50 Best Mediterranean Restaurants near Bala Cynwyd

“Very nice and clean cafe. Fantastic food and great price. Highly recommend“

“Delicious food, beautiful scenery, very friendly staff.“

“I grew up on homemade Middle Eastern food made daily by my parents, so I’m very picky when it comes to authenticity. I’ve tried a few places that just didn’t hit the mark—but AL SHAM in Chalfont is a straight 10/10!! They serve real Arabic bread (pita)—not tortillas disguised as pita like you find at other places—and their homemade Lebanese toum (garlic aioli) is the real deal. One bite of their falafel wrap instantly transported me to a boardwalk in Lebanon, overlooking the Mediterranean—complete with fresh bread, Lebanese pickles, and those perfect pickled turnips. The meat is 100% Halal and you can taste the quality. Flavorful, fresh, and clearly made with care. **This is the kind of spot you want to support. We’ll be back again and again—do yourself a favor and try them ASAP**“

“We've lived in the neighborhood for 4 years and have not tried this gem until last week, what a shame! I did not expect the unique design, nice service, and delicious food. I had the moussaka, my wife had the lamb chops, and our young kids split the chicken kebab with rice. Also, the bar looks fun to have a drink at. Will definitely be back.“

“Stopped by to pick up dinner from this spot. The service is absolutely wonderful
The food was delicious. The young lady Tiffany the counter was very friendly and professional. The manager always greets everyone coming into this restaurant. I would recommend this spot to all my first responder friends.“

“This was a pleasant find on Christmas Eve, made single-handedly better by our waiter Fathi. Everything was delicious and his hospitality was unmatched. We had way too much to eat and can’t wait to go back.“

“I think I probably have had just about everything on your menu, and I loved everything. I also like that Stina is not pretentious.“

“Not kidding. Our table of 4 ordered nearly everything in the menu. Each bite was delicious, balanced, nuanced, worldly, fresh, and inventive. We ordered a second dish of the carrots, and also the cukes. Dessert was outstanding. Interesting wines, including a chilled Croatian wine that paired well with every dish. Definitely returning. Soon! ❤️“

“Great food! Great service!“

“The food was wonderful as the service was fast. I couldn’t believe the check. Extremely reasonable for all you get. I’d definitely recommend Kanella to anyone“

“I came in this morning with my brother to get breakfast and decided to add a tiramisu to my order. The tiramisu was the best I’ve ever had! It was so delicious! The owners were so friendly & helpful!“

“As a travel agent, food is important to me. I not only book for my clients, but I also make restaurant recommendations and WOW!!!!!! This place is it 😍😍😍 I took many photos last night of the food, the atmosphere felt as though I was not in Philadelphia, but far away on a perfect vacation dining at an amazing restaurant. I'm going to post my photos on my business page, people, if you want Greek food, THIS IS YOUR PLACE ☺️ Thank you for a wonderful hospitality and an amazing time my fiance and I will never forget.“

“Delicious food. Friendly people.“

“Excellent friendly service and some truly remarkable food. Highly recommend.“

“My fave resto in Philly!!! The food was absolutely phenomenal—always consistent and so delicious. The service is TOP-NOTCH. They’ve always gone above and beyond for us, always treating us with so much care & warmth every time we’re there. We’ve always celebrated special occasions here since we know everyone will always have a great time. Shoutout to Luis and Jane—y’all are the best. ❤️

You won’t regret going! Don’t sleep on this resto!

P.S. Personal faves are the pork chop, NY strip steak, and rigatoni!“

“I took my family here for dinner tonight, and the experience was awesome from start to finish. Making the reservation took <1 minute, parking was easy, and for those who enjoy BYOB, there’s a wine and spirits store just two doors down.

The service was outstanding and the food was phenomenal. This place is truly a hidden gem with fair pricing and an excellent menu. My boys, ages 9 and 7, even said it was one of the best places we’ve eaten, which says a lot.

Highly, highly recommended.

Armand Gjeka“

“I've been in Philly 16 years, and eaten at every major fine dining restaurant in the city, many more than once. Amada, Zahav, Budakkan, Vernick Fish, you name it. Every Stephen Starr. Every Michael Solmonov. Every Jose Garces. This is the best meal I have ever eaten in my life. The carrots, the beets, the mushroom taglioli, the tuna tartar, the beef carpaccio tartlet, the duck, the liver mousse, the steak...I could go on. Every single bite was either perfect or nearly so. Both of my daughters and my wife said the same. We talked about our top dining experiences in Tokyo, Paris, St. Petersburg, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami, Chicago, there have been so many, many good meals in our life. We just found one of the greatest. Thank you Emmett. We look forward to our next visit (once you fix the ramp). -Stephen“

“Being Armenian my expectations were high. Apricot Stone far exceeded what I was expecting. Service (Ani) was excellent and all of the help was very friendly. I highly recommend it.“

“Buck a schuck oysters, double braised short rib over rigatoni, key lime pie and even got a hug from the beautiful Solidea D! Everything was exquisite. Great atmosphere. Highly recommend!“

“Probably the weirdest platter I’ve had ever. There were charred/roasted grapes, peppers, chicken, avocado on top of noodles, along with a host of unidentified alien objects. But hey, we liked it! 😄 Lines are looong. Also the guy is quirky and kind, a Philly urban legend“

“It’s very tasty there, we always order from them when going to center city, definitely recommend!!“

“Fresh, Authentic and lots of options! Try any of the seafood options.Big variety. I enjoyed the Grilled Octopus and a seafood medley of shrimp, scallops, and calamari,mmm... Very cozy atmosphere. BYOB. Attentive service. Lots of parking on side street. Great value“

“My colleague and I visited this small spot for lunch. The place is cozy, with only five or six tables at most. We were the first customers of the day, but the staff seemed busy preparing catering orders. We had to get their attention a couple of times, but each time the lady in the kitchen responded very kindly. Overall, it felt like an intimate neighborhood dining experience.

We ordered the lunch specials: lamb (around $17) and chicken kebabs (around $16). Each plate came with warm pita bread, hummus, a small appetizer salad, basmati rice, and grilled tomatoes. For the salad, we chose the Greek salad.

The Greek salad was a nice appetizer, and the warm pita bread was a pleasant touch. The hummus tasted house-made. It was thick, rich, and full of nutty flavor. I honestly wished I had bought extra to take home.

I didn’t try the lamb myself, but my colleague really enjoyed it. My chicken kebab was very flavorful, though I wished it had been a bit more tender. The basmati rice paired well with the grilled tomatoes and was quite tasty.

Overall, we had a very satisfying lunch and left feeling full and happy.“

“I ordered for pick-up tonight and the storm blew down a tree across my street. I called and they offered to bring it to me despite the downed tree and storm. I was totally surprised and impressed when the driver walked two blocks to get the food to us. Oh, and it was delicious too.“

“delicious samosas and beryani“

“Excellent, kind, authentic Greek dining experience. The food was spectacular and very flavorful, and everyone was in good spirits. Great price for such delicious food“

“I hadn't been to Barbuzzo in about 8 years. We were headed to a show at The Met, so I made reservations for dinner. The staff, the food, the drinks, and the service were all on point. We'll definitely be back!“

“Great hidden gem in Fishtown✨

Everything was fantastic to the apps, the ambiance, and even our server!

🍝 Food: We loved all the apps, and honestly for us we’d just get all apps if we could. The winter special monkfish was ok. And it was cool to try a new pasta “shape” for us: storzapretti e.g. look like meatballs, but are herby delicious ricotta balls with a snap. We loved the orata fish dish. WOW, perfectly cooked fish! For about $100 pp, we essentially got an XL 8-course tasting menu which is pretty worth it!

what we got:
⭐️ scallop focaccia toast 5/5 WOW! impressed, the flavor, the texture. more than just a fish-on-toast
⭐️ shaved artichoke 5/5 acidic goodness
⭐️ skate cheeks 4/5 great texture! flavor combo was amazing with the calabrian chili and polenta
⭐️ grilled orata 4/5 perfectly cooked with the buttery meat and crispy skin, tapenade was fire!
- tagliolini monkfish 3/5 not a fan gritty pieces in the pasta, monkfish felt a bit overcooked and tough
- storzapretti ricotta dumplings 3/5 glad to try something new!! not our thing

🍴 service: amazing! our server was attentive, helpful and sassy — we liked her. overall staff was great too, they brought the dishes and explained them and between courses they took plates and cleaned the table. very pleasurable :)

🕯️ atmosphere: the ambiance was intimate and sexy! there was not a bad angle of the interior — it was a classy date night spot“

“Shoutout to the guys! Jay, Hussein and Jonathan really looked out for me! I placed my order last minute and got to the shop with a minute to spare. They didn’t treat me like “that guy” for being the last one in. The staff is as great as the food and you’ll be delighted to be served by these gentlemen!“

“I have never! given anyone a 5 start review but I have to sayyy this is the best vegan shawarma I have ever had in my life! Omg the falafel was crunchy and that isn’t easy to come by the hummus the cucumbers cabbage everything blended so well together was so flavorful I am in absolute love and will be returning“

“Amazing place, delicious food, fun atmosphere and reasonable prices“

“Great atmosphere, friendly service and tasty food.“

“Everyone loved every bite! One of my favorite brunch places in and around the city. Awesome food, and attentive service! #lEtsreAlesTate“

“We didn’t get to eat at Zahav - but got the next big thing and ordered the Lamb Meal from gold belly with salatim. It was DELICIOUS!! Best lamb we have ever had, so delicious. Salads were yummy, hummus well done and could easily feed 6 adults. So. Much. Food. If you can’t make it to the restaurant- order the kit from Goldbelly and treat yourself!“

“Janiyah munirah briyonna all were fantastic! It was first time getting cava and they were very helpful and friendly. Even gave me some great dip recommendations that were really good! Definitely coming back here again. Such hospitality from the rockstar staff!“

“a very authentic delicious food,and a great generous team,I highly recommend it“

“The food here is delicious! We tried the Oxtail with fried rice and mac, the Salmon & Shrimp Rasta Pasta, and the Sweet Chili Wings with fries and every single dish held such great flavor. The oxtail was so tender it literally fell off the bone, easily one of the highlights of the meal. Next time, we’re definitely trying the Oxtail Rasta Pasta.“

“My girlfriends and I recently visited Dear Daphni for a birthday celebration and needless to say, we'll be coming back again. Liz, one of the Front of House coordinators, ensured we had the best dining experience on my first visit. From assigning the perfect table and attentive server (Seth his name was), continuously checking in if we needed anything, and indulging our request to have our celebratory photos taken while still being able to keep a watchful but friendly eye on the restaurant to make sure incoming guests were being greeted and accommodated while still ensuring seated tables were having a lovely dining experience - that is certainly no easy feat. As Sampan alumni, I have the earned discernment to say Liz was absolutely the calm in the chaos last Friday night.

As for the food, we had the Moroccan meatballs, mezze platter, crisps, assorted kebabs, branzino, and the lamb chops. Everything was truly well done that evening even down to the pita bread that reminded me of a bakery during my recent travels to Marrakesh. And the lamb shops were absolutely worth breaking the no meat Friday rule of the Lent season - needless to say my girlfriends and I can't wait for our next visit.“

“Zaffron Grill is one the best restaurants at the Shops at Liberty Place. I love their food, especially the Steak Kabob platter,“

“omg one of our Doctors treated us to lunch today ..so so good ..I will now go on my own ..food was delicious“

“I was visiting Villanova and a good friend brought me to Nova Grill. The owner was over the top nice and accommodating. His Greek Hospitality did shine. Instantly felt like a regular. The place was spotless and well set up. All cleanliness and proper measure were followed perfectly. The food was plentiful, cooked and presented well and hot ( often forgot these days). The Locaniko ( Loukaniko) was spot on in flavor. I will most definitely stop in again when in the area. Highly recommended.“

“Loved our brunch today. We stumbled on this place while visiting Philly. Was intrigued by all the Zagat stickers and went inside. Sampled the weekend brunch menu, Moroccan eggs, crab benedict, French toast and the spinach quiche. All dishes were delicious. But, since I had never had Moroccan eggs before, was very excited about trying that and so enjoyed the spice combo. Also really enjoyed the Moroccan tea. Lovely neighborhood bistro. Fabulous service and experience. Highly recommend.“

“Hummus Grill is a fantastic spot for fresh and flavorful Mediterranean food. The hummus is smooth, rich, and clearly made fresh, and everything on the plate tastes homemade and well seasoned.

The portions are generous, the ingredients taste high quality, and the staff are always friendly and welcoming. It’s a great place for a quick lunch or a relaxed meal, and the food is consistently good. Highly recommended if you’re craving authentic Mediterranean flavors.“

“1)wonderful food and a goodly portion.2) BYOB 3)Not cheap but reasonable for the quality and quantity of the food. Hits the Restaurant Trifecta!!!“

“I love meditation food and this is not an exception. My friend and I stopped by around 9pm for dinner. I ordered lamb plate and it was great. Good portion size as well. The owner was a full of humors too. Great place to have some authentic meditation food.“

“We visited Pera and it is great to know that the restaurant met expectations and was consistent with the excellent review in the PHiladelphia Inquirer.“

“I haven’t been here yet and am looking forward to trying. After reading so many excellent reviews and the handful complaining about their interactions with staff, it seems as though the issue could be the customers’ attitudes creating a negative situation.“

“A colleague recommended me this place and I decided to finally go try it for lunch. I got the chicken shawarma bowl and it was absolutely delicious and fulfilling. Portions are just right, not too much not too little. Ingredients tasted fresh despite having picked up this order. Much better than Chipotle by miles despite the slightly higher price point, there needs to be more NAPAs opening outside of major cities.“

“Amazing food! Can’t wait to go back!“

“Absolutely delicious chicken shnitzel wrap! The ingredients were fresh and plentiful and left me completely satisfied. I'm glad there is really great Mediterranean food so close to home & I know I will definitely be ordering again soon!“