Reservations
You can click book now above to book your table. For the month of November, we have a special 2 course $35 Mehragan menu available Wednesday, Thursday, and Sundays from 4-6 PM. We require reservations at the link above. A 69.88 tasting menu is required for all diners on Friday, Saturday and holiday weeks (Wednesday-Sunday) for the best experience. Please note that our tasting menu is required for the week of NYE from 12/27-12/31. Please contact us at 609-246-7704 and leave a message if you would like to be added to our waitlist for a certain day thats booked up. In your message just mention the day of week, date, name, and phone number for the reservation. In addition, we are accepting event bookings now. For more information please email info@setaaras.com. Please note at least 48 hours notice is required for any free cancellations. No shows and cancellations made less than 48 hours prior will be subject to a $25/person cancellation fee.
Co-owner Abdullah Panah and Executive Chef Homa Bazyar.
Located in the heart of Atlantic City, Setaara brings together the best of Afghan and French Cuisine.
Founded by Abdullah Panah. Having grown up in Atlantic City, Abdullah has always loved this city. He is a Stockton University graduate and completed medical school in 2021 at RowanSOM currently in his residency training at JeffersonHealth NJ. He has travelled extensively throughout the world and always misses this beautiful city within days of being in a new destination. Throughout these years, the one disappointment he has had is the lack of diverse cuisine in a city with so many amazing restaurants. Having travelled to dozens of countries, he realized the potential that Atlantic City has if it offers new experiences beyond casinos. The first such thing the city could use is diverse cuisine and he sought out to create not only an Afghan restaurant, but to create a whole new unique dining experience.
Since 2014, he began encouraging his aunt Homa Bazyar to sell her restaurant in Colorado and to come create a brand new dining experience in the Atlantic City area. By 2017, she had visited the area countless times and ultimately sold her restaurant. Thats when the concept of an Afghan French fusion restaurant came into the making.
Having immigrated to the United States from Afghanistan in the 1970s, Homa has always loved creating new dishes and incorporating different cuisines into a single dish. Shortly after immigrating to America, she began training under a French chef in the Denver area. Eventually, she managed to open and operate a highly successful French restaurant called Cafe Monet in the Denver, Colorado area for several decades.
In designing the restaurant and its dishes, Abdullah and Homa used their experience traveling throughout the Middle East and Europe to provide the most authentic restaurant possible. The theme of the restaurant revolves around the golden age of Afghanistan from the 1920s-1970s. We look forward to sharing our unique take on Afghan and French cuisine. Being in the heart of Ducktown, we also have a couple of Italian dishes available. Setaara is Atlantic City’s first Afghan Restaurant. It is also the city’s only French restaurant.
The beauty of Afghan food is that it stands as a testament to the various different empires that have crossed the country from the Greeks to the Mongols to the Mughals and Persians. For those that don’t like spicy food, they will be pleasantly surprised with the food being extremely savory, yet subtly seasoned. Adding the French fusion along with Ducktown Italian favorites really adds to the experience as those that aren't ready to try Afghan food can try our savory non-Afghan options.
The ambience inside is truly unique. From the moment somebody walks through our wooden handmade door, they will feel like they have been transported from Atlantic City to the ancient Silk Road. With lighting that is an art in itself and art work showcasing the 1960s’ of Afghanistan, people will be introduced to a version of Afghanistan that existed before the wars and one most people are unfamiliar with. All of the artwork in the restaurant has been designed and done by local Atlantic City artists including Christian Correa, Leah Morgan, and Edwin Riviera. Inside, customers can choose to sit in their own private Alcove with traditional floor seating, a booth, or a table.
If the ambiance inside wasn’t enough, faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, Setaara accelerated plans to expand during this down time. Abdullah always wanted for there to be a semi-outdoor space at Setaara and he came up with a courtyard design remniscent of a historic Silk Road town. It initially opened as an outdoor courtyard however due to tremendous demand, he converted it to a glass domed garden area that is climate controlled year round with lush foliage, marble floors, and plush velvet furniture with a replica of the Eiffel Tower in the center. This multimillion dollar Eiffel Garden opened in Fall 2022.
With Setaara, we look forward to introducing a brand new dining experience to Atlantic City. We opened our doors in July 2019. We are a family-run Authentic Afghan and French restaurant.
Ever since our opening three years ago, we have been featured by Thrillist, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Atlantic City Weekly, NJ Digest, NJ Lifestyle Magazine, Shore Local News, Shore Local Radio, AC Mike, The City Pulse, Joe’s Table for Two, NBC Philly, 6ABC, NBC New York, and Flavor Magazine.
Phone
(609) 246 7704
Location
2322 Arctic Avenue,
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Hours
Sun, Wednesday-Th 4p–9p
F-Sat 4p–10p
Mon-Tues Closed
Free parking available at St. Michael’s Church at 21 N. Georgia Avenue, half a block away.
We have several dining options available including our brand new multimillion dollar Eiffel Garden!
Certified Halal. BYOB.
A Royal Welcome.
Uzbeki Palau, one of our customer favorites featured in our intimate floor alcoves.
Our heated outdoor courtyard. No jackets required. Open rain, shine, or snow.
Call (609) 246 7704 from 4p – 10p Wednesday-Sunday, or book online with Resy.
Reservations required. Note every weekend (Friday, Saturday) and holiday week a tasting menu is required for each diner. Please scroll to our menu section for more information. Eiffel Garden is currently closed for renovations.
“Of all the Atlantic City spots I visited, the dark horse story that clung like taffy to my brain was also one of the newest. Setaara is a French-Afghan restaurant that opened last summer.”
“Afghan French restaurant Setaara in the summer took the extraordinary step of building a two-story structure around a rear courtyard inspired by a Moroccan riad. ”
“Plunge your fork into the tender lamb shank buried in rice jeweled with raisins and shredded carrots. Nibble the scallion dumplings or the ghormeh lubia red bean stew scented with cinnamon, and experience the closest thing to international travel the pandemic can offer.”
“A step inside of Setaara Restaurant in Atlantic City, is a step into another world. With byzantine alcoves, oriental arches and the soft scent of exotic spices, Setaara is unlike any other restaurant in South Jersey. ”
“All roads lead to Setaara, a first and true guiding star along the Silk Road of Atlantic City. The minute you step through the beautifully hand carved wooden doors, you instinctively know you are about to begin a journey like no other. ”
“Discover a new and different dining experience in Atlantic City”
“Setaara doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside is a tropical oasis that borders on overstimulating (in the best way possible). Filled with lush plants, lots of colorful, souk-style furniture, and birds singing along to French brassiere-esque music, the courtyard’s focal point is a giant, sparkling model of the Eiffel Tower. It might all seem a bit much, but the food will win you over. The warm bolani is served with a bright and spicy jalapeño chutney, and the lamb shanks fall apart with a nudge of your fork and come with mounds of flavorful rice. Don’t skip an order of the mantu beef dumplings, which are drizzled with a creamy yogurt sauce you’ll want to lick off the plate.”
“Atlantic City’s most singular dining experience?
Setaara, which rises above an otherwise-dreary
stretch of Arctic Avenue like an apparition, topped
by gold-colored domes and a likeness of an arch
rising above sun-dappled mountains. “Khosh
Amadid! Bonsoir!” proclaims the website. It’s
Atlantic City’s only Afghan restaurant (khosh amadid
means welcome in Farsi and the city’s only French
restaurant (bonsoir means good evening).”
Our Menu
To provide the most seamless dining experience, we have a tasting menu featuring our most popular dishes. This menu changes with every season to bring the best of Setaara. Ask our servers for any specials and their recommendations. On Friday, Saturday and holiday weekends (Friday-Sunday), each member of the reservation over the age of 8 must order from our tasting menus while dining with us.
Setaara Tasting Menu ($69.88/person)
1st Course: Choice of any 1 appetizers. (Note: Escargot is an additional charge)
2nd Course: Soup Du Jour
3rd Course: Choice of any 1 entree. (Note: Setaara Kabob and Beef Dijonnaise is an additional charge)
4th Course: Dessert of the Day
On the table: Freshly baked Afghan and French bread.
Note parties of 6 or more have an automatic 20% gratuity added to the bill.
