Really unique and surprising place... homey yet classy vibe at the same time, with great food…read more Overall: 4.5/5 for the type of restaurant Food: 4.5/5 Hummus 4.5/5 - I loved the hummus here and thought it was one of the best hummus I've ever had. My partner thought it was ok, 3.5/5, but I loved it Mirage Kebab - 4.5/5 - again, for what it is, I thought it was so juicy and tasty. I loved this because it was a mix of beef and chicken in a skewer. Really filling but also really tasty. I'd order it again for sure. Chicken Pide - 5/5 - I'd never had a Turkish pizza before but oh my god. This was delicious and the bread was baked in house. SO good and would come and have it again. My mouth is watering typing this lol. Ambiance - 5/5 - A nice middle eastern feel, yet still small and a family vibe.. loved it! Service - 5/5 - All really friendly employees that are happy to help

It was the service and chill atmosphere that earned this spot perfect stars... because everybody's…read moreopinion is different. We started with an order of falafel and a fatouch salad. The falafel were Turkish style and if you like sesame seeds, you will love them. I prefer more chickpea. The salad was a show and tasted terrific. It came wrapped in fried pita that you had to crack open. Wonderful. For mains, we got super full and just shared a grilled chicken with some cauliflower. The chicken was cooked to perfection, but the rice was a little plain. This was a random stop and turned out to be really good. Worth a visit if you are in the area.

Amazing food. Nice ambience. Friendly service. The chef came to our table to say hello.read more

Wow we are walking distance from Darna but it took us five years to finally try it. We've been…read moremissing out! Well-lit, slightly modern looking decor, comfy atmosphere that's pretty casual. Lots of different people helped us out, took our order, brought food etc. but it felt like the service while good, was just slightly below great. We got the veggie clay pot and the mixed grill to share between two people, and my son got a fattoush salad and the kebbeh. The mixed grill was great, all the meats were flavourful, and tender/juicy. It came with a lamb/beef kebab, some beef tenderloin, and some chicken. I think there were roast potatoes too, but my memory is a bit fuzzy on that part. The veggie stew was poured onto a plate of bulgur and was really really good. Lots of flavour, all the veggies (carrots, cauliflower, onions, etc.) were tender. the juices ran through the bulgur which made for a great side dish to go with the meat. The kebbeh was tasty but still a bit disappointing -- there were only three, and didn't feel like quite enough to make a meal. Luckily the fattoush salad was huge otherwise my son would have left the restaurant hungry. Compared to some of the dishes we saw on other tables, this dish seems to be an outlier in terms of quantity of food, and it's certainly not worth the $28 price; I wouldn't recommend it. Despite the disappointment with the one meal, all the food was delicious and I still felt like the meal on the whole was good value, and I wouldn't mind going back to try some of their other dishes.

Zezafoun Syrian Cuisine located along Manor Rd near Yonge St serves up homemade, authentic Syrian…read moredishes in a cozy space. I've heard many good things about Zezafoun and was excited to finally try the place. The restaurant has about ~25 seats for customers indoors. They do have a small outdoor patio for when the weather gets warmer. Reservations are recommended during busy peak dinner or brunch times, however it is possible to get a table if you do walk in as well during non-peak times. I dined at Zezafoun with a party of 3 recently on a Sat evening. We didn't make reservations but walked in around 6:30 and was able to grab a table. It wasn't too busy that early in the evening but as the night went on the restaurant got busier. Service was great and friendly. Staff gave us plenty of time to decide what to order as well as gave us recommendations as well. The interior is warm and cozy. For drinks, I ordered the pomegranate juice which was unique and delicious. One member of my party ordered the rosewater and lemon juice which was refreshing and light. They also have Syrian coffee and tea as well on the menu which I will try next time! Food wise, we ordered and shared the following dishes: - Falafel plate (chickpeas patty fried and served with a side of tahini sauce) - Hummus (homemade chickpeas, tahini, lemon and garlic with a touch of olive oil) - Fattoush salad (Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, radish with Zezafoun dressing topped with crispy pita bread) - Kebbeh labanyeh (beef kibbeh in a cooked garlic yogurt stew served with side rice) - Maldoum (beef kufta wrapped with delicious eggplants in tomato stew and served with a side of rice) - Makloubeh (layers of rice, eggplants, and ground beef with tomato sauce served with side yogurt or salad) Food was delicious and unique! I've never had authentic Syrian food like this before and it was a delight. The appetizers we shared (falafel, hummus, and salad) were great to start the meal. The hummus was creamy and the falafel was nice and crispy. The crispy pita bread in the fattoush salad gave the dish a textural contrast, In terms of our mains, all the dishes were tasty but I especially enjoyed the makloubeh! Overall, delicious spot in Midtown Toronto for Syrian food in a cozy environment. Service was also spot on as well. Definitely want to return to try their brunch menu!

We enjoyed the Syrian breakfast; everything was so tasty! It's a great dish to share. They ran out…read moreof one of the dishes, but happily replaced it with delicious hummus! Every time I come here, the food is amazing!

We enjoyed dinner at Layla's on a Saturday night. The vibe was trendy with music going and…read morebeautiful crowd dining. Service was friendly and very helpful with dining options. We had some folks in group that hadn't tried Lebanese cuisine so server was very attentive to their questions. Full bar with good wine selection. For appetizers, we ordered fattoush salad for the table and yogurt with fresh naan bread. Dinner we ordered two platters with mixed Grill kebabs. Sirloin, chicken, other kebabs with rice pilaf with pine nuts and chimichurri. Grilled veggies as well. Everything was very good and fresh. There was street parking available but big city so we walked to restaurant.

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!

My husband and I live in the neighbourhood, and decided to have lunch at Beirut Bodega yesterday…read more The care and quality of the food is excellent! And the service is too. The prices are very reasonable, and we had the charcoal grilled kofta wrap and a kofta rice and salad bowl, which were both delicious. The rice is full of fragrant spices like star anise and cardamom. They also have freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices. It is not a fast food place, and it takes time to cook and prepare anything on the grill. I highly recommend this place. Come when you are not in a hurry and enjoy. Andrea

The atmosphere of this place is amazing and calming. The owner was extremely kind and poured his…read moreheart into each dish he cooked for us. The fattoush salad and grilled chicken rice bowl were our favorites.

Big, spacious restaurant if you'd like to come with either a group, or a more intimate setting…read more The service was exceptional, full marks. Full service bar. We got a round of Lebanese arak which was very smooth and of great quality. The lunchtime good options while not very extensive, are still of good quality. I thought the grilled chicken was a bit tough, but otherwise everything else was top-notch, especially the traditional middle eastern mezes. The pita bread is always fresh and fluffy. Excellent options for both vegetarians and those who aren't.

3 stars for food 5 stars for service hence the 4 star…read morerating. Went during lunch with my family. The salads are plenty but very citrusy. I liked the baba ganoush and hummus. Fresh warm pita is brought to the table. Some of the chicken was room temperature. There should be more options for mains. The food was decent but not memorable. The desserts station offers much variety however i noticed a hair on the syrup jar. Staff should monitor the buffet area frequently to keep an eye on everything to ensure cleanliness. Our server was absolutely amazing. We didn't get her name but she was an older (indian or west-indian?? not sure) woman and was so funny and kind. She made our dining experience amazing.

We arrived pretty late, so we didn't have enough time to explore the menu the way we wanted, but…read morewhat we did order left a lasting impression. The smoked chicken skewers were outstanding--perfectly juicy with a subtle smokiness that enhanced the flavor well-seasoned, and cooked with care. I haven't even mentioned the colliflower which should be in a yelp review on its own. The pitas deserve just as much praise. Warm, pillowy, and slightly chewy with just the right amount of char, they were exceptional on their own and the perfect companion to the chicken. I'd love to know the recipe because they're easily some of the best pitas I've had. A special shoutout to our server, Daniel, who made our first--albeit brief--visit a memorable one. His friendly service and thoughtful recommendations elevated an already fantastic meal. This first visit was enough to convince me that I'll be back, and next time I'll be arriving hungry with plenty of time to explore the rest of the menu.

Perfectly fine food. - Muhammara with pita: Fresh and…read morevibrant. - Roasted Cauliflower: I'm the outlier here since lots of folks love this dish. I would have liked a bit more halloumi and pine nuts, and a bit less tahini as it overpowered the dish. - Miami Ribs: Pretty good grill, standard tasting bbq soy marinade. - Halva Sundae: Liked the chocolate brownie base though would have liked more halva. Service was helpful and friendly. Kitchen was pretty quick. Prices are what prices are these days. Vibe is casual lively.

Please take my review into consideration knowing that I haven't been there in at least 15 years…read more That said, I feel like I owe this restaurant a review because it was such a big part of my life and holds so many wonderful memories for me. When I moved to Canada in 1995, this restaurant was within walking distance of my sister's apartment, so we ate there all the time. Back then, if I remember correctly, they had a buffet for around $15 per person, and it was an incredible value. The food was always fresh, delicious, and plentiful. This restaurant became part of many chapters of my life. When I got married, I brought my husband and his family there because I wanted them to experience the food I loved so much. Later, when I had my children, it became one of the places we would visit whenever we were in Mississauga. At one point, we even lived in Mississauga for about a year and a half, and if we couldn't make it to the restaurant, we would order takeout instead. The amazing thing was that the food was just as delicious at home as it was in the restaurant. The restaurant itself wasn't huge or fancy. It was simple, comfortable, and focused on what mattered most--the food. The staff were always welcoming, and everything seemed to run smoothly. To this day, the lentil soup and the kibbeh are stuck in my head. I honestly think they were some of the best I've ever had in my life. Sadly, I can't enjoy the kibbeh anymore because I have celiac disease and have to avoid gluten, but those flavors are still some of my favorite food memories. I also remember that the mother of the family was involved in the cooking. Whether she is still there, retired, or if the ownership has changed, I honestly don't know. Because it has been so many years since my last visit, I can't speak to how the restaurant is today. What I can say is that the memories I have of this place are wonderful. The food was excellent, the service was great, and it became one of those special restaurants that stayed with me throughout the years. The next time I'm in Mississauga, I plan to stop by and see if the food is still as amazing as I remember. If it is, I know I'll be leaving with a huge smile and a full heart.

Tarboosh Restaurant wasn't on my radar at all, but after Suresh Doss gave it a hearty…read morerecommendation, we figured we should stop by and check it out. We arrived around noon on a recent Saturday and the place was completely empty. A group of four fairly loud men showed up shortly after us and inexplicably sat at a table near us, but that's obviously not the restaurant's fault. The menu contained plenty of tasty-looking entrees, but I figured I'd grab the dish with the name of the restaurant in it: the Tarboosh ("Combination of shawarma and falafel"). The concoction arrived to the table quite a while later, which was weird considering how empty the joint was, and sure looked impressive. I dove right in. Everything on the plate was tasty but not mind-blowing. The chicken shawarma had a few crispy pieces, which was appreciated, but was mostly unreasonably dry. (The two included sauces helped with that, at least.) The falafel was fresh but strangely light. It didn't really have a strong flavor of anything, really. I enjoyed eating it, but it definitely didn't remind me of traditional falafel. The hummus was creamy but lacking in a strong chickpea flavor (i.e. the concoction was overwhelmed by tahini, essentially). However, once I began eating everything together, I began enjoying everything a lot more. The included bread help, too, even though it was far from the best middle-eastern bread I've ever had. Tarboosh is a mixed bag, that's for sure. If you're in the area, it's worth a try. I don't think I would travel to far to check it out, though.