Qathra

Ate hear twice. It was really nice to sit in the backyard and enjoy the food. Had a chicken sandwich. The bread is perfect. The insides were very good. Sorry can’t remember the exact name of the sandwich. The second time I had the Mezza platter. Very good as well. The hummus, tzatziki, and eggplant salad were really excellent. The tabbouleh was a little heavier on the parsley than I like. It really needed a little more bulgar wheat (I suspect that it might have been made with quinoa though) to balance it out. Otherwise, it was very enjoyable.

Had the salmon sandwich for lunch and it was great. For 8 dollars, the salmon was fresh and plentiful. The whole meal felt clean and healthy. The reason for the 4 star was the espresso. It just wasn’t as good as I hope. I have to admit that I am not a espresso expert. The food is great enough to go back for me.

So, this place has potential. But it lacks balance. My eggs benedict had perfectly poached eggs atop an English muffin that seemed just too big. On top of that was the tiniest dollop of hollandaise sauce, so little that they might as well have not given us any. My wife’s yogurt and granola, on the other hand, while very fresh, was so drenched in honey (despite a description promising a touch) that she could not eat it. Do not order the donuts. They are not fluffy or cake like… they are as dense as drying concrete.

I love this place. The mediterenian blue of the outdoor garden happens to be my favorite color. Most of the seats in the outdoor area are in the shade, which is a very clever design feature. I had the omelet, which was tasty. I will definitely be back.

The food and coffee here is pretty good and inexpensive. The menu is pretty big but not too complicated. There are nice selections of plates and sandwiches, shakes, muffins and such.
Its good for breakfast, light meals, brunch, quick bite.
The flavors are simple and basic but tasty.
There is plenty of seating but I’m not sure if this is a place you can break out your laptop and hang out/​work. I noticed a worker make a comment to someone who opened up a laptop and the man left shortly after.
The inside is dark, and there is also a backyard for outdoor seating. The setup in the backyard is kinda weird– there are obstructions everywhere such as oddly placed poles and right in the center of the yard there is a round flower bed with mostly trampled on grass since everyone walks through it.
The view from the outdoor is other old buildings in pretty bad shape.
The furnishings are pretty flimsy and old looking.
Ordering and getting food took a while (and it wasn’t too crowded).
In a nutshell, food is good and inexpensive but you might have to wait a bit and the place is an eye sore.

Came here for brunch today. Wife and I had egg Benedict and Egyptian eggs respectively. Both very good, will come back for sure!

This smoked salmon sandwich is serious!!!
By far, one of the best I’ve ever had. Not over the top, overstuffed or over-​fancy. It was fresh, the bialy was just right. I like the low key atmosphere and outside seating. This will become a staple for me and my toddler even though he rejected the chocolate chip waffle — not because it tasted bad (it was delish!, he’s annoyingly picky now).
Yay for Qathra. Thumbs up. Yum.

Wonderful service + Good energy from the people there, esp the owner. I loved the butternut squash soup! My 2^nd try at the Chicken Soup though was not good. I got it to go and the cap was not tightly sealed. I got to work and it was a scary mess! It happens but I was so upset and it was kind of a mood kill. I did love their breakfast sandwich except the first bite had bits of eggshells in the egg. I’m conflicted because the food is great but I already had some conflicting experiences… but the kind and thoughtful owner replaced it right away. I’ll def be back but will avoid the chicken soup because I just had a bad experience. So I bought a soup I didn’t even eat :(Overall, the food is good quality, the people are awesome and I hope my next visit will end up with zero hiccups. The butter scone is amazing. Do that for sure! Again, I hope my next visit will be a better experience overall from start to finish! It’s a place of good quality and stuff happens, so I do not hold that against them at all. Qathra is quality!

I love this place, nice atmosphere, reasonable delicious food and coffee!
Friendly staff and owner!
I am glad that there is a no laptop policy during the brunch, I go there with my computer during the week.

Came here w my gf and son for brunch. Had to get my own menus, cutlery, etc. No waitstaff. No drinks. Not even a glass of water. Not so welcoming either. If I wanted to do it myself, I would have stayed home.

I hate you, then I love you. Then I love you, then I hate you.
This is how I feel about Qathra. Celine always knows how to sum it up in a song, ay.
Qathra is this cute little hipster spot on Cortelyou and it fits right in with the attitude and vibe of the neighborhood. My first hate is because it’s cash only. (It makes me rage…)
I have a love hate relationship with the food. Some dishes are truly sexy, comforting and hearty while others are super meh, bland and you know, nothing to write home about. Like this morning, my Mediterranean eggs with Zaatar were delicious but my friends egg dish had frozen portobello mushrooms. (As if they forgot to defrost it and just dumped it on the plate) who does that?
They do have outdoor seating which is awesome when the weather is nice. And the price to portion ratio is perfect.
So yes Qathra. I hate you, then I love you. Then I love you, then I hate you.

Love the food and coffee! Very warm and caring staff, my praises to the barista. Love the Mediterranean omelette and the banana bread. Note that you order at the counter, but the food will be brought to your table. There is a nice outside sitting area. Will definitely return for more!

LOVE THIS PLACE! The food is absolutely delicious. And the service is fast. Not to mention the prices are super reasonable. This is my go to place before work and I haven’t been disappointed yet! I recommended the Qathra breakfast ! Comes with hummus, scrambled eggs, quinoa and warm pita bread! They serve breakfast all day !

No laptop on weekends. Good or bad, I guess sole will love it, some waist like it that much. Hipsters coffee shop, with back patio which is the best on the right season.
Decent food, maybe little over priced.
Cute place, I will eat here more, but one on week days. I need my wifi…

Love this place for the vibes, staff, and food/​coffee.
Way more affordable and visually pleasing than Café Madeline…
Has become my new favorite place for a hot drink, a snack, and some reading time.
Plus in warmer weather they have an adorable backyard!

My cozy neighborhood spot; admittedly as someone who turns into a C from long hrs at the screen, no laptops before 3P on the weekends is welcomed.
Awesome owner + delightful coffee & treats. I haven’t strayed from the salmon, caper, bialy option, so good. Thanks guys!

I live and work in the neighborhood (that means — i was born in this neighborhood and have lived here my entire life).
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I’ve ordered a Chai latte here twice. Not worth $ 4 at all.
The chai itself was absolutely disgusting, and the steamed milk was burnt both times. Both visits I was completely IGNORED by the people working here, even though I was the only person standing by the register…
maybe Qathra jumps to serve «hipsters» or those who seem pretentious/​snooty/​hip/​trendy/​whatever.
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If i really want chai, I’ll wait to go to my grandma’s house for REAL CHAI.
Not some hipster bullshxt «chai tea» my a$s.

No wi-​fi before 3pm on weekends. Ye be warned. I like that, actually. I don’t know the stats on if it fuels more conversation or the like, but I enjoy walking into a coffee shop where people are reading and writing the old-​fashioned way.
My iced mocha was delicious and my friend’s smoked salmon was messy but good.
Great patio out back with plants and a swirling mural!

I came here recently wanting to check out some spots on coutelyou road — it’s suppose to be a hot spot now.
I came here cause they offer lattes which is my fav drink. I walked in and saw non-​hipsters inside. Okay we are off to a good start, tired of seeing hipster coffee shops.
I ordered at counter and got food. The counter to sit down ratio is weird but I get it cause slot of coffee shops that sell food have an Awkward set up.
I ordered Egyptian poached eggs and latte. The poached eggs were good but I hated the arugula. Plus not sure how authentic this is because my Egyptian friends never heard of it. I digress as the eggs were good, after taking off the arugula it came together better. Bread was soggy though.
Latte was solid though. I would come back for another latte.
Update — 3÷20÷16 — I just recently came back and the service is way better, music is from the 90s — love the music and the food is off the hook good. I really love that they don’t sell pork products, from a Muslim prospective that’s A+.
I’m definitely coming back more often.

A nice spot for breakfast! My latte was the perfect temperature. Hot but still drinkable!
The asked salmon bagel was tall and hard to keep together when eating. There was also way too much red onion, but overall it was good. The egg sandwich was simple and did it’s job.
The servers were overall friendly and there is a good amount of seating. There were plenty of seats when we were there.

Balthazar almond croissants. Yes, oh yes.