Darvish Restaurant Tempus in Toronto, ON

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Telephone:	+1 416-929-8893
Website:	darvishrestaurant.net
Address:	508 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 1X9 Downtown Core
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	540 ftWellesley Street 590 ftYonge Street 670 ftWellesley
Categories:	Persian/Iranian

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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations	Yes
Delivery	No
Take-out	Yes
Accepted Cards	Credit, Debit
Good For	Lunch
Parking	Street
Bike Parking	Yes
Wheelchair Accessible	Yes
Good for Kids	Yes
Good for Groups	Yes

Attire	Casual
Ambience	Casual
Noise Level	Quiet
Alcohol	Full Bar
Outdoor Seating	No
Wi-Fi	No
Has TV	Yes
Waiter Service	Yes
Caters	Yes

Today

Today	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm Closed now
Local time (Toronto)	05:54 Thursday, 12 June 2025

Business hours

Monday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tuesday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Wednesday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Thursday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Friday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Sunday	3:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Restaurant (food business)

History

Established in 1985.

This is the very first Persian Restaurant in Toronto (since 1985)

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20 reviews of Darvish Restaurant Tempus

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John M.

Place rating: 5
Washington, DC

Truly good Persian food is made at home. Delicacies such as ghormeh sabzi and fesenjaan require lengthy cook times as well as passionate attention from the cook — which is no surprise as to why these fine dishes aren’t usually found in restaurants.
Enter Darvish — a cozy Persian spot just off of bustling Yonge Street — and one finds a slice of the city. People of various backgrounds, Persian, Canadian, Asian, and American, all in search of fine Persian dining. This place is clearly a family affair. A family-run establishment which seems to have a steady clientele of Persian-Canadians and others who seem like this is their weekly home away from home.
Warm bread and appetizers come out of the kitchen quickly and entrees are quick to follow. Try any of the Persian specialties, such as fesenjaan (pomegranate stew) and gheymeh (split pea stew) or one of their fine chelo kabobs. Careful attention is paid to presentation as the food is pleasantly brought out to you.
After filling up, treat yourself and your dining companion (s) to a pot of hot Persian tea, which seems to refresh and complete your brief culinary trip to the Middle East.

Nabila I.

Place rating: 4
Toronto, Canada

This was my first time eating Persian food. I didn’t realize that it was more of a sit down place; I always feel like the Yonge strip is just fast food places and hole in the wall dive-y places.
It was a pleasant surprise to walk in to a nicely decorated, if deserted, restaurant. While I had a super late lunch there, they had a few calls for pick up, so perhaps most people just get food to go.
I learned that Persian food is really a mix of many different types of cuisines I’m already familiar. Still, I wanted to try something new. So I ordered the Walnut Pomegranate Stew. It came with pieces of chicken breast in the stew and a side of saffron rice. The prices weren’t cheap, but the portion was excellent. I am a big fan of stewed meats and rice, but what was interesting about this one was it was sweet. Generally, the stews I’ve had are more savoury, and the difference was shocking but in an appealing way. I definitely couldn’t eat it every day, but I enjoyed it a lot.
My partner had the Chicken Soltani dinner, which was two kabobs (chicken and minced beef) with a side of rice and a grilled tomato. He seemed to enjoy his meal as well.
I will come back, but it might not be for awhile. That’s mostly due to the price and the extremely slow service. The staff was very nice, and maybe it’s a cultural thing, but it was as if we had all day to hang out at the restaurant. But again, this could have been an off day or time.

Kelly H.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

My favorite place to go for a quiet, delicious and peaceful lunch. Best Persian food, wonderful and beautiful owner who goes over and above to make sure you are happy and satisfied. dishes here are perfection. Over the years I have had them all. Music is calm and the décor is like being in a Persian home. Welcoming, and generous with time and hospitality. This place is the hidden jem on yonge street.

Jaclynn E.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

Miss this place so much! I used to live around here with my boyfriend and we used to go all the time. Everything is delicious. Order with your eyes closed, it’ll be great no matter what you get! I used to go there so often that the waitress remembered us after a while, which I figured out after she spoke to my (Persian) partner in Farsi and me automatically in English. My favourite is of course koobideh, and the mast museer is excellent — the bread always tastes super fresh. Prices are reasonable too, for the relaxing atmosphere, attentive service (even when busy) and good portions!

Amal B.

Place rating: 3
Toronto, Canada

Someone recommended this restaurant to me .we went there about 9:30p.m while they close at 10, there was an only couple, we asked if they are closed but the only waitress nodded her head as if she is saying «come in way not «she was friendly and smiley. we ordered the Persian taster plater as a starter, I ll give it 4 out of 10 and for the mains we have ordered the mixed meat and checkin kebab with rice, the rice was very delicious and fluffy. the meat was buttery for my taste while the chiken was moist and well seasoned.

KC L.

Place rating: 5
Evanston, IL

Quiet, cozy atmosphere with delicious homemade style Persian cuisine. The lamb shank is incredibly tender and flavorful

Yijin W.

Place rating: 4
Toronto, Canada

Had the lamb shank. Delicious. Very cozy environment and warm service. Felt like I was at a friend’s home.

Marjan K.

Place rating: 4
Ossington Strip, Toronto, Canada

Koobideh is really good.
My friend was here for the first time and enjoyed the favabean rice so much that they requested more.

Youcef B.

Place rating: 4
Toronto, Canada

Hummus and Kashk Bademjan for appetizers were really good. the bread used for dipping was as good.
For mains, I ordered the aubergine stew, it was delicious. We also ordered the chicken Soltani and asked if we can switch the rice and tomato with a salad and they obliged.
Good service and good food, looking forward to more visits.

Jessica L.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

I love this place. I always get the fesenjoon. The bread/pita is always warm and delicious. The rice is always buttery and has the perfect hint of salt.
Darvish is a small restaurant hidden along Yonge Street. It’s nicely decorated with Persian-esque antiques and décor. The prices are average but worth it considering the love that’s put into the food.
What appeals to me more about this place is the fact that it’s solely run by a husband and wife. The wife runs the front as the server, and the husband does all the cooking. Coming to local, family run businesses gives you the warm, pampered feeling with that home cooked feel. I always recommend this place to friends. Definitely my favorite Persian spot in Toronto!

Idan R.

Place rating: 4
Toronto, Canada

Gheymeh Bademjoon is excellent. If you like sweet dishes, try the Fesenjoon. If you like tart dishes, try the Ghormeh Sabzi. Other dishes are also very good. Make sure to sprinkle some sumac spice (available in a shaker on every table, in lieu of pepper) — it has a nice lemony taste. This food is more unique than other offering on this stretch of Yonge St. Service is warm and friendly.

SuPing C.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

It was my first time trying Persian food and I was not disappointed! I had chicken with walnut and pomegranate — it was oddly sweet yet delicious and I couldn’t stop eating it! My sister had the lamb shank and oh boy it fell off the bone. Speaking of perfect dishes! The lamb shank is milder than the chicken dish I had but it was still good. Will definitely come back for more
Persian food.

Jana A.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

Delicious, affordable and a very nice and cozy place! Great for a quiet dinner with your favorite people :)

Emiliano M.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

Great food, good price!

Joel L.

Place rating: 3
Toronto, Canada

First time trying Iranian food — went here with a couple of friends and got the beef kabob plate. Recommended to try.
Food: 3.5÷5, the taste was relatively mild and complimented well with a grill tomato and saffron rice. The meat was ok but the rice was very good.
Service: 2/5, just ok, one lady working and nothing out of the ordinary.
Ambience: 3/5, nice little restaurant with cool décor but I could do without the uneven plastic covering on the tables
Price: 2.5÷5, ok price, around $ 20 per person but it could be seen as overpriced versus other similar type of food in the area.

Sepehr J.

Place rating: 3
Amos, Canada

Small cute place. Smiling service. Good food, dishes well priced BUT drinks, tea and small deserts way overpriced. To pay about $ 30/person for lunch was expensive. Too bad, because the food experience was good.

Erfan P.

Place rating: 4
Irvine, CA

The ambience and the restaurant itself isnt much to brag about, but the food is actually good. we we’re all pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food and the service of the server (owner)
I tried the kubideh kabab (ground beef/lamb kabab) and my girlfriend tried the Mirza ghasemi (bbq eggpalnt, garlic, tomato and egg dish form north of Iran) since she’s a vegetarian and both were good. the kubide was a bit dry only because it had no/very little lamb mixed with it, but the flavor was great.
Again if you want a high class Iranian restaurant this is not the place to go to, but I personally care about the quality of food and service more than anything else and would go back again if im in the area.

Dawn G.

Place rating: 3
Toronto, Canada

Been here twice. Had the steamed chicken leg with barberry rice and the chicken kebab with rice. It was ok, but the chicken kebab was only available in white meat and I far prefer dark, so it could be much better.
The chicken leg was a little bland but not bad at at all. The barberry rice was very tart — not my cup of tea but I’m sure a lot of people would like it.
The kebab was quite good flavour-wise — the spices were subtle but nice. However, it was much dryer than if it were made of dark meat.
The meal also comes with awesome flat-ish bread and butter.
Service is friendly, though not super attentive.
This place is more formal than all the Persian eateries I’m used to going to at Yonge & Finch/Steeles (aptly named Tehranto, lol). The settings are homey, it’s a cozy little sit-down restaurant, and the prices are a little higher than the aforementioned places accordingly.
The best thing about this place is the location. I would personally prefer to trek all the way to Yonge & Finch/Steeles though!

Kathleen W.

Place rating: 4
Markham, Canada

I come to Darvish quite often. While their food is nothing of the overwhelmingly spectacular sort, it is homey and comforting, and that’s perhaps what’s most charming about this place.
It has become somewhat of a set protocol for my boyfriend and I to come here and order a kashk-o-bademjoon (eggplanty appetizer served with bread), a stew dish of some sort, and a glass of doogh. We tried the kabobs once, but they weren’t exactly memorable, so I won’t further elaborate on those.
Although I normally love gheymeh-polo, the most outstanding main dish we’ve tried so far at Darvish would be the baghali-polo. A steamed lamb shank, the meat was oh-so-moist and juicy, falling right off the bone. And of course, the juices from the meat were mmm good with the fava bean and dill rice.
3-stars for food. +1 star for the lady managing the front. Sweetest person ever.

Jason L.

Place rating: 3
Toronto, Canada

Came here tonight with around 15 classmates, so we took up all but 3 – 4 tables in this cozy restaurant. My Persian classmate wanted to show us some good Persian home-cooking.
I had the Gheymeh Polo (cinnamon beef stew with basmati rice). It was very good, rich and comforting! Although I must admit I don’t have much experience in this area. The service was amazing, the wife of the chef does front of the house and the husband cooks in the back, and she was very nice.
In terms of value, it’s around 8 – 15 for an entrée.