Rowda Ya Habibi Newtown, Sydney

User Reviews of Rowda Ya Habibi, Newtown

Displaying: 1 - 10 of 36 reviews

7.3 Recommended

Food 7 Ambience 5 Service 9 Value 8

This quiet unassuming place on King St seems to attract a regular crowd who come back for the friendly service as much as the food.

We tried falafel (very good) and kebbe (needed a little more flavour compared to the falafel which I had drowned in chili sauce). My Jordanian friend tells me this is authentic food of all the places he has tried in the vicinity. I couldn't disagree.

Jan 21, 2013

darr3n
17

8 Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 6 Service 9 Value 8

Dined there 10 March 2012 with a group of friends in the upstairs cushion room, food was very nice, really fresh. Restaurant is nothing to look at but the food is spot on.

Mar 15, 2012

MJMJM
8

0 of 1 reader found the following review helpful

1.7 Not Recommended

Food 2 Ambience 2 Service 1

Rude staff. No card facilities. One small bowl of tabouli for a seven person banquet! Go elsewhere!

Dec 01, 2011

kath20
1

0 of 1 reader found the following review helpful

6.5 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 4 Service 6 Value 8

I used to live right near this restaurant and was put-off by the harsh, bright lights off the takeaway entrance. Also, the meat on the rotisserie honestly didn't look clean/fresh...so I never went inside.

Well, a friend recently had a birthday here and I was pleased to discover the room hidden at the back is not that bad! The owners seriously need to do something about the front entrance to this restaurant, because it looks a bit dirty...but the sitting room at the back is very spacious/appealing!

We had the banquet which had big servings and was very tasty! I am a fussy eater, but I enjoyed it. We did have to ask for water twice but it was BYO so we were already drinking anyway, so it wasn't too big of a deal. The bellydancer was fun too!

I was pleasantly surprised with this venue and want to advise potential customers not to be turned-off by the rough looking entrance! The sit-down room at the back is just fine!

Aug 17, 2011

TheFussyEater
19

6.8 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 5 Service 7 Value 7

Great food. I used to go here a lot many years ago and returned today for the first time in at least 5 years. Hadn't really changed, and still some of the best falafel I've ever had. Its not flash, but the people are nice and the food is great!

Apr 08, 2011

m0k0
5

1 of 1 reader found the following review helpful

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food 10 Ambience 7 Service 10 Value 10

If you're feeling hungry and want a real kebab! Go no further than this place! Really good and nice lebanese desserts too!

Sep 07, 2010

happyfatprick
5

7.5 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 7 Service 7 Value 8

Loved this place, rustic and simple. Loads of great food if you get the banquet and some of the best value I've ever seen, and that's saying something being in Newtown! Upstairs private rooms are fun and the belly dancer was great, full of energy and got everyone involved. Service was a little abrupt but did not detract from the night. BYO and the best turkish delight I've ever had! Wonderful!

Jun 07, 2010

rachelezzy
10

1 of 1 reader found the following review helpful

2.3 Not Recommended

Food 1 Ambience 4 Service 3 Value 1

Me and my friend been there on a Tuesday evening for dinner and what we had was a terrible experience. We ordered a mixed kebab plate and every meat item on the plate had clearly come out of the microwave. The kofta was stale and dry, the lamb skewer tasted like it was grilled in the morning and waited till then in the display unit in the entrance of the restaurant.You can actually see those items in the display unit and witness the chef putting into the microwave once you order it.

The tabouli salad, babaganush and hummous tasted ok though (Thankfully). When we asked for the bill, we saw that the price for what we ordered was different than what we saw on the menu. After we complained to the manager, she told us that there had been a mistake and we were given a menu those prices were not updated.We just did not want to argue over it and paid our "updated" bill and left.

Jan 07, 2010

ggeorge870
3

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 8 Service 8 Value 10

Not the best lebanese in Sydney, but its super super cheap, try sharwama hommus and tabouli for $8.95 and BYO wine! too easy! Banquets are plentiful, service is on and off, but one thing I can say is they are a tolerable bunch, I've had my birthday here 3 years in a row now and have had a blast every time!

If you've got older people stay downstairs as the cushion rooms are hard to get up and down from, esp after you've had a few! Absolutely love this place!

Oct 02, 2009

ezzmoo
10

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 8 Service 8 Value 10

Rowda Ya Habibi is one of Newtown's hidden gems, great food, good service and ambience and cheap as dirt. It's great! It's one of those places where you can have a birthday or anniversary. You sit on cushions, eat until you almost burst and waddle out. Delightful! The dips at Rowda are very solid, not spectacular, but always good. The felafel are amazingly good; lemony, filled with za'atar and seasonings, crisp-fried on the outside, served with tahini sauce, wonderful. The ladies' fingers are delicious; minced lamb, highly seasoned, crisp phyllo and fried until they're a deep gold. In all, Rowda's are a great place for a banquet or just dinner. And they're very good value. Not the best Lebanese food I've ever had, but very good nonetheless.

Aug 28, 2009