Parallel in Toronto

Went for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Sat in tent section at the front for dinner. A group of nine. The overhead heat lamp was not on over our table but others were on. We asked if they could turn it on as it was cold. They did but for some reason it turned back off later. We reminded them again but we were leaving soon. Waitress was good and helpful. Food was overall good. Some hits and some misses. Cod special with eggplant was really good. Skin could have been crispier. Parallel salad was really good. Falafel was good but not wow. Tabouli salad was just ok. Hummus was creamy but lacked garlic. Their version of a chicken parm was good. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They had a mushroom dish that was very good. I tried the black forest cake and it was not good. Too many cherries and they were too sour.

Considering the prices, I was not impressed by this meal. The bland chicken schnitzel was $32, with nothing around it to liven it up. The fatoush salad at $21 was so small without the crispy pita chips that define fatoush salad. The optional five croutons were an additional $2.50. The messe platter at $24 included four teeny dishes (about 3 tablespoons each) and two cold pitas that were very sad to share with four people. The hummus was not out of this world good as other reviews suggest. The falafel was sold as individual dry balls for some reason. The staff and patio were cool but the location off Dufferin across from an auto garage didnt warrant a higher price for atmosphere either.

Only people whove never tried authentic Middle Eastern food would find this food appetizing. I suggest looking for a number of authentic restaurants in the GTA.

Want to really thank our server Vivian. She made the experience even better. Great restaurant, with awesome food! Best felafels Ive ever had. And again great and friendly service!! Thanks Vivian.

Food was alright, but its overpriced.

I love this place.

We ordered takeout and each loved our meals! The chocolate tahini cookies are also to die for

Food is incredible, the Shakshuka was a little too strong on the tomato flavor but everything else was amazing. Their espresso martinis are great too. Have had both dine in and order, much better for dining in (taste wise)

really good food really nice service and the place was not expensive will come back again and would recommend to friends and family Food

We dined in on a Saturday night. We had comfortable seating at the front of the restaurant. We were worried about bringing our baby but it was fine. They sat us at the corner and we left our stroller in the corner. Definitely friendly to families. We ordered their Parallel salad, chicken schnitzel and falafel. The food was superb. Thank you to Zara for being so helpful as we ventured out as a family.

Excellent food, especially falafel. Careful with the take-away goods. Bought some pita the other day and found mold when I got home so threw right in garbage.

Absolutely love this place.

Decent spot for Middle-Eastern fare. Falafels are great and the hummus w/ other dips & spreads are solid picks. Definitely worth a visit. Would love to take some tahini home next time I visit.

The best middle eastern place in the city, with the most comprehensive menu. Absolutely everything is done to perfection, with flavours not for the faint of heart. Perfect for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. I only wish they had a location north of steeles. Vegetarian options: More than half the menu. Dietary restrictions: Just ask and theyll prepare everything to your restrictions Wheelchair accessibility: Good times!

Unique and interesting.

Food is so good!

Showed up with my partner around 7pm for dinner. We saw that there was an empty table and asked if there was seating available for two. We were told no, but that we could be seated at the bar. (We guessed that the empty table was reserved). We asked that if a table becomes available, if we could move to a table (we are middle-aged, so seats with backs on them vs stools at a counter are much preferred). We were told maybe, but that it was unlikely. We ordered drinks and some food (once we were able to get someones attention-it took a while- its why I dont like sitting at the far corner of a bar) and watched as 4 tables became available within 20 min of us being there. The food was tasty, but the way we were treated wasnt the best.

We had made reservations for a special dinner. We were informed that they made a mistake and we were going to have to wait 45 minutes for a table. No offer for resolution or complimentary items in light of this hospitality faux pas. Tasteless. We went elsewhere.

Food was subpar and the waiter took forever to take our order. Ali baba take out had more flavor

the place have a cool vibe and great falafel and amizing tahini.

THEY STOLE THE MILL THEY USE FROM PALESTINE AND BROUGHT IT HERE IN PIECES ASK ABOUT HOW THEY STEAL FROM THE INDIGENOUS AND MAKE MONEY FROM THEM FOOD WAS AWFUL AS U WOULD EXPECT FROM THIEVES

Great food, atmosphere and service at a reasonable price!

We did a pick up this time, brought it home to devoured it, and we re not disappointed. The salads were fresh and tasty. Staff were more than accommodating and friendly.

Vegetarian options: Quite a few vegetarian options Food

Great food, atmosphere and service. Always buy some of their spice blends on our way out...love the falafel and different hummus dips. Oh yeah, great selection of specialty cocktails and local beers

Server was too busy focusing on the table next to us. We has to keep asking for our dishes. Portions are way too small for sharing.

Lovely hummus and dip selections. Delicious stuff here

Fantastic middle eastern fare with great atmosphere. Half priced wine on Mondays makes this place even better!

Hands down the best falafels I ever had! I recommend that and the chicken shawarma hummus. The staff is super friendly and were amazing with my dog. Yes, the closed patio is dog friendly and heated which is rare in the city. Service + food was on point and love the area too!

Fantastic plant forward eatery in a formerly industrial area. Vegetarian options: Lots of vegetarian options. Vegan too. Dietary restrictions: My dairy allergy was cheerful accommodated. Parking: We went for lunch on a Monday and it was tough to find parking, but worth it for this great place.

Amazing mediterranean food, hummus, salad, falafel, ...

This place is absolutely wonderful, amazing at atmosphere , and the food has been the best . Falafel and chicken shawarma plate were my favourite. A must visit place .

This is simply the most terrible service in all of GTA. A man, because it was a mans voice that spoke to me when I called and asked to help me find their restaurant, because the address is not correctly indicated in Google maps. And do you think anyone helped me??? NO.. I was told that they are busy and the restaurant is open and that I am so stupid that I cant find them, so I just need to dump them and not distract the staff from their work!!! I really hope that this review will be read by the manager, and preferably by the business owners, who will conduct training with the staff and explain how to communicate with customers! I simply strongly do not recommend visiting this establishment where such uneducated staff work. I called at 18:05 on the 31st of July, I hope this helps to find someone who allows you to communicate with customers in a similar tone!!!

Food is fresh and tasty - though seems the serving size has shrunk somewhat in the last year ( prices up a little ) - tons of veggie/vegan options - usually busy between 6-8ish

Stumbled across it by chance, it was a delight. Waited too long for coffee, but otherwise everything was delicious.

I will start by saying that my meal was fantastic and I give full compliments to the chef. However the service we received was insulting. I will preface by saying we had a reservation for 6:30pm for a birthday celebration. Exactly an hour after we were seated, we were told that we needed to leave because they needed the table. When I said that our table was for 6:30 and that an hour is not the acceptable time, the host said he would see what he could do, but that he needed the table. That really dampened the mood. We paid our bill, leaving a generous tip and then went inside because I wanted to take some humus home. Having just returned from war torn Israel, I really wanted some humus. They were out of the portions in the take away fridge and when I asked if they could make a portion (really by putting some in a container) the host said the kitchen was swamped and that I needed to leave. I was shocked, insulted and very hurt. All I wanted was some humus. I hope the owners realize how much they hurt a fellow Israeli by denying such a simple request, especially on their birthday!! Shame!

Maybe this is a hot take but this was bit underwhelming experience for us. The food was good, but nothing that made me go wow. Food felt fresh though which was good. The ambience was decent but the patio was crowded and pretty warm (we went around 7pm). Service was nice and friendly no complaint there. Seems to be a happening joint, could be a better experience when less crowded.

-How long is the wait? -For what?? Believe it or not, this was the conversation with the host 10mins ago. We loved the food before, and the atmosphere too, but our interactions with the Servers and the hosts have always been questionable with some level of rudeness and pretentiousness. Go there for the food not the service

Best falafels in town!

Overall it s over rated and overpriced. Food was not tasteful either. Location and finding a parking spot is another issue.

I tried Middle Eastern food for the first time, and I ordered it because the rate was high here! It was delicious!

Great service and food. David was excellent and took great care of our group!

We have been to Parallel twice. The first time was fantastic. The whole experience was nourishing for body and soul. The different tahini based spreads were unforgettable. The moussaka (that nights special) was rich and full - everything I would want in a moussaka. We enjoyed it so much we chose Parallel a for celebratory dinner. The food was still as good, but the service was terrible. It was very embarrassing - we chose the restaurant half for the food and half for the wonderful experience. We wanted to share that with our guests. Instead we were brought the wrong food, then forgotten for over an hour, and then the wait staff complained to us about the way things were organized. I want to like this place but Im not sure I can.

Hands down the best hummus and falafels! Normally falafels taste dry but they have figured out a way to make it crispy and flavourful! Additionally the salad is so vibrant and full of ingredients and flavours that I would never think to put together. Vegetarian options: So many options!

Delicious food and friendly service with a really great atmosphere!

We had a wonderful dining experience on their patio, with smart and attentive servive. The quiche and shakshouka we ordered were amazing and their Turkish coffee was exquisite! Kid-friendliness: We saw a family having brunch with their very well-behaved kids.

Came with friends for brunch - we enjoyed the food and the ambiance was nice. But one of us ordered the freshly squeezed OJ , and what arrived was clearly a bright yellow beverage that did not taste like freshly squeezed OJ to anyone at the table. Freshly squeezed orange juice, as you the reader knows, is closer to orange and not fluorescent. The waitress then brought out the bottle to show us (we didn t ask to inspect, I just said I wanted to switch my beverage) - which then lead us to ponder how orange juice sold in bottles in freshly squeezed. She should have brought the husks, unless they meant it was freshly squeezed from a bottle. Would you call wine freshly squeezed grapes ? If it isn t produced freshly on site at the moment of ordering, it isn t freshly squeezed . #showmethehusks #homeofthehusk

It really upsets me to have to write this review because Parallel has been a special place for my fiancé and I for a very long time. When we were thinking of moving to the neighbourhood, we had lunch at Parallel for the first time after looking at what would soon to be our house. When we first moved, Parallel was the first restaurant we had lunch at. We catered from Parallel for our housewarming party. Every time guests visit Toronto, whether from Mexico, Vancouver, Asia, etc., we always, always take them to experience the magic that is Parallel. Naturally, since my parents and aunt are visiting from Hong Kong, we took them to Parallel for lunch today as a first stop after an 19 hour travel day. My aunt hasn t been back to Canada for almost 30 years. We entered the fairly empty patio with our dog, and we took a moment to decide who should go in and speak to the host about a table. Because I was holding the dog s leash and I just did a long hike, I sat down at a table while we decided. My fiancé was on his way into the restaurant when a server with dark rimmed glasses and a mustache makes a beeline for us and questions whether or not we ve talked to the host. I said no, we haven t, but we are just about to do so. He informed me that I was not allowed to sit down until we had a table and talked to the host (again the patio had maybe 3 occupied tables out of 12 and no line/ wait). He repeated this a few times. I informed him that that is exactly what we were currently doing, going to talk to the host (my fiancé was already inside and this point I was standing). He then said to me Do you know the definition of a host? A host is someone who stands in front of a restaurant and seats you at your table. You have to talk to the host before you are allowed to sit down. I have honestly never experienced such a patronizing experience at a hospitality establishment before and was absolutely shocked that this white man felt like it was OK to mansplain the definition of a host to me completely unprompted. The Asian server was great and came over to apologize for him afterwards, saying that he probably had a rough day. The man never apologized, and then when he was bussing the table he dropped a utensil with sauce onto my fiancé s back, which stained his shirt, and also did not apologize. We ve never not tipped at a restaurant before, but we felt like we had no choice because this isn t behaviour that should be encouraged. While I am sympathetic that it must be tough to be in the hospitality business, but if you have a rough day don t go and take it out on your paying, loyal patrons. Go to the back room and take a deep breath and reset, or find a new line of work that isn t customer-facing. I should not have been the one to bear the brunt of your resentment at whatever is going on in your life. It s such a shame because I really love the food here, but it really isn t worth being treated this way.

It hurts me to write this review as I ve loved Parallel for a long time and really love their food. I m not sure what has happened with service but it feels like this place became a mess. I m not sure if it s new management or not, but it seems like a recent issue which isn t professional or great for the reputation that Parallel holds. It s supposed to be a welcoming, great place to enjoy healthy food. Service was super late, it was hard to order anything, they were out of any milk alternative for lattes, we had to wait 40 mins to sit down and waited longer after to take an order. This isn t the same as before. Please be on top of getting a good team together to service people as this is a popular restaurant.

Absolutely disappointing. We never received our taboule salad after waiting for almost 25 minutes. A few tables who got there before us got theirs. We had to ask the staff for it and then we decided to just cancel as we were almost done our meal. When our server came by and told us it was almost ready, we reteriated that we asked for it to be canceled, good customer service would have been to give us the salad to go and take it off our bill or offer a solution, which did not happen. The food we did order gave me the runs....I probably will not be going back again. Highly disappointing experience

Just because one is black and you give them very poor services. True definition of racism. I ll never step my foot there again!!!!

Outstanding! Perfect proper falafels. Chicken Shawarma Hummus was delicious.

Everything was excellent. Super high quality food. Parking: Almost no parking on Geary. Expect to park on a side street or bus it here. Food : 5/5 |

Friendly attentive staff :) Started off with a delightful cocktail! Which was a decent size and unique to the restaurant. Can t remember the name but it was rum based, had ginger beer, coconut & lime zest (as pictured.) Shared a few dishes with friends. Highlights were the Parallel Salad, Herb Falafel, & Tofu We also tried the Sabich hummus & mushroom dish.

I recently dined at Parallel and it was fantastic! The atmosphere was cozy, and the food was delicious and authentic. The hummus was creamy, the falafel was crispy, and the kebabs were tender and flavorful. The service was excellent too. Highly recommend!

I had high hopes for this place but it didnt meet expectations. I ordered the Parallel Combo and the chicken was overcooked and tasted weird and the falafel was burnt. The price doesnt match the quality of food. The lemonade was good though.

One of my favourite places in the city. I cant help but continue to go back here time and time again. Still really sad they removed the lamb shank from the menu. Went here most recently for brunch, and the shakshuka was 10/10. I was full but kept eating more because it was so good.

Celebrated our anniversary. Staff were amazing even before they knew, and brought us a little treat once they found out. Food was delish; will definitely be back.

Easily my favourite hummus and tahini in all of Toronto. The menu is sparse but each dish can hold its own. Seriously I always have a tub of Parallel humus and schug in my fridge.

I ve had wonderful experiences in person at Parallel and now with their catering department too fantastic customer service and food every time. Our team loved the spread. Thank you!

Amazing service and amazing food. In a state of enlightenment and ecstasy right now!

The food was amazing and bartender David was so kind and helpful really making the experience.

OpenTable messed up my reservation for Fathers Day, but despite being fully booked Parallel made a plan. Greatly appreciate everything. Excellent food, outstanding staff.

We love it here! Great food Great service!!

Always great service and delicious food.

Schintzel is GOOD Vegetarian options: Vegans options are great too! Food : 5/5 |

Visited with a group of 6 people, there is free parking all along the street. We sat in the sunroom and ordered quite a lot of food. Everything tasted delicious. Atmosphere was great as well. If you like modern middle eastern food or are looking to try something different i would recommend visiting! This place is perfect for groups as most their plates need to be shared!

Our buddy Arthur planned a great night with Parallel being the focal point. The food was great. The staff were very kind and attentive. Chris came to the dinner a bit late. He left his wife alone on her first night home - she d been in Dubai for the past two and a half weeks. She brought him back a Montblanc pen and a leather bound notepad. A gift from his in-laws. Despite the subtle gesture, Chris refuses to sign his life away. Our buddy Raj argued that walkability from his suburban home rivals that of downtown. He maintains a chiseled figure (he s been working out 4x a week for the past 11 weeks). He also has a wonderful family, makes good money, and lives in a beautiful home. I guess sometimes that s just not enough. Mike was surprised that the server was able to separate the bill correctly. He told her how impressed he was. I thought he came off a little crass, it s simple math. But it was all well intentioned. Arthur met his neighbour at the bar after dinner. She inquired if her and her friends could join our table. He said no.

Arthur did indeed plan a wonderful evening. Our friend Sachin, who swims 5 times a week yet has a marshmellowee figure, put living downtown on a pedestal due to walkability. Simply responding that certain areas outside of the core can also maintain reasonable walkability began a bit of a back and forth. Sachin highlighted the wonderful bars, nightlife, and fine dining downtown yet he enjoys none of those things (his favorite restaurant is east side Mario s). Later that evening, our friend Rahul reminisced about a parenting dilemma he recently found himself in. In the heat of the moment he naturally called his wife to advise. She didn t answer as she was at work but he still exercised reasonable judgment and provided free parenting advice to an inattentive father.

Recently had a fantastic meal at this spot. The service was top-notch, making me feel right at home. The dishes were exceptional, with fresh, flavorful ingredients that were clearly well-chosen. The chefs meticulous care in crafting each plate was evident, making for a truly memorable dining experience. I m already looking forward to my next visit to try more from their outstanding menu!

Best falafels in Toronto!!

Falafel were good, a little burnt. Not authentic middle eastern food at all. Just more israeli s disrespecting traditional arabic dishes. Much better places serving at a higher quality and made by real arabs

This place is my favourite middle eastern restaurant in the GTA. The chicken shawarma hummus appetizer is satiating and delicious. The falafel balls are massive and fresh. The service is A1. 10/10 would recommend.

The food is very well prepared and very tasty. All plates are shareable. Makes it easier to try different things on the menu. Huge falafels! Service is fast and friendly. The patio space is very nice! Vegetarian options: Lots of veggie options.

Meze platter is a must

I was in the area, helping out with a filmmakers workshop, and I wanted to grab something to nosh on. I discovered that Parallel was just around the corner, and have heard great things about their halva. Now, as a child I never truly appreciated the subtle nuances that make a sesame tahini snack delicious, but as an adult my taste buds have been refined, and I was all in favour of the variety of halvas available at Parallel. I went for the pistachio halva because I was feeling nutty, and then saw they have salads to go. And I thought - as an adult I should have at least one meal with some form of vegetable, so I bought the Parallel salad and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. It sustained me through my 4-hr workshop and then some! Vegetarian options: The Parallel salad is vegetarian #iykyk

OMG GREAT food, service is tremendous and excellent value. I would not hesitate to go back for brunch or lunch. I would even go for dinner

Love this place. The food is delicious and service is amazing!

Jade is a fantastic server! And the wine was great to. Came here by accident thought I was at greater good but ended up having a great night and it was better than there.

amazing food and service! everything was so delicious but the highlights for us were the savoury knafeh, schnitzel, parallel salad and labaneh.

The look and feel of this place is so lovely. And the tastes!

Amazing falafel (not pictured). The chicken shawarma hummus was delicious as were our mocktails. Prices very reasonable.

Best falafel I ve ever had! Amazing service and staff. Will definitely be back!

We came here as a party of 4 and sat at the bar. The food was amazing but the service was top notch. I recommend sitting at the bar! The bartender is great - we got to try new cocktails in development and played a fun game with him to name the new cocktail. The food was amazing - we shared the parallel salad, falafel and a featured sandwich. Everything was so good. Would definitely come back and would highly recommend this spot!

delish delish delish. the spinach dish with flakey filo on top

Good food. Quite enjoyable

quality and service has gone down

One of the best places I ate in Toronto! Everything on the menu was delicious, although I dont think I need to order the labaneh again. The tahini was so good I took some home and cant stop eating it on everything. Very creative and innovative dishes!

Kind staff

Went here for dinner with my husband. Food was good. Portions are a good size. The location seems shady but it s a unique vibe. We sat in the enclosed patio. It was great. Dessert is a must.

I just purchased the to-go version of the Parallel salad for $21 and it once I opened it up I realized it had such a small amount of toppings, most notably almost NO cheese. It used to include a lot more. This is not what I would expect from at $21 salad. As a long-time customer I feel kinda ripped off.

Such a good vibe in this place. Our server Rizzo was helpful and we appreciate his energy.

So many fresh flavours! Yummy. And thank you

We went out for lunch today three friends who havent seen each other for a long time. We sat there for approximately 3 hours. The restaurant was pretty empty (us and another two tables next to us) so it seemed like there were no issues with us being there. We ordered lots of food and drank 4 cocktails each. When we wanted to order another round of cocktails, the manager told us he wasnt comfortable serving us more alcohol because we had already had too many. I mean, we had been sitting for three hours and had four cocktails, most of which were ice and lemonade (lets be honest). Plus, were 35 years old, we re not kids. I go out to different restaurants at least once a week, and never have I been told that I will not be served more drinks. It was pretty shocking. I know what the law says, and I respect that, thats why we didnt say anything and we just paid the bill and left. But this was humiliating.

This place is incredible. We ordered the pita/hummus, parallel salad, and the falafel and all of them were delicious. But the food alone is not what makes this place amazing. To sum things up... I had a cocktail and did not know at the time that it would interact with my medication in the way that it did. As we were getting ready to leave, I stood up and seconds later I was passed out on the floor. Ty, the owner, came immediately to our assistance. He made sure I was ok without an ambulance, and if I needed anything - water, tea, a sugary drink, food (I had no appetite at that point), and even offered to pay for the ride home. We sat down for a while and I thought I was feeling better, but then as soon as I went outside I threw up. Huge apologies to everyone at the restaurant who had to witness the whole ordeal lol. Of course, Ty & the staff continued to take care of me, and even took care of the mess I made on the sidewalk. Ty also had our contact info and followed up with us later that night to make sure I didnt hit my head, and that I was feeling better. All this to say - thank you so much Ty & everyone at Parallel for taking such good care of me. I appreciate you guys. Ill definitely be back for the great food and for the great service! 10/10, would recommend!

Great food, amazing experience. Everything is very good. The wine also is great. Food

Food is really good, not to expensive, you can eat outside with heaters around you. Vegetarian options: Perfect for vegan or vegetarian or gluten sensible people

Delicious food! Love sitting out on the patio

Food was all fantastic. We weee a large group and they were accommodating. The patio (heated for winter) was a nice vibe. Will return for sure Vegetarian options: Can eat a whole meal without meat and not even notice

First time here with a group of 7. Few of us arrived early to our reservation thinking we may need to wait. But the floor just happens to have a large patio table open and the waitresses are super accommodating and nice to seat us earlier. Nice music building to the atmosphere. Food presentation is outstanding with the colors of various ingredients each demanding your visual attention. Personally I do find the taste and flavor of humus rather ordinary. In attempt to bring twist to plain dish humus, the addition of pickled veggies on top unfortunately didn t add drama, but that may be the intention. On the other hand the herb falafel and Parallel salad are both delights. Then the kabob lies on the dry side and tastes indifferent. Lastly there are plenty of mushrooms on the fungi mix dish. Parking: Lots of curbside parking nearby. But may be hard to find a spot when there s a nearby event.

Had dinner here a week ago. Food is well prepared and delicious. The portions are generous. Service was prompt. My only complaint is that it was a little loud, making conversation challenging. Otherwise, I definitely recommend you try it. We had a platter of different mezze - Hunnish, baba ghanouj, a pesto + one more dip. My sister and I had the special with shrimp and potatoes, someone had the kabob, and the chicken schnitzel. Sorry, forgot to take pics

Solid selection of dips for appetizers and a nice range of mains. Very pleasant staff.

Food is great! Non alcoholic drinks are very average, despite their use of exotic creative names, & they are overpriced! $7.50 for a 200ml juice and $9 for a bottle of sparkling water. The service is bad! I ve been 3 times in a 2 week period because of the good food, but they always forget something, like a main order! This results in taking home an order, or cancelling all together. It s quite strange because they take the orders on a tablet & the kitchen gets it automatically, but they still forget it It really takes away from the whole experience. Overall, if you don t want to get disappointed by a mediocre service experience, just order take out.

Best middle eastern food in the city! A must try in Geary, their felafel is truly amazing.

Amazing Mediterranean food. Great coffee and incredible spices. A must go in the Geary area.

Wonderful experience, delicious foods which are reasonably priced and ncie service (we had falafel, parallel salad, all the dips and all the mains). Cant wait to come back

Food is so fresh, so many veggie options. Such a great find in am assuming neighborhood. We sat out on the patio with our pup, the service was great. Puppers got water and treats so she was happy too while we enjoyed our lunch.

Amazing food, amazing service, amazing time Very satisfied after this meal! A little on the expensive side, that would be my only concern.

Food was so bad Worst beef kebab and hummus ever mezes were below average. cute place, location isn t great and our server was nice.

can t say enough about the quality of food and service!! This should be a Michelin star restaurant! Hipster neighbourhood ! Very exciting place !!! Must return!

This was our first time here, and have to say it was worth the hype. We sat out on the patio. The service was great. We enjoyed the parallel salad, chicken shawarma hummus, falafels, and the beef kabab special, and I have to say everything was amazing. Although its difficult to pick a favorite, I would say the beef kabob and falafels were equally outstanding. We are already planning our next visit!

The food is delicious and generous and the service is impeccable. Thank you ! Food

Best falafels and hummus! Expensive but everything is nowadays. At least its all fresh and delicious! This small mezze plate of 4 tiny dips though was $20!

Nice middle eastern place that serves extravagant meals and dishes in their brunch menu. I dare you to finish it completely. Their Hummus is out of this world! Great service as well! Keep it up!

We came here for a birthday dinner and everyone loved the food! The mezes were all very well made, flavourful, and delicious way to start our meal. So much fun to share small plates of spreads with fluffy pitas. Then the falafels came out and as I cut mine open in half I AUDIBLY GASPED because of the beautiful vibrant green colour. I have eaten of falafel in my day but never one as green or fresh as the one I got at Parallel- it was so much fun to be surprised with the colour, we all considered this a highlight of the meal. The salad we had was absolutely delightful as well (not photographed just inhaled). The mains were also well received and were fairly portioned. The only course I didn t enjoy was the dessert , the Mahalabia was described to us as like panna cotta - while I super appreciate the metaphor to introduce a food, it set us up to have an incongruence of reality meets expectations as we had the grainy mouth feel instead of smooth jello like consistency of panna cotta. The flavour of it was nice, mild, and pleasant but wasn t our favourite because of the textural expectations. Perhaps it should not be introduced like this in the future. Anyway, the service was great and it s a fantastic restaurant in the junction - I would highly recommend Vegetarian options: Well varied, delicious, balanced, and didn t even notice there wasn t meat. Basically you won t miss the meat cause the food is so satisfying that when you finally realize you re only eating vegetarian dishes it makes you briefly consider adapting vegetarianism, just briefly.

Consistently a fantastic experience - delicious food, great atmosphere, and wonderful service.

Probably be the best fallafel Ive ever had. I recommend this place to people all the time. Parallel salad is also amazing!

Delicious food and very friendly staff

Came to grab a drink after work with a few friends. No complaints here. Atmosphere is great, food is delicious and customer service is excellent!

I have been here twice now. The food is incredible and extremely flavourful. Make sure to order the babaganoush. I love the outdoor heated patio, it feels cosy and classy. The servers are attentive and hard working. Vegetarian options: Lots of options for vegetarians and vegans.

Had a great date night in! Chef Liz was really accommodating to my allergies and my partners dietary needs. Food was delicious, service was so friendly and everyone seemed truly happy to be there and welcomed!

We debated between a few places before finally coming here, it was packed but the atmosphere was very enjoyable and we could still have a conversation. The food was amazing. The portions were large and the service was great. If we had room we would have gotten dessert ( it smelled delicious ) 100% recommend and will be back. We are usually super picky and dissatisfied when eating out. This place did not let us down.

As a middle eastern person who loves and appreciates our cuisine, Parallel s popularity puzzles me. I ve heard from people who have worked there that they use low quality ingredients and cut corners, only to charge insane prices for the most bland / lacking in so many ways food. Based on my visit to this spot, I can say that this is absolutely not proper middle eastern food. The flavours and essence captured in Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian foods, are definitely not captured here. Very much a clout situation going on here (no basis/legitimacy). Do not eat here unless you like bland low quality food.

Why do people like this place? I love middle eastern food but this is bland, dry and very overpriced. Would not recommend.

This place has such a neat industrial vibe. It almost didnt feel like we were in Toronto and reminded me of a funky place I visited in an up-and-coming corner of Prague once. The staff were happy and helpful, the food was delicious and felt really authentic, and the portions were great. On your way out youll want to peruse their freezer and pantry shop. I sincerely recommend this place! Wheelchair accessibility: Im not sure about the washroom, but the restaurant definitely had tables suited for a manual wheelchair.

Worst food

Had the most amazing and mouthwatering experience at today! If youre looking for a great dining experience, I highly recommend Paralell restaurant. Trust me, you wont be disappointed!

I was here last night everything was perfect, our waitress Emily was so kind and attentive. Definitely coming back! Best hummus in town

Fabulous portions, delicious flavours, reasonable prices (especially if you eat in without buying any alcohol). Take out quality + portions are just as good. Love that this place is in the neighbourhood!

I loved the food , delicious and fresh. I will become a regular

We had the Parallel Salad and the Mushrooms Mix, both delicious, and full of flavour!! The atmosphere is really nice and the staff is friendly!

We are a group of 4 had a Sunday brunch at Parallel. What a great experience! Atmosphere, food and service were 5 stars. Their falafel and humus are best in town. We are definitely coming back! Vegetarian options: Humus, falafel

The service is below average and expectation, the waiter was rude with us. Food quality does not deserve spending. Parking is annoying and difficult to find one.

Always a good spot to grab a bite. Went for dinner with some girlfriends. Ordered the dips/pita, hummus, parallel salad, shrimp, and a bottle of wine. The bottles are very well priced and the plates are easily shareable. Service was attentive and the outdoor patio is perfectly heated for the colder weather. Highly recommend! Vegetarian options: Lots of vegetarian dishes and dips!

The shakshuka was WILDLY delicious! Everything looked so good it was hard to decide. Vegetarian options: Tons of options! Wheelchair accessibility: The restaurant and accessible toilet are all at ground level.

Loved it. Great food with great service. We will definitely go back many times.

Delicious, simply prepared middle eastern food served by friendly staff. I could make a meal of just the falafels and parallel salad, but there are lots of other tasty dishes on the menu. Good wine and beer selection as well.

Great food. Great atmosphere

a bit pricy but great quality, worth it for sure!

Toronto has a host of fantastic food options, and this is a prime example. The food is absolutely delicious, beautifully presented and served by welcoming, friendly staff. The falafel is second to none and the hummus is phenomenal with lovely, fresh, fluffy pitta. The servings are generous as the menu is designed for a sharing experience, so bear that in mind when ordering. Big thanks to Sagiv for taking care of me and my girlfriend, he was fantastic. Can t wait to come back, once we ve recovered from this food coma!

Absolutely delicious food, very large portions, great value and engaged staff. Love the music but the industrial space is a tad loud. Regardless, can t recommend highly enough! Vegetarian options: Plenty of vegetarian options and even vegan with a few tweaks.

Ridiculously delicious food! I will be back. Many many times. Service was fantastic as well.

Their food is amazing! Extraordinary service! It was a nice lunch we had here with my family. So blessing!

This is a restaurant that is always on my repeat list, which is a rough list to crack in a city like Toronto! Went for dinner and shared a number of dishes, some favourites and some new items. The pita & salads are always top notch. But the real winner of the night was the chicken schnitzel! So crispy, so moist, and huge portions. Definitely going back.

Having the menu on a QR code is an automatic star deduction for me. It s so incredibly frustrating to try to look at the options when you can only see one at a time and have to open your phone and look again once the server arrives. I don t want to start my experience with frustration. Get paper menus! Everything else was good to great, but when it starts with annoyance, you can t really enjoy yourself. Why not offer both options???

The worst service. Rude from start to end.