Safia Restaurant (St. Laurent)

I was really disappointed with my most recent visit. My first experience here was enjoyable, which is why I decided to return, but this time the quality was noticeably lacking. The food was served cold and unfortunately did not taste great, which was unexpected based on my previous visit.
Another major letdown was the change in portion sizes. The milk cake, which used to be a reasonable serving, has now been reduced to a bite-sized portion for $4, which does not feel justified for the price at all.
Overall, the quality, value, and consistency seem to have declined. My initial experience set a certain expectation, but this visit fell far short of it. It’s disappointing to see such a difference compared to how the restaurant was before.

Delicious food with interesting and well-balanced spice mix. Portions are ample, but not excessive, and price-to-food ratio feels fair. The service was outstanding, in the sense that the staff were friendly in a genuine manner. I did take-out, so I can not speak to the quality of dine-in service. The ambiance is fine, the restaurant has the vibe of a place where you would expect a group of Middle-Eastern seniors to hang out and have tea all day, that sort of coziness. Nothing flashy, but completely fine. We’ll be back for sure.

Great Vibe, and delicious lamb, drumstick and Beef. Took it with the salad even though their rice is the real deal. The hot sauce was great too.
Loved the ginger tea too!
Generous and kind people with very reasonable pricing.
My go to place for whenever I m in the area

Little gem in Ottawa, food tastes home made with lots of flavours, staff is extremely friendly, portions are generous. It was our first time they guided us to choose the best options.

This place is a serious gem. A friend referred us so we ordered a little of everything for takeout. We couldn’t stop eating!
Not only that, the service is so refreshingly warm and friendly. They took the time to explain dishes, make recommendations and exchange a few laughs. An easy 5 star. Don’t sleep on this place.
Only room to improve would be the look and feel of the restaurant but it’s not necessary.
Thank you Safia restaurant!

I had anjeero for the first time here and it was sooooo good. It’s a crepe made of fermented dough, similar to the Ethiopian injera, but less sour and not made of teff. I got the anjeero with the liver breakfast plate which also comes with Somali milk tea. The liver is very good, but a bit too oily for my tastes. If they used less oil, I would be in love with the dish. The milk tea was creamy and gingery. I really enjoyed it. The beef and chicken suquaar plate is also delicious! Full of flavour. The only thing that is boring is the salad. Just iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. But the vegetables were fresh. Don’t come here for the salad, lol. Beef and chicken suquaar plate, and liver and anjeero for the win! Lol.