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23 Magnificent Middle Eastern Restaurants in Montreal

Magical mezzes and more

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The diversity of Middle Eastern cuisine in Montreal, spans multiple regions, styles, and traditions, and from the colourful variety of mezze bars, to new twists on brunch, there is something for every taste, including some vegetarian and vegan options.

This map covers the best of the bunch from Turkey, around the Mediterranean to Egypt, east to the Arabian Peninsula and up to Iran in the north

Craving falafel? There’s a whole map dedicated to those crispy chickpea or bean balls, right over here.

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Restaurant Beroya

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Owners Tamer Manouchakian, Firas Kalpakjian, and Michel Sarraf brought this Syrian spot to Laval relatively recently. Beroya, (the ancient name for the city of Aleppo), presents traditional Syrian dishes (fattouche salad with pomegranate molasses dressing is recommended) in a warm and friendly setting. The two-person tasting option includes hot and cold mezzes, salad, and kebbeh, a finely-minced spiced meat dish.

The late Alice Daou founded this Lebanese restaurant forty years ago, this restaurant has become an institution in Villeray, and a favourite venue for events, counting Céline Dion among its diners. The décor is abundant, giving it the appearance of a banquet hall, and the food is simple, authentic, and well-made, with Lebanese beer on offer too.

Alep/Le Petit Alep

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Alep and Le Petit Alep, fuse Syrian and Armenian cuisines, describing their fare as “the flavours of a fertile marriage,” and it’s hard to disagree. Alep is intimate, warm, and upscale, while Le Petit Alep complements this with a livelier and more casual vibe, including art exhibitions. Both make service a strong point, with staff happy to guide their guests through their manifold offerings, including optimal food and wine pairings.

Bookshelves, potted plants, and cushions galore add a sense of cozy-chic to this Plateau Iranian establishment, best known for its breakfast and brunch. The menu is arranged in “chapters,” rather than meals, with desserts as the epilogue, spanning from omelettes to purées and dips, sandwiches, and herby, eggy koukou. Hemela Pourafzal, founder and owner, has added her own artistic touches to the décor, and it’s a genuine family business, with both her daughter and son involved.

Modern and sleek, Ezo D covers classic Lebanese fare — kebabs, falafels, and pita — but with an emphasis on seafood. Their menu tends to put a more European twist on the cuisine, with open-plan seating making it spacious and versatile, for groups of any size.

Mirazu’s Turkish mezze menu and snug size make it an appealing and casual spot for families, couples, and friends. Its main dishes centre around lamb, beef, and roasted vegetables, and come generously decorated with nuts and pomegranate seeds. It also offers a fine brunch.

Offering a “traditional Syrian gastronomy experience” in its own words, upscale Outremont restaurant Damas an excellent place to indulge in a celebratory dinner. Their mezze menu also provides exciting options, for those who want to try a bit of everything — but the tasting menu is a true high point on Montreal’s dining scene.

Aux Lilas

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Mile End Lebanese restaurant Aux Lilas may be small, but it holds its own among the surrounding dining options through a blend of history and charisma. It’s been on Parc Avenue since 1980, founded by chef-owner Christine Farhood, and takes particular pride in providing a warm welcome, tasteful music, and a well-curated list of Lebanese wines. Oh, and its website even includes a few recipes.

Rumi’s delightfully-named “Brunch of the Whirling Dervishes” has given it a unique place on the Outremont dining scene. The blend of Middle Eastern, central Asian, and North African cuisines makes it a great place to sample wide-ranging flavours — and the inclusion of ginger-infused maple syrup gives the menu a distinctly Québecois touch.

Omnivore

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A Plateau favourite, Omnivore prides itself on using local, hormone-free meats and fresh vegetables. The food is grilled over maple charcoal, yielding a barbecue taste evocative of outdoor summer meals. As the name implies, the menu is mixed, with both vegetarian and meat options — it’s especially famous for its salads.

Kazamaza

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With its casual chic vibe helped by exposed brick walls and cozy lighting, Kazamaza is a prime spot for mezzes or weekend brunch. It’s got an array of options, both meat-based and vegetarian-friendly — fattet hummus (layered with garlic yogurt and topped with nuts) and kawarma (lamb confit) are particular highlights.

Château Kabab

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Despite an unexciting exterior, Château Kabab is a pleasant surprise, and one that lives up to its name. Its titular kebabs are reliably delicious, and the atmosphere is bright and airy, with a cheerful blue-and-gold colour scheme. Prices are reasonable, making it popular with students.

Garage Beirut

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An unassuming name belies an exciting Lebanese eatery in the Concordia University area. It’s a cozy space with exposed brick walls and simple décor, best known for seriously good sauces — their hummus and yogurt-based pita dips are popular — as well as an excellent baklava. In patio season, it expands onto Bishop Street with guests enjoying the sun with kebabs, salad, and Lebanese beer.

For convenience and quality, downtown’s Avesta is hard to top. Its delicious manti — a Turkish-style dumpling similar to ravioli — are reason enough on their own to stop by. The colourful, whimsical design of the interior is charming, and long tables make it good for groups.

A lively mid-range option, St-Henri’s Sumac specializes in shawarma, pitas and salads, brushing the former with zaatar and olive oil for an extra touch of flavour. Their side-options include Middle Eastern condiments such as z’hug (coriander, chili and garlic) and amba (pickled mango, fenugreek, and mustard seeds).

Quartier Perse

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Iranian eatery Quartier Perse hosts events for several major Iranian holidays throughout the year, in its welcoming, wood-accented dining room in NDG. Outside of those special meals, it’s a BYOB, with a variety-laden menu incorporating rich stews through to mouthwatering lamb. The leafy, shaded outdoor area is a must for summer dining.

Tehran Restaurant

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Family-run Tehran prides itself on its artful use of seasonings, fruits, and nuts, and a glance at the menu shows why. Traditional meals such as ash (a lentil-chickpea soup) and tender kebabs make it a reliably delicious option. Try the cardamom tea with dessert, too.

Restaurant Yas

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Saffron predominates at this snug, candlelit Iranian establishment in NDG, which pairs grilled kebabs with saffron-topped basmati rice, and even offers saffron ice cream for dessert. Adding to the flavour palette are marinades such as walnut-and-pomegranate paste. Their appetizers are equally engaging, with yogurt-based sauces and vegetarian options such as grilled aubergine.

Open since 1985, this brightly decorated Lebanese hotspot offers an array of grills and machawi (grilled meat platters designed to be shared between two people). The baba ganoush is highly recommended, with just the right degree of smokiness. There’s a table d’hôte option, too, which includes soup and coffee alongside the main.

Restaurant Onyx

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Specials change every day at Iranian restaurant Onyx, and shared platters are available, featuring a mix of chicken, ground beef, and filet mignon kebabs. For a burst of flavour, an extra serving of barberry can be ordered on the side.

Restaurant Persia

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This family-run restaurant specializes in home-style Iranian fare. The classic lines and unobtrusive colours of the interior complement the bright colours of saffron and pomegranate on the plates, and although it’s tucked away inconspicuously in a mall on St-Jacques, it’s a good find for those who know where to look.

Restaurant Su

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The care and creativity of the indomitable chef-owner Fisun Ercan have made Su into Montreal’s destination Turkish restaurant. New takes on classics, such as lentil manti and vegetable pancakes, use traditional flavours in an innovative way, and desserts, such as kunefe (a phyllo dough-based confection) are a delight for the sweet tooth.

Falafel St. Jacques

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Undoubtedly worth the trip to Lachine, the all-vegetarian Falafel St. Jacques goes above and beyond the chickpea patties in its name: tuck into fried eggplant or veggie shish-taouk in pita or loaded-up platter form, as well as burekas, kibbeh, and a range of salads. —Tim Forster

Restaurant Beroya

Owners Tamer Manouchakian, Firas Kalpakjian, and Michel Sarraf brought this Syrian spot to Laval relatively recently. Beroya, (the ancient name for the city of Aleppo), presents traditional Syrian dishes (fattouche salad with pomegranate molasses dressing is recommended) in a warm and friendly setting. The two-person tasting option includes hot and cold mezzes, salad, and kebbeh, a finely-minced spiced meat dish.

Daou

The late Alice Daou founded this Lebanese restaurant forty years ago, this restaurant has become an institution in Villeray, and a favourite venue for events, counting Céline Dion among its diners. The décor is abundant, giving it the appearance of a banquet hall, and the food is simple, authentic, and well-made, with Lebanese beer on offer too.

Alep/Le Petit Alep

Alep and Le Petit Alep, fuse Syrian and Armenian cuisines, describing their fare as “the flavours of a fertile marriage,” and it’s hard to disagree. Alep is intimate, warm, and upscale, while Le Petit Alep complements this with a livelier and more casual vibe, including art exhibitions. Both make service a strong point, with staff happy to guide their guests through their manifold offerings, including optimal food and wine pairings.

Byblos

Bookshelves, potted plants, and cushions galore add a sense of cozy-chic to this Plateau Iranian establishment, best known for its breakfast and brunch. The menu is arranged in “chapters,” rather than meals, with desserts as the epilogue, spanning from omelettes to purées and dips, sandwiches, and herby, eggy koukou. Hemela Pourafzal, founder and owner, has added her own artistic touches to the décor, and it’s a genuine family business, with both her daughter and son involved.

Ezo D

Modern and sleek, Ezo D covers classic Lebanese fare — kebabs, falafels, and pita — but with an emphasis on seafood. Their menu tends to put a more European twist on the cuisine, with open-plan seating making it spacious and versatile, for groups of any size.

Mirazu

Mirazu’s Turkish mezze menu and snug size make it an appealing and casual spot for families, couples, and friends. Its main dishes centre around lamb, beef, and roasted vegetables, and come generously decorated with nuts and pomegranate seeds. It also offers a fine brunch.

Damas

Offering a “traditional Syrian gastronomy experience” in its own words, upscale Outremont restaurant Damas an excellent place to indulge in a celebratory dinner. Their mezze menu also provides exciting options, for those who want to try a bit of everything — but the tasting menu is a true high point on Montreal’s dining scene.

Aux Lilas

Mile End Lebanese restaurant Aux Lilas may be small, but it holds its own among the surrounding dining options through a blend of history and charisma. It’s been on Parc Avenue since 1980, founded by chef-owner Christine Farhood, and takes particular pride in providing a warm welcome, tasteful music, and a well-curated list of Lebanese wines. Oh, and its website even includes a few recipes.

Rumi

Rumi’s delightfully-named “Brunch of the Whirling Dervishes” has given it a unique place on the Outremont dining scene. The blend of Middle Eastern, central Asian, and North African cuisines makes it a great place to sample wide-ranging flavours — and the inclusion of ginger-infused maple syrup gives the menu a distinctly Québecois touch.

Omnivore

A Plateau favourite, Omnivore prides itself on using local, hormone-free meats and fresh vegetables. The food is grilled over maple charcoal, yielding a barbecue taste evocative of outdoor summer meals. As the name implies, the menu is mixed, with both vegetarian and meat options — it’s especially famous for its salads.

Kazamaza

With its casual chic vibe helped by exposed brick walls and cozy lighting, Kazamaza is a prime spot for mezzes or weekend brunch. It’s got an array of options, both meat-based and vegetarian-friendly — fattet hummus (layered with garlic yogurt and topped with nuts) and kawarma (lamb confit) are particular highlights.

Château Kabab

Despite an unexciting exterior, Château Kabab is a pleasant surprise, and one that lives up to its name. Its titular kebabs are reliably delicious, and the atmosphere is bright and airy, with a cheerful blue-and-gold colour scheme. Prices are reasonable, making it popular with students.

Garage Beirut

An unassuming name belies an exciting Lebanese eatery in the Concordia University area. It’s a cozy space with exposed brick walls and simple décor, best known for seriously good sauces — their hummus and yogurt-based pita dips are popular — as well as an excellent baklava. In patio season, it expands onto Bishop Street with guests enjoying the sun with kebabs, salad, and Lebanese beer.

Avesta

For convenience and quality, downtown’s Avesta is hard to top. Its delicious manti — a Turkish-style dumpling similar to ravioli — are reason enough on their own to stop by. The colourful, whimsical design of the interior is charming, and long tables make it good for groups.

Sumac

A lively mid-range option, St-Henri’s Sumac specializes in shawarma, pitas and salads, brushing the former with zaatar and olive oil for an extra touch of flavour. Their side-options include Middle Eastern condiments such as z’hug (coriander, chili and garlic) and amba (pickled mango, fenugreek, and mustard seeds).

Quartier Perse

Iranian eatery Quartier Perse hosts events for several major Iranian holidays throughout the year, in its welcoming, wood-accented dining room in NDG. Outside of those special meals, it’s a BYOB, with a variety-laden menu incorporating rich stews through to mouthwatering lamb. The leafy, shaded outdoor area is a must for summer dining.

Tehran Restaurant

Family-run Tehran prides itself on its artful use of seasonings, fruits, and nuts, and a glance at the menu shows why. Traditional meals such as ash (a lentil-chickpea soup) and tender kebabs make it a reliably delicious option. Try the cardamom tea with dessert, too.

Restaurant Yas

Saffron predominates at this snug, candlelit Iranian establishment in NDG, which pairs grilled kebabs with saffron-topped basmati rice, and even offers saffron ice cream for dessert. Adding to the flavour palette are marinades such as walnut-and-pomegranate paste. Their appetizers are equally engaging, with yogurt-based sauces and vegetarian options such as grilled aubergine.

Azar

Open since 1985, this brightly decorated Lebanese hotspot offers an array of grills and machawi (grilled meat platters designed to be shared between two people). The baba ganoush is highly recommended, with just the right degree of smokiness. There’s a table d’hôte option, too, which includes soup and coffee alongside the main.