and I each sat waiting for the other thinking the other to be terribly late. When we realised the mistake, we moved to the same table to have the waitstaff then tell us that they have a rule of maximum one pram per table.
Even though we were now well passed the lunch time rush and our surrounding tables were all empty (so our prams were not actually blocking anyone or anything) we sat there staring back at the staff wondering "are you asking us to leave?". Finally I suggested that I could fold up my pram and put it in the corner or in the back of their restaurant but they said they had no room for that.
Again, we sat and staring at the waitstaff and the empty tables around us wondering what do you want us to do. Finally, they agreed to put one of the prams in their backroom which left me totally in shock as it took us to convince them to do that in order for us to comply with their ridiculous and discriminatory rules!
The food itself is rather small servings, but very tasty and a refreshing change to the standard cafe food on Darling St. If it weren't for the terrible terrible, oh God, cannot for the life of me remember a restaurant with worse service, then I would be back for the food. I have vowed never to return just for the fact they were so discriminatory to us because we had two babies with us.
Went recently for a breakfast banquet with girlfriends - absolutely wonderful. A great way of introducing yourself to Moroccan food - tagines were beautiful, and more traditional eggs etc. included for the less adventurous. A group of 12, including many teas/juices plus a pesky 10% surcharge = <$30pp - value enough to put up with the hit and miss service and slightly loud dining room, and we rolled out of there stuffed. I'll be back!
I love this place for breakfast. I dined there recently for dinner and was not blown away by the menu. The Tangines at breakfast are delicious! This is possibly my favourite place to go to for breakfast. It is usually full and you are best to make a reservation or you may miss out. The service can be a little slow with coffee sometimes arriving towards the end of the meal which may upset some people but given how busy it is I don’t mind!
Had breakfast here last weekend and the food is absolutely sumptuous! You simply must have the breakfast tagine. The menu is very hard to choose from, as you just feel like ordering one of everything.
Great atmosphere, quite busy (so make sure you book ahead). Service was fine, we had no complaints about that. Only thing that spoilt it - it was a very cold day outside yet they had all their front bay windows wide open, so you couldn't even take your coat and scarf off, it was that cold. On a day like that, you just want to be inside where it's cosy and warm and it wasn't. Would be great in summer though! Will definitely be going back.
The breakfast tagine is one of the best dishes in Balmain but the service is absolutely terrible. We have booked 3 different times via phone and internet only to be told in a very rude manner (same waitress!) that we didn't have a booking. A real shame because the food is that good.
Agree with triplejade. Food each time I have eaten here including the recent breakfast tagine we had is awesome. The service was absolutely awful. First, waitress would not let us order what we wanted, very rude. Second, our bill had items not ordered. Our bill was corrected but the waitress did not even apologise!