Zezafoun Syrian Cuisine

The greatest and coziest arab/Mediterranean place with tasteful and colourful dishes. Awesome family, welcoming, and respectful.
Make sure to tase Kabab Karaz. Love to visit the place again and again.

Really good home style Syrian food. Highly recommend the Kunafeh Volcano! Best middle eastern dessert I’ve ever had!

I ordered in with DoorDash and had a delicious, cozy, filling meal that definitely resembles home cooking. I've been ordering from Zezafoun since they opened back in 2017, and I've tried several dishes ranging from vegan to chicken to fish, breakfast to dinner, all of which were consistently high quality meals. Tonight I tried the chicken chickpea stew with rice for the first time and it was the perfect dish for a cold evening. The stew was made with high quality broth and the chicken was so tender it fell off the bone. The chickpeas were cooked to perfection and really nicely complimented the chicken stew. The dish came with a side of fluffy brown rice also cooked to perfection, and it sopped up the stew nicely. Zezafoun also makes the best chicken shawarma and falafel in Midtown. I am so proud to support this small family business, and I hope to do so for many years to come.

I freaking love this place! I love the food, the service and the place and its decor. Been here few times now and still loving it and will be going in the future!

Cozy, family-run restaurant. I've never had Syrian food before coming here, and I've enjoyed it both times.

Highlights for me:
- cream cheese kunafeh tart - like an elevated baklava that's not overly sweet
- Burning Fingers - don't you love the name? Perfect balance of flavours including the acidity of tamarind and sweetness of pomegranate
- non-alcoholic drinks menu - unique and delicious

Definitely recommend this place, I shared a couple plates from the Chef's menu and I'm still thinking about how good the meal was. Also get the cardamom chai. SO good

Dropped by for dinner where I ordered the freekeh with lamb shank, mutabel dip, and qamar eldin. Everything was really delicious and I’ll have to come back with a larger group so I can try more from the menu.

Something to note is that portion sizes of the entrees are very large. So, that combined with a mezze appetizer turned out to be two meals for me, which I loved.

5-stars! Excellent service, and the food was so tasty and filling; I had leftovers for the next day. Good options for vegetable plates, and I would recommend you make a reservation as it is a small place. The patio is on a side street, so it is a bit off the beaten path of Yonge Street. I will come back here for sure. Good, good food and a lovely experience.

Excellent food. The sujuk is to die for. And obviously order the fried halloumi (the cheese, not the sandwich, they have both).

Service is generous and extremely welcoming

Excellent date spot

The most ethnical Syrian restaurant ever. Never had such a delicious food even in the Syrian restaurant in Syria. They have a variety of food (like a lot) which is made based on the original ingredients/methods. Lovely staff and great customer service. Thank you from the bottom of my heart ️

Great family restaurant with excellent food! Love all the drinks as well! Been here a couple times, and would always wanna come back. Also, don’t forget to reserve a spot online cause they could be a bit busy on weekends.

Wow, just wow. The flavours were spectacular, I enjoyed EVERY meal we ordered. Came here with a group of 6 and ordered family style. We finished off with the “volcano Knafeh” dessert which is a must! I highly recommend this place. Oh, and the servers/bartenders are AWESOME!

I am from Turkey but it was my first time trying Syrian food. All I can say is, it was a feast! Nivine was a great host as well!

I ate here last night with my wife.food and service was exceptional. The waitress smiled and welcomed us in warmly. She was attentive and knew exactly when we were ready to order. She checked on us once to make sure everything was okay. She refilled our water as soon as they were empty and brought us a to go container when we were finished.

We had the falafel platter and smoked eggplant and both were fresh and tasted delicious. You can taste the clean and well thought ingredients.

I'm not saying every server or every experience will be the exact same at this location although I hope it would be. Amazing time! Highly recommend.

The food tasted old, it smelled gross, it was served cold and the portion was awful. Very disappointed.

The quality of this restaurant has declined since the last time I visited before the pandemic. I ordered the Makdous Fatteh on a weeknight when the restaurant wasn’t busy and it was served cold. The pita chips that are mixed in the dish also became soggy after a few minutes.

Very good middle eastern food. We have enjoyed every bite of it. Very cozy restaurant and clean.

The restaurant is very cute. The staff are friendly and helpful. The food was amazing. Everything from the appetizers to deserts was delicious. We went with a big group of friends and tried many of their main dishes and everyone loved their food. They have so many vegetarian options which is always a bonus. The beef used in the main dishes was very fresh. Overall a 10/10 dining experience and a must go. I will definitely come back with friends.

Amazing place! The food is great and the service is impeccable. They are very friendly and accommodating. All in all a wonderful experience and I totally recommend it. We will be back for sure!

Some of the best food in the city. Cute decor and such a cozy spot to have lunch or dinner with anyone. Can't wait to come back!

Can’t say I’ve tried Syrian food too many times in my life, but my most recent experience at Zezafoun was great. We obviously needed help and the staff was very helpful and went though a lot of items on the menu. They even suggested a few items based off our tastes. The food came out perfectly cooked and we had a really great time.

I actually went to help a friend pick up lunch for their child's birthday and was not aware about this restaurant. Enjoyed the kebbeh, falafel and the dips. Was authentic food. And the special drink was delicious! Would love to go for a dine in soon.

What an amazing hidden gem. Authentic Syrian food, laid back ambience, great service.such amazing and tasty dishes. We loved every bite.

When my husband informed previously of this restaurants low food quality and even worse customer service I went against his input abd decided to try this place out. To make it simple, there is better Syrian food restaurants in GTA, and wait time for food delivery to our table was incredibly long.
I will not be coming back or recommending this place to anyone.

With a group of close friends, I spent a wonderful evening at this cozy place with authentic and delicious Syrian food for all.

Excellent Syrian food, good service and a quaint, old school Toronto-style restaurant. Places like this are sadly disappearing in this increasingly soul-less city. They should be preserved and appreciated.

I went there for the first time last week to celebrate a friend's birthday. We both enjoy experiencing new cuisine and Zezafoun did not disappoint. We will defiinately return. Everything that was recommended was amazing. I can't wait to return and try some of the other items on the menu.

Had a great meal here. Just stumbled upon this restaurant, but it is now a new midtown favourite.

It is a family business and they are super friendly and lovely. Cosy place to chil and experiance homemade syrian food.

This is truly an incredible spot for quality meals and always delivers top-notch service. My wife and I order takeout from here often, and have on several occasions dined in. We love this spot and the ppl that run it, highly recommend if you want a delicious, quality meal. 5/5 for me.

We went to Zezafoun for my mother in law's birthday and it was absolutely delightful. Cute set up, nice ambiance and delicious food. We will definitely go back for their hummus

Incredible food, best I’ve tried in a long time. Flavours are unique (you can tell it is homemade) and just delicious, will definitely go back and would recommend 100%!

The food and the service was absolutely fantastic. The juices that the have (only 2) ate so good. I loved it. I will be back there for sure. A thing that I thought could improve I the payment system. We could stay at the table and pay there but instead you have to go inside and line up to pay. By the way, the food was expensive but worth it. This place is soooooo cute and the people that work there are so nice I really liked it. Definitely will be back.

Whether you've never tried before or you're craving Mediterranean or Syrian food, this is your destination. A home style restaurant, nailed the Syrian authentic food, apps and mains were home made style. Staff were very nice and professional, they love their job. Marcel was polite and helpful. Highly recommended family style restaurant.

The food here was delicious! The entire vibe of this spot is so nice. It’s quiet, calm, and warm. This would be my first time trying authentic Syrian food. And I was very impressed. And I will definitely be coming back here often! Also the Syrian tea is a must.

A fantastic find. I have been meaning to go there for ages and finally made it. I was having one of those days and they turned it around. Few things will ruin a bad mood like outstanding food. Their chicken shawarma is amazing: None of that mystery meat on a rotating shaft, it's pieces of chicken you can identify. Their salads are great and the Syrian iced tea (a first for me) was delicious. The staff is likely the most welcoming people I have had the pleasure of meeting in a long time and their patio is charming.

A lovely experience with amazing Syrian cuisine. The staff are very friendly here and you can't go wrong with any of the options on the menu. Enjoyed a lovely brunch and brought ordered additional take out for the family.

Some of the best food I've ever eaten! Preparation with great care and the use of delicious, quality ingredients is clear in each dish. The creativity and experience with authentic Syrian food makes this place one of my top choices. I'll be ordering from Zezafoun anytime I'm craving something exotic!

I went las week on Saturday and because I did not have my cell with me a was denied service. I agree if you are dirty o drunk to denied service but because you has to scan the menu with a phone you can not eat with them if you do not carry you phone is very stupid. The place was no even busy no one inside and 3 people outside. I went across the street to the Brazilian cafe and it was super they have a small grocery with nice food from Brazil.

This is one of my favorite Toronto restaurants. The food here is soooooooo comforting, fresh, delicious. I wish I took a photo of the Makloubeh I ordered, but I ate it too fast! They also have an AMAZING selection of jams, labneh, and other spreads in the "pantry" section. I can't wait to find another excuse to go back!

One of the best family owned kitchens. Food tastes just like the food in Syira. Authentic, fresh, tasty, flavorful food! Prices VS portions couldn't fit better. A family of 4 driven from Newmarket to here and WAS WORTH IT. Not to forget how friendly everyone else was, staff, hosts and legit everyone in here. The coffee at last was much needed and so Authentic. Will definitely come back! Special thanks to Ms. Marcelle the owner for her great hospitality!

Had a very tasty lunch! The food was delicious, and the staff were very nice. It's that time of year when wasps hound people on patios, but their solution of smouldering ground coffee did the trick. Will be eating there again!

The food was delicious. We tried the mezze platter, falafel plate, Kabab Karaz, and Fatteh. All very good. The highlight of this place is the staff and their excellent customer service. This is a family business and you could feel the home Syrian hospitality at its best. Thank you Marsil, and mama for the very good evening.

When I first encountered Zezafoun I knew nothing about Syrian cuisine, but I took a chance. It turned out to be one of my very favourite restaurants. I can’t recommend this place enough.
Food is rich in flavour, and not too spicy (which would usually be a complaint, but in this case still works very well!).

I have recently visited this restaurant. I give a rating of five stare for restaurants that exceeds my expectation in food and environment.first of all, this place has a terrible setting area. The tables are crocked and uneven.the chairs are also not comfortable. This causes the overall experience of the restaurant unpleasant.

The food is way over priced for its quality, taste, and freshness. The rice and koofta was horrible.

The food here was impeccable. The service is just as strong as their food! Love the story of chef yolla and her daughter and sharing their food with us. Had the Syrian mezza which also had hummus, mutabal, muhammara, and moms labneh. Also had the burning fingers and fatteh (tisiyeh) the mezza dips were full of flavour without overpowering one another. The eggplant based mutabal and labneh were my favourites for this mezza and the muhammara with the tangy tamarind taste alongside the red pepper base was just outstanding. The burning fingers and fatteh were just the right amount of thickness and both left a nice creamy feeling to the palate. To end off with some sweets, ordered the Syrian pretzels, which was a nice subtle sweetness with the halloumi cheese which was nice and surprisingly light for a bread based sweet. One thing you definitely have to get is the qamar eldin which is the apricot juice, made fresh with orange blossom and that was just amazing!
Great job on everything and so excited to have tried out something new and definitely is in my list of having to go back!

Follow me on IG @thirst_and_taste for more amazing pics and content

A really delicious take on a grilled cheese lives here! They call it a Syrian grilled cheese. Pita bread is stuffed with Halloumi cheese on a bed of labneh (similar to Greek yogurt). It’s only $6 and I wish I could live closer to eat this every day! No tell them they could stand to charge for for this LOL.

You just need simple ingredients with great preparation and imagination to make delicious things. The Syrian grilled cheese definitely knocks it out of the park. Every bite was full of cheesy gooey goodness and the yogurt provides some light acidity for balance.

The beef kebab wrap is also a delicious choice for a grab and go option. The spicy beef kabab has a good but not overwhelming kick and the hummus, pickles, tahini sauce, and house-made Zezafoun dressing pull it all together in a neat little pita bread package.

The place seems to be supported well by the locals as they did expand to the patio of the closed restaurant that was at the corner of Yonge St.and Manor Rd.

The staff is a bit limited there so be patient depending on how busy they are. We were there for a late take-out lunch and ended up waiting about 15-20 minutes. We only saw one or two wait staff when we went there for take-out instead of outdoor dine-in.

Overall, a great local restaurant to support!

A cozy authentic Syrian restaurant in the heart of midtown and steps away from Yonge-Eglinton subway station. They have such friendly staff and their homecooked meals are delicious.

We ordered "Mom's Labneh" for appetizer, "Shakereyeh with Lamb Shank" and "Maldoum" for entrée and Jallab for drinks. The food were cooked with adequate amount of spice and we enjoyed our experience here.

My girlfriend brought me here for my birthday. I really enjoy the staff kindness and the food authenticity to Syrian cuisine. My only small issues is it’s wait time for the food and the staff attentiveness to get more water or napkins. Overall great experience! I recommend their Hummus it’s a Must!

Been coming here for years! Prior to moving here, Ive never had Syrian food. My husband got me hooked! I usually order a chicken schwarma platter or their beef kebeh dish. The owner Marcelle, really embodies hard work and the importance of quality&love going into every dish. You get a generous amount of food and it gives you that "home cooked feeling. " This is one of my favorite small businesses I love to support in the area especially during covid. I had never had a bad experience with the food, each time it has been delicious. You feel 100% satisfied:)

The entrees here were absolutely scrumptious! Super flavourful and love that it was so saucey. It was a great first experience trying Syrian cuisine. Only thing I thought was mediocre was the salad. Seemed a bit plain for the price.

This restaurant is amazing! Love the great flavours the portions are very generous and the prices are good. The owner is really nice. It has became one of our favourite restaurants in town. You should try it and support local!

A warm welcome with nice homemade food. Staff was friendly and accommodating. We tried the beef kebbeh from their mezze menu along with some Syrian tea. The dish of the day menu is pretty vast with lots of choices. For mains, we tried the burning finger bowl and chicken shawarma pocket. Dessert was a nice touch of pistachio halawi (halva).

Its an authentic syrian cuisine, great journey backhome.each detail tell you a story about Syria starting with decoration to food. Music was amazing they play Fairoz songs which is an Icon.
Food was amazing just like homemade food and Syrian tea was tasty
Stuff was kind and friendly & the place was clean and organized
Which you all the best and see you soon

Stopped by today to pick up a chicken shawarma wrap to go, and can confidently say this is the best shawarma wrap in the city! Staff was really friendly and the decor is beautiful inside. Can’t wait to come back to dine in!

My family loves this restaurant. The food is delicious and unusual, lovingly prepared and served with gracious warmth. We return again and again and never tire of it. The atmosphere is informal and welcoming. It will become your family favourite too.

This is the most authentic Syrian food in Toronto!
Everything that everyone else have praised about this place is true!
Soul-warming and heart-fulfilling home cooked food. When I gave compliments to the owner and her chef mother, I was told that Syrians who eat here would cry after eating as the food reminded them of their own home and mothers. Dramatic but true too.
Their daily specials come in a good sized plate, mixes of meat, vegetables and salad. I wish I had the stomach to eat all the desserts - so good!
I strongly recommend that they should offer a dessert platter so that customers can have a taste of every choice.
Great selection of vegan and vegetarian options too! The wraps are so reasonably priced - $4-$9 only!
Will probably be back for their music night which I hear is immensely popular and often sold out.

I will give food 1 out of 10. It doesn't taste Syrian or even Arabic food. They put the minimum efforts and cost possible. We didn't know what we ate at iftar/dinner. We couldn't figure out the dishes' names or even drinks. Then we thought they are cooking their own special dishes which are not in the Arab world! The service was not bad. Anyway, Fairozeyat music night was nice.

Had a really wonderful experience at this extremely ambient location. The lamb shank and kunafe were extremely well prepared and presented. The lamb shank embedded on top of a well garnished bed of rice is just yum. Will be coming back for more

Good middle eastern food. I got a chicken shawarma and an order of falafel. The chicken shawarma was decent, I felt like I was eating homemade Syrian food.
That falafel was very good! I was a bit surprised that there are 3 pieces in an order but not complaining, definitely not overpriced. I’d go back to try more things from their menu.