Cafe Azafran

Consistently excellent Mediterranean food! You don’t need to fly to Spain to get truly authentic tapas. This is the place. Professional wait staff. Reasonably priced bottles of Spanish, Italian wines. This restaurant is one of the true gems in Rehoboth Beach!

Walked in Café Azafran for a late lunch and fell in love with the steak salad! There were a bunch of interesting specials including a curry vegetable soup but the steak salad was delicious. It had fresh greens, blue cheese, steak on a skewer (with peppers and onions) and a delicious herb dressing. The salad came with a roll and was very reasonably priced. I think it was around $ 10. The café itself was small but cute. Lots of art, bright colors and tile designs. I think there were about 10 tables so I’m sure it can get packed during peak season.

Such a cute place! We didn’t eat, but my soy latte was very good. What I enjoyed most was the décor; loved the warm blues and the place was very warm and inviting.

I am not one who gives 5 stars to every bar and pizza joint I enter, so I hope they will be appreciated. Most amazing tapas ever! Not only did the food tast as good as any other place, but more, Azafran’s tapas portions are VERY generous. We sarted with Oyster stew and Café salad. Varied salad greens were fresh and lightly dressed. Stew was not over-​thick, as should be, and oysters were fresh and flavorful. Dusting of paprika (?) gave them just a tiny edge that wonderfully complemented the oyster’s smoky sweetness. Wondered why we got a little eye roll from Ginger our server when we ordered four plates of tapas, but who knew the servings would be so generous? Our plates were: Spanish garlic shrimp; Azafran Haricots Verts; Asparagus a la Plancha; and Lamb Albondigas (meatballs). The asparagus was served with pancetta, and I can honestly say I have never eaten a meal where the dish with pancetta was NOT the best thing on the table. (I mean honestly, how can anything be wrong with bacon on it?) Don’t get me wrong, the asparagus was wonderful; but the shrimp and the haricot verts especially were extraordinary! The beans are served with walnuts, hazelnuts and gorgonzolla, and had the most buttery — almost nut-​buttery — taste. («Yeah, mom, had my veggies tonight!» Ha! Take that, health food!) The shrimp were large, plump and garlicky, and had a very slight spiciness, but not enough to cover the succulent sweet taste of the seafood. Meatballs were served in a nice herby tomato sauce, and contained just the slightest hint of cheesiness. Still found room for espresso and dessert, dark chocolate gelato for B and cheesecake praline parfait for me. B just melted over the gelato (sad to see a grown woman cry over her desert), and the espresso was pretty damn fine! Atmosphere was delightfully old world, and Ginger took very good care of us. Oh, forgot the excellent bottle of Temperillo at a very reasonable $ 25. All told, meals don’t come much better than this. Thanks, Lewes!

This is my first time back to this little place after about six years. I remember the breakfast being pretty good. Not this time, people were rude. Slamming coffee cups down short with their customers. Not a good vibe for a cozy coffee place. Food was ok. Long waits for food with no customers

Delicious! The chicken guac sandwich was truly terrific. The grilled veggie sandwich came out piping hot and delicious (though I got a couple huge nuggets of onion that could have been cut smaller). The crab sliders were good but needed something else to make them great. The kid sandwiches are served with apple slices. Prices are a bit higher than I’d like ($ 9 – 11 sandwiches). The cool and calm porch seating is a nice option.

The market and the brie salads were both awesome. The peppers on the brie were some of the best I had, while the walnuts and blue cheese made the market one great. Also, they were sized well.
The mocha coffee was also good.

Big city deliciousness in a small town — love Café Azafran! They have a really great tapas happy hour with a list of $ 7 tapas — we had the artichoke heart bruschetta, calamari, and goat cheese. All three were divine! For dinner I shared an order of the short rib sliders and the crab cake entrée. The sliders were so juicy and flavorful — I could see coming here again just to get the sliders! They also have a really nice selection of wines by the glass and the atmosphere is dark, cute, and intimate.

We had a great experience here! We were in town for a wedding and accidentally arrived two hours early for the ceremony, so we decided to grab a bite to eat. We had sandwiches here and some coffee. The coffee was very good. I had the adult grilled cheese which was delish, and our little guy had the kid grilled cheese. He has a huge appetite and kid-​size meals are often not enough for him (seriously, at 16 mos old) but this was a substantial sandwich and satisfied him with a couple of bites left over. I also had a fruit smoothie which was good. We sat in the main room and it was quiet and comfortable. And air conditioned which was very pleasant on this hot day. If we are back in the area again I would love to go back.

I’m a meeting planner and I book countless lunches and dinners all over the US. I would just like to warn anyone thinking of bringing a group here to not expect gracious customer service. They feel they don’t need the business and did not want to accommodate a group for lunch for 15 people. And they were very rude about it. This is a rare occurrence to be TURNED AWAY. And more so to do it with an air of superiority. Wow. Good luck to you Café Azafran. Hopefully your food makes up for what you lack in basic courtesy. I’ll be joyfully spending $ 400 elsewhere.

Very comfortable and cozy place in quiet Lewes, Delaware

Great food and service. My boyfriend had the bacon wrapped pork chop which was thickly cut and well prepared. I had the Grilled Romaine Salad which was a new dish to me and perfect for a late night dinner. One of the tapas special was Squash Blossoms stuffed with Spinach and 3 cheeses… very yummy, although there were only two on the plate. We wanted more.
We will definitely return.

Our first visit was last year and our second today was just as good! On both occasions we were served the best tapas we’ve ever had — including tapas we had in Barcelona and Madrid. On our first visit, we had veal sausage with cannelini beans (flavorful sausage in a good preparation), a vegetable plate (fantastic), mac and cheese (rich and delish), pepper crusted chicken breast (deep flavors and tender meat), and affogato with Kahlua (sinfully good).
Today we had the roasted goat cheese and peppers (creamy and sweet), garlic potatoes (the best roasted garlic I’ve ever tasted), ricotta and spinach gnocchi (a little bland but nicely balanced), ratatouille (absolutely fantastic), and lamb rib sliders (tender, sweet, and with excellent flavor given the balsamic glaze). We also had the affogato again (just as good as the first time!), the chocolate mousse, and créme brulee (both tremendously good).
I highly recommend the sangria too. Last time we had the red but tonight we enjoyed the white. Both are fruity, balanced, and *interesting* — no bland wine+fruit concoction here.
The patio is a nice location in which to eat (though the occasional fly also wants to enjoy the food with you…). Meanwhile the service is great — accommodating, patient, and committed to delivering a superb experience.
We’ll be making this place a regular stop whenever we’re in town.

I come here for coffee and snacks every time I’m in Delaware. They have really good coffee… from lattes, french press, to just a regular java. The food is ok and the sandwiches, salads, and, scones are pretty decent. It has a pretty interior and an even nicer outside patio area. The only downside to this place is the occasional rudeness from the staff… most are nice but there are two abrupt, eyerollers that clearly want to be anywhere but Café Azafran… watch out for the surly boy and girl! I will continue to come back though because if the awesome coffee and overall staff friendliness of this place… except for the gingers!

YES PLEASE! This place was excellent. I came here for lunch — loved their menu. The Market Salad was AWESOME! Nice portion, great flavors. Service was good. Like their back patio!
Some of my family members have come here for dinner and they would recommend it to anyone. If you are around here, try it out!

Note: I’m reviewing breakfast and lunch — never had dinner here.
My family has always loved Café Azafran after coming here for years on visits to Lewes. Unlike many of the tourist trap restaurants, it is reasonably priced, with truly inventive menu offerings.
Standard offerings here are free wifi, beautiful surroundings, clean bathrooms, optional outdoor seating, and they are very pet friendly — the waitress brought our dogs treats, and there was a water bowl outside for dogs passing by. Pitchers of self-​serve ice water are plentiful if you’re not interested in purchasing a drink. Kids’ books and puzzles are available to borrow in order to keep the little ones interested until the food arrives. Service is fast and friendly.
For breakfast — an absolute must is the baked oatmeal. It is delicious, basically a square of oven-​roasted oatmeal with steamed milk poured over it. Coffee/​espresso drinks are terrific as well. Other standard fare, such as bagels etc, are offered as well.
For lunch — yesterday I had a panini with fresh mozzarella and ham and olive tapenade. Really good. Chips are available for separate purchase. They were also serving some lovely-​looking salads to the tables around us. Total bill for my panini and the kids’ peanut butter sandwich (served with fresh apple slices), along with a massive caramel oatmeal dessert bar, was only $ 13.
For families with kids — My son is a pretty picky eater, and he wasn’t too thrilled with the lunch menu, which offered a paltry 2 kids’ options — grilled cheese or peanut butter and jelly. I asked if he could have a bagel instead, and I was told they don’t serve bagels after 11 a.m., which meant they had them, but they weren’t willing to sell me one. When I asked if they could just do a simple ham sandwich (bread and ham only), I was told that I would have to pay for the adult ham sandwich ($ 8.50), and they would just remove the other sandwich add-​ons. $ 8.50 seemed like an awful lot to pay for just some ham and bread. We opted for just a peanut butter sandwich, which, at around $ 3, was quite reasonable, and it was served on wonderful, thick white bread that made me want to take a bite. He loved it.
My suggestion to the restaurant — either add more kids’ items, or allow families to customize something at a reduced rate, given the smaller portions that kids eat. For example, a kids’ menu option that allowed choice of a meat and bread and one or two optional condiments would have accommodated the situation better. Charging $ 8.50 for a modified adult menu item is definitely not family-​friendly.
Other than that, we continue to be thrilled with Café Azafran, its terrific menu, and its lovely setting just across from the gazebo in Lewes and just steps from all the beautiful shops of 2^nd St.

I usually have a decaf café mocha and something out of the bakery case, and go occupy a corner table while I wait for the Farmer’s Market to open up most Saturday mornings in the summer, but it’s lovely during the winter as well. Today I had the decaf café mocha and a pecan hazelnut scone.
Nice atmosphere, quiet music, good coffee, lots of locals bustling in and out.
Note: I have only been in during the early to mid morning hours, no idea what it’s like for the dinner crowd.

3.5 stars! Great clam tapa app. Calamari was soggy.
The lamb app was tasty and a perfect dinner size for our 3 year old.
The highlight was the beet and asparagus salad. This was served tossed with a light vinaigrette.
This place is great for coffee and pastries in the a.m.
There is another location in rehoboth beach!

Didn’t know there was another location in Lewes. Stumbled across this wonderful find with the missus (on Baltimore Ave) in Rehoboth Beach looking for a suitable place for dinner!
From the artfully understated and classy décor/​ambiance of the place, we knew it was a place we wanted to close our evening. That we wanted to eat light, their tapas selection sealed the deal. The rear patio seating was a bonus for a warm summer evening. Such a wonderful change of scenery from typical beachy surf/​grill/​bar and heavy dining restaurants. You can bet we will be here again next time we are in Rehoboth.
Ordered 3 tapas: La Mancha plate, Romesco plate, and grilled lamb chops. All 3 were ON POINT. Unlike another tapas place I had been to earlier in the week, Café Azafran’s dishes were a delightful culinary adventure and inspired with creativity. Ended with the lemon cheesecake. The food was absolutely delectable.
There’s so much to rave about so I’ll have to restrain myself. Both La Mancha and Romesco plates came with flatbread — warm and soft and with just enough sweetness to keep your tastebuds on edge for more but not to ruin the balance. The salsas that came with both were similar, but each had its own mix of unique flavor and texture character. Even the potato salad bed on the lamb chops were mind-​blowingly good! The lamb chops themselves were tender and grilled to perfection. Did I mention the portions are very generous for 2?
Bonus +1: Let me just say, the knowledge, professionalism, and good humor of the wait staff just sweetens everything. The missus and I don’t drink but just overhearing the wait staff’s wine recommendations to other tables and fielding their questions really impressed me. They know their stuff.

My favorite new 2010 find.
Easy music.
Understated décor. Great color scheme outside. Replaced a scooter/​bike store.
Great food.
Tasty Panache coffee.
Cannot waiti to try a fall pre-​fix dinner:)
Thanks for coming intown to Rehoboth.
Their Lewes locale is great also.