Kabul - (215) 922-3676

Poor service and small portions made for a miserable night out. If you go stick to the appetizers, salads, and side dishes. We ordered two vegetarian entrees and received two large plates of rice and two tiny cups of dal. Our bread was burnt and the dal lacked not only spices but salt. Our server was inattentive and bordered on rude. Head down the street to Arianna's!

I go to Kabul often and like it quite a lot. The owner / front-of-the-house guy; Wali, is always wonderful. Very gracious and always charming. We are seated promptly, and the service is attentive without being overbearing or rude. The food has some spice, but it is what I would call genuine spice - not just hot-pepper-hot. Not hot just for the sake of being hot. There are lots of vegetarian choices. I like the lamb too. And the skewered meatballs are always yummy. Oh; and make it a point to order something with pumpkin. For dessert get a milk pudding with the pistachio nuts ground on top. The dairy perfectly balances the spicy -ness of the food. (again: it is not Hot ) I think this is why some dishes come with a sauce which includes yogurt - the dairy balances everything out. I always feel very comfortable at Kabul. It's somehow as though you are eating at Wali's home. The restaurant is dark, cozy, and romantic, with exotic decorations everywhere. All in all: very pleasant with really yummy food. And not just 'more good food' - it's distinctively different and wonderful.

If you are looking for amazing Afghani food in the city, don't go anywhere else! Aushok here is out of this world, and the fragrant chicken and rice dishes (laden with saffron and flavored with cinammon) are unbelievable. Samosa-type appetizers are also great too (order a few; portions are not too big here). Dinner comes with sesame seed flatbread and a yummy dipping sauce. Service is friendly; once we told the host we did not have a reservation, and he told us we might have to wait a while but then managed to sneak us in for a seat :) Skip the wiggly, flavorless deserts and the chai-like tea (which was more strong then sweet).

I was quite excited when I found this place from citysearch. The 3 previous reviews were pretty much giving this place a highmark. However, I believe the restaurant was a bit overrated by the 3 previous reviews. We were seated promptly which was good, the table service was not all that good however. Our waiter was not attentive. Once they brought out the food, nobody asked us if we need anything at all during our meal. I am afraid I can only say the food was ordinary - don't get me wrong, it's not bad but I was just not wow by it.

The food was tasty as was the tea. Nice quiet atmosphere. If you are looking for something a little different you should check this place out.