Neighbourhood Moroccan/French eatery and hangout. Fresh cocktails and wine. The unmistakable, colorful, bold, vintage vibe, as well as the community are our inspirations at Nili.
Overall, reviews describe Nili as a cozy, intimate Moroccan-inspired spot with a warm, attentive staff and a thoughtfully curated atmosphere that shines, especially for special occasions like Valentine's Day; the menu features flavorful, beautifully plated dishes such as pastilla and a standout couscous, with many praising the depth of flavor, the balance of spices, and good value for the quality. The drinks and dessert programs are frequently highlighted, with well balanced cocktails and desserts like panna cotta, though a few notes mention heavy desserts or occasional service pacing issues during busy nights. The consensus is that the food is delicious, the vibe is charming and inviting, and when the service runs smoothly, Nili feels like a memorable, high quality go-to in the neighborhood that guests are eager to return to.
Run to this restaurant for tasty, well presented & well priced food. We were most impressed by all of this, along with the groovy vibe & attentive service. The main dishes we enjoyed were all so tasty ; morrocan cous cous, chicken satay with peanut sauce & the Greek sandwich if you love all the night shade veggies; eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, olives. The Mesen honey dessert was also unusual & satisfying. We love honey. We also enjoyed their delicious drinks; watermelon & mint iced tea. Good options for a hot summer night. These selections were guided by the sever /bartender. They know their favorite dishes & you will not be disappointed.
It is a small place so make reservations. However, they also take walk ins for their outdoor patio.
Photos are taken in the evening under the glow of groovy ceiling lighting.
Aug 24, 2025
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This place blew us away! The staff were so warm & welcoming, the service was amazing & the food was absolutely incredible. The atmosphere is intimate & cozy & you just feel so comfortable in there. We ordered the hummus, focaccia with tapenade, mozzarella, tomato, pesto, the chicken satay & the star of the show was the Moroccan couscous with merguez sausage. I will think about this meal for a long time!
Cozy little spot with really warm service from both the waitress & owner! Their chicken satay was underwhelming but their desserts & pastilla are amazing....such wonderful combination of flavors & textures.
In short, highly recommend : easy 4.5. FOOD Started with the artichoke dip. Safe to say that it was the best I had ever had. Chunky , flavourful & delicious. Could have eaten 3 of them. Mom ordered the Moroccan couscous, which had raisins, slivered almonds, walnuts & some other vegetables, with some humous on top. She found each bite to have a different flavour, but would have like there to be more vegetables. Presentation was beautiful. My partner ordered the fish balls & they were cooked to perfection. Soft & tender with a tomatoey sauce. I personally found it a little bland, but he loved it. I ordered the chicken pastillo & it was easily the winner of the night. Flaky, moist with rich flavours & the most delicious combination of ingredients. Perfect proportion size for me. Also incredible presentation. Swear I could eat that 4 times a week. Another highlight, was their slightly spicy & salty homemade sauce. It paired well with EVERYTHING : the artichoke tip, the couscous, the pastillo & the fishballs. I would love to see it available for purchase in jars. Order the MSEMEN for dessert & it was okay.The size was too big for one person, & I felt like it could have used some vanilla ice cream, of apple slices, or a coffee. SERVICE Cannot speak highly enough of the server : super attentive without being invasive. Friendly, authentic & prompt. Great personality that shined through her service & her style. Easily one of the best service experiences I have had in a long time (& I use to be a server). AMBIANCE Comfortable seating with clean tables & amble space. Interesting & engaging decor. I found the music a bit loud (we were right under the speaker & I am slightly hearing impaired). Overall I really enjoyed my first experience & will be returning hopefully soon - especially if they get coffee & star selling the special sauce in jars ;).
Really enjoyed our experience here! They offer many appetizers & great mains. I got the Couscous with Chicken & it was one of the best meals I have had in a long time. We also tried the Chicken Satay & the flavour was amazing with some of the most tender chicken I have ever had. Great date spot or place to go & share a bunch small plates with friends. Prices were very fair for the quality & amount of food.
I would call this one of Mile End's finest. Their wine service is great, their pastilla chicken is top of my list for next meal out, & their atmosphere is perfect for an intimate dinner date.
We tried couscous & chicken B'stila. Both were fresh & nicely cooked. The portion of couscous looked a bit small but it was heavy & we couldn't finish it. The only thing i would say was that the place is a bit dark, not really my taste.
