Muhammara
Walnut, roast pepper, pomegranate molasses. Order two and skip the hummus argument.
Middle Eastern · Riverside
Tabülè Riverside
Middle Eastern mezze on Queen East that has quietly never had an off night
Middle EasternRiverside, Toronto$$Details being confirmed
The review
Tabülè does not do anything startling, which is why it has been full for fifteen years. The mezze are properly made, the grill is used properly, and the vegetarian side of the menu is not a courtesy.
Muhammara is the order to lead with — walnut, roast pepper, pomegranate molasses — and it is better than the hummus, which is a sentence that starts arguments. Lamb shawarma is carved with the fat intact, as it should be. Falafel is fried to order and green through the middle.
Honest notes: mezze ordering has a way of doubling a bill quietly. It fills up without an obvious pattern. Parking on that stretch of Queen East is a losing game — take the streetcar.
What to order
Lamb Shawarma Plate
Carved off the spit, with the fat left where it belongs.
Falafel
Fried to order, green in the middle. The test, and it passes.
What works
- Vegetarian half of the menu is a full menu
- Reliable across years
- Patio in summer is one of the good ones
What doesn’t
- Mezze ordering runs the bill up
- Gets busy without warning
- Parking on Queen East is a problem
Verdict
Muhammara, falafel, lamb shawarma. Take the streetcar.