Selam Restaurant & Lounge

4.4

58 Reviews

CAN$30 and under

Eritrean

Innovative
Neighbourhood gem
Good for special occasions

Pero Restaurant is as rich and diverse as Eastern African culture. The spectrum Pero Restaurant cuisine can be said to lie between two dietary extremes: vegetarianism and carnivorism. The essence of good Eastern African cooking revolves around the appropriate use of aromatic spices. The skill lies in subtle blending of a variety of spices to enhance, rather than overwhelm the basic flavour of a particular dish. Pero food relies on the spices in which it is cooked, just as Japanese Sushi relies on the freshness of the meat, and Chinese food relies on the various sauces to impart the right flavour and taste. It is interesting to see an Eastern African chef at work with a palette of spices, gratuitously sprinkling these powders in exact pinches into the dish in front of him. It is these complexities of regional food in Eastern Africa that make it such a fascinating experience.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
CAN$30 and under
Cuisines
Eritrean, Ethiopian, Vegetarian / Vegan
Hours of Operation
Dinner Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–12:00 am
Phone number
(416) 915-7225
Website
http://www.perorestaurant.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Catering
Please email us at perolounge@gmail.com to receive our catering menu. We are happy to tailor a menu to the unique needs of your event.
Private party facilities
Casual Dining, Events, Group Functions, Lounge, Live Entertainment, Live Music, Delivery, Vegetarian Options, Take Out, Gluten Free Options.
Private party contact
Ruth: (416) 915-7225

Location
812 Bloor St. West, Toronto, ON M6G1L9
Area
Ossington
Cross Street
Bloor and Christie
Parking details
If you park on Bloor Street you will need to pay for parking until 9pm. If you park on Crawford or Shaw streets parking is free till midnight.
Public transit
If you take the subway get off at Ossington or Christie Station. Pero Restaurant is located one block west of Christie Station and two blocks east of Ossington Station.
Entertainment
Live music and Djs in our basement lounge. Please check the events calendar at: selamtoronto.com/events
Additional
Bar Dining, Gluten-free Options

What 58 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.4

4.4 based on all time ratings

4.4Food
4.3Service
4.3Ambience
1.6Value

Noise • Moderate

58 Reviews

TW
TimW
VIP
Toronto
105 reviews
5.0
105 reviews
Dined on 8 April 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Simply put, delicious! We came with a Groupon with our toddler, and even though he was screaming a bit, the staff there were very accommodating. It also helped that we were there before 6pm on a Saturday, so we were the only ones there at the time. The service was good, and the food was as well. We had the Pero's platter for two, and my favourite was the beef. The lentils were a bit too spicy for my wife, and was on my upper range as well. Decor is nice & cultural, with some soft relaxing music in the background. My wife kept saying that she's looking forward to coming back, and I am as well!
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EM
EvanM
Toronto
7 reviews
4.0
7 reviews
Dined on 18 March 2017
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Servers seemed a little dazed and confused
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AG
AliceG
Vancouver
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 20 February 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fancy and nice Ethiopian restaurant. Fish goulash is a must. Coffee is amazing. One of the best Ethiopian restaurants I have been to!
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g
ginabee24
Toronto
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 28 January 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Went here for Winterlicious dinner on Friday, January 27 with a couple of girlfriends. We were greeted by the owner himself and what a pleasant man! Staff were nice and attentive throughout the night. Nice, cosy, comfortable and eclectic atmosphere decked out with images, niknaks and paintings from and inspired from the homeland. FOOD was incredible! We had the Collard Greens & Split Pea and Veggie Rolls for the appetizers. Beautifully presented and very delicious. For our main dishes, we had Beef Tibsi and Fish Goulash. I'm not a huge spicy eater and the awaze and berbere were mixed in other spices to create more of a flavour than just heat. Servers explained how to eat the dishes which was greatly appreciated, being our first time eating Ethiopian food. For dessert, we all shared the Coffee Cake, Chocolate Cake and Cheesecake. All were very good and not too sweet. Portion sizes of all dishes were perfect. Highly recommend this place and will be returning to try other items on the menu. Thank you Pero!
1 person found this helpful
AW
AbelW
Toronto
26 reviews
1.0
26 reviews
Dined on 8 January 2017
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
Upon arrival we got seated really quick. A server took our drink orders, then our food options, even providing a few suggestions in terms of alternatives since all of our picks were very similar. Which I really appreciated. We needed up waiting a good 20 minutes for our drinks, which I would understand had they been busy, but that wasn't the case at 7pm when we arrived. When we got the drinks, none of them were very strong, I don't mean drown us in alchohol, but surely you ought to feel the liquor working somewhat, that wasn't the case at all. While ordering our food I explicitly mentioned we wanted the beef variation of the dish and that chicken seemed plain. When the food arrived two of the tibs dishes are chicken, they did however get the vegetable dishes we ordered right, although there is no beef on the plate. After realizing they got the order wrong, I pointed it out to the server, she takes our plate from which we had started eating the vegetables and other dishes, leaving two members of my party of three looking around waiting. Seeing how it was a mistake on the restaurants part, they could have left us to eat from what was served, while they made the beef dish or ask is the substitution was alright. All in all we waited another 10 minutes for the food to arrive yet again. For me this was a huge turnoff towards the rest of the meal. It's not like they would use what was served to us for another customer....at least I hope they don't. Mistakes happen, I get that but it should not have been handled this way. All that being said for the price, the flavours weren't all there. I've visited several Ethiopian restaurants in the Ossington area. Pero, despite having the better ambience, lacked in the spices and flavours that define the cuisine. Lalibela down the street offers more value in terms of price and quantity and tastes way better than Pero any day.
1 person found this helpful
p
pelog
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 4 December 2016
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Very cosy and friendly restaurant, with really tasty food and ample portions. A great place for casual dining with friends.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Lithuania
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on 17 October 2016
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
A tasty introduction to Ethiopian food, in a very pleasant, informal and comfortable ambience. Be prepared to eat with your fingers, though, and don't worry about getting them dirty - you're going to be able to clean your hands in water brought to the table at the end of the meal!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Toronto
9 reviews
4.0
9 reviews
Dined on 1 October 2016
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Pero is a hidden gem. Excellent, spicy (or not if you prefer) tasty food. It was a culinary food explosion going on in our mouths. Everyone loved their meals and pretty much ate everything off their plate. We will definitely be going back. In fact, it's going to be our favorite spot. Thy also have live music downstairs but we didn't get a chance to check it out because we were too busy enjoying our food and the ambience. The chef even made a special salad dressing for my daughter. We love Pero and can't wait to go back. You should go.
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J
Judithv
London
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on 4 September 2016
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food and ambiance, brilliant service with special care and attention from the owner. One of our best dining experiences in Toronto, an absolute must-try!
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T
Thimcdo
Toronto
20 reviews
5.0
20 reviews
Dined on 20 August 2016
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
We hadn't tried Eritrean food before. We loved it. We liked the veggie rolls and the fish goulash best. Goes well with beer. Delicious food, gracious service, overall a great experience.
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FAQs

Selam Restaurant & Lounge does offer delivery in partnership with Skip The Dishes. Selam Restaurant & Lounge also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (416) 915-7225.

Selam Restaurant & Lounge is rated 4.4 stars by 58 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Selam Restaurant & Lounge

812 Bloor St. West, Toronto, ON M6G1L9

Additional information

Cross Street
Bloor and Christie
Area
Ossington
Hours of Operation
Dinner Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–12:00 am
Price
CAN$30 and under
Cuisines
Eritrean, Ethiopian, Vegetarian / Vegan
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
If you park on Bloor Street you will need to pay for parking until 9pm. If you park on Crawford or Shaw streets parking is free till midnight.
Public transit
If you take the subway get off at Ossington or Christie Station. Pero Restaurant is located one block west of Christie Station and two blocks east of Ossington Station.
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Entertainment
Live music and Djs in our basement lounge. Please check the events calendar at: selamtoronto.com/events
Additional
Bar Dining, Gluten-free Options

Website
http://www.perorestaurant.com/
Phone number
(416) 915-7225
Catering
Please email us at perolounge@gmail.com to receive our catering menu. We are happy to tailor a menu to the unique needs of your event.
Private party facilities
Casual Dining, Events, Group Functions, Lounge, Live Entertainment, Live Music, Delivery, Vegetarian Options, Take Out, Gluten Free Options.
Private party contact
Ruth: (416) 915-7225

Selam Restaurant & Lounge

Not available on OpenTable

Order delivery or takeout

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Menu

What 58 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

Does Selam Restaurant & Lounge offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Selam Restaurant & Lounge restaurant rated?

Is Selam Restaurant & Lounge currently accepting bookings?

Not available on OpenTable

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information