Arabesque

This restaurant has the most amazing mouth watering delicious homemade food I have ever tasted in Boulder! The owner is sweet and welcoming, it's beautiful inside and feels like Europe. I ordered the hummus, house made grape leaves & tabbouleh - the flavors were incredible and blew me away. Amazing Arabic coffee! I can't wait to return to try the other dishes and baklava. My all time favorite place to eat in Boulder - I 100% recommend!!!!

I recently visited with a friend of mine. The food was good, though I thought it was expensive for what it was. The most disappointing part was the service. We felt rushed and were basically kicked out. We started with an appetizer with the intent on ordering more food, but the server did not give us the opportunity. She asked us if we were all done, didn’t wait for us to respond and instead, took our appetizer plate and brought us the bill. It was lunch time and there was only one other table with customers. It all happened so fast and we were shocked and disappointed by the service. We ended up going someplace else because we were still hungry.

I cannot say enough great things about my dining experience here. Delicious food, drinks and sides. Wonderful value. The restaurant smells delicious and the owner chatted us up and was so kind and welcoming. I felt valued and left satisfied!

Server/owner ruined my family outing by listening in on our conversation and butting in with unwanted negative feedback. If she really wanted to be 'helpful' and justify her automatic 20% tip, she'd have paid more attention to our empty water bottle than to our conversation. Food was fine but small portions for the price.

The fact that this place doesn’t have a 5 star rating is astounding to me. Absolutely phenomenal food, quaint euro vibe atmosphere and the owner is a super woman! I don’t know how she does it all! Seriously, don’t sleep on Arabesque it is absolutely Boulder’s best hidden gem.

The outdoor patio area reminds me of something in a place like Venice Italy, so pleasant and beautiful. The architect was onto something here. The food was tasty and worth trying again. The server seemed to be a little off her game today and not too friendly nor helpful. It’s worth another try just for the food and atmosphere nonetheless.

I have been to the restaurant before and enjoyed the food and outside seating. My Son came into town so we went there for lunch. The owner was very curt when we walked inside and told us to go outside side and get a table and wait until she served two other tables. After 10 minutes we decided to leave since my Son needed to get back home. As we were walking away the owner said “what is the problem” and I responded by saying we realized we did not have enough time but would come back again. She respond by saying if we wanted fast food this was not the place. I said we did not want fast food and just did not have enough time. She then responded by saying why did we even bother stopping at her restaurant if we wanted fast food. I told the owner, again, we did not want fast food which then prompted her to say there is a Chipotle fast food chain down the street and that is where we should go. My family and I were totally stunned that an owner of a business would act like this, especially in front of other customers. This is totally unacceptable and unwarranted behavior. Unfortunate but seems to align with some other reviews.

Love the restaurant! The owners always treat you as if you’re family and the food is always on point! Would recommend to anyone of my family and friends that stop by in the area. Drinks are also delicious as well!

what a great hidden gem in boulder!! the owner (?) was so kind and attentive, she sat us, served and cooked. the food was amazing and the tiramisu was some of the best we've had!!! i will be back again soon!!

The food is very good and fresh, the setting is charming, but after eating there for several years, today I decided never again. The owner refused to give me ice with my water. Refused because "the water is very cold already." After spotting a customer at the next table with ice in her drink, I asked the waitress what drink I could order that would come with ice. "Iced tea", she responded. So I ordered an iced tea in order to get ice. When our check arrived, a 20% tip had already been added. Keep in mind this is for a party of two, not five or more. We did not see any signage or a notice informing us a 20% tip was an automatic add on. The waitress was doing her best and we would have tipped 20% anyway, but to not be told about the automatic tip was the not-so-tasty frosting on the cake.

Avoid at all costs. The owner is horrible and screams at customers. I initially asked for a chai and forgot to say iced so later asked for a glass of ice and she freaked out and said I should have just ordered it iced. Heard her yelling a neighboring table because she found out they are Jewish. Strange and uncomfortable. Read the reviews and you will see.

The food was decent (4/5 stars) but the service was quite awful. I was yelled at for asking whether I can pay at the counter ("No, I come to you!") and generally not paid attention to... It's difficult to write this review as I always have the utmost respect for local restaurants and this is my first negative review in years - but this one was pretty awful. Would not return.

Aye, this place... i am Laughing a tad at the reviews because she is literally the soup nazi from Seinfeld:)! Haha. I wanted to support this restaurant , so much that I offered my services as an employee several years ago, but after a few days trying to work for her, i quickly realized she would be challenging to work for and moved on. But it's a shame, because I wanted to be that friendly person to greet and wait on guests. Since then i have been back a few times in hopes Of a pleasant experience but alas experienced her rudeness in full force. From over sharing at our table, to being offended when we wanted to sit outside, to not dropping off the check at the table and demanding I tip her 20-25 percent on the spot in front of her made for a very uncomfortable dining experience, and unfortunately she may have lost my patronage for good this time:/ Then she had the audacity to say we stayed and hour and half over the closing time when she told her the entire dining that we could take our time... we were literally her only table! I understand why now, no one wants to drop 100$ at a place and leave feeling like they were abused...:/ lame. Not going back.

What a wonderful way to end a weeklong vacation with friends. Stumbled across this middle eastern cuisine... not only was all the ingredients, clean and fresh, the chai tea was homemade like no other that I've ever tried. The Turkish coffee was perfect with the tiramisu and baklava desserts. Next time I fly into Denver, I will go out of my way to visit this lovely couples, amazing restaurant! This restaurant was filled with charm and the food with the secret ingredient, TLC!

Arabesque is truly a hidden gem of Boulder. The food is absolutely delicious and I adore the owner. I've noticed some people have left poor reviews about her and this breaks my heart. She has a strong personality and reminds me of my Russian ballet teacher because of her passion and intensity. Anyone who can't handle it may not have an understanding of cultural differences... or are too sensitive (sorry, not sorry). I've had nothing but positive experiences with her and her food is what I miss most about Boulder since I've moved away. Be sure to get the chicken special if it's on the menu when you go! I'm also in love with her chai, the spices she uses are divine. 10/10 I recommend this restaurant to everyone I know

Two of us went in for lunch on Friday We remarked how the menu was so appealing and looked delicious. The owner immediately told us she was Palestinian. We said we were Jewish. First calm then escalated speech from the owner. After her diatribe of Israeli hatred we got up to leave. We hadn't even ordered. She was screaming at us to get out slammed and locked the door behind us. Distressed that this hatred exists in Boulder! No stars!!

After reading through these reviews, we were anticipating good food but were nervous about how the owner would behave. And she was just delightful. Funny, kind, helpful, whimsical. She was literally the opposite of the reviews we read. It was a truly special experience and the food was so good that we got some babaganoush to go. REALLY good hummus and baba! The patio felt like a beautiful french courtyard. All in all, a great experience.

I arrived here right when they opened and immediately received the best service! The chef who also seems to be the owner is on top of everything, it is a one women show! She gave us some recommendations such as the middle eastern platter(delicious) and a chai tea with Arab coffee (so good). At the end she served us some homemade Baklava that was probably the best baklava I've had in a long time. Wonderful ambience, will come again.

I love this Palestinian food. A place called arabesque for those who are unaware.. is arabesque... maybe do a google search on the owner and learn something about Palestinian culture. There is love and kindness to be shared here and bless everyone's hands who partakes in sharing of this cultural piece of Boulder. I think the negative reviews recently are not a reflection of the restaurant, but rather the insensitivity of customers expecting a "Mediterranean" meal without the culture or specifics of which Levantine country it origins from. The ambiance and the quality of food with the spices... remind me of my families cooking and I feel safe at this restaurant, taken care of even. There is history to be shared and lately Mediterranean food is too vague to encapsulate the many cultures of the Levant region. Incredibly refreshing to have access to beautiful Palestinian food that is truly "Arabesque" Thank you. Peace and love to you all.

I have never written a Yelp review before but Manal, the cook, is a piece of work. I entered the restaurant and it was empty save for one group of 6. Since I saw no one at the front, I walked upto the counter. She then rudely and sharply said "This isn't like a fast food place, sit down at one of the tables, my husband will be late". I was taken aback by the curtness of the response but I thought it might have been a momentary lapse. Another group of three came into the restaurant and she then immediately said the same thing and also shouted,"If you want fast food go to a pizza place or something". I'm not sure what she has against fast food because I hadn't heard anyone talk or ask about fast food or try to hasten her. She then shouted ,"You four are together yes". I think she assumed I was with the other group because we were all brown. I stayed for one more minute but decided to get up and leave because it seemed she treated everyone with this disrespect. Halfway down the street I hear her shouting and she follows me onto the street screaming "CLOSE THE DOOR, I DON'T LIKE WHEN PEOPLE DON'T CLOSE THE DOOR" because apparently it didn't close behind me. Never going back there again.

An absolutely horrendous restaurant with an owner who has completely lost her mind. I highly recommend to stay as far away as possible from that establishment also got a stomachache as a result of the food and had to spend the night at the emergency room for me that was not well tended.

Service: 0 star. This review is not about the food, only about the owner's behavior. A few years ago, I had noticed that she was on edge, but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, after all, it's a local business, things can be tough. After this last experience, it doesn't matter how good the food is, this kind of behavior is simply not acceptable. I went for lunch recently with three other friends and immediately something was off. No greeting, she was running around, seemed overly stressed even though the restaurant was half empty. She came to take our drinks, offering chai and whatever is on the menu but we asked for just water, except of one of us who wanted to know if she could have an Arnold Palmer; no such luck, she was told it's only made for two people. We were already very uncomfortable when she took our food orders cutting off one of us abruptly and moving to the next one; it was all very strange, like we had done something wrong, but not knowing what. The owner came back with water and literally threw the glasses on the table. At that point, I asked her if something was wrong and if somehow we had offended her. She started saying that's the way she works, getting more and more heated, we didn't know what to do, looking at each other and wondering what the next step would be. She started rambling about working hard, and being a Palestinian and that's the way they do things over there, adding while we were mostly silent, that there are plenty of pizza places around, we should go in one of those. Shocked, we asked if she didn't want to serve us and she replied she was not giving us food. I tried again to ask if we'd done anything wrong, but it was useless, she was not listening, lost in her own angry world. Looking at other reviews, it seems to happen regularly, like us, clients leave puzzled, wondering what they've done to be bullied by the owner. Since we had already paid for parking, we walked a short distance to Avanti on Pearl Street where they also serve middle Eastern food that's delicious and we enjoyed it in a relaxed atmosphere with beautiful views of the mountains on the top floor. I am all for supporting local businesses, but not at all cost, and I feel I should warn others of what to expect when visiting Arabesque, depending on the mood of the owner, it might be a very stressful experience.

So. So. GOOD!! Omg - so we got there late - like 1:30/1:45 for lunch. The owner seated us promptly and gave us recommendations for lunch. Asked what we liked and then with no menu just made recos. I was unsure but it was perfect! We had the special - chicken and potatoes with the most perfect sauce with such depth of flavor. We had the mezze platter which we ALL shared and loved. My son is gluten free so he had the schwarma plate, minus the pita. Excellent. Each bite was better than the next. Such a fun local gem.

This little restaurant was a wonderful experience for my family and I. The owners went above and beyond to make us comfortable and make sure we had everything we needed. It was a very comfortable experience. We have 2 small children, which are usually pretty shy towards strangers, but they are warmed right up to the owners...which says a lot about their character in my opinion. The food was beautifully presented and unbelievably fresh. The hummus is to die for. We also got hot chais and the spice was perfect and so creamy. We live in Iowa, but will definitely be coming back. To the owners, thank you for sharing your culture with us and being so welcoming!

Great food family owned Do your self a favor and visit here we did with friends and we all loved it

I really enjoy Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food and Arabesque does a wonderful job. So I really enjoy the food, it's all so fresh and delicious. I could eat here every day of the week!

Had a lovely lunch here and greatly enjoyed the outdoor seating (there's indoor seating available too). The food was fresh, beautifully presented and I was surprised at how quickly it was brought to the table. I ordered the chicken plate and my lunch companion ordered the hummus plate. My meal included a healthy dollop of hummus, fresh greens, onion, cabbage, beautifully cooked and seasoned chicken, a side of tzatziki sauce. And to top it off there was yummy homemade bread. I couldn't resist gobbling it all right down. It was so fresh and so delicious though not particularly flavorful. I definitely left wondering if I would have enjoyed my meal more had I sprinkled a little salt and pepper on it. The bathroom was clean and well decorated. I nearly took a wrong turn (which would have led me down a set of stairs rather than into the bathroom). If you happen to race around at top speed like I do please do watch your step.

Arabesque is a Boulder treasure! The most amazing food, prepared fresh each day by the owner/chef. Manal is an artist, and was so welcoming to my group of friends on a busy day. I can't wait to go back and eat there again!

Owner and cook is busy and brusque. The food comes quickly and is excellent. Outdoor seating is fine. Will go back ASAP.

Arabesque is the best homemade food I've ever had, delicious, healthy and fresh. The chef pours her heart into every dish she makes. The Ice tea has fresh fruit and the Baklava is to die for. My go to everyday meal is the Mediterranean sampler. Buen provecho!

The food is absolutely delicious and the owner is a sweetheart. I was shocked to hear some of the other reviews, that was not my experience at all, fun eccentric, and a passionate owner. I hope you all give it a shot.

Mighty fine Arab food - probably the best in Colorado. However, the owner/head chef can be incredibly abrupt and temperamental. There's a certain Seinfeld episode that several people have referenced/compared her to...consider yourself warned! Despite that, you should definitely check this place out because the food is crazy delicious. I recommend the combo plates so you can try a bit of everything. Don't miss their chicken, though. Its flavored beautifully. Enjoy!

We were walking toward Pearl Street and happened to stroll by Arabesque. I was in the mood for some coffee, so we ordered the French Press and a side of Hummus. The coffee was nice and strong, and served with cream and brown sugar cubes. It definitely hit the spot! The hummus was amazing! it came with homemade pita bread, and was just the right amount to share. My husband struck up a conversation with the owner, and we discovered that she's an avid hiker, so we spent a while chitchatting with her. We had a really pleasant experience at Arabesque and can't wait to return to Boulder so we can stop by again!

My friends and I visited this recently for lunch on a cold blustery day. We ordered the only available vegetarian option which was a hummus sandwich. The owner was downright rude from the get go. She swatted at my friends hands when she reached for a napkin and also at me when I reached out for my plate as she was delivering our food. While eating our food we were talking amongst ourselves that we thought the flatbread would be warm which it wasn't. She overheard us and went off on a rant about how hummus is supposed to be traditionally eaten with only fresh bread and not as a sandwich. This was strange considering we had just ordered this off her own menu. She dropped off our check at the table and pointedly ignored our attempts to pay quickly and leave. She made us wait 5-10 mins while she cooked and served others. Our friends were supposed to meet us there but we warned them off the place so they got food elsewhere in the area. Oh and to add insult to injury she asked me whether the tip to be added automatically was 20% or 25% so we were forced to pay for her abysmal service as well. I hope the owner realizes how rude and unwelcoming she is to her customers especially in a city which offers many options for dining.

They're closed right now and you cannot order from them despite appearing open. Don't come here.

Love this place! Great food and drinks and very friendly staff. Cute patio too if you want to sit outside.

Delicious lovely food. The Schwarma is out of this world. Oh and the chai is spicy and authentic! Love this place. A Boulder gem.

So so good! Love the sampler plates! The baba gannoush is so garlicky and creamy. The tabbouleh salad is minty and refreshing. Top notch.

Amazing food and warm, friendly service. The owner was genuinely happy to serve us and was so wonderful. The baba ghanoush was the best I've had in a while. The bread was warm and like a pillow. The Arabic coffee was the perfect accompaniment and the quiche was heavenly, I think the dough is homemade. We loved the sassy comments and the food is absolutely delicious. We left with full bellies and huge smiles thanks to the owner. Everything was clearly prepared with love! Highly recommend this place.

This hidden gem has the most delicious food I have EVER tasted--fresh and genuinely farm to table. Everything from the chai and fresh juice to the mouth-watering soup to the delectable chicken and the flavorful and homemade Hummus and Baba Ghannush was absolutely amazing. I only wish I had learned about Arabesque sooner, but I will go back as often as possible.

Lady owner is so disrespectful and rude cannot believe the way she talked to us to be honest.

Cozy atmosphere in and out with plenty of seating - don't be discouraged by the owners initial greeting, it's cultural - Annal warms up quickly - the baklava is delicious and the creamed coffee French press is PERFECT! I tried the spinach pie and it was delightful with a perfect blend of tomatoes spinach and a tomato-paste pastry fold... all hand made !!! I live nearby and Mediterranean food is sparse beyond Pearl street's iconic Falafel King that's been around since 1970s. Anyways, my conversation with Annal, the female owner, was revealing and it explains the comments of service concerns - just be kind and don't set expectation or judgement on someone just because you are the customer- be respectful and it comes back in yummy treats and big smiles.

The food is so delicious and the service is very fast! I had some arabian coffee and the chicken shawarma--both were flavorful and fresh! The outdoor patio seating is lovely and comfortable and the owner is engaging and fun. Highly recommend for a delicious lunch.

This place is amazing. If you enjoy Middle Eastern food I welcome you to try and find a more delicious offering than this anywhere in Colorado, or in the western US for that matter!

Wow! Extremely rude woman, possibly owner, I'm not sure. Food was below average. There was a funny smell in the place as well. Not appetizing. I hate leaving bad reviews but the woman who "helped" me was so beyond rude.

This was by far the worst dining experience I've had in Boulder. The owner is incredibly rude (and not exaggerating in the slightest bit), literally yelling at us for politely asking for silverware, after waiting for twenty five minutes for a glass of water I kid you not. I understand how difficult it must be to run a business during covid time (low staff, extreme stress, having to deal with the bizarrely demanding and particular Boulder clientele and their entitlement etc), but wow. Never going back.

In the mood to be screamed at for asking to buy a drink in order to use the restroom? Then Arabesque is the place for you. Pls note this review is about the women owner not the man (he tried to bring her intensity down to no avail). I have never been treated so poorly at an establishment in Boulder in my life. Literal screaming, hands in air, being told "this isn't the suburbs", "I have somewhere else to be"...it was appalling. I haven't ever had the chance to eat at Arabesque, and now will never attempt. Tread lightly.

This place is wonderful. The food is awesome! The people who work here are super sweet, we'll be back soon!

Rude. The lady is very rude. I don't even typically leave reviews, but it is striking.

Holy cow. The most uncomfortable dining experience I've ever had. After being the only ones in there and waiting 10mins for a water- I kindly got up to ask the lady working there if I could get a water and she told me to go sit down and be patient. I kid you not. The food was delicious but be ready for a very odd and hostile experience. Literally, have never had a waitress be so mean. Lastly, while we were patiently wAiting for our food 2 people walked in and out because nobody was around. Good luck to the next customers that decide to dine in here! We were scared to ask for the check! Ha!

My favorite place! The only healthy food that's also comfort food. Must have baklava and black coffee for desert. My husband eats baklava all around the world and every time he finds the one is good he says "it good but not Arabesque good".

Great place. The owner has a strong personality but she is friendly and helpful. I think the other reviewers just can't handle someone with a less-than-laid back personality. We had the lentil soup, chicken shawarma plate, and Mid East sampler and they were all delicious.

Absolutely perfect in every way. Can't wait to come back. The hint of rose in the lemonade was maybe my favorite part.

I never knew about this place until a work friend from Seattle took me to lunch here. The food is so fresh and authentic! The chicken shawarma is so tender and flavorful. The sparkling lemonade is not your usual run of the mill lemonade, the flavor so unique! And their baklava - yumm! I am definitely coming back for more!!

I was recommended this spot by the Instagram food combining influencer, Kenzie Burke. Boulder, CO is across the country for me so I was determined to try this food on my visit here. It was the most greens i've had this whole trip. I honestly haven't been too impressed by the food in Colorado, but this place changed that for me. The owner was a woman who cooked, cashed, and served all herself. I have so much respect for the food and business. It's as if she's cooking for her family, but making money and sharing for the public. The food was so full of flavor and authentic mediterranean. The hours are short so make sure you stop by before 3pm! I had initially thought to go for dinner, but it is definitely a breakfast/lunch restaurant. I loved the mid-east sampler because I got to try a little bit of everything. I would definitely recommend to a friend and go back myself! Cute spot for locals or tourists.

This is one of the best Middle Eastern food I have ever had. I had the opportunity to find this place through a friend's recommendation. Everything is made with a lot of love and joy. Manal, the chef and owner is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. She makes everything herself. The hummus is delicious, and her homemade pita is soft, fluffy and delicious. All the food is fragranced with the zest for life of the Middle East. Her baklava is amazing and scented with lavender!! She has a great sense of humor, and being a NYer I am familiar with her humor and find her quite funny. Many reviewers on here says she is rude--she is anything but rude--you just have to know that type of humor. I fly from NYC just to eat Manal's food!

This place is terrible. Awful service and the smallest portions I've ever seen. It's basically highway robbery. The shawarma plate is basically and tiny piece of chicken with a lot of greens and some hummus. The hummus platter was maybe .3 ounces of hummus for 7 dollars... I wish I could get my money back.