Damascena Coffee House | Delicatessen in Birmingham

Fantastic service by staff and management

We always visit this restaurant, especially for their Arabic Coffee and Biscoff cheesecake, both are sublime, never been disappointed. We’ve been served by the lovely Wisal a few times, she always remembers our order and provides impeccable customer service! This place is highly recommended! 😋☕️🍰

I feel really ripped off. I wanted to love this place but it’s really diminished its rave reviews and expectations. We arrived and it took half an hour to even be asked if we wanted a table, we had to ask as we waited by the sign, I understand it was the lunch rush so I wasn’t too bothered but they weren’t actively helping people out. We waited 45 mins to be even asked if we’d like anything to drink, which wasn’t on their accord, we had to end up calling over loudly for someone to serve us (they added a £6 service charge at the end and we had to ask for service, even for the plates to be cleared and ask for the bill three times.) It was slow service and they got a few pieces of our order wrong, after being there for 2 hours 15 mins we decided to get things on takeout as it had been long enough, ordering a 12 piece baklava which she repeated to us to confirm it was 12 and charged us for said amount. When we got home and there were only 6 pieces in the box, we were really upset as our bank charge was for 12. This meant quite a few of us went without and we didn’t even get what we payed for. The food was alright but after the overcharging for goods we didn’t recieve fully and a lack of pro active service, I would not return.

It’s okay, a little tired but okay.

been going here for many many years, absolutely love it. atmosphere is great and the food is delicious. i will say the portions have gotten a bit smaller in the last year or so, but we’re in a cost of living crisis i can’t blame them. the only thing i’ve ever disliked on the menu is the falafel - it’s very rose heavy but that’s personal preference. sometimes the service can be a little slow and the tables can be a bit sticky but nothing bad enough to ever stop me from going. it’s a staple of birmingham and moseley!

First time coming here I will be back again good friendly staff Chad Blake 👏👏👏👏👏👏

The food was good. The dessert was excellent and the staff was good especially the waitress Sarah, she was lovely and very helpful.

I’ve been twice food has been good as is the service.

Lovely little place. The only real issue we had was that the price font on the Ramadan menu made it look like the price was £20.60pp, but in reality was £26.50pp (see pic and please remember printed small on the menu), felt like a bit of a con later when we checked but otherwise okay. Would likely have been another star if this hadn't occurred.

Amazing place with awesome stuff! The coffee is delicious and so is the lentil soup. And the staff is one of a kind!

I was really excited to visit here following a recommendation from my wife and her mother, and I really was not disappointed. On arrival the staff were friendly and welcoming and we were quickly seated at a table, and provided with menus for food and drinks. The menu is quite varied and everything sounded so nice, I struggled to decide as it's not a type of cuisine I'm familiar with, but I made some choices based on the clear descriptions. Drinks were served quickly, and we had to wait a little while for food (this is clearly stated on the menu). When the food arrived, it was well presented in a combination of bowls and square wooden trays and looked very appetising. Everything I ordered was lovely, and everything I tasted from the rest of the party's dishes was equally good. I particularly enjoyed the lamb soup (I forget the menu name) but I had such a depth of flavour, it made me really happy. Desserts were chosen from a cabinet near the front of the store, and we're very enjoyable, again in line with the cuisine a little different from every day fare elsewhere. Particular mention to Lerla and Ferdi who provided excellent service the whole time we were there. Would I visit again, yes, most definitely, perhaps brunch next time as the breakfast menu looks exciting.

Wisal was excellent. Working under pressure.

Had a great iftari. Food was delicious and served with a smile by Ferdi. The new iftari menu has a good selection of mouthwatering mains with great starters to break your fast with. The tea and khunafa was the cherry on too. Great food and ambience.

Excellent food and service, cannot fault anything. Food came out hot and freshly prepared and tasted great . Ferdi as our server gave us the best service and accommodated us with a smile. We were well looked after and the overall experience was very enjoyable .

Another delicious brunch, as always the food was amazing and service was really quick. Thank you to Leila for being so accommodating, especially with our 3 and 1 year old running around everywhere!

On 20th of Feb, I visited your branches with the intention of purchasing drinks with my friends. Before ordering, I politely inquired whether I would be able to pray on the premises, as I had seen multiple reviews mentioning that customers were previously accommodated for prayer. However, the staff member I spoke to declined my request. As a result, I chose not to proceed with my order and left the establishment. As a Muslim-owned business, I expected a more understanding and accommodating approach, especially towards fellow Muslim customers. It was disheartening to experience what felt like a disregard for such an important aspect of our faith. Given Damascena's reputation and the reviews I had seen, this incident was unexpected and disappointing. I would appreciate clarification on your policy regarding prayer and whether this was an isolated incident or a change in practice. I hope that in the future, greater consideration can be given to customers who simply wish to fulfill their religious obligations.

Great for brunch, good food and coffee

wisal was an amazing waitress. quick with the service and the food was brilliant

Wisal provided an amazing service. Deffo recommend will come back soon inshallah

Had a delightful breakfast and a pleasant coffee, the staff were warm and welcoming much like the decor nothing bad to say about my time here would definitely recommend

Such good value for delicious food. Have eaten here a few times over the years and really feel the quality has improved. Soups (Lentil and Harira) are really good, as are the hummus and Baba gannoush dips. And a wide selection of drinks too - I particularly like the Turkish samovar tea.

Delicious food as always and excellent service from Wisan :-)

Food delicious Service fine but very busy The atmosphere was not great as having work done so we had to sit around the back which was cool/cold.

Damas cena provides a warm atmosphere which is also continued in their staff. I had a member of their staff Sedra serving my table and her service was excellent as she always smiled and showed her manners. On top of that the food is always served fairly quick and is very tasty.

Was ok. I found it to be highly rated than what it was. Had lemon chicken, but it was spicy with no lemon taste. Coffee is not the best. Reviews left me wanting to try the place. It's not bad, but it's not great.

I love Damascena but was very disappointed on this occasion, we sat in the outside annexe area and were forgotten about. I had to go and find a waitress to take our order. It was cold in there, and no one cleaned our table before seating us. I will be thinking twice before going there again, apart from this the food was lovely as always.

Been years since visiting this place, flavours are some quality is same . One of the best cafe in Birmingham

I didn't eat there that day, but the coffee was good.I have enjoyed their food on the oast especially the lamb kofta.

Authentic food, nice location, helpful staff! A very nice place to study!

absolutely amazing customer service, big thanks to sara!

Food was lovely - Sara was really sweet and welcoming :)

Food was nice, great customer service from Sarah. Thank you!

The restaurant and the food were very nice, especially there is an employee named Sarah who was very nice and her service was excellent. Thank you Sarah ♥️♥️

Really disappointed as I am a regular customer of many years. Went today, waited 20 minutes for food to arrive, only to receive it cold!

Love the food and the ambience of the place. Everyone was super nice and welcoming, a big thanks to Sara! Definitely coming back.

Sara was lovely, arrived close to kitchen closing time but the staff accommodated us well.

One of the better Damascena locations, a friendly and clean environment and the food was hot and tasty. Service was poor as they were short staffed and one server for all the tables. The food delivery was slower than expected. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Vegan options available.

A friend took me there for lunch and I was pleasantly surprised with everything…. No other comment as Nothing was wrong …. Lovely staff and great hospitality Going again next week

Food was perfect as usual. Service by Wisal was lovely, she gave us some good recommendations (cardamom tea/falafel with avocado dip) and was warm and friendly throughout. Many thanks.

Lots of choices on their menu, and lots of reason to visit this hidden gem restaurant. ✅ brilliant service ✅ tasty foods ✅ fantastic drinks ✅ lovely staff Ferdi helped us choose our orders, spot on! Both foods and drinks are fantastic.

Lovely, cozy, the best in Moseley. Food and service are both five stars. Highly recommended, staff named Ferdi was helpful and so accommodating. We’ll definitely going back again.

I ate the Damascene chicken shawarma special, which was absolutely delicious. I wish I had taken photos. For dessert, I had kunafa, which was made perfectly. I can say it reminded me of the one I had in Turkey at Hafiz Mustafa.

we went for breakfast there.food is getting expensive and portions r getting smaller . there was spider walking around on our table. told the waitress about it! she was like whatever 🙄

We have been coming here for years and it's always been excellent. The food is really good and the flavours are really authentic. Atmosphere is really chill and it's so comfortable. We came for dinner this evening with my parents and they loved it too. Thank you to Wisal for wonderful service!

Lovely food . Wisal, our server was friendly and professional. Dealt with minor issue with food which delicious. Hot chocolate was delicious and hot

As always, im on repeat. Staff are not attentive here. Have to always ask to have order taken, no one asks if food is ok etc luckily food is good

An outstanding and cheap breakfast (worth the price) I had last week with my nephew, excellent and comfortable service from Wisal. Highly recommended 👌

Very tasty food and big portions, spacious restaurant and good service, the menu is very interesting and fun to explore. Recommend, especially the hummus and shawarma.

The ambiance is nice. Servers are super nice and patient. We had a good brunch here. Food is okay. The thing we loved the most was the falafels with humus. They were freshly fried and very tasty.

I came with my family today for the first time, we really enjoyed the food, and the service that Wissal gave us. She was friendly and helped us choose what to order.

Always a lovely experience here. The lady at the front towards the end of our evening who made our coffee was so kind! :)

I had brunch with a friend yesterday and wanted to take a moment to commend the exceptional service we received. Wesal was incredibly professional and demonstrated outstanding customer service skills. Her polite demeanor and attentive nature truly enhanced our dining experience. I hope she sees this comment, as she deserves recognition for her excellent work. Thank you, Wesal, for making our brunch enjoyable!

Amazing coffe and service today from the lady with the red hair (forgot to ask her name) and they have a lot of dairy free options to choose from, haven’t tried the food yet however

So far the best place to eat in Birmingham. Merci à vous.

I Love Damascena! Amazing food, I had the Lentil soup and Tahini with date syrup and flat bread, mouth watering!

Really lovely and chilled establishment. It looks small and quaint from the front, though extending back pretty far with plenty of pleasant seating and tables for 2-8 people. The selection of coffee and baclava are delicious. Do visit, chill, relax, and enjoy.

So lucky to be living close to this gem of a place.

I tried the hummus shawarma (w/ chicken) which was very affordable yet delicious & filling. The wait wasn't too long and the staff was very professional and accommodating.

Lovely atmosphere, brilliant food and drink options. Service was very good too.

Amazing service from Leila - she was very attentive to our order

Good food and service,well looked after by laila

A quaint little cafe restaurant in the middle of busy Mosely. Like the other branches this is a cosy place with limited seating but enough to catering for Small groups too. The food was lovely. I has the beef shawarma wrap. It comes with a small side of olives and pickles. Wish we'd had more time to try the desserts. They looked temptimg.

Damascena Moseley stay the best coffee and food shop. The staff are friendly. I highly recommend this place

Amazing food and drink surly Will Come back agin complmant to Muhammed

had a fun time, liked everything

Great food, always love the ambience and staff is ever so friendly and welcoming. Niamh served us and there were few of us, she stunned all of us as she remembered every single one of our orders, very impressive which proves Damascena staff takes pleasure in providing ace customer service. Lovely place for family and friends gathering.

Use to be my Favourite from 2015 up to 2022, a lot has happened after that price increased double, for my Favourite dishes in there,!!! Don't know how, but yeah, plus Service charges, when it was never before for 7 years!! Use to have a lot more pickles in this dish, was before properly lamb well done cooked, now its served as lamb & beef & price doubles!! Check yourself In list prices of menu!! Getting way up to much, as costumer I am no stupid & no one else is stupid, so I advise watch after over to much prices & your food quality . Mr. Owner of Damascena, I liked a lot your restaurants all over, Citty Centre, Harborne , Hagley Rd, Moseley, but this prices are over limits

One of my favourite cafes in Birmingham. Food is always delicious and coffee is perfect.

Delicious food once again. My go to place for Middle Eastern food. Services was excellent with a smile, especially from Marina who served me today. She definitely went the extra mile , very friendly and I would highly recommend particularly leafy, Bohemian Moseley with a chilled vibe .

I love coffee from there .. Fedi made the best coffee and he is really good with customers

Really busy and food not worth the wait and price, even though was on offer. Service was good though.

I had a wonderful experience at Damascena. Food and drinks are amazing.Fadi made really nice coffee i think he made the best coffee i ever had .overall i highly recommend Damascena not only for its great food but also for the outstanding service provided by Fadi. Me and my sister look forward to returning soon

this is my fifth time here, nice food and coffee, genuinely very good customer service unlike the city centre branch

Have been to Damascena for a number of years now and I can say it has become even better, the food was spot on and the drinks always perfect. Prices have increased though

This is probably one of my fave brunch spots in birmingham. The food is always fresh and full of flavour. Great environment to catch-up with friends. The only downfall is one specific server, (a bald man) who fails to smile and greet you with a warm demure. I have been here a few times and i can no longer put it down to him maybe having a bad day as he’s consistently rude. He’s rude to simple questions asked and will avoid eye contact when trying to get his attention.

Had the £10 express lunch menu and the wrap was delicate, filing is juicy and flavoursome

Food here is no doubt great. But the service is so rubbish. Ignored for ages when you walk through the door, just get stared at blankly. Three / four staff and not a single smile or hello. So awkward! People BEHIND in the queue are given a time for how long a table will be. Take ages to return to take your order. Been here a number of times and it’s never improved.

Really nice food and restaurant, very decently priced. Lovely spiced chai latte, although it was a shame we couldn’t drink until after our meal as they were very hot! Would make it a 5 star if the service improves.

Awful. Visited for the first time last night. I don’t get the hype. Karak Chai was basically a large cup of warm milk - no tea! Banana bread was stodgy. The chicken wrap was also gross, mayo with offcuts of chicken.

My family and I enjoy Middle Eastern food, so when visiting Birmingham we came across Damascena in Moseley. The salads served at here are among the best I've eaten. The falafel platter and and the Kibbeh Makliya too were excellent, not to forget the Fuul Mahroos - simply delish (and filling)! We ate all our meals for 3 days at the restaurant trying out various dishes, despite us having to make a longish journey to Moseley each time. It was well worth it. The staff were helpful, friendly and welcoming which made the experience of dining very personal. Marina in particular took the time to explain the various items on the menu and even made recommendations when asked. It was nice that Marina and I shared common tastes in our choice of salads! We always ended our meals with cardamom tea, which became a little ritual for us. We were very touched by the kind gesture of the complimentary baklava 'on the house'. We will definitely be back if ever we are in Birmingham again.

I usually only go Damascena for a coffee but it’s difficult not to indulge in their wide variety of food choices from hot to cold with amazing prices the smell is enough to captivate you and the customer service is always on point. To be honest it’s hard to pick out which waiters customer service deserves recognition as they are all so friendly and are always in uplifting spirits, but even then it’s difficult not to pay attention towards Layla as she prides herself on delivering the best customer service and will have your food ready before you know it.

I hosted a menopause awareness event here last Sunday with 19 of us in their side room. The food was exceptional. The service and attention to detail was fantastic. A great team and a great restaurant. Welcoming and forthcoming to help. The pre event conversations and planning was very well handled by Mohamed. Every effort was made to make it easy for me and my team to deliver the event.

Went last Sunday, amaaazing food. Especially loved the roasted garlic hummus and the hot chocolate was the best I’ve ever had!!

We had great food served by a great waitress named Wisal.

What a lovely night. Moh was very gracious as were Wisel & Leila. Loved the relaxed atmosphere. The lentil soup with lemon is delicious. Love the fresh mint tea. Great coffee. Highly recommended.

Came here for breakfast. Niamh, our waitress was excellent. Very accommodating to our little adjustments. Everything was done with a smile. Food was excellent and really tasty. The Juz Muz was definitely the star of the show. The breakfast platter was a lovely range of varied starters. The bread was served warm and crusty with butter. Great start to the day. Mint tea was actually with fresh mint leaves and not just cheap tea bags. Very enjoyable experience.

amazing service from really kind and friendly staff, drinks are always amazing!

Just popped in for a coffee before my shift a few days ago. A barista called ade made my coffee and indulged me in a really nice conversation and made me the prettiest coffee with a flower. Really made my morning.

Always friendly and welcoming everytime I have visited

There coffee ☕️ one of the best in town Friendly staff &great service

Always come here for the best shawarma and chai latte. The lovely lady named Sidra is always kind and helpful! :)

Absolutely love this place. Delicious food and wonderful staff. Clean bathroom too, which is rare in a busy place like this. Sebra was great. Definitely coming back!

The food is always lovely here. Really nice and well priced in my opinion Sedra was very attentive and a great waitress. Thank you

Had breakfast here today with extended family. As always the food was exquisite with a good range of choices for everyone. I can see why this place is always busy. Highly recommended

Basil did an amazing job with my garden, bringing in his unique expertise in Damascene gardening. His attention to detail, rooted in the traditions of his homeland, transformed my space beautifully. He was professional, punctual, and the results were stunning. I highly recommend his services!

Amazing ambient and comfortable seating arrangements.. Harira soup and the juz muz on the breakfast menu was banging !!!! Coupled with friendly and helpful service, I made this brunch outing an excellent value for money outing on a dreary brommy day...!!! Alhumdulillah

Me And my partner frequent Damascena often And we prefer to come to this branch because of the service we receive, we have received the best care by Mohammed and Ibrahim.

Food is authentic and brilliant. The drinks are perfect, and the ambiance goes well with everything. Laila served us, and she was very warm and pleasant.

Decent place, especially love their Knafe, they can often be short staffed and sometimes not have some desserts on the menu.

Cold Saffron Latte and mixed baklava - breakfast to DIE for!