Sanafir

Sanafir closed on September 1^st, 2012. The Glowbal Group (same owners) will reopen it as «The Fish Shack» the week of October 24^th, 2012.
will most likely have more information once the restaurant is formally launched.
Emad Yacoub, Shannon Bosa and their group do an amazing job with all their establishments, so this one is guaranteed to be interesting!

This was a sexy, romantic, beautiful restaurant with some wonderful food to back up its hip décor.
I had reservations for one of their dinner beds and we had the entire upstairs to ourselves for most of the dinner (on a Saturday night), which made for a very private, romantic experience. Eating on the bed is a little odd and takes getting used to (one often ends up sitting on it instead of lying, especially with the type of food), but it is cool and there’s no extra charge for it.
Ordered the Mezze Platter for two, which included 9 different items. It was very filling and most of the items were exceptional. I especially liked the black pepper calomari, lamb kofta, and the watermelon salad. Drinks were also great and seasonal.
The dessert was also tasty (hazelnut crème brûlée). Get yourself an RSVP, it can be crowded. Great for special occasions or a fun night out with friends.

It was girls night out, so we decided to come here on a Tuesday for half price tapas and drinks. Well, unfortunately not half price drinks, but we did enjoy them nonetheless. We were seated at a long table, like we were at a wedding reception, which was weird, since it wasn’t super busy. I can understand the concept of sharing space with people I don’t know if the place is rocking, but that wasn’t the case. No one ended up sitting close to us, so it wasn’t a big deal, but I thought it was weird nonetheless.
We ordered up some dranks, I had the mint cocktail, which was alrighty, and then I also tried their drink special, but I can’t rememeber what it was, so it must have been pretty ok as well. We also ordered up a bunch of appies, such as the veggie pakoras, fired brussel sprouts and cauli, naan and hummus, and the potatas bravas (which were pretty boring). Everything else tasted great, and Luisa D. and I decided to split the mushroom risotto, which I wasn’t super stoked for until I put it in my mouth. It was so delish! Usually I am not a big fan of mushrooms AT ALL, but this risotto was so creamy and not overpowering. I am totally coming back for a second helping with the BF!
One thing I really did like about the restaurant, apart from our weird seating, was the lighting and ambience. I think a lot of casual dinig places fail on this, but Sanafir had aced it. They had perfect modd lighting, and soft music, along with a wall of candles on one side — not sure if they were real or those electric ones you can get, but it cast a very mysterious and dark glow to the room which totally worked.
Sanafir, you rock!

Let me start by saying I’m usually not a fan of big chains and cardboard recipe food but Glowbal is the only big, a relative term here, chain I have learned to like in Vancouver. Having a big family here in Vancouver means I get to indulge on great food for cousin’s and other member’s birthdays so when it was up to me to make the decision on where to go I picked Sanafir.
Having always walked by the place, from the outside you don’t get a good impression of the ambience which is actually romantic and exotic. We were sitted upstairs on one of the Moroccan beds, which are separated by a see-​through drap. The candle in the middle of a large tray is supposed to provide lighting for the food but doesn’t do a good job of that. The high ceiling makes the acoustics in the room great as you can have a conversation without hearing anything from your neighbouring beds.
The waitress was great but not very informed about the menu and portion sizes so we ended up ordering too much food! we started off with a cheese and meat plate a mezza plate and the mushroom risotto. The most memorable item on the cheese plate was a sweet jam that was beet coloured. As for the Mezza sharing plate, the lamb bruschetta was delightful. Mushroom risotto was rich, but could have used a little more parmigiano reggiano. As for mains the butter chicken was sweet and aromatic but not the best I’ve had. The Moroccan lamb stew was absolutely amazing, the aroma of fresh lamb combined with tasty spices created a great dish. The presentation of all the dishes scored points with us. All the stews are in small metal bowls with warmers underneath them to keep the flavours untouched.
As for dessert we resorted to our tiramisu cake from an asian bakery in Coquitlam that was a delight. The server informed us that we would be charged if we wanted it cut so bring on the knife and forks for a DIY project:)

Luch, our bartender and waiter was fabulous and kept us entertained and well taken care of. Combined with excellent food and ambiance it made for one great dining experience. This is a good place to go with friends or with a date. The Mezze sampler platter is a good thing to get if it’s your first time and you want to try a bit of some of their appy’s/tapas. It’ll easily serve three or four people unless everyone’s hungry. They also have a cauliflower side dish that the Globall chain is known for.
Unless you get there early, you should make a reservation as this place can fill up. Five solid stars!

The food is great. Spicy and different from other restaurants, even the drinks!
Don’t miss the platter, trust me.
The ribs are the best I have ever eaten in Vancouver!
But if you are looking for healthy options, not the place for you.
Servers are really friendly and attentive.
It is a bit dark in there which makes the ambiance relaxed but it energetic at the same time.

I’ve gone to this place a bunch of times (rarely my choice) and I just wish it was better.
What should you order? I’d recommend the Mezze platter.
There’s nothing particularly wrong with any of the food — I often leave content — but considering the price, the quality and portions should be much better.
I don’t know why anyone would go to this place over Nuba. Similar menu items, and prices but Nuba has a higher standard of quality.
The décor is nice too, even if it’s a bit pretentious.

My suggestions for Sanafir: make a reso for supper on a Tuesday, order the Mezze Platter (order for 2 people if there are 3 at your table– it will be more than enough), and order the grilled naan w/​hummus — ask your server to double the naan but just one hummus.
I really enjoy Sanafir– the interior really sets the mood for a cool night out, every Tuesday you get to take 50% off your food bill, and their mezze platter is fabulous for sharing.
One of my favourite salads in the city is served here. It’s always right in the middle of their Mezze Platter and it is composed of arugula, watermelon, and blue cheese. The salad itself is called «watermelon & valdeon salad» and if I could order it by itself, I would!

I was searching for romantic date restaurants in Vancouver and Sanafir was consistently atop those lists — with good reason!
Book a bed for two upstairs and you’ll be transported to a Moroccan-​themed night club atmosphere with just the right mix of mood lighting, lounge music, good service, and privacy needed for an intimate date night. I booked through OpenTable and they followed the special directions perfectly and secured a romantic hideaway for my date and I.
While the prices are on par with other expensive restaurants in the area (and within the company that owns Sanafir and other clubs), take advantage of dining on Tuesday where the entire menu is 50% off!
My date and I split the cured meat sampler and it was divine! For a meal, we split the mezze platter and that was great as well. The combinations (watermelon and Valencia cheese salad with pumpkin seeds /​chorizo and quince paste and Manchego cheese) were well thought out and artistically executed. Everything was plated stylishly and our waitress definitely helped make it a romantic night, suggesting some delightful cocktails.
If you read some of the reviews on here, I can’t help but shake my head. The restaurant is Middle Eastern, so idk why some people would expect a great butter chicken, or Spanish paella (which is a very complicated dish that when done right requires special ordering ahead). Stick with the dishes they do well and you’ll have a great time.
Also of note, the kitchen is open quite late, for all my fellow night owls.

Décor/​Ambiance — 5 stars
Service — 4 stars
Food — 3 stars
Prices/​Value — 3 stars
I went with a group of girls who had suggested we go on a Tuesday which offers 50% menu prices. We reserved our table via OpenTable a few days in advance and had a great spot enjoying a nice view of the restaurant’s interior from upstairs. Our server was excellent — he was attentive and friendly. His only knock was that he never once mentioned the 50% off menu to us.
In my opinion, the tapas were really large portions and a person probably couldn’t eat more than 2 – 3. A friend and I shared the mezze platter for $ 24.95 per person (before discount) and got to try seven of the tapas. We added one more tapa we couldn’t get on the platter, and ultimately couldn’t finish our food. The portions on the platter are smaller than what you would get if you ordered the tapa itself.
Duck Prosciutto was good although the fried leeks part of it was not memorable.
Ling Cod Pakora was pretty good, although a little greasy.
Mediterranean Ribs were good — salty and drier than I was expecting but tasty.
Black Pepper Calamari was good.
Lamb Kofta was good.
Braised shortrib crostini was only okay.
Tandoori Prawn — only okay.
Watermelon and Valdeon — only okay. Maybe this would be better in season.
Tuna Confit Crostini was okay.
So, overall, the food was good at ½ price but I wouldn’t pay full for it. I enjoyed the atmosphere and would go again, but I certainly won’t mark this as a favorite place to go.

The service was odd with a very amped up waiter who was always there when not needed and MIA when required.
Smacked on the grilled octopus which was ok, the tandoori prawn with great flavor and size and the scallop chiveche which was also ho hum.
Sanafir should be shared with a large group more focuses on pounding cocktails rather than a quality dining experience. The booze will flow as the conversation grows the concentration will be on you and not the food.
I don’t need to go back. At least I had great company to get me through it.

Super sub-​par experience. The long and short of it was this:
We ended up sitting upstairs where it was super uncomfortable and way too crowded for us to actually order a decent amount of food. Aside from the nice décor, we felt really rushed to order. I got a glass of water that had floaties, but the waitress wasn’t around for me to get another. I managed to order one drink, and was never asked again if I wanted another. Our order got screwed up (and the only «good» thing I can say is that we weren’t charged for her mistake). We got part of our food super early, and then 10 minutes later the condiments for that dish came. The music got so loud half way through dinner that we could barely talk to one another. The food was OK — really not that great at all. The lamb kofta was decent. The mediterranean ribs were ridiculously salty. The pakora tasted overdone and almost burnt. The shortrib crustini was on the soggiest white bread ever.
The kicker for me was the 18% mandatory gratuity added since we had a table of 8 — thanks for mentioning it. I would have tipped 10% if she was lucky. Basically, the crappiest $ 40 meal I’ve ever experienced.
I’ll try somewhere else next time.

Wow, this place is one of favourite places for sure! I can’t really say anything REALLY bad about this place. But overall to the point I am dropping a 4 star review, it is totally worth going!
The best thing about this place is that they have 50% off Tuesdays, beds, patio and large tables? Yes this place is totally worth it.
The best thing about coming here are the beds and the large parties that you can have, especially it being down town, it is hard to find places that can fit 10+ and have great food and a great time.
I came here for a friends birthday party, organized by yours truly of course. I went inside and instantly the hostess was very attentive of me holding a cake and said, reservations? And then attempted to take the cake away from me. It was a large cake as we have a large party and then she escorted me and my group to the 2^nd floor of the large party bed room.
The food here is only average for me, as their menu is considerably small for my taste. The food was a tad salty where I came here with my friends, and it really didn’t speak to me as being flavourful. I don’t mind as it is half price food, but still having flavour is very important especially when it is a place under the Globawl franchise.
I did enjoy the most were service, and the décor of the place a lot. The food was sub par, but overall I enjoyed it regardless as it was a very decent price.
I will come again for great times and great service: D

Some clearly cool locals steered my boyfriend and me to Sanafir for a reasonably priced, nice dinner. We left stuffed, reeking of Mediterranean breath and not broke.
I began with a seasonal cocktail that included crushed blueberries, a perfect refreshing toast to the tail-​end of summer.
Our table quickly overflowed with an array of tapas, including:
* lamb kofta over a bed of mint and parsley couscous
* ahi tuna interestingly sliced atop roasted cauliflower, bacon, olives and a mustard vinaigrette
* steamed mussels in a spicy tomato broth — one of the standouts of the evening
* grilled naan bread with hummus — Naan is like salt; it’s a dietary staple.
* fried Brussels sprouts — This was the highlight of the night. The amazing melding of olive oil, parmesan and lemon would make anyone a Brussels sprout lover.
The ambiance, food and service were solid all around. Plus it was within walking distance to our hotel: L’HoJo.

Another «mostly miss» by the Glowbal Group for me. Sure the décor is pretty nice, and back in 2006 the whole beds upstairs added a sexy dining element that was no where to be found in the city. Service is excellent, too bad the food doesn’t hold up.
In the Mezze Platter…
Calamari & Veggie Pakora’s — superb & delicious, I’ll say that much.
Tuna Confit Costini — a joke, just call it what it is, tuna salad on bread.
The rest, not comment worthy.
Roasted Garlic & Tomato Clams — tastes like tomato paste.
Vegetarian Mushroom Risotto — tastes like salt.
Decent option for Tuesday nights — all food is 50% off.

Fine dining is not exactly my area of expertise, so take this review with a grain of salt.
It’s one of those typical «trendy» joints where everything’s painted black, and people go to be seen. The décor is nice with the stone tables, but it was so loud in there I couldn’t hear a damn thing.
Yes, the food is freaking good. Yes, it’s also ridiculously overpriced. Yes, I wanted to go to Burger King afterwards.
The Paella Valencia was pretty delicious. It had large prawns and mussels (you have to pick the bits out as the rice is mashed in everywhere). My usual complaint? The portion is freaking TINY.
As for the Mezze Platter. now this is what I am talking about. I don’t even know what I ate as it was too freaking dark inside to see, and it was so loud I couldn’t even hear what the waitress was saying when she explained the items. So, take a look at my picture. There was a salad with some chickpeas and 1 random shrimp, some Calamari, some onion rings (?), ribs, mystery things piled onto bread slices, and another salad that contains watermelon slices (everyone thought it was tomato). The variety is pretty good. Too bad it also costs freaking $ 25 per person, with a 2 person minimum. It looked big, but again, my friends and I polished it off like nothing. Everything tasted like normal mystery fare, except for the ribs, which had some really interesting cheese (?) topping.
For drinks, we had the Sanafir Lager. It’s an in-​house beer that tastes like a slightly better version of Canadian. Except that this is supposed to somehow justify the $ 20 pitcher.
3 last things worth mentioning:
1) They charge 18% gratuity on groups of 6 or more. NOT 8. wtf. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
2) As Sanifir is part of the Globall group of restaurants, you can burn up those Glowball gift cards. Not sure if this location sells ‘em, but on a Monday you can go to IK2GO and buy these cards (any value of your choice) at a 20% discount. So, plan ahead and save yourself a few bucks.
3) the booklet your bill comes in has these postcard-​looking cards. The bottom has a tearaway strip that is good for 1 free appy for your next visit.
I guess if you need to impress a superficial date, then you can come here. Honestly I felt ripped off (as with most fine dining places), but to give them credit, the food really was good. Just not $ 50 good.

Beds, patio, or regular tables?
Three different environments to sit in, all with their own benefits.
Come here on Tuesday, where everything is 50% off (not including drinks.)
Food here is a hit and miss. I think I’ve been here enough times to know what’s good and what’s not so good. What to order:
Ahi Tuna: roasted cauliflower, bacon, olives, mustard vinaigrette. Yes. Bacon. Essentially a bacon/​brussel sporut cauliflower stir fry, with pieces of ahi tuna on top.
Mediterranean Ribs: olive oil, parmesan, espelette, lime, crisp fried herbs. Try it. You won’t be disappointed.
Black Pepper Calamari: wok fried, cracked black pepper, with lime aioli. Large pieces of squid, deep fried. So good.
Desserts here are 3 for $ 11. Share some. The Espresso pot de crème is my favourite.
Service here has been consistently good, and I’ve always had a good experience here.

Bring your date here, request a Moroccan-​style bed upstairs, cuddle up while you wine and dine, and guarantee she’ll swoon :)
Better yet, come on a Tuesday (but pretend you didn’t know), when everything on their food menu is 50% off. Yes everything, including dessert, which you can choose 3 for $ 11 — and that is before the discount!
Food: 3*
Ambiance: 5*
Service: 3*
Value: 4*

I like the décor of this place and the entertainment. The downstairs tables were a bit too narrow and crowded, but the upstairs had really cool beds to lie on. There was also a very pretty belly dancer entertaining the guests !!!
The staff was very courteous, good selection of wine, a fair selection in the menu and presented nicely.
Definitely need to go back here for another taste of the food.

A friend turned 45 and had the whole place stuffed with people to celebrate! I had a great time but I wonder if the service may have been affected by such a large and rowdy crowd?
Our little group chose the patio seats which were heated (the best seats since we got to see all the action going on inside!). Our server was pleasant but a little on the slow side (again, could be due to the party size). Sometimes it got a little confusing when our dishes came out because the server would never know who it was supposed to go to.
I decided to go with 2 tapa dishes: tandoori prawn salad with chickpeas and ahi tuna with roasted cauliflower, bacon, olives in mustard vinaigrette.
the prawn salad was a little disappointing. the tandoori flavour extremely light which left the prawn almost tasteless. the ahi tuna, on the other hand, was absolutely brilliant! everything about it was delicious, i cleaned that plate! I think I could‘ve gone for 2 more of the ahi tuna and would‘ve been very happy. =)
the restaurant was pretty cool because my friend had a belly dancer in the middle of the party that danced on the tables (don‘t know if that was part of the restaurant deal???) plus he got to play his movie he directed overseas on the bigscreen for all of the guests!
It was a bit of a gongshow trying to get the bill to pay for our food. but successful party nontheless!