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.

Delicious food, priced fairly. Mixed plate is my favourite. Their dips are very good. Portions are…read morebig and satisfactory.

I thought thirds time a charm, but it didn't work, I got the Lawrence plate 12.99 they give a lot…read moreof food but the bbq sauce was way too overpowering, and it had a bitter after taste, I called them and the order was ready pretty quickly they did do a renovation it looked a lot better inside, but yeah the taste of the Lawrence plate was not good at all, the way they make it look on social media, and real life completely different. I think bbq sauce on shawarma should be illegal, it doesn't work at all. I thought Johnny Shawarmas was a lot better than this. This is the last time I will come to Aleppo kabob price wasn't bad for the amount of food they give you but taste was not good at all.

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!

Amazing deserts. Super friendly staff. Seating is scarce …read more Will definitely try again.

Disappointing Quality - Not Worth the Price. I was really…read morelooking forward to trying Crown Pastry after a new opening in Ajax, but unfortunately my experience was very disappointing. I spent almost $100 on baklava and various sweets, expecting high-quality pastries that would last at least a couple of days. The first day they were mediocre at best, but the real issue became apparent the next day - everything had turned hard and dry. The baklava lost all its moisture and became nearly inedible. For the premium price I paid, I expected fresh pastries that would maintain their quality for more than 24 hours. I ended up having to throw most of it away, which felt like throwing $100 in the trash. Such a waste of money. I'm not sure if this was an off day or if there's an issue with how they store their products, but the quality simply wasn't there. I hate leaving negative reviews, but I hope the management takes this feedback seriously. At these prices, customers deserve pastries that stay fresh and delicious beyond the day of purchase.

This place is in a container so it saves on rent & passes on the savings…read more Toshka with soujek was a crisp bread with cheese. It was slightly spicy with flavourful meat. The sauce was sour & slightly  spicy. Lemonade with cardamom was tart. The cardamom was subtle at first but was stronger on the aftertaste.

I was just walking by and the menu looked interesting. I don't usually eat Syrian food, but…read moreshawarmas are good to me. The chef/owner approached me and recommended that I try the toshka. I said sure, and he asked me to wait a bit. He made the dish to order and was careful with preparing it. He offered some pickles, and I obliged. There is a table on the sidewalk, but I took the food inside the community center for more space. It tasted so good. I would go back to get it again! Credit card/apple pay accepted. (Also posted on Google)

I first visited this restaurant in September 2023 when it had just opened. We arrived late for…read moredinner, so I only got to try a few of the many dishes my friend had ordered. When I returned to Mississauga this year, I decided to invite a group of about 30 of my mom's friends to the restaurant. Although they don't take reservations on weekends, Abdulsalaam was very accommodating and helped me find a less busy time to secure a spot for our group. We ordered almost everything on the menu. Although there were some gluten-containing dishes I couldn't try, the staff went out of their way to offer gluten-free options like tabbouleh and fries for me. The dishes I did enjoy, such as the BBQ mix, Mansaf, and rice, were absolutely fantastic. The staff did an amazing job throughout the evening, and each one of them approached our table with a genuine smile. The restaurant itself is simple but beautifully decorated, and the service is top-notch. As for the food--it's truly outstanding and incredibly delicious. I'll definitely be returning the next time I'm in Mississauga!

Really enjoyed the experience here. The ambience was super welcoming and the service was very good…read moreand accommodating for children, which was a plus given we had a child with us. The food options are quite comprehensive. Et tried the chicken and meat kebabs, mansaf, fattoush, and appetizer plate. All the dishes were authentic and fresh. The portions were also on the larger side so keep that in mind when ordering. I would definitely be back!

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.

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!