Phara's Mediterranean Cuisine

I've had so many gatherings here! Love the Hooka's and the food!! Even better I can invite 10-20 friends and bring enough wine for everyone. Sit outside watching the Belly Dancers and carry on as loud as we want! Amazing time every gathering we have!!

Posted 10/02/09

I've had so many gatherings here! Love the Hooka's and the food!! Even better I can invite 10-20 friends and bring enough wine for everyone. Sit outside watching the Belly Dancers and carry on as loud as we want! Amazing time every gathering we have!!

Posted 10/02/09

I have been reading reviews for restaurants on CitySearch for years, and following our fantastic experience at Phara's last night, I felt compelled to write a review.

The food was excellent. The service was attentive and helpful. And the outdoor seating area provided a nice, relaxing, change-of pace setting for enjoying our meal. This place is a huge improvement over Ararat, the restaurant that used to occupy this space. I am really looking forward to returning to Phara's again.

Pros: Service, BYOB, Food, Outdoor Seating

Cons: No video arcade or skating rink

Posted 05/10/09

we had a fabulous time! My family is mixed greek and turkish so when parents visit it is hard to find places they enjoy that not completely Americanized, yes I know it America but I want to show them nice things here too, so I write this to say;ekkur ederim, Phara (THANK YOU PHARA!) Annem boylece memnun (my mother was so pleased)! I've lived in states for while and i tried former place at this location only for disappointment but seeing a new thing here i thought i must try, it wonderful i was thankful to have somewhere to bring parents for home cooking food. And your bellydancers made us much fun with all the dancing! Next time I try hookah, it smells good and papa never let me smoke. we had a great time and you are a beautiful lady! (may your hands be healthy!)

Pros: everything

Cons: papa has crush on phara

Posted 02/13/09

What an experience. Cold food, bad service, very unfriendly. The employees were also pretty moody, which didn't help. Never eating here again

Pros: None

Cons: Everything

Posted 02/10/09

I've been to Phara's several times since it changed owner's. I went one time under previous management and vowed never to go back. Once Phara took over, she completely revamped the restaurant from the kitchen all the way to the patio. What used to be a filthy dive is now ABSOLUTELY DEVINE! The wait staff is so friendly and the food is mouth watering. I've tried several dishes on the menu and I always find a new favorite. I especially love the entertainment. The belly dancers are wonderful and always make my meal taste that much better. I always folllow dining with a Turkish coffee and drift back to childhood days with my family in Dubai at the Intercontinental Hotel. Phara's, utterly authentic in atmosphere and cusine is as close as I have come to that 5 star restaurant of my youth. This will always be my favorite resteraunt now that it's Phara's.

Pros: I love the Ambience, and the entertainment

Cons: I wouldn't change anything.

Posted 01/31/09

My friend and I had dinner at Phara's on Saturday night, Jan.31 and it was outstanding. If you
want a place to go that's different and unique you need to try Phara's. The food was better
than delicious is all I can say. Our service was great and the back court yard area is beautiful.
I had the Beef Shish Kebab , it was very tender and seasoned perfectly. My friend orderd Salmon
and loved it and raved over the spicy sauce. This place would be great to hold your special
parties or events. The belly dancer was awesome !!!! We will be back with more friends..............

Pros: Atmosphere

Cons: None

Posted 01/31/09

I tried Phara's a couple of times, and I might have been unlucky, but both times visiting was horrible. I was served cold food which took almost an hour. I hope it shapes up so I can enjoy Mediterranean food again. Some of the employees were in bad moods as if they did not want to be there. I try not to come. I hope it gets better.

Pros: Name

Cons: Food, Service.

Posted 01/31/09

The lamb shank is to die for, provided you get there early enough before it sells out. The mezza platter goes great with double apple houka and some cold beers from your own cooler. Phara's hospitable smile is always around to welcome you and make you feel in your own back yard

Posted 12/27/08

I had a birthday party here for a group of 15 and Phara and her staff could not have been more accomodating! The food was amazing, we sampled everything. The lamb with haberno garlic sauce melts in your mouth and the hummus is creamy and smooth. Our waiter continually checked on us and made sure we had everything we needed like ice buckets for our white wine and beer. The hookah room was set up with low seating and candles. Our Hookah expert showed us the ropes as we smoked the strawberry sheesh and the belly dancer was great entertainment. This was the best dinner and birthday party I have had in Austin, and I thank for Phara's! Highly reccommend and perfect for date nights too.

Pros: great patio, ambience

Posted 08/16/08

i chose phara's for my birthday party in the end of july after a very long search for the perfect bohemian location. as soon as i saw the cute, funky outdoor space at phara's i knew i had found the place! we used the hookah lounge which phara and her staff set up with low seating and some regular tables as well. our guests ranged from 18 to 88 in age (around 40 total), so we had something for everyone! phara also decorated the tables with fresh flowers and brought out buckets and corkscrews for the wine we brought, along with plenty of ice, glasses, water all evening long. we ordered several appetizer platters for starters and let people order dinner at their leisure.
it worked out great! the BEST part was that the food is absolutely amazing. i was so sad when ararat closed, but phara has taken this place to a new level! i will be back many times! Thank you Phara!!!!

Pros: great food, very acommodating, byob, good place for a party too!

Cons: none...i loved it!

Posted 08/11/08

Service was great, food was delicious (the lamb shank is AMAZING, it basically falls off the bone when you pick it up). The vegetarian appetizer's had a lot of character and flavor too! We got to bring in our own drinks for a reasonable ($3/person) coking fee, and there was live belly dancing! I highly reccomend this place!

Pros: Ambience, Food, Live Belly Dancing, Service, Patio

Cons: Not open during lunch.

Posted 05/28/08

Here I was minding my own business while my girlfriend was shopping (the usual), when I stumbled across Phara's in this funky little bend in North Loop. I had no idea that Phara's was a restaurant and I was standing right in front of it?! I thought it was just another chick-shop until I peeked in the window. When we first walked in it didn't look like much - only 8 tables. But then the host gave us the grand tour through this huge, sweet backyard area that includes a HOOKAH lounge!! Then there's the belly dancing - of course I was so focused on my beautiful, talented girlfriend, that I barely noticed the lovely dancer. Oh yeah, and the food was amazing. We started with the sampler appetizer plate which came with warm pitas. The hummus was really tasty - a lot more creamy than what we're used to. Then I had the beef kbob and she had a veggie currie. We don't normally eat this kind of food, but wow was it really good! I think they actually cut up filet mignon. I tried all 3 of the homemade sauces too. They were all great and I'm still sweating from my favorite, the habanero sauce. We tried the baklava for dessert which I'm not big on but she really liked it. I just wished that we knew that it was BYOB. Next time we'll be ready. Wow, I can't believe this place is just down the street from us.

Posted 05/21/08

Not much more I can add to these glowing reviews. I tried this restaurant on Saturday night and had one of the most memorable Austin dining experiences. Attentive host and waitstaff, wide menu selection, good prices, and really tasty food expertly presented. This is probably the best hummus I have ever tried.
Romantic and quaint interior, with a huge outdoor patio in the rear that boasts a hookah lounge, live music and bellydancers. Of course, you can always sit inside for a quiet conversation. With new expanded hours to midnight, this will definitely be on the short list of places to take visitors and friends, or stop by after the theatre. Loved it!

Posted 05/10/08

Phara's keeps getting better and better. Some friends of our happened along this restaurant a few days after it opened and we went a few days later on their recommendation. The staff was still catching their stride, but the food was outstanding. We have been back twice since then and the food has improved from its already lofty level and the service has risen to the high standard of our meal. We have tried each of the appetizers (they are all wonderful) and the lamb shanks are nothing short of to-die-for... deliciously flavorful and so tender you can cut it with your fork. The owner, Phara, is always there to greet us and seems to make every time we go a special event. We do wish they had a wine list and expect that will come when they receive their liquor licence. Other than that, we fear the word will continue to get out and one of Austin's "best kept secrets" will become one of Austin's "in" restaurants... Good thing they take reservations! Bravo, Phara's!!!

Pros: Wonderful, unique food, beautifully prepared with generous portions

Cons: They need a wine list

Posted 05/04/08

No offense to the previous reviews, but it is not necessary or fair to compare Phara?s to Ararat. Yes, it is in the same location and it is also a Middle Eastern restaurant. But, it is a different owner with a different menu and frankly, it deserves a chance to shine all by itself (which I think everyone will agree it does once they try it).
As for Ararat, it was so much more than just a restaurant for the Austin community and I will forever miss it.
Now onto the review. The food is fantastic! I went with a group of friends and we started our meal with a couple of mezza plates: hummus, baba ganouj, tzitziki (I am sure I spelled that incorrectly), dolmas and a delicious spicy green bean salad. YUM! Everything was perfect. I order grilled salmon with a basil-mint sauce for my entree. All I can say is OMG! I am still dreaming about it. Other people at the table ordered a beef tenderloin (which was so tender and grilled perfectly), lamb shank, spicy vegetarian okra dish, etc. EVERYTHING WAS GREAT!
It has a BYOB policy, which is always a plus. And, there is plenty of seating. The place is huge and so well decorated. Phara and Christopher?s story (written on the back of the menu) is heart-warming and really helps you feel the love. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone that wants a really terrific meal. It is well worth the money.

Posted 04/22/08

We arrived early, about 15 minutes before opening, but they were super accommodating. The service was very good. We both had the mezze plate (tabouli, hummus, baba ganoush, dolmas and pita) The food was excellent. I don't quite get the 'Fine Dining' part of the restaurant's name. I didn't see anything on the menu that was beyond the usual. Don't get me wrong though, the food was well prepared. The only thing I truly missed was no falafel on the menu. I love falafel...

Posted 04/13/08

My husband and I went to Phara's first on Saturday last weekend, then we went back again on Wednesday. The atmosphere is so friendly, and Phara greets all of her customers personally, and is truly concerned with whether or not they are happy. We've been to a lot of Middle Eastern restaurants, because that's what we like to eat when we go out, and the food at Phara's is delicious. I had the beef kebab, and he had the chicken kebab. It was seasoned and grilled and very tender, served with veggies, tahini and a bed of rice. We brought our own bottle of red wine, as Phara's is a BYOB restaurant, and were given two wine glasses and a corkscrew, which we thought was very convenient! After our meal, we had the mango ice cream for dessert, and it was delicious! It tasted homemade, was very creamy, and had large chunks of mango in it.

While we were eating dessert, we watched Elisa belly dance, to the live music of Rajamani who switched from the oud, to the guitar, to the drums throughout the evening, and later on she came out in a completely different costume, and wowed us with her flamenco dancing! They perform there every Wednesday, and I highly recommend checking them out! The other members of Rajamani's band are just as versatile, with Joseph who switched from drums to flute to the bass, while Cochino played excellent percussion, from the bongo to castanets. We were -very- impressed by the show!

Christopher's is a beautiful lounge next door. It's dedicated to Phara's son, Christopher, who passed away after suffering from cystic fibrosis. The whole story is on the back of the menu, and worth reading.

One quibble: The entrees are slightly pricey at $16.99 a plate, though this is actually fairly average for a restaurant of this class, we have found. But if you don't want to spend a lot of money, I highly recommend the appetizers, which are quite filling, particularly the Mezza plate.

Pros: Food, entertainment, atmosphere.

Cons: Prices, indoor seating space.

Posted 04/11/08

We tried Phara's last weekend and were very pleased! The atmosphere is great and there are many different areas to sit in that all have a different feel (we chose the patio b/c the weather was nice). We started with some hummus, which was perfectly flavored and super creamy. I had a delicious grilled salmon with a basil mint sauce, and my husband liked his lamb. The only thing that turned us off a bit was the belly dancer...we were the only table on the patio, and while it was fun to watch her perform at a distance when she was inside, it was awkward when she spent an entire song jiggling right in front of us at our table. But check it out, it would be a perfect place for a dinner party with friends!

Pros: ambience

Posted 04/06/08

I visited Phara's for the first time last night. I was impressed by the food, atmosphere, and service. I love Middle Eatern food, but stopped dining at Ararat several years ago after I grew tired of the rude staff and filthy conditions. I hope Austin will embrace Phara's.

Posted 04/03/08

I went to Phara's over the weekend, and could not have been more pleased. This charming restaurant offers a casual, quirky environment with delicious food. What a wonderful place to relax with friends after work. My friends and I agree that this is the PERFECT restaurant for a first date. The setting provides an endless supply of "conversation starts" for those uncomfortable silent moments. The wonderful entertainment adds to the experience, and it really can't be beat!

Posted 03/30/08