Toronto · 6 ranked picks

6 Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in Toronto

KS2 THE HALAL STEAK & GRILL leads this shortlist.

By TastyPals Editorial TeamUpdated July 21, 2026

6 ranked picks

Mangal Kebab House — Mangal Kebab House is worth putting on the shortlist for Mixed Grill Platter and Ali Nazik Iskender Kebab—the two orders to build a first visit around. It is also one of the easier picks here for keeping the bill in check. View restaurant →
Sources checked
  • Official source - Mangal Kebab House's official website or menu was checked for current operation and the middle eastern details supporting this selection. Checked July 21, 2026.
Darna Middle Eastern Kitchen — This is Palestinian home cooking made public, and in Leaside — a neighbourhood that skews comfortable and conventional — that specificity is genuinely radical. The Sayadieh ($27) is the dish that earns Darna its reputation: crispy-skinned Mediterranean sea bass over rice loaded with nuts, raisins, and caramelized onions, finished with a rustic tomato sauce. The contrast between the crackling fish skin and the sweet-savory depth of that rice is the kind of thing you want to reconstruct at home and can't quite. Order it alongside the Fattet Batenjan ($16) — a vegetarian stunner that plays temperature and texture against each other, the hot base of tomato-braised eggplant meeting a cold layer of tahini-yogurt sauce, then crowned with pomegranate seeds, slivered almonds, and crispy fried pita. It's architectural in the best way. The open kitchen, anchored by a Malagutti wood-burning oven they use to make taboon — a whole wheat Levantine flatbread baked over hot stones — means the room smells like bread and char from the moment you walk in. The move: start with the Jarjeer Salata and the Fukhara, work toward the Sayadieh, and do not skip the sticky date pudding no matter how full you are. At these price points, this is one of the most compelling-value dinners in the city's middle tier. Book ahead for weekend evenings; the room isn't enormous and the neighbourhood has caught on. and whatToOrder":null}. View restaurant →
Sources checked
  • Official source - Darna Middle Eastern Kitchen's official website or menu was checked for current operation and the middle eastern details supporting this selection. Checked July 21, 2026.

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Lebanese Garden — Lebanese Garden in Lawrence is a good-value meal. It is also one of the easier picks here for keeping the bill in check. View restaurant →
Sources checked
  • Official source - Lebanese Garden's official website or menu was checked for current operation and the middle eastern details supporting this selection. Checked July 21, 2026.
Old Avenue Restaurant — Old Avenue Restaurant is worth putting on the shortlist for Shah Ploh (with lamb) and Khachapuri Megreskiy—the two orders to build a first visit around. It is also one of the easier picks here for keeping the bill in check. View restaurant →
Sources checked
  • Official source - Old Avenue Restaurant's official website or menu was checked for current operation and the middle eastern details supporting this selection. Checked July 21, 2026.
Byblos Downtown — Byblos Downtown is worth putting on the shortlist for Dom Pérignon Brut and Château Musar Jeune Cinsault Blend—the two orders to build a first visit around. It is also one of the easier picks here for keeping the bill in check. View restaurant →
Sources checked
  • Official source - Byblos Downtown's official website or menu was checked for current operation and the middle eastern details supporting this selection. Checked July 21, 2026.

How the restaurants compare

How we chose

We looked for restaurants that feel like a strong fit for the guide topic, not just the most obvious names in the city. The shortlist favors rooms with clear mood, dependable pacing, and enough distinction to help someone decide faster. Read our full methodology →

Room tone

Lighting, pace, and general energy all need to support the reason someone clicked this guide.

Food fit

We favored restaurants that feel best suited for the moment, not just restaurants with broad reputation.

Useful range

The final list tries to give readers enough variation in neighborhood, price, and style to compare real options.

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