Hands down this is the best restaurant in Toronto. Came across Byblos on accident and now it is a…read morepermanent stop for me anytime I am in the city. I got the harissa roasted half chicken and it was excellent. I guess the secret lies somewhere between the recipe and their charcoal grill that they are grandfathered into having. Nothing on the rest of the menu misses either. Short rib Kebab, stuffed olives, everything. Great atmosphere, great service, and easily one of my favorite meals in Toronto.

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.

We had an office lunch event that we wanted to cater to. Looking for something that will suit…read moreomnivores, halal, vegetarians, vegans and someone who likes to eat light. Wanted to make sure that it was suitable for all tastes and loved by almost all. And our budget was a bit tight as well. Tahini fitted that bill perfectly. When reached out to the owner/manager he carved us some very reasonable deal. The food was delivered on time and in boxes that we could serve and most things came in fresh and warm. The food was delicious, healthy and costed us within our budget. The food was plenty and there some leftovers that many people loved to take it with them. As a vegan, there were plenty options for me and they were amazing. Loved that the staff had knowledge and suggested some combinations that worked out for non-vegans as well. Definitely going for another catering at this location and also when I am in a mood for some vegan friendly falafels and salads.

Sure I get that the place is not the cleanest, even for fast food standards, seating is limited…read moreinside, and it's probably best to get your food to go, but when I tell you when we arrived, starving, into Toronto for the first time at 10pm on a Saturday night to see that every single restaurant in the downtown area is either closed or only open for drinks, finding Tahini's open for food was like finding an oasis in the middle of a large desert. It helps that the prices are certainly reasonable and has some creative options. We had the chicken shawarma wrap which had juicy chicken and sauce that goes well together, as well as the chicken shawarma ramen, which came with plenty of corn for texture, and was also really good despite having cheese in the soup. I'd love to come back and get this again!

Azkadenya is a great place to grab a quick bite of healthy, well prepared food. They specialize in…read moreauthentic Mediterranean cuisine, with lots of options that should be able to suit everyone! The employees are very friendly and the space is clean and hip. It's located right on Queen St. West, which is very convenient. I've been here several times during my visit to Toronto, and have found the food to be consistently great. The portions are enormous, so come hungry. I highly recommend the chicken shawarma and falafel-- both great choices!

The prices on the menu in the restaurant was different from what I read online so I took pics to…read moreshare. In Toronto for work and found Azkadenya a few blocks from my hotel. The cashier was friendly and service was quick, maybe 10 min wait max for my food. You have to ask for plasticware (here it is a nice bamboo set) if you want a fork. I ordered the Jerusalem street style plate and falafel as an appetizer. Good portion of food, the plate was a little bland. The cabbage salad was very vinegar and hard. The best item was the falafel. It was hot, moist, tender and flavorful. The outside was dotted with sesame seeds and served with a side of garlic sauce. Overall more sauce would have made the meal tastier.

Price: $5 to $7 Quantity: lots…read more --- Located at CBC food court (simcoe place) in the PATH. Boxes of rice, salad, potatoes, and meat average $7 before tax. Basic salad includes lettuce and tomatoes. There are falafel wraps available for $5. Portion sizes are large, meat tastes alright. If you're looking for something inexpensive to fill you up, this isn't a bad option.

First review on yelp, because of how disgusting this food was…read more Yes, I may be biased growing up in Scarborough with authentic shawarma, but this place does not serve anything remotely close to shawarma, and I was optimistic coming here. Got the beef shawarma salad, as these places usually pile the rice high. The beef was stewing in a tomatoey sauce, what? Gross. (See image for proof) The salads, were tasty though and definitely a lot more authentic than their meat. Wouldn't go back, wouldn't recommend.

Paramount is a quick and reliable spot for fresh Middle Eastern food right in the heart of…read moreToronto's financial district. Located inside the Brookfield Place concourse, it's easy to reach and perfect for a fast lunch or a bite between meetings. The setup is casual, but the food is made with care and good ingredients. They serve classics like shawarma, kebabs, and falafel, all prepared with the warm flavours Paramount is known for. Service is friendly and efficient, and portions are generous for a food‑court spot.

Good portion for the chicken shawarma meal: came with roasted potatoes (spiced), spiced rice (too…read moremuch cumin imo), salad, and shaved chicken. Would be nice if there hummus to balance everything out. Totals $13.99. Quick service for lunch pickup. It's inside the Union Food Court so during lunch time it's bustling and a great spot to people watch. The baklava (3 pieces at $3.49) were mini bites and fresh, sweet, full of rice flavour and texture. Recommended.

I went to this spot a few months ago and it was awesome, so I had to go back again. It's right on…read moreKing, in the middle of all the chaos, but that's honestly part of the fun. There's always something going on in the area, so it makes it a lively place to grab food, especially at night. I went around 10 PM last night and it was packed. The ambience is pretty basic, it's a small joint with a few tables and chairs, nothing fancy. It's clean and organized, but you can't really expect some super aesthetic interior considering the location and the constant flow of people. There's limited seating, just enough for a few groups, so it definitely feels more like a takeout spot than somewhere you'd sit and hang out for a long time. They get a lot of customers, so you can expect a bit of a wait, but honestly the service was impressively fast. We waited maybe 5-10 minutes max for our food. We got it to go, and everything was ready quickly and handled efficiently. The main star of the show was the chicken shawarma wrap. It was delicious, crispy, flavourful, and packed with everything we asked for. The sauce was so good and really brought everything together. I definitely recommend adding the pomegranate molasses. It adds such a nice sweet tangy flavour and makes the wrap even better. Overall, it was a really good experience. Fast service, solid food, and a fun location right in the middle of the action. I'd definitely go back.

We are finding the best food on King street W. Four unbelievable meals in three days. I'm getting…read moreto like it here. We had done a ton of walking and wanted a snack and a drink with a chance to rest the feet. One of the people we spoke to up the street claimed to love the place so here we are. The shawarma meat is bland and a bit boring. We tried to punch it up when we got it, but it's not the same. Don't get me wrong, it's still good food and will fill that empty spot in yer gut. I was just hoping for a juicier sandwich, instead we end up on the dry side. The cost is reasonable. The servers we spoke with were okay. Nothing exciting. In comparison to all our other meals this place fails. It's decent food at a decent price that deserves your attention. Especially if you're looking for a quick fix on the run. 11/25

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!

We ordered the beef and lamb shawarma bowl with spicy garlic sauce on rice and Shelby's salad…read more This bowl was super tasty. The spicy garlic and hot sauce hit just right. They did not skimp on the beef and lamb shawarma either. And the rice was very tasty. There were crunchy pita chips as well adding flavour and texture to the salad mix. And of course super creamy hummus and tahini to top everything off. The bowl is quite filling.

I went into Shelby's thinking, "Alright, let's see if this shawarma is actually as good as everyone…read moresays." Well, now I'm back in California wondering why there isn't one down the street from my house. It was flavorful, filling, and exactly what I wanted after walking around Toronto all day. Shelby's, please come to Southern California. I have four kids to feed and would gladly give you my money.

I'm used to just going to persian restaurants where the focus is the protein, like persian koobideh…read moreand kebabs and such. However, this restaurant's forte is in its stews. This place expanded my horizons and how I view persian cuisine. I already knew persian cuisine was great because of the flavorful kebabs, but this adds a whole new level of appreciation to the cuisine! I'd definitely highly recommend the Jujuni, its pretty sweet but we paired it with the bread and its really satisfying. We found ourselves wiping the dish clean, always wanting one more last taste. The braised lamb is so tender, as soon as we picked up the bone the meat immediately fell off. It was cooked to perfection, and the rice was really rich and had all sorts of fun textures because of the added components. As we were ordering, once the waiter found out this was our first time at the restaurant and we weren't sure what to order, the owner came and explained each dish to us and gave us recommendations based on what we were craving. Really personalized experience and a great intro to persian cuisine for those who have only have kebabs and koobideh before this.

I came here when they first open. The menu has changed…read more We had chicken apricot and lamb shank Service is good. Food is good but it's not as good as I remember 3 stars 4 stars service

***another update june 2026!!!*** ive been back many times,…read morebut its been a few weeks since. they now have an automated pos/self-ordering kiosk/area set up! thats really helpful with the long lines here. this place is always busy, and youll see why! 1 bite and youll be hooked! go get yourself a shawarma saj wrap now! *updated january 2026!!!* love this place so much - had to take my mom here!! she enjoyed it too! you know parents tend to be picky when dining out, im so glad she loves the saj here too! thank you alphas! *updated! dec 2025* 5/5 its our 3rd time here now (safe to say theyre my fav spot so far!) got a falafel saj wrap (3/5) & a lamb kebob saj wrap(5/5) on our 2nd visit a few weeks ago..again the wait times here are long as theyre really busy and all food is prepard/made to order so the wait is expected. seating can be hard - as sit down space is limited. however, diners eat quick and go so you dont wait as long for a seat, or , just cross the street and eat in the mall food court. our 3rd visit i got my usual chkn shawarma saj wrap (5/5) and a beef kebab saj wrap (5/5). we always like how crispy and loaded these wraps are (not just filled with rice/salad) theres tasty protein in every bite! check out alphas and see why everyones going here! cheers! *original review nov 2025* 4/5 great food, service was dreadfully slow and tables were dirty or missing chairs. understandable as they were very busy and short staffed. be patient when you come here - tasty food takes time to make, especially when its made to order! my order (chkn wrap) was missing pickles (asked for extras) and garlic sauce (barely any so it was dry). the beef wrap was perfect though - chunks of tasty beef, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and pickled turnip. get it spicy if you like some heat!

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!