I wouldn't know a good shisha lounge from a bad one, but going by the ambiance I was quite…read moreimpressed by Sultan! You can't miss this place walking by on Dundas with the 6' tall image of a shisha hooka on the wall and the Arabic music blaring out thru the open doorway and bright coloured wall art inside the entrance. It's up the stairs on the second floor and has wrap around windows overlooking Dundas and around the corner too. Just an amazing view! It would be even better if they cleaned their windows regularly but maybe it's part of the charm of having all that sweet smelling smoke wafting around. Staff is super friendly and welcoming, making a noob like me feel just fine while just staring at that huge wall of hookas that greet you at the counter. There are no alcoholic drinks here, just coffee, tea and soft drinks so possibly a good option for dry January. Take a up a new vice, why not yolo. The best feature is probably the beautifully embellished lushly finished furniture and overall chill-inducing vibe surrounding you. Those couches omg are so comfy with pillows and accoutrements it's like, how the heck would you not make out with someone in there I have no idea, it's that cozy and with that low light sheesh! And the second best feature is the music, just wow, who doesn't like Arabic music? This is something you don't hear just anywhere and was blaring at a really nice level when we dropped in, early in the evening. On Saturday nights starting at 9 pm there is a DJ too, and if you haven't heard Arabic electronic dance music before you are in for a treat, as it's great and I assume that's what will be played in there. No idea if there's a dance floor, but there's plenty of room. There are events too, including belly dancing and live music so if anyone wants to visit there for any of that hit me up, I'm down!

Awesome spot! Great vibes Shisha was 10/10! Went with a group of 5 had plenty of comfortable…read moreseating.

The 2 things I would rate most highly is the service and the vibe of the place…read more The waiter who attended to our table was very nice and trained very well to answer and give menu suggestions to help in the ordering process. The owner of the place, Maha, was also extremely pleasant going around tables and chatting with the customers. The restaurant space was a little tight, but it has a lot of character. It gives a very welcoming and homey feel. One minor gripe I have is that the utensils appear to be sealed or covered the wrong way. It was the ends of the spoon and fork that was covered with napkin and not the actual surfaces that come into contact with food. The ends of utensils that actually come in contact with the food and mouth just lie there directly on top of the dining table which is not the most sanitary. As for the food, the food serving size of the meal is great and is usually more than enough for a person. Ordering appetizers on top of the brunch meals will be good for only those that are heavy eaters. For food taste, I personally would rate it as OK to good. It was not bad, but just not something I would personally consider to rank as among my favorite breakfast fare. I enjoyed it more for the novelty of trying something different which is Egyptian food. The food was also a little on the pricey side. We (group of 2) came in at 5 minutes after 10 on a Sunday morning and were lucky enough to find seating (2 tables that can seat 4). When we finished and left at 11AM, there was already a long lineup outside.

came here due to review. prepared myself by 'starving' the night before. lol. else i wont be able…read moreto eat bfast (i dont-eat-bfast-type-of-person). got here 750am on saturd. first one walked in by 8am when they opened. ordered: honey cardammon latte nutella latte lentil soup shrimp po boy basturma scramble overall, it taste HOMEY!! simple and comforting. nth strong or overpowering or greasy. delicious!! the lentip soup is wow (considering im not big fan on non-clear soup). soooooo sooooo good. the attendant suggested us to order it as a side so we have 'room' to eat the main bfast dish. the soup came in a cute cup. saw a review that honey cardammon doesnt have much cardammon taste - but we think it does have cardammon taste....and it's a great balanced flavor overall. my friend is also in agreement about the food here. it's not wow as in 'blow ur mind' (like if u go to upscale michelin)...but it's wow as in comfy homey (culturally) UNIQUE simple but delicious. service is quick , attentive, and warm. cute place. lots of knick knack...like grandma's house type (like in movie/books). we will definitely come back to try other items (and we already know exactly which one to order). lol. cheers!

Service is great. Ambiance waa good and the menu looked promising…read more The proteins for somenoff reason seemed over salted and just so over the top with the salt that we couldnt eat one at all. Staff was very kind and offered a replacement which was tastu. Too bad the pita was not homemade like the naan. Naan was over priced @ $7-$9 a piece but the Persian rice was delicious and a huge portion for $9. Overall portions were very generous and flavours robust.

A delightful experience within the Aga Khan Museum! The food was delicious and portion sizes were…read moregenerous. Had a lovely lunch with friends...we enjoyed the shrimp curry (with papadam and sabzi rice), the vegan Falafel bowl and the Jollof Chicken Biryani with Boondi Raita...all of the entrees were delicious and the staff was lovely. The setting is amazing...we will be returning!

Wanas Shawarma arrives on the Danforth with the quiet confidence of a place that knows exactly what…read moreit is doing -- and the experience proved every whisper of its reputation well-founded. The chicken shawarma plate is impeccably seasoned, juicy at its core, with pomegranate molasses lending a bright, subtly sweet depth that elevates it well beyond the ordinary. The wraps, by all accounts equally worthy, are next on the agenda. Service is warm and attentive -- genuine hospitality in an unpretentious setting. A find worth savouring.

Pleasantly surprised by how good this Shawarma was as I just found this place on a whim. I was on…read morethe Danforth for something else and was looking where I should get some food. Looked up from the car and saw this place, saw there was lots of great reviews and it did not disappoint! I got the chicken Shawarma Syrian style wrap which was rolled up thinly and long, stuffed with garlic, pickles, fries and pomegranate molasses. The wrap was flavourfully packed and there was quite a bit of chicken. I even ended up just saving half for later! What even impressed me more was how fast they made the order and had it ready to go! There is very limited seating, 2 small booths, so I would plan to take this to go for a stroll on the Danforth. Another note is they do pay it foward meals!! I will be back for more!

I highly recommend their foie gras, salt-grilled fish EUROBASS-EN-CROÛTE, and steak ! I forgot to…read moretake a picture of the foie gras, but it was incredibly rich and flavorful, and the grilled pineapple helped cut through the richness. The grilled fish is a must-order at almost every table; it had no fishy taste at all and was delicious. The steak was Jacob's dry-aged steak; you can't go wrong with their steaks.

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

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!

An extremely disappointing experience on all counts…read more The place is kind of shabby chic, but it is not. We seated at a bench (for the ladies) and at what passed for garden wooden chairs which were obviously home made. They required a minimum spending of $35/person with a time limit of 1.5 hours. Appetizers are traditional middle eastern fare but very small. They were just a bit off taste.Somebody was either trying something or just did not know. Labneh, babaganoush and a tomato/pepper mush all 3rd rate and again very tiny. A sharing order of fattoush was brought to the table. It was more in the order of a small side salad. The ordered main course all had chicken. No matter what was ordered from Molocheya, Shawarma Plate, Chicken with eggplant the chicken was the very same off of whatever grill they use. There were a bunch of tendons in the "de-boned" chicken. The Molocheya was a special punishment. Clumps of leaves sodden tasteless, drowned in a wrong tasting lemon broth. There was not a hint of spice blend or texture that makes this dish unique. To add insult to injury, a table of 4 was served 2 small pita bread to consume 4 appetizers. In addition the labneh came with a small square of a flavoured biscuit that was crumbly. An order of falafel was freshly fried but from its very colour we could tell that there were not herbs in the mix. The inside was not only insipid but was thoroughly of a light tan colour. But they were not through with us yet! A syrian coffee was ordered brought to the table. After letting the grind settle I had the pleasure of drinking from a broken leaky cup. I looked forward to eating in a real Syrian restaurant because Syrian Aleppo food has the reputation as being the best in the Middle East. These guys obviously did not get the memo. For a dinner for we spent about $190.00 which is ludicrous for this type of food. ANY street side shawarma joint on Lawrence would be far far better. Save your taste buds and your money.

Got the chicken shawarma platter, which comes with rice or fries, salad and hummus. There is a good…read moreamount of chicken and the chicken is not dry and actually comes in large pieces and is not too fatty. Definitely prefer this chicken over a lot of the other shawarma places. The only downside I would say is the price - after tax it comes to around $20. Food is prepared fast and there is a good amount of seating at this location as well.

Alpha's Shawarma is a shawarma restaurant with Syrian and Lebanese roots. With 4 locations in the…read morecity, this particular location is right on Yonge close to Dundas. The menu has appetizers, wraps, plates, platters as well as sides for you to choose from. You can also customize your wraps and have it Arabic style or have everything included; you are also able to choose the level of spiciness you want as well. I've heard many good things about Alpha's Shawarma and have never tried them until recently. Stepping into Alpha's Shawarma you are greeted by a long counter filled with ingredients as well as their shawarma meats which are on a vertical rotating spit. The cashier is towards the middle of the restaurant where there is quite a bit of seating at the back to enjoy your purchased items. There is also a small display of desserts as well next to the cashier. I opted to get a chicken shawarma saj with all the toppings (garlic sauce, hummus, pickles, turnips, onion & parsley, lettuce, tomato, tahini, and pomegranate molasses). I picked a table while waiting for my wrap to be made which took about less than 5 min. Service was friendly and they called out my order number on the loud speaker where I grabbed my wrap. The staff asked me if I wanted extra garlic sauce which I replied "yes!" where they placed more garlic sauce on my wrap. Sitting down, I took a nice bite out of my chicken shawarma. It was delicious - the chicken was moist and tender and the ingredients worked well together. Next time I do want to try the wrap with only Arabic toppings (garlic sauce, pickles, fries, and pomegranate molasses). However, I enjoyed all the toppings on my shawarma wrap which was also nicely toasted. The portion of the wrap was pretty big and I was full after I finished the whole thing. The garlic sauce was great - it was creamy and full of garlic flavour but not too overpowering. Overall, friendly service and a great place for shawarma near the Yonge-Dundas area. I totally understand why everyone's been talking about how delicious Alpha's Shawarma is!

3.5 stars It is…read morealways great to have food diversity in the city. This Palestine restaurant offers something new to the area. Went here for brunch and was pleasantly surprised. The service was great, and they have a no tipping policy ! And the prices were quite reasonable. Ordered the crepes (Markouk bil Qishta) and the smoked eggs (bayd bil furon) . Do yourself a favour and get the crepes. They are not your typical ones, these are air thin light, with ashta cheese, honey, and then your choice of either coffee syrup or chocolate syrup. One would think with the honey and the syrup it would be heavy, but surprisingly it was light and delicious. This would be my go to order here The smoked eggs were mid - nothing too special. They came with bread, a few spices - sea salt , but save your stomach space for the crepes. Overall a good experience here. It was definitely getting busy by the time we left.

This is a modern twist on Palestinian cuisine…read more My recommendation is to follow the suggestions of your server but also if you have any preferences to let them know so they can help steer you! The standouts for us were all the breads, the moutabal and the must order lamb. Beautiful space and exceptional customer service!

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 new concept restaurant from Paramount Fine Foods. The restaurant is smaller and for more…read morecasual dining. There created Shawarma Pockets and Cones, while maintaining thei traditional Wraps and Bowls. They soft-opened on 2025-06-30. The Pockets and Cones are more affordable and can allow for a quick meal. In this instance, Yalla means "let's go". I ordered the following: 1. Beef Shawarma Pocket ($7.99). 2. Shrimp Rice Bowl ($11.99). 3. Mushroom Bowl ($11.99). 4. Canned Pop ($2.50). 5. Rice Pudding ($5.99). 6. Mouhalabieh ($5.99). 7. Meghli ($5.99). Obviously I didn't eat it all; I was bringing most of it home. The Beef Shawarma Pocket is ingenious since that alone was good for lunch. The Beef Shawarma was delicious! The ingredients for the Shawarma has changed to now use Top Sirloin and Lamb Fat. Lamb fat is tastier and more moist than Beef fat. The shrimps were perfectly grilled with accompanying sauces. The turmeric rice was fragrant and moist. The rice has 7 spices and cilantro in it. The Meghli dessert was an amazing dessert. It is tasty and refreshing. It is said to have very healthy and energetic properties; women who recently gave birth would eat it to revive their energy. It has aromatic rice pudding, cinnamon, caraway, and anise, topped with crunchy nuts. I will report about the other dishes when I try them at another time. There is adequate indoor seating (tables and counters) and outdoor seating (two small tables). The vibe is green and red, their restaurant colours. Paramount features Lebanese and Syrian cuisine. There is free WiFi. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible, but there is no door-open button. There are separate male/female washrooms downstairs, so they are not wheelchair accessible. There is paid neighbourhood street parking. Review 2025-125

Yalla by Paramount is a fresh and vibrant addition to the Middle Eastern food scene, offering…read moremodern touches to the classic flavours. The menu offers great variety of salads, bowls, pockets and sweets. Each menu item is fresh and full of flavours. The space is cozy yet feels lively and the colourful decor makes it welcoming. There are a couple of tables available for dine in; it's also great for takeout. We ordered "Beet Tabbouleh Salad", "Freekeh Salad", "Veggie Cone", "Falafel Cone", "Hummus", "Shrimp Rice Bowl", Chicken Shawarma Pocket" and "Beef Shawarma Pockets". Pockets are creative and one of their kind; definitely a must-try. Every dish was fresh and delicious and presented beautifully. In-house hummus, tahini sauce and tzatziki add extra flavour to every meal. The chef and manager are very friendly and make sure everyone has a great experience.