We arrived before a show on a Wednesday night; around 5:30-6 pm. They weren't overly busy but had a respectable crowd for downtown.
After being seated our server promptly introduced himself; nametag and all! (Major plus for me, as I always have trouble with new people's names.) He took our drink order and returned for our food order; to which we placed our dining fates in his hands and let him decide.
Boy was that the right choice! He ordered the Appetizer Sampler (enough for two) for starters; grape leaves, charred eggplant, hummus, tabbouleh (A+++), cucumber slices and tomato wedges. Phenomenal!
For our entrees he ordered the Kabob Platter (Sampler) I never knew there were so many different kinds of skewered meats! It wasn't so much the species variety but the preparations. For instance; the lamb cubes were lightly seasoned and the lamb flavor came through beautifully, the gyro meat was a delicious blend of spices and meats I've rarely seen done so deliberately, and yet there was still a lamb patty kabob, and a lamb "loaf" kabob as well as three different chicken options AND a lamb chop. Enough for two?! Enough for four really; but we are almost everything and had to try desserts.
Man oh man am I glad we did! We had their house made Tiramisu (great presentation & taste) but I cannot rave enough about their traditional dish named "Kunefe". If you're a fan of cheese such as I am; you HAVE to try this dessert. The best way to describe it is with what their menu describes it: "Homemade, oven baked angel hair dough with fresh mozzarella, butter and house syrup. Topped with walnuts. (Optional)." It does take 15-20 minutes but OMG it is worth every freaking minute. I wanted to take it with me to the show; run up on stage and tell the whole theater they needed to eat this! Wonderful food, great service, pleasant music, and that dessert will have me back for more!
This was the second time my friends and I ate at Alihan's before going to the Benedum for a show. The food is awesome. We love the grilled veggies and the Chef Borek is to-die-for! My lamb shish kabob was so tender and perfectly seasoned, it tasted like filet mignon. The rice pilaf was also excellent. The side salad was disappointing - a better dressing is needed - tasted very bland. We also like the reasonable prices and the BYOB option. Overall, I give Alihan's a 4.8/5.0 rating and will definitely return.
Beautiful restaurant. The bread smelled like it was baked with love! So much of the menu sounded so good I just wanted to try it all.
This place has what is probably some of the most comfortable outdoor seating I have sat in for a meal. Everything was rich, colorful and refreshing.
We had dinner at Alihan’s on a weeknight, and the place was very busy. If you are planning to go for dinner before a theatre event you are best to make reservations! They are always busy in show nights. Staff was very friendly and attentive. The food was great. There are lots of vegetarian options available, and it’s easy for vegans to eat here too. Lots of flavour!
But it’s the little things that make this place great: the table cloths, dishes and general attention to detail give dinner here a fine European feel.
I had Turkish tea with my dinner which is a little against tradition and more in line with Thai traditions. We were served beautiful fresh bread and olive tapenade before dinner. Our main was rice and grilled food in tomato sauce, mine vegetarian, my husband with lamb. Dessert was Turkish coffee (espresso like) and Turkish delights with nuts. All nicely served and delicious.
With a lovely dinner like that you expect to be floored with the bill, but this is a reasonably priced diner. Great value!!! Great experience!!!
Beautiful restaurant. The food was delicious. The food is Halal, by the way! The Turkish bread was probably my favourite. Staff was very nice.
This was hands down the best turkish food i got to experience. We came in to visit this weekend and would 10/10 recommend this place
Honestly wasn’t sure how what to expect , but we were so happily impressed! The food was delicious and it was a very enjoyable patio. The fresh bread they made was also so ridiculously good it was hard to stop eating to not ruin your appetite. Zee was our server and she kept checking on us to see if she could get us anything and was quick to something we asked for.
The higher quality of the food was not expected for the prices! Definitely recommend this cute spot with yummy food!
Also, it’s BYOB but they do offer a complimentary glass of wine!
Ambience is nice and welcoming.
We ordered chicken soup which was very bland and watery.
Otherwise starter bread, chicken sautee with cream was delicious.
Gyro platter was also decent.
Serving size was generous.
Had apple tea at the end which I thought would taste like turkish flavored tea but it was a regular apple tea, bit strong and came in a good sized mug as opposed to delicate glass tea cup.
Overall good experience. Will definitely recommend.
Stopped in for lunch on Saturday before a show at the Benedum. Service was great. Food was amazing. Highly recommended. I ordered the chicken adana kebab. My wife ordered the doner kebab. We both had Turkish Tea. Also served with warm bread and a dipping oil.
I have been to this place numerous places and tried almost everything on the menu! food is always good, especially all the cold appetizers, kabobs, and desserts. The service most of the time is lacking tho. staff are extremely friendly and nice, but it happened on a few occasions that they forget the order, bring the wrong drink, etc. I would give a solid 5 if they improve the service and have more upbeat music ;)
Delicious food. We had the mix cold appetizer plate, lentil soup and falafel. Great vegan options. BYOB if you want. I had the cucumber lemon water which was yummy. We shared the baklava and Turkish coffee which was very tasty in a beautiful coffee cup. Our server was fantastic very attentive. The atmosphere is small but intimate. We went before a show and timing along with location was perfect. We would go back.
The service was excellent! Was greeted and served by attentive staff. I ordered the tabbouleh and really enjoyed it. Then I ordered the lamb kabobs that i thought was good. They said it was one ifbthe more popular dishes. I think that is why I settled in 4 stars in that it was just that.
The restrooms were clean and accessible. I want to visit again to see if maybe I should be rounding up to 5 stars!
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