Great spices and unique menu, but portions seemed smaller than expected for the price

Absolutely wonderful food, completely worth the hype. Low key dining ambiance but high quality food. I would recommend this for groups of four or more so you can try many things -- they're fairly accommodating with tailoring dishes ala carte vs one person entrees and absolutely everything I ate here was delicious. Flavorful and spicy (not necessarily hot) in the best ways, nothing tasted showy or try-hard. The stand outs were the vegan platter (just everything was delicious, and I'm not vegan) and the Chicken Taouck (marinated in a garlic and pomegranate molasses sauce that was just brilliant). The lamb and shrimp skewers were also stand out but a little more basic (not a problem for me, I loved both). I wish I could have tried even more but we were stuffed and satisfied as is. My one complaint, and this could be a bonus for others, was they are fairly pushy on trying to sell you on letting them curate a tasting menu for you. When I asked the waitress if she had any favorite dishes she wouldn't even humor me -- do the fixed menu and you'll find out. Sorry, but that's just not my style! I could see how that might work if you've never had this kinda food and this all feels super foreign, but (and I don't pretend to be an expert in Syrian or Armenian cuisine by any means) it felt a little overtly up-selly to me. In the end we chose our own way and had a delicious meal anyhow. Would absolutely come back next time I'm in town. read more

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I wasn't sure how our evening at Le Petit Alep would develop. Some reviews said "casual," some said "classy." I think it's a little of both, perhaps depending on where in the restaurant you sit. We were seated in the front on the side, which we appreciated on a very humid evening. Rather than order off the menu, our server created a sampler platter for us which included popular offerings for each course. The food got better and better as we proceeded through the courses, our favorite was the chicken skewers. Food and drink total came right in the range quoted by our server. One unexpected thing was the pita for our second course (which included hummus). It was delivered in a plastic bag. So we were unsure if the logo on the bag was where it was made. We didn't use all of ours, so when we were done with the course, they took it away. What do they do with the unused pita? Is it thrown away? Is the bag refilled and given to the next customer? Did we get a bag from earlier customers? Two other observations: We ordered a 500ml carafe of wine. We were allowed to sample it first, and the sample was chilled. The carafe we were served was significantly less chilled, and the insulation inside the container in which the carafe was delivered was not cool to the touch. The wine was still very good, but it would have been even more enjoyable a few degrees cooler. Also, even though cuisine is billed as Syrian, our server mentioned "Armenian" several times (this is not an issue at all). The only thing we didn't like was the humidity. If that is a concern to you, ask to be seated near one of the ceiling fans. read more

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My brother and I split dinner choices when planning our trip to Montreal; Le Petit Alep was one of his choices, as he saw it in the Michelin Guide and wanted to check it out. The menu and vibe looked good, so we made dinner plans here our second night in the city. Le Petit Alep is located close to the Petite-Italie section of Montreal. When we arrived we actually went into the wrong restaurant - Le Petit Alep is on the left, and then Restaurant Alep is on the right. We were told that they're owned by the same people and share a kitchen, but are two separate restaurants - oops. Anyway, once we found our way we were seated promptly. The dining room was tastefully decorated, with warm colors that gave it an eclectic feel without being overwhelming. There was also a good amount of space so we weren't on top of each other. The menu is Middle Eastern - specifically Armenian and Syrian. It's broken up into different sections based on type of dish and size, though they also offer a tasting menu. We opted for a la carte, so our server explained how each dish was meant to be shared and gave recommendations based on our party size. We decided to get several dishes - métabal and mouhamara dips, spicy toshka grilled pita, Armenian sausage, and chiche kabab terbialy. We opted for dessert, and went with the cream stuffed atayef. Everything was delicious; I was particularly impressed with how well each dish was seasoned and the tenderness of the meats. It was hard for me to determine what was my favorite, but I would say the sausages and the grilled pita were the best if I had to choose. The atayef had the making to be heavy, but was surprisingly not and proved to be a great finisher. I really only scratched the surface here - the menu is really extensive so I feel you can make several trips and consistently try something new. Service was great, we leaned on our waiter to make some recommendations regarding the amount and combo of dishes to get and he really came through. Overall, I had a great experience at Le Petit Alep - definitely worth checking out. read more

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Loved the cozy atmosphere at Le Petit Alep Bistro. The spices and flavors in the food stood out in the best way and everything arrived nicely presented read more

Kind of satisfied with the meal overall. It was okay, nothing special but I finished it

Tried a few dishes and they were fine, just lacking flavor. Portions were fair for the price. Service was okay but not very attentive. Overall, it's an average dining spot. read more

I discovered this spot on the Michelin recommended list while visiting Montréal, and the staff were exceptionally friendly. I opted for the chef's tasting menu and chose the 2.5-course option. Every dish I tried--the tabbouleh, beef tartare, fattoush salad, homemade beef sausage, hummus, and filet kabob--was fresh and flavorful. The only minor drawback was that the pita bread wasn't homemade; it came from a bag. Overall, a highly satisfying meal and a great introduction to modern middle eastern flavors. I would give them a 4.5 star but given yelp does not allow me to do that I will give them a 5 star. read more

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A surprising mix of fancy and simple, the most vibrant, fresh, gorgeous, Lebanese food. Great service, good prices for a nice restaurant.

We took the dégustation option, so our waiter recommended us some plates. It was a great way to get to taste many things that we would normally not chose. The two that stood out are the Foule Moudamas (meat in a lemon olive oil garlic sauce) and Chiche Kabab Terbialy. I do not recommend the Kébbé Nayé. read more

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Went recently after years of not having been but with fond memories. My parents & I were seated on the bar side, and the vibe had completely changed. I was disappointed, it felt like they were catering to their Quebecois clientele and no longer authentic. Not sure if the establishment was sold but trust me, there are WAY better Syrian restaurants in Montreal. I ordered 5 appetizers and 3 mains for 3 people (figured we'd have leftovers). They brought out the world's smallest hummus, muhammara, moussaka and baba ghanouj. I also ordered the arayess kafta (it was very confusing with the cheese), and for mains, we each ordered a type of grilled meat. Portions were very small - which makes sense considering the price. Unfortunately, we will not be returning. read more

Really wanted to like this place, but I felt that the food was ordinary, not well balanced. There are many other middle eastern food that are better. read more

OMG. What did we eat? There was so much food! Never having had Syrian food before, we asked for recommendations from our excellent server and he tagged in the Sommelier for wine suggestions. They were so great with food restrictions too. We had soup, dips, pita, chicken, shrimp, beef, romaine hearts. The standouts for me were the garlic lab which on the romaine and then I snuck some sweet and spicy shrimp on top. I have no idea what wine I had - all I know was that at the first sip I wasn't sure until I was sure. So good. We were not rushed. A great night with our table against the wall between the inside and the patio. read more

My parents in law told have told me several times how they love Petit Alep and since I was in the Jean-Talon area I decided to finally give it a try! We ordered the Sabanegh mezze and the fattouche to start and the chiche kabab and the baked lamb as mains. Everything was delicious but the baked lamb dish was my favourite. The spices and the chopped almonds really made the dish. Prices were very reasonable and service was quick and attentive. Special mention about the service: My mom is celiac and the waiter and kitchen were so attentive. The waiter was new and he triple checked with the kitchen that she could eat certain dishes. We wanted to order the eggplant mezze but finally the kitchen mentioned that their may be cross-contamination so he suggested the spinach dip (sagheia). They made sure to put all the pita breads and on the side and made us a special rice without vermicelli. Exceptional service! read more

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We didn't know what to eat and the snow was clearly making it difficult for us to walk somewhere else so we came in this restaurant and had a GREAT time. The food is great, not expensive and the service is really good. The food was tasty and we could not be happier. We ordered the Pita Grillé (Falafel) and we were amazed by the size and flavor. read more

Le Petit Alep - HUMMUS and YALANJI - Middle Eastern Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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La Petit Alep is another restaurant that I've known about for ages but for some reason, I've never been. They're sister restaurant to next door neighbour Restaurant Alep but at a much more reachable price point. After trying to eat first at Trilogie but failing (they were randomly closed for a three day family vacation), we were trying to think of somewhere nearby to salvage our Tuesday lunch plans. LPA to the rescue. Hours are great. Closed Sunday and Monday but every other day is 11:00am-11:00pm. A perfect spot to drop by before or after some JTM shopping. The inside is very eclectic. Love the use of bright colours and dark wood here. The place was packed for a Tuesday afternoon. Everyone was outside sitting on the terrace and basking in the sun. We got the next best thing - a table within reach of the terrace so we could at least feel the breeze. If you've never been to La Petit Alep, it's a mixture of Syrian and Armenian cuisine. The menu has a huge selection: sandwich and plates options, soups, mezza, cheese plates, salads, grilled pitas and extras. On the back, desserts and your choice of juices, coffes and teas. I had to leave early but the fam jam got to try dessert! - Metabal ($3.50 mini) - grilled eggplant purée, tahini and garlic. Comes with a bag of mini pitas. So incredibly fresh and vibrant flavour. - Mouhamara ($3.75 mini) - bread crumbs, pomegranate molasse and walnuts. Never had mouhamara before but it reminded me of a blend between roasted red pepper hummus and tomato paste. - Sabanegh ($4.25 mini) - spinach, coriander, onion and spices. I'd eat spinach like this everyday if someone was making it this good! Love how they have the mini option available for all their mezzas. Perfect way to sample and share. - Fattouche ($12.00 large) - romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, grilled pita and garlic. This was light, refreshing and citrusy. Honestly, I feel like I'm eating so healthy every time we order fattouche. Great crunch from the grilled pita. - Falafel grilled pita ($8.50) - tahini and herbs. I wasn't expecting the falafel pita to be flat and stuffed inside like a pita sandwich. A nice change of pace from your usual falafelness. - Aleppo sausages platter ($12.75) - beef sausages with pine nuts. The sausage was a bit on the chewier side but grab two pieces of the pita and make it into a make do sandwich. The accompanying side salad is pretty plain. We added the leftovers to the fattouche. - Baked lamb platter ($16.25) - marinated baked lamb, rice and nuts. Lamb was moist, tender and flavourful. Love the use of nuts to give a bit of crunch to the dish. Happy I finally was able to try La Petit Alep. If you're looking for somewhere light and healthy to eat, this is it. read more

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This place was jam packed!!!! The 15 minute wait to get seated made me wonder if anyone in Montreal ever cooks! It was tight and noisy, but some friends from Montreal recommended it, so we thought we'd try it out. The Zatar mixed appetizer was a delicious start to our meal. I was grateful that we purchased the Petit hummus, which was the right size for two people to share. My roast lamb dish was fine, but not super spectacular and my wife really enjoyed her beef skewers. Service was a tad slow due to the high volume of customers, but they got to us enough (I just might have ordered another drink if they had come by some more). The cocktails are quite nice - we enjoyed our Manhattan and Old Fashioned. All in all, I'm glad I tried it; not sure I'll be back (at least not during the dinner rush!). It's definitely a place where the locals go, so maybe I'll have to try something different next time. read more

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We visited Le Petit Alep last night for the first time. We had checked it out the day before and noticed there were lots of people waiting at 8pm, so we thought we'd beat the crowds and get there by 6:15. Luckily we did, as we noticed people were already starting to wait for tables at the bar by 6:45. We were seated right away and brought menus and a bottle of cold water. After about 5 minutes or so, a waitress came by to ask if we'd like drinks. We mentioned we would like a bottle of wine, so she said she'd have the sommelier come over. That seemed a little strange to us for such a casual restaurant. The sommelier arrived about 5 minutes later and suggested a few wines to us. We ordered and he brought our wine within a few minutes. He poured it for us and returned to top up our glasses a couple of times during our meal. We waited for about 10 more minutes before our waitress reappeared to take our orders. We ordered the Aleppo cheese plate to start and 3 main dishes. We noticed that all tables were given a small basket with a bag or two of mini pitas. It seemed strange that the pitas were served in plastic bags, but I guess that's so that they won't dry out. Our cheese plate arrived garnished with some fresh arugula. There were 8 slices of Aleppo cheese, drizzle with a little olive oil and what looked and tasted like a sprinkling of za'atar. It was quite tasty, but I felt it could have used a little something else (maybe olives?). Our main dishes arrived a few minutes after we finished the cheese plate. We had one Chiche Kebab plate which had filet mignon with onions, topped with grilled pieces of pita bread, green salad and a rice/vermicelli combo. It was very tasty and the steak pieces were rare as requested. We also ordered the Baked Lamb plate which had baked lamb in a sauce with pine nuts, rice and green salad. The lamb was quite tasty and moist. The final dish was Poutine D'Alep. This tasted exactly the same as the baked lamb dish, but it was served atop french fries which had the same sauce as the baked lamb and was also topped with aleppo cheese. It tasted just as good as the other lamb dish, but it really could have used a fresh element such as a salad as it was very heavy. The waitress came by a few times during our meal and was very friendly, as were the other wait staff we encountered. The prices were fairly good. Our bill was around $85 before tax and tip. All in all it was quite a nice meal. If we were in the area for more than a week, we may return to try other dishes. read more

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I love Le Petit Alep. The shish kebab terbialy is spectacular. Their fries are addictive. The muhammara and hummus taste fresh and homemade. I only wish they delivered. read more

As I was going to the marche Jean-talon, decided to stop by this restaurant to have a quick lunch. Arrived at 11h30, the place was relatively calm, but noted the place filled up quickly as lunch time is approaching. We were seated at their terrace. We were able to find free parking. The server was on top of his menu. We ordered the Poutine with braised lamb and asked his recommandation on few entrées to share. He brought the hoummous, mouhamara, 2 shrimps and sausages. My favorite was the mouhamara!!! Made with bread crumbs, pomegranate molasse, and walnuts. The taste was absolutely delicious. It was a nice finding. Portions were just perfect for 2 and we were quite full by the end of the meal. read more

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We were not at all impressed with the food. I've tasted better in the area. I don't believe it's worth the price. I would not recommend it. What makes it nice is being able to sit outside. read more

Loud modern casual Syrian eatery next to fancier Alep Prompt friendly service Our first experience of Syrian and we loved it ! Asked for advice and they prepared an improvised share menu for $25/head Started with hummus, sumac pomegranate dip sausages and fatoush salad Main grilled chicken and beef kebab Lamb served on rice with lentils Dessert Baklava and pudding scented in rose /orange water with Arab coffee with cardamom Taste profile was very unique and different from other Mediterranean I have had ... Everything super fresh ... Only negatives no fresh baked on premise pita, wine list veered towards pricey , and portions a tad small especially proteins ..... Ambiance not particularly wow . I would recommend Next time in Montreal I would check out the fancier Alep which has a more extensive menu read more

Syria and Armenia. You won't find these countries in most of restaurants' lists, but their innovative flavors will definitely make you come back for more. Le Petit Alep (The Little Alep), son of Le Grand Alep (it's neighbor) is more affordable and laid back than its daddy. Recognized as one of Montréal's best bistro, this hidden jewel is full of flavors, such as lamb, mantis (pastas stuffed with meat and nuts, served with cilandro and garlic yogurt), nuts crêpes, filet mignon and other deliciousness. For more happiness, share a couple of appetizers with your peeps, and you'll have a Syrian tapas evening. While you are there, why don't you go for a walk at the Marché Jean-Talon Jean-Talon Market)? Just an idea. Closed on Sundays and Mondays. read more

Le Petit Alep - Middle Eastern Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

This is a really good Syrian restaurant! Petit Alep is more modern, trendy than Alep. But... You can, and should ask for the Alep menu which is larger and more complete. I usually order the tasting menu and it's always great. You get to try about 10 different things in a few services. They also have a fantastic wine list with a huge collection of private imports. Also, plenty of bio wine which is nice to try. Same taste, less sulfates, less hangover;) PS: I got horrible service the other day. Terrible. This dude was treating the place like a military cafeteria in the middle of a war zone. No friendly, not polite, and not attentive. I will of course go back, but never again in his section. Ouffff.... read more

Honestly impressed with the food here The small tapas style portions great for tying diffrent dishes Tabouleh amazing Arménien salad really good Honestly everything was great Only negative I can say is the Zaatar cheese was a bit too oily but other than that fantastic read more

Wow, a little hard to find (or I just completely missed the sign) - but wow what a great find! We came on a Saturday night, and surprisingly only had a short wait. The wait staff was really knowledgeable (and spoke English for me), sent over the Sommelier to help us choose our wine (which by the way was an excellent recommendation), and also pointed out vegetarian options for me to try. The food was delicious, quick service, and surprising large portions. I had the grilled pita with Za'tar, tomato and cheese, which also came with a small salad - we also started with Dolmathes. I found this to NOT be pricey - but we went for dinner, and I was expecting to pay far much more than we did. Pita grilled sandwiches were aout $8 (really good deal), and the Dolmas were I think $9 or $10. read more

We were in the area around 10:30pm on Saturday night, and I used my Yelp app to find a nearby restaurant for a snack. Options were very limited but we came across a packed La Petit Alep. It seems like this place takes typical Middle Eastern food and puts an interesting twist on them. One of the dishes we ordered wasn't available, so here's what we had: 1 small hummus: the "complimentary bread" here instead was a few packaged mini pitas, so we made use of those with this tasty hummus 1 falafel pita with green salad - looks like a quesadilla (in terms of 2 flat pitas being used, with stuffing inside), and instead of the traditional falafel that are spherical and crunchy on the outside, there was a falafel spread/stuffing inside. This was good but I missed the crispy falafel crunch. Salad was okay, there was a lot of it. 1 side of fried pita with zaatar and cheese - this was like a Middle Eastern spin on nachos, we enjoyed it. read more

Le Petit Alep - Side of fried pita with cheese and zaatar - Middle Eastern spin to nachos with cheese. Pretty tasty! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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We went without a reservation but the staff was nice enough to give us a spot. They did have a deadline. To help with the time crunch, the server recommended the veg platter. He even customized the order when we showed interest in the Lamb and the Armenian sausages! The food was amazing. I'm not a big fan of veg platters but this was really good. The Lamb and sausages were just perfect. The Lamb came with rice, perfectly seasoned, mouth watering. Will definitely go back, but with a reservation. The place was packed, and for good reason. read more

My knowledge of Middle Eastern food is limited so I thought it would be good to try and expand it. I'm glad I did because I wouldn't have discovered Le Petit Alep otherwise. It's a great lunch place if you're in the Jean Talon Market area and is very reasonably priced. The decor is cozy and the service is fast and friendly. I ordered the kebab khach-khach which is a spicy ground beef served with tomatoes. Many places will say something is spicy but few actually make it that way. Le Petit Alep is one of the few that actually make it spicy. The meat also fell apart and was very juicy. It was served with grilled pita was were excellent and rice and salad. They got the grilling right so that the pita wasn't burnt but you still got that nice, grilled taste. For lunch they don't take reservations but as we were only two we didn't have a long wait. I definitely want to go back here especially for dinner to try more of their menu because there was a lot more that seemed very appealing. I think next time I would give the appetizers and desserts a shot. read more

Very good except for our main server who completely forgot our food order, and later, our drink order, with no apologies.

Meh. Pretty average mezze. Hummus, labneh, and moussaka were all fine but nothing special or anything to seek out. The spicy beef pita we had was pretty good - similar to Armenian lamajun. Spicy lamb sausages with pine nuts were good. Bear in mind that the "salad" served with the entrees is simply plain escarole in vinaigrette. Overall we expected more -- fresher, better-executed, tastier. I feel like this place is busier than it really deserves to be. Server was distracted, brought the wrong check, and one of our mezze (pickled veg) was never delivered. Overall service could have been better. Pretty middling experience, honestly. The bread in baggies concept is a strange pretense given it's not very tasty pita. read more

Le Petit Alep - Labneh with cucumber and garlic, moussakah, hummus - very average - Middle Eastern Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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great food in bustling ambiance that felt "hip"(?). make sure u get a reservation even for lunch.

Best place ever - It's a mix of flavours. Everything is good. And they have a great menu of natural wines, a lot of choices. Really this spot is perfect! It's one of my fav place in MTL read more

We had the 3 service menu de degustation for 23$ each. What a cheap deal to discover what Syrian cuisine have to offer! Highly recommend it. read more

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The wait time is unpredictable. My last experience included a one hour wait for a table of four. They have a waiting area where they offer drinks. During the hour wait we had a chance to order wine with no follow up for additional drinks or appetizers. They explained the wait is normal. They apologized for the lack of initial service but did not offer anything to compensate for the poor experience. Food is very good but arm yourself with patience. read more

A classic in the JTM area, which I love and been loving for many years. A casual restaurant with excellent Syrian and Armenian fare at affordable prices. Amongst the classics, if its your first time, I'd say you've got to try the metabal, the mouhamarra, the labneh with garlic, the shinklish salad made with tomatoes and cheese, fattoush salad and one of rolled pitas. They have an excellent wine list, probably in part because of its bigger brother, the more refined Alep next door, along with a knowledgeable sommelier. If you're more into cocktails, theirs are excellent as well. The only fault, in my opinion, is that they do not take reservations. Unless you arrive early or late, expect to wait 30 minutes up to an hour to get a table. Fear not, however, they will serve you drinks so that you can chat with your party until a table is available. I would prefer, however, to be able to reserve a table. In the end, though, the food is well worth the wait! read more

Friday night, 6:15 p.m., we arrive at Le Petit Alep. Take note of the address because I didn't find a sign, just the street number (191) above the door. We have about a 10-minute wait for a table, during which time we are offered drinks while standing at a little counter (the bar is set with place settings for dinner). I am ravenously hungry (no lunch that day), but my husband has gone out for lunch plus we're eating earlier than usual, so we bypass the yummy-sounding tasting menu ($20 p.p. for two courses or $25 for three courses) and go straight to a main course. At our waitress' recommendation, we order the Chiche Kebab plate (spicy for me... Terbialy) plus a side of marinated vegetables. A little basket of fresh mini-pita bread arrives, along with our vegetables: big chunks of carrot and white turnip, crisp and vinegary. They must do these in-house. Probably would have tasted better with our meal but I am too hungry to wait. Our food arrives promptly, and resembles the pictures you can see here on Yelp -- a skewer of meat between halves of saucy pita bread, a portion of rice mixed with noodles and a lemony side salad. By eating at Le Petit instead of Alep we have 1 skewer of meat instead of 2, but at half the price, we're not complaining. The portion is a normal amount of food -- what I might eat at home rather than a ginormous restaurant portion. It is DELICIOUS. For dessert we both try the Atayef, mine stuffed with walnuts and my husband's stuffed with ricotta cheese. His was better -- the creamy cheese cuts the sugary sweetness of the rosewater syrup. By the end of our meal, there is quite a crowd standing at the drinks counter...not sure whether folks are waiting for a table or just having an after-work drink. It is getting quite noisy, but in a "this joint is hopping" way. In my opinion, the food prices were more than reasonable but drinks (especially the wine list) were more than I wanted to pay. We're definitely going to be back, and next time I want to try the appetizers. read more

I liked their food but yes it's quite pricey. I originally wanted to go to the Alep but ended up in Petit Alep because the lineup was CRAZY! Sat in their terrace and had a good evening supper, so yeah, quite worth it! read more

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After walking around Marche Jean Talon we asked a woman in a cookbook store located in the market a good place to have lunch and she recommended this place. Another woman nearby overheard and agreed so off we went. When we got to what we thought was the restaurant it was closed being it was a Sunday. Confused we kept walking to find a new place and came across Le Petit Alep a few feet away which was open. We hurriedly went in to escape the cold. The menu is in French and we had a difficult time trying to decipher things so the host brought us Restaurant Alep's fancy menu book since it has English translations. I got the chiche kabab plate which comes with salad, pita but not your regular pita drizzled with an orange oil. The meat was perfectly seasoned and tender. It was so good. I want to go back but in a warmer month. read more

Amazing staff and food! Very clean and quick service! I really enjoyed every aspect of my experience there :)