This place is my new favorite spot in Denver and I can't stop raving about it. I came here for brunch with my family and have nothing but positive things to say. The bagels were TOP quality--NYC level bagels.m--and the spreads and lox were incredible as well. All the food was kept warm and fresh and there was a wide variety of options. Definitely try the lamb meatballs. We will be coming back for dinner ASAP.
Nicolette T.
Love this Israeli spot we checked out while visiting Denver. It is family owned & authentic. Located inside a boutique hotel, so you can find a small parking lot out front. I'd recommend making a reservation or be okay with waiting and/or sitting at the bar. Everything we had here was so good! The fig balsamic with the whipped feta was *chefs kiss*, I even bought some later on in the week to recreate at home! Highly recommend this spot.
Rachel D.
Wow! Ambience is amazing, food is incredible and service is attentive and quick. Gayla was kind and helpful and made the dinner a great experience. We got the baba ganoush, duck matzo balls, lamb kebabs and Halvah Semifredo desert!
Michael R.
Delicious Israeli and Mediterranean inspired food in a nice attractive dining room. Service was friendly and efficient. Since we ordered plates to share, our waitress coursed all of the food appropriately. Cocktails were delicious as well. The hummus option we tried (with a lamb ragout) was great, and the fresh pita are fantastic. If I had to find any fault, I wish the chef was a tad bit more restrained with salting. That said, I'm sensitive to salt and wish the already delicious food here could stand on it's own without the extra salt. The whipped feta small plate was also delicious, as were the crispy eggplant. All in all, we really enjoyed our dinner. Valet parking is available, but not validated. On street parking is difficult, but there is a garage attached to the hotel, first hour free, then $8 an hour which was reasonable. Go give this restaurant a try!
Lillie R.
Had an amazing dinner. Everything tasted fresh with quality ingredients. So many different choices..items I had never tried before. This place is a bit quirky but definitely worth going back for more!!
Kendrick R.
This was my second time dining at Safta, and this time I brought my parents who were in town the for the holidays since I had enjoyed it so much the first time! We started with a round of cocktails, including the warm and fuzzy, chapel of love, the brushfire, and the chirping merry. Out of all four my personal favorite was the chirping merry. The cocktail is done using the fat washing technique which adds new layers of flavor and a real smoothness too the drink. I would highly recommend trying one! We started with an order of the lamb Ragu hummus and the whipped feta. Also make sure to order extra pita bread when you get your hummus and dips as it doesn't cost more and you get to enjoy more of their delicious bread! Both dips were very good and a great way to start the meal. Moving onto mains, we got a few dishes to all share. We got the falafel, cheese borekas, the short rib stuffed cabbage, and the crispy eggplant. The falafel were very crispy and came with a delicious tahini dipping sauce. The cheese borekas were like a turnover stuffed with a cheese topped with a honey that were also delicious. The short rib stuffed cabbage was a riff on the cabbage roll. And my personal favorite of the main dishes was the crispy eggplant which was like an eggplant Parmesan! Fishing up with dessert we had the semifreddo and the chocolate Malabi. Both were a nice sweet finish to the meal and had some complex flavors going on. Overall, our meal was excellent and it was great to have another amazing dining experience at Safta again. Our waitress, Galia, was also very nice and helped us work through the menu and answered any questions we had. Can't recommend this place enough if you're in Denver!
Kim K.
This is a very popular restaurant. Definitely get reservations. The minute they open there's A-line out the door. It's in an industrial type lobby for the hotel, so parking can be a bit challenging. If you drive-through where the valet sign is it goes into a parking lot. That's an option. The outside of the restaurant is all windows, and it gets very cold. So if you're prone to freezing, sit on the inside side of the table, not the outside. Or dress warm. The food was very good, it's a lot of to be shared small plates. They have a creative cocktail list, as well as wine and beer. We had the pickles, which is a variety of pickled vegetables. As well as the lamb hummus, and cabbage rolls. Service was excellent. Really well trained and thoughtful staff.
Lisa N.
GO! There's a reason Safta is one of the TOP rated restaurants in Denver. It truly is THAT GOOD! -Get the hummus! My personal fav was the mushroom -Take-out is STILL awesome, so do not worry! Every, single time I've visited, it has been wonderful!
Steve L.
This one has been a LONG time coming. We stopped into Safta at The Source and, oh boy, if you're a hummus and falafel fan, this might just be the best in Colorado. Certainly in contention with Mazevo. You'll have to be the one to decide! Service was great. Lamb ragu hummus: Crispy chickpeas + scallions Falafel: Tahini + herbs Apple pie Fresh pita + olive oil and herbs P: @diningcolorado
Stopped in for a late night snack and dessert as this was the only (reputable) place open in the late hours, and Safta did not disappoint. We were seated at the bar and the staff were immediately warm. With excellent lighting and an interesting but overall pleasant color scheme, Safta is clearly no stranger to interior decor, and the place feels casual, fancy, and altogether modern. Yelp reviews overwhelmingly recommended the Lamb Ragu Hummus, which is what I'd come for, and I can confirm that it 100% delivered. The hummus was amazingly smooth--so much so my friend and I spent a while debating about how they managed to achieve that silky consistency, and how we'd both never had such smooth hummus. The lamb ragu in the middle of the plate, though small-looking, was indeed generous, and rather perfectly portioned to the hummus. The Apple Cake was tacked on after we finished our hummus, and we were told that the wait time might be a bit long as they needed to make a new batch. Thankfully, we only waited around ten minutes for it, though we noticed a few other patrons had waited quite a bit. The cake itself was luscious and sweet, and, like most desserts, quite generously portioned. It was enough to split between two for me, and I loved it. Overall, Safta is a great date spot, and it's open late enough to be a stop after a busy day. Their Lamb Ragu Hummus indeed deserves all the praise it gets, and I'd be open to stopping by for it again when I can.
Christin S.
My only regret is not coming here any sooner! For the best experience, make a reservation, park in the attached garage, and come with a big enough group so you can try everything on the menu! I went with a girlfriend last night and we had the tomato hummus (amazing) and baba gannoush (spectacular) with extra pita (a must). Next time we come back we plan to just order a ton of different hummus and salatims (small h'or dourves like plates). For mains we shared the persian rice and the short rib stuffed cabbage. The rice was crispy on top which was a nice texture change, and although I quite liked the flavors of the cabbage dish it came out quite cold. All in all it was a lovely experience, and we will definitely be back to try more!
Karin H.
The location in the source hotel is very modern and trendy! Parking in the garage is easy, and the the first hour is free. The service is fantastic with a waiter, plus an extra bus-person bringing out dishes, pita etc. My favorite part of the meal was the warm, soft, wood fired pita and the hummus and salatim! I liked everything we ordered, but I would be happy just eating that all night. The lamb ragu hummus, muhammora, and the whipped feta were amazing with that pita! Our server Yuri, brought a fresh pita out each time we finished our last. We also ordered the kebabs, which were basically amazing meatballs, the fried eggplant and the lamb shank. The 'kebab' was the most delicious, but the eggplant was great too. Lamb shank was huge, fall off the bone. Hours later, we are still stuffed. Drinks were good. Totally unique and worth a visit.
Kyle P.
The culinary scene in Denver has absolutely exploded, along with everything else, the past several years, perhaps no better personified than by a Michelin-level Israel restaurant in a shared warehouse. Two days later, I remain excited and impressed by my experience at Safta, from the welcoming hosts to the friendly and knowledgeable wait staff, and, oh yeah, the brilliant cuisine. The Tunisian Tomato hummus was so fresh and delicious, as was the Muhammara, an impressive showcase of simply hazelnuts, cilantro, and chili oil, showing what you can accomplish with fresh ingredients and attention to detail. There's nothing to hide behind with Israeli cuisine, and that's the beauty of Safta - they aren't trying to. What you see is what you get in the best way possible. The falafel were excellent as well, great flavor with a just dense enough inside and light, crispy fry on the outside. The crispy eggplant was special as well, great texture complimented by herbed goat cheese (perhaps a bit too much?) and tomato. And when the bartender tells you you've got to have the babka, you listen. And I am very glad I did, boy was it delicious and perfectly executed. All of this, plus two cocktails, for about $100? You simply cannot beat it.
ZZubin
Casual but chic Mediterranean spot. Whatever that steak pie thing we had was excellent. Interesting wine list
The brunch is an absolute MUST.
This place is my new favorite spot in Denver and I can't stop raving about it. I came here for brunch with my family and have nothing but positive things to say. The bagels were TOP quality--NYC level bagels.m--and the spreads and lox were incredible as well. All the food was kept warm and fresh and there was a wide variety of options. Definitely try the lamb meatballs. We will be coming back for dinner ASAP.
Love this Israeli spot we checked out while visiting Denver. It is family owned & authentic. Located inside a boutique hotel, so you can find a small parking lot out front. I'd recommend making a reservation or be okay with waiting and/or sitting at the bar. Everything we had here was so good! The fig balsamic with the whipped feta was *chefs kiss*, I even bought some later on in the week to recreate at home! Highly recommend this spot.
Wow! Ambience is amazing, food is incredible and service is attentive and quick. Gayla was kind and helpful and made the dinner a great experience. We got the baba ganoush, duck matzo balls, lamb kebabs and Halvah Semifredo desert!
Delicious Israeli and Mediterranean inspired food in a nice attractive dining room. Service was friendly and efficient. Since we ordered plates to share, our waitress coursed all of the food appropriately. Cocktails were delicious as well. The hummus option we tried (with a lamb ragout) was great, and the fresh pita are fantastic. If I had to find any fault, I wish the chef was a tad bit more restrained with salting. That said, I'm sensitive to salt and wish the already delicious food here could stand on it's own without the extra salt. The whipped feta small plate was also delicious, as were the crispy eggplant. All in all, we really enjoyed our dinner. Valet parking is available, but not validated. On street parking is difficult, but there is a garage attached to the hotel, first hour free, then $8 an hour which was reasonable. Go give this restaurant a try!
Had an amazing dinner. Everything tasted fresh with quality ingredients. So many different choices..items I had never tried before. This place is a bit quirky but definitely worth going back for more!!
This was my second time dining at Safta, and this time I brought my parents who were in town the for the holidays since I had enjoyed it so much the first time! We started with a round of cocktails, including the warm and fuzzy, chapel of love, the brushfire, and the chirping merry. Out of all four my personal favorite was the chirping merry. The cocktail is done using the fat washing technique which adds new layers of flavor and a real smoothness too the drink. I would highly recommend trying one! We started with an order of the lamb Ragu hummus and the whipped feta. Also make sure to order extra pita bread when you get your hummus and dips as it doesn't cost more and you get to enjoy more of their delicious bread! Both dips were very good and a great way to start the meal. Moving onto mains, we got a few dishes to all share. We got the falafel, cheese borekas, the short rib stuffed cabbage, and the crispy eggplant. The falafel were very crispy and came with a delicious tahini dipping sauce. The cheese borekas were like a turnover stuffed with a cheese topped with a honey that were also delicious. The short rib stuffed cabbage was a riff on the cabbage roll. And my personal favorite of the main dishes was the crispy eggplant which was like an eggplant Parmesan! Fishing up with dessert we had the semifreddo and the chocolate Malabi. Both were a nice sweet finish to the meal and had some complex flavors going on. Overall, our meal was excellent and it was great to have another amazing dining experience at Safta again. Our waitress, Galia, was also very nice and helped us work through the menu and answered any questions we had. Can't recommend this place enough if you're in Denver!
This is a very popular restaurant. Definitely get reservations. The minute they open there's A-line out the door. It's in an industrial type lobby for the hotel, so parking can be a bit challenging. If you drive-through where the valet sign is it goes into a parking lot. That's an option. The outside of the restaurant is all windows, and it gets very cold. So if you're prone to freezing, sit on the inside side of the table, not the outside. Or dress warm. The food was very good, it's a lot of to be shared small plates. They have a creative cocktail list, as well as wine and beer. We had the pickles, which is a variety of pickled vegetables. As well as the lamb hummus, and cabbage rolls. Service was excellent. Really well trained and thoughtful staff.
GO! There's a reason Safta is one of the TOP rated restaurants in Denver. It truly is THAT GOOD! -Get the hummus! My personal fav was the mushroom -Take-out is STILL awesome, so do not worry! Every, single time I've visited, it has been wonderful!
This one has been a LONG time coming. We stopped into Safta at The Source and, oh boy, if you're a hummus and falafel fan, this might just be the best in Colorado. Certainly in contention with Mazevo. You'll have to be the one to decide! Service was great. Lamb ragu hummus: Crispy chickpeas + scallions Falafel: Tahini + herbs Apple pie Fresh pita + olive oil and herbs P: @diningcolorado
Restaurantji Recommends
Stopped in for a late night snack and dessert as this was the only (reputable) place open in the late hours, and Safta did not disappoint. We were seated at the bar and the staff were immediately warm. With excellent lighting and an interesting but overall pleasant color scheme, Safta is clearly no stranger to interior decor, and the place feels casual, fancy, and altogether modern. Yelp reviews overwhelmingly recommended the Lamb Ragu Hummus, which is what I'd come for, and I can confirm that it 100% delivered. The hummus was amazingly smooth--so much so my friend and I spent a while debating about how they managed to achieve that silky consistency, and how we'd both never had such smooth hummus. The lamb ragu in the middle of the plate, though small-looking, was indeed generous, and rather perfectly portioned to the hummus. The Apple Cake was tacked on after we finished our hummus, and we were told that the wait time might be a bit long as they needed to make a new batch. Thankfully, we only waited around ten minutes for it, though we noticed a few other patrons had waited quite a bit. The cake itself was luscious and sweet, and, like most desserts, quite generously portioned. It was enough to split between two for me, and I loved it. Overall, Safta is a great date spot, and it's open late enough to be a stop after a busy day. Their Lamb Ragu Hummus indeed deserves all the praise it gets, and I'd be open to stopping by for it again when I can.
My only regret is not coming here any sooner! For the best experience, make a reservation, park in the attached garage, and come with a big enough group so you can try everything on the menu! I went with a girlfriend last night and we had the tomato hummus (amazing) and baba gannoush (spectacular) with extra pita (a must). Next time we come back we plan to just order a ton of different hummus and salatims (small h'or dourves like plates). For mains we shared the persian rice and the short rib stuffed cabbage. The rice was crispy on top which was a nice texture change, and although I quite liked the flavors of the cabbage dish it came out quite cold. All in all it was a lovely experience, and we will definitely be back to try more!
The location in the source hotel is very modern and trendy! Parking in the garage is easy, and the the first hour is free. The service is fantastic with a waiter, plus an extra bus-person bringing out dishes, pita etc. My favorite part of the meal was the warm, soft, wood fired pita and the hummus and salatim! I liked everything we ordered, but I would be happy just eating that all night. The lamb ragu hummus, muhammora, and the whipped feta were amazing with that pita! Our server Yuri, brought a fresh pita out each time we finished our last. We also ordered the kebabs, which were basically amazing meatballs, the fried eggplant and the lamb shank. The 'kebab' was the most delicious, but the eggplant was great too. Lamb shank was huge, fall off the bone. Hours later, we are still stuffed. Drinks were good. Totally unique and worth a visit.
The culinary scene in Denver has absolutely exploded, along with everything else, the past several years, perhaps no better personified than by a Michelin-level Israel restaurant in a shared warehouse. Two days later, I remain excited and impressed by my experience at Safta, from the welcoming hosts to the friendly and knowledgeable wait staff, and, oh yeah, the brilliant cuisine. The Tunisian Tomato hummus was so fresh and delicious, as was the Muhammara, an impressive showcase of simply hazelnuts, cilantro, and chili oil, showing what you can accomplish with fresh ingredients and attention to detail. There's nothing to hide behind with Israeli cuisine, and that's the beauty of Safta - they aren't trying to. What you see is what you get in the best way possible. The falafel were excellent as well, great flavor with a just dense enough inside and light, crispy fry on the outside. The crispy eggplant was special as well, great texture complimented by herbed goat cheese (perhaps a bit too much?) and tomato. And when the bartender tells you you've got to have the babka, you listen. And I am very glad I did, boy was it delicious and perfectly executed. All of this, plus two cocktails, for about $100? You simply cannot beat it.
Casual but chic Mediterranean spot. Whatever that steak pie thing we had was excellent. Interesting wine list