Phenomenal food. We didn't make it past the appetizers because they were so good and so filling. They are very generous with their pita! The pita is light and fluffy on the inside. Not like a cake, but more like naan with a slightly stiffer texture. It's got a nice crisp on the exterior and is served with a full inch or so of puff. It comes out of their wood burning stove which you can see from many tables. The hummus was the creamiest I've had in my life. The chili flakes and olive oil complimented the tahini hummus beautifully. We *loved* it. We had the chocolate hazelnut babka with blackberry gelato as well as the orange blossom cheesecake for dessert. Both were unique and oh so yummy! I'd pick the cheesecake over the babka if I had to. The orange blossom granola provided a great contrasting crunch to the dense, but creamy cheesecake. I love the presentation as well. It was served in a glass bowl, not as a slice. FYI, if you go at 5 p.m. on most nights (not Saturday), you can grab a chair at the bar no problem. Ah, and although it was very very busy, we didn't feel rushed and the restaurant is designed such that the sound of many many people clinking their glasses and forks and plates doesn't travel. I had a great intimate dinner despite being in a busy restaurant. read more

What a gem of a spot our friend had recommended we try!The decor, ambiance, staff and food was incredible! Everything we ordered was next level delicious, I just don't think I can ever go back to eating plain hummus. A few of my favorites from the night were; lamb Ragu hummus, muhammara salatim, fattoush salad with feta, and we tried a new menu option but I can't remember what it was called- trust when I say, it was UNREAL. Of course in Denver there was a random blizzard in April and 10/10 would drive in it again to enjoy a delicious dinner with friends! We will be back Safta, thank you for a delicious evening with friends! read more

Holy wow! Just wow. Such an amazing meal. My biggest tip is this - don't fill up on the pita. Don't. You will want to. Even if you aren't a 'bread eater' or if you never eat bread when you go out to eat... you will eat this pita. You will. And it will fill you up with amazing deliciousness and you will have to take your entree home and eat it at midnight or the next day (or so I've heard...). The Harissa chicken is amazing. The hummus is out of this world. The eggplant is awesome. The Tabouleh, the beets, the babaganush, the soup... like wow. Not a bad dish on the menu. Plus the drinks list is out of this world. Highly recommend it. You need to visit! There is a valet or a parking garage, both are easy parking options. And give yourself some time to hang out in the Source lobby. They have curated some really neat things! read more

From check in, cocktails, dinner and dessert this meal was a fantastic experience! Everything we had was amazing! Really loved my toil and trouble drink! I wish I could remember our servers name but she was excellent and so sweet (5:00 reservation 10/30 of a manager is reading this)! read more

Safta - Nana martini and toil and trouble - Middle Eastern Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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The appetizers were out of this world: hummus, falafel and pita with a tomato based side. The plates left us wanting more: lamb flank and Persian rice. Cool ambiance though. read more

Best Mediterranean cuisine I have ever had. The whipped hummus is astounding. They back pita on the premises. Get the crispy eggplant. If you don't like Israeli food this place will change your mind. read more

This review is based on my dining experience Pre-Covid. Very nice restaurant, white table cloth, elegant ambiance with good service. The food is very yummy here, the mahamara and other dips were amazing and tasted just as delicious what I've had in Syria; Lebanon and Dubai. The hummus with meat was also very memorable with the crispy chick peas in there for texture. I was a big fan of that. I went with one other person and we ordered almost the entire menu, got wine and cocktails and dessert for I think around $200 which is a steal. There brunch menu looks amazing. Will update review once I try. Toodles bitches. read more

Safta - Middle Eastern Near Me - Denver, Colorado

One of the best meals we have ever eaten. Impeccable service, and the food! Oh my, like nothing we've ever tasted before. Move over steakhouses, a vegetarian forward Safta is my new fave. We came here for restaurant week and got to enjoy so many amazing dishes that left our taste buds and palates soooo awakened and satisfied. They started us out with warm, fresh baked pita bread that they continue bringing throughout the duration of the meal. With it, traditional tahini hummus (has forever ruined storebought hummus for my entire family), cauliflower hummus, beets with cilantro and fried coriander seeds, baba ganoush (eggplant and dairy), some other side that tasted like roasted red peppers and other delishness. It was almost impossible to choose a favorite. Everything was seasoned perfectly. We enjoyed it with a full bodied Lebanese wine. Next course was morrocan chicken (the server told us they marinate it in wine to get the juicy tenderness), charbroiled cauliflower, and crispy eggplant with goat cheese. Dessert was a coconut, pineapple cake concoction we ate with cappuccinos, which was a good call because it was a little dry on its own. My only critique would be larger tables to more comfortably fit all of the plates, and although my dad really enjoyed dessert, I thought it was a little underwhelming and quite small. It was included in the restaurant week menu. Would have been nice to receive 2. Still worth 5 stars in my book. Cannot wait to go back for a special occasion. The price is steep, but worth it. read more

This is an amazing restaurant. Comfortable, trendy and, most importantly, unbelievable food! We had the best time and truly enjoyed every bite! I highly recommend the charred cabbage, falafel and Ragu hummus! 10/10 recommend! I can't wait to go back! read more

The Safta brunch has been on my brunch "bucket list" forever; finally went today and sadly; left very dissatisfied. The food was good; but just didn't justify the $50/pp price for me, especially when you had to wait in a line of 15 people to get to the entree dishes. The staff was very stand offish; which I guess fit in with the stark, minimalist vibe of the restaurant. No warmth, more a pretentious feel then anything. There are too many other great spots for brunch in Denver with food just as good and diverse at half the price. read more

Amazingly delicious gourmet Middle Eastern food. Fresh pita bread made in a wood fired oven. Gourmet mixed drink selection on the menu created by the chef. Seasonal menu changes periodically. It can be a long way but it's worth going. read more

We had dinner here last Saturday and legitimately everything we ordered was delicious. We started with the salatim and lamb Ragu hummus, all which was delicious. Our favorites were the Labneh and the baba ganoush. We also split the charred cabbage and duck matzo ball soup. We can definitely see this place working for a longer, nicer meal out (which we had), or a quicker and less expensive meal. The environment works for both! Our only constructive feedback would be to keep the pita coming. With a meal of some many dips, we felt like we had to keep asking and felt bad doing so, rather than invited to eat more. Highly recommend! read more

Safta - Middle Eastern Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Oh. My. Lord. This place is the one of the best meals of my life. Lamb hummus: creamy, salty, goodness with PERFECT pita. Pickled veggies: great to cut the creaminess of the meal. Cauliflower: thing was like candy. Order early, it takes a while to get to you. Labneh: sour, tangy, creamy goodness. Persian rice. Holy shit. Toasted buttery rice with the sweet cherries Halumi: Buttery and cheesy Butternut squash: Tasted like candy. OMG so good. Also, all the deserts are good. Amazing Labneh Cheesecake. Service was top notch, views were nice, and the ambience is casual but SO DELICIOUS read more

Amazing variety of food. Tasty and service was great. Cool location, lots of light and walls that open up, easy parking in garage. The only "complaint"....tables too small for all the yummy food that arrived. Great sharing dishes. Top notch experience! read more

Perfect pita. I know this sounds weird but just wait til you cradle it in your hand and tear off a hot piece yourself. Ambiance is also fantastic. read more

Love love love this restaurant. Unique, creative, consistently pleasing. Their bread is dangerously good-- but don't fill up on it. There are too many exquisite little plates to test and try. read more

Super cute location and really yummy food. You have to get all the different dips. They do everything family style which is nice so you can taste a little bit of everything. 10/10 would recommend going if you haven't been. read more

Best Mediterranean and Israeli food I've experienced outside of Israel and Middle East. I actually also had the Persian rice which was absolutely perfect. It's like a little dish of tahdig with the cherries in top. The service was excellent and the ambiance perfect. I can't wait to go back to Denver again. I'm just sad that the cauliflower dish is no longer on the menu. Please bring that back! read more

My wife is Greek American. We know great Mediterranean food when we find it. This is it. All of the spreads were super creamy and awesome. The pita bread comes out hot and fresh from the oven shortly before you get it. But not only is the food great, the service is spot on. This place runs like clockwork. The only really minor quibble we had was that we felt like the salad dressing was a tad too salty, but your taste may vary. Anyway, very highly recommended and we wish we lived a lot closer! Tip generously, as they pool the tips and everyone we saw were hustling like champs. read more

I went to Safta for a Sunday brunch and was not disappointed. Live music can be heard coming from the courtyard, and the dining area is filled with soft indirect sunlight. Beautifully decorated with soft pinks and roses imagery, green houseplants and custom water glasses. The waitstaff on my particular brunch wasn't familiar with the menu items, but was friendly and accommodating. She kept our table supplied with their delicious and hearty homemade pita breads and helped us order the perfect mount of food for six. Admittedly I have not been interested in hummus for the past few years. This is because I have been traumatized by Sabra and other cheap, flavorless, over salted hummus brands. The hummus at Safta is a completely different food than what I was used it. It is light, creamy, with a beautiful almost translucent shine. We had one with mushrooms that was off the charts. In addition to hummus, the other shareable dips and things were all fabulous and filling. Swimming in wonderful, flavorful olive oil, all of my Mediterranean food dreams were fulfilled. Certainly worth a try, good for a date or brunch with a friend or even coworker, Safta is a thoroughly pleasant experience. read more

My husband, friends, and I dined at Safta for the first time last night, and we all really enjoyed the cuisine. The ambiance of the restaurant and presentation of the dishes were beautiful. As a Persian who recently moved to Denver from Orange County, CA, I had yet to taste authentic mediterranean/middle eastern food out here until last night. I was truly impressed by the pita bread, cheese borekas and Persian rice, and would go back just for those three things. We tried several different plates, but those were easily our favorites. The only reason I didn't give this place five stars is because their dessert was underwhelming - we tried their baklava and apple pie babka, both of which were not great. Regardless, we will be going back for the food soon. Highly recommend. read more

Wow! This place was great! If you love creative Israeli food, this is the spot. We ordered: Mushroom hummus 5/5 Baba ghanoush 4.5/5 Pita 5/5 - excellent Cauliflower hummus 4/5 Fried halloumi 2/5 - the potential was so high on this dish. I think we really just wanted the halloumi grilled. Charred cabbage - 6/5 - so, so good. The muhammara on its own was delightful, and the cabbage is really well done. Don't sleep on it! Falafel - 4.5/5 - fresh, flavorful! Chocolate babka with ice cream - 4/5 - great pairing! The jam sauce distracted from the flavors of the babka and ice cream, but they were great otherwise. Service was prompt, friendly, and amazing. Our water glasses were never empty and our bellies left full and happy. read more

Wow wow wow I loved this place so much. The ambiance, the food, the service... As a gluten free person I felt welcome and free to enjoy the best things Safta had to offer. My favorite items were the wood roasted mushroom hummus and the whipped feta. Came here for a non-traditional brunch and will definitely be back with how welcome I felt. All good vibes. read more

Bottomline: Wind and wend your way through The Source marketplace to ascend to this gem of a restaurant with nice views and great food! DRANX: Not to be undersold, the playful variations on classics using inspiration from the kitchen are a nice addition to your meal. FOOD: Beginning with the hummus (go decadent or go home) and continuing into lush desserts with small plates and larger plates in between, Safta never misses a beat. You're left with a hefty bill (not your everyday casual joint) but it'll have been well worth it. THE STORY: Alon Shaya comes to Denver by way of New Orleans after parting ways from a toxic yet award-winning restaurant partner who was outed in the #metoo movement. In many ways, Denver represents a breath a fresh air and Shaya's culinary prowess is a welcome addition to the burgeoning RiNo neighborhood. read more

Truly outstanding food, this might ruin all future Middle Eastern cuisine for me (in a good way). :)

OMG, is Safta so good! An important addition to Denver's burgeoning food scene. Had the pleasure of dining there last night with a large group hosted by James Beard honored chef Alon Shaya, who talked about his journey as a chef (he was joined by his High School home economics teacher, who helped turn his life around and now works with him on his philanthropic activities to introduce at-risk youth to the culinary arts). It was a pre-set family style meal so can't describe all dishes but what we had makes me hunger for more: the fluffy charred pita, the hummus with ground lamb, baba ganoush, hummus with tahini, lutenitsa, labneh, assorted pickled vegetables, crispy eggplant, Moroccan carrot salad, harissa roasted chicken, and the whole roasted cauliflower head with whipped feta. All in a beautiful modern space in the new Source Hotel with excellent service. Will absolutely return - I suspect many times. read more

Safta - Middle Eastern Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Wow, was seriously impressed with this place! My husband who HATES hummus was mopping up the last bit of hummus up with a piece of those hot out of the oven pita breads that flow freely onto your table. We also really enjoyed the Lutenitsa eggplant starter with the pita bread. We shared the Chicken Schnitzel and the Cabbage special and everything was delicious. The schnitizel had homemade everything on it, I joked that I was surprised they didn't make the plate in the back too :) The cabbage was hearty and something a little different for your palette. The service was top-notch without being overbearing and we can't wait to go back and try more menu items. The seating is so light and airy with so many windows overlooking the Source and the rose and white table settings were seriously adorable. Keep it up Safta! read more

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Do yourself a favor and run, don't walk, to Safta as fast as you can while you can still grab a seat. I've been there three times in the last month, often enjoying the same dishes, and I never tire of them. The food is made to be shared and trust the server's advice. For four people; 1 hummus (lamb ragu is my go to), 3 salatims, 1-2 small plates and a large dish or 3 small plates depending on your hunger level. I find the server to be impeccable and this is coming from someone trained at white table cloth establishments in the Hamptons & NYC. I have a food intolerance and the servers are very knowledgable about each dishes' ingredients. Also, I can consume a gallon of water during dinner, literally, not figuratively, and my glass is never empty for long. I brought my great aunt & uncle, whom are in their 80s, never had kids, and consider themselves foodies since they dine out often, and they were blown away by Safta. I'm grateful Alon decided to open a restaurant in Denver to escape NO's brutal summer humidity. My only complaint...hummus is ruined for me, I do not want to eat it anywhere else. read more

What a great spot! Came here with no reservations on a Saturday night but luckily there were some spots at the bar. First off, I love that they have wine from Israel! I don't think I've ever seen that before. We had the crab hummus, shakshuka, fried eggplant, falafel and then my companions split the lamb. Everything was delicious except the falafel. It was too hard and not very well flavored so that was a disappointment. We all LOVED the eggplant, it's definitely a must. The pita bread was delicious too and they kept it coming throughout the meal. I really like the Source and I'm happy to see such a great restaurant here! read more

A friend gave me a gift card to Safta for my birthday and it took a while to use it, but it was so worth it. Their chicken was well seasoned and perfectly cooked, the lamb raggu hummus was flavorful and I'm still craving more of their pita. Also, who knew cauliflower and cabbage could have so much flavor?! I was genuinely skeptical that their food would translate to delivery and pleasantly surprised - the portion sizes were large and we had plenty of food for the rest of the week. Can't wait to order again. read more

Amazing! The whole experience is a factor. I love all The flavors in this cuisine. Cannot wait to come back soon read more

Nothing new to add to the glowing reviews Safta gets regularly. Their attention to detail is impeccable. I am also incredibly fond of a well-trained and attentive staff and Safta is the best in town by far. I always come for my birthday meal and I cannot imagine changing that tradition anytime soon. read more

Oh safta how I love thee. So good every time. As a New Yorker I can say, Worth every penny. Impeccable service. Make a reservation. The carrot entree is out of this world... we always get the breads and dips also. My bf didn't like his wine and they immediately changed it for one that fit his taste better. We went back for our anniversary and they did not disappoint. It's very clean in decor and literally. I love this place. read more

We were not able to get in for dinner on our short visit to Denver so we stopped in for lunch and it was divine. Great Tom Collins, amazing Matzo soup and the pitas were the best I have ever had. Pickles and dips were all flavorful but subtle, nothing in the entire meal was too strong or too weak. All in all a near perfect meal. Only slight downside was the duck in the soup. It was so tasty but I wonder if it really had to be confit. Several pieces were just skin/fat without any browning and were not palatable at all. I just ate around them and was very happy with the soup so it didn't matter much. read more

Don't Believe The Hype! For starters, our service was subpar, we were placed at an inferior table with blank walls in the back. Incidentally, the four of us were dressed better than most in the restaurant, sport coats and women had dresses. More than half of the diners were dressed real casually. Our dinner took nearly 3 hours and our waitress never even gave us our check, didn't see her for the final hour. We had to ask for the check from a bus person. I was also poured a glass of wine equal to about 3-4 ounces. Definitely a short pour that should have been noticed. The valet situation also can be improved - asking for $7 cash on our way out is tacky. Will not be back! read more

A NOLA-Based friend recommended Safta, from Alon Shaya. "Safta" is "Grandmother" in Hebrew, and this is your grandmother's restaurant...if your grandmother wears Chanel No. 5 and listens to Trip-Hop. I WILL return, for three reasons. First, the food. See below. Who doesn't like good food and cocktails? Second...per Mr. Shaya, "Israeli Food" means a lot. Israel, like the USA, has a large immigrant population - not just the Levant, but Russia, Central Europe, Mexico, Ethiopia, even the USA. With so many climates and food traditions...I'm excited to anticipate how the menu will change with the seasons. There is a LOT to love about New Orleans...but "Seasons" isn't one of them. There's "Summer," "Still Summer," "Football Season," and "Mardi Gras." I'm sure Israeli food in the Russian tradition works with Denver winters. Finally, Mr. Shaya's new venture comes from parting ways with John Besh. The less said about Mr. Besh, the better...but suffice to say Mr. Shaya wants to create a more humane restaurant environment. This puts him at the intersection of multiple trends; including Denver's boom which has made capable service people hard to find. I asked each person (probably half a dozen in total), and they really enjoy working with Mr. Shaya, who prioritizes staff development. This is your benefit as a diner: You'll feel, as we did, like you're having a meal with your friends. You really can tell if people are happy. Shout out to Callie, from Chicago. She's the one with the dreds. Ask to be seated in her section! Trade hiking stories, and Denver insider tips with her. See also the "Dining with Friends" comment. Soooo...food time. What's food without cocktails? The first round was a Negev (Tequila, Violet Liqueur, pomegranate, and "Baharat," a mix of spices similar to Moroccan Ras Al-Hanaout.) Do ask for your drink to be served with a rock of ice (one cube, 1.5" on a side) instead of cubes...the drink may get thin if not); and a "Milk of the Poppy" (vodka, labneh [yogurt with water removed. Think Mediterranean clotted cream], yerba mate, peach, rose syrup). Both were good, but when my date tasted the Negev, her eyes lit up. I gave her my drink (she's prettyand blonde...don't judge....). Which led to Round #2, "Shadow of the Equinox," mezcal, smoked Turkish peppers, grapefruit. They hadn't infused the Turkish pepper (which is like Hungarian smoked paprika or Mexican chipotles)...and the one they served me had cardamom syrup. Cardamom is smoky....and went well with the smoky Mezcal. Editorial comment - remember that thing about the Jewish Diaspora? Hooray for Emperor Titus...1,950 years later, I get a good meal.... Apps...DO get the small plates. We did 3 for $21; more would have been better. Bring friends. We had the: Watermelon and Bulgarian Feta. Oh. My. God. If you've only tried watermelon as a sweet, trust me on this.....The caramelized Walnuts and creamy, savory feta are good..but the cumin-infused olive oil is what makes this special. In the Western culinary tradition, we know cucumber as savory...but the watermelon works. Labneh...I thought this was a cheese...but it's a creamy, savory thickened yogurt. It's really good on the abundant Pita bread. Sidebar on the Pita....to me Pita has always been a tough, flavorless tortilla that you tolerate because of the Falafel and the Raita. Trust me...the love child of Naan and focaccia? Yep, it's that. Did I mention "Wood Fired"? They will bring you Pitas until you tap out. Lutenitsa....even if you hate Eggplant.. you'll never know it is there. You'll notice the red peppers, the sweetness, and the richness of the olive oil. And the Umami that only eggplant brings.... Mains: Crispy Eggplant - the menu lists this as with "tomato and goat cheese" which is technically correct...but seriously.. a Rolls Royce is "a car," right? I don't know how they did this, but the eggplant is amazingly creamy, and not bitter at all. The goat cheese is strongly thyme-scented, which works well with the tanginess of the chevre. Shakshouka - yes, the hangover cure. Eggs poached in a spicy tomato bell pepper sauce, with Jerusalem artichokes (kind of potato, but not starchy). Dessert: Halveh - Fudge, but made with nuts instead of chocolate. It has cardamom whipped cream; and grilled peaches. Constructive idea - more smoke flavor on the peaches would have been fine. Malabi = Panna Cotta. Strawberry syrup and pistachios. This would have been insane with pinenuts (nod to New Mexico) and berries or stone fruits. Regrets: Wish I'd had room for the falafel; cabbage salad, roasted and scorched cauliflower (which I saw go by the table. Thought about bribing the server for a bite), Persian Rice (with the crispy crust) , and Cabbage Salad (Callie told me it was a lot of wonderful textures, and lighter). I'd love to try the carrot salad. I should have had French Press with dessert. I'll be back. You should, too. read more

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Delicious! First time it was just me had my hubby and we had lamb ragu hummus, eggplant appie, matzo soup and carrot salad. Hummus and pita might be the best we've ever had and the eggplant dish was tasty. Matzo ball soup was mediocre maybe because I have a Jewish mil and she makes the best matzo ball soup ever and the carrot salad was too yogurt forward for our taste. I remember having a Smokey cocktail and it was tasty but definitely more on the sweet side and I prefer my drinks more stiff. Second time we went with friends and got the lamb hummus again cuz it was that good, olives, crispy rice, fried cheese and the lamb shank. The hummus was devoured by all and I'm not an olive person but everyone else enjoyed it. The fried cheese was just okay I've had better. The rice and lamb pairing suggested by our server was so scrumptious we would definitely order that again! My husband got a regular vodka martini and I tried nana's martini off the drink menu. I would not order my drink again as the sweet picking from the onion was too strong and not enjoyable at all. Wish I had gone with my regular vodka martini. We had babka for dessert and the hazelnut gelato on top of the babka was the star of that dish. Wish we could have just gotten a bowl of that gelato lol Overall great restaurant with amazing service. Would definitely go back for our fav dishes and try new dishes. Also there is so much parking at the source hotel and an amazing bar at the source building which is a huge plus read more

Safta is one of my favorites. The service is truly unmatched for attentiveness, care and quality, I have been here three times and each time everyone I interacted with was incredible. For me it's the kind of place I go to on a special occasion rather than for a casual dinner, as it's on the pricer side but consistently does not disappoint. The food is incredible, & the drinks are perfect. The environment is bright, fun, trendy-perfect for a date or special occasion gathering with friends. As long as you order along the lines of flavors you enjoy, you'll have a great time and eat really well. You can't go wrong here! read more

So, this review is super late. We went here back in August, August 29th to be exact. We came here for dinner on a weeknight. This place is so amazing, we're coming back tomorrow for lunch with some friends. I can't remember the name of the items we had but I do have pictures. Such a great dining experience. Don't be intimidated by the menu, you may not know a lot of the items but the staff can help you. I don't think there is anything on the menu that you'd be disappointed by. Go in with an open mind. Can't wait to go back tomorrow and try some of their other items. read more

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Service industry professional. I was blown away. Impeccable. Excellent food, fantastic service. Cocktails and wine selection were well done. It's obvious everyone in the building is passionate and cares. read more