Café Zola

Great experience! Left feeling full of high quality ingredient food that was full of flavor! I had the classic waffle with orange butter, artichoke omelet, and Mediterranean chicken salad. Food came out hot and our server was very attentive. We ate outside which was perfect for us, loud Ann Arbor with lots of foot traffic. We like to people watch! The waffle was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Will for sure go back the next time I’m in Ann Arbor! :)

Yum! One of the best brunch spots in Ann Arbor. I went with a party of 6 on Fathers Day. The place was packed and had a great vibe. Service was some of the best I’ve received. I wish I had taken our server’s name because she was so good.
Between the 6 of us, we had an assortment of savoury crepes, sweet crepes, waffles and big Turkish breakfast platters. All were delicious. Everything came out quickly. Their black coffee was also super tasty.
Love this place and will go back everytime we’re back in A2!!!

Don’t know what people like about this place. Nothing special just a little café… Ordered the grilled chicken sandwich and the bread was way too hard. Had the sunshine smoothie too and that tasted so bad, did not recognize any fruit in it. Also when we first came in there were three little tables with people sitting at each one and the guy made us sit at the forth one, very close to the other people so if you move your arm a little you can touch people beside you… We just got up and moved to one of the 10 other empty tables. Tables too little, chairs are uncomfortable. Giving it 2 stars only because the waitress was nice. Not coming back here

We have been here a few times while living in Ann Arbor and it is one of our favorites. It is a little expensive, but has always been worth it. The food is always great and I love the cocktail menu. All the servers we have had have been excellent as well. I have nothing bad to say about this place. Love it!

We went here for Brunch one of our first days after arriving in Ann Arbor, and it was just great! I had a lovely bagel + egg dish, served with olives and tomatoes, and a cappuccino. It was all lovely. No complaints about the service either.

Trust me when I say you’re going to have an out of body experience eating this food. Café Zola is my absolute FAVORITE brunch place in all of Ann Arbor. We ordered the Nutella banana crêpe and the Black Forest waffle– both were to die for!!! The vibe is very welcoming and went along great with our waitresses phenomenal service. Thank you, Chelsea!

Our group of 4 had a wonderful dinner here. The first thing I want to say is that the service was wonderful, attentive, informative, not intrusive, and fun. And the second thing that was outstanding was the baked whole fish in parchment that we shared. I think the selection that night was a Brazilian sea bass in some herbs, maybe fennel based. But we ate so much and I didn’t waste time taking notes from the menu that my memory is not sure. But whatever the nightly preparation, just get it.
We also had some selections from the small plates and greens. The ones I remember are the tuna tartare, the goat cheese adriatica, the shakshuka, the Emile’s arugula. All were great and finished to the last bite. We also shared, because it was huge, was the Marquis au chocolate for dessert. It was a wonderful finish. I would love to return and try whatever fish in parchment they are making that night and another selection of smalls, and probably the same luscious dessert.
This restaurant is in a downtown location, so use one of the close by parking garages if you come by car.

The artichoke omelette was amazing with just the right combination of the citrusy flavor and melted cheese. We also had the strawberry banana waffles, which were also very pleasant and a great portion size. The only thing that really bothered me was that every time our waitress wanted to refill our coffee mugs she would pour coffee from this small glass jar, which was so weird to me for two reasons, first my coffee mug was never full and second it was not warm enough which left me sadly unsatisfied. I think for a brunch breakfast café serving hot coffee is a no brainer.

I came on here on Saturday for an early Mother’s Day brunch with my boyfriend’s family. I was very impressed. The food was excellent and creative. Our server was very cutesy and attentive. Brunch usually leaves me underwhelmed (there’s only so many ways to cook an egg), but Café Zola left me stuffed and pleased. I would come here again a million times over.

Had the Salmon Hash w/​2 eggs over medium — Amazing!
Food came out fairly fast… Our server was oook (we had to wait for water and coffee) but other than that, no complaints. Would definitely make another trip here!

Well it’s everything I thought it would be. Great venue, classy relaxed atmosphere, and great food. I was very impressed with the variety available on the brunch menu. Each item is unique and very well thought out. I had the Turkish Brunch, which had the best breads and fig preserves. It had olives that I had never tasted and excellent fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. I would have this again. I really enjoyed the brunch drinks menu as well I had a ginger dragon. I will definetly be going back to try more items. Enjoyed it.

This is one of those «If I could choose 0 stars I would»…
I experienced something here that I’ve never experienced at any restaurant before.
My 6 friends and I went to café Zola for a friend’s birthday because of the great Unilocal reviews. Things went mostly ok. Dinner was good although it took a little longer to come out. I ordered the penne which was delicious, however. I was charged $ 7 to substitute chicken because I don’t eat sausage. Also, my friend ordered the Kobe burger which was supposed to be on a pretzel bun which apparently was unavailable and our waitress failed to inform him or offer any compensation…
The worst part however. as we were leaving, literally walking out of the door, our waitress approached one of my friends and asked him if the service was poor because his tip indicated that the service was really poor. At the same time, she handed him his bill back with a pen, without even giving him a chance to consider whether or not he wanted to adjust his tip, while also telling him that our whole table didn’t tip well. This was completely inappropriate and uncalled for and I do not recommend this spot for anyone.

I remember loving Café Zola years ago when I came here for brunch with my mother, but this visit I didn’t enjoy nearly as much.
We had reservations for six and were seated promptly. Our waitress was friendly enough but not terribly inviting. For a drink, I ordered the Ginger Dragon, listed as fresh muddled strawberries and Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur with Monopolawa vodka and fresh lime juice. I couldn’t taste any ginger really, and the really annoying thing was they give you two small straws to sip it with, but the muddled strawberries kept getting sucked into it not allowing me to actually drink it. No big deal, simply remove the straws.
I had the strawberry and banana waffles which were kinda disappointing. Looked great on the plate, but the waffles were cold and limp. The whipped cream wasn’t overly sweet which played off nicely with the sweet fruit. Loved the maple syrup.
Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals, and the bread basket they provide is a nice touch. Next time I’ll stick to the Frittata Zola, which I know to always be bomb.
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Stopped in here on a Sunday, and unfortunately we were only able to order from the brunch menu. I had looked at the dinner menu and would have had a hard time deciding between all the fantastic options, so it worked out well.
The salmon burger was fantastic! Great flavor, very moist, although a little messy. Good sized portion of fries along with it. Great coffees there as well.

The food was definitely worthy of at least 3 stars but it was nothing special. I ordered the brick roasted chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, which I wish there were more of because I really liked those! I was also able to substitute broccolini for the asparagus which was nice. My dad ordered the spaghetti and meatballs which I tried and didn’t love the sauce for but still enjoyed.
The problem here is there service. The place was busy, but not busy enough that the 6 or 7 waitresses working should have neglected us for so long. There was about a 40 minute wait for the food, and we had to ask for the complementary bread that we saw people getting. However, our waitress was very nice and apologized at the end for the wait and told us the check out the ice cream place down the street.

[3.5 stars] Not the greatest experience we had here. We made a reservation for 11:30 a.m. for Saturday. They said it was busy so we’d have to wait. It ended up being around twenty minutes. It’s also very close quarters when the place is busy like t was. I got close with the rear end of the server of the table behind us. We then also waited twenty minutes for our server. We didn’t even know who it was and just stared forlornly at all the staff forever.
I got a Bellini that was okay but my friends seemed to enjoy their (only drink less than $ 10) Bailey’s and coffee and the strawberry mojito on special more. While waiting for our food, a server passed by, stopped, lifted the top of the omelette a bit to check inside, and the plate also dipped a bit and some juice fell on the floor. At this point my table and I had to laugh at that point cause what?! As my friend Mr. O’Brien said, «the best part of that omelet’ll be her fingernail dirt.»
I got the Americana off of Zola’s Favorites. My scrambled hard eggs were only okay. The rosemary potatoes were good. And I enjoyed my bacon. I just must not have chosen the good menu items though. Because my friends really enjoyed their Salmon Hashes and Sausage Omelets.
All in all, the foods not bad but I likely won’t be returning here again.

Not only do they have an outstanding brunch, they have a surprisingly awesome happy hour! This is my go-​to brunch spot in Ann Arbor. Craft coffee, mimosas, and the best goat cheese & asparagus omelette out there! Their eggs are so light and fluffy and the bread and potatoes are cooked to perfection and served on the side. Expect a wait for brunch unless you are lucky enough to grab a seat at the bar!

Omg! They have the best strawberrie banana waffle ever and fresh. This is a reason I love Ann Arbor

Not sure I’d describe this as Turkish. Very crowded restaurant that offered a table for 5 that was impossible to use for five given odd positioning of the legs at the end of table. Hostess was arrogant and told us we could wait for another in a pretty aloof way. Next table was a bit better, but had to get up to let out the diners at the accompanying table. Food was nicely prepared and well executed, but the entire experience wasn’t so good. I’ve been here before and had a better experience. My advice to the owner is to spend some time up front, listen to the exchanges with the staff, follow the guests to their tables, watch what goes on. You’ll learn something. Better yet, send in a mystery shopper.

Admittedly we usually come to Zola for brunch. And I can’t believe I’ve never updated my review to reflect how much I’ve come to love their brunch since I’ve moved to Ann Arbor. The brunch alone? 5 stars. Waffles, crepes, salmon hash, hot chocolate… all of it? GOOD!
But what spurred me to update this review was a recent dinner experience I had here. We don’t do dinner here much but restaurant week at Café Zola? The bomb.
Now, I also usually don’t write reviews based on Restaurant Week experiences. I just feel like it’s not always indicative of a regular consumer experience. The menu is smaller, the food is likely produced in a conveyor belt style, it’s crowded, etc etc. But Zola? They kill it. And they deserve props for that.
The menu for this past RW (Winter 16) was huge. Plenty to choose from. You had your choice of two apps and one entrée. This was so much food, you guys. I got the whitefish lyonnaise salad and shepherd’s pie for my apps and the steak bearnaise for my entrée. My husband did almost the exact thing but swapped the whitefish salad for caprese. Everything was excellent.
A few notes: I usually have low expectations for a caprese salad in any month that isn’t August (tomato season) but they managed to find some delicious tomatoes and do a great job with it. The shepherd’s pie was perfect on a cold, snowy night and the steak was excellent. It was cooked perfectly (again, a feat during crowded restaurant week) and the potatoes served with it were simple (salt roasted fingerlings with crème fraîche) but so so good!
We also had a couple of cocktails (the Sleeping Beauty was my favorite – Crème de Violette, lemon juice, Prosecco, & simple syrup) and a profiterole for dessert (not part of the RW menu but I aways have to end on sweet) and it was perfect.
As I said, I’ve been a huge fan of Zola for brunch but RW has won me over for dinner too. If they can pull off such a rushed week so perfectly then I feel confident that a traditional dinner here will be pretty great too. Can’t wait for my next visit.

I had breakfast at sola not long ago. All of the food looks pretty high-​quality, and I was totally satisfied with the meal I had. However, it was a little on the expensive side and we had to wait a long time to sit down. Additionally the service was pretty slow.

Rocky but decent start.
I take my 7-​month-​old daughter for lunch on my day off once a week. We were seated and offered a sling (love when people have these) for her carrier, and were greeted shortly.
It took awhile for her to come back and take our order, but when she did I asked for some bread to keep my daughter occupied, and she was nice enough to include some strawberries as well.
Most of the trouble was when my food came. I was in the mood for steak frites and thought the steak sandwich and frites with special dipping sauces was close enough. When my food came it was just the sandwich, and the server who dropped it off, noticing the puzzled look on my face, asked if my server had informed me their fryer was broken? He then asked me if I would like fruit or a salad instead. I declined because I was in the mood for steak frites. I just asked for a discount so I could go next door afterwards and get some frites.
The sandwich was good and cooked just as I had asked. I work at and restaurant and understand things go wrong, but why didn’t all the servers know the fryer was broken, and why didn’t the kitchen notice that a sandwich, which normally comes with frites, not notice there was no substitution?
When the manager/​bartender (Stacy I believe) came over she told me she discounted my food, but didn’t give me a chance to voice my concerns.
If I had been informed at the start about the fryer, I would have ordered the lobster salad I had also been eyeing, and all would have been well.

Came here with my husband and his family. We had reservations so we didn’t have to wait at all. Food was great the only thing that bothers me was the tables so close to each other… You get so stuffed from the bread and appetizer that’s you never have room for the main plate!

Everytime I visit my little brother in Ann Arbor I have AT LEAST three meals here! The savory crepes are drool worthy, and the brown sugar latte is the best way to start your day. I don’t know what I’ll do when he graduates from UM… Come to California Zola!

This review is for breakfast/​brunch only.
It’s good breakfast and brunch. Really. Just for the price I’d expect more exceptional service and offerings. I suppose this is your upscale but traditional breakfast. I also think the label «Turkish» is a bit misleading, just a few items are Turkish inspired from what I can tell.

I don’t mind paying good money for good food or drink. For example, I’ve paid $ 200 for a case of exclusive Belgian beer and $ 190 for a bottle of bourbon before. However, I do mind paying good money for mediocre food or drink. I went here with a friend today for breakfast and I had a smoked salmon omelette. It was a whopping $ 17.95. My friend got hot tea and it was $ 8.75! $ 8.75 for a stupid pot of black tea?! My omelet was good, but not great. It was only slightly better than an omelet at Big Boy, but twice the price.
I’ve been to Europe three times and have travelled extensively throughout the U.S. and I’ve never spent this much money for breakfast. Plus, I’ve probably been to 50 places that serve a better omelet than I had here.
If I was Mick Jagger and made 50 million dollars a year, I’d still never return to this place. This place epitomizes the ugly concept of paying more for less. Regardless of my cash flow, that is a flawed idea.
If you enjoy getting your wallet violated with no bliss in return on your part, Café Zola is ready and waiting for you to assume the position.

Been here several times. Great ambiance, coffee and drinks. Service is good too. Food is meh. Bland and nothing to write home about.

A little bit of a wait. The 15m wait was actually 30m but luckily I had company.
I had the nutella banana crêpe & it was delish! Whipped cream & ice cream and all. It was bz so service was a little slow. The good food made up for it tho.

I gave this 3 stars because the drinks were 100% 5 star, but in my opinion the food was just so so and the price was $$$$.
I ordered the salmon hash, I was very excited to try it and in my opinion the salmon was very fishy tasting and over powered the whole dish.
My husband had the crab cake benedict… NO HOLLANDAISE??? Crazy… anything with benedict in the title should include hollandaise.
The drinks were absolutely delicious! Kudos to the bartender. All in all the food was subpar and for a $ 70 bunch (2 meals and 2 drinks) I will not be back.

Been here a few times by myself and with friends and family and loved it here every single time.
Bano is wonderfully hospitable and my baby girls love her!
Crepes (not a big fan of them in general) are awesome (I only eat crepes here) and the Zolas specials and Hediyes’ specials are a special culinary delight.
My usuals are the Salmon Platter and Turkish Brunch with ZenMaicha and Turkish Coffee to top it all off.
They excel Every time !!!
Looking fwd to many more returns to this wonderful culinary establishment.

This Turkish –French creperie appeared some twenty years ago and it took well with the local population. I wasn’t a big crêpe fan then, but I did like their omlettes because of the delicate finishing touch: a sprinkling of herbes de Provence. In fact, I plagiarized this touch after I moved away from Ann Arbor.
Today I met an old friend for breakfast and we beat the rush by about 40 minutes by getting sat at 9:15 am on a Sunday. My savory filled crêpe contained eggs, ham and Harvarti cheese in a whole wheat wrap. Crème fraîche completed the package, however, I spiced it up with the locally produced Clancy’s Fancy hot sauce. Excelsior!
Coffee is good here too and service was polite and professional. As we wound down it was getting crowded and a line spilled out the door.

The waffles are absolutely amazing. I go here just for the great waffles with strawberries and bananas. The coffee here is also great!
The service here was great but they are usually extremely busy at brunch time so I would plan accordingly.

Fantastic brunch spot. I’ve been to almost all the brunch spots in Ann Arbor and Café Zola is a standout. The restaurant is hip, trendy, with a mellow ambiance. A solid place for large and small groups, but it’d be a good idea to make a reservation in advance since they get pretty busy, especially on the weekends.
I’ve tried several things on their menu– from their famous crepes to waffles to omelettes to even their Turkish eggs– and Café Zola delivered every time. All the classic brunch items like crepes and waffles come in huge portions, but that doesn’t mean Café Zola sacrifices on quality. The food is made with superior ingredients and has always been immaculately presented.
Additionally, I really appreciate their diverse menu, in which I was pretty surprised to find Turkish eggs listed. As far as I could tell, they tasted authentic, proving that Café Zola can do it all, and do it well.

Always a great lunch at this popular A-​squared institution. Sampled a Kobe burger, a grilled chicken sandwich, and a couple of goat cheese and asparagus omelettes.
I’d highly recommend requesting Zola’s special-​made ketchup condiment with any sandwich you order. It is zesty, spicy-​sweet with just a touch of a tangy BBQ sauce. Outstanding!
The natural brick walls trimmed with some tasteful art adds to the ambience although it can get a bit loud during the busy lunch hour. Solid 4 big ones.

Went to Café Zola for my birthday dinner with my girlfriend and loved every minute of it. Food was amazing. Service was ok.
First, we order drinks. Both were well crafted and delicious.
For appetizers, we ordered the Shakshuka and Smoked Salmon Bruschetta. Both were delicious and well presented.
Next we got split a market greens salad. Dressing was great but it was an average salad.
For our entrées I got the flat iron steak with a delicious side of chimichurry. My girlfriend got the salmon which was in a delicious sauce.
The service is the only reason why it did not get 5 stars. The waitress was nice and paced the meal but unless she was serving the meal, she never came around. Didn’t fill up the waters unless it was empty when she picked up the dishes. Our empty plates sat on the table for a while until she came back ready to serve our next course.
Cannot wait to go back and try brunch!

Café Zola is typically packed during brunch hours on week-​ends and this one was no exception. While it has an extensive dinner menu, I generally come here for brunch and the Bistro location for dinner. I guess I am a creature of habit.
We were debating between this and a neighboring restaurant but felt that it offered more choice. This is one of the places that I introduce to my out-​of-​town visitors. They tend to appreciate the innovative menu, quality ingredients, congenial ambiance, and character of the building. I like the staff, all of whom seemed to thrive in this chaotic environment.
Inside, it was packed as we waited patiently for our tables, crowding next to diners who themselves were trying to relax and enjoy their meal and time with friends. I took the time to spy on others’ meals. Should I have the Kobe burger, the Southwestern omelet, or the frittata? The latter is one of my favorites. In the end, I decided to try the Monte Cristo sandwich with a side of fries — it looked delicious.
Roasted turkey and Havarti cheese are sandwiched between two thick pieces of soft Challah bread, battered and grilled, like stuffed French toast, and served with raspberry preserves. While I am generally not a fan of raspberries, I did like it with the meal. The serving was huge, with enough left for dinner. The fries, as always, were thin, crispy and terrific. Served with mayo and barbecue sauce, I enjoyed the large portion, also with enough left for dinner.
With so many people crammed in the large restaurant, we did have to yell to be heard. This was not unexpected, nor did it dampen our enjoyment of the meal or each other’s company.
Our server was friendly and anticipated our needs. I was amazed by how he and his co-​workers maneuvered effortlessly among the tightly-​spaced tables and waiting crowds.