Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5…read moreAmbiance: 4/5 Food: We had our office holiday dinner here and 15 people attended. We did a set menu which had 3 courses. The first course was Labneh with bread, hummus, & beef tartare. Second course was Lamb pide & pear salad. Third course was grilled branzino, middle eastern fried chicken, black truffle rice, and thrice cooked fries. Then there was dessert which was chocolate mousse cake & baklava. Because of my many food allergies the main server for our table was very attentive & specific in asking me what I wanted as modifications. For example I got a wagyu beef pide instead of the lamb. Every dish was really delicious, presented well & quite filling. I couldn't eat all of the food. Though I tried almost everything. Service: The pacing of the dishes was quite masterful. They really paid attention to when the food was going to come out. As I mentioned above the main server was very attentive to my food allergies. I really appreciated that as some restaurants aren't as attentive. The food was served family style so everyone could take what they wanted from the serving dishes. The dishes were served in little bowls along the tables with each bowl serving about 4 people. We had asked for one long table so it was a little snug. But we made it work. Ambiance: For dinner the lighting of the space is really dim. LOL. I would have appreciated just a little bit more light. The restaurant is in an old building so to use the washroom you had to go down two flights of stairs. The dining area is small also. But it's a pretty space. As mentioned above we asked for one long table to seat 15 people. I was expecting square tables but it was a bunch of small round tables pushed together. So the tables were really crowded with food from all the dishes. But the servers made sure to take empty serving dishes away as soon as possible. The music was a little loud for me so I had to yell to be heard. The place was packed though. Everyone at our table enjoyed the food, the service & atmosphere. The restaurant is close to Roy Thompson Hall & the other theatres nearby so it's a convenient location as well. It's too bad this place is only open for dinner. I would have loved to see how they would operate a lunch time service. In any case, Byblos was amazing. I would come back here again to try other dishes! Note: Some of my pics of the main dishes didn't turn out so it's mostly desserts that are pictures

Really enjoyed my night at Byblos. The vibe is super chic but not too formal. I love that the menu…read moreis designed for sharing, so you get to try a little bit of everything. Everything we ordered was flavorful and well-balanced. Also loved the cocktails. Great spot if you're looking for something a bit different from the usual dinner places.

We went to Azhar Friday night for dinner. We did not have reservations, however we only had to wait…read moreabout 15 minutes for a table. We were seated at the bar while we waited, and ordered a bottle of rose. There are many menu options available, and everything is shareable. We ordered the beet salad, Turkish pasta, and artichokes. The artichokes were my favorite, as they came with a smoked eggplant purée that was absolutely delicious. Azhar is tastefully decorated, with a comfortable feel. Will definitely be back.

Brunch here was great - a good selection of dishes in a bright airy space with an open kitchen…read more Really loved the vibe here and service was friendly! The brunch dishes were good, especially the dips and the pistachio labneh. Had a weird hiccup at the end with the dessert - it tasted so bad, as if the pastry / mascarpone had been left out and the dish was moldy / expired. We all gagged and they offered to refund half of it at first. We were quite surprised but they eventually refunded the whole thing. Bit of a shame as the dessert looked great but we probably got a bad batch.

Stopped by on a whim cause we were hungry. So glad we did! We got complimentary soup, chicken…read moremandi, and cauliflower to share between two. Cauliflower had a chimichurri that I wanted to lick off the plate. The portions are pretty huge here. Would have LOVED to try the lamb but like I said, portions were so big. Might be a good call so that you have leftovers for lunch the next day. Service was impeccable. Like superior. Everyone was so kind and the chef even came out to check on us. This little restaurant deserves all the love. Will be back if I'm in Toronto again.

The waitstaff had a great attitude; they were very patient even though we spent over ten minutes…read morediscussing the menu, and they provided helpful recommendations and explanations. The three types of Mandi rice were perfectly infused with the aroma of spices, making it some of the best rice I've ever had. Both the chicken and lamb were cooked using low-temperature slow cooking, resulting in incredibly tender and juicy meat. My friends and I highly recommend this restaurant.

This is a cozy spot with an elegant decor that makes you feel right at home. The menu offers a wide…read morerange of Persian dishes from appetizers, drinks, kebabs to stews and mixed rice. We ordered "Kashk o Bademjan" and "Pomegranate Salad". We really loved the salad as it was a great balance between the sauce and the ingredients. For main, we ordered "Isfahan Platter" which included one skewer of beef tenderloin and one skewer of ground lamb. The kebabs were tender and perfectly grilled. "Yogurt Drink" here is a must-try. The staff are friendly and attentive.

Visited with a large party on a weekday. The restaurant it self has Persian art covering the walls,…read morethe cutlery and glassware was also unique. Onto to the food, Kashko Bademjan, I was not expecting the strong taste of goat cheese in this dip which was the prominent flavour. It came paired with bread, Hummus, was good Starting with the kabobs, Torsh Joojeh Kebab this was the chicken breast, the chicken it's self was flavourful but the overall dish was dry. Queens Koobideh,. The minced lamb kabob was delicious. The service was a hit and miss, one of them was sweet and welcoming. The other not so much, she seemed to irritated by our questions or presence. A few things to note: For a large party, each person must order an Entree, you cannot share even though some Dishes are large. They add a 20% gratuity for larger parties Some dishes are pricey $43 for chicken/beef.

We visited Lebanese Garden Restaurant and enjoyed a nice selection of classic Lebanese dishes in a…read morerelaxed and welcoming setting. The staff were very friendly and attentive and made us feel right at home. They prepare house-made dips like hummus and baba ghanouj, and their grilled plates follow traditional recipes using fresh ingredients. We tried the "Falafel Balls", "Grape Leaves", "Hummus", and "Baba Ghanouj" to start, and they were fresh and well balanced. For mains, the "Chicken Shish Tawook Salad" and "Kafta Kebab Plate" were very satisfying; the chicken was especially juicy and tender and almost melted in your mouth. The mains are served with their house-made garlic sauce and hot sauce; the garlic sauce in particular was very creamy and added a really nice flavour to the meal. We finished with "Baklava" and "Sfouf", which were a simple and sweet way to end the meal.

Lebanese Garden definitely has achieved offering a home-like feel environment in the middle of the…read morecity. The staff which appeared to be family or a close knit team were absolutely lovely, accommodating, and welcoming. The food was presented well and the flavors that were present worked well together. However, I felt at times we were missing opportunities for intense needed flavor. Can't say that I regret coming here but unfortunately will check out another Lebanese spot next time I'm in town.

Came here on a Saturday before an orchestra. We had…read morereservations so it was pretty easy. Our server Mahsa was really good to us, patient and gave us a lot of great recommendations! She really knew her stuff... from drinks to food. Wish we had room for some dessert... but we were really full.. Inside is very clean and well kept. Really pretty too. In between our appetizers and main, they cleaned our table and gave us new plates. Felt nice. Overall, although on the expensive side, we really enjoyed it and my vegan friends had a lot of options, so it was great for them too!

We had a very beautiful birthday celebration at Laylak. The manager took care of us very well. We…read moretried so many dishes- the lamb was a highlight as well as the raw beef. Hummus was excellent... even tried Lebanese wine. Would come back in a heartbeat- similar feel To Byblos. Great addition to the neighbourhood.

Stopped by for an impromptu dinner shortly after a comedy show. It was around 7pm and the…read morerestaurant was pretty full. We managed to snag the last available table for the evening as I saw other patrons attempt to dine in and were told the wait is long. I used to work in the area and would constantly walk by the two restaurants but given my timings, they were always closed. Pomegranate had been on my bucket list for a very long time. Luckily I managed to do just that and the experience was very pleasant. Both the food and the service were excellent. I had the lamb shank, which melted off the bone from tenderness, accompanied by an aromatic rice and salad. Also ordered Fesenjaan, which was incredibly tasty! They had a limited menu available on the day that we went. I will for sure return just for the Fesenjaan. It's flavour profile was out of this world. The restaurant is nicely decorated too. You can tell it's a busy and popular spot. Highly recommend reserving in advance.

Visited for a solo dinner for one. The decor and ambience of the restaurant is beautiful and…read moretasteful. I ordered the Baqali Polo, I was under the impression this dinner would be flavorful but no flavor in the rice or salad. Lamb was okay, service was very slow for only a few tables booked and 3 servers. Mint tea was delicious

Walked in on a cold winter Wednesday and got seated right away. They have a half off wine bottles…read moredeal on Wednesdays and will even cork any unfinished bottles for you to take home. Our server was so nice and friendly. We got the tabule salad with falafel, fried eggplant, and lamb grill. The salad is kind of a small portion but very tasty. The falafel was the perfect ratio of crispy to stuffing. However, they were mini falafels and I believe the regular order of falafels is bigger. The eggplant was the least enjoyable dish because it was so greasy and had no flavor to it. The lamb was cooked to perfection and so tender and flavorful. The grills are also served with veggies and rice. The portion size was perfect. We'd go back again and try some other hot mezzes.

Ordered delivery while I was in Toronto for work. The food…read morewas very well packaged and was overall quite good. I ordered a couple small plates and then the lamb banadura. The hummus was good, definitely above average for hummus, a very classic hummus. Also got some falafel which were also good. Not overly fried, good flavor and consistency to them. Paired well with some hot sauce. The lamb banadura was good too, the lamb itself was perhaps a bit dry and could've been more heavily spiced/seasoned, but the tomato garlic sauce in which it was served was absolutely delicious as were the heavily-seasoned tomatoes in the dish. Everything was well packaged for delivery and it was all pretty good.

Paramount is a quick and reliable spot for fresh Middle Eastern food right in the heart of…read moreToronto's financial district. Located inside the Brookfield Place concourse, it's easy to reach and perfect for a fast lunch or a bite between meetings. The setup is casual, but the food is made with care and good ingredients. They serve classics like shawarma, kebabs, and falafel, all prepared with the warm flavours Paramount is known for. Service is friendly and efficient, and portions are generous for a food‑court spot.

Good portion for the chicken shawarma meal: came with roasted potatoes (spiced), spiced rice (too…read moremuch cumin imo), salad, and shaved chicken. Would be nice if there hummus to balance everything out. Totals $13.99. Quick service for lunch pickup. It's inside the Union Food Court so during lunch time it's bustling and a great spot to people watch. The baklava (3 pieces at $3.49) were mini bites and fresh, sweet, full of rice flavour and texture. Recommended.

The pros: The restaurant is rather lager with a heated patio…read morewhich is lovely to sit in especially in colder months. The service is great and they play good music (ambiance is great). The salads and drinks are usually really good (we didn't get any this time). They also accommodate gluten intolerance and bathrooms are on the main floor and are accessible. The cons: We just weren't impressed with the food and have felt it deteriorating over the last few times we have visited. We got the Hungarian kebab (2/5 - the potatoes were burnt, the kebab didn't taste great), the arayes (2/5 - the pickled veggies didn't taste pickled, I didn't love the strong taste of the meat), the falafel (2/5 - they have a bitter taste and feels like they aren't changing the oil they use to fry foods in often enough), the eggplant dip (3.5/5) and the beet and tahini dip (3/5).

Parallel is one of those special Toronto restaurants that deserves a visit if you want delicious…read moreArab/Mediterranean food. I highly recommend starting your meal with the four dip sampler plate, which comes with the perfectly fluffy pita bread. Also, I really enjoyed their unique *savoury* take on knafeh, which is normally more of a sweet dessert. Great service and nice covered patio. Reservations recommended!