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A French-Moroccan cafe and restaurant has officially opened in Toronto’s Cabbagetown.
Rayah, café, pâtisserie and restaurant, is now open at 507 Parliament St., just north of Carlton Street. The space was previously home to LJS Khasos, a restaurant that served Italian food and pub fare.
The new restaurant serves pastries and coffee in the morning and transitions to dinner in the evening.
“It’s the kind of spot where you can ease into the day with a café-croissant, catch up with friends over shakshuka and mint tea, grab pastries with the kids after school, or settle in for a warm, comforting dinner, all in a space that’s design-forward but delightfully unfussy,” according to a press release from Rayah.
The food is 100 per cent halal. The dinner menu includes Couscous Royal, a slow-cooked dish, layered with vegetables and tender halal meats; Cordon Bleu, breaded chicken filled with melty cheese and pastrami; and Merguez-Purée – a North African twist on the classic French “Saucisse-Purée,” featuring homemade merguez.
Rayah is the first concept from Wafa El Rhazi who was born in France and is of North-African descent. After a tech career, El Rhazi moved to Toronto in 2021 with her husband and child and decided to follow a long-held dream: creating a vibrant spot that reflects her story, somewhere between her Moroccan roots, French upbringing and Parisian life.
“Rayah has always been about bringing both sides of me together,” said El Rhazi. “I’m French and Moroccan, and I wanted to create a place that feels like both, where you can order a croissant or a lamb tagine, and halal food is simply part of the experience. I don’t drink, and I used to envy the fun of cocktails, the shaker, the garnish, the glass, so I wanted our mocktails to feel just as thoughtful. For me, Rayah is about making everyone feel at home, wherever they are from.”
The name Rayah is inspired by Ya Rayah, an Algerian song about exile, nostalgia and one-way departures.
The restaurant interior reflects El Rhazi’s diasporic journey, featuring zellige tiles, vintage French posters, and thrifted tableware. A 1983 Moroccan Grand Taxi stands at the entrance, the iconic beige Mercedes known as Taxi Biad, used for long trips across Morocco.
The restaurant is currently open Wednesday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., with the café open all day, brunch served from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner beginning at 6 p.m.
Photos: WaffleStudio.ca
Rayah