Fairouz Cafe

Unfortunately, this nice restaurant is going to be closing in April and opening up as a Steakhouse. I understand for one of the owners that they will reopen in 12 months or so. I have followed this restaurant since it's opening on Elgin Street. Many many many years ago. Always good food. Always good atmosphere and they treat you very well. It was our anniversary and my wife's birthday and we really enjoyed it. Thanks.

My wife and I came here for our anniversary dinner, and overall, it was a great experience. The food was very flavorful, and the presentation was excellent. The servers were friendly and knowledgeable. We were happy to see that the beef and chicken are halal, though it’s worth noting the duck isn’t. Parking near the restaurant was a bit of a hassle, but there are a few paid garages nearby if you don’t mind walking a bit. One standout dish for us was the knafeh—it was absolutely delicious and a perfect way to end the meal. The only downside was that the portions felt a bit small for the price, but the quality of the food made up for it. Overall a 4.5 experience

We waited about an hour and forty-five minutes without a reservation, which was reasonable considering the lack of one. However, I had heard positive things about the cafe and restaurant, so we waited until we were seated. The restaurant was lively, with tables close together, allowing us to watch other diners’ meals and conversations. The service was extremely slow, and it seemed like the staff consisted of just one person, whose name I can’t recall. Despite his best efforts, the overall experience was disappointing. The biggest issue was the pricing. The store bought canned hummus and grape leaves were ridiculously expensive. As a Middle Eastern person, I can confidently say that these items were probably canned and not freshly made. Considering that we paid a total of around $236 Canadian dollars without tipping, I found the quality of the food to be mediocre at best. The meat options were the meat kabab and the chicken sheesh. Both were edible, but the prices were way too high for the portion sizes. When I asked the waitresses about the menu, they confirmed that it was inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine, but it didn’t follow traditional authenticity. While I appreciated their honesty, the food didn’t meet my expectations. In comparison to other restaurants, the prices here were significantly higher. This made it hard to justify the quality of the food. Some dishes on the menu were confusing, like the fried halloumi served with dried oats on the side. It looked like cereal from a box.

The atmosphere was the only good thing there. While the food looked pretty, the taste was mediocre. The pita bread they served with Kababs was so dry and brittle, it felt at least a week old. Chicken is supposed to be juicy but it was quite obviously overcooked. And the beef kabab was too chewy. Don't think I would pay for this food again.

Great food! We ordered the meat platter for the family and it was just the right amount. Lamb, beef, chicken and tons of spreads, salads, and side dishes. 9/10 on the flavour side and genuinely lovely staff.

We’ve been several times and always recommend the dip trio and any halloumi dish :) But we recently visited to celebrate our ten year anniversary which sadly wasn’t acknowledged by staff :( would recommend for a nice dinner but not necessarily a celebration

Nice place , super clean and friendly staff ! The spices overpowered the taste of all the dishes. From the baba ghannouj all the way to the meat platter ( which we found a little overpriced at 100$) for what came on it !

Decided to come enjoy their weekend brunch which is fairly a new addition to their menu. Firstly, the ambiance early morning was very calming. Though located in byward market, this restaurant is a steps away from the busy parts. The restaurant itself has an outdoor patio & 2 different dinning areas. One seems to be more vibrant in colour the other room is dark interior with mood lighting. The brunch menu was a fusion of Turkish and parts of Middle East. Here is what enjoyed: Muhamara was our favourite, the perfect blend of cashew and red peppers. Stuffed Grape leaves were alright. Lubneh with Dukkah beats was tasty. The beets added a rich flavour to the yogurt dish. Beef lahmoujoun, the mint/dill sauce it was paired with was absolutely delicious. Turkish Egg, poached eggs with labneh. It was good but eventually the flavour of yogurt was too empowering & it needed a something to balance. I ended up mixing muhamara with it. Shakshuka, this was alright. Black seed pancakes, this was a savoury item served with tabouli. This was probably the least favourite on the table. The flavour was bland. Overall, the experience was good. The service was great! Our food arrived in a timely manner. The server did a great job at examining the menu.