Review Aida's Mediterranean Bistro - Calgary

My wife and I arrived to a busy restaurant. I saw an empty table by the window and an empty table at the back of the restaurant next a large (noisy) group. Yes, I want the table by the window. Aidas's is a cute Lebanese restaurant in Mission. The service was good, but it did take some time before it got going. The food was very good and I would recommend eating here.

I wanted to try something new this weekend and was recommended Aida's Bistro! It was our first time having Lebanese food and we really enjoyed the platter that we got - it was very filling and included lots of dips and flavors 😋 Everything on the platter was made in-house and nothing disappointed! I got The Original Share Platter for 2 - includes 4 dips (hummus, baba ghannouj, labneh, extra), falafel (top right), kibby (centre right), spinach and beef fatayer (bottom) I am super new to Lebanese food, but I enjoyed the experience here, definitely drop by if you're in Mission! See more of my reviews on IG @thatfoodiehoe 😊

It is an excellent Lebanese Restaurant!! The service is fantastic, the food is delicious, and the price is affordable. I truly recommend it.

Oh this was fantastic! I loved the decor, the food was mouthwatering delicious, and the staff were extremely friendly! Love, love, LOVE this spot 💜

Delicious and flavourful lamb kabab with just the right amount of sides. I arrived a little later in the evening but was greeted with a friendly welcome and freshly made dinner.

We had the veggie plate, it was amazing, and the server was awesome. The muhammara was so good! Would most definitely recommend.

Aida's has delicious drinks and food. We tried the squid, which was phenomenal as well as the dip sampler. I got the prawns and my husband got the lamb. They were both delicious! I wish they'd bring back their tiramisu - it was out of this world!

On the bright side: - Service was excellent and prompt - The employee serving our group made great recommendations and interacted in a very polite manner - The location is excellent and the atmosphere of the restaurant was really nice with small touches making it unique About the food: - Appetizers tasted good (we had the pita with the dips), nice and airy with a smokey flavour to the baba ganoush - *I ordered the lamb platter and 3 of the meat pieces were completely raw from the inside. When I cut them open they looked bright red and entirely unappetizing. I was left feeling sick all of the next day. Would not recommend* - For dessert I had the baklava which was good but also pretty hard to cut through with a fork. I prefer baklava with more flaky pastry

This is a nice little bistro with great food. The muhamarra dip is fantastic, and as a vegan I enjoy the veggie platter. The reason for four stars instead of five stars is that the pita bread is store bought and as such is not very appealing, when compared to other places that make their own fresh pita bread. Hopefully they can improve on that. Apart from that, I love this place.

Went to Aida’s last night for my birthday dinner with family and friends. The food was outstanding, tasty, generous portions. All my guests said they loved it and thought it was like home cooked food. The server was lovely and thanked me numerous times for my business and wished me a happy birthday over and over.

Always amazing food and amazing service from an incredible staff of people!! If my wife could get an Aida's I.V. direct to her veins she would. It's a family environment and you are treated like family whether it is your first visit or 6000th visit... Again my wife lol. I would highly recommend it to anyone I know without hesitation.

Incredible food at attractive prices! There are many reasons Aida's has been an institution of great gastronomic prowess in Mission for many years. The food is fresh, plated beautifully and is timely prepared to boot. An ideal spot for a casual business lunch, or a fancy date night.

Authentic Lebanese restaurant that makes you feel like family. Mezza platter is huge & a great way to try lots of flavours. Mouhammara is amazing & specialty drinks are quite good. (4/5)

I went with the chefs suggestion - chicken shish taouk with rice and salad. Baba and pita. Chicken was impeccable - fresh, moist, tasty and smooth. The rice was subtlety flavoured and the salad was fresh and nicely herbed. The baba was home made and very tasty as was the sliced pita. Haven’t been here in years! Will have to go back with my wife.

Initial ambiance was pretty amazing. High ceilings with a cozy feel. We started off with the cheese platter and the meat pies. Both starters were delicious although the meat pies needed a bit more seasoning/salt. As a main we got the skewer platter so we could sample all skewers. Meat was cooked well - tender and juicy, tabouli needed a little more lemon for an extra kick. <br/><br/>Overall a great experience although I've had better Lebanese food at a much lower price.

What a wonderful lunch! This is one of my favorite places. The one dip i am so addicted to is their Mouhammara, it the most amazimg dip i have ever had. I always order one to eat there and take three home. I normally order grape leaves as well and a original Mezza platter served with grape leaves, falafel, baba ghannouj, hummus, kibby, fatayer, sfeeha, labneh. Great for 2-3 people. The grape leaves are served warm and just the right spices and lemon, their falafel are wonderful with a great not to dry and crumbly. The only thing i would of liked more would be the hummus. I felt lacking. It had a weak tahini taste. I loved the baba cause it was not as smoky as other places. It was perfectly spiced as well. They give you plenty of pita breads for dipping and a lot of food for the price. A great place to go for a romantic date or just hang out with friends, cozy and quiet and has a wonderful table service.

Ordered the chicken shawarma. Wait around 25 mins . It was quite cold when I got it. I asked the waitress to reheat it. We wait another 15 minutes and when I asked the waitress regarding my order she yelled at me saying that they are making it again for me as I wanted it hot ! Once I did get it back, it was still lukewarm.<br/>The portion was small and the dish was tasteless. Exceptionally rude service ! They do get a lot of business from the local office goers and residents so taste and courtesy are not that important . Avoid !

We came here for lunch. They catered to my son's nut allergies, food was fantastic! Service was awesome! Would recommend Aida's to anyone craving Mediterranean cuisine. One small thing...the baba ghanouj was better than the hummus!

Aida's is one of our favorite places to go with friends. The dishes are good for sharing, even though it's not a tapas style restaurant. There are so many things to choose from and the portions are fairly generous. We went with another couple on a Friday evening and had reservations for 8, the restaurant was still packed. We decided to share the seafood mezza, chicken couscous, mahamoura, and the shish kabob platter. The food was very very good and we were full and even had small amounts leftover of each dish. I would recommend this restaurant.

We had the veggie mezza and it was incredible! Wouldn't change a thing and can't wait to return. Wish I lived closer so I could eat their baba ghannouj every day. Yum.

Cute little place that's perfect for a quick [business] lunch or a date (though we know that garlic is used heavily in Lebanese food.) Platters are tastefully prepared and served. Attentive service, delicious, reasonably priced food.

***See my Mar 2017 update at bottom of review***<br/><br/>April 2016: Mixed feelings - I have been to this restaurant around a dozen times over the past 18 months. <br/>The food has always been fresh and tasty while the service has been friendly and more than adequate.<br/><br/>However, I was recently disappointed when I came with a group of girlfriends. There were 9 of us in total and we had a waitress who I did not recognize. I'm not sure is she was new. However, she was dry, unhelpful and curt. She definitely did not add to the dining experience. One of the ladies thought she was served the incorrect plate and when she questioned it, the waitress was quite curt. She barely looked at my friend and she did not stop walking. She quickly said 'yes that is the xyz dish'. There was absolutely no concern for why my friend thought she received the incorrect dish. As I was the one that organized the dinner, I felt responsible for how my friend was treated so I called the waitress over and asked about the garlic purée that is mentioned in the description on the menu. She gave me a funny look like she did not know what I was taking about. I kept on explaining until she finally said 'so you want some garlic purée' to which I replied 'yes'.<br/><br/>Well, she literally brought us puréed garlic. We thought it would be garlic mixed with tahini or humus. On top of that, she charged us for it. We did not bring this up, but we were not impressed.<br/><br/>Added to this she would not do individual bills, but added an 18% tip. I have no issue with a higher tip for groups, but at least give us individual bills. Otherwise, where is the extra work that warrants a higher gratuity? <br/><br/>One of the ladies asked for her bill earlier as she was not sure if she could wait until the end. She was given a bill that she had to return as it was incorrect. Once she paid her bill, we were told that even though she paid, her items would still be on the one master bill.<br/><br/>The final thing that disturbed me was that the waitress came back to our table after we all paid and said very dryly that she was missing $33. I found that odd because every one was adding about a $1 more to their tab to ensure that all was covered. I asked for a reprint of the bill and she said she could not do it! The bill that I had was now grease stained with a lot of markings on it so I was hoping for a fresh copy. At this point, we asked her for a copy of the receipts/money she had collected. A few had paid cash so we suspected she was missing something, and we were wondering if she forgot to add what our one friend paid earlier. At that point, she came back and said that she found a missing payment so we now only owed her $3. She did not apologize. We quickly gave it to her, but we were not impressed and I am quite certain that she miscounted and we over paid.<br/><br/>It is too bad as the ladies agreed that the food and drinks were brought out in a timely manner and all was tasty and reasonably priced. However, they found they were not impressed with other aspects of the service. As such, I can only recommend this restaurant for groups of up to 4 people. I hope that when I return again with my husband that we receive the service that we are used to receiving at this establishment. I am giving a rating of 4/5 for the food, but only a 2.5/5 for the service.<br/><br/>March 2017 - Update<br/><br/>I went back to Aida's last night with 6 girlfriends and the waitress was willing to do individual bills for us. She explained that their computer system does not make this easy, but they will be getting a new one which will simplify this task. She said for now she could split the bills as long as people did not share items. As we all had individual platters, it was not an issue and she said with the new system they will be able to split shared plates. All of us enjoyed our food and our waitress provided excellent service this time for our group. I've also gone back many times with my husband and have always received good service with him.<br/><br/>I'm now upgrading my rating to a 4.

Of the three dips we tried: hummus, baba, and mouhammara, the mouhammara was my favourite. Most likely because it’s the most decadent tasting, made with red pepper paste, walnuts and pomegranate juice dip. I liked it because it was sweet and nutty and the sticky texture was delicious with pita. The baba – broiled eggplant and tahini, came in a close second.

Confused staff - I called in a takeout order, which never reached the kitchen when I arrived to pick it up. The server said it would be a 10 minute wait for them to make my order on the spot, but I said I didn't want to wait and was prepared to leave and get food elsewhere. She then went to check back with the kitchen and said it would only be a few minutes, my chicken kabob was just cooking. I asked if she would throw in some extra olives and she said sure. Got home to find a salad and no chicken kabob, and I was charged for the olives which I expected to be comped. When I called the restaurant, the server said they understood I didn't want to wait for the chicken to cook and that's why it wasn't included with my salad, which I never said. I think some improved communication between the staff and customers is needed.

Aida's is a local eatery that is tucked away in the heart of Mission, offering authentic tastes of Mediterranean cuisine. I had always passed by this place and been curious about it, so I was excited to finally grab some lunch and see how it was. I was greeted quickly by a friendly server that seated me and asked if I had any questions. Craving shawarma, I decided to go for the pita shawarma and a side of the roasted potatoes as well. I thought the food came out pretty quickly, and took my first bites. The shawarma was a generous portion, and the veggies tasted quite fresh, and the whole wrap was brought together really well with the garlic sauce inside. The potatoes were cooked quite nicely, and there was the same garlic sauce on top, which was absolutely delicious. I also found the pricing to be quite fair, as I left feeling satisfied and could see myself craving this place again!

Aida's is a really great place to eat. The atmosphere of the restaurant is quite comfortable, I love the decor. The dip sampler is a great way to start the meal because you get to try different dips and figure out your favourite. The labneh (cucumber yogurt) dip is my personal favourite. My go to food to order here is the shawarma under the 'sandwich' section of their menu. It's amazing. To drink, I'd recommend the orange blossom infused lemonade. I'm not a huge fan of floral flavours but the hint of orange blossom is perfect. For dessert definitely give the baklava a try, it's delicious! <br/><br/>Happy eating!

We stumbled across this lovely restaurant several years ago now and it's still one of our favourites. The food is delicious, the service us fast and friendly and the atmosphere is relaxing and pleasant. Highly recommended the Baba Ganoush appetizer, the Seafood Cous Cous entrée and the Layali Loubnan dessert!

One of the best restaurants in Calgary! The falafel sandwich is my go-to dish on the run (especially with the addition of hot peppers and Muhamara!), the humus and Muhamara are divine and most platters are the perfect pairing of meat + salad + dip. Healthy and delicious - a really great family-run restaurant! <br/>

The entrees are unremarkable, but the dips are great. Go for the mezze and be sure to order the famous mouhamarra. Great cozy ambience, but the service is occasionally slightly forgetful.

Great restaurant and have enjoyed the food here many times.  The falafel plate was tasty and very well done.  Appetizer platter was very good as well.

SO SO SO YUMMY. I would fly back to Calgary just to have the Mouhammara......<br/>I have since left Calgary and moved out East. I can't find a restaurant as good as this one for similar cuisine. <br/><br/>I used to order takeout from here a lot when I lived in Calgary as well as dine in.<br/><br/>MISS YOU AIDA's

To start we had the garlic prawns to share. They were big and tasted unlike any garlic prawns we have had before. Delicious. For my main I had the mediterranean chicken - came with tomato sauce, olives & artichokes. Loved it. Had cous cous instead of rice/potatoes. Loved the beans that came with the dish too - wish I knew the recipe. Boyfriend had the mousakhan - chicken wrapped in pita. He loved it and it was better than he expected. We finished our meal with baklava each. A lovely sweet treat. Staff really friendly too. Can't wait to return. Recommend making a reservation.

Mediterranean feel on 4th - Start with Mouhammara DIVINE. I was treated to Aida's for a lunch with a co-worker. I have never been in a Mediterranean Bistro before. A admit I had NO IDEA what I wanted to eat. My GF ordered for us, as her and her hubby have supper here few times a year. The food was delish!!! Fresh, Hot, Good portions, and the atmosphere is wonderful. We were sat by the window which seems a bit cooler with the fan blowing but I am sure on a hot summers day, that seat is hard to come by!!! I was pleasantly surprised by the meal. The flavors we wonderful and I am hoping I can convince a friend or hubby to go for dinner one night~ YUM<br/>I am hooked ... Mouhammara is unbelievable DIVINE and the hummus, ohh it is smooth like butter.... to die foe, BEST I EVER HAD

To Return or not To Return, That is the Question. Good food, high prices, poor service. It is such a shame when a restaurant has good food but the rest of the experience is lacking. I love the dips here, and my Shish Kabob was delicious but the portion was 2 small skewers; and to be honest, the portion was fine, but the price makes it hard to see the value. My friend loved her dinner but hated her dessert...she respectfully returned it but they kept it on the bill because "there wasn't anything really wrong with it, you just didn't like it"; and stormed off when we insisted it be removed. And when I looked forward to finishing off my dips that I had taken home, I open the box to see the pita bread was not packed with it! Ridiculous! That is common sense to include those, they were on my plate and I asked for it to be packed up! Sadly, I don't think I will return, no matter how good the dips were.

Delicious food. My sister and I ate here on March 6 and it was amazing. We were seated at the table by the window, which was not great - the fan was blowing freezing cold air at full blast. The waitress was lovely, but was not able to turn the fan down. The food was delicious - we had the Mouhammara as an appetizer, and the mousakhan and prawns as entrees. The only bad part of the meal was the dessert - we had the creme carmael, which was terrible. We didn't eat too much of it, and were surprised the waitress still left it on the bill. Overall we had a lovely time and are already planning our next meal.

Highly recommended. I'm normally hesitant ordering and taking a chance on ethnic foods. My GF ordered our dishes and I was pleasantly surprised and loved the dishes we ate. Rafi and Maddison were great hosts. We'll definitely add this restaurant to our fav list.

Mediocre lamb skewer platter. This was my first time going to Aida's. Because of the good hype - I stopped by for a to go lunch.<br/><br/>When I called and asked the server if the lamb platter was a good portion for me - she claimed they were really large skewers of meat. I was planning to share with a friend.<br/><br/>When I went to get my order and opened it up - here were 2 tiny skews you could by for 12.bucks at Opa in a food court. The lamb platter is 22 bucks - what am I paying for? A small side of hummus, greasy salad and undercooked rice??!?<br/><br/>Mediterranean food fans are better off going to Mazay a in Mardi where the portions are worth the price. Plus the lamb actually has spices on it and are not just thrown on a grill.<br/><br/>The quality of food is not worth it - even Sharwarma king in Kensington will only charge you 14 bucks max for a platter with all the sides.<br/><br/>On top of that my server was rude to me! Brown haired gal and black clothes.<br/><br/>Worst experience ever!!!!!

Thank you for great service and a wonderful meal. The young lady that served us on Wednesday was so nice. The food was great. It was a great start to a wonderful evening.

Good shawarma. Ordered the shawarma platter with fattoush salad on the side. i really like lebenese food and i was happy that this is an actual sit down restaurant.

Overpriced, Slow, Mediocre Food. There is nothing special about this place and I have no idea how it's gained such a great reputation on urbanspoon. Waited close to an hour for our meal. Décor was drab and outdated. Food was mediocre at best. My husband's plate was $20 and it was two sad looking kabob's on a bed of microwavable instant rice with a side of veggies that looked to be a day old. My falafels were ok but gave me bad stomach cramps for the rest of the night. If the food was about half the price and served out of a food truck I would think ok, this makes sense. That being said I've had much better food from food trucks. Very disappointed as I love Lebanese food.

Friday night: slowest service ever. More than 30 mins for the food to come out.

The best authentic Lebanese food in Calgary when you want something beyond a falafel or shawarma wrap.

Delicious!. This restaurant has really great food! Have been here several times and am never disappointed! The Muhummara is really good, as well as the shawarma and...basically anything else on the menu! The food is always very fresh and the restaurant has a very nice ambience. Would definitely recommend.

Great place!. I tried Aida's for the first time yesterday after hearing good things about it for a while. It did not disappoint. The food was fresh and high quality. I had the Falafel as well as the Chicken Tawook sandwich with Fattoush and potatoes. Huge portions and it was all delicious & service was good too. It was nice to see someone making a traditional Fattoush salad and they got it right. I will be back, but if going for dinner, I suggest a reservation as it isn' t that big of a space.

Great good and service. I am been to Aida's a few times for lunch and service was always quick and very good. Had the veggie mezza and the falafel and both were great.

Great food, great atmosphere. We had to wait a bit for the table, but the food was well worth it. My friend and I weren't sure what to order, so we went for the mezza for 2. It was delicious. The falafel were fried perfectly, the grape leaves tasted fresh, and the dips were to die for. As much as I would want to try something new next time, I will probably go for the mezza again-- it was ridiculous.

Wilhelm B.. Good service, but that's about it. Halibut was way overcooked, green beans were like those from a frozen pack of veggies. The lack of flavor and lack of spices was surprising. The atmosphere was cramped (e.g. the waitress kept bumping into us while we ate, while trying to serve others), and very loud; it was hard to carry on a conversation - it was like an echo chamber. Because of these factors, it was way overpriced. It was the first, and the last time eating there. BIG disappointment.

Meh. Food was alright, service was good. It took forever to get a table. I feel like there was a lot of hype for no reason. Expensive and nothing too special.

Our default lunch spot. I don't know what it is about Aida's but It seems like it has been a part of my life forever, as a place to entertain visitors, celebrate family birthdays, and lunch with my friends. I have weathered the rare (very rare) over-dressed tabbouli salad and non-crunchy falafel sandwich, but for the most part, you can count on getting a delicious meal there. The muhammara (red pepper/walnut/pomegranate dip) with pita is to die for, and everything else is as good as it should be: salads fresh, meats tender, falafel cooked perfectly. Middle eastern desserts are decadent but yummy.

Delicious!. My friend and I came to Aida's today for lunch. It was my first time there, and had heard good things about it so I had pretty high expectations. My expectations were definitely met!<br/>The inside of the restaurant is really nice. It's a little small, but it gives it a warm energy in there. We made sure to make a reservation to ensure that we could get a table!<br/>We got hummus as an appetizer. It was real, traditional hummus and it was very flavourful! <br/>For my meal I got the grilled chicken and it was amazingly good. I love garlic, and It's very garlicky, so if you don't like garlic I would suggest a different meal. <br/>It all tasted very fresh and authentic. The wait staff was very nice. They were attentive but also made sure to give us good space to just catch up and talk. <br/>I definitely plan to return here sometime soon!

What can you say about a restaurant that has been successful since it opened some 13 years ago? Just go. But having eaten all around Calgary, we've somehow never made it out to this popular hot-spot until just recently. Short version: overall very enjoyable and we would go again. We'd also recommend it to friends who've never been. <br/>Long version: let's start with the picky. Their timings seemed a little off throughout the evening. We were warmly greeted and seated very quickly upon arrival, even given a choice of two tables (we had a reservation). However it was a little while before our drink orders were taken, long enough we were also ready to order long before our drink order arrived. But then appetizers arrived very quickly. However...my wife's soup was served warm, not hot, as if it'd sat a while after being plated (the bowl was not hot either). Although the soup was otherwise quite good, it just felt weird being served a bowl of "warm soup" in a restaurant. My appetizer, the squid in white wine a tomato sauce, was very tasty and well portioned, but I'd likely choose a different appetizer the next time. It's land locked Calgary after all-- the squid had really seemed it'd been served from frozen. <br/>After the appetizers had arrived in very short order, there was quite a lag until the entrees arrived. But when they did come, they were worth the wait. My wife enjoyed the Lamb Kabob platter. The funny part was, she remarked the best thing on the plate was the tabbouli salad more than the lamb. That likely speaks more to the high quality of the tabbouli salad, however, as the lamb was quite excellent on its own accord.<br/>I enjoyed the lamb marinated in yoghurt with couscous. We both agreed, regardless of what entrees we would order again, go with the couscous on the side. It's a Mediterranean restaurant after all- their couscous is very flavorful and complimented my lamb well. <br/>After the entrees, we reviewed the dessert menu chose the creme caramel and chocolate torte along with an order of the Arabic coffee. Both of these items arrived very quickly and were a great close to our meals. However, my coffee was so long in arriving, despite nursing my torte as long as I could stand it, I was finished it before my coffee arrived. Again, the timing of the whole evening seemed a little off, a detail I rarely pay attention to. (p.s. the coffee was great!).<br/><br/>All and all, we were impressed with Aida's. The entire atmosphere of the completely packed restaurant (people arriving without reservations were being politely turned away) was one of diners at every table enjoying a great night out. So we're glad we finally made it out to Aida's after so long and can now claim to no longer be Aida virgins.

This place is amazing!. Not sure why this is listed as $$$ higher priced. Most things on the menu are 15 and under. Actually, my favourite dish is $13.00.<br/><br/>This is a stand by when I want fresh, affordable, quick. Good service, great food!

Wow, wow, and more WOW! This was the best meal I've had in a long long time. Spectacular service, and great decor makes for a wonderful experience!

Food is outstanding, service not so much. We have been twice though despite awful slow service the first time. The food is really THAT good. Try the rookaak.... make a reservation, expect slow service, and a bit of "attitude" from staff as well. I know it sounds like I don't like the place, but honestly the food is amazing so I'll keep going.

Fantastic Birthday Meal!. Last night was the second time I've eaten at Aida's and it did not disappoint! This place is fantastic for sharing. Highly recommended!

Very flavourful meal. The four dip sampler was delicious. Good variety on the menu & very fair prices. I would certainly return.

Average Mediterranean food. This restaurant is cozy, has friendly staff and fast service. My problem was with the food, if you're a non-arab this would be amazing for you, but being an arab the humus and baba ghanouj lacked flavour, the tabouleh was just not right, labane was yogurt and as for the mousakhan it was far from the original palestinian one (I chuckled when it came). In short its a very westernized mediterranean restaurant, great for non arabs

Simply delicious. If it wasn't rude to lick my plate I would have.

One of the Best!!. Middle Eastern food is tricky for me. I dont crave it too often, so when I do, it better be good. I have been to restaurants where they make it too dry or too bland.. and I have been to restaurants where its delicious. <br/>Aida was more on the 'delicious' side of my radar. I ordered the lamb kabob platter, with the Tabouleh and baba ganouj. The tabouleh salad was great, the baba ganouj was tasty - you cant go wrong with eggplant - and the lamb skewers were delicious! I only wish the skewers werent as small! I wiped my plate clean!<br/><br/>The location of the restaurant is great, and the atmosphere is pretty relaxed too.

SIR YUMS A LOT. We went here for my boyfriend's birthday last year. We got one of the platters and it was totally worth it. Service was awesome as well. Will go again!

Delicious every time! Such a 4th St treat!

I really enjoyed the food!! But I did find that the service was a little lacking!! So if you are going just be prepared to sit back and relax!!! Make sure you order a bottle of wine!! Overall it was a great night out!!

What's happened?. After a great first-time we went back to this place today but had a terrible experience:<br/>- Unlike last time, the squid appetizer was old and lukewarm. Obviously had been hastily warmed up by adding water which caused a lot of foam on top.<br/>- The chicken was VERY old and unlike last time there was no olive oil on the salad.<br/><br/>It was as if the chef was replaced by some random person warming up food from the fridge.

Fantastic Lebanese food with GF options. I took a celiac friend here for lunch and the menu was very accommodating - about 80% of the menu can be served gluten-free (usually just replacing sliced veggies for the pita bread). The dolmades were incredible and the plates (we had falafel and chicken) were generous portions for a very reasonable price. The dips/sauces are fresh, flavourful and authentic.<br/><br/>I would highly recommend this restaurant for lunch or dinner. Great service and the atmosphere is quiet but nice - good for casual meal or a special occasion.

Loved it! It was my first time there last night and my table and I were stumped on what to order. Our waitress was extremely helpful and suggested a share platter, kabobs, and two appetizers. It was the perfect amount of food. Everything we tried was absolutely delicious! I will be back for sure.

EXCELLENT. This place always satisfies. Only complaint is its so small there's not always room! Make sure to reserve a table. Excellent food and service.

Disappointment, try Shawarma Knight/Tarbouche/Soby's for Shawarma and Atlas for some really good kebabs. Very pricey and not enough quantity of meat for the price either.

Mouhammara is a must-try. This is a great restaurant with tons of vegetarian and vegan options. The mouhammara is to die for, and I take all of my guests from out of town here to try the dip - nobody has been disappointed yet!

Great lunch!. Went to Aida's for lunch with co-workers. We had a great meal with quick service. I will be back!

Great atmosphere, great food and service, but a little pricey considering the portions. If you plan on going, take my advice and make a reservation.

Absolutely phenomenal! Food was unique and flavorful, not to mention the excellent service. 10/10

Tried for the first time. Wasnt busy on Monday night. Got original mezza platter for two. Very good and filling. Great falafels. Love the lemonade here. Their version of tiramisu is better than sny tiramisu i have had. All in all a good experience.

Yes. Definitely eat here.

After reading the great reviews on urbanspoon, we thought we'd give it a try. It was everything people said it would be. Great servers (so sweet!), cool room, and most importantly delish food. I had the hummus, grape leaves for appetizers and the lamb kabob platter. Fresh, tasty and reasonably priced. My dinner date enjoyed his meal too. All in all- the good reviews are spot on. It did get a little loud in the place but made for a lively atmosphere. We'll go back soon!

Sorry hipsters. Aida's is a great looking place with friendly servers in beautiful Mission but unfortunately, the food is very underwhelming. Maybe my expectations were a little too high after reading all the glowing reviews via Urbanspoon?

Underwhelming at best. Take the trip to avineda and visit aladdins instead.

Best Falafel I've ever had!. You must try the falafel at Aida's! Not only was it terrific, but the other veg options (esp. the baba) were too. The décor is charming and the staff is terrific. Combine all of that with a great menu and Aida's has it all. I highly recommend a reservation on weekends as the place gets packed quite quickly.

Best Mediterranean 2011?. The two of us decided on Aida's after an attempt to find a table at one of the busier 4th street restaurants on a late Summer Monday. The near empty dining room was very humid, with music playing loudly from near the bar. Before being seated, our waitress informed us (after asking us if it was past 8 oclock) that we would not be able to order from Entree section of the menu. For how slow the restaurant seemed, this was a bit disappointing.<br/><br/> For our appetizer, we ordered grape leaves ($6) and each of us had drinks, an $8 beer and a $9 glass of wine. The grape leaves seemed bitter, also a bit sweet with a spice to the rice. It was a mix of flavors you would expect from Mediterranean cuisine, but left freshness to be desired.<br/><br/> Our main courses arrived just seconds after our appetizer plates were removed, which is nice when you're hungry, but pretty awful when quality and freshness are both compromised. I ordered a Beef platter ($14) which came with tabbouleh salad and hummus. Unfortunate enough, the salad's freshness seemed to be the best part of the meal, which was met with dry and stringy beef which held far too many overwhelming flavors and ended up ruining my pallet. The dressing from the salad also ended up leaking over the other two aspects of the plate, causing the hummus to absorb the flavor. Still, the hummus left a lot to be desired, with an overwhelming taste of butter and garlic, and a complete lack of freshness. The kicker for the entire dish was my discovery of what was possibly a large bay leaf in the beef, I wasn't willing to discover what it was by putting in my mouth.<br/><br/>All in all, the food was lacking, the service was wooden, the decor was dark, this was a restaurant with no life. For me, the best part of the meal was the beer and the price, which came to $60 dollars. You shouldn't compromise quality for cheapness in the end. Perhaps this was an off night, but we won't be going back.

Amazing food!!! We have li.... Amazing food!!! <br/>We have lived on 4th street for a few years now and have never been here before. Because of our vegan diet it's so hard to find a place to eat out. We were just strolling down the street and decided to pop by and check out the menu which we realized has tons of options for us. We ordered the vegetarian platter and asked for dairy free which they were great about and it was amazing!!! We both agreed that this was the best food we have eaten in a restaurant and I wish we would have came here sooner. I will be back for sure. the service was great and the staff all seemed so happy and welcoming.

Mediterranean delight. Absolutely pleased with our meal last night. We ordered a vegetarian mezze, plus lamb chops. We absolutely loved the mouhammara dip. I didn't expect to be wowed - I mean - how great can a dip be? It has this buttery, nutty sweet taste that is just amazing. I bought another one to go for my bf to try. Another winner was this cigar shaped phyllo with cheese. Parsley salad was very refreshing. Lamb chops were tender and tasty. More than enough food for the two of us. Service was excellent. Chickpea fritters were freshly made - nice crunchy exterior and fluffy inside, though a bit too salty for us. Great option in the Mission district.

I used to work here so I am most definitely biased, I've seen the heart and soul that goes into the food and the entire running of this restaurant by a wonderful family and great friends BUT I have been only a customer for many months now and I am still never disappointed. The quality and flavor of the food is amazing and the servers are always friendly! I recommend trying one of the three mezzas to share, my favorite being the seafood or vegetarian. It gives you a chance to sample many little items and still fills you right up! Pair it with an Arabic coffee or Almaza beer and you're set!! So good!!

Fantastic. The food is always good here. Very tasty and fresh. The grilled chicken sandwich, white bean salad and the Baba are all to die for but you have to like garlic......

Not bad. We eat at Aidas probably once a year & the food is pretty good! Servers could be abit more attentive tho, asked for lemon wedges 2ce & didn't get, flagged doewn someone else randomly & got them within a minute, same for drink refills.....

Fantastic. I'm not sure why I'd never been here before, but I'll be back soon. The service staff are wonderful. You can just tell that everything is authentic and fresh- the best tabbouli in the city- hands down! I used to buy rice filled grape leaves from Mercato down the street (sold for $2 each from a can), when the ones at Aida's are made fresh daily and are only $6 for 6!!

Three tries to get it right. Beef Kabob ordered, chicken kabob served, sent back and the same item reserved, sent back again and finally was replaced with overcooked and flavourless beef as ordered. Small portions, not good value, not coming back here.

Great food! Great service!

Always great food. I have been going to Aida's since it first opened and have never been disappointed. And that says a lot in this city. My husband & I usually share the original mezza for two & add lamb chops. The grape leaves are the best in the city & the chops are delicious. The mezza is served with a perfect selection of Lebanese dips, hummus, baba ghanoush, lahneh (yogurt) and an assortment of other delights. Grape leaves, falafel, kibby, fatayer, and sfeeha. It comes with homemade pita. If you order the mezza you don't need an appetizer (all delicious) but a glass of wine is a must. Try the white bean salad for a tasty treat. Aida's kabobs and tabbouli are wonderful. The vegetarian menu items can't be beat. I always enjoy going to this restaurant.

Awesome awesome atmosphere! Great little restaurant in Mission. Had a nice double date here. Loved the food and Almaza (brand of Lebanese beer). Must try!

Fabulous food. Mediterranean chicken is worth the wait. You will need a reservation or expect to wait.

The food is amazing, service is great, would recommend it to anyone. Wish reservations could be made through opentable thoug.

Best share platters around.. I love coming here with one or two friends to get a taste of everything. Whatever you're in the mood for there are awesome combo platters to share with dips & appys. If ever you're unsure about something on the menu, the staff does a great job of explaining everything. Friendly & knowledgable servers combined with great food makes for an awesome experience every time.

What happened to Aida's???. Does anyone know what is happening with Aida's? I had booked reservations for my boyfriends birthday in July and when we arrived there was a sign on the door saying they were closed for a few days. Seems strange that they would have taken the reservation if they knew they would be closed. <br/><br/>We tried again last night and it was locked up solid with no explanation????

Terrible. The other day my husband and I decided to try this place because we have heard that it was good. The service was horrible. The waitress seated us and then just left and never came back. We had to call her back to so that she can take our order and she didn't even offer us anything to drink. We order the mezza and once it arrived it was so minature. We also offered a variety of skewers, which were the size of my middle finger and she mentioned there would be some roasted potoates but she didn't mention that there will only be 4 potatoes wedges. The plates she gave us to eat were small, like bread plates. We were almost an hour into our meal and she still hadn't offered us anything to drink or check to see how we are doing. The only thing that was not minature at this place was the bill. It was way too expensive for the quantity they provided us. I will never go back there again. Very dissappointed.

Just right. I ate at Aida's with my boyfriend- it was our 1st "mediterranean" meal in Calgary but fancied something different. It was pretty busy on a Saturday night but we got a table right away without a reservation. We ordered the dip platter to start which was nice, but large and filling even for 2 people. We then had a chicken and a beef platter- bit of an overdose on humus after having it to start but the meat was nice and salad good. Good portion sizes and left not feelig overfull by the end. Also shared the tiramisu type desert which was really tasty. Best bit about the meal was the chicken. Service was also friendly and quick. I will be back to try the lovely sounding cous cous for sure!

Aida's is amazing!. I have only had the pleasure of eating at aidas once, but i will definitely be back.<br/><br/>I had a the tahini chicken with Tabbouli and Mouhamara dip...simply out of this world delicious!!<br/>you MUST try this dip. it is insanely good.<br/><br/>i paid 15 dollars for a meal that was mouthwateringly good, lovely ambience, and great service. i have paid more than that for crappy pubfood out of a deep fryer!<br/><br/>aidas is my favorite. i will be back. <br/>what are you waiting for? GO!!

Yummy Food. We went there for a Saturday lunch. The service was great and very friendly. We order the dip platter which was tasty and we all had different sandwiches with their salad. Delicious! A great place for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians - everyone gets a variety to choose from. Will definitely go back.

Not as good as expected. Well, according to all the reviews we found on Urbanspoon and TripAdvisor, we expected something really good. And in the end: good service, good food (but not more than that). Music is too loud, wine was warm. If it was less expensive that what it is, I'd say it's a good address. But at these prices, well, it's good food for an quite expensive price. And definitely not the best Lebanese food we've had in our lives. Hard to say we didn't like it, but we're likely not go back there.

No Atmosphere. I recently ate here because of the good reviews, but I really wasn't impressed.<br/><br/>The night started off poorly because of our waitress' unwillingness to explain some of the menu items to us. She was very snarky when we asked her questions and really brought us down.<br/><br/>I'm willing to look past servers though because I've been there, and everybody has their off days, but when my food came it was terrible. I ordered the Shish Tawook entree and it was dry and flavorless... The chicken was burnt and unseasoned, the potatoes were tasteless and the portion was so small it wasn't even enough to fill me up.<br/><br/>I hope it's better for you, but I DEFINITELY will not be eating at Aida's again.

What's not too like?. Everything here is fantastic! I don't usually like mediterranean taste - but this place is something else. Enjoy the spinach soup as the appetizer. It's the best!

All items ordered on the original platter were too salty. The lamb chops were over cooked and tasted bland, save for the pepper. Over priced for the quality of food served.

Everything on this menu it!!!! platters for two especially the vegetarian platter is incredible value. Everything on this menu is a taste delight!!!! platters for two especially the vegetarian platter is incredible value

The Fooderados - Aida's. It's been a busy couple of months, and us Fooderados have dropped off a little bit on our monthly food tours. But now we're back with a vengeance; and this time we (as in KC Foore + spouse, VYork, ONNN and myself) took our road trip to Aida's in the Beltline (there is a backstory which...oh, never mind...)<br/><br/>The ambiance was quite wonderful (the "airlock" like two doors was a good touch, especially with the -18 weather outside), as we all admired the repainted old style roof while we perused the extensive menu. The server was knowlegeable, and addressed any questions we may have had with the menu. <br/><br/>Of course, being a "Mediterranean" bistro, there were a few misconceptions I had, but they were quickly dispelled. To start, we ordered a vegetarian mezze platter ($30) which was filled with some wonderful veggie goodies to start our meal. The babaganoush was quite nice (having never tasted it before), but the grape leaf dumplings were a bit on the gummy side (which was noticed by the others). Perhaps it was glutinous rice that was used instead? <br/><br/>We each ordered different mains, so I will talk about the one I ordered: the classic Shish Kabob (beef tenderlon, $20). The dish was served with a bed of rice, with tahini roasted potatoes and green beans in a tomato-and-garlic sauce which was absolutely fantastic. I'm not a big fan of green beans, but served in that sauce they were amazing. The potatoes were good, and the beef was cooked well, but the green beans had to be the highlight. The portions were generous, and was quite filing. <br/><br/>While some members of our party were not able to reach dessert, some did -- while others sipped a wonderfully fragrant flowery tea called Caffe Blanc ($2.50), myself I went for a slice layali loubnan ($4.50), a Lebanese answer to Tiramisu; great coffee flavour, with a neat caramel(?) coating. Wonderful way to finish a meal.<br/><br/>The bill for all of us together, plus tip, came to $200.00, but for the food and the service, definitely worth it. Give it a try!

Authentic Middle Eastern Food, Amazing food. Food: As a vegetarian, I got their vegetarian platter while my boyfriend got a chicken dish. The vegetarian platter came with grape vine dolmas (grape vine wraps with rice and spices) served with a yogurt sauce, falafal (lentil with herbs) topped with a nice creamy sauce, baba ganoush to eat with some pitas, and a tabbouleh salad. All the food was very authentic and nicely done. My boyfriend says that he was hard pressed in finding a good Arabic/middle eastern restaurant in Calgary, until he found one here. It bring back a lot of memories for him. The turkish coffee was served in a small cup and it was amazing how great the coffee tasted. <br/><br/>Ambiance & Decor: the ceiling were laced with gold leaf patterns, the tables and chair were wooden and had a rustic look to them. <br/><br/>Service: the service was great and she was really helpful in helping me determining what it was that I wanted.

Delicious!. I wasn't all that hungry when I arrived, so I just ordered the greek salad and Rookaak (phyllo pastry with cheeses and olives). The greek salad was good... just a bit shy on olives. My partner had the broiled lamb and it came with rice, beans, and zuchinni... altogether a pretty generous serving of food. I will say our server was the least bit friendly... not sure if she was just having a bad day. I liked this place, but I probably won't go back just because it's not my preferred cuisine.

ABSOULTELY BRILLIANT!. This is my favourite restaurant in Calgary. I come to Alberta maybe twice a year and this is a must stop. I love the atmosphere (cosy), the food (muhammarah- probably spelled wrong is my favourite), and the staff. Aida's feels like a family establishment racheted up a few 1000 degrees. <br/><br/>Definitely it's busy but they've always squeezed me in for a quick lunch or appies or whatever. I always make room for a pile of take-away in my suitcase too.<br/><br/>I have eaten Lebanese in a number of countries and nothing compares! Even the grilled cheese is to die for!

Terrible service. The food is not bad. My lentil/spinach soup could have used more heft and flavor, but the grilled chicken sandwich was a hit. However, the service was atrocious. We had to ask for everything we needed including placing the first drink order. Our empty dishes were left sitting in front of us. The server never checked back to see what was needed unless we called her over. Worst of all, the Baklava was out of the fridge. I had to take it home to heat up.

Unbelievable food! Best meditteranean food in town. The Mouhammara dip is like nothing I've ever tasted. Service is a little slow especially during lunch hour, but well worth the wait. I would reccomend this restaurant to anyone.

Gogeous.. I haven't been there in a while. But, the same taste and style were served. I feel very safe and was reluxed very much. I have restarted going there again and again.

Absolutely good. I just want to say Delicious. Services are great.<br/>I go back there forever.

Love the food. I love the food here and enjoy ordering takeout, but I find the service and atmosphere bad. I was also asked to leave a table after 2 hours once (and there were 4 of us!) but they ended up letting us stay since our dessert was still on the way. I know that hostess' have to be careful about space and time, but when I worked in service you never asked a table to leave outright. And a table of 4 does not only take 2 hours. I suspect the server was new as he seemed nervous and uncomfortable though. I'll still order the food because of the location though.