Very disappointing. Terrible service. It was taking over 45 minutes since placing the order. We asked to see the manager. He didn't come. I went to the manager and asked what the problem was. The manager explained the delay was our fault as we ordered very complicated food. Clearly, he didn't know that we ordered wraps and fries, the simplest thing on the menu and didn't care to even give a proper explanation. read more

Good food, mediocre service. They charge $0.50 for everything (from hot sauce, garlic sauce to ketchup) which is a bit annoying - I mean this stuff should be built into your prices (which aren't cheap). read more

Very disappointing. Long wait, very disorganized staff. People that ordered after me received their food before me. Too many people assembling the food & one not knowing what the other one has done. Small portions for what you get. Can get much better middle eastern food elsewhere Will definatly not return. read more

The service I received was HORRIBLE. The waitress brought 3 of the 4 meals out to my table. About 15-20 minutes later I still never received my meal and my friends were pretty much done eating. I told the waitress to cancel my order and she barely appologized as she walked away. She didn't care at all! The best part was that out of the 4 meals that were ordered, my falafel was probably the easiest to make. I would never come here again or recommend this location to anyone. read more

I've been to other locations of paramount Fine Foods and have generally enjoyed the experience. This location, however, is very busy and that seems to affect the food and the service. I could be forgiving about the service. Our server was actually quite friendly and accommodating, just too busy to be effective. His colleagues, also extremely busy, weren't able to even attend to small requests, such as a small bowl. The food, however, was mediocre at best. We shared a mixed platter. The beef shawarma was overcooked and cold. The chicken was quite boring, without much flavour. Overall, disappointing. I want to like Paramount, which seems to serve better quality food than most chains and has an owner who appears to care about the community. But I will stay clear of this particular location. read more

I went there the first night and arrived few minutes before they are supposed to close, and they told we they were closed, despite the fact that someone just in front of me was ordering to go. I went back the second night way before closing time, and they told me they were closed for an emergency. Someone was just paying for a to go order in front of me, and they said I cannot even order to go. I asked what was the emergency and could not get an answer. I do not know what emergency would prevent them from giving me something to go. I will never go back there. read more

service fantastic. atmosphere fantastic. Food. fantastic. love the manakeshes and the smoothies. But if you are paitent (takes long to make it) get the bbq meat sandwhich or plate. oh so good and much better than any shwarma read more

Liked the place and food. Wished they came back to refill the water, but im sure they'd do it had i asked. Will come back.

A big WOW! Gorgeous interior, fresh grilled meats, delicious hummus & fresh baked pita. Service was attentive & friendly. An excellent experience. read more

Excellent place for Halal options and for Middle Eastern food. The fresh pitas were much appreciated, fluffy and could make for a great appetizer if coupled with hummus. We opted for the mezza plate which was a good way to try multiple dips, of which my favourite was moutabbal. The mix grill was quite delicious, however in terms of portions I expected something a bit more. Meat was still cooked well and was quite flavourful. I also tried the falafel main, which to be honest was not a favourite. A little bit on the drier side, and could have used more sauce...perhaps ordering 6 falafels was not the best way to try this dish. Finally the manakeesh is my personal favourite, in particular zataar with cheese. Mind you, zataar is not for everybody and is certainly an acquired taste (I find it delicious having grown up with it). But if you choose to be less adventurous, I highly recommend the plain cheese manakeesh. Will give the beef a try the next time I visit. Overall, very happy with my meal and would come back again. read more

Went there for dinner one night with the husband and the place was packed . They have a downstairs area and an upstairs one as well . I ordered a cheese pie and my husband the thyme pie or (man2oosheh) as we say in Arabic , as well as hummus and falafel everything was tasty and great . The ambience wasn't great I felt like I was sitting in the middle of a train station because of the amount of people coming and going but the food quality was great def will be back . read more

This is probsbly thr best arabic restaurant in downtown toronto near Gundas square. Their fresh right out of the oven is a huge plus..snd come with every entree. Very affordable clean snd food fresh read more

I went to paramount 3 times. All the 3 times I had some bitter experience. The first time we ordered for pizza and 3 mixed platters with fries. They gave rice instead of fries. The next time we ordered fries and we ended up with rice. Then we changed it. Third time we went yesterday I ordered for six people. In our reserved table we had crispy pita, served for iftar appetizers. The pita was extremely nasty looking, it was broken and had marks. However we ate and later the juice came in, and one of them was in a plastic disposable glass which is not only rude for a restaurant like this but is unethical since the glass contained lesser amount of juice than paid for. Then we ordered for a proper glass and eventually came. We waited for the food for like 25 minutes during iftar and then it came, with the wrong order. Rice instead of fries. We had to tell them too to change that. In a restaurant were we pay around 150 cad for a 4 adult meals we expect our money to talk not us. To get the proper order that we deserve, we had to repeatedly tell them. The owner of that branch is selling halal foods but earning haram incomes. He is providing lesser quality that he is committed to. And disrespecting customers. Restrain from going to this restaurant they should go out of business. read more

I have been a long-time fan of the original location in Mississauga, and I was NOT disappointed with the Toronto location. It took about 5 minutes to be seated, and my boyfriend and I were given a nice 2-seater on the 2nd level. The decor is beautiful, lots of cool stuff to admire and low-key, subtle architectural features. Intentionally rustic and warm. We went on a Saturday night so the place was busy (not surprising given their track record). The service was incredible - we had 2 servers helping us out and they actually looked happy, like they were enjoying themselves. But the reason why I love Paramount is the FOOD. I am always blown away by the taste and the quality. I have been eating middle eastern food for 20 years, my boyfriend is very particular when it comes to how meat is cooked, and we were both very impressed with our meal. We split the meat platter - the chicken was so moist, the beef was perfectly seasoned, the pita bread was so fluffy and fresh. Paramount is a guaranteed delicious meal and I will continue to eat here often. read more

Had their chicken skewer dinner plate. Chicken breast chunks were juicy. There were two skewers but in total the serving is considered small. It came with fries and salad but the fries were cold and dry, and the salad was terrible! Dry, wilted, disappointing. Their free pita bread was really good though and they were not stingy on that! I even ordered a roasted eggplant dip just for the bread. That was quite good too. I would come back to try some of their other skewers and shwarma but I would pass on the salad and fries and just stick to the sandwiches. read more

Simply put, this place GETS it. Great food, great service, great staff --- I use this as a regular to dine out with friends, family, and clients. Everything is great -- but here's a "walkthru" if you've never been here. Get the zaatar cheese bread, hummus, tabouleh, hot fresh bread (this is free), mix grilled platter or the shawarma platter. The portions are nice. Top off with a fresh juice smootie or cocktail or a "halal" beer. If you have room, finish off with the free Arabic coffee. I've been to the downtown Toronto and Yonge/Steeles location and both are very good! read more

Love this place. Good food, great variety though a little pricey. You can't go wrong with so many Middle Eastern people dining there.

So far, so good! I have only eaten here once and I had their lentil soup with chicken shawarma plate and the free pita bread they offer with every table. Price is considerably cheap, not gonna argue there. Service was decent, my server made sure my friends and I were eating well and enjoying our food. Food tastes pretty good, though nothing amazing. I would definitely come back here just because I love Middle Eastern food and this is a pretty cheap joint with good food! read more

So I've seen this place popping up all over the city so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm a bit spoiled having previously eaten amazing middle eastern and mediterranean food in Toronto, Paris and NY (Tabule, Taim, Ballaboosta). The place was packed but the food was so bland: painfully plain pita, plain rice, hummus that didn't burn, What is it everyone is loving? What did I miss? read more

I dined her numerous times with friends,one of the best middle Easter restaurant I've been to in the city. The staff is friendly and the food is great. My favourite dishes were falafel,lentil soup,freshly made in house pita bread,hummus and pizza! Yes I said it,the pizza is really good and I'm not talking about the traditional middle eastern kind. I would recommend this spot anytime. read more

This place is fantastic! I came here last night after a show at Massey Hall. The food was wonderful - warm, delicious zaatar bread, fresh hummus, perfectly crunchy falafel, great schwarma. At 10:45 pm this place was still buzzing, but we still got seated and served quickly. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and the price was right. As far as authentic middle eastern food in Toronto goes, Paramount is extremely authentic. Loved it! read more

Loved it. Pita and hummus was great! Meals were all good and they came quickly, even though the place was packed. Staff were all friendly and looked after us well. I would definitely come again. read more

I've been here twice, and I would rate Paramount three stars both times. Let's start off with the service. The first time we came here, we asked one of our servers for water, and as she walked over to get it, we could easily hear her chiding her colleague for not bringing our water to us. As I'd like to say to the service at several other restaurants and cafes in Toronto, please keep your conflicts private and don't air them out in front of the customer, especially when it seems like a simple mistake. The fattoush and beef pepperoni manakeesh (both starters) came out only slightly before our main plates did, so we had to stack our manakeesh on top of the bread basket, and I had to eat a bit off center of the table due to lack of space. (Awkward.) The fattoush and manakeesh were appetizing, but the chicken and beef shawarma plate was a bit cold (probably in part due to the fact that our plate order was not spaced out), and the chicken was superior to the beef, which was a bit greasy. The second time we came here-- Along with the group of people at the table next to us (who arrived a bit after us) we were waiting for our order to be taken, and then for our food and drinks to arrive, for quite a while. One server brought us our hummus. The server dashed off before I could ask him for pita to go with it (which I shouldn't have to ask for--they should always come together). Because we had nothing to eat the hummus with, save our hands, we were left to stare at the hummus in front of us. Another server, let's call him Mr. Drink Server, brought us our drinks. I asked for bread to go with the hummus, and Mr. Drink Server mumbled something in response. I didn't understand what he was saying, so I asked him to repeat it. He gruffly told me he wasn't our server. Okay, Mr. Drink Server, maybe you could provide your customer with a little service and ask the colleague of yours who *is* supposed to be serving my pita bread to serve said pita bread. Surely, you must understand it's a little confusing because one person took our orders, someone else brought out our drinks and more than one person brought our food out. A man at the table next to us joked about the long wait and how it was "part of the Arab experience." No, good sir, if this were happening in an Arab country, there would be a revolt. (Also, for the record, dining neighbors, hockey player Saad is Syrian, not Lebanese.) During the meal, three different beggars reached in through the window, soliciting us for money with their coin-filled cups. The first man nudged my arm even after my husband shook his head no. The restaurant should really set the tables back farther in or get some security to prevent this from happening. We ordered, besides hummus, manakeesh bil accawi and labban (ayran). In addition, I ordered a lamb kebab sandwich and my husband ordered a chicken shish tawouk sandwich. While the lamb was a bit chewy, it was juicy, and the pickles rounded out the sandwich nicely. My husband, who is Lebanese, did not finish his sandwich, a clear sign he didn't enjoy it. Perhaps he was left with the bitter taste of poor service and management. read more

I am EXTREMELY disappointed with the food I received at this location.I normally am a fan of Paramount and have been to the locations near my house and the one in Hamilton previously which are both good. Today I ordered takeout around 11:40 am where I was the only person waiting for takeout and only three tables had occupants. I understand that beef takes a while to be cooked properly and the time in which I got my food was not a problem. What was a problem was the food itself. First of all there was no garlic sauce in my takeout container and I was given no pita bread. Second EVERYTHING in that container was old. The lettuce was stale and soggy, the pickles and pickled radishes were dried as if left refrigerated open overnight. The rice was hard, cold and clumping together and the kaftas I got were dry and hard. Nothing was warm and I don't know if I was just thrown leftovers from the night before but I will NOT be returning to this location ever. For 15 dollars I could have spent my money elsewhere and made my lunch break so much more easier. I wish I took a picture before I threw it all in the trash. Would have returned to complain if I didn't have a short lunch break. Giving the 1 star cause its th3 lowest I can give. read more

Visted this restaurant tonight, and looks are decieving! This place looks nice on the inside, but food is bland and tasteless! Ive had better shawarma with more flavour. Chicken was blah and so was the rice! Ali babas is even better then this place. read more

First time with friends and had shared a party meal, I enjoyed all of the kebabs. Second time I wanted to order a single meal but thought they were completely overpriced. Just ordered a salad with humus ($10). Third time I ordered a Beef shawarma plate with fries and garnished with salad and no real salad, no humus or anything of that nature. When the cashier told me $18 I was shocked. Most places you can get a minimum of 2 plates of shawarma for that price. Customer service so so and portions are okay but they are totally overpriced. This is the Don Mills and Laurence location. Will not come back again. read more

food is good, but the restaurant is so very poorly designed that the times I was there just turns one off . The management and service isn't great as a result. People bumping into each other, as you are standing or sitting at your table. If you do takeout - it is not just order, pay and takeout. You pay and then you have to stand by the front and then in the middle or the rest is where they put your order. People are milling around all over while waiting to order. Then the area where one pays is just everyone where everyone crowds leaving a total bottleneck. Just no thought to best usage of space and customer service read more

Would not go back. Bland and dry food, not authentic. Cafeteria style dining at its best. Not impressed. Fatoush salad is a true disappoint with greasy chunks of pita on an iceberg salad. read more

Luv it. Authentic quality food. I would go there again and again just for their freshly baked pita bread. Their grilled meat plate is my fav. read more

Great hot pita and hummus dip. When we came there it was quite busy so service was lacking and orders got mixed up. Kefta was delicious but the beef shwarma was dry. read more

One of my favourite Middle Eastern restaurants in Toronto. Always excited to go back. The free pita bread that comes with your meal is amazing,warm and soft, the kaftas and shish tawoks are juicy and the vegetable sides always fresh.The only thing that could make the restaurant better is if they served alcohol :) read more

I love the food here! Great customer service and amazing food. I love the hummus and garlic sauce. :)

The falafels and hummus are the best in the city and the shish taouk and other lamb are great too. Lots of free, freshly baked pita bread. The platters make dining very economical for large groups. read more

We ordered hummus as a starter which came out followed by our main and the bread was the last thing to come out which was really annoying. The fries were cold and my plate was overloaded by food. The atmosphere in here is rather hectic and chaotic. The only decent thing was the pita bread. They seemed understaffed and it was anything but a pleasant dining experience. read more

Went for lunch at 12:30 Fri Oct 3.... 10 minute wait to be seated.... yes the place was packed.... seating on the upper level.... ordered the mixed platter and each of us received the hot-air-filled pita as well included in the price.... the kabbab, chicken and beef were well cooked but lacking a little flavour....the rice was fluffy and well cooked...was expecting a little more but serving was a fair size....Servers were friendly and prompt with any requests eg. needed a serving spoon to split the rice between my lunch partner and myself... read more

The food here is AMAZING. If the rating was based solely on food I'd have given it 5 stars but unfortunately I find that the servers there aren't very attentive to your needs, hence the docked star. Sometimes, you ask for something and they never bring it to you, you have to ask several times. But other than that, they are not particularly rude or anything and like I said the food is absolutely GREAT in more than generous quantities!! Personally LOVE the shish tawouk plate! read more

The food was good but the service was poor, it was very crowded. The overall experience was decent but not the greatest. May go back if its not busy. read more

Food is delicious and portion sizes are huge! I got the chicken and beef plate which comes with a side of salad and rice/fries. It was pretty great with the exception of the beef which I found to be quite salty. I also wish the restaurant itself wasn't so cramped. I was inadvertently overhearing many a conversation going on around me but overall, great food and great restaurant! read more

Excellent and healthy food. Served quickly, with friendly wait staff. Can be too busy at times though.

My friend and I each ordered a shawarma chicken plate with fries and the food was so dry. I think they just reheated the chicken because it was so dry and tasteless, and the fries were the same. The salad didn't look fresh either. We went there around 12 and it was packed, there is very little space between the tables and you have to speak really loudly to be heard and it was hard to get server's attention even for a glass of water. And then at the end they give us one bill even though we asked for separate ones, and instead of fixing it the server was just like "pay each other later", so there was the awkward I owe you for a lunch. We were both disappointed. read more