One of the largest immigrant populations resulting from the Iranian diaspora that followed the revolution in 1979 resides in Toronto, Ontario. A number of hookah lounges, Iranian businesses and Persian restaurants form the vibrant cultural center affectionately referred to as Tehran-to. 

Takht-e Tavoos is the third restaurant in a family of restaurants on College Street owned by couple Alireza Fakhrasrafi and Danielle Shrage that includes Pomegranate and Sheherzade. Takht-e Tavoos (referring to the Peacock Throne of the Persian realm) features breakfast and other delicacies honouring foods from various regions of Iran. 

The restaurant is about a 15 minute cab ride from the downtown area of Toronto. Persian rugs, artwork, pillowed booths, and inscriptions written in Farsi adorn the space. Takht-e Tavoos’s brunch menu combines breakfast and lunch specialties and offers fresh salads of small plate mazeh (or meze) served with Barbary flatbread.  

After reviewing the menu, Paul and I realized our disadvantage as a party of two.  Had we ordered all of the items which drew our interest, we would have stuffed ourselves or wasted food. If you bring a couple of friends with you to this restaurant, you can avail yourself of the shareable dishes offered by this menu.

We began our meal with a pot of Persian chai tea and an order of Maast o Khiar – a delicious blend of English cucumbers, grated walnuts and rose petals, golden raisins, and mint mixed in a bowl of creamy yogurt and served with crispy, warm Barbary flatbread. Our chai tea arrived unsweetened and improved in flavor with the addition of a single sugar cube. I really enjoyed the tea, but Paul found it a little too bitter for his taste. 

I ordered the Spinach Narguesi for my entrée – two sunnyside up eggs cooked over a bed of fresh sautéed spinach topped with crispy onion. The sides served with the spinach and eggs really pop with flavor: a small block of creamy feta cheese topped with nigella seeds, green olives marinated in chopped walnuts, mint and pomegranate molasses, roasted and chilled grape tomatoes, and mashed red lentils. 

Paul ordered the Shahrudi – two sunnyside up eggs cooked over crispy turmeric infused potatoes and onions topped with nigella seeds, served served with same sides as above. 

If you’re looking to experience an authentically Persian meal during a visit to Toronto, the flavorful dishes of Takht-e Tavoos and the inexpensive entrées make a visit worth your while. 

Takht-e Tavoo
1120 College Street
Toronto, ON M6H 1B5, Canada
647-352-7322