Un thé au Sahara

We had an amazing meal. If we lived locally we’d be eating at this restaurant weekly! This talented brother and sister chef duo have a large selection of appetizers and entrees with exquisite flavors. It was evident to us that they take great pride in providing exceptional food and service.

The food is authentic tasting. I am not an expert with Moroccan food, but have experience eating Middleeastern foods, and the food tasted true to what food from northern Africa should taste like. I say this because in Quebec Province, including Montreal, cuisines and recipes are modified according to local practices that do not represent the flavors of the foods and cuisines as what they should be. I had the Harira, Lamb and Prune Tajine and Baklava and they were all delightful. The atmosphere is very nice and quaint. The service was prompt and pleasant, and the prices were not over the top. I will be coming back and highly recommend this restaurant.

The owners(?) 2 or 3 year old kid running around freely making noise and climbing all over the place was not a pleasant environment. We were the only ones there and now I have an idea why. We already ordered, so I just asked for the food to go. The food itself was mediocre. Will definitely not be returning and don't recommend it.

2/5. If you are into Moroccan food then it's just an average place with mild flavors and spices. nothing special except I found harira satisfactory. Restaurent closed at 12am and we arrived at 10:30pm, pita pieces was cold dry ..upon asking to warm it a bit, server replied she can't as her chef/boss not allowing it coz restaurent is about to close. We were surprised ..since we already ordered the stuff n were soo famished we had no other choice to sit in n eat. I checked google reviews and prefer this one but i must say the food which they provide not the worth of your money.

Such nice people! We loved that the restaurant was set back from the craziness of the main street. The owner and his wife made delicious food. The prices were fantastic. Highly recommend you stop in.

Owners were extremely nice and welcoming. I had kafta and mint tea and both were exceptionally delicious!

I ordered Couscous with lamb and Merguez, and Harira , the food was delicious , a very nice moroccan decor , the service was very good , prices were reasonables, I recommand this restaurant .

The ambience is nice and the server is friendly. Service overall was pretty slow since there was only one server working on a Friday night but she did a good job. The food, however, was 100% authentic. Real Moroccan flavour and for that reason alone I would go back. Staff confirmed halal status via "oui oui" when we asked.

We were wandering around the old city of Quebec looking for someplace to enjoy a nice meal. We did not have any reservations but thought it would not be difficult to find a place on Sunday night. Boy, were we wrong!! After much aimless wandering around we found this place. It was definitely not on the list for tourists as it was only half full when we got there, and everyone but us were local (speaking French). We had not planned or even thought of a Moroccan restaurant while in Vieux Quebec but (spoiler) we were very glad we did! We ordered the mixed sampler for appetizer, and a couscous royal and lamb and artichoke tagine. The appetizer was excellent! A mixture of clearly homemade items, all of which were delicious without exception! The lamb tagine was excellent, as was the couscous. Both were hearty plates infused with subtle spices leading to an excellent result. Better than most places I have eaten in Morocco. Like most Moroccan restaurants, alcohol is not served. However, customers are welcome to bring their own. As for the main courses, both were outstanding! If you like Moroccan food, or want to try something different and delicious, this place is for you!! Very reasonably priced, intimate interior atmosphere, and highly personal service by the wife of Redouan the owner/chef, Khadija. Highly recommended!! 5/5.

Located up a small road off of Rue Saint-Jean, the restaurant is but a small pocket. I came for the lamb couscous but apparently they don't serve that anymore (despite it still being on the menu). I opted for the prince's couscous which had lamb and chicken, she got the pastilla. We also got some Moroccan mint tea. The tea came out pretty sweet, like a southern sweet tea. But the mint was fresh and tasted great. Unfortunately, we had to suffer through some fairly loud and high-pitched Moroccan music while waiting on our food. I'm sad to report that my food was basically reheated leftovers. I heard the microwave door slamming and could tell my chicken was definitely reheated because it was dry, hard, and not warmed all the way through. The couscous itself was fresh but wasn't fluffy-- it had enough wetness to it that it just wasn't right. My wife got the pastilla, a new dish for her. It was probably the freshest-made item, but not her thing since it was basically ground chicken and parsley in a pastry dusted with cinnamon and almonds. The wife was our waitress and she was sweet. She spoke very little English, so her husband translated from the back of the restaurant. The husband running the restaurant was snapping green beans and dropped one, I watched as he picked it up off the floor and placed it into the bowl with the other beans. The issue for us is that he seemed to have very little care for his restaurant and his customers. In all, we would not return.

Delightful, cozy, friendly, delicious, and a great value. Recommend chicken tajine with prunes, mint tea, and baklava. BYOB, no corking fee! Nephew of owner served us: a genuine, helpful, patient, engaging man. In 1987, Topeka, Kansas, high school French class they taught, "Garcon, le billet s'il vous plait!" as the appropriate way to ask for a bill in a francophone restaurant. I've since learned that's a bit out-dated, borderline offensive. Waitstaff graciously forgave me my faux pas.

My ordered takeout here for my wife and I while visiting for our 5 year anniversary. If we did not being our baby with us, we certainly would have dined in. The ambiance of this restaurant was very intimate and cozy. The smells from the kitchen was amazing and the food reflected this. It was so good! Our lamb was cooked perfect. The flavors were amazing. And the service was excellent as well. Highly recommend.

We had a lovely evening there. We were drawn thinking it had good vegetarian options. When we did not find that much we asked the waiter who said they could prepare a vegetarian tajine that was not on the menu. It turned out to be excellent and a nice complement to the vegetarian couscous we had ordered. It turned out to be a delicious meal, well served.

Outstanding dining experience. Wonderful service. So glad we "yelped" for recommendations during our stay in Quebec City, walked 2 blocks from our hotel, and discovered a entirely new cuisine for us.

Fantastic little spot,Husband and wife team made us feel so welcome.Food was top notch.Great relaxing atmosphere. Do not miss out on there homemade Backlava! Will def be stopping here on my next trip to the great White North

Everything was fantastic! My family just finished eating the following dishes from Un The au Sahara, all outstanding: vegetarian couscous, chicken tagine, chicken kabob, Greek salad, hummus, tzatziki, and pita. Well we took it all to go, the service was very friendly.

OPEN! We ate here August 10, 2019. Best lamb I've had in ages. It's a one-man shop, so expect s long dinner. Nice place, relax, enjoy the company.

In Old Quebec and I got to try Moroccan food for the first time! It was fantastic and we visited another time after that. The spicy lamb sausage and the grape leaves were fantastic. For entrees, I really enjoyed the Lamb and Prune Tajine. Their mint tea is great too. The atmosphere is quaint and while there is no alcohol served here, you can bring your own. Most tables had wine so I'm not sure if liquor is included or not. Be warned, service is slow, so if you're in a hurry during a busy time, this is not the place for you. Both times we dined here there was only one server and one chef. Our server was friendly and sweet, and we had him both times. There was some confusion on our friend's order, so her meal came out later. It was not a big deal, but afterwards the server brought her a complimentary baklava for the wait, which was a nice surprise. Great little Moroccan restaurant with delicious food and friendly service. But be prepared for the wait!

3.5 stars We stopped by for dinner just based on seeing their sign out on the street. Sadly, they were almost completely empty during prime dinner hours. There was only one other table seated in the restaurant, and they left shortly after we got there. The greek salad was surprisngly good, with very fresh-tasting feta on it. The chicken and prune tajine was to die for, a little sweet and really savory, very hearty. The vegetarian couscous was a little bland and forgettable, but that's probably my fault for ordering vegetarian instead of meat. Service was nice but painfully slow, especially considering that we were the only customers there.

I walked in on a cold, quiet Thursday night cause I really wanted couscous. It was a one man operation that night, that is, the chef was also the waiter. He was super nice. I ordered the Royale couscous. The lamb and chicken were so tender, merguez was ok. Veggies and couscous were very flavourful. The service was not the fastest but it was worth it. I also love these small intimate places. Good thing I ignored the bad reviews. I'm definitely going back!

My wife and I had the Chicken and couscous and the Lamb & prune tajin. Both dishes were delightful, with flavorful spices that were authentic to the cuisine. We both enjoyed the dishes so much that we changed plates mid-meal so that neither missed out on either meal. We began with an assorted appetizer plate that was also very satisfying. It consisted of chumus, stuffed grape leaf, tabouli salad, tsiziki, salad, meat stuffed in filo dough, and pita bread. For dessert we had baklava and a kind of vanilla custard dish. It was accompanied by Moroccan fresh mint tea that completed the meal. The food arrived at a slow pace, but what's the rush? The server was very friendly and helpful. Overall, we enjoyed the experience.

We had a wonderful meal here. The Moroccan food was delicious and a nice change of pace. The atmosphere was very comfortable. Highly recommend.

We were the only customers inside this cute little restaurant around 5:30 p.m. on a weekday night. It was up a steep little non-retail street in Old Quebec, and down a half flight of stairs All the apps and entrees arrived at once. The grape leaves (technically not dolma I guess because there was no meat) were just okay. I liked the first bite but by the second it was bland. The kids LOVED the bastilla. This was possibly the best dish of the night. The Merquez sausages were just the right amount of spiciness. I liked them; the husband thought they were only okay. The harira soup was basically a thin and oily tomato and veggie soup. I wouldn't get it again. The chicken prune tagine was pretty good overall. However, one piece of chicken was really fatty and I was surprised it got past the chef to our table.

An amazing restaurant. Where to start... The mint tea? I don't even like tea... And that tea was out of this world! The lamb kebab dish was fantastic. Well cooked lamb with LOTS if tasty seasoning. The rice was very flavorful, and even the side salad had a nice vinegar dressing in it. My wife's dish was vegetarian couscous. I tried a bite of hers and was so impressed, we started to fight over who would finish it. Note Moroccan is not synonymous with middle eastern. No falafel here. But it's like a gourmet Northeast African with heavy mid-east flair... Highly recommended, food and service was out of this workd!

Excellent atmosphere and service. Our waiter was so accommodating and shook our hands after the meal. I was able to have a gluten free dish. The hummus was extraordinary.

I loved this place. It was so cute. I had a morrocan chicken dish with beans. What a huge portion. Best thing it was BYOB.

Must try!! The best food we ate in Quebec!! Wonderful prices. We had the Pastilla, Greek salad and the lamb and prunes. We ordered the land and prunes because of all the other recommendations. They all were right on! Delicious. The Pastilla was incredible, must get it.

Our family of four (from 13 to 65) spotted this place quite by accident, halfway up a dimly lit street. The soft red and blue outside lighting gave it an interesting, slightly mysterious look, so we walked up to investigate, since we were rather put off by the noisy, crowded bistros and bars on the main commercial street below (Rue St. Jean). We found that it was a Moroccan restaurant and decided to give it a try, since we love Moroccan food. We were delighted from the first moment to the last. The proprietor is the most charming, attentive host you could ever ask for, the food is delicious and the prices are very, very reasonable, especially for food of this quality. (By the way, The Au Sahara means, in French, "Tea in the Sahara".) In Quebec, where there are so many touristy French bistros with essentially the same menu (duck confit, steak frites, lapin, etc.), this little place really stands out as something special. Very highly recommended!

The food was delicious and the waiter was attentive. We had the vegetarian couscous and it was a large enough portion for two. The hummus was so good we took some to go. The tzatziki, grape leaves, mint tea and salad were fresh and tasty. We really enjoyed everything.

4.5/5 A cozy restaurant tucked in just beside St. Jean. The upside to this is that the prices are thankfully sane. Friendly service, amazing, flavourful food, and an overall great experience. Leave room for the sweet mint tea at the end, a traditional, delicious Moroccan tea which settles the stomach. One of my favourite restaurants in Québec City for true, authentic Moroccan food. Go for the Greek salad and the couscous. Happy dining!

Made a reservation tonight, went there on time. There are some people leaving and coming, a bit of chaos. After waiting to be seated for 5 minutes, waiter shouted us from farther away. I could only hear "reservation?", so we nodded, yes we have reservation. He pointed a table for us. We got the menu and waited for a while, about 15 minutes. No one came to serve us and the waiter was serving other people first who came after us. Finally, he poured some water in our glasses and he said something in French. We noticed that his attitude was strange. My husband asked him "is something wrong?" The waiter said no no, but my husband asked again then he said "when I asked you "Mr Jean's reservation?", you said yes but there is another Mr Jean came after you." so he thought we stole someone's table?! The waiter was passive aggressively acting about it instead of asking us directly who we were. We said we have reservation but he didn't seem to care, didn't even bother asking our name. So we left. There are lots of restaurants to choose from in this city. We don't have to tolerate bad service.

Very good restaurant away from the beaten path but just close to the tourist attractions (and overpriced food of Rue St.Jean. Very reasonable priced and of great quality. If you enjoy North African or Mediterranean cuisine, try this marvelous place.

Definitely not closed! We had a great meal here--tagine with chicken and prunes for my spouse and couscous princier with lamb and chicken for me. We began the meal with a delightful Mediterranean salad and ended with mint tea. Food was exquisitely fresh and authentic--we traveled to Morocco years ago. Not quick, but we didn't mind lingering over conversation and our drinks.

Food was fine when it arrived. Generous portions. Tasty. Room was warm despite wall mini-split ac. 1 waiter and 1 chef were overwhelmed. If you have 90 minutes+ to kill and wait then enjoy.

Unexpected and authentic Moroccan food in Quebec City. The food was good enough to remind me of being in Morocco.

We had the hummus appetizer and it was very good. 5he at our table we had the lamb with artichoke tajine which was good but had a bit to much lemon in it, the lamb and couscous which was great but meat was a little tough, the lamb kabobs were great, and so was the spicy lamb sausage. Service is very slow but friendly. Recordong of Moroccan music is playing during dinner. I would go back.

We read the reviews and wanted to go. When we walked in, most of the tables were open. They would not seat us, though they were seating other walk-ins (with no reservation). The server said he could not seat 5, it would block the isle. So I suggested we split into two tables of 3 and 2. He said no. 4 and 1, no. I pointed to 2 open tables. He said that "one was under the air conditioner. And they couldn't do it. So I said, "so you don't want to serve us"...he said no, no. We walked out. Weird...I have no idea what the issue was. We have 2 kids, 5 and 7. They were being perfectly behaved. Perhaps they don't want kids? I honestly have no idea what the issue was. If they don't want kids, I wish they would communicate in advance. There was a party of 7 following us with 2 kids about the same age. Or perhaps they don't want parties more than 4. And no tables with 3?

I enjoyed this place! The staff was super welcoming and the environment is non-pretentious. Market across the street where you can buy beer and wine - great cost savings to be able to bring your own. Food was good. I really enjoyed the appetizer plate with samplings of the different dips and a basket of pita bread.

Although its location halfway down a steep hill could make it a bit treacherous to reach on an icy night, this cozy and friendly Moroccan joint is worth it. Our first night in Quebec City, we did several loops around the old town peering into windows, trying to find just the right spot to kick off our vacation and finally found our way here. So glad we did. Everything was delicious and the proprietor wonderfully welcoming. To get a little taste of just about everything, try the Sahara appetizer plate. And FYI - they take credit cards (even though they didn't have a sticker saying so in the window the night we were there).

Great food, slow service. I understand that QC can be a little laid back, but I think 2 hrs to get your meal is too much. The server took 15 minutes to get us water, another 15 to take our order. As tourists, we wanted to go restaurant hopping, so we could try a little bit of everything without getting too full. We ordered 2 entrees to be split with our party of 4. Server insisted that they don't share plates. Why take on more dishes when the chef is already backed up!! Did not tip, and not guilty about it. Cashier pointed out that I did not tip. The nerve..

While searching for dinner in the old part of the city we tired of the same menus and found this place. It had a different menu and looked good so we decided to try it. Located down a few steps in an old stone cellar, the place is intimate and cozy. It is run by a spry guy who was polite and eager to please. I opted for the Harissa, some tabbouleh and hummus, while my friend had the lamb stew. The food was delicious and presented with attention and thought. Enjoy!

We had a very good time here. The place seemed to be family run and it is a very friendly place. The food was really good with dishes I had not seen before. It was an enjoyable change of pace from French/Quebecois food. Good little place!

On our recent trip to Quebec we found this place. We tried the tajine with lamb and prunes and the Sahara appetizer sampler as well as the mint tea. All was just wonderful. Lamb was tasty and so tender. The owner was very friendly and entertaining. A great place out of the ordinary.

I challenge Quebec to another experience. We discovered this cozy place tucked away when we did our laundry nearby. I read the reviews which reflect our experience. The food is excellent, spicy, and flavorful. The pita bread was freshly made. We had a lamb and prune dish with rice and chicken couscous. Our server was friendly. He explained that the name is from the Paul Bowles novel, Under a Sheltering Sky. (Also a movie.). Another reviewer mentions Louise Penney's Inspector Gamache as dining here. That must mean she has. Ladies, put this on your literary tour list for a great meal.

Wouldn't allow us to simply order the vegan options, resulting in us leaving because they required an entree order. The only option was vegetarian cous cous which we didn't want, so we were asked to leave.

We had the lamb and prune tajine, and the lamb couscous - the tajine was incredibly delicious, full of sweet flavour from the prunes, whilst the lamb was cooked perfectly, thoroughly recommend this dish. The lamb couscous was good, but the tajine is definitely the better pick. The only reason this place is 4 stars not 5 is because of the very slow service, the restaurant was nearly full by the time we left and yet there was only one waiter to cover everything, however despite this the place is reasonably priced and we would come here again.

Wow. Service and food were superb. Lentil soup, vegetarian cous cous, hummus, grape leaves - all were incredible. Cous cous was even slightly spicy - best I've had.

Wonderful food, very delicious. I will say that this was my favourite evening meal of my ten days in Quebec. Had the lamb and prune tejine, missus had the princely couscous - both were excellent and the service was great. We have one more night, will probably go again tomorrow. Brought a bottle from the shop just up the road.

Great food great ambiance, and a great host. Also bring your own wine with no corkage, who could ask for more.

Had the chicken and lamb couscous which was delicious. The couscous was flavored well. This place has a nice small, cozy atmosphere.

Horrible service. Took 15min to get seated, another 15min to get water. The lone staff member was extremely rude. Not a very enjoyable experience.

The food was great and the waitstaff was excellent. We had a family of six and could not ask for a better night. This place is a keeper.

Food comes very slow, and taste not good to suit for its price. Kebab is salty and heavy. Couscous is not flavoured well and made me feel like I'm Theon Greyjoy now facing Ramsay Snow. Average 20CAD per person, environment is good (inside old Quebec, near to several hotels), service is fine, but if you are looking for delicious food, maybe this place is not what you want. I give 1 star for the environment, 1 star for the pitas :(

The food is delicious I wish they gave me more, the guy who owns it even let us bring our own wine and other items from across the street.

I ordered the lamb couscous. It was perfect. Lamb was mild and tender. The serving was enormous and I brought half home to enjoy later. The Harissa was unlike anything I've had before: lemony and fresh but not overly spicy. My family enjoyed the fragrant fresh mint tea. The appetizer platter (sorry forgot what it was called) contained a number of different apps, and was delightful. It was our favorite outing in the Old City.

The server was either new, or just bad. We place needs some cleaning. We didn't like the style of food as well.It had so much oil, the amount of it made the dishes look like soup. And it seems that they put too much lemon into all dishes, including salad and meat. We didn't get a good impression from the restaurant.

We had a lamb dish and an assortment appetizer. Both were delicious. The mint tea is also good. Service is also very good.