Zubaan - Middle-Eastern Kitchen — Restaurant in Bengaluru

Offbeat Critique: Unveiling the hidden gems and what can improve.

Taste & Presentation(8/10) Service & Ambience(7.5/10) Value for Money(9/10) Additional Offerings(7/10) Overall Recommendation(8.5/10)

Zubaan: A Middle Eastern Oasis with Room for Improvement. Zubaan offers a taste of the Middle East in a cozy and atmospheric setting. While the food remains a highlight, the service has seen some recent dips. Zubaan truly charms me with its unique details. The hexagonal green windows cast a soft glow, the lighting is perfectly cozy, and the music selection creates a wonderfully intimate atmosphere. Plus, it's never overly crowded, making it a haven for relaxation.

Offbeat Critique Pro-Tip: Seeking solitude and inspiration? Head to Zubaan during the afternoons. Grab a window seat to soak in the world while you write, and request a cup of tea while you wait for your delicious meal.

Flavorful and Fresh (Taste & Presentation): The star of the show remains the food. Expect fresh ingredients and authentic flavors (8/10). Presentation is generally good.

Cozy Ambiance with a Caveat (Service & Ambience): The ambience is a double-edged sword. Zubaan boasts a beautiful, dimly lit space with dreamy music and incense sticks adding a touch of mystique (great for a date night, especially by the window during rain!). However, service has seen a decline in recent years (7.5/10). Staff used to be attentive and friendly, but I'ce seen that change lately. Additionally, the complimentary tea for waiting guests seems to have been discontinued.

Great Value (Value for Money): Zubaan offers delicious food at reasonable prices, making it a budget-friendly option for Middle Eastern fare (9/10).

Limited Extras, Big on Atmosphere (Additional Offerings): The menu focuses primarily on core Middle Eastern dishes, with a smaller selection of additional options (7/10). Don't expect a vast drinks menu or extensive vegetarian choices. However, the atmosphere makes up for it – the music, lighting, and incense create a unique experience.

Overall Recommendation (Overall Recommendation): If you're looking for authentic Middle Eastern flavors and a beautiful ambience, Zubaan is a good choice, especially for a date night (8.5/10).

Must-Try Dishes: Cream soup, Falafel roll, and the Veg Mezze Platter (minus the spinach samosa, if you prefer)

Frequency of Visit: I've been to Zubaan...

This is a newly opened place that serves some fantastic Arabian fare. I went here with some friends on a weekday.  The ambiance is really relaxed with slow music playing in the background. They even have English translations of some nice books on shayaris and poems which is a nice touch.

Coming to the food, we tried a lot of items from the extensive menu. Started off with a lentils soup which was very warm and comforting. We were told they serve an all day breakfast,so we tried some items from that as well like shakshouka, avocado toast, baleelat and smashed potatoes. Shakshouka is a Maghrebi dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion and garlic, commonly spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. Really enjoyed it here. Another interesting dish was Baleelat which had sweet vermicelli and an omelette, alongwith some fresh fruits and hummus on the side. In mains we tried cold mezze platter, hot mezze platter and mix grill platter. Absolutely loved the mixed grill platter. The wings and kebabs were simply droolicious. Mezze platter is also really well prepared. They serve a Turkish dip called Muhammara which is quite  punchy and leaves you asking for more. Toum and hummus and also quite tasty and one of the finest I have had.

Ended the meal with baklava and Umm Ali. Baklava was flaky and an absolute delight. Umm Ali which translates to Mother of Ali is a traditional Egyptian bread pudding made wit pastry, sugar, milk, nuts and raisins. Really interesting dish and it was first time that I tried it out.

Overall, the place surely does justice to the food it serves. Really authentic flavours, relaxed vibes, some books to glance or read through and great service are some of the major ticks for it. Do check it out at the earliest. Highly...

Cafe Zubaan, a newly launched Arabic restaurant in the heart of the city, Koramangala is so unique that it definitely stands out from the rest of the Cafés out there! By far the best middle east cafe that left my soul so satisfied as I have been in search of such a place since my last trip to Turkey & Dubai and I finally found the top notch cafe offering that - and why?! Since, the flavor of each dish I tasted was authentic, with high quality presentation, service & inventiveness. Their extensive menu, the team's passion & dedication exhibits in every bite you take. With so many middle eastern cusines restaurants being opened, it is quite hard to find a competitive niche in that market and Cafe Zubaan definitely nailed that part - How?! The cozy ambiance and the sufi music completely left me delighted alongside the staff who were extremely courteous & sincere towards the serving. (I always believe service plays a key role in any restaurant) Top - notch restaurant, in every aspect of the operations having professional touch to their decor to food to them music & yet having such a serene vibe! Not to forget the time spent flew here with my foodie friends which makes a great place to hang out with your friends or just sit by yourself to enjoy that wholesome meal with great collection of authentic books they have! (Book readers and mystique Arabic music lovers must visit) Do yourself a favour and visit/order from this lovely restaurant and be assured it'll make your day. A treat that you shouldn't miss! What all I tried and loved? Cold Mezze Platter, Hummus Beiruti, Samosas (spinach, chicken & lamb), Hot Mezze Platters, Habbat Al Hamra, Saudi Champagne, Um Ali, Baklava What do I highly...