Introducing: Byblos, a new Mediterranean restaurant from Toronto nightlife king Charles Khabouth
Introducing: Byblos, a new Mediterranean restaurant from Toronto nightlife king Charles Khabouth
Name: Byblos
Contact Info: 11 Duncan St., 647-660-0909, byblostoronto.com, @ByblosToronto
Neighbourhood: Entertainment District
Owner: Charles Khabouth and Harif Harji, who together own a good chunk of Toronto’s dining and boozing scene, including nearby Patria and Weslodge
Executive Chef: Patria chef Stuart Cameron
Chef de Cuisine: Patria sous-chef Jennifer Nickle
The Food: Byblos is the latest (and most upscale) in a string of Mediterranean eateries to open in Toronto. Chefs Cameron and Nickle focus on dishes from Greece, Morocco, Israel, Lebanon and Turkey. Shareable plates include house-made labneh, hand-rolled couscous and whole char-grilled fish. Baked basmati rice dishes are flavoured with things like saffron and preserved lemon and served in big earthenware pots.
The Drinks: Mixologist Wes Galloway infuses his cocktails with exotic flavourings like pistachio and fenugreek. Lebanese arak, an anise-flavoured liquor similar to sambuca, is ceremoniously served tableside.
The Place: Housed in the former Grey Goose Soho House space, Byblos is two restaurants in one: a lower-level dining room and an upstairs lounge with a smaller menu and larger cocktail list. The design throughout is bright and informal, with vaulted white-brick ceilings and shelves lined with Turkish coffee pots and decorative ceramics.
The Numbers:
• 5000 BC when Byblos, believed to be the world’s oldest city, was first settled
• 70 seats
• 4 baked rice dishes, including Mejadra rice (pictured above), topped with lentils, fried shallots and yoghurt
• 1 daily punch bowl
Read More
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- <strong>Byblos</strong> is located in the <strong>Storys Building</strong> at 11 Duncan Street
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- Introducing: Byblos
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- The space was designed by local firm <strong>Commute</strong> to look like a modern Mediterranean taverna
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- Introducing: Byblos
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- Introducing: Byblos
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- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
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- Roasted red beets with pistachios, caraway and labneh, served with Barbari flatbread ($9)
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- House labneh with fennel and honey, served with Barbari flatbread ($6)
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- Chili-spiced steak tartare with mint and yoghurt ($15)
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- Mejadra basmati rice with lentils, yoghurt and fried shallots ($16)
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- Spicy tomato shakshuka with yoghurt, duck eggs and Roumy cheese ($9)
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- Turkish dumplings (<em>manti</em>) with eggplant, yoghurt sauce and molasses ($12)
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- Hand-rolled saffron couscous with brown butter and herbs ($6)
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- Lamb Ribs with buttermilk sauce, carob molasses and red chilis ($12)
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- Pistachio-yoghurt cake with cotton candy
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- Mixologist Wes Galloway
- (Image: Gizelle Lau)
- Introducing: Byblos
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- Gulab: rose-infused vodka, house pomegranate syrup and tincture of cardamom ($13)
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 in a string of Mediterranean eateries to open in Toronto. Chefs Cameron and Nickle focus on dishes from Greece, Morocco, Israel, Lebanon and Turkey. Shareable plates include house-made labneh, hand-rolled couscous and whole char-grilled fish. Baked basmati rice dishes are flavoured with things like saffron and preserved lemon and served in big earthenware pots.
The Drinks: Mixologist Wes Galloway infuses his cocktails with exotic flavourings like pistachio and fenugreek. Lebanese arak, an anise-flavoured liquor similar to sambuca, is ceremoniously served tableside.
The Place: Housed in the former Grey Goose Soho House space, Byblos is two restaurants in one: a lower-level dining room and an upstairs lounge with a smaller menu and larger cocktail list. The design throughout is bright and informal, with vaulted white-brick ceilings and shelves lined with Turkish coffee pots and decorative ceramics.
The Numbers:
• 5000 BC when Byblos, believed to be the world’s oldest city, was first settled
• 70 seats
• 4 baked rice dishes, including Mejadra rice (pictured above), topped with lentils, fried shallots and yoghurt
• 1 daily punch bowl
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Mejadara with yogurt on top? I’ve never heard of that. They don’t go together. But the dish looks good, otherwise.