Babouche

Some summer afternoons, I’ll pretend that I’m some rendition of Successful Single Manhattan Career Woman, and not Frugal and Fairweather Fringe Chick. To this end, I’ll slip on a frock and sunglasses, call up pretty, flippant, long-​neglected girlfriends, and together sashay through SoHo’s luxury-​laminated side streets in espadrilles and color-​block flats.
When we’ve accumulated a girlish flush from too much sun, and walking up and down two steps at a time repeatedly, we might pop into Babouche, and revive ourselves with a flashy, $ 10 cocktail and some hummus in a SoHo-​chic carnation of a palatial Moroccan garden.
Yeah, sometimes being a tool is cool. For all the days when your Manhattan superego doesn’t rear its gigantic, air-​filled head, find something cheaper and cooler in adjacent WeVil.

I wanted to come here tomorrow. But I tried calling them for reservations for the past hour — and the line is always busy. And then… thankfully, I stumbled upon this New York Times review:
So, I’ll skip this one!

If you don’t mind the beautiful ass-​numbing seating situation (think old Moroccan pillows on planks) then you should have a pretty solid time here.
I was kind of sad that Casa La Femme closed out a couple of years ago and I suppose this joint is taking over Moroccan in Soho. Not as romantic as Casa but better for groups, that’s for sure. I’m looking at these other reviews and it looks like a consensus – it’s not about the food, it’s about location and a friendly Soho restaurant. (Just saying that it’s not as high maintenance as some other swinging joints down the block.)

I am shocked by the excellent reviews for Babouche… It was just «ok» according to my friend and me. First, the service was extremely odd. I know the restaurant is recent, so I assume they are just getting settled, but still. Ok, so I walk in and am greeted by a friendly host. I say that I am waiting for a friend. He offers for me to be seated or to go to the bar. I say I will just wait (and stand), but he makes me feel very uncomfortable like I NEED to sit somewhere, so I sit at the edge of their small, 4-​person bar. When my friend arrived, the host and the manager sort of fought over who would actually lead us to our table, each one all but pushing the other to get us there first. The manager also asked me 3 times to confirm the name of the reservation, which I found annoying.
The décor is very ethnic and hip. It really makes the restaurant. We, unfortunately, were sat at a very small table along the window. It was extremely tight, and since we decided to order a few things to share, it was inconvenient. They bring some olives and dry, flavorless bread to the table. I ordered their Oriental Mojito, but wasn’t sure where the Oriental title came from. It was extremely sweet and berry-​flavored, but was pretty good. When we were ordering, the waiter would clarify what each thing was, which was helpful. For appetizers we tried the Red Pepper Hummus and Tuna Tartare. The hummus was a pretty substantial portion but only came with 4 pita points. It was also covered with some field greens, cucumbers, onions, and a light vinaigrette. The salad topping added to this mushy hummus. The tuna tartare had a thin layer of mashed avocado across the top. The meal was bland, had a fishy aftertaste, and did not look like fresh tuna. The portions are very big, so we were taking our time. The waiter, busboy, and manager each stopped by at least once to check on us… to the point of overdoing it. I ordered another mojito, but never received it. So, when the meal was delivered, I reminded the waiter, who acted like I had never ordered it the first time. My friend asked for a Kettle One and soda, to which the waiter asked what Kettle One was and what kind of soda my friend wanted, «Coke, Sprite…» It was so pathetic, I was embarrassed for him.
The dinner was pretty decent. We shared something called Tagine De Poulet, which is a traditional meal of chicken cooked so it falls off the bone. It was surrounded by carrots and green olives and in a lemon and oil sauce. We ordered the recommended couscous with raisins and onions to help soak up the sauce. The couscous was fragrant and sweet from the raisins. We also tried the Cotes D’agneaux Grilles, which were grilled lamb chops covered with a layer of almond and cinnamon. There was a prune sauce, roasted potatoes with cumin (?), and string beans to accompany the lamb. The lamb itself was delicious; the cinnamon was a surprising compliment. The potatoes were over-​spiced and the string beans looked and tasted canned. They were terrible.
For dessert we had crepes with pears and a berry jam, covered with chocolate sauce. This was also a large portion, but very light. We thought it was the best part of the meal.
One last thing, the bathroom is in the basement, and you have to take an elevator down there. I went by myself and was a little uncomrtable about it. The elevator was shaky and let you off in a dark, creepy basement with 2 dimly lit unisex single bathrooms. Very strange… even the waiter apologized about having to use the elevator when I asked where the bathroom was. There were also a few Euro-​types that came into the restaurant and took the elevator upstairs, but I’m not sure what’s up there.
So, if you want to pay slightly high prices, be annoyed by «passive aggressive» service (as my friend put it), and have decent Moroccan food, it’s fine.

I came here for drinks with friends so I can’t really say much about the food. However, I can say that the bar was fantastic! Our bartender was so nice and a lot of fun. He kept the alcohol flowing and even gave us a couple of drinks on the house. I loved the décor here, it was very lounge like. From the couches, to the drapes, to the alcohol, and the service — there’s really nothing bad I can say about Babouche. I will definitely be coming back for their tasty drinks, that’s for sure.

The only food I had here was about 3 plates of assorted olives, but we came for a late nite birthday celebration. It was totally awesome. The Tanqueray & Tonics were stiff, the music is entertaining, and oh yeah they have belly dancers. We were on the first floor, the upstairs looks onto the main area, which is rather cool. Drink prices seemed par for the area.
We had pretty good service, although it was only for drinks, there were a few appetizers ordered before we got there, so I cannot comment on the food service or taste.
Totally a fun place to have a few drinks.
The restroom situation is pretty miserable, you have to take an elevator to the basement, which is a total hassle. Once down there the Private uni-​sex rooms are nice, depending on the time of nite, the later it is, the worse it is, other than that. 3.5 Flushes

Wonderful. Surprisingly spacious and not crowded for a great SoHo spot, and the décor is simply beautiful. We were sitting on comfortable pillows and got to enjoy the view of the gorgeous chandelier, second floor balcony and railings and intricate carvings while having a really tasty meal. The menu is fun fushion, with great choices across the board, from seafood (fantastic mussels) to your more standard lamb, chicken and beef fare.
We ordered a crisp bottle of white that paired very nicely with our food, and just had a really fun, relaxed experience after a long day. Really a fun place to come with a date or in small groups (4 – 6) to hang out, have a drink, get transported to another place and have a great meal. Highly recommended.

Moroccan décor is beautiful and Babouche doesn’t disappoint. This would be a great date venue being candle lit with tables surrounded by low cushions and sheer curtains. The bartender and our waitress were lovely and from Morocco. The food and French wine were very nice with the chicken pastilla being one of the best I’ve tried. It was only a Thursday night but I was surprised there weren’t more people there. I guess it’s only been open for about 8 months so maybe it’s still a hidden gem. I’ll definitely be back for dinner and will keep this place in mind to dip into for a glass of wine during my next Soho shopping spree.

Had a dinner there yesterday. The ambience is great, the service is the top of eastern hospitality, perhaps, the couscous was a bit too dry, but even this could not spoil the evening there! Will definately be back!!!

Transformative and tasty, this is a great option for when you need a break from the Soho crowds. Walk into the entrace (located on MErcer, not Prince) and walk up the stairs. The décor is souk-​chic and the food is a delicate balance of French and Moroccan tastes.
We had the shrimp cigars (fantastic), the salad and the stuffed calamari as well as the salmon. All great — albeit a little expensive. The sodas cost $ 3.50! We didn’t drink (shocker!) and our bill came out to $ 90+tip.
The service was lovely and couldn’t be more accomodating.
This could be a fantastic place for groups (there’s a sexy billowing curtain section in the bar that, I’m sure, could be reserved for large parties).