As the trend toward simply prepared Medi­terranean-style meals overcomes our fascination with fancy fusion, Toronto is turning to Middle Eastern fare, and this cramped little spot offers some of the city’s finest Lebanese food. A Beirut-pop soundtrack serenades couples and young professionals as they tuck into comforting meals made from the freshest ingredients. The cucumbers and tomatoes in the fattoush salad taste as if they’ve just been plucked from the garden, while hunks of fried eggplant arrive puffed and smoky, their oily crackle giving way to melting garlic-scented flesh. In mains, the kefta kebabs are unparalleled: juicy, grilled lamb and beef meatballs are bursting with parsley, garlic and onions, and dredged in cool yogurt sauce. Of traditional desserts, the künafa ashta—custard sandwiched between strands of sugary angel hair phyllo—is rich and surprisingly delicate. A short wine list includes selections from Lebanon and Israel, but Beirut cocktails, such as rosewater-scented vodka, are a viable alternative. Service is attentive. Mains $14–$25.