Kan Zaman

by Shauna T.

We made reservations beforehand, so we did not have to wait for a table on a Friday night. At 8:30 it was busy but not overly so. Service was somewhat poor--it was hard to get the waitress' attention.Food was okay but was a lot poorer than what it should be for the price. They served the pita before we got the food so it was cold once the food got there. The baba ganous was good, but everything else was simply mediocre.The bellydancer (singular not plural) was older and skinnier and less skilled than I expected. I mainly wanted to come here for the bellydancing and was not really impressed.

by Olivia L.

Mousaka. That's the only reason you need to get yourself here and quick. Forget about belly dancers and hookahs and dancing on the pillow chairs and busting out with hand drums. Ok, that's all sublime, too. But really it's all about the mousaka.Mousssssaka. (It's also a fun word to say, too, FYI)

by Mace M.

I don't know if anyone who reviewed, actually was conscious when they went to Kan Zaman. Not only are the wait times ludicrous, but so is the service, the hookah, and just about everything.The last time I was here, I went with a few friends. We encounter our first problem before we even get inside. After a long wait, the doorman wouldn't let us in, thinking that my friend was "underage", at 23. Then after showing an ID, thought it was fake. Finally after convincing him it was legit, we were taken to a table.We sat in a cozy corner on some couch cushions and got our hookahs, and placed drink orders. This is what put a bad taste in my mouth. It took nearly twenty minutes to get four beers, I've been here at much busier times and waited much less. Now, I literally have a bad taste in my mouth. The coal on our hookah is burning bright still, but it tastes like we're puffin straight Kingsford, now. Twenty minutes and two hookahs are finished? Seems like we got sorta skimped. So we relax and enjoy our beers, when all of a sudden, BAM!!!What in the hell is going on?! Belly dancers flood out into the middle of the room, the music changes and is turned up so I can't even hear myself speak, and I swear I saw someone run through the restaurant with a scimitar yelling a war cry. It went from chill Kan Zaman to the hustle and bustle of Disney's Aladdin.I love restaurants. I love hookah. I love them together. But I do not love Kan Zaman.

by Dorian G.

I'm pretty sure the spicy sausages appetizer we ordered was just cut-up hot dogs.Yeah...Cut up hot dogs....never coming back here again.

by master b.

just visited for the second time and had a wonderful time. i had the meat mediterranean plate. mmmmm that was good. ordered a bottle of cabernet and double apple hookah. saw a belly dance show. if you like crowds on a friday night without being at a club than this may be the place for you to hang out. FYI- hookahs are available at the bar anytime they allow hookahs on the regular tables at 11pm. we got our hookahs at 1045pm. service- no complaintswaiting for a table - not bad considering it was friday night ( 20 mins for five people )drinks- full bar, pitchers of beer, and wine

by Olivia L.SeLLe A.Janice C.Maureen D.Denise R.

Mousaka. That's the only reason you need to get yourself here and quick. Forget about belly dancers and hookahs and dancing on the pillow chairs and busting out with hand drums. Ok, that's all sublime, too. But really it's all about the mousaka.Mousssssaka. (It's also a fun word to say, too, FYI)My little sister was back in town for Thanksgiving weekend from LA and decided to take her here for a change. I have been coming here for years and the service is always great. My sister wanted to try the pomegranate flavored hookah and it was recommended by the bartender so I finally gave in and agreed. It was actually pretty good I think it was $13. I had 2 glasses of Pinot Noir and my sister a cup of an arabic cappuccino. It tasted gingery and a bit spicy- not a fan. I tried their spiced wine but didn't really like it either so I guess I'll just stick with my Pinot N. A good place to hang out and have a drink or two and smoke hookah after a day of shopping at Haight.*fyi- the pictures I uploaded were from a few years back but they still have live belly dancers*3.5 starsA lively evening filled with decent Moroccan food, enjoyable entertainment and beautiful ladies.All 20 of 'em.Kan Zaman has a great space for large parties which is just what we need for the lovely Jenny W's birthday party.  We were directed to the seating area by the window which gave us a view of the street and the whole restaurant.  Prime people watching.  We had to sit on the floor and the cushions were not the most comfortable.  I know I don't have mile-long legs, but constantly repositioning your legs is a bit awkward.Service was off to a slow start and a bit scatterbrained.   We were handed large party menus with prices ranging $15-$25 per person depending on what combination you get.   It definitely took awhile to get our orders in pending discussion between everybody.  When our food finally arrived, we had to flag our waitress down for plates, utensils, water, more pita bread.  Our party had hummus, tabouleh, falafel, chicken kabobs and spinach pies, all shared family style. I enjoyed my warm spiced wine while noshing on the yummy food.   I thought the falafel and chicken kabobs were a bit dry, the hummus could've been more garlicky, but the rest of the food was well-seasoned.The party really started when the bellydancer delivered a groovin performance.   She's super flexible and graceful at balancing a sword on top of her head!  kids, don't try that at home!We ended the night with another sweet treat, a really cute birthday cake which the talented Patty P. slaved over.  It was excellent!  I'm thankful to know such a great group of friends.  I wouldn't mind coming back here to grab a drink or two and relive the Kan Zaman experience.Highlights: Delicious Moroccan food, live entertainment from time to time, hookah, and chill down to earth people. The staff were nice and very accommodating to our specific requests regarding food and hookah flavor combination. This is the perfect place for larger parties (i.e. Bachelorette parties, birthday parties). Our assistant was Sasha and she was so nice and helpful. However, I definitely have to come back with a larger party to see how we fare with everyone. Overall great experience, however the only downside is the lack of comfortable seating---mainly bar stools. Boooooo. Tip to fix seating problem: If you have a large party come earlier!"You wanna go home and tell all your friends that you got beat up by a bellydancer, dude? Just try me. Just keep going."Ever seen a male bellydancer physically threaten people who are heckling him? I have. It's glorious.Entertainment aside, this place is pretty lame.  You can make better hummus at home and the drinks are weak. The bussers were on top of our hookah and water refills, but our server definitely waved her hands in front of my friend's face, yelling "HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" to get her attention after we'd already answered her questions.  Cute!Oh, you'll "see what you can do" to bring us the food and drinks listed on the menu that your restaurant serves? Thanks for that! Auto-gratuity is a bitch. My friends and I have done the waitressing thing, we weren't being dicks, I'm not really sure what the deal was. Maybe she was upset because she was trying to get drunk off the weak sauce drinks and they weren't cutting it.Anyway, if you're not into seeing grown men who should know better shaking in their boots because they threatened a bellydancer, skip it. I'm sure your server will thank you.

by Tiffany V.

I've been here three times and only once did I accomplish what I went there for. The first time I came here was for my friend's 19th birthday. The place was completely packed and it took us forever to get in. I think there were about 10 of us and we got three hookah things. All of us had to order a drink too so we ordered the cheapest thing on the menu which was some tea. It was fucking disgusting and I love tea. It looked like muddy water and I've never tasted muddy water but I wouldn't be surprised if it tasted like that tea. I took a look at the menu and everything on it sounded amazing and delicious but I didn't order anything since I had dinner before hand. I got the melon flavor with my friend. It was by far the best and smoothest one. The second time we went, we got carded and the oldest person with us didn't have his i.d. and the guy at the door didn't let us in. The third time I went, it was close to closing and we were hoping they would let us order the hookah since we were sure they still let people hang out there after 11:30 but they already stopped serving it. It was also extremely empty those two times. Pssssh, not cool.

by Maureen D.

Highlights: Delicious Moroccan food, live entertainment from time to time, hookah, and chill down to earth people. The staff were nice and very accommodating to our specific requests regarding food and hookah flavor combination. This is the perfect place for larger parties (i.e. Bachelorette parties, birthday parties). Our assistant was Sasha and she was so nice and helpful. However, I definitely have to come back with a larger party to see how we fare with everyone. Overall great experience, however the only downside is the lack of comfortable seating---mainly bar stools. Boooooo. Tip to fix seating problem: If you have a large party come earlier!

by alfred y.

I'll admit it, I come to this place strictly to claim a spot at the bar area so I can get a buzz from both the mediterranean themed drinks and hookah at the same time. I'm not an alcoholic (or am i?), nor a smoker (or am i?), but this place is closer than Vegas so I'm cutting myself some sinning slack.I've spent a good number of hours at the small bar area to realize that the food there is sub-par, but what makes up for it is the hookah that lasts at least one to two hours.  That's enough time to really hang out, forget that you just had four martinis, and stare at the belly dancers when they come later in the evening.  Oh by the way, one of them is NOT female.They open up the whole cafe to hookah happiness after, I believe, 9pm.  Then you can sit at the booths and really wind down.  The hookah there is really worth it's weight in gold, and my favorites are the strawberry and the apricot flavors.

by Natasha R.

I hate Haight Street for a variety of reasons. I hate the tourists on the weekends, I hate the pathetic looking vagabonds roaming around, and I mostly hate the drug infestation that IS Haight Street. Until Kan Zaman I have found absolutely nothing of interest in this neighborhood, or any reason to venture into this microcosm of residual 1960's 'hippies on acid' subculture. So it was quite ironic that I have found my favorite hookah joint in this unlikely location. Previously I had been going to Cairo Nights, which is open until 4am and has a very sexy Egyptian piece of eye candy (the owner) to stare at. I'll admit Cairo is fun and has cheap hookahs, but it's in the Tender-Nob complete with that 18 year old vibe where you are welcome to come here with your own 40oz of booze or bottle of Captain Morgan. Don't get me wrong, when I am busy saving for my vacay in Sydney, I am all about the cheap hookah and BYOB, but it's not exactly my style. On the other end of the spectrum is Morac. Brand new, beautiful decor, amazing hookahs, cucumber vodka infused cocktails, and all the swankiness you could ever hope for in a Hookah Lounge. It's a beautiful Middle Eastern Oasis over on 16th and Valencia and a place I absolutely adore. But on a casual Wednesday night, in my lululemons and a sweatshirt, Morac is a little over the top and simply too far away from my neighborhood. Lastly there was Zirayb on Divisidero and conveniently close to my house. The problem is, Zirayb is more of a restaurant than a hookah bar, and you have to sit outside with the cigar smokers. Quite frankly the hookahs and the food aren't even that good. They close early, and overall Zirayb is a big stick in the mud. :-( Then I discovered Kan Zaman. The spacious interior with comfortable sofas; a bar with martinis, wine, and beer; plenty of good food and appetizers to nibble on; Middle Eastern music in the background (DJ on the weekend); and hookahs.....ohmygosh what wonderful hookahs! :-) Miss B and I have finally found our niche.....