Carthage Cafe

Tunisian restaurant · Grandview-Woodland

Carthage Cafe

Tunisian restaurant · Grandview-Woodland
1851 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5N 4A6, Canada

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Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null
Carthage Cafe by null

Highlights

Nestled on vibrant Commercial Drive, this cozy bistro mixes French and Tunisian dishes, perfect for a romantic date or celebratory meal.  

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1851 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5N 4A6, Canada Get directions

carthage.cafe

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1851 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5N 4A6, Canada Get directions

+1 604 215 0661
carthage.cafe
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Last updated

Jul 11, 2025

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Roza Sh

Google
I went here with my boyfriend we shared the meal family style - everything tasted incredible and was made with love, the portions were also generous. We look forward to coming back again , thanks to our server Lena she was amazing, Thank you again, Roza

Robin Johnson

Google
Great dinner with friends here. Very large salad portions, great mussels, Amazing lamb chops! If strong but flavourful coffee is your thing, be sure to have some Tunisian coffee after dinner!

Prince Hakim

Google
Terrible terrible stay away from that place nothing French Tunisian. The french waiter was very nice but the food is disgusting. The owner doesn't know nothing about french food or Tunisian. I order a salad nicoise I end up with a mix of green with balsamic dressing. The rest of food was a fusion of her interpretation which means eat at own risk.. please be careful pictures are deceiving.

Declan Tran

Google
I don't regret. Awesome service and amazing tasting food. Everything is well seasoned. Can't believe I would say this (as a heavy meat eater), I am okay no meat when having their cuscus 😁

Tabatha Stahl

Google
I adore this place for a date night. It's a cozy spot on vibrant Commercial Drive. Tonight the folks and I celebrated early Mother's day and my father's birthday. I suggest to make a reservation as it is a small restaurant and fills up quickly. Catherage Cafe serves up a wonderful mix of French & Tunisian fare, Wine, Cocktails, Beer and non alcoholic beverages such as espresso and tea. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. The chef and their team clearly love what they do as the food is so good! I really wish I had saved room for dessert as the table next to us had this amazing looking strawberry tart...next time! Pictured: The Beef Medallions Special, The Lamb Chops, and Trio of Seafood. Each plate priced $30 or less.

Asma Hamdi

Google
Excellent experience! French and Tunisian (North Africa) cuisine with a big variety of choices! Taste is very rich and portions are generous, service and atmosphere was also great! It is a must try if you are lover of fresh and flavoured food! I definitely recommend it and definitely will go there often! In my last visit I got strawberry, cheese salad and sea bus fish with capers and vegetables. It was amazing!!! I loved it ❤️

Key Thing

Google
Went here for lunch on a weekday and ordered the Carthago Mussels and Lamb Shank Couscous and beer. Food is authentic and very delicious. Great Service, inviting atmosphere and excellent Value. The Bill was less than $40 and was so filling that we had to take some food home. Will be back to try other flavors of mussels and couscous. Highly recommend giving it a try.

CTO

Google
Quaint place on commercial that's pretty easy to miss. Service is fine except they wouldn't accomodate the window seat despite it not being reserved. Lamb chops were too sweet. However, couscous was tasty and I don't even like couscous.

Rose L.

Yelp
I strongly don't recommend this place I had been there and on my first visit seeing a mice around and going back to the kitchen. I am not sure about others but I honestly couldn't set there a moment after that and felt responsible to let others know too.

Geoffrey D.

Yelp
I made a reservation and it was confirmed twice by the Carthage Cafe website. When I arrived it was closed. Please beware of this happening to others. Needless to say, I will NEVER patronize this ridiculous restaurant again.

Thomas H.

Yelp
Made a reservation on a Friday at lunch time and after battling the traffic fro Delta, and picking up my friend, when we got there the restaurant was closed. If I could give the restaurant a zero, I would. When I phoned to make the reservation, the server did not answer the phone with the restaurant name (I had to ask), and it was fairly obvious she could not hear for the noise. Atrocious! I was very embarrassed in front of my friend (what a birthday present). I will never go there again. When we passed by two hours later, the restaurant still was not open!!HORRIBLE!!!! DON'T GO THERE!!! CARTHAGE IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU SHOULD BE OFFERING MY FRIEND A FREE MEAL THERE AND MAKING IT GOOD!!!

Pascal G.

Yelp
The service was below average, and the food did not meet expectations. The mussels and chips were okay, but the couscous was extremely disappointing as it seemed to have been reheated in the oven.

Jason B.

Yelp
It's been a few years since we had a poor experience here - it was back in 2019. Since then, the Cafe shut down, then re-opened. Happy to report that we gave the Carthage Cafe another chance and it was excellent. The service and meals were back to top form and we were told the chef took it over. We will be going back!

William F.

Yelp
I was excited to see that Carthage had reopened.I had eaten there several times and was enthusiastic about their menu.On this occasion I was dis- appointed.While my lamb chops were tasty ,they were cooked medium rather than medium rare.The french fries seemed to be half frozen and were tasteless.A small glass of beer, one quarter foam, was priced at $ 12.00 and only one other beer was available and at the same price.We were the only two customers from 6:45 to 8:00 pm. on a Thurs. nite. We speculated that they had gotten a new chef after their shutdown. b,f.

Jonny M.

Yelp
We'd walked by Carthage Cafe a few months ago and made a mental note to check them out after seeing the French Tunisian sign. Their food is influenced by French, Tunisian and Turkish food. We dropped in on a Saturday evening (6:00pm with reservations). All the tables seemed to be reserved for the evening. Only one waiter manning both the front and bartending. The inside has about 9-10 tables. It's nice that both the windows and doors are open to give the place an open air vibe. Menu is two pages: soups, salads& appetizers, fresh mussels, entrees, viandes (meats) and poissons (fish). - Caesar ($7.50) - Bellini ($10.00) - Stoli vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice and sparkling wine. B's mom was expecting it to be more like a slushy than a martini. - Mussels ($19.50) - comes with a basket of bread and frites. The bread is perfect to soak up with the sauce but they don't give you enough. The fries were terrible; dry and not crispy. We went with the carthago sauce (cumin & spicy harissa) which was tasty but on its own, way too salty. - Bread ($2.00) - an extra side of bread will cost you. Lame that they charge that much but at least it's slightly toasted. - Carthage ($28.00) - a combination of merguez, sausage, lamb shank and chicken over a bed of couscous, vegetables and tomato sauce. This was easily the best main of the night. The couscous went wonderfully with the homemade sauce. Loved that you got a mix of meats. The lamb shank was excellent, fall off the bone. Sausage had a good kick to it. Chicken was tender. - Chicken tagine ($24.00) - olives, peas and potatoes in lemon, cilantro and saffron broth. It doesn't come in a tagine (like it does at Moltaqa) but the sauce was tasty. Lemon comes through and B's dad brought it home for leftovers. Chicken was tender and both the peas and potatoes were good although we would have liked more. This dish desperately needed some sort of carb. - Lamb chops ($26.00) - served with fries and Tunisian salad. Lamb chops were topped in a Tunisian style mint sauce. Four pieces of lamb chops (we requested medium). Cooked well but the sauce was very subtle. Barely got a hint of the mint. Salad was completely overdressed and again, the fries were disappointing. - Bouillabaisse ($28.00) - catch of the day with scallops, prawns and mussels in a saffron broth. Good amount of mussels, two prawns, one scallop and a mix of salmon and a white fish (likely halibut). Salmon was flaky and tender. Halibut was the complete opposite; so dry and overcooked. Again, a carb would have been ideal. Not worth the price point here. Always interesting to try a new cuisine. First Tunisian experience although it's not too different from other places we've tried. 3.5 stars.

Rebecca K.

Yelp
A great restaurant for Dine Out! We went yesterday and enjoyed it. Location is good, as it is very near to the major bus route of Broadway. The restaurant is tiny, though! Our table was stuffed into a corner, and was cramped for 2. I can only imagine how it must be if 3 sat there like the table was set for! Good thing we made reservations as the staff were turning people away. Our reservation was for 6:30pm and the restaurant wasn't busy but when we left it was a packed house. For the past few years, my boyfriend and I have tried lesser known restaurants during Dine Out as we wanted to experience ones that perhaps were underrated. None of them have come close to Carthage Cafe food-wise, however. We're glad we picked this restaurant! This place is a $30 menu on Dine Out, and I liked the variety of choices you could pick from. My boyfriend and I both got the Carthage Soup (it had veggies and chickpeas in it). It was so flavourful with all the seasoning in it! Our entrees of lamb and chicken were delicious too. Was great to try a new restaurant, and experience French-Tunisian cuisine!

Jennie Y.

Yelp
Quaint, rustic, cosy little restaurant serving up French/Tunisian cuisine. This is a great spot for a romantic dinner date! Service is FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY. Top notch, professional and personable service coming from the nice, older gentleman (I regret not asking for his name). He made our experience absolutely memorable. We shared the following dishes: Escargot ($9) - THREE STARS Good sized snails soaked in buttery goodness, unfortunately I was hoping for them to be more juicy and garlicky. Et Atlas Mussels ($15) - FOUR STARS Mussels with ginger, bell peppers, saffron and white wine. These were so plump and juicy. The broth was amazing and they gave us plenty of bread to soak up all that goodness. Special of the Day - Veal Chop - FOUR STARS Delicious bone in veal chop with a side of roasted vegetables and potatoes. Tender and flavourful - cooked to medium rare. Chocolate Cake ($9) - FOUR STARS Dense, delicious chocolate cake with fresh strawberries and strawberry drizzle. In hindsight, I wish we ordered more of the Tunisian side of the menu as all our options were more French-influenced. Although that makes for a good reason to come back :)

Sir EatsAlot T.

Yelp
Hello friends, Sir Eatsalot back at you with another HONEST review. Sooo, as usual Queen Piggy and I chose to spend another nice evening together. This time we chose to dine at Carthage Cafe. Needless to say, an evening with my Queen was second to none, but the food at Carthage was not... *Something worth noting, because it was Valentines day we were given no choice but to have the set menu (which was a tad odd). We only found out about this once we sat down (this could have been comunicated to us when we made the reservation). Nonetheless, we were there and the ambiance was nice so we decided to order some appys and split a set menu. Things started off nice, we had: - Morroccan Tea - (nice warm Rosewater type beverage. Had two of them). - The Mussels (appys not on the set menu. Pretty good, in a tasty blue cheese cream sauce) Then things went downhill from there. We proceeded with the set menu (ie: had to order) - The Butternut Squash Soup (mediocre) - Escargot ( it never came for some reason ) - Veal with whipped mashed potatoes and a few veggies ( Veal was leather & we make better mash at home) -Upside down apple tart with ice cream (not bad - not great). Bill came to $145 with Tip. Yup, that's no booze. Honestly, our favourite thing about this place was the ambiance. Cozy, pleasant and what a romantic restaurant should be. Mussels werent bad either, but we couldnt just order those and we were frowned upon for asking. We had to order off the set menu, which was a HUGE mistake because the cooking wasnt good (we cook a better piece of meat at home for a 1/4 of the price and twice as thick - like butter in your mouth). Talk about overpriced and to boot we didnt even get all of it! Lol! They forgot to bring us our "Salmon Tartar" - which was really suppose to be the Escargot) which brings me to my next point. The place wasnt full, nor was it that busy. With that said, the service was just okay, a bit disorganized. Yes, the service was attentive, but how did we not get all of our food (which we were forced to order in the first place...lol)? When we went to pay, we let them know and they apologized and offered us another dessert, but we were so full by the end, it didnt make sense. Anyhoo, Queen Piggy and I had a lovely evening regardless sharing each others company, which was bar none the highlight of the evening. And as soon as we left into the night, we vowed to never return to Catharge Cafe.

Rebecca M.

Yelp
My husband and I came here for our anniversary and had an amazing dinner. The service was fantastic, we had a warm, funny and very nice waiter. The restaurant has a cozy and romantic vibe. And the food was delicious ! The portions are big (ended up bringing some home with us) and the quality of the food is great - I recommend the provençale mussels and the baklava and their lamb is tender and fall of the bone delicious. Lovely neighborhood restaurant .

Anthony N.

Yelp
Carhage is a nice, quite, quaint little restaurant on Commercial Dr. serving French/Tunisian cuisine. Great date spot. The menu had a lot of great lamb options, which I am excited to return to try. During this visit I went with the special, which was a large veal chop cooked to perfection. Came with seasonal mixed vegs which were very tasty, especially the little potatoes. We started with the escargot and mussels (Et Atlas) neither really knocked my socks off but weren't the worst. We finished with chocolate cake which was great. The Maitre D was fantastic and really made for an enjoyable visit. Will be back.

Kate M.

Yelp
I've been curious about this quaint little spot since I moved close to Commercial. I've walked passed it plenty and every time I've always taken a mental note to one day stop and go in. Today was that day! I wasn't looking for a heavy meal so decided to share moules frites el atlas with my mom and the special salad of the day which was boccincini with beets and greens. The moules frites were in a delicious broth of white wine, garlic, shallot, ginger, saffron and red bell pepper. The complimentary bread is warm and perfect for soaking up the remaining broth. The French fries were incredible - crunchy on the outside and super hot and soft on the inside. The salad was also delicious, a touch overdressed on the balsamic but the fresh cheese was unreal. Will most certainly be back to try their mains!

Geraldine G.

Yelp
You know the pressure you get when your friends know how much you love food and go out aot? You know what I mean. They come to you to recommend an entirely different cusine for dinner that you haven't tried and neither have they. Out of my mouth came the words, 'Tunisian food.' I've never tried it before and for the life of me I couldn't think of one in town until I googled. Cafe Carthage came up and that is where we went. It's a small and dimly lit cafe on commercial drive. Fabulous for dates is what I would thrown in, just in case, you were on the hunt for an intimate setting. We tried the following: Spinach Salad made with Baby spinach, candied pecans, gorgonzola cheese, saffron & poached pear with raspberry vinaigrette. Coquilles St. Jaques made with Scallops, julienned leeks, carrots, mashed potatoes & cheese. Trio of seafood made with Grilled prawns, scallops and Paulette mussels. Lamb Shank Couscous made with Steamed couscous, lamb shank slow braised in tomato sauce with Hanout spices & autumn vegetables. Every single dish was incredible! Flavourful but not overpowering. The portions were incredible. I swear I thank my lucky stars I was wearing a stretchy leg pant outfit. When I ordered I asked the waiter what he recommended. He said, it's all about the couscous. This what they are all about and specialize in. My friends, if you go, get something with couscous. They have plenty of vegetarian options as my friend noted and he was saying it was one of the best dinner experiences he has had. I had the Lamb Shank Couscous and I want to go back and order it again. The couscous sent me into some sort of tastebud orgasm (Yeah, that's right) . You know a place is good when you want to go back and try more on their menu let alone what I already had. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm! If you want to expand your culinary world just a wee bit, this place will not let you down!

Scott B.

Yelp
So incredibly friendly, attentive, and best of all: delicious! Love the small size, perfect for a date night or a small group. We had the Asian Mussels and the Lamb Shank on couscous. We have searched far and wide for half decent Mussels in Vancouver, and have been mostly disappointed or underwhelmed at every turn, but I honestly cannot believe how good these taste - especially for only 15$! The sauce was so creamy and flavourful, and the mussels were cooked to perfection. Great to dip some warm bread in! As for the lamb shank, it was equally delicious! If you want a little spice, you can get some harissa hot sauce on the side, but it doesn't overwhelm the delicious sauce, braised veggies, or the fall-off-the-bone Lamb Shank. If only we had room for desert, we'd probably have exploded from the creme caramel or the profiteroles. A+ for Carthage Cafe - we'll be back in a hurry!

Kenneth N.

Yelp
Came here several months ago for a set dinner/Meetup, soup/entree/dessert for $30 or so...well worth it, think all you have to do is call up and say you're bringing in 15 ppl or so, and you'll be amazed at what creations they come up with. there were 2 choices of each, but went with the seafood pasta linguini, & creme brulee, highly recommended. small, cozy resto, and good service. kinda surprised by the other negative reviews, but guess i got lucky lol. they also deliver too.

Trude H.

Yelp
A lovely spot for a Saturday afternoon of eating tasty food and drinking a glass of full-bodied Malbec. Had the three piece delight; chicken, lamb chop and merguez. All fragrant and wonderfully seasoned. The soup was a taste delight, just spicy sweet with chick peas and tomato broth. Salads fresh and tantalizing. Pear sorbet was top-notch. Great ambience, although the street noise hampered our chat so we moved to the middle of the room, which was just perfect. Recommend Carthage for a hearty lunch and lavish conversation. Our server had a wonderfully wry outlook, and his recommendations were spot-on. Closed for afternoon break, so time your lunch. Clean washrooms. Great spot on Commercial Drive.

Stephanie H.

Yelp
I came here for the first time for Dine Out Vancouver 2016. I got their soup, duo fish, and creme brûlée. Their portions are quite large for dine out standards, so I would suggest coming here with a bit of appetite. The soup and creme brûlée were mediocre, but I really enjoyed the fish. I liked the way they paired the fish with curry sauce and served the rice topped with spices. I'm not usually a big fan of fish but they did a surprisingly good job with this dish. The service was excellent. The server checked on us multiple times throughout our meals to refill our water and made sure we were satisfied with our meals. I would definitely come back again to try their regular menu!

Melissa T.

Yelp
I went there once a little bit more than a year ago, and had a great experience. Came back a month ago, and had the worst dining experience. The server, obviously young and inexperienced, had our order wrong despite repeating it multiple times. He left the 4 large menus on the table, after grabbing the attention of a woman seeming to be the owner or manager, she came and without listening to us start taking our order. After she finally let us talk, we explain our order is already taken and she grabs the 4 menus away but leave this time the bottle opener with a cork in it, that stayed the entire night on the table. We had mussels for appetizer which were delicious. Main courses arrive, and 2 orders on 4 are wrong. The couscous was absolutely disgusting and tasted nothing like a couscous. Server didn't bother to show up again at that point, nor anyone else. On the bill, we were charged for the wrong, more expensive items. The wine was also charged more than what the menu said. To resume: Do not eat the couscous there, do not except decent service, and triple check your bill.

Ronnel S.

Yelp
TUNISIAN CUISINE......its like travelling back in time.carthage is an ancient city where history of Tunisia begun......this place is one of the most beautiful restaurant ive ever been.....contemporary and yet ancient ambiance,we had escaragot,lamb,fish and beef,serving were huge and the taste was superb,casual attire,quite place to eat,dtreet meter parking,credit/debit/cash okay,small restaurant ......i would like to come back soon......

Wood U.

Yelp
My entree was decent, but the nicoise salad was not. It was drenched in oily dressing and piled with what I think was canned tuna. It had other vegetables and so forth but I can't say any of them were super fresh and flavourful. The overall impression was somehow that the salad was warm. I don't know how they managed that. The biggest issue was the sweetness of the dressing. It was sugary. You know when you drink pop for the first time in a long time, and you are shocked by the experience of that much sugar in your mouth. It was that bad. My teeth hurt a little. You don't want that in a salad. The vegetables with the entree were not too flavourful and a little tough like the salad. The waiter is a really nice young guy - a little nervous, but that's ok. But he had trouble placing things on our table because another (unused) 2 top was next to us, spaced 10" away. The other server - maybe a manger or owner - was really friendly with the other party in the restaurant: too much so. It was uncomfortable how much she was smothering them, telling them how amazing all the food was. Some people might be good with that. It was one of the guest's birthday, so she wasn't interrupting a date or anything...

B T.

Yelp
Very cozy and friendly Tunisian food, waiter was nice, informative and helpful. Food came fast, portions were big for one person. Ordered Brochettes de Carthage; comes with large plate of couscous with tomato sauce and Tunisian salad and lamb chops and chicken kobab. Meat was tender and cooked for perfection! The plate was rich and yummy!

Jeffery C.

Yelp
My wife and I found this place online and through Yelp! I honestly wasn't sure what to think of the place and menu upon my arrival -- but was not disappointed! Best mussels my wife and I have ever had (and she's a Newfoundlander); amazing meal and the price was right on par. Definitely will be back on our next visit to the Vancouver region. Recommended! Pros: the decor and menu are very much a Tunisian-French style theme. (We went back to our hotel and watched Casablanca after!) Excellent staff, great atmosphere! Cons: the menu descriptions could use a bit more clarification - but was not a disappointment!

Alice T.

Yelp
Friends introduced this restaurant to us. They have been here for a few times and had good experience. Four of us were seated right away at lunch time on last Sunday. The waitress was very friendly and introduced us the menu with passion. I ordered the triple seafood plate $22 and hubby ordered the BBQ combo $17. I enjoyed my plate. The seafood were tender and tasty. I also sampled Lamb BBQ, which is on salty and dry side. Will go back again and only for its seafood.

Garry T.

Yelp
An evening & a meal to remember ! The Best !! My friend & I tonite enjoyed the Meal & the Service we will never forget! This was my 5th visit to Carthage, and my friends 2nd....and, while all the previous visits were great in every way, this one wins top stop !! It was a busy, busy night at Carthage, but the Food & the Service was absolutely incredible! Our server, named Qais, could not have been more Friendly or Efficient & made the evening so memorable, despite the fact that the restaurant was packed to the rafters ! He deserves to be mentioned and our accolades go out to him....he was the greatest ! We both had the Grilled Tiger Prawns to start...(excellent)...and the Lamb Tangine 'special' for the Main; which was piping Hot, filled with wonderful veggies, well spiced, and plenty of oh-so-tender Lamb. Excellent deserts and Cappacino's completed this most-enjoyable evening....and our sincere Thanks to both our server Qais, and to the Chef for a memorable night ! We will be back....often !!

Lawrence Y.

Yelp
The food here is delicious but not quite authentic. It seems to cater to Asians, not surprised because the large amount of Asian population around the neighborhood.

Hormoz D.

Yelp
Enjoyed the dinner and the desert with my wife here. Quality food, big portions, and great service from friendly staff. If anything, the specials were not on the menu and the price remained unknown (we should have asked) until we got the bill, and found the price for a special we had ordered was a bit higher than expected. Nonetheless, the quality was good. We will come back here again for sure!

Karen T.

Yelp
Came here tonight for my first visit ever on a blind date. Gorgeous dining room although a little dark. Not sure why so many cameras are needed in their dining room (hidden in the uppermost corners). Enjoyed steak medallion special with veggies and whipped mashed potatoes for $25. A glass of Malbec red wine with the meal. My date had the only vegetarian dish (he chose the place!) couscous. No dessert however try their Moroccan mint tea (has caffeine) but think twice about having it sweetened or not (I went unsweetened while my date had half sweet). Location was a bit loud but otherwise as romantic as can be. I'm not sure I would be in a rush to return though.

Raymond M.

Yelp
I had an awful experience at Carthage Cafe last Friday. I made reservation for 4 at 6 pm and I arrived at the restaurant on time, just prior to my guests. It was a business dinner. I was told, rather rudely, that I need to be out by 7:45 by the manger, an elderly man. I asked if I had a choice and was told no. I would have walked out, not because of the time limit, but because of the manager's rudeness. He did not treat me as a customer, no greeting, no apology for the time limit, nothing. I stayed because it was a business dinner and my guests were arriving. The dinner went well, and the manager, presented the bill without me asking for it, as a way to get us to move on. The coffee was just served but we tried to hurry up. After a few minutes, the manager came over again and, without a word of apology, instructed us to get going. I stood up and told him that was very rude and unprofessional. He claimed that he had been in the business for 30 - 40 years, yet he obviously had no clue. Because of him, I cannot recommend this restaurant. Instead, you should try Absinthe Bistro just up the street, better food, better value and most of all, better service.

P R.

Yelp
I don't know why on Commercial Drive at a small restaurant you charge high price for simple food? Food tastes really good . Customer service is great and serves in timely manner. But not too many people come here to eat. The restaurant looks cute and cozy from outside but I felt claustrophobic inside. I like the bathroom better than sitting area as it has nice paint , big mirrors and is clean. My friend noticed a big fly which made me wonder if the kitchen is clean .

Adi K.

Yelp
I had a very enjoyable lunch a few weeks back. We sat down a bit early (before noon) and the place was quiet, later on a few tables got filled. Very interesting menu with a fusion of North African and French cuisine. Immensely enjoyed the lamb shank and couscous dish. Service was great too. Looking forward to visit again soon, maybe in the evening. Seems like a nice restaurant for a romantic dinner.

Roy C.

Yelp
Glad I tried out this French / Tunisian place. Ordered $22 lamb shank sitting on a bed of couscous with tender carrots plus other veggies. Big bone of lamb came on a hot plate there could have been more meat but I won't complain for this price and quality. Carthage mussells perfectly mildly spicy. Save some bread that they serve in the beginning for dipping in this awesome sauce. Came with McCain type fries but once you dip it in the sauce nice touch. Tunisian coffee had cocoa like texture. Nice strong aromatic & muddy I loved it!

Doug G.

Yelp
French and Tunisian. A great mix. It was our first visit to Carthage Cafe. With so many great dining options to chose from on the Drive, we really agonized before deciding to walk in the door. We were very happy we did. The menu is notable for a couple of things. First, the Mussels, which we did not try, and secondly the couscous. I had the Lamb Shank Couscous, a tender lamb shank on a bed of steamed couscous in a mild tomato sauce. It was delicious and a good size portion. The lamb was perfectly prepared. The service was quick and attentive. The ambiance is cozy and comfortable. The restaurant is small, so if you have a large group definitely call ahead to reserve. Definite thumbs up.

Lawrence N.

Yelp
Wow ... just wow. French food with a North African spice palette. So the food was familiar to us who have had French food ... but with an unexpected twist.Fresh sea food and other ingredients abound. The mussels with harissa were so good, as were the escargot.We had them for both an appetizer and a main entre. The Seafood Trio was excellent. The kabob was also good. Our server helped with an appropriate pairing. Friendly and efficient staff... knowledgable and compassionate towards us newbies. Very busy on a weeknight. Open Table recommended.

El A.

Yelp
What a great restaurant! Aside from the amazing duck (special) the atmosphere and service put this place over the top for me. Big ups to "Crosby" for making this experience as special as it was. We will definitely be back!

Noushi E.

Yelp
Went to this place last night with a friend. After I placed my order (Bouillabaise), I was presented with the special of the day - seafood casserole - with the explanation that they didn't have Bouillabaise! So, what about checking with me first to see if I was okay with that! I didn't order their special to begin with because it had rice and I eat keto! Anyway, I felt pressured to take the casserole since they ALREADY had made it, but was quite disappointed. As for the taste, it was salty, very one note and whatever sauce was there totally overwhelmed the seafood. It all tasted the same! At around 9:50 pm, the server approached us and said they close at 10 pm which was not what their website says. My friend made a note of this but the server didn't seem to care and just repeated that they close at 10!! It was bizarre! Anyway, we paid our bill and left.

P P.

Yelp
My girlfriend and I chanced upon this jewel of a restaurant while searching for several other restaurants highlighted in the Lonely Planet during our visit from the East Coast. As luck has it, those restaurants had closed down and this wasn't even listed (shame on Lonely Planet). Service: Excellent. Our server, an older gentleman, was friendly, humorous and attentive. Ambiance: Cozy and elegant. Initially, the elegance turned us off because we were looking for something more low key, but it's not an uppity stiff place. It's friendly and inviting. Food: Amazing! Carthage soup: this was by far the one of THE best soups I've had. It was full of fresh, healthy vegetable, chickpeas and the flavors were in perfect harmony. A good portion size too. Chicken Tagine: The chicken was savory and falling off the bone, the flavors were perfect, the vegetables delectable. I am so, so happy we found this restaurant and gave it a chance. It was a truly memorable feast. Price: Entrees run about $15-20. Well worth the price. Bon Appetit!

Martina M.

Yelp
I was wandering around Commercial Drive with a friend of mine, and we stumbled on this jem of a restaurant. Carthage Cafe has the feel of an antiquated restaurant, complete with dark walls and really neat chandeliers. We arrived around 9 PM, and were given a cozy table at the back of the restaurant. The food served here is french, with appetizers costing around $10, and entree's ranging anywhere from $20-32. Carthage Cafe has a whole section of their menu devoted to mussels, with a variety of different sauces and flavors, each for $15. Since my friend and I were both guilty of snacking before our super late dinner date, we decided to opt for appetizers and a shared plate of mussels. We received a small french bread and butter starter, which was a nice touch. For an appetizer, I opted for the classic french onion soup ($11), which was smaller than I expected, but pretty good. I've had better french onion soup, but it was still worthwhile. My friend had the salad special for the day, which looked great. For the mussels, we chose the Carthago mussels, which came in a spicy cumin sauce. The mussels were great, but not as spicy as we hoped. The mussels did come with a side of frites (aka fries), which were crispy and hot - try dipping them in the mussels sauce for an extra burst of flavor! Another tip: keep some bread around for dipping, we were very happy we had done so. Our waiter was really friendly, and refilled our water glasses at least 5 or 6 times throughout the meal. He gave us the full spiel on all of the specials of the night, and was great at answering questions, such as "what is harissa?" (turns out it's a spicy sauce). He also didn't treat us any differently after we didn't order any alcohol or dessert. It took awhile for us to get the bill, but everything else came out in a timely fashion. Overall, if you're looking for a nice hideaway restaurant to share a meal, Carthage Cafe is a great place to go.

Sarah P.

Yelp
I started out loving this place, when it first opened, but it seems like the quality of the food has gone down quite a bit since then. As with all restaurants, this varies with different dishes. Now when I eat here I always get the couscous, because that seems like a very safe choice. I've become particular cautious after I once got a seafood special that was utterly, disgustingly bleh--perhaps because of the sauce rather than the fish. Granted, I have a sensitive stomach, and as a result am more sensitive than most to unfresh tastes. An objective problem, though: I loved the profiteroles. LOVED them. But after awhile it became clear that they were previously frozen, and were not being sufficiently heated up; they interior of the pastries were still frozen. That really ruined the charm for me. Eventually I'll go back here and check to see if the quality of the food has gone up again.

Sanaz J.

Yelp
I decided to explore the Drive on my next foodie adventure so without a destination in mind hopped on the train and found this great cozy joint. I stumbled upon this place from across the road and The decor is very unassuming and reminded me of a small brasserie in Paris. The ambiance is chill without being pretentious. The hanging colorful lamp coverings reminded me of Turkey so this place has a worldly feel to it. Our server was very nice, gave us the best table by the window and was very attentive and good at suggesting what to try as this was my first introduction to Tunisian food. My friend and I decided to share a bottle of Rose which was just delightful. Then we started off with Doigts de Fatima, which is the Tunisian version of a spring roll. The fillings instead were cooked properly and the wrap was not over fried. It was also accompanied by a Tunisian salad, which was very refreshing and was decorated with an amazing olive oil. As for the main we shared the Brochette de Carthage, which was more than enough for 2 people even though we were quite hungry. The lamb was tender and didn't smell bad, the chicken was juicy and tender and the side of Tunisian Salad was a great addition to the mix. The sausage and couscous were cooked to perfection. Overall this was a great introduction to Tunisian food and I'll be back again to taste more and more of it.

Mare S L.

Yelp
Unique little place with African dishes. It's cute and the service is warm and friendly! Came here for a birthday and we all had a good time.

Steven V.

Yelp
I recently had dinner at this restaurant with friends and family. The service was great and the waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu. I was also very impressed with their selection of mussels. I would recommend this restaurant if you were visiting or shopping on Commercial Drive and wanted something a little different.

Mark H.

Yelp
So I didn't order the couscous, which I supposedly is the must try according to the other reviews. To start we had the Coquilles St. Jaques (baked scallops with mashed potatoes and cheese) and escargots. Not too shabby. We shared the Steak Frites. I know, very unadventurous but I was craving dead AAA Canadian cow. Cooked medium rare (of course), it was tender and was complemented well by their sauce. French fries were crispy and not oily. Definitely fresh cut not frozen. Service was a little off putting. You know the feeling when you go to a somewhat 'upscale' place and get the 'oh so you aren't going to spend a crapload' after only ordering water and not wine kind of service? Yea, that's what we got. But hey, I love good couscous, so I'll give it another shot.

Melissa F.

Yelp
4.5* Best mussels Attentive service Amazing value I can't believe it took me so long to actually come here. Will be back. Frequently.

Brent G.

Yelp
Great spot for a unique Tunisian food experience. Food is great, however can variable depending on who is cooking. Small place which adds to the atmosphere. Service is outstanding. Can be a little warm inside in the summertime which does affect the temperature of the wine served, but overall a great spot for a ice dinner for 2.

Andrew W.

Yelp
Excellent service, superbly cooked food with amazing attention to herbs & spices used, not too heavy and all were complimenting each other and the main ingredient whether mussels, lamb or steak.

Hanson D.

Yelp
Team Tastic came here for a Tuesday dinner and I had the following: Couscous Carthage ($23) Bouillabaise ($24) Bread and Butter (included) The Couscous Carthage, sort of the "everything" couscous, came with chicken, lamb, merguez and autumn vegetables in tomato sauce. The couscous hidden underneath the meat was the best part; it was steamy hot and perfectly cooked through. I wish I could say the same about the meat. The chicken was quite dry on the inside, the lamb a tad less dry, but the merguez (sausage) was juicy and the best meat out of the three. I had to swish in a lot of sauce to offset the dry insides. If this were the intended style of the dish I wish I ordered the Merguez Couscous ($20) because the sausage was delicious. The Bouillabaise came with the fish of the day (salmon), scallops, tiger prawns and mussels in saffron broth. I liked that the scallops were big. The tiger prawns were about the same size and same with the fish. Nestling these items in a ring of mussels made for a very well-presented dish. However, almost all these seafoods were overcooked despite the soup beneath being a joy to drink. This was not as good as comparables I've had at Provence Marinaside but it's a little cheaper.

Kassim D.

Yelp
This place is awesome. I was here on a friday night for dinner - note: it's a really small place. Make reservations - we were lucky as there was 1 table left when we arrived. The rest were reserved and the place filled up super quick. We were not super hungry and opted to share the spinach salad which was amazing - gorgonzola cheese, spinach (of course), candied pecans, and poached pear dipped in raspberry vinagrette. Just awesome... Next up - the carthage couscous: Steamed couscous, chicken, lamb, merguez & autumn vegetables in tomato sauce. The meat was super tender the couscous was super flavorful. Portions were large -sharing was the right move for sure. only negative - the tables are a rectangles vs. squares and they are too close together with the others. Feel like you're eating with the couple next to you!

Andrea C.

Yelp
Must order the mussels. My partner and I shared the El Atlas mussels. They were extremely fresh, not a second overcooked. I could have drank the leftover sauce, it was that tasty. I had the halibut special, with lemon, capers on gnocchi and veggies. It was good but nothing mind-blowing. My partner had the bouillabaisse, with tender scallops, fish and more mussels! Again excellent sauce with anise flavouring. Massive portions. I was stuffed. Cute little date place. Not a lot of seating. Impeccable service. Not that many restaurants in these parts that do North African food so this was a great find. I'm excited to try their lamb shank and chicken tagine.