Al Casbah in Cambridge

240408 Another lovely meal with friends. Grilled King Prawns are well marinated and grilled to perfection. Borek comes with crispy pockets of juicy dough and tender minced lamb. Couscous Royale is gorgeous. The meat selection is almost identical to the grilled platter but the flavor and texture is so different. The chicken and lamb can be easily pulled apart and melt in mouth. The couscous is moist, and the tomato sauce is beautiful. The vegetables (carrots eggplants and radish?) are great too. Chips are surprisingly crispy and delightfully salted (and with skins!!). I usually enjoy chips plain, but the garlic sauce is irresistible :) 230719– I’ve been thinking about trying the place in store after getting a grill combo at last year’s Mill Road Winter Fair and wasn’t disappointed :> Literally emptied all plates. The mixed plate (brochettes casbah) is of great value. The sausage is so flavorful— can’t imagine I almost missed it if I ordered two skewers. The lamb and chicken are nicely seasoned and relatively tender. The rice is very aromatic without being too salty. The starters/sides: Hummus is on the more garlicky and less silky side. Not my favorite type but still tastes fine. Baba ghanoush has a distinct lovely smokiness (probably thanks to the charcoal grill), but personally I’d prefer more tahini in it, as is the case of hummus. The addition of balsamic vinegar is an interesting innovative touch. I haven’t seen in anywhere else. The tabbouleh is really refreshing. Fig tart is lovely (similar to the other place’s :) The chocolate ice cream is tasty and not too sweet. I wonder where it’s from? Service is pretty friendly and prompt (except one of the chairs has a sharp nail but it’s really not the restaurant’s problem.) Good music selection.

tight seating, long waiting time and overpriced

Went for Iftaar. A lovely little local restaurant. Food was delicious. Tables were a bit tight, but overall a great experience. One of those boutique restaurants where you don't talk too loud, because it's that's small and compact, you don't want the next table hearing your conversation. They told us when it was iftaar time and service was very friendly. A welcoming place. We'd go back again. Husband got mixed grill. I got the lamb shank tagine - absolutely delicious with fall off the bone tender meat, and perfect savoury and sweet combo! We had humous and bourek for starters both yummy *apart from meat in humous, which was just grilled meat. Lovely food, cute restaurant, and welcoming service, especially for those of us fasting - were given dates.

Nice ambiance, good food although a little overpriced for what you get

Good food but not many vegetarian options for the main plate.

Lovely food, the mixed grill was very nice although a little pricey. 😋

Delicious food and cosy evening atmosphere, all meat is halal and no alcohol served

I’ve been three times now to this restaurant and still can’t get enough. The food is beyond delicious (I especially recommend any of the tagines and the baklava), the decor is very beautiful and the service is perfect. Book in advance - it’s busy for a very good reason!

Tasty food and friendly service!

Very good food. The mint tea is amazing! The mixed grill platter was very tasty and I got Mhalabi for dessert, it was very nice as well.

Loved it. Four vegetarian and GF starters between two for quick lunch on Saturday. Refreshing lemon and mint drinks and only £20 each

I will visit again when. Super.

I went with my boyfriend today for the first time and I am disappointed. I ordered the hallomi salad as a main and unique course expecting I will be more than full after that but it was a small portion ( more like a starter) for £12.95 . Then my boyfriend asked for another main dish having to choose between rice and chips. He asked for chips but the dish came with rice so he could not bother to let them know. For my surprise, the lady came with the chips 3 minutes later so obviously they made a mistake so we were pretty friendly with her. When the bill came, I spotted that we were charged for the chips too. 😳 At that point, we just wanted to leave as soon as possible so once again we did not say a word. Very disappointed. Tiny portions but expensive prices.

The food, as always, very delicious, abundant and at a normal price. We are customers and we recommend it 100%!

Best lamb tagine I have ever had!!!! Mixed meze and mixed grill was also delicious! I am already looking forward to going back!

25+ years doing what the family run business do best, no other restaurant on mill road and in the surrounding area even comes close - often imitated never duplicated.

We were a group of 5, one child included. We had 4 different dishes and a shared platter. Food was excellent. The tea is lovely. We also had baklava with ice cream and the fig tart... Which was amazing! I love figs, grew when I was a child and ate lots of dishes. This tart was incredible, right level of sweetness/sugar and the pastry was fresh not to hard and not soggy. That was my favorite bit to be honest. (Apart from the chicken with white sauce forgot the name of the dish, this wasn't very well cooked moisture chicken leg hard meat) the dishes were lovely, the chicken Tagine is a must have I had it with couscous and it was very tasty and the meat was very well cooked, with lots of green olives, amazing. I definitely recommend this place, we went during the Xmas market and the experience there was very pleasant. They even help us to cut some string for the child sitting with us who was making bracelets, that helped us to keep her busy during our meal!

Ordered the Mixed Grill and Shakshouka starter, both tasted phenomenonal!

Cosy, friendly and delicious food!

Très bon restaurant de grillade. Service de qualité, les portions sont généreuses, l’ambiance agréable

Wir waren zwei mal hier und waren immer sehr zufrieden. Das Essen war immer sehr gut und wir haben uns immer sehr wohl gefühlt. Würden immer wieder hier essen gehen.

As an Algerian its pleasure to have restaurant in this standard in the uk definitely worth it to come all the way from London. Thanks guys see you again

Really tasty lamb and fish, great service too :-)

Food was delicious, we had our 18 week old baby with us who was grumpy. Staff moved seating to fit our pram in. During the mains one of the waitresses kindly held our baby while we finished our food. Lovely staff, highly recommended

Great little place, though very tiny. Only criticism was that mint tea needs rather more mint than one small leaf!

Very flavorsome and well cooked meat with an authentic and varied menu. The atmosphere lacks a little compared to Bedouin but it is still a fine choice from the many worthy options on Mill road and I think up there with the best.

Underwhelming food coupled with poor service. Decor is nice. You walk past a flaming charcoal grill as you enter the restaurant but get served a mixed grill that tastes like it's done 2 mins in the microwave. Staff serving us were entitled and moody in most interactions.

I've eaten here a few times. The atmosphere was pleasant enough back then but the food is usually underseasoned. More upsettingly, I walked past today and saw posters in the window calling for intifada. I don't understand how a restaurant can associate themselves with terrorism and suicide bombings.

Delicious Algerian cuisine - Al Casbah and Bedouin (owned by the same family) are one of my favourite restaurants in Cambridge

Great food but some waiters are a little grumpy. Some are brilliant.

Great, atmospheric place with excellent food

Primarily you go to a restaurant for food- so first things first. The meze is stunning do not skip over the starter- to be honest would have been happy having two of those and no main. Had additional halloumi (was disappointed in the portion size for this) Main we had Shish and to be honest it was okay- would as I said had double meze I’d have been happier. The mint lemonade drink is lush and the atmosphere of the venue good. The service however was painful and slow. One of the waitresses appeared to have a child following them round- I’m sure it wasn’t work experience and it really lets down the overall experience. Following that they have the audacity to include a 10% optional service charge on the bill… I don’t think so. Establishments really need to rethink this trend of adding it on and then you having to remove it because it’s just awkward ( especially when the service has been poor). So despite the glorious meze it’s let down by its service.

Had a lovely lunch at Al Casbah, delicious flavoursome food, fast and attentive service, beautiful restaurant. What’s not to like! We had the mezze starter and lamb shank tagine with a few sides and finished with mint tea and baklava. The baklava was especially nice and worth a mention as it’s not easy to find fresh and tasty baklava. Highly recommended restaurant.

Food quality is amazing I was really impressed with the quality of the lamb Everything tastes very authentic Atmosphere is great I have been here twice and i recommend it! Not to expensive, perfect for date night, meal with friends, or a lovely lunch/ dinner.

food was stunning, great atmosphere, waitress zhea was so helpful throughout our stay and made sure we were satisfied with our meal, amazing service zhea! would come back again!

delicious food, warm atmosphere and waitress called zhea was extremely delightful and helpful in her service.

Very delicious food with amazing service by Zenab 👍

Yacine the owner runs a great restaurant. My favourite place in Cambridge.

The food was delicious but it was very hot inside, and despite having made and sent a pre-order well in advance, they didn't have everything previously ordered, so one person didn't eat. They also charge an additional 10% service charge.

Really nice food and a great atmosphere. Visited on the weekend and would recommend booking a table.

Portions r a bit small for the price, but the food is really good

Great meal and good keep it light service despite how busy it was, it is a skill many should learn.

I love love love Al Casbah. I used to live near Mill Road, and this place is a favourite. I love the freshly prepared/grilled meals. Their mixed grill platter is a must.

Everything was amazing food was delicious service was amazing everyone was Friendly, the only thing that upset me was the way the boss or manger shouting at lady’s And it wasn’t busy if it was I understand And people could hear it aswell is not nice next time take them to side

Really bad service. I had to wait for more than 1 h for my order to be delivered and called more than 4 times to hear just excuses and lies. Will avoid from now.

Interesting place where your main dish is cooked on an open grill visible to customers. Food is very nice and the staff are friendly and helpful. No alcohol but that's a minor thing. Worth a visit if you are in the mood for something a little different.

We were welcomed as we arrived and taken to the table we had booked for six but reduced to five when one of our party had to drop out at the last minute . The service was first rate: attentive but not obtrusive and with excellent advice. The food was freshly prepared, the grilled dishes cooked in full view. The spices were subtle which allowed the natural flavour of the ingredients to come through. We were very happy to be alcohol free in such a welcoming and relaxed environment.

Excellent food, well worth a visit

We happened upon this restaurant by accident and are soo happy to have been able to dine there! The food is full of flavor and the service is quite good. Strongly recommend to anyone looking for a break from the “British pub scene”

Loved how the place looks, it has such a good vibe! Food-wise, I enjoyed my kafta, meat was soft, veggies fresh and I liked the way they prepared rice. Overall, my dish lacked in flavors, I expected it would taste bolder. It’s a nice place, beautifully designed and decorated, the only downside for me is that for me dishes tasted a bit too generic.

Upon arriving the Mediterranean feel was evident. An open charcoal grill as well as the decor and music helped to set the ambience. £50 for starters and mains was very good value for money. While the starters were very large there was a clear lack of meat in the mains. Food was nice and mostly well worth the money we paid. Dolma was authentic, a food you scarcely find in the UK as was the kebabs. Our table for 2 was a table for 4 that the waiter moved to make 2 separate tables, this meant we were situated in the centre of the room and felt in the way when customers and employees alike would walk around us.

Amazing service and very nice atmosphere and amazing people.

Good and service were impeccable. The babaganoush was particularly delicious, as was the mixed shish. Definitely coming back!

Excellent food. We had the mixed grill, and the lamb tagine. And the dolma. The food is delectable, the grilling is perfect and the tagine lamb melts in your mouth. The lemonade and mint juice is excellent. The service is very good as well.

Nice friendly staff. Charcoal grill in the front room adds some atmosphere. All the food we had was fantastic - especially the tagine

Food was quite good. Flavors and tastes were close yo the real cuisine... would have liked more tender meat. Service was not great at all... I almost got elbowed two by the waiters, they did not wait for us to finish our starters to drop the plates, taking away our good. Venue is nice and atmosphere is alright... but noisy towards the back

Amazing food, very good size portions. Everything we tried was delicious. Want to go back and try more dishes.

Excellent North African food with fresh ingredients, kind service and authentic decor

Just had a lovely meal sitting up at the front window watching the works go by! We shared a mezze plate for 2 and then shared the mix grill - all delicious and friendly staff. Also the lemon and mint juice was delicious and refreshing after a 29degree day!

Lovely authentic food with meat cooked over a charcoal BBQ

Really delicious meal - cooked to perfection. And for desert - the best baklava I’ve found in Cambridge! Lovely friendly staff. All in all a great night out at Al Casbah 🤩

Fantastic restaurant , excellent menu with food beautifully presented . Grilled dishes cooked over a bbq in the restaurant in front of you , booking essential or you will miss out! Can't wait to go back.

Great place. Love sitting at the front window watching the world go by with the charcoal grill behind. Food is seriously good which could explain why I am a regular here.

Amazingly fresh food, very quick service! Went for a lunch date on the bank holiday, and had the meze sharing platter and poulet marine, both were amazing

Very poor. Service incredibly slow (my elderly mother in law virtually collapsed waiting) despite the fact that the room had no new diners in when our party of 7 arrived. Others who arrived later were also served well before us. Waiter got the order wrong. Food indifferent too. Mine was reasonably well cooked chicken from the indoor barbecue, but was cold. Others preferred theirs, which appeared to be generic chickpea stew with small variations. Starter was 3 fairly modest sized shell on prawns, barbecued so they couldn’t easily be peeled, for £6 To be fair, they claimed to be short staffed and it got busier while we were there (for 2 and a half hours) and they did give us one free round of drinks. They also apologised, which was good of them. I love eating out and usually enjoy it, but this was poor. The worst meal out I’ve had in ages and expensive for what it was

Had the yummiest birthday dinner! Will definitely go back! ☺️

Great food freshly cooked in the grill! The restaurant does not serve alcohol and the atmosphere is lovely and calm. The Bedouin tent is a lovely touch. Nice place for a get together with friends and family. We had a great waiter he was attentive and helpful.

This place is interesting, entertaining and serves up some excellent food. The cauliflower steak is absolutely amazing. I'm not sure what went in it, but it tastes fabulous.

Lovely little restaurant with a reasonable variety of North African dishes. We went during Ramadan most recently and started with shorba freeka which should be on the menu permanently in my opinion! The couscous royale was really flavoursome and we generally enjoyed everything we tried. Very friendly staff too and we look forward to our next visit.

Great food, all fresh. A bit of a wait for food but busy during late lunch. Very accomodating. Recommending!

Delicious food and great service. Never disappointed, a hidden gem in Cambridge.

My husband and i were so happy with this hidden gem in cambridge. Not far from Cambridge mosque. They serve Halal food and have no alcohol. We were blown away by the food! The food tasted very authentic and had amazing flavours. For starters we had bourek and stuffed vine leaves. For mains we had mixed sheesh and the chicken tagine. I’m personally not a fan of Tagines but this was by far one of the best tagines i’ve ever had. Price wise, they were very reasonable. The service was amazing. The staff are very friendly and attentive. I don’t often write reviews for restaurants. But we enjoyed the food here so much so i knew i had to share my review. We look forward to coming back again.

Delicious food - really amazing. Loved everything - tabouleh, hummus, lebneh, pita - all yum.

Average food at more expensive prices than London, with portion sizes on the smaller side. Service was slow and tables too tightly packed together.

Food was really authentic Algerian, and the atmosphere was completely different from the modern restaurant which we loved ....

So disappointing - I would never go back again. First of all I ordered the vegetarian hummus (the standard one comes with lamb). As you can watch the chef you can see that everything is touched with the same tongs. Raw meat, pita bread, tomatoes, peppers. Everything that goes on the grill will be meaty. Whether you like it or not. When I complained I got given cold dry pita bread straight from the packet, got told with a rude look that it was cold and that was that. The main course was a feta salad I hoped this would be vegetarian. It was a very small portion, nothing to write home about but I guess it was ok. I just couldn’t stop watching the chef as I am not entirely sure how a 5 star food hygiene rating could ever be awarded. Basically if you have any food allergies or are vegetarian/vegan - avoid this place like the plague. I was really looking forward to the experience but am pretty shocked especially after reading some other reviews which confirm that this is wasn’t a one off. We asked for the service charge to be taken off and got the worst looks as a result. Service is lacking. There are so many great places along Mill Road - don’t bother with this one.

excellent food with reasonable price. Mostly halal.

Ok food, a little overdone with spices and kebabs were a touch dry. Although for a cold, wet day, the hot tagine were just the right prescription.

Booked here when we couldn’t get a table at our usual Bedouin, and loved it!!! Fun fact; it’s apparently owned by the brother of the owner of Bedouin. We loved the grill, especially the cod was delicious. Also the rice that came with the mains was really tasty. Only managed to take one photo of the food as I was too busy stuffing my face… The service was also great and the waitress was really helpful with the allergies of one of our group.

The food was delicious, but not enough space (table very small).

Great service, atmosphere & delicious food. I won't doubt to bring friends & family over again to enjoy Algerian cuisine.

Dishonest restaurant!! How reliable are restaurants when they say their vegan options are vegan? I asked for the vegan options when I came here a few weeks ago, and had the hummus with bread. Noticed the bread having a strong meat smell and saw that it was being toasted on the same grill as the meat. Asked the waiter and he said, well, the juices from the meat drip down so it doesn't really combine with the bread so it is vegan! Do not go here if you are vegan or, actually, anyone who expects restaurants to be honest about their food! I wonder what they would say to someone with allergies! A lot of places seem to have just added on vegan options as a marketing gimmick but don't actually seem to be genuine. Very disappointing and disingenuous.

Dishonest restaurant!! How reliable are restaurants when they say their vegan options are vegan? I asked for the vegan options when I came here a few weeks ago, and had the hummus with bread. Noticed the bread having a strong meat smell and saw that it was being toasted on the same grill as the meat. Asked the waiter and he said, well, the juices from the meat drip down so it doesn't really combine with the bread so it is vegan! Do not go here if you are vegan or, actually, anyone who expects restaurants to be honest about their food! I wonder what they would say to someone with allergies! A lot of places seem to have just added on vegan options as a marketing gimmick but don't actually seem to be genuine. Very disappointing and disingenuous.

Had to wait 2 hours for delivery. Food portions were small, lots of yoghurt, tasteless black olives, no rice. £70 for a very disappointing meal. Never again

Shame to refuse a family of 4 ....

Great atmosphere.Good food and friendly service.

So damn good!!!! Baba ghanoush, hummus, lamb, chicken, pitta, all dips - everything was delicious

Nice restaurant, the dinner was delicious. I especially enjoyed the shared mixed starters. Note that they don't serve alcoholic drinks.

The quality is fine, the food is almost as the same as KAN ZAMAN restaurant (which is at the same street) but prices are cheaper than AL CASBAH , and the tables are too small, there wasn't enough space for me to put my bag or phone or even my keys on the table when food was served. There was a waiter ,who was so polite.

Great food. Excellent service. Will certainly be back. No sales of alcohol didn’t bother us. Men’s toilets, no running water. Not a healthy option.

Delicious food, friendly staff and busy vibe.

Poor customer service. very average food. small portions.

First time at this restaurant. The food was delicious. Service we received from Mujtaba was excellent.Highly recommended!!! 👏

Waitress was amazing! Food was incredible, really good portion sizes and tasted amazing! Lovely atmosphere, would definitely go back

Absolutely excellent experience. The decor of the restaurant is lovely and the staff is very friendly. I really enjoyed the hummus and the cous cous royal. I Will be back.

Lovely tasty, clean and fresh food. Chef is extremely talented. He is just a sweetheart. Made lovely sauces in house. Just brilliant! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Lovely conversationalist.

Great authentic looking Algerian restaurant. Lovely food, great service!! Just one thing though, this is a dry restaurant, so don't expect to have alcohol with your food (although they do a range of alcohol free beer and wine).

Al Casbah is a beautiful place to eat, warm and friendly. The food is exceptional, a real taste of North Africa, and the service is 10/10 too. The beautiful shop front adds a great aspect to the restaurant as you can eat and watch the world go by, or in the summer you can sit opposite your dining partner when the sliding windows are open. Would highly highly recommend.

I was pleasantly surprised by the lamb shank tagine. It was flavourful and nicely spiced. Service is. The place can feel a little too noisy and congested on busy evenings. Worth a try, IMO.

The best Algerian restaurant in the UK, %100 i’ll come back.