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the two refrains of last nights dinner:
*i've never seen anything like this* and *my back hurts*
---
at menara, its all about the ceremony, the presentation, bringing the old world style dining *experience* to this strange little oasis in the middle of one of the sketchiest parts of san jose.
and menara may freak out many westerners not expecting a pretty roots kind of experience.
-first off--its not that comfortable. pillows are provided for guests to sit and eat at low tables. okay its downright awkward for those of us who have been missing yoga class...dinner (six courses served over an hour or so) requires several re-positionings.
-dinner starts with a hand-washing ceremony, warm water served out of ornate silver contraption.
-this comes in handy as you realize that the only utensils you are expected to use are those ten god-given fingers of yours. food is all to be pulled apart by hand
-family style servings. i'm not talking bucca di beppo here. i'm talking about bone-in hare, lamb, chicken breast, and moroccan salad (all were very good--flavorful beyond belief) served piping-hot in bowls. nice touch: full-on towels rather than napkins.
-the mint tea served as a final course is served into flute style glasses and was poured expertly. he started off close to the glasses and gradually pulled the teapot about four feet up and poured all three glasses without spilling a single drop. warranted full round of applause.
-belly dancer! lent authenticity to the experience, very talented, engaged the groups, subtly requested tips, slipped into her...whatever they call that outfit. so bring cash. i only had a ten and felt awkward asking her for change.
overall-i enjoyed it. the experience was worth a trip. it was a hell of a trip. but there were parts of the experience that were a little too authentic and challenging for me (specifically seating and lack of utensils). hence the four stars.
** oh yeah and 1,000 points on open table.
Marrakech is one of my most favorite places on earth, so I was excited about Menara.
Awesome mint tea with traditional service. Amazing belly dancer who did the scimitar (sword) balancing. Beautiful Moroccan decor and waiters who were dressed traditionally.
Food wise? You might as well be in a nursing home, but not in Morocco. The chicken looked and tasted like it was boiled and put on the plate. 75 bucks for 2 is too much for tea service and a belly dance show. Skip Menara and find a Moroccan restaurant where the chefs are from Morocco.
I'm reviewing this place based on service mainly. The food was alright, but the atmosphere is perfect for parties and special occasions.
I threw my graduation party here and they could not have been any nicer. The guy was very friendly and allowed me to bring my bottles of champagne to the dinner. In the end since I had so many people, he did not charge a corkage fee for any of them!! I felt like the entire place was ready to cater to me.
I loved the mint tea! That was probably the best thing that night. The chicken was flavorless, the baklava was super sweet, but I loved the shrimp. I enjoyed dancing with the belly dancers and just being able to feel comfortable and not have to worry about being proper or sitting up straight. For ambiance alone, I would totally recommend this place!
I loved this place! The decor, food, and service are great! My favorites are the moroccan salad and mint tea. The sweet chicken pastry dish (forget the name) was really good, too. The belly dancing was fun to watch, especially when she got people up from the tables to join her. Be prepared to pace yourself through the 6 courses...there is a lot of food!
food: 3-4
experience: 6
This is a great place for parties of any size. I was surprised to find such a place, like a hidden gem, on Gish. Come here for a cultural experience, food and entertainment.
The food is good, not great, but it basically started off from 4 stars (salad and boneless chicken pastry) to 3 stars(whole chicken & beef kebabs with couscous) back to 4 stars (baklava & mint tea).
The belly dancer was a nice touch of entertainment... and other guests danced alongside her... and although I did try to avoid getting picked to dance with her, like avoiding eye contact and pretending to be deep in a conversation with others, it was inevitable.
There is a bar here and their drink costs are pretty good.
A truly unique dining experience. The flavor of the food was fantastic and the service was good. The volume of food was significant; don't go here unless you are very hungry. While very different in style, the decor was on the same level as Buca de Beppo. Excellent vegetarian menu.
Great spot for an exotic, large group party.
Nice place for a group setting. (birthday party, anniversary, etc.)
The seating is nice. Lots of couches and plush pillows, a few with some questionable stains. Have no fear, there's so many pillows you can switch them out for the good ones.
Our group ordered the Fish 6 course dinner. The meal started with a washing of the hands in Rose Water. I couldn't help but think of a golden shower as the waiter poured a flowing stream of warm water over our hands.
1st course - Eggplant salad was delicious scooped up with their bread. Tangy, sweet, salty, and a tad spicy.
2nd course - Chicken b'stillah. An intersting mix of chicken, nuts, herbs, and raisins layered between phyllo dough and dusted, very liberally, with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Not my favorite. It was really dry and needed some moisture to bring it all together.
3rd course - Orange roughy and Carrots in a cilantro pesto-ish sauce. Tasty, but the carrots were better than the fish.
4th & 5th course - Couscous with veggies and braised lamb shanks. The couscous was dry and bland. I'm not really a fan of lamb, but these were cooked long enough to reduce the gamey taste. They were super tender and fell right off the bone.
6th course - Baklava and Mint Tea. Baklava not so good but the Mint Tea was the best. I gots to get me some of that!
The belly dancing entertainment was kinda sad to watch. There was only one belly dancer and everybody ignored her. After her first performance there was dead silence, until our group started clappping for her. We were there on a Tuesday night, so the place was kinda empty. If you want to see more come on a weekend night.
It was great tasty food. I liked the salad and the ambiance is great. It's a great place to hang with friends and talk. The dancer had each group come up and participate which was fun.
The setting - February 12th in San Jose, CA. My boyfriend and I have been (back) together for nearly 2 weeks, making the upcoming Valentine's holiday a suddenly significant one for the two of us. Just two days before Valentine's, my hunk of a man puts his mind to finding a restaurant at which we can have a romantic, luxurious dinner to celebrate our adoration of each other. The challenges to overcome included very short notice for a reservation on such a popular night for dining out and the need for a plethora of vegetarian options (as I was doing a meat-free cleanse).
Enter Menara. With such little notice, they were still able to book us at the perfect time in our busy weekend schedule, 5:30pm. Even better, they offered a full vegetarian prix fixe menu!!! He tells me of his success and we celebrate, eager to experience this together on Valentine's.
Fast forward to the actual day. We arrive to find a lavishly decorated restaurant set up in the authentic middle-eastern style. Myself having experienced many Moroccan restaurants before, most notably Mataam Fez in Denver, I am pleased to see that this restaurant not only meets my high expectations for atmosphere but exceeds them. There's a lovely fountain in the entry way and we are promptly led to our table where we position ourselves on the floor. We inform our server that we would like the vegetarian menu and we are offered the signature cocktail of the night (Moroccan Magic perhaps? I can't remember the exact name).
Our hands are washed, and the courses begin. Each one outdoes the previous with delicious savory and sweet delights dancing on our palates. We kiss, we swoon, we watch the belly dancers, we even get up and dance with them. In short, we have an amazing night of food and entertainment and love.
Do I recommend Menara? How could I not?! It's a restaurant that isn't just about food, it's a whole experience. If you can let go of stuffiness and allow yourself to really enjoy it, this place can be a bit of heaven for an hour or two.
I am discontent with many of the reviewers who've applied low ratings simply because of the cultural experience of sitting on the floor & eating with your hands. This spot deserves more than what it's been getting.
The service was top notch because the servers treated me like a Prince. Then my elusive mistress (Don't tell Jasmine!) came out in appropriate attire while her dance hypnotized me to purchase more of their Tajine Rabbit (Sorry, Bugs!). Given that I was in a great mood, I decided to dance with her and she showed me how to move my hips (I did give her $3 for the lessons, by the way). I felt like I was a professional. I was then kindly given some rosewater to naturally cleanse my hands so that I can enjoy the Baklava dessert accompanied by hot Mint Tea. Check this: the tea was so skillfully poured into a narrow glass from 3ft above the table. For a moment, I thought they were tears of joy, but then realized it was just a splash that landed right on the corner of my eye. This spot is beautiful. Go here with an open mind and don't bash on the overall presentation.
I did not have a single complaint about this restaurant.
We were a party of 34, there for my friend's 50th birthday. Despite the number of us, service was fantastic! The staff of the restaurant was friendly, attentive and welcoming.
The decor of this place is stunning. You walk in from a plain street to find yourself transported to an exotic haven. Cloth hangs from the ceiling and diners lounge on cushions next to low, golden tables. The lighting is dim and flattering, and jewel tones abound. You almost expect to see Scheherazade, telling stories to her king.
The food is DELICIOUS. After washing your hands at the table, the food is served in courses, with each one being more delightful than the next. The size of each portion is perfect, and you eat with your hands or with the bread which seems to be in a neverending supply.
We were there on a Saturday night, and midway through our meal, a bellydancer came out to perform. I was skeptical at first because her outfit was very cabaret-style, but she was amazing! She seemed to genuinely enjoy dancing, and brought several of the guests up to dance with her. She was really a great performer.
I can't think of a single thing I would have changed about this place, and will return again, and again, and again.
In close to 20 years I've never had a bad meal here. The food is just fabulous. You'll be eating with your fingers...have an enjoyable evening. The honey lamb and mint tea are two of my favorites.
The entertainment is of course belly dancing. I've seen both male and female dancers perform there. Don't be surprised if you are pulled up to shake you hips for a few minutes. No one is safe! You'll hate it and love it at the same time :-)
Deborah Loriau
My friend and I have been to several Moroccan restaurants...many of the offer the same atmosphere of belly dancers, floor-cushioned seating, the authenticityof eating with your hands.
This restaurant offers this, however we were disappointed with both the food and service. With a reservation it took 15 mintues to seat us. Our order was taken and the only time we saw a server is when they brought our food. We like to keep the drinks flowing and to have the courtesy of asking how our meal is...we received no such service at this restaurant.
Having been to several other Moroccan restaurants in the Bay Area gave us a foundation to compare Menara's food. Their meats were over-cooked, and the supposed Lamb Kabob that was a part of our meal was actually a meat ball...not served in the traditional kabob style. For the price of around $30/person we expected much more.
Listed in: Never again
While it doesn't look like it from the outside, Menara is a Moroccan restaurant modeled after what one would envision a desert oasis to be. The tables are low to the ground, with low couches along the walls (if you must) or pads to sit on. All food is served "family style" and you eat with your hands; outside of bread the only time we got a utensil was for the couscous. Some of the dishes can be a bit challenging to eat if you're trying to be dainty about it, so don't - embrace the spirit and just go at it.
The food is served across a few different courses - ours had chicken, a honey lamb (that was just outstanding), and the above mentioned couscous. All was generally very good, with again the lamb being the course that really stood out. The servers were very attentive and helpful. And just to complete the dinner and a show, the place also features a belly dancer who throughout the course of her dancing managed to get every patron up at some point to dance with her.
Just an awesome place to go have fun with a group of friends. But again - don't be shy, just dig in and have fun!
I just went back for a second time last night, and I wanted to give the restaurant another shout out. Becky N complained a bit about the price about a year ago, but I think they must have dropped it since then because I think it's an incredible value. I'm a known for being a bit of a cheapskate, but I really think that for $20 - $30 for your choice between four 5 course menus, this is an amazing value.
Your meal is served in a very unique setting - I haven't been to Morocco yet, so I have no idea how authentic it is, but it's certainly feels like you've been transformed to another place and time. The waiters are dressed up like Abu, from Aladdin, you eat on cushions on the floor, there's a belly dancing performance every evening, and the decor of the restaurant is amazing. The waiters bring out a container of rose water to wash your hands at your table, and they put on quite a show when pouring your mint tea - trying to see how high they can pour it from without spilling it.
The belly dancers are quite good, and they are also very friendly, inviting people from the crowd to get up and dance with them at a few points throughout the show.
The flavor of the food is phenomenal - I've now had two of their menus, and both have left me craving for more.
Highly, highly recommend.
I went here with a girlfriend for a night on the town several months ago, and it was fabulous! It… Read more »
What a fun dinner! Have been wanting to come here for years and finally got to on a Friday night with my husband and some friends. I was immediately impressed with the beautiful decor when walking in! A gorgeous tiled fountain immediately transports you to the Mediterranean! We sat at one of the low tables in the main room and since there were just four of us we didn't use the cushions...I wouldn't have minded sitting on them, even though other reviewers have complained of it hurting their backs. They appeared to be very comfortable. The service was excellent from start to finish. We were waited on by several people, and all we very professional and nice. We splurged and got the most expensive option for dinner. The food was delicious! I loved every course, but my favorite were the extremely flavorful prawns! Yummy! You do eat with your hands, so be prepared to use the towel they provide you with quite a bit. I loved the hand washing ceremony at the beginning with the warm rose water. When I ate here I was getting over a bit of a cold, and so decided to drink the mint tea with my entire meal. This was another very high point of the experience! The tea is outstanding and made me feel much better in spite of my sniffles and scratchy throat. As other reviewers have mentioned, there is a belly dancer show that occurs with your dinner and lasts for quite awhile. She does engage the audience and pulls just about everyone up to dance. I'm not a belly dancer by any stretch of the imagination, but had a good time shimmying with the other ladies who were invited up to dance. I try to be a good sport about those kinds of things, and suggest that for other people who come here to eat. Overall, I highly recommend coming here for a fun, memorable dinner! Bring your friends and you will definitely have a great time.
Menara is an ideal place to go with a group of friends. It's iexpensive, and you can be entertained with dancing and music. But for me, the good time stops there.
To be fair, I am not a big fan of:
- sitting on the floor
- eating with my fingers
- Moroccan food in general
So that being said, we're already off on the wrong foot. Menara is a bit like walking onto a bizarre movie set. Murals everywhere, waiters in oversized fez hats, and run down pillows & banquettes.
The beginning is fun, as you wash your hands from a poured urn & receive a towel for your lap (trust me, you'll need it). The service is great - we were well cared for from the bar & service people. But then... well, the food comes.
We started with a chicken "have fun" pastry. Imagine eating sloppy joes with your fingers... taste was good but it just wasn't my thing. Then came the soup - all i can say is yuck, but at least I had a spoon. We moved onto a shrimp dish that was close to impossible to eat. The shrimp still had tails on, so you were literally forced to deal with the tomato sauce all over your fingers (remember, no knives, or forks, just hunks of bread)... next up was a chicken dish - again too hard to eat. My first mouthful had a sharp bone because I had pulled it off with my fingers.
I give the place 3 stars, as I think with enough cocktails - you could just ignore the food & enjoy the music and belly dancers!
I liked the atmosphere: belly dancer, sitting on the flour, the fountain.
However the food was expensive and not very good. (I believe that the different entries shared the same sauce)
I went their with my business partners.
Honestly not my style because we had sit down on the floor or very uncomfy sofa type chairs. Lights were dimmed so i didn't feel good if it was clean or not.
We ordered four casablanca. All dishes came out together not individually. We had to eat it without utensils. We asked out server for utensils but they said we have to use our fingers for the traditional way. I don't mind if it was my hubby but with business partners it wasnt good.
Food wasn't for me. Just too sweet. I understand that it is suppose to be sweet but if you dont have a sweet tooth this is not the place to go. The flavors were all gone because of the sweetness.
Belly dancing was fun. Felt like we were pushed too tip the lady.
New interesting experience but I won't try it again.
Menara's open environment stands out; this is a uniquely perfect place for large parties. Just take a look at the pictures, and you'll get a sense of just a big group all huddled together.
The food was large in proportion but mediocre in taste imo. Not an expert on Moroccan food though. It is a bit difficult to eat all of that with your hands because it's literally like digging into stew and sauce with your fingers: it's not effective or sanitary when sharing with others. However, the waitress gave us forks and spoons upon request, no problem.
The show was good. I think there are different belly dancers; the one we watched was not particularly family friendly, as people started slipping bills into her waist and bra strap, but she was a great entertainer. The service here is friendly and atmosphere very festive. The only -1 star is that the food itself didn't wow me; but it wasn't bad at all.
I can categorically say that this is the absolute worst restaurant I have eaten in my 40-year life...anywhere in the world, including in Morocco last month. They should be ashamed to serve food like that! I know for a fact that Moroccan food is not that bad! Every dish we tried was inedible, period.
What they have there is not fine dining, but a dog and pony show (with funny looking servers, so-called belly dancing, and theatrics), not a restaurant but a circus show with clever online marketing, so you should bill it as that. Even the room reeks with smell of mold, and may be hygiene issue for food safety authorities to look into. Also, the location of the restaurant itself is not in a nice area.
They ruined my evening, will ruin yours' too if you don't heed this forewarning.
It's very rare I give an establishment 5 stars but when I do, I mean it. I've been to Menara's about 5 times, and every time I have never left more satisfied. The meal- absolutely amazing; the decor- divine; the service- heavenly. When they first washed my hands in rosewater, I knew they would spoil me ( the only thing missing was a hot man feeding me grapes and fanning me!).
We had the Menara dinner with that mouthwatering honey lamb ( yes, I am salivating just thinking about it)! The bastilla ( phyllo stuffed with ground chicken and almonds and topped with powdered sugar) was surprisingly tasty! The chicken practically fell off the bone, and the salad (with was more like an eggplant tapenade) was served with this amazing freshly baked bread! Oh, and they finish the meal with a mint tea and baklava!
The price may seem steep, but you get a 6 course meal and entertainment for about $40... Not as pricey than at first glance, right?! Be warned you do share one meal with your entire party and you use your hands, so keep it sanitary people!
Menara's is my Casablanca away from Casablanca. Truly exceptional and a wonderful gem in San Jose!
Ah the delicious goodness...
I have been coming here since I was a kid. My boyfriend had never heard of this place so I kept threatening him with a good time here. I havent gone in years so I thought this would be fun. The decor is beautiful and you get to sit on the floor on pillows in front of a low table.
We started our meal with an at table hand washing. They bring out a kettle of warm water and large bowl and give you a warm towel to dry off. The towel serves as a very large napkin because you eat with your hands. No utensils here. Dont ask for a utensil or I will hunt you down and give you a head noogie. Our first course was a salad which was a lot like a Mediterranean salsa with eggplant and tomato as the dominant flavors. They give you a generous amount of amazing bread to pick up the salad with. The second course was ground chicken with nuts wrapped in a puff pastry and sprinkled with powered sugar. It sounds weird but IT IS SO GOOD!!! The third course was a lemon flavored cornish hen with a generous amount of light sauce (almost like soup). The bread was amazing dipped in the sauce. The hen was very moist and fell apart when you touched it. The fourth was chicken kabobs with a vegetable couscous. The couscous was exceptional. My boyfriend never had couscous before so Im glad it was so good for his first run in with it. The chicken was flavored very well. Our dessert was mint tea and baklava. The tea is very pallet cleansing. During our dessert, the belly dancer came out an did a performance. She had both my boyfriend and I come up and dance. Very embarrassing but fun. The dancers are always exceptional.
This place is a San Jose staple and really only known by word of mouth. I will be a loyal customer til I die.
We had a birthday gathering with more than 10 people at this morrocan place. The place, the belly dancer as well as the menu seemed very moroccan and similar to most other moroccan places in the bay area. However I did not find the food very appealing. Specially for the price that was charged. It is a very expensive place and the food wasn't worth the price... I'll rather go to other places for moroccan food.
3.5
Definitely a FUN place to go with a large group of friends. You're sitting on the plush couches and pillows, feel like you've landed on the set of Casablanca, are eating with your hands, and being served by waiters donning Fez hats. After downing a few "Moroccan Magic" drink specials, get ready for a LIVELY night.
The food ranges from good to average. I did enjoy the cucumber and spicy dip with the bread, lemony white fish, and the minced meat pastry with powdered sugar. The cous cous and chicken skewers were dry, although our other group had a zesty shrimp dish in a thick red sauce. For the quality of the food, it was extremely overpriced - easily $40 a person.
The entertainment was fun, if not borderline sleazy given that the dancer was well into her late 40s/early 50s. Not to say that elder women can't belly dance, but it felt somewhat shameful watching people stuff dollar bills in her pants. But the crowd loved it. I even saw a large FAMILY party with little kids running around! A little inappropriate, given that the little girls were besides themselves with excitement as they mimicked the belly dancer's suggestive moves (along with their fathers, I might add).
If you are crowd shy, avoid sitting near the center or the sides. She will likely drag you and your unsuspecting pal out onto the dance floor. This may not be the most authentic Moroccan culinary experience, but it sure does give folks something to talk about (or laugh about) the next day.
Listed in: Do you know SAN JO?
Come for the experience but not the food. Menara is a Morrocan restaurant that features belly dancing which makes it a perfect place for a date or a fun night out with a group.
Things I enjoyed:
the ambience - once you step inside you're transported to another place. Nice touches like comfy floor pillows, floor -to-ceiling decor,hand washing w/cucumber water, and of course the belly dancer gave a great show.
Areas to improve:
Food and prices - hate to say it but the food was overpriced ($30+ per person) although it was 5 courses and everything I tasted was bland and dry; surprising for a Mediterrean spot.
Would I come back? Not likely, unless it's just to watch the show and have some drinks. OR, if they lower their prices ;)
I took my husband here tonight for his birthday and I was pretty unhappy with the food and as another reviewer said- the mold smell. I had a Moroccan roommate in college and everything she cooked was amazing. At Menara the couscous was dry, the vegetarian food was totally un-inspired and I was not wowed by anything. Not going back or recommending.
Menara!!!!!!!!
When I visited you, I walked into intimacy. Deliciousness. Sultryness.
My friends and I ordered so many dishes I couldn't remember all of their names. I fell so in love with the honey lamb plate -OH!! I love the seating arrangement, so close to the ground, it leaves you, well, grounded! I enjoyed the dancing too. Some chick got up and started "screwing the lightbulb and smashing the bug" with the dancer, I nearly got the urge myself but in the end I felt that I wasn't a good bug smasher as I was a lightbulb screwer (lol)! The attire worn by the servers appropriately compliments the theme and the decor isn't that far off.
This place is the place to go for exotically delicious Moroccan dishes -even MOROCCO's on Market thinks so!! Good for a date or a group of close friends :)
Every time I've been here, I've never had a bad time. The food is consistently good. I had the hare, chicken, etc. My favorite is the hare. I like the unique dining style where you sit on the floor and enjoy the belly dancers. The ambiance is dim and romantic. Great place for a date and try something different! =)
P.S. - If you're a guy, just don't stare at the belly dancer too much! =P
Food: VERY GOOD
Service: GOOD
Price: EXPENSIVE
Return: YES
I just celebrated my 24th birthday at Menara Morrocan with 18 of my friends. We had such a great time!
Service was great and very accommodating for all the chaos we caused :)
I love coming to Menara Moroccan Restaurant. I've been here many times and it never fails me. The… Read more »
Fun place and they put on a good show.
Food is sub par. Nothing hit the spot.
Dry chicken kabobs, weird and funky pastry: chicken, nuts, and powdered sugar?
I saw a couple walk out with a doggie bag and thought to myself,"This shit cannot taste any better later."
One extra star for the entertainment
Expect to eat with your hands.
Fun place to try .:)
Their food was Okey , the Restaurant was unique .
will Take a while to get use to sit on bunch of pillow ! fun !
Interesting place for couple on 2nd date ( not recomand 1st date /skirt ..Cause dinner time is long what happen if you don't like the person..stuck on the Pillows ! ! ahahhaa )
their Belly dancing show was quite nice & friendly .
I had a perfect 2nd date there 2 years ago & Plan to visit the restaurant again soon !
If Moroccan style is exotic to you, and you're seeking entertainment value, Menara deserves 5 stars automatically.
But the food is what it's all about, and the price (with the $17 minimum for entertainment) gets out of control pretty quickly. And when it's not crowded, the place seems almost overwhelmingly large.
Location: Menara is easy to get to and is well situated with rear parking. It's just off North 1st street, between 101 and 880, though because of the difficult in making left turns from North 1st street, I'd recommend getting off the 880's First street exit and driving north on North 1st so you can make a right turn.
The restaurants is one building, and has very clear markings so it's easy to see.
Upon entering, you are introduced to a beautiful decor and another world. Really an experience to be had once. The main bar is to the left and in the center is a floor fountain with some light seating all around. Some more seating to the right. This "front" roon is rather large and could easily accommodate many customers in a standing social event or bar scene.
There's a large opening directly in front of you on the other side of the central fountain that leads to the main seating area. When you go into the larger main area, there are two similar large "opening" to the left and right for semi-private gatherings, each seating maybe a dozen or so guests.
There is seating in each of the four corners, and though you don't sit on the ground, you do sit very low on deeply set sofas and cushions. Customers sit at these corners or some of the side seating and it's ideal for medium to large gatherings. There are gold or metallic covered round tables at each table area.
All in all, the decor seemed both authentic and a little showy. Almost out of a movie scene or something you'd expect to see in Vegas. It MIGHT be authentic, I wouldn't know, but if someone from Morocco said it was too showy and only seen in touristy places in Morocco....I'd believe them.
The costumes were equally showy and frankly, I liked the effort put into creating a vibe. Clearly, the group I was with was highly entertained.
The center of the large room is for the belly dancing, and a professional entertainer comes out to dance and gets all the customers to get up and dance at least once, but no fear, it's just for a few seconds and then she let's you go back to your seat.
The food was presented in beautiful plateware and baskets, and at the beginning and the end of the meal a special cleaning pot was brought out where the waiter poured warm water into the pot, and you placed your hands underneath the pouring water to clean your hands. You were also given a large towel to dry off your hands.
All the food is eaten by hand, which was fine, for the most part. For one of the courses, I had to resort to a fork, but overall, it was a fun way to eat.
Where Menara loses points for me is the food quality and the price (one for each).
I understand that the entertainment costs and the $17 minimum is just fine. But there were seven of us, and when we said we wanted 6 portions, the waiter hesitated, repeating that there was a $17 minimum. Since the courses started at $26.95, clearly, 6 portions for seven people would still have met the minimum. Unfortunately, my group bought it hook line and sinker without thinking about it and we ended up paying way too much and not finishing as there were generous portions of food. The other problem I had was that since the food was family style, the group could only choose one course for all parties. This is understandable, considering how they serve the food, but not something I would like to repeat.
And the drinks were expensive. Even the non-alcoholic drinks were $5+.
So, all told, for food that was mediocre-good (but not great), and a few beers and fruit drinks, each person paid about $58.
To my mind, the food and entertainment combined was worth maybe $30.
So if you go with a decent sized party, be forewarned:
You only need 6 portions for 7 people, or maybe 8 portions for 10 people, and save on drinks at the outset and hop over to a bar afterward. You'll still get plenty of food, and you'll pay considerably less and still be entertained.
Incidentally, the belly dancer is not from Morocco, but she's a very good dancer and teaches belly dancing classes too. She's white and a former professional soccer player. I must say, the things she could do with her hips were pretty cool. The sword balancing dance was fun to watch too. She also came around after she changed back into street clothes to make sure we had fun. And oh yeah, TIP HER. Though she's not a stripper by any means, the method of tipping is the same.
My best friend celebrated his 21st birthday at Menara.
They easily accommodated our party of 25 and they have side rooms that are a little bit more private. We had reservations for 8 o'clock.. and I'm not just if it's coincidence that their belly dancing show started at 8 or maybe they take everyone's reservation time into consideration. Anyways, as soon as we were seated the show began.
Service was excellent. The food was delicious. My favorites were the couscous, lamb (I'm not a lamb fan, but it was good), and baklava. I wish I asked for utensils early in the meal because my (fake) nails got stained. The bartender was slow but the drinks were good.
And can I just say again, that service was excellent. They took care of the cake I brought in with no cake slicing fee. They also allowed me and my friend to bring in the favors we made - little coronitas tied with pink ribbon.. as long as we didn't drink them in the restaurant. lol.
I just came back from this place, and had a great time. A big group of us met up here to celebrate my bff's fiance's birthday. We got the far right corner to ourselves, with 4 tables. Some of us sat on the benches, while others sat on the pillows.
We got this meal: http://www.menara41.co...
I enjoyed most of it, especially the fish and the chicken kabab. I didn't like the taste of the powdered sugar on the B'stilla. I probably would have liked it more if if there was something else, like chili or curry, in its place.
I'm not a big fan of sweetened tea (iced, hot and mint were all sweetened), but it was fun watching the waiter pour the mint tea.
I don't think anyone should expect supermodel dancers at this place because $30-50 a person is not a lot to pay for dining and entertainment. So, props to the dancers...they made it fun for everyone.
We celebrated my colleague's bachelor party at this restaurant!! We had a blast!!! The food was excellent and the entertainment - belly dancer was fantastic :) She was awesome and she made every table participate in the dancing. Very clever! The place is cozy and warm. Very welcoming. The manager, Andy, took great care of our group - first class all the way. Thumbs UP!!!!
I wanted to give this place 3.5 stars but that's not possible. So I've decided to give it 3 stars. This place has great ambiance that is some what of a surprise considering the seedy looking exterior. I've driven by this area MANY times, I never took notice of this place. It is really a hidden gem.
Its a decorative environment. Its all carpeted with ornate ceilings. Lamps hang from the ceilings and the lighting is just right that you almost feel like you are in Morocco. I've never been to Morocco, mind you. But I think this is what Morocco would feel like.
The head Waiter came out and took our order. We were debating between all the different options. We decided to get the meal that included lamb while our other friends got the chicken meal.
The meal started off with a bit of hand washing. One of the waiters, dressed in fez, vest, and MC Hammer pants came out with a kettle of warm water and a basin. We did the ritual washing of the ands and wiped our hands dry on a white towel. This towel was to be used through out the meal to protect the food from our clothes..or maybe it was the other way around.
Food is served sans utensils. You must use your hands. So no scratching your ass or picking your nose after the hand washing. We got 4 dishes in all and a small dessert with tea. It wasn't very much food to share amongst a table of four. That was the major disappointment for me. Considering I paid $52 after tip for my meal.
The highlight of the evening was the belly dancing. They had two shows. The first show, the belly dancer came out with wings and fluttered around the restaurant. That was cool. She did this move where she wrapped herself in her wings circa the movie "COOCOON" it was interesting but more funny.
The second half, a male and female belly dancer came out and got the party started. They pulled everyone up to dance at one point or another. I have to say I really enjoyed that part!
I think I would like to come back to this place to celebrate something else. I feel like the cost was a bit high for the amount of food. I guess we paid for the entertainment if nothing else.
I'm inspired now to go get some belly dancing lessons. I can shake my fold over belly like I Dream of Geni..
Make that a 3.5 star review.
So the ol' wifey gets a real bad case of PMS the other day and got all crabby. I decide to soothe her with a surprise dinner at someplace unusual. Sure, I could stick with the reliable places like Gary Danko or Chapeau!, but I wanted something new, something different, something exotic... someplace where I can oogle at a half nekkid' belly dancer without the wifey getting mad at me!
I find Menara on http://Opentable.com and since we were headed down to San Jose that weekend, I decide to pull the trigger and give it a whirl.
I gotta be honest, when I pulled into the parking lot, I thought I made a huge mistake. The exterior is GHETTO! I'm not exaggerating here, we're talkin' full-on, gang-banger, hide a corpse in an old abandoned warehouse ghetto. Needless to say, wifey's PMS starts to go into overdrive...
Things get better as we enter the premises. There's a neat fountain as you walk in and the place opens up into a cavernous interior which is pretty cool. It certainly gives the feel of a Moroccan bazaar with tapestries, middle-eastern tiling, and pillows strewn all about. We're seated quickly and meet our server who's quite pleasant and takes his time to guide us in this unfamiliar territory.
As others have mentioned, meals are arranged in set packages. Since wifey was on the warpath, I pick the most expensive option and then let the experience wash over us. Our server returns with a huge bowl and pitcher of water for us to rinse our hands before the meal. Niiice, this place is hard-core traditional!
I loved sitting on the floor and throwing pillows at grumpy wifey. I loved the traditional feeling of using your hands to eat, even with foods that were a bit... gooey. Unfortunately for me, wifey has an irrational phobia about eating with her hands... go figger. She just about freaked out when she found out that she had to pull the chicken apart with her fingers. Then she embarrassed the hell out of me by asking our server for silverware. Our hospitable server did bring knife and fork, but I wouldn't blame him if he spit on our food.
In the end, we had a great time.
I probably would've given this place another star if we had caught the belly-dancing show. Our reservation was at 6pm and entertainment usually doesn't start until 8pm.
I tried to eat as slow as I could so I could see some skin, but grumpy wifey made me leave before the hips started shakin' *sniff*.
I was brought to this restaurant for my 25th B-Day by a guy I was dating and I have been hooked since..
When I started dating a new guy I brought him and he loves it.
We took the new guys Mom for Mothers Day and it was a hit for Mom and Dad..
The outside looks a little scary because of the are so you are not real sure what you are wlaking into.
Once inside it is like an oasis, the small fountain in the middle of the floor with the gold laiden floor tables and red velveted benches if you need to sit a little higher .
Being what I would call a seasoned Moroccon ~ I can tell you that the FOOD IS AWESOME ~~ I have taken my Godmother here for her B-Day and she absolutely loved it. I havent brought someone here who hasnt been extremely happy with the place.
I ALWAYS have the HONEY LAMB OMG!! It is to die for~~ The prices are perfect I mean it could range any where from $26.00 to $38 per person no more or less then a meal at the average steak house.
I love the begininng of the meal when the men comes with th warm water to pour over your hands for cleansing ~ Since you eat with your hands~~ Stretched on pillows it sets the mood.
If you go try to make your reservations for about 7:30pm get there order a drink from the bar sit out in the lobby and enjoy the pool/fountain and socialize with your group,
If someone tries to seat you simply say you are not ready yet they are very cooperative. Then go in after 15 -20 min of a drink a socializing be seated order your meal and your first course will be out right on time for the 8pm belly dancer..
Oh yea order the Moroccon Madness drink I could be wrong on the name but if you guess the Morccon something I am sure they will help you out.
As a matter of fact they are so great that on Mothers Day when Mom wanted the meal with the shrimp and I wanted my Honey Lamb ~ Nor Problem the substituded the Lamb Kabob for the Honey lamb and everyone was happy!!
Oh yes by the way it is family style service so everyone must agree to the same meal but that is okay because everything about this place I love..
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