It’s easy to be captivated by the ambiance. Medina is well lit and moody, with décor that evokes the image of an old stereotypical bazaar. The hanging lamps draw the eye with their unique designs. The booths are adorned with ornate upholstery and comfortable cushions. The walls are well-decorated with sculptures and mirrors that make the café feel spacious and busy. These aspects all contribute to Medina’s enticing environment.
Medina Café and Grill is the lowest-rated restaurant in Calgary, according to Yelp, with a 1.5-star rating. However, this hole-in-the-wall hookah place may be worth the visit.
Many reviews include criticisms about the service and menu pricing.
“I don’t recommend this place AT ALL, it’s terrible!! The staff were extremely rude and disrespectful, they encouraged us to leave the place as soon as we got there. The prices also were very high on the menu,” said Raghad G., a reviewer on Yelp.
However, my own experience contrasts with this. The server checked up on my table about every 15 minutes, he was polite and friendly, and I didn’t have to wait more than 20 minutes for my food, drinks and hookah.
“When we are really busy, it’s really difficult to satisfy each and every customer,” said my server, who wished to remain anonymous.
They were the only person working in the front of house with one other person working in the kitchen at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Jan. 29. In my experience, as someone who has worked in restaurants for much of my life, it seems that staffing issues affect Medina’s service during busy hours, but that shouldn’t discourage customers from trying this surprisingly great café.
The menu features a wide array of, albeit expensive, food, non-alcoholic drinks and shisha.
I had the hummus, a chai latte, and vanilla flavoured shisha. The chai was particularly good and the hummus was enjoyable. I am no expert on shisha, but I did find myself enjoying the smoke session I had with my sibling. People should definitely give Medina a shot.
