The atmosphere is why you come here. The room, though bordering on tacky, is actually stunning. It had a vision and it nailed it. While I try to avoid fake greenery, the room is adorned to transport you to a Moroccan fantasy. The prices are high, the service is ok, and the food was alright. I thought the spice mixture were a little off and portions small for the price. My cocktail was basic but tasty. Overall, I'd come back to share the experience with someone else. read more

Casbah - Rocking the Casbah - Moroccan Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Was here for an evening with a group of ladies on a week day evening. The location is very nice in downtown. Physically is the lower level of the building. The atmosphere is absolutely fantastic. We spoke to the owner near the end and he seems to really put a lot of effort into the decor. I especially enjoy the curtains, and the intricate designs. I have been to Morocco and it reminded me of the hospitality and atmosphere. I felt it was magical being there. I had the lovely sweet mint and verbena tea, a bite of plenty of dishes,and ice cream. Everything was delicious. Will need to return to be immersed in this very beautiful and culturally rich environment again. read more

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When you walk into Casbah Restaurant, you are welcomed by a warm, intricately decorated environment full of rich fragrant smells. The restaurant is great for date-night dining, as the tables are small and fairly private, tucked around various corners of the restaurant. If you want to try a variety of dishes on the menu, I recommend getting the "Tour of Morocco", a 4/5 course meal. Both me and my date opted for this option. Where there were options, we chose different dishes and shared so that we could each try as much as possible. I say 4/5 course because the menu advertises this as 5 courses, but 2 of them are served together so it's really 4. We had: Harirra Soup: a simple soup including chickpeas and lentils in a saffron tomato broth. The soup was flavourful and comforting if maybe a but thin Khoudra Salad and an appetizer of Merguez: The Merguez is a spiced beef sausage wrapped in phylo pastry and fried. The beef was lightly spiced and the phyllo was perfectly flaky. The salad is a mix of carrots, corn and beets with vinaigrette. Being light and crunchy, this salad was a great accompaniment to the fried Merguez. For a main, we tried both Tagines. The sweet one included chickpeas, dates, sweet potato, carrot, pecans and pears and we paired this one with lamb. For the savory tagine, which includes peas, potatoes anad olives, we ordered the cornish hen. The sweet tagine was quite sweet, I don't think I would want to eat on on its own. But, when alternated with tastes from the savory tagine, it was delightful. The meats were both cooked beautifully with the lamb being fork tender and the hen was "fall off the bone". The dessert comes with coffee or tea and seems to vary. On this visit, the dessert was a scoop of vanilla ice cream served over strawberry oreserves, topped with chocolate sauce, crushed toffee and a piece of balklava. The ice cream and toppings were average. The highlight of this was the flaky, syrupy baklava. Service was prompt and friendly. Before food service, you get to wash your hands with rose water, which is a Moroccan tradition. I found the portions to be on the small side, but given we were eating four courses, I appreciated this as I didn't leave feeling overly full. I will note that the restaurant seems to be very accommodating to dietary restrictions as the menu highlights which dishes are vegetarian and/or gluten free. read more

Casbah - Tagines with lamb and cornish hen - Moroccan Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

I didn't know it would ever come to this, but - it was the Casbah who rocked me! From beginning to end, The Casbah was so much more than a meal, it was a full-on experience. This place is gorgeous. Covered wall to wall in authentic Moroccan decor, you could have a great night wandering around in awe without even purchasing a meal. But don't do that, you'd be missing out. The food is another wonderful experience all on its own. Go to spend some time here. Enjoy it. Relax. Each table and booth is unique, cozy, and intimate. Find a spot that calls out to you and set up camp for the evening and let them look. SPOILER ALERT - The meal started with a rose pedal hand wash. This combined with some delicious fragrant Moroccan Tea, I sunk into the soft, authentic furniture, and I never wanted to leave. I asked one of the owners if they allowed slumber parties, and she laughed. *Sigh* I guess she thought I was joking, and I guess I'll take that as a 'no'. The food was fantastic. I had the Chermoula Tajine (Stew) with the Kefta (Moroccan Meatballs) as recommended by one of the owners, and I loved it. The meatballs were so tender and broke apart with a soft touch. They were filled with seasoning that while strong, complimented the beef without overpowering it. I'm going to end this description for fear of drooling on my keyboard. Conclusion - Go to Casbah for an intimate experiential meal, and take your time with it. read more

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Authentic Morrocan flavors, and charming intimate setting. It is on the pricey side, like most North African restaurants I've been to, but it's a great experience to share with a group of people. This is not the kind of place you go for a quick bite, but rather you make an evening of it, with the rose water hand washing at the table, and the mint tea service to cap off the meal. Both the tagines and couscouses were well prepared, with the classic mix of sweet spices, and available with a variety of meats. This kind of restaurant is ideal for a group that includes both vegetarians and meat eaters. Tip: this restaurant has a 2-for-1 Entertainment Guide coupon. read more

Casbah - Mint tea service - Moroccan Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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The overall vibe of the restaurant with the placement of tables and decorations are very nice. The food was good, although somewhat pricey. The service was lacking. I came here with a group of about 10, and since my friend and I weren't that hungry, we decided to share an entree and appetizer. Once we were ordering, the server didn't let us share our food and basically forced us to order our own meals, saying the minimum purchase per person was $30. I've never been to a restaurant where they didn't let me order what I wanted or set a price for me to pay. It seemed weird. read more

The place is very overpriced, the food is not that good and the service is the worst i have seen in Calgary, the owner is rude, they need to clean the place more often, its the low light that hides all the dirt. The only thing nice there is the decorations. read more

This was my first time in the restaurant. The atmosphere is definitely different with low lighting and I quess the authentic Morrocan style ambiance. The food was good, not great IMO and quite expensive ($28.00) for the portion size you got. Sadly will not likely go back again. read more

This place is SO cool. If you want an intimate setting to dine with your main squeeze or a large group of people, this place has little nooks for every party size. And the décor is spot-on - take a look at the pics! We had a group of 10 people, and from our little booth you couldn't even see another soul. The best part was the meu - attention Gluten-intolerant people! You have access to 2/3 of their menu, as most of their Moroccan cuisine is gluten free! We even had a celiac at our table and she had no problems ordering at all. They even had a coconut based dessert that she could have, and apparently it was delicious! I had a tajine, as I've never had Moroccan food and asked for help from our super friendly waiter. (seriously, he was amazing!). I selected a sweet stew, and it was very sweet, though it grew on me as I continued eating. Everyone else selected more savory dishes, and everyone cleaned their plates, so I'm guessing it was good! Next time I'll select one of their Set Menu dinners - for $39 or $50 you get 3/5 courses with choices at each course. read more

Casbah - our up-lit table in our little nook. - Moroccan Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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Ok, so after all the ooooh's and aaaaahhhh's about this place, I finally decided to give it a go on Thursday, I had to see what all the fuss was about. First of all, you can not complain about the decor. It is stunning and if you haven't been to Morocco, this place will give you a little taste of what it is like. Opulent fabrics, crafts, vases and art work cover almost every inch of this place creating a cozy and romantic ambiance. From the vibe, it is fantastic for a group as well as one on one with a honey. Drapery delicately hangs from the ceiling and elegantly cascades around your cushioned booths which are very comfortable and relaxed. A nice array of Arabic music plays in the background to complete the setting. A perfect environment to casually enjoy our Caesars which by the way, they add their own special harissa seasoning to. Before the food arrives, they bring you a lovely brass kettle and basin to wash your hands with, it is not a full blown soap and lather thing, just a kettle that is gently poured over your hands and a little basin to catch the water. I wish the water was a bit warmer but it was still a nice little thing that you don't usually see at your run of the mill restaurant. To start, we ordered an appetizer platter with a trio of phyllo pastries which are stuffed with your choice of three fillings. We chose the spinach/cheese, shrimp, and eggplant. The eggplant was divine, but my hubby hated the spinach one because the cheese was quite strong if you are not a fan of goat cheese. It is a huge a platter (6 large pieces) and I wish I knew that before we ordered it because by the time the main came I was stuffed! Our mains were also quite delicious with exception to the optional bread that we ordered for the chicken and veg tagine. I found the bread too dense and fell apart very quickly and for $4 it is essentially a big heavy bun cut into quarters, next time we will order the rice. I ordered a veg and chicken couscous tagine and thought it needed a little more sauce for the couscous as it was just a tad too dry for my liking but the flavours were hands down delicious and very thoughtfully prepared. I would definitely come back! The menu has many options and all of them sound more delicious than the next, just make sure you leave your house hungry, the servings are generous and will please a rumbly tummy! Our tab came out to about $85, and we didn't have coffee or dessert, but I would think that with those two extras you will be looking at a c note for a romantic dinner for two. Two enthusiastic thumbs up! read more

Amazing food. This was our first time here, and without a doubt we will be back. The Tajine and couscous dishes were unreal. Don't forget the mint tea and coffee with the cream on top. The last time I tried Morroccan was 2 years ago in London, and the Casbah kept my belief alive that Morroccan is the best food on the planet! read more

Yes, the decor was pretty. I think I stated "It's the perfect temperature in here" once sitting down. Nice low lighting (everyone looks better in low lighting) and some beautiful music. Menu was nicely planned and was very encouraging. I think I did the Casbah tour? Upon closer inspection, if you are going to have that many trinkets adorning your walls, please dust them. Eventually my "perfect temperature" almost put me to sleep...it took almost an hour for our appetizers to come out, no refill on the water, no offer of another beverage at all. It appeared that there was only one waiter for the entire restaurant, so I give him credit. I had high hopes, but once again, blah. read more

Unfortunately this place did not accomplish my expectations... The service was not good, it was slow and the waiter was not very nice.. I told him that I had high expectations with the place, because I had been in a moroccan restaurant in Ottawa which was delicious. And his answer was "this place is much better" with such an attitude. That I chose do not say anything else... Unfortunately the place was not better than the one I went in Ottawa the lamb was very dry and the food was nothing special. The only one thing that was really good was the mint tea.. But the rest of food was just ok for me... I do not think I will go back there again and I cannot recommend this place... read more

The food looks traditional. The Look looks traditional. But the prices are out of this world and definitely are not "traditional". Popular Moroccan dishes are in small quantities with inverse proportional prices! Service can be chaotic and aleatory. After returning to Calgary from a recent trip to Spain where I have enjoyed traditional Moroccan food cooked and served in traditional family run Moroccan restaurants I can be very objective in my appreciation. The biggest surprise is the check that comes with uncomprehensive codding to the menu ordered and a compulsory 15% surcharge. Finally, it wasn't worth the experience. Something I will not do it again! read more

Beautiful atmosphere and the food was incredible! Also the mint tea was out of this world.

Boy oh boy! Whatever you do, DON'T ORDER THE LAMB!!! Unless you want to puke your guts out for 24 hours non-stop! The so called lamb kebab is hard as rock and their lamb medallions are just simply disgusting. They charge you $18 for a plate of couscous! Seriously?! The place is fancy and exotic so if you're into that kinda stuff and you don't mind burning some cash, give it a try! read more

Clearly a very loved restaurant. Definitely coming here again. The food is always amazing, and the service is great! Give yourself time to sit and enjoy, and you won't be disappointed read more

Went to the Casbah tonight with 5 friends and it was simply spectacular. tried a wide variety of dishes, including Lamb, Beef & Chicken Kabob's which were amazing. The Pastry rolls, sorry I cannot remember the Moroccan name for them were heavenly and the atmosphere is one of a kind. I highly recommend this place. read more

I really wanted to like this one, but I was disappointed. Looking at the ambiance reviews online, I decided to go for a dinner on my birthday here.We were greeted by the hostess and guided to our table. She asked what occasion are we celebrating, one of my friend's said it was my birthday. The hostess leaves saying "oh okay!!! " WOW you cannot even say "Happy Birthday??" there are restaurants who give out one free dessert if you say that. I mean no courtesy whatsoever. When the server asked us if we needed any help with the menu ,we said since we were first time eating Moroccan food, if he could suggest some specialties. He said the menu was pretty straightforward and didn't suggest anything. Hence we ended up ordering something which we felt would be good. The food didn't take long to come, although we were sitting unattended for the longest of times! It was over half hour we sat there with nothing on our table, we were not asked if we wanted to try out any dessert. We had to ask them for the menu again, and later ask them for the bill. It was horrible service. I cannot comment on the food as I haven't tried original Moroccan food, but I would surely say it was bland and mediocre as opposed what I thought it would be. I don't want to go this restaurant again. Huge disappointment and really bad service. read more

Lovely atmosphere, service and the food..... WAY yummmy!!!!! Mint tea is like manna..... Love this place.... will come again We did the Tour of morrocco and it was LOVELY! read more

This was a last minute decision to go out for dinner and wow what a great idea! My friend and I had never had Moroccan and we were thoroughly impressed. To start the ambiance is amazing, beautiful decorations, cozy semi private nooks, excellent service. Because we had never tried Moroccan before, we asked our server to pick an appetizer, a couscous, and a tajine. We had bastella as our appetizer, it was moist and the phyllo was crisp. Couscous chermoula with beef sausage (merguez) was simply amazing, and the Khoudra tajine with lamb had the most amazing squash. This was such a good meal, I foresee a few foodie dreams of the meal in my future. Apparently they are slower in the summer months, but always busy in the winter- I would suggest trying it this summer because you can sit a bit longer and really soak in the ambiance. read more

I got one of the couscous plates with lamb medallions and was not disappointed. The plate was very hot which was appreciated on a cold winter night. The service was good although our party of 3 made up 60% of the attendance that night so I'm not sure that's saying much. Atmosphere was also comfortable and fun - a nice divergence from local restaurants. The only reason I don't want to give a 5 is that I haven't had the chance to explore their menu more and visit on different nights. I can say that Casbah is at least a 4 though! read more

I really enjoyed my visit to Casbah! I never knew I liked Moroccan food that much!! The restaurant is very unique with its authentic decor, and the service was great. I really recommend getting the "tour of Morocco" it was a great way to taste a variety of the food and get a dessert :) Will definitely come back and will spread the word about this hidden gem!! read more

Took date here, I've been a account executive downtown for many clients that are fine dining restaurants (Sysco Food Services). Horrible value and food for price. Atmosphere is dark and no coat racks, quaint if you want to call it that. Food was way too sweet (tasted like I was licking a sugar cube not eating a meal). Horrible service, the waiter/host was rude throughout the meal, tip I think not! $100 for cr*p. If you want to risk it go ahead. There are far better Mediterranean restaurants, go to Mango Shiva, I love it there as always friendly, great food, great value & ambiance. read more

Doesn't worth visiting. I am Moroccan and I assure you that the dishes are not authentic, the service is below bad and food is rotten and cheap. Don't be fooled by the payed good reviews here or the payed marketing articles online. I swear to God that every good review here must be fake and either from owner's fake profiles or paid indirect marketing services. No way this place would be rated more than one star. Here are details if you are interested: 1st - Service: The waiter/owner is extremely rude and antipathetic, he serves with a mix of disgust and arrogance, never accommodating any customers' request. He would put all customers in the same small corner while closing more than half of the place. 2nd - Place: in pictures it may seem nice, but in reality, it's a mediocre and small place, you find yourself in a narrow hallway, small tables, not comfy at all. Tables are so close to each other that you are literally touching other guests. 3rd - COUSCOUS : What a disaster, veggies were not authentic (Brussels Sprouts wtf ??!!!), were rotten, undercooked and tasted dirt. The couscous itself (the grains) was not an original one normally steamed, it was the cheap precooked one to which you only add hot water. The meat was grilled (WTF !!!) not cooked in a stew with veggies like normal couscous. The whole lacked freshness, coherence, taste, authenticity, and was a serious health hazard. This dish at this low quality (assuming veggies were not rotten) doesn't worth more than $8, but here it costs $29. 4th - BARKOUK TAJINE: BARKOUK means plums, so this dish is normally about meat, prunes (dried plums) and almonds. But this so called "restaurant" is cheap. For them, prunes and almonds are too expensive, so they used potatoes and pears instead (WTF !!!!) with exactly only 2 prunes. Meat was over cooked, previously frozen and separately cooked. The whole lacked coherence and authenticity. This fake and amateur dish cost $33. 5th - Price: It's a highly overpriced place ($33 a dish, expect to spend a minimum of $100/person) but the food (if it wasn't rotten) is the same quality as a $10/menu place. I still would never go back even if it was priced $10, because of the rotten food and ugly service. Also don't be fooled by the different price tag on each ingredient, it's like if you ask a car dealer about the price and he tells you: without engine it's $20k and the engine is $45k, you know that you have to pay for both right? This place is a disgrace to Moroccan cuisine normally among the best in the world. He should be sued by Moroccan government for misuse of the label. You can't call a Champagne "Champagne" until it really comes from the Champagne region in France, so why this scammer is allowed to call a pear dish a "Moroccan prunes tajine" ???!!!!! Avoid this scammer, don't go there. read more

I would probably push this rating to 4.5 if that was possible. I admit it. I was impressed. The entrance is downstairs and the environment warm but somewhat dated - an abundance of fake candles and pretend plants is not usually one I would say is also romantic or intimate. It was. The colours are sensual and the way the tables are separated helps give you a feeling of being somewhere more private. The deep set bench like cushions encouraged us to relax and the staff were, dare I say, proud of their establishment and were amazingly adept at understanding what customers really want. We had decided on two dishes but had completely missed that one of them contained an allergen that would have made me very sick! Besides the education about the food he was also patient and asked us if we want d time between courses. Is that even a consideration in most restaurants that serve every course on top of the other and think Macdonaldization was the best influence on restaurants since plastic utensils. I haven't even started in about the food! Authentic Moroccan. Again sensual comes to mind. Exotic mixes of fruit and chickpeas along side perfectly marinated meat such as lamb and Home made sausage. The scents of the entrees are only matched by the fresh mint tea that served as reminder to let your food digest before having dessert or there may not be enough room. read more

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Hands down our favorite place in all of Calgary. Be prepared for a journey to Marrakesh, however leave your travel guide at home because the owner and his wife will take care of all. When we sat down for dinner we told them to take of all our selections, suffice to say they know a thing or two about hosting a party, entertaining, as well as educating their guests! Part living room, part museum, part dining room - The Casbah offers so much more than a truly authentic dining experience. It is a journey! read more

The place has great potential, but currently needs a lot of improvement. Their food looks good, however the taste is laking in flavor. The service leaves something to be desired. Improve your phone and table side service manners and you will go a long way. Explain your menu to people and you may sell more. Try not to argue when they wish to sit at a certain table. Do not give people attitude when they don't have a reservation on a night when the restaurant is empty. Will not return, but hope they listen to their customers. read more

A-List. Highly Recommended. Superb Food. Excellent Morrocan mint tea. Interesting wine list. The restaurant is below street level, very funky and seating is couch relaxed. The decor alone is worth the visit. They will even bring a impressive wash basin to your table and have you wash your hands before the meal. This place is a winner. One of the best kept secrets in Calgary. Unusual, very cool and exceptional food. Expen$$ive. read more

Located downstairs. Heavily decorated with Moroccan curtains, pillows and decor. Has semi private nooks throughout. Is a cosy place but elegant. Great for a date. It is expensive. They do have coupons. The waiters were attentive and polite. I had the lamb tajine 5 course which was great. You can order the 5 course set plates which are $50, but it may be better value to order individual plates as the Moroccan couple adjacent us did. The food was quite good and with foreign flavours and blends of food so be ready for that. Some servings were mixed with figs others with dates. We parked on the street. Server will have you wash your hands at the table. I love the way they pour the tea! read more

Dealfind Voucher Holders BEWARE! Purchased a Dealfind voucher in 2011. Ok, granted, I didn't think to use it until now (2014), but the offer stated "does not expire", so we called and got reservations. We arrive at the restaurant and see a note on the door that the dealfind voucher (that was for a 5 course meal for 2 valued at $114) was only valid for $55 (which is what we paid for the voucher) off our meal. I said to our server that I was disappointed since it stated that the voucher did not expire. She wasn't sure about it and went to ask. She came back to us with new menus and told us that it was valid, but only for this certain meal. It was pretty close to what we wanted and since they were honouring the full amount I even ordered an extra glass of wine ($11) and some bread ($5). When the bill came it was $81.50! When we asked why only the $55 was taken off the bill and not the full amount; we were told that you could only use the dealfind voucher for that particular meal and it was still only worth $55 off the bill. I have no idea why I keep buying these "vouchers" when the business either goes under or doesn't honour it anyway. I paid the bill and learned a hard lesson. Go to Sultan's Tent. Don't even bother with these guys. They sold us a coupon and what we really got was an expensive meal. read more

The food is really amazing here and the atmosphere is gorgeous as well. The dishes without the meat are a good size for someone with a smaller appetite. The main dishes are amazing, the meat add ons aren't as good as the main dishes but generally still well done (the chicken is the best!) I would definitely come back to try more of their dishes. read more

I am so disappointed. The service was so slow, food was cool, bland and mediocre. even the décor cant make up for the way this evening fell flat on its face. We were served only 2 of the 5 courses in the first hour. We booked early at 530 so we could enjoy our dinner before we had to go to a live theatre event that started at 730 just few blocks away from the restaurant. At 645 we had to ask for our rest of our order to be rushed. We weren't even served the coffees that were to end our meal. This meal cost over 120.00. Because we were in a rush we didn't bring our displeasure to the owner that evening. We called a couple of days later and we were met with rudeness and basically told that the food was up to their standard and she was sorry that it didn't meet ours. I won't go back ever and certainly wont recommend this place to anyone. Sad............ read more

The ambience is really nice, but service is awful, and food is mediocre. I don't recommend it.

The place and decoration are very beautiful and authentic but food is average and it's not special. We were served by the owner himself but he was quite intolerant and rude with us questioning about the food. The service unfortunately is the main reason I am giving 2 stars. read more

Very small portions and very overpriced for Moroccan food.

This place is so awesome! The atmosphere and food is so authentic (as far as I can tell, I've never been to Morocco so I dont really know). It's so cozy and beautiful as well as romantic as each table has a lot more privacy than regular restaurants. We went for a birthday dinner and they didn't really have a great setup for larger parties but they made it work and for groups of four or smaller would fit perfect. In our group we had a celiac (can't have gluten) and they were super awesome about ensuring that she was taken care of and their menu showed gluten free and vegetarian options with symbols beside the dish. And the food! Oh it was amazing. We all had the tour of morocco (a five course menu) and each course was delicious. I would definitely go back there again and again. read more

This place is a hidden gem. Once you get down the stairs and through those doors, you're in a whole new world. The decor is grand and beautiful right down to the curtains hanging around each table for extra privacy. The food is amazing! Amazing! If you're ever trying to impress a date I promise this place will do it. Just don't let her order a martini (they don't have a proper bartender...yet) read more

REALLY wanted to love this place. The food was amazing. Every dish was incredible. But. The service was very disappointing. We waited way too long between courses, and weren't even offered a third drink. read more

The ambiance is great. They have cool decorations, which are apparently authentic, straight from Morocco. The food taste is not bad - especially the appies are good. The veggies dishes are a bit bland. But the most disappointing part was the prices - it is pretty overpriced. Plus to get customers to come back, they should make the bread free and include the Moroccan tea or coffee as a part of their "Tour of Casbah" meal. And, the server just bashed Sultan's Tent completely, which I felt was a bit unprofessional (albeit his passion for Morocco was palpable). read more