Homestyle Palestinian street food and Arabic hospitality on Portage Avenue, halfway between Polo Park and Assiniboine Park. Since November 2017 our family has cooked everything fresh and fully halal — from sumac-heavy Msakhan to shawarma, falafel and warm knafeh.
Yafa Café opened in November 2017 with one mission: bring the homestyle Palestinian cooking of our mothers and grandmothers to Winnipeg. The idea grew out of the family-run food carts and corner markets we loved around Broadway and the Winnipeg Farmers’ Market — that hand-to-hand street-food connection and generous Arabic hospitality is exactly what we serve on Portage Avenue today.
Msakhan is our national dish: sumac-heavy roasted chicken with slow-caramelized onions over fresh-baked bread. We serve it four ways — Msakhan rolls, Fatteh Msakhan, Manakeesh Msakhan and the family-style Msakhan Feast. Beside it sit chicken shawarma, maqlubeh, falafel, zaatar and cheese manakeesh and knafeh nabulsi, all built on Manitoba-sourced halal meat, local produce and spices we dry and grind in house. You can see it all on our Winnipeg menu.
Our room is wrapped in warm Arabic pop-culture and heritage décor, with live music some evenings and outdoor seating when the weather allows. Whether it is a weekend brunch, a date night, a business lunch or a family feast for a big group, you can dine in, take out, reserve a table or ask us to cater — and every guest gets the same welcome.
Msakhan, maqlubeh, shawarma, falafel, manakeesh and knafeh — Arabic street food made from scratch daily, with plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices.
Warm Arabic décor, live music on some evenings and outdoor seating minutes from Polo Park — a casual room that suits date nights, birthdays and group feasts alike.
Manitoba-sourced halal meat, locally sourced produce, spices ground in house, and a family team that greets regulars by name on every visit.
Having lived in the Middle East for many years — it was like being transported back to the Middle East! The lemon mint juice was PERFECT!
Every time I have eaten food from Yafa Cafe, I’ve been blown away by how fresh, delicious and well portioned the food is. 10/10 restaurant.
It’s a family owned restaurant, with friendly service and great homestyle cooking. Their barbecue platter is delicious — especially the kunafa.
The staff and owners are super friendly and wonderful, the place is super clean and you will always get the best quality of food.
The first and second order I made was the spinach and cheese bread and the chicken shawarma — this restaurant gets a 5 star without a doubt!