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    Malelani Cafe

    4.5 (192 reviews)
    Closed 10:30 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    MALELANI CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for working

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    Recommended Reviews - Malelani Cafe

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    Baklava
    Melanie S.

    Welcoming service, fair pricing! Food was delicious, the feta tasted high quality and it was a hearty portion I took half home. Everything was seasoned and very flavor. I only have one complaint, the baklava was so thin, not layered, barely syrup so it fell apart, not worth $5 but I wouldn't give them less than 5 stars for that because they make a lot of things homemade even hot sauce and all that being considered the bowls are only $14.50 and very good! The restaurants vibes were very laid back, good chill music playing too right on the corner easy parking. I'd definitely recommend for the bowls, platters and pitas!!

    Volcano Bowl
    Varsha S.

    This place is situated on a cute street in Mt Airy. Although a rather small cafe inside, it has some outdoor seating as well which is nice when the weather permits. This place has absolutely delicious Mediterranean bowls. I ordered the Volcano bowl, which was marketed to be a spicy option. Although not super spicy in my opinion, the chicken had tons of flavor and I loved the sauce they used. The jalapenos in the bowl added a little bit of the extra kick I needed. Overall I would definitely come back and I'd want to try the poke bowls as well!

    The shared receipt for lunch was delicious thanks for letting us borrow it.
    Her Majesty Daceia Charmayne F.

    The food was delicious but my legs swelled up and hurting when leaving the restaurant so water pill was taken to stop the swelling from getting worse. No recommendation because weight gain just sitting there eating food was not healthy but said to be healthy vegan diet food was good but salt was bad for my legs and knees . Be careful with this diet.

    Chicken Shawarma Pita
    Chingi Z.

    Happy music welcomes you into this quaint cafe situated in the area where Mt. Airy meets Germantown. The menu has something for meat lovers to vegans and plenty of freshness in between. I had an afternoon meeting in the area and found free street parking directly out front. My coffee was hot and full flavored. Sounds silly but in my opinion it really is the little details that keep consumers loyal. The expectations when going out for food is that it should not just satisfy your hunger, it should be a fulfilling dining experience made so by serving food that honors the ingredients, service that makes you feel welcome, and an environment that encourages enjoyment of the space or the company you keep. Malelani Cafe hits all of those targets and surpasses expectations. Admittedly, my expectations for food in the area is quite low due to past experiences however that is not the case here. They should call the Chicken Shawarma Pita a double, cuz it was HUGE and could easily serve 2 people. Okay maybe one super hungry person or a parent and child haha. Definitely a large and in charge lunch that allowed each ingredient to show off. The chicken was cubed and boasted big flavor and juiciness while the pickled cabbage was sharp enough to stand up to its savory counterparts. Roasted eggplant, greens and tahini balanced the bite. All wrapped in fluffy and chewy pita. Order take out or eat in, I have no doubts that you will be pleased with the fast, fresh, and healthy selections.

    Chicken schwarma platter
    Retna S.

    Upon entering, this cafe looked hectic. There were people getting ready for live band. They had to clear up a table for us to sit. The menu consists of Mediterranean food and poke selections. I ordered chicken schwarma platter served with pita. Chicken was tasty and not dry. Perfect size with some hummus.

    Covfefe Smoothie
    Michelle T.

    Despite the many challenges that COVID has brought to this world, I am grateful when I get an opportunity to meet wonderful people and enjoy great food! George was great host. During my wait, I was educated about the historical roots of Mt. Airey. I am still "new" to the Philadelphia area and I am always looking forward to learning about new restaurants and new areas to visit. I ordered the smoked salmon platter with all the fixins! I mentioned that I was tossed about ordering the falafel platter and George was so gracious to drop a few freshly fried falafels in my to go container. The black bean and the original hummus were so creamy and the grape leaves were also tasty. I am not a grape leave fan and I are all three of them! A little bit of a drive for me but I am always willing to make the ride for good food and great customer service. I will definitely return. I look forward to trying the Covfefe (for shitz and giggles of course!).

    Gyro Platter was amazingly flavorful
    Eboni F.

    So freaking good and fresh! The portions are very generous. Great customer service. Love, love, love. I will definitely be back.

    Chicken Sharon's plate ! Phenomenal !  Sweet potato pie and hot chocolate

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    11 months ago

    The food was excellent. The service was excellent also. The place. Is nice and quiet. Enjoy it will go back again.

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    Marrakesh Restaurant - Chicken

    Marrakesh Restaurant

    4.4(872 reviews)
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    Marrakesh is one of my absolute favorite places to eat in Philadelphia!!…read more I wish it existed in more cities. This is a multicourse journey through Marrakesh that cannot be repeated anywhere else except for maybe in the real Marrakesh. From the Bastilla pastry, which is DIVINE, to the salads, the chicken and kebabs... all the way to the baklava and tea.... there is no bad bite at Marrakesh. The owners are welcoming and super amenable and make you feel like you're coming home every single time you visit. It's in a odd location, and you may feel like you are making a questionable life decision as you walk up the alley to the door, but when you arrive, you realize that in fact, it was one of the best decisions you've made in years!! When you enter, it's like you've been transported to a beautiful room in Morocco. The music, the decor, even the authentic seating make for an unforgettable experience. And if you get really lucky, you also get to see the belly dancers who are top notch! There is not a single thing I can think of to say that Marrakesh needs to improve. It is a one of a kind experience that I feel everyone should have at least once in life!

    What an incredible experience and much better than our last visit almost 7-8 years ago. The last…read moretime we came, the AC was broken on a hot day in the summer and it completely turned me off despite having an amazing visit my first time. I'm so glad my friends wanted to come here to celebrate our Friendsgiving. The food was as good as I remembered , the service as ever warm and welcoming. Since I hadn't been for so long, I ate everything as was prepared - but I'm happy to hear it sounds like they have veg options on their tasting menu. I'm looking forward to trying that my next return. But I couldn't say no to their chicken after almost a decade I highly recommend checking out this business for a delicious family style cooked meal.

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    Adorable decor

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    Marrakesh Restaurant - Outside of Marrakesh. This is actually the kitchen so do not use this door to enter the restaurant!

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    Isot Mediterranean Cuisine

    Isot Mediterranean Cuisine

    4.4(569 reviews)
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    When we walked in at 6:30, a graduation party was going on in the back and the main dining room was…read moreempty. "Guess we didn't need a reservation," I said to my friend. Aha! Within minutes the place was packed. Isot is a popular BYOB, and for good reason. Their food is delicious. The five of us started with a mixed meze platter which had a sampling of spreads: eggplant, garlic/yogurt, hummus (chickpea), spicy tomato & pepper salad, Slavic potato salad and of course pita bread. My husband, daughter and I shared the mixed plate for two, which was plenty for the three of us. We ate beef kabobs, Chicken Adana (my favorite), chicken thighs, Turkish meatballs and lamb kabobs. Served with the most flavorful salad, sautéed vegetables and rice, the mixed plate is a great option if you haven't zeroed in on something specific. No corkage fee, helpful and pleasant staff, casual unhurried vibe .... I love this place!

    I wish I had more time to spend here to experience the food…read more I had a quick stop have some snacks even though i had lunch earlier! I must say Chef Fatih Kekec provided all his skills on presentation on the dishes we had. Although they did not have any Cig Kofte, wish to have it next time. Abugannush was sperb, pacanga boregi was expected as crispy and delicious! Manti, my favorite, little dumplings with ground meat, yogurt sauce and butter pepper mint on the top! Yummm!! I wish this business a huge success! Will definitely come back again

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    Isot Mediterranean Cuisine
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    Zahav - Hummus Pitryot: Mushrooms, Fresh Herbs.

    Zahav

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    Best Thing I Ever Ate: Hummus, Lamb Shoulder…read more This was my second visit to Zahav while visiting Philadelphia. I'm glad I had visited before because I knew the importance of pacing myself. I knew I could only enjoy a little knibble of each of the delicious salads that were initial placed on the table. I think I ate all the twice-cooked eggplant. It was so good! The hummus is honestly the best I've ever had, and the laffa bread is such a yummy accompaniment. I had to stop myself from eating too much! I tried the Phyllo-wrapped Haloumi. It was ok, but I liked my dad's Freekeh Arancini better. The Pomegranate Lamb Shoulder is the reason I had to pace myself. This is also one of my favorite lamb dishes that I've ever had. The greens are a nice accomaniment. I didn't care for the crispy rice, and it was the only thing I didn't like. I got the Pecan Konafe for dessert and it was like an exotic pecan pie. Love this! The honey ice cream was so refreshing after a big meal. I left very happy.

    I cannot think of a single way Zahav could have been a better culinary experience. I came to know…read moreabout this restaurant through Eater's "Mise En Place" video series on YouTube and was struck by the care and contemplation put into each dish. The second I knew I was visiting Philly, I set a reminder on my phone to vie for a reservation. We got a 9:30pm reservation, which was late for my usual dining habits but absolutely no question worth the extra few hours to build up and appetite and anticipate going to such a renowned restaurant. We were met with a beautiful dining room and kind, passionate people at Zahav, especially our bartenders, who made our experience a true EVENT, describing each dish to us even as we were making decisions on the tasting menu, and vouching for the fact that we MUST try the halloumi, which ended up being my favorite dish! Wow, the care that is put into the craft of this food is unreal. Zahav is a true celebration of cuisine. We started with the laffa bread being served straight out of the fire with accompaniments which were absolute flavor bombs, especially the eggplant and pickled cabbage. The bread was warm, soft, and so flavorful in itself but made even better by the hummus-tehina, which was perhaps the smoothest I've ever had. The Pomegranate Lamb Shoulder fell right off the bone, and the Amba-braised Greens and Crispy Persian Rice were side dishes that felt like main events in themselves -- the crispiness of the rice perfectly complemented the pomegranate sauce of the lamb. This was the perfect celebration dinner, and Zahav quickly made it to the top of my list of places that live up to their hype and go above and beyond in the kindness realm.

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    Zahav - The bar area

    The bar area

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    Crispy Persian rice

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    Lale Mediterranean Grill & Sports Bar - Gyro / Doner Kebab

    Lale Mediterranean Grill & Sports Bar

    4.7(18 reviews)
    8.0 miSouth Street District, Society Hill

    Ramiz Turkish Grill offers an exceptional dining experience with outstanding service and generously…read moresized portions. Each dish is not only flavorful but crafted with care, ensuring a satisfying meal. The average price for an entrée is around $25, which reflects the quality and quantity of the food served. For those seeking a memorable meal with excellent service, Ramiz Turkish Grill is well worth the visit. Also, there is an outlet by every table which is nice because you can charge your cellphone while eating.

    Probably some of the best service I've received at a restaurant! The owner checked in a few times…read moreand showed us his joint business of a hookah lounge upstairs. We also learned about Ramiz's history and how it's a chain. This location is the first one established in the US. We received complimentary mix appetizer plate of dips and tea! Karişik Soğuk Meze / Mix Appetizer Plate- Hummus, baba ghanoush, labneh, and spicy vegetable dip THE SPICY VEGETABLE DIP IS INCREDIBLE! MUST TRY! Turkish meatballs - insanely moist and delicious! Would highly recommend! Chicken Adana wrap - could have used more meat in it and the fries were lacking salt but that's easily fixable! Sütlaç -the oven baked pudding was good The table cloth on the tables kept moving which was a bit frustrating, not sure what other restaurants do to hold it down. Menu has so many options, something for everyone. Bringing your family or a big friend group is a good idea!

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    Laser Wolf - Salatim is included with an entree

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    4.5(578 reviews)
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    We went to Laser Wolf for dinner over the weekend; we had reservations but were running late due to…read moretraffic; texted them and they were very nice to extend the reservation. Once we got there, we were seated immediately; the restaurant was pretty full at the time. They have kind of semi fixed menu with Hummus w/Fresh Pita and desert included; you just pick the entry from the grill. For the pita/hummus, you get a plate of fresh pita and a large varieties of small plates for dipping, all of them unique and delicious. For the grill items, we picked chicken, Whole Dorade and Shawarma-spiced Cauliflower. The chicken is grilled well and tasty; the fish is very fresh and the cauliflower well spiced. For desert, we all had Brown Sugar-Vanilla Soft Serve | Strawberry Apricot Sauce, Pistachios, and Rice Pearls; another great entry. Over all, we liked all the entries; the service is also very nice. There is a 20% service charge in lieu of tips and it's well deserved.

    10/10 experience! I went for my birthday and had a chef experience. Where do I begin, I was greeted…read morenicely, pulled my chair out, and the lady gathered my belongings to hang up. The server, I could tell, truly loved his job. He was personable, knew everything there is to know about the menu. Gave suggestions and actually had a conversation w/ us w/in reason. He made it seem like we were the only ones he was serving that night. We even received an "on the house" a glass a wine to pair with our meal. I felt the birthday energy and love. The folks next to me even were chatting us up. The food is delicious! Taken right from the grill to our table. Chicken appetizer is fireeeeee! The chicken shishik and Romanian beef kebab hit the spot. I was thinking the portion size could be some what bigger but I was surprisingly full after I was done the dessert. Also the brown sugar vanilla taste better (Personal preference) than the tehina soft serve. Presentation and politeness was met. Overall great experience.

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    Laser Wolf - Photo taken on November 26, 2023

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    Almyra - Lamb chops and potato fries

    Almyra

    4.3(203 reviews)
    7.2 miRittenhouse Square
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    I had the opportunity to visit Greece for the first time a few years ago, and while I always liked…read moreGreek/Mediterranean food, the trip 'heightened my senses', and I now seek out the food I enjoyed so much during my visit. Almyra - I happened to walk by it a few weeks ago, I didn't know it was there. I thought, 'looks very nice, I'll have to try it'. The restaurant, which features 'modern Greek' is part of the Estia Group, which includes 7 restaurants - 3 of which are in Philly (Estia and Pietro's are the other two). I went for dinner this evening on a Wednesday, and there was a good crowd - the restaurant is quite large, and it's decorated beautifully. I started with three of the Spreads - Smoked Eggplant, Beet, and Hummus. It was wonderful trying these 3 - I spread them on the pita and crispy rice crackers - and tried them separately - spoonful by spoonful, to really taste the differences. The Edamame Hummus has a unique flavor and texture with tahini and garlic. The Beet features roasted beets blended with labneh and garlic and topped with pistachio and feta. The Smoked Eggplant with peppers and balsamic rounds out the 3 with a deep, smoky flavor and a soft, smooth texture. I always look for 'classic' Spanakopita these days, but rarely find it. The dish at Almyra was labeled 'Spanakopita Manti' - I asked my server, what that was. She said it was a favorite of hers, a fried 'flower shaped' pastry filled with blended spinach and feta, served with tzatziki and leeks. I ordered them and they were heavenly - lightly battered, crispy fried 'flowers', with a creamy spinach center, that tasted exactly like spanakopita should. I dipped every bite in the creamy tzatziki and thoroughly enjoyed the appetizer! While pork is the most popular meat in Greece, lamb is a dish served on special occasions and holidays. I 'discovered' lamb in Greece, as I hadn't ordered it that often when I would go out to eat....specifically the lamb chop. Almyra has a great lamb chop! It's seared on the grill - and I do mean seared - the deep char definitely adds to the flavor. The 3 large chops are Australian lamb, herb marinated for days highlighting the flavor of the meat. They are seasoned with sea salt, cracked pepper and olive oil for a tender finish. I like my meat pink inside - not red or rare. Cooking lamb chops medium to medium well is no small feat, yet the meat was cooked exactly the way I liked. They were tender and very juicy. These chops may have been some of the thickest I've had - and I made the 'mistake' of trying to eat them with a fork and knife. Wrong! If you order chops, you 'MUST PICK THEM UP' and eat them! What a difference!! The meat just came right off the bone and it enhanced both the texture and flavor! I'm not sure why eating them off the bone was so different, but I can't emphasize it enough - and, it's a lot more fun! Part of the treat when you order ribs are the 'layered potato fries' you get with them! These aren't your ordinary fries, in fact, they're really not fries - they are little potato masterpieces! The fries are prepared by thinly slicing potatoes and layering them to create a multi layered texture that rocks! They are truly a savory, rich side dish to the lamb chops! After such an epic dinner, I had to order dessert, and the Olive Oil cake immediately caught my eye. It was a two layered cake with a creamy custard like center and a citrus orange topping. It was light and moist, accompanied by a scoop of vanilla gelato resting on a bed of ground pistachio nuts! It was delicious and a wonderful ending to a great meal!

    We went for a happy hour. Server was great and food was honestly well executed minus the…read morespanikopita which though inventive tasted like bad spinach artichoke wantons. Why 1 star? Fine to have a dress code. Fine to enforce it. Not fine to not have staff communicate. We were at a family happy hour and my wife choses to wear a head covering for religious reasons. They asked her politely to remove and she explained. All good. They then came back three times and several times pointed at our table. The last time the bouncer scoffed when we explained. Not cool.

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    Almyra - Bar design fun

    Bar design fun

    Almyra - ALMYRA CHIPS

    ALMYRA CHIPS

    Almyra - Design details

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    Design details

    Malelani Cafe - mediterranean - Updated May 2026

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