Cafe Mediterranean — Restaurant in Cincinnati

Above average food, but some of the worst service I have ever received from the owner.

My wife and I were looking for a place to celebrate our first anniversary and found a Groupon for Cafe Mediterranean. It sounded fine, so we got the Groupon and made a reservation on the restaurant's website. After driving 30 minutes there, we arrived. I was sure to mention that we're using Groupon before ordering. The owner explained that he couldn't honor it because he needs our reservation to be over the phone and at least a day in advance so he can work it out. He continued to push us to eat there that night and come back another time to use the Groupon. I was upset that we couldn't make a reservation for later that night at an empty restaurant, but that's fine.

I called to make a reservation the next day we had free. The owner explained they were booked between 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., so we got in at 5:00 p.m. When we first walked in, he was sure to remind us that we should have eaten last time. He then asked if we just get Groupons for everywhere. I explained that it's how we try new places, but he told us that we should go to the restaurant first and then use a Groupon to continue going. It sounds reasonable, but his tone and attitude were rude.

He didn't interact with us at all again until the end of the meal, at which point I went to use the Groupon. He informed me that my Groupon was only good Monday through Thursday and that it was my fault for not reading closer. He refused to work out a solution (a discount? an apology? actually going out of his way for a customer during a slow night?), and instead angrily explained why it's all my fault.

I don't deny that I should have read the fine print more carefully, but his service was awful. If he doesn't like Groupons, stop...

Wow. This restaurant is a hidden gem in Cincinnati. How have I not heard about this restaurant or been here before today?! My husband and I decided at the last minute that we were craving Mediterranean food and wanted to try somewhere new because we still hadn't found a favorite spot in the city. Well, we found it today.

The service was wonderful. We came at a slow time in the day, around 3:00 and we're the only customers when we got there, which was perfect for our first visit because we were able to get extra time to learn about the menu and recommended dishes.

Everything we ordered was flavorful and prepared perfectly. Obviously what I'm about to say is comparing different cuisines, but the flavors of these dishes were at the level of meals we've had in France, or restaurants of celebrity chefs like Tom Colicchio's CraftSteak in Vegas or Gordon Ramsay's flagship restaurant in London.

We started with the Cold Appetizer Sampler (we both wanted to order a second one it was so good), Spinach Pide (cheesy doughy goodness), Doner Gyros Kebab (wow, even the carrots were delicious--I've never said that a carrot is delicious!), Swordfish Kebab (my husband got this one and loved it), and just when I thought it couldn't get better and I was too full to enjoy more food we decided to get the Pistachio Baklava. I don't have any superlatives left without repeating what I said about the rest of the meal, but it was amazing and delicious, definitely the best baklava I've had in my life and one of the best desserts of all.

We will...

Thank you to the lovely owner, Fahri, and his gracious staff. My boyfriend and I went here for our Valentine’s Day dinner. It was his second time going, and he wanted me to experience the incredible service he remembered so well from his first time. It was a beautiful restaurant, mindfully designed, lit, and the booths and tables created a feel of privacy. Our appetizer was the acili ezme(salad), followed by our three entrees we ordered — the salmon, lamb shank, and lamb kebab. We had multiple of the the featured cocktail — The V&V(vermouth and vodka - so refreshing), and had their delicious variation of flan for dessert. The dessert was cut in a heart-shape! Fahri served us a complimentary Turkish hot tea, followed by complimentary champagne! We felt wonderful, and it created a perfect dessert experience. Finally, on top of everything else, my attentive server gave me a rose! 🌹 I truly felt like a princess in that moment — it was honestly like a fairytale. It was one of the best nights - with some of the best food - I have had in awhile, and I will never forget it. Thank you all for creating such an inviting space filled with love! Warm wishes, and we will be back for more of that...