Cafe Zafferano

A neighborhood find. Truly delicious, and UNUSUAL food, despite the plastic-​coated menu, which might lead you to suspect otherwise. We had the couscous with salmon, and it had all the right stuff – including a fresh lemony-​raisiny taste. Kids enjoyed their bow-​tie pasta with French peas (rich – you’ll have lunch to take to work tomorrow). and one child even ate the lemon off his fish (a first for him, but he swore it was delicious).
The salad we tried featured creative use of chick peas and kale, with a generous helping of feta. If we were meat eaters, we’d try the lamb.
The bourek with s! pinach was definitely home made. We wanted the gnocchi, but they were out of it.
The owner (at least I think that was who waited on us) was friendly, helpful, and poured us tea in the local style.
My only quibbles with their new and charming décor and ambience are that all the tables are round, and the omnipresent TV… so, if you have a big group, it’s a little awkward. Maybe they’ll switch some of those for more traditional tables, so big groups can dine there. It would be a shame to pass them by just ’cause of seating, though. Bring lots of people, and taste everything. Concerning the TV: Yes, it’s a café for soccer fans, so rock the TV if there’s a game on… but it’s distracting to eat while your kids are watching the PBS special on cats on a screen four feet tall over your head. Just a personal preference, and I’m probably in the minority… and it wasn’t loud.

Café Zafferano is nice cozy place, they have a variety of coffees and teas but the Moroccan tea is the best. The menu has a array of fresh, healthy food and sea food.
I had Kale salad and grilled Amish Chicken, it was delicious, very well marinated and grilled to perfection. The crème brule is my favorite.
Overall, Café Zafferano has outstanding food, extremely friendly service that leave you feeling warm and at home. Affordable prices are definitely well worth the drive. I’m sure I’ll keep coming back every time i crave Mediterranean food.

This place is amazing. I went yesterday with my husband. I had the lamb wrap and he had the burger. The burger is one of the most flavorful and juicy burgers I’ve ever tasted. The lamb wrap was nice and full with succulent grilled lamb and homemade cucumber sauce. (with lots of other things in it too) You could tell that everything was made from scratch. I came back today with my 3 ½-​year-​old daughter and my elderly mother in law. I wanted to show her the new great restaurant in the area and she lives right by it (not to mention they have free delivery!) my daughter got a child’s pasta, very good. My mother-​in-​law got a lentil soup which was so flavorful. It’s definitely made in house and with a lot of love. Then she got these shrimp tostadas. Tostada shell was fresh and crisp but not greasy and the diced up shrimp with cabbage and vegetables on top was just amazing. They do not skimp on quality or portions at all which is sadly something I’m noticing a lot of other restaurants do. Again completely fresh and homemade. I had this awesome lunch special (only $ 6.95) which was grilled chicken Brest, a couscous with a lot of different things in it, and a Caprese salad. Tomatoes were top-​quality and perfectly ripe. Everything was absolutely amazing. Last I have to mention is the customer service. there is this absolutely sweet and amazing young girl who works behind the bar (they don’t serve liquor but they have a bar) she has such a great personality and very good service. Adjusting every little thing on the table clearing away dirty napkins, refilling drinks immediately, really attentive and sweet. She couldn’t stop swooning over my daughter and had so much fun playing with her and talking to her. We are new regular customers and I know that once you try this place, you will be too!

What a wonderful addition to this corner of the NW side! Excellent service, atmosphere and the food is amazing! The façade caught my eye with a very inviting look. So glad we tried it and will defiantly be a repeat! Try the Moroccan tea! Its great! Must have the Carthage Aubergine with pita chips! YUM!
Let’s support these local gems!

They need a liquor license! The food isn’t great. Ordered a quesadilla and asked for sour cream — they don’t have it. Brought us some kind of attempt which was watered down tzasiki sauce. Hmmm.

The food was delicious. I got a caprese sandwich and fries. It was 83 degrees out and they had no AC on and the windows open. So I was hot and sweaty. Also no ice in my water. I had to ask for it. But other than that, the restaurant was clean, food was great, fast and very personable staff. At the end of your meal they offer homemade tea. Try it! It’s delicious!
I will be back. Probably when it’s not so hot outside :)

The garden like ambiance calls you inside. The fragrance of good, fresh coffee greeted my nose. Once seated in the cushy, maroon, velvet seat, I felt like royalty. The server, Jennifer had an endearing smile; like that of one’s dear Aunt or my own Nana. She was kind, professional, and helpful. The owner, Al was happy and welcoming.
My daughter wanted spinach and cheese in her eggs. I wanted plain, yet fluffy eggs. Our guest just wanted waffles and meat. We were very hungry and very selective. The fact that none of us eat pork often makes breakfast difficult; we were delighted to know that no pork is ever served or cooked here! The owner treated us to his café– made turkey sausages which were plentiful and spiced with a flavor from GOD! Dramatic? Maybe a little… although, it was beyond EXCELLENT! And… it’s difficult to find good turkey breakfast items in Chicago. The food was definitely better than regular coffee «CAFES»…indeed, it was heaven on a plate! My daughter’s Chai Latte was foamy, tasty, and light. Jennifer gave me a small carafe of coffee, which I almost swallowed whole! Delicious! I was so taken by it all… in the most amazing way.
I felt like a Queen for a about 45 minutes… and then, sadly, we had to continue our day. Café Zafferano is my new «GO-​TO» place. It was a beautiful experience. The space is wonderful to host a private event, bring my entire family, or just keep as my private zen place. With easy parking, great, clean food, and delightful service, Café «Z» was a big hit with me and the family! YOU MUST VISIT SOON!

Although their menu looks healthy, they are very overpriced, and their staff isn’t the friendliest.
Two eggs and side of potatoes are priced at $ 7, when Hala offers a lunch special with a bigger portion size for the same price and it includes a drink.
For better service and food, I’d rather walk a door down to Hala In.

Bright and inviting. Their kitchen has pros in it: all their breakfast fare shows expertise. It’s Mediterranean by way of Algeria, I think. The teas and coffees make you think you’re somewhere else, somewhere exotic. Everybody’s friendly and I’m loving working my way through their menu. Don’t take my word for it-​give ‘em a try.

I am really happy to see a modern restaurant in the Mayfair area (I know Unilocal has it as being located in Irving Park– it’s definitely not). That being said, this place in brand spanking new, so it’s only natural that there are some kinks to work out.
PROS:
— Delicious tea! I loved the tea and wafers they serve you as you wait.
— The interior is updated with brick walls, large windows that let in plenty of sunlight and fresh air, and a lovely juice/​tea bar.
The staff was very friendly.
— Hashbrowns– they offer shoestring hashbrowns that are nice and crispy and not too oily. I really enjoyed them.
–Location– It’s right off of Lawrence and walking distance from North Mayfair!
–Presentation– the food is visually pleasing when it comes out; not just slopped on a plate.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT:
— Menu.
This place is a breakfast/​brunch restaurant, yet the breakfast menu is tiny. I believe there were only about 8 options listed with several adding a $ 4 charge if you wanted a side of meat (turkey sausage, etc.) and hash browns. I would like to see more breakfast/​brunchy options added. Also, the menus we were given looked like takeout menus. I figured this is probably because the restaurant just opened, but I hope they will get real menus soon. The cheap menus clash with the nice interior.
–Poached eggs
Again, for a breakfast/​brunch place, properly cooked eggs are a must! i ordered the Eggs Florentine Benedict, which I enjoyed overall, but my eggs were way over cooked. My favorite thing about eggs benny is the delicious creamy yoke that spills out when you puncture the egg. My eggs were almost boiled all the way thru with absolutely no creamy yolk. Luckily, I had plenty of hollandaise sauce to make up for the lack of yolkiness. Aside from the overcooked eggs, I enjoyed most of my dish.
My husband asked for his eggs to be over medium. They also came out with the yolks almost completely hardened on the inside, rather than runny.
— Turkey sausage
My husband and I both received a side of turkey sausage with our meals that were pretty dry and overcooked. Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather have over-​cooked sausage than undercooked, but these were just too dry to enjoy and weren’t worth the $ 4 extra we paid for them.
–No booze or BYOB
The restaurant is so pretty it’s a shame one can’t enjoy a nice mimosa with their meal. Perhaps this is a licensing issue? Nonetheless, BYOB is something I really think the neighborhood would be excited about and enjoy having. It would set it apart from the plethora of diners in the surrounding area.
SUMMARY:
I see a lot of potential here, but currently I would have to give this place a 2.5 star rating (I rounded up to 3 hoping the issues are due to the restaurant’s newness). Once they expand their breakfast menu a bit and resolve the overcooking issues, I would gladly check them out again. If they offer BYOB, I’ll be there tomorrow! In the meantime, the décor and tea isn’t enough to keep me from going to my usual breakfast spots.