Babylon Restaurant

The cocktails were amazing, the atmosphere was great, my lamb tagine was OK, the flavor was savory but it was almost cold when I had it. My husband’s grilled bass was pretty tender and tasty.
However, just when we thought we would like to come back again, we noticed our waiter automatically added a 20% gratuity on the top of our bill even though there were just only me and my husband. We were really upset when we found out about this, not only the waiter violated the restaurant’s gratuity rule (a 20% mandatory gratuity only applies when the party is 6 or more then 6 people), we also felt insulted by the waiter’s back-​stabbing attitude. The interaction with the waiter was mutually pleasant the whole time, so we don’t understand why the waiter did this to us as if he was so afraid that we were not going to leave a tip for him. We were actually going to leave him more than 20% of tip originally if he didn’t pull this BS on us.
The conclusion is, we would not come back to this restaurant due to this unpleasant experience.

Very disappointed. Made reservation for 6:45 for our anniversary and showed up at 6:30 to have a drink at the bar till our table was ready. We arrived and were told restaurant was closed for private party. We were told nothing they could do so we moved on. There are many good places to eat in Raleigh. We have been before, May go back may not.

Great ambiance and the food was even better. Not a quiet date place, but quite a date place! Everything we tried was delicious and the staff was vey nice. We’ll be back!

This place will not disappoint! Amazing décor and atmosphere! Great friendly service!

We went there for dinner, the food and are waiter was excellent they have all kinds of foods to try.

We went here for brunch for a friends birthday and not only did half of our food come out at least 10 minutes apart, while another table got all of their food in between, but our waiter «B-​rock» blamed our poor service on the other table lying to them about having a reservation. Not our problem. It is extremely unprofessional to blame another customer for the downfall of the staff. They brought out all of the egg dishes first which all sat and got cold while we waited for everyone else’s food to arrive. They also somehow ran out of syrup during brunch about 2 hours before they were even supposed to close. Awful experience and it’s not a surprise that at the height of brunch on a Sunday we walked in and got a 13 person table with no wait…

This place is beautiful and has a very cool atmosphere. The drinks and food are great. I had never had Moroccan but I enjoyed everything we tried. The service was good. I want to go soon for brunch and latenight to hang out in the cool plaza outside!

Not Moroccan Theme, Moroccan. Service, atmosphere top notch, prices very reasonable and since none of those can be eaten the most important thing is the wonderful food. I had the Lamb shank tagine and for the first time since moving to NC Fifteen Years ago not only did I not send it back I ate every last bite. It tasted like good Moroccan home cooking, simple and well balance but not one bit bland and the correct texture on the shank.
I’ve read rave reviews about places people even taking photos and my hubby and I go and are just dumbfounded at how awful the food is and no matter how foo foo folks seem to think the place the food has Processed all through it. Regardless of the price or the reputation. At a very popular down town place complete with a piano bar in the other room, eight bucks for a side of green beans… and well known for it’s steaks served me my charred rare meat very charred on ONE side and the waiter proudly tells me the chefs secret to his char is pouring a bit of olive oil onto the grill to which I told him «Well that explains why it tastes lie a gd grease fire».
Don’t be put off by Babylons hum drum exterior like I was for so many years until curiosity got the best of me and we went in for dinner. This is the date night restaurant for my hubby and me and finally a place I can relax and eat a great meal I don’t have to cook. After 20 years we forget about Valentines day crowds when we just walked in and they cheerfully managed to squeeze us in and even though it was mobbed the service was still great.

The table was wobbly, our server tried to fix it. I had to use one of my business cards. The kabobs were dry and chewy. The pita bread was thin and stale. I had to send a plain vodka martini back. It was so full of vermouth, I just asked for the check. No way I would chance an entrée after that. The restaurant is beautiful tho. Seems like the priorities are backwards at Babylon. Our server Katie was sweet and attentive. I tipped her well. Won’t be back. If you want to know what a real Moroccan experience is like, try Marrakesh, off South Street in Philadelphia.

Bomb.dizzle. They play house music. Very chill ambiance. From CA and I have been searching for a LA style hang out. Effing love it! And the lamb was amazing!

A group of 6 or 7 of us met for dinner at Babylon on a Tuesday night. We may have been the only people there, and I’m not sure why. The bartender was friendly and helpful, as was the server. The atmosphere is great. I am a fan of the ultra-​high ceilings and Moroccan décor.
I had the Mediterranian Platter, which includes oven roasted eggplant, spicy tomato sauce, Moroccan marinated olives, roasted peppers, and tomato confit. This was all delicious, although as I type, I realize I only received four of those items. I believe the spicy tomato sauce was omitted. It was served with a plate full of fresh bread which was also delicious. The eggplant was a little on the spicy side for me, but not so hot I couldn’t eat it. I had the crab cakes which were the size of small meatballs, breaded and fried. Incredibly tasty. My friends had the Chicken Bastillia Rolls which they raved about, but beware of the über-​spicy sauce served with it and know that you can request milder sauces. I felt the portions were a bit on the skimpy side for the price.
Overall, I was happy with the food, the service, and the atmosphere. Not sure why we were the only ones there. You’re missing out, Raleigh!

I went here for restaurant week, but their options were as limited as you can get. One app, one entrée, and one desert. No choices here. With that being the case, I opted to order from their regular menu. I ordered the lamb sausage pizza which was pretty good. It was baked crispy and thin. We sat outside, and the patio is really nice. Our server did a good job even though my guest was being a little picky with their request. The food was overall OK. The outdoor is seating and bar is off the hook.

I chose this restaurant to celebrate two friends moving out of state. We decided to eat brunch then attend the day party that was advertised over Facebook.
The interior décor is beautiful and there is plenty of seating. The outdoor patio is definitely the best in town. It does remind me of a few places in Chicago with great rooftop areas.
When we arrivedw, there wasn’t any clear direction of where the hostess typically greets you. I made the reservation on open table the week prior however when I went to check in I walked into a private party. Babylon was hosting a drag queen show and it was packed. We waited around a few minutes on the patio when the hostess greets us and tells us they wouldn’t be able to honor our reservation for 1:30p indoors. She also informed us that she forgot to call ahead to alert us and the only option was to sit on the patio on a couch. It was 90 plus degrees and very uncomfortable outside but we were hungry!
Eating on a couch was extremely difficult and several people in my party including myself spilled something on our clothes. We order the calamari, chicken bastilla, chicken and waffles, and the chicken skewers. Everything was delicious and cooked well.
I would’ve gave Babylon 5 stars if it didn’t take over 20minutes to get drinks and there wasn’t a mix up with the reservation.

Absolutely fantastic! Great atmosphere, friendly waitstaff and great bartenders. In all my years I have never ate lamb that tasted like this. The wife had the filet and was floored. This restaurant is our new favorite. We have returned several times since on various days and have always been wowed.

The menu was very detailed with a great selection! I really enjoyed sitting outdoors– great views and seating. The staff was so friendly and knowledgable! I will be back!

Gorgeous venue! Here for #RFWF .Raleigh Food and Wine Festival. For its first year, I think the organizers could not have picked a more scenic place. The event was held both inside, upstairs, downstairs and guests had access to the beautiful courtyard/​patio. Think Moroccan, Mediterranean décor and be ready for an other wordy experience when you walk thru the door. The outside bar offered a misting spray if you wanted to cool off while having a cool drink. The bartenders had great attitudes and even custom made drinks for a group of ladies. The overall atmosphere and vibe of this place was great. I will definitely like to return for dinner. I recommend it highly for events!

For the atmosphere Babylon is 5 stars all the way. You will not find a better outdoor patio the at Babylon. It reminds me of a hotel bar in LA and you definitely don’t feel like you are in Raleigh.
I’ve been to Babylon several times now mostly for cocktails and once for a Unilocal event. I came with a group of 6 this past weekend for dinner. We made a reservation for 8:15pm. They had some large parties that night and we were eventually sat around 8:40 but was super happy that they were able to get us an outdoor table then sitting inside on this beautiful night. The French 75 cocktail is delicious and I also sipped on a nice Rose throughout the night.
Our waiter was very good and made sure we were taken care of well. We started off with the mushroom bruschetta which was absolutely delicious I would definitely order it again, My friend ordered the vegetarian couscous and the tuna which they both enjoyed. My BF and I tried the lamb skewers and chicken tagine. The flavor of the lamb was great and I really liked the dipping sauce, I think this dish would have been great if the lamb was cooked properly but it was overcooked and pretty tough to eat. The chicken tagine was just ok I probably wouldn’t order it again.
I really think Babylon is one of the most unique spots to dine and drink in the Raleigh area and it’s definitely worth visiting. For apps and drinks I’m all in but not my first choice for a full meal. I do want to check out the brunch which I heard is really good.
If the weather is right don’t miss out on this beautiful patio, it’s quite a treat.

Heaven on a plate is what Babylon serves up! It was my sister’s 30^th birthday celebration and we decided that since we couldn’t go to Greece, we would go to Babylon instead. :) I wanted to make the night extra special and the team there helped me execute with ease. They were so flexbile and able to accomodate us even when our group grew from 15 to 27! We were asked to do a fixed menu, which made me a little nervous since I knew I had some vegetarians that were going to be dining with us, but even that was accomodated with ease. Now, on to the food — I had the salmon, but tasted the chicken and lamb as well and all I can say is that I will be back time and again for celebrations and date nights… food was SPECTACULAR and cooked to perfection.
Many, many thanks to Chad and Steven for helping me make my sister’s birthday extra special!

I went here for brunch with on husband on Easter Sunday — this was not my first trip — I had come for brunch with some girlfriends in the fall and absolutely adored the outdoor seating and the unique menu and I was excited to share that with my husband.
We had a reservation at 11 am and we showed up and found out that it was buffet that day. The buffet was «not ready» so we waited. And waited. Eventually the buffet was open and I was disappointed that there were only a few basic breakfast items that were overcooked, undercooked, cold or just ill prepared. After we got out first plates of food, our waitress finally showed up and asked if we needed anything to drink because she «noticed» we were sitting in her section. At this point, the restaurant was not very busy at all.
Overall, the food was awful. Our service was even worse. I should never have to be asked what I would like to drink after I’ve waited 20 minutes and after I have gotten my food. One other waiter was working the outdoor section was helping everyone but our table, even after he noticed we were not being helped, and we ultimately had to ask him for the check.
Sadly, I will not return to Babylon anymore. I haven’t had to have such a terrible restaurant experience in a while and for what we paid, the food and the service were just too awful. There are a few days a year restaurants need to be on their A-​game for brunch and this was one of them but Babylon completely failed.

My husband took me to Babylon yesterday for our Valentines Day dinner and here is what I thought:
1. It’s winter time so we weren’t able to sit outside. The inside of the restaurant feels very cozy and warm, a romantic place for couples or out with friends.
2. Food was good not recommended for a cheap dinner though. Don’t recommend the tapas as the name says it’s tapas (small plates) and if you are new to it you might come to a surprise. Drinks in the other hand were very small for the price.
3. Seating: most of the tables are close to the wall which they have a built in bench seating. This was very uncomfortable, I had to Switch seats with my husband because my back was hurting bad. So FYI if you have back problems you might want to request a chair not the bench seating. Also it’s winter and they didn’t have a rack or a hook for your coats so you either sit on top of your coat or put them on the floor.
4. Last, service was great! Our server was very tentative and was very knowledgeable about the menu (great for newbies like us). I do will like to go again but in the summer time. I’ll write a review then.
Happy Valentines Day all!