On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Real People. Real Reviews.®
Category: Middle Eastern [Edit]
1206 Seymour St
My problem with Nuba is that I always seem to get the same THINGS! Oh well - I just go through craving the tasty food ... and when I get in the doors no matter what else I want to get ....
Deluxe chicken falafel and a side of crispy cauli. YUM. The flavors are superb, the portions are good, the food is healthy, and the people are great. I've never waited that long for food. I just have to get off my obsessive train of recent and eat other stuff :P.
The space is inviting and it's nice to be able to just run in and order at the counter or have table service and take it easy.
Nice atmosphere, playing the Talking Heads and generally a nice looking spot, if a little on the small side.
Ethical food choices available, and they have exclusively vegan menu items unless otherwise indicated. The staff was friendly and the food came quickly. I'll be back for sure!
Bummed that Fritz was closed on Monday, my handy dandy Yelp iPhone app told me that Nuba Cafe was nearby. I'd eaten at Nuba Restaurant a couple nights prior and loved it, so Nuba Cafe was a trusted choice.
A smaller menu similar to their restaurant and just as good. Their garden falafel was perfection. Probably the best falafels I've ever had.
Healthy, filling, delicious food and friendly service. I'll be back.
While in the 'Couver a couple months ago, this was one of the first restaurants we stopped off (it was close to our hotel downtown and had a plethora of vegetarian options for one my fellow travelers).
This is a smallish sort of restaurant with only a few tables in the dining area. When we were there it was run by some people way cooler and more stylish than I (hmmm....not hard for one to do, so sorry for the non-compliment).
But yeah, their menu was extensive, unique, & interesting.
A few questions were asked and answered efficiently.
I went with the falafel plate.
I quickly nabbed a small counter-height table for three. Here is where we dined as we soaked in our feelings of city-newness.
************************
A Cerebral Sidenote:
************************
A memory I still have: being introduced to Canadian musician, Caribou. They were blasting it from their iPod, and something from the song pulled me like a Death Star tractor beam. I asked 'em who it was and they obliged: http://www.youtube.com...
The food was fresh, well prepared, and tasted wonderful. Kudos to you. I recommend this to meat eaters who want sustainable food and vegans who want clearly marked menus and delicious options.
I come from a Middle Eastern family, so I have been eating this sort of food my whole life and have had some amazing arabic food cooked for me by my grandparents
As for Nuba, it was only OK. It wasn't terrible and I wouldn't refuse to go back, it just wasn't that great
I had the Lamb Kibbeh which was edible. Not authentic at all. The houmous that came with it was not the good either and I do think that you should serve warm pitta rather than cold pitta with the plate
This is not an authentic restaurant, so if you are looking for that then look elsewhere. If you have eaten in the Middle East or even in Brooklyn then you will be disappointed with this
Nuba is consistently one of the best lunches in Vancouver.
Hearty, flavorful, delicious, healthy, the list goes on.
You may walk by their small space and glance at the crowded tables inside and wonder why, and you may stop in another time and discover Nuba for yourself. This is a great spot for just about all types of eaters, especially those who are health-conscious; it's not easy to find affordable, thoughtful, food.
Check the lamb pita, chicken tawook, falafel, etc.
You won't be disappointed.
A+
The Nuba Café is by no means the same thing as the main Nuba restaurant down on Hastings street, but that is not meant to be a slag towards the place at all.
The location is small and quaint, and more of a cafeteria style than your regular sit down restaurant which is just fine if you're in the mood for a quick lunch or take out dinner.
On our last visit to the café I ordered the Garden Falafel which was stuffed with greens, tomato, avocado and hummus. Priced at $7 it was more then enough food to leave me feeling full and satisfied. My girlfriend was feeling a bit more carnivorous than I was that day and had the deluxe toasted pita with chicken, feta, taboulleh and caramelized onions.
But what makes this one of our favourite quick, and healthy, lunch/dinner spots is the fact you pay up front at the till. No sitting around aftwerward waiting for the bill to arrive, no waiting for your credit card to be processed, and no awkwardly calculating the tip while the server hovers about. And of course the food is delicious!
Craving for some hummus and crispy cauliflower, we decided to do some Nuba takeout. I called in, and the order was to be ready in 15 minutes. Sweet.
l got an order of tabouleh, and crispy cauliflower, as well as a lamb kafta plate-grilled grain-fed halal lamb patty, seasoned with onions, parsley, & spices, and he got a lamb kibbeh, which is also the lamb patty, vegetables, pinenuts,burghul & aromatic spices. All their plates are served with taboulleh, hummus, salad, hot sauce, pita &
choice of organic brown rice or roasted potatoes.
I arrived 20 minutes later and the food was all ready. I like it when places give you an accurate ETA.
The food was nice and hot, and the 'plates' came in a nice large box, with all the Nuba goodness. Delicious hummus, and the lamb patties were very tasty. It was the perfect way to end my week. My only complaint is that there were only 6 pieces of the crispy cauliflower. I wanted more!!
I was on a Lebanese craving week..and decided to come here on the weekend for a quick lunch.
There's…
Read more »
A unique and modern approach to Middle Eastern/Lebanese food.
Good for vegetarians (my wife) bad for meat-a-tarians (me).
I ordered the lamb kebbeh for $12. Wonderfully cooked roasted potatoes, amazing tabbouleh, and above average hummus. Now for the lamb kebbeh. Ridiculously small portion (2 mini burger sized patty -maybe even smaller) and very dry and unappealing patties.
Come on Nuba...There is so much competition in this city. I need more meat for the bling-blingage.
Dissapointed with the 10 min wait for takeout. However, I appreciate cooked-to-order food, and the music was cool enough to keep my A.D.D. at bay.
Fantastic foolproof falafels! One of the best I've had ever. Must note that I've had a fair share of falafels here and there. This cozy Lebanese spot was already teethering on 2 stars due to the long wait on our food, despite coming in at an odd hour with only one table ahead of us. But as I snuck a peek at their open kitchen, some potatoes were being roasted on the spot, falafel and lamb fried fresh to order too. My heart jumped a beat, yea, that's my food right there! Okay, forgiven.
Oh but wait, the food arrives, and everything from the lamb, salad, hummus, tabouleh was nice and delicious! I requested the hot sauce on the side, and it was a delight to the taste buds. Not only does everything look fresh, it tasted fresh, full flavoured, and delicious. Well done!
Kudos to the staff for the friendly service, and cognizantly refilling the pitcher of water right by the counter. I will come back, again and again, well worth the wait!
There's something magical about Nuba, or maybe they just know how to use a perfect amount of saffron in their food. I look forward to getting off the bus as I arrive downtown, usually very hungry. i walk into the Cafe to find a slough of awesome vegetarian (and non-vegetarian) dishes to choose from - many of which you can't get at the lower-quality Donair/Falafel shops down Granville.
I'm particularly fond of Najib's special and the Veggie Hushwi.
The only problem with this place is that one sandwich of theirs rarely fills me up until dinner.
The mouse has grown! Nuba has moved out of their shoebox and into a home fit for a Tyrannosaurus-Rat!
http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
Nuba serves up the best tzatziki and tabbouleh I've ever had in my life. It's obvious that they are using proper labneh and not just straining organic yogurt like I am. The baba ganoush and falafel were well above par as well.
We got La Feast (veggie mezze sampler for 2) which came with all of the above as well as hummus, delicious lemony cauliflower, mjadra, sauteed mushrooms, feta, olives, a tiny bit of house salad with perfectly ripe avocado, tahini, and pita. This was a good amount of food for two people at $26, four stars only because there could have been a bit more pita.
Although Nuba has been on my list to try for quite awhile (it's hard to get around to visiting places without liquor licenses, we took our meal to go), I wasn't terribly excited about checking it out today after a hot sunny afternoon of tennis. My tastebuds were certainly surprised by the exceptionally fresh ingredients making the fare at Nuba so so much more than the generic "mediterranean" food that the menu hints at. The sampler that we ordered was the perfect showcase of what Nuba has to offer and now I am excited to return for their variety of vegetarian pitas.
A refreshing, small place right downtown to eat some wholesome & fresh Middle Eastern food. No frills, but the quality of the food they serve stands. Had the Chicken Shishtawook plate at my first visit; the second visit - Lentil soup so good I wanted to dive in & do the backstroke & also the Hummus mezze plate. Very, veryyyy tasty hummus. Had a bite of roasted herb potatoes off my friend's plate which were really delicious too. Good portions, service & decent prices for healthy tasting food with lots of flavour. Love the seats by the window...
I really love it here. They have amazing soups and salads as well as everything else. I love the little shortbread cookies too. The only downside is that it is often really busy so finding a seat can be a challenge. Great music though and overall the staff are pretty amazing too!
All I ever eat here is the chicken shishtawook plate.
Not sure I spelled that correctly, but you'll have no difficulty finding it on the menu. I have no idea what they do to the chicken to make it taste so good. I order the chicken shishtawook plate with brown rice, and I ask them to delete the regular salad in return for extra taboulleh (the regular salad is ho-hum, while the taboulleh is fantastic).
IMO, the ambience at the original location on Hastings (across from Cannabis HQ) beats this location hands-down.
a rare lebanese option in vancouver (the only other one that comes to mind is mona's)
shared a couple of mezzes with a friend.. they are appy size and very reasonably priced for the portion size.. had one lamb kafta and a chicken.. loved the spices and the sauces!
they also have pita size which is around $8 (mezze was around $6).. and they have plate size which is around $12 and comes with a lot of sides and salads and stuff.
ambience is nothing special but food is great so will be back for sure!
Are you looking for low frills, healthy, easy Lebanese in downtown Vancouver? Then the Nuba Cafe is your place.
The interior is not fancy, there are two or three tables, a counter to order and that is about it. but the food is pretty good.
I had an appetizer of falafel and the chicken shish tawook plate with hot sauce. The plate came with hummus, pita bread, extra pita chips, taboulleh, salad and your choice of brown rice or potatoes. I went with the potatoes.
I was really impressed with the whole meal. The chicken was great and I really recommend having the hot sauce since it gives that extra kick. The hummus was good and the pita bread they gave wasn't enough for all of it but if you add in the extra pita chips it was plenty.
There are lots of little Lebanese and mediterranean places in downtown Vancouver but none of the taste and quality of the Nuba Cafe.
I was excited to have some Lebanese food, but it just seemed like typical mediterranean food.. nothing to make it stand out from your average middle eastern food place. You know - felafel, hummus, etc. I've had good Lebanese food before, most notably in Amman, Jordan of all places, and this didn't seem very outstanding. My food was good, but wasn't amazing. I might go back if I was in the neighborhood.
I also want to mention this is a small place with stools and tables - not really a real sit-down restaurant, but more of a place to get a quick bite.
I feel healthy, oh so healthy, I feel healthy and pretty and light. Yep, post lunch here today I felt especially healthy. The chicken shish tawook plate here is beyond amazing! 2 pieces of grilled chicken with absolutely no fat whatsoever, served with choice of rice or potatoes, I opted for them perfectly roasted potatoes, tabbouleh salad, hummus, pita bread, all that for a mere $10. I love this place! Some yelpers may have given the idea that Nuba has moved but no no, this is the original location and they are still here but they did open a bigger restaurant in Hastings. I cannot wait to return to try everything else. The room is small so if you are part of a larger group beware, otherwise order at the counter, sit on down and wait to served by very friendly staff some amazing Lebanese cuisine.
If you're in a hurry and need to take a quick break for a bite to eat, you should really stop by Nuba Cafe. I was really immersed in my work when a huge wave of hunger came over me. (you know how that is when you skip breakfast and now lunch is a "must have") Well, Nuba Cafe did the trick. I was going to grab it to go, but thought, "Hey, why not stay for a bit, it's a cute little place and I deserve a break from work". I had the Organic Red Lentil Soup to start. If you're VERY sensitive to spices I would ask for another kind of soup as this is delicious, but does have a little kick. They offered me a taste beforehand and I thought it would be fine, but the spices build up and add a little sweat to the meal. It was sooo good that I braved through it. The timing was perfect because as soon as I was finishing my soup my Garden Falafel Pita came out. It was a wrap with Mixed Greens, Falafel, Hummus, Avocado, (I think shredded Beet), etc. Simply Delicious! Fresh. Crisp. The Falafel was Hot, the Salad Cool - Perfect! Noticing the time, I then took the other half and started out the door. But as I proceeded to the counter to ask for a paper bag to go, I noticed the little desserts. Well, I just HAD to take the Mamoul to go for later. I barely made it down the street before the bag was opened and several bites were taken. A large dumpling-like Pistaccio filled delite, So, when you get THAT hunger and NEED to get a quick meal, stop by Nuba, you deserve the break!
Nuba is a great alternative to a lot of the quick bites offered in the same area. Fresher, veggie and more hearty than the fry, pizza and donair alternatives, I often head here when I want something lighter for lunch or a snack.
I had no idea, until I read these reviews that Nuba was specifically Lebanese cuisine. It has that kind of commercial drive/hippy vibe that I associate with pita and chickpea so I never thought to link it culturally as well. I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to Lebanese food so I can't hope to compare Nuba to the 'real stuff' but overall I've had good experiences.
I know saying something is 'fresh' means next to nothing but that's what really stands out here. Fresh veggies make every dish pop and knowing that everything is prepared almost from scratch is a nice feeling as well. I like that when its slow you can chat to the chefs and the whole place has a warm atmosphere I appreciate as well.
I don't know that I have a 'favorite' dish as I've really been trying to slowly get through them all. I'd suggest instead to just go, and try it out. Because, like me, if you liked one thing on the menu the rest is pretty pleasing as well.
I usually get the falafel wrap, because it's just so darn good. Love the food here. My only beef is how long the food sometimes takes - most recently, I waited nearly 20 minutes for my wrap, and there was only one other table ahead of me. On the whole, however, I'm a fan. For an almost-Yaletown locale, the price is right, too.
"The best falafels in Vancouver!" is how I was lured here by a friend--a friend who lives in Richmond. And I live three blocks away from this place.
Cheap (a mere $5 a pop, $7 if yours has meat), fast, clean. This place is always full during lunchtime (according to my friend since today was only my first visit) but is definitely worth the wait. The vege was fresh and the falafel-y bit very crispy yet non-greasy.
My one qualm: where's the baba ghanoush!?
This is a wholesome Lebanese casual eatery. A step above the majority of other similar type places in Vancouver. Their housemade hot sauce is a welcome addition to many of their dishes. The way they really differentiate themselves is the freshness of all of the ingredients compared to many other similar type places. You can taste the quality here.
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: Granville Entertainment District
Neighborhood: Kitsilano
Neighborhood: Granville Entertainment District
Neighborhood: West End
My favorite Vancouver restaurants that are worth…
Free travel for eating? These are spots that have…
Loading...
