Ada L.
Yelp
Zezafoun Syrian Cuisine located along Manor Rd near Yonge St serves up homemade, authentic Syrian dishes 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!