reference_files/paragraph-validation.restaurants.txt

Had friends from out of province visiting and this was top on my list as the old courthouse has some of the best interior design in the city. Great ambiance with hip hop music playing in the background. Arrived for dinner on a week night, reservations recommended but not necessary for small groups. Extensive menu with a huge pizza selection and daily specials. Average to higher prices but excellent service. Ordered the special ravioli di malale (with braised pork) and pesto. It wasn't amazing, the pesto tasted a bit bland and could have used a bit more garlic. The ravioli was pretty standard and slightly chewy. But the Tonnarelli alla Norine was delicious! Generously covered in black truffles, it was filling and flavorful with each bite. The pastas are generally more chewy which was perfect to my friend's liking. Tiramisu was not special, probably wouldn't order again but the hazelnut gelato was amazing. So rich and creamy, immediately regretted ordering my go to Tiramisu. The menu has lots of options which brings me back every time. Would really say 3.5 stars but can't give half stars on here. 
We went here with our expectations quite low. After all, this was, and still is, a restaurant for kids. And one that I quite liked when I was one. I was hoping the same would be the case for my 3-year-old. He liked it. And I liked the decor. Same charming antiques that I remembered still lined the place. The difference? A wait staff that seemed to be annoyed by customers that decided to look at them. Apparently, we were getting in their way. Fair enough. But hey, perhaps the artifacts that line your restaurant should come down if you down if you actually don't want our eyes on them? But then that would mean you'd only have your food to rely on. Our server was just as cold. We felt like we were at Arby's on the side of the highway. No how are you doing or Is everything ok. Just rushed, abrupt, unfriendly, almost annoyed service. It was as if she assumed that we were tourists and therefore could treat us like she'd never see us again. Well, we're not tourists, but I assure you, this was definitely our last visit. As for the food..where do I start. My wife's salad looked like it was fished out of the Mcdonald's trash bin. My soup was a step down from something in a can. And our pasta tasted like a Michelina's minus the microwavable box. I'm sentimental. Very much so, actually. But when the service and food is this bad, next time I'll get my fill of nostalgia on Youtube. 
I like the atmosphere of the entire place. When you enter the restaurant, they will greet to you loudly in Japanese-style welcome. Although they greet to every customers who enter of leave, you may feel they are crazy. Its really a what a izakaya feels like.The food is truly fantastic and the service is professional as well. We ordered deep fried chicken knees, cheese oysters (which I like the most), Udon and unagi rice. I would strongly recommend cheese oyster which tastes amazingly delicious. For the next time, I would order more side food because after around 1 hour, I felt hungry again.Anyway, this is the place you can't miss and you want to go more than once after you tried the food there. 
This place was suggested to my wife and I by some foodie friends on a recent trip to Toronto. Give yourself plenty of time. We waited about 30 minutes to check-in and another 30 or so to get seated. We were able to find a corner of the bar to grab some drinks for the wait. Great atmosphere and decor. Be sure to read the story behind Pai that is in a few places of the restaurant. Our food was really good and we left with full, happy bellies! 
Absolutely gorgeous restaurant! This is your standard Keg restaurant only it is located in a HUGE mansion, making for an amazing ambiance and a gorgeous setting. I went here for a friend's birthday on a Saturday night, we were a group of 15 and since they don't take reservations on Fridays or Saturdays we were certainly in for a long wait (we were told about an hour). After our wait had exceeded an hour and we asked for an update we were told we would be seated shortly and the manager would do something for us. Figuring our group was on the verge of starvation (which we were) the manager came to us with a plate of canopies topped with a goat cheese bruschetta, absolutely delicious! A few minutes later she comes with a giant plate of fully loaded nachos, and these may have been some of the best nachos I have ever had! Loaded with lots of cheese (and high quality cheese at that) made them warm and very gooey, lots of jalapenos added a nice kick, I would definitely order these when I go back!  When we were finally seated everybody seemed to enjoy their food. It's the standard Keg menu so you are guaranteed a good steak. I had the French Onion soup to start and this was mind-blowing! So much cheese on top that was perfectly melted without being greasy, the broth was very rich and had a good beef flavour while the onion added a nice sweetness. I have never had a bad steak at the keg, and this occasion was no different. New York strip was cooked to perfection and was so tender it practically melted in my mouth, this time I tried it cooked Chicago style (meaning it is charred on the outside and cooked to order inside). This added a nice charred crust to the steak and actually did a better job of sealing in the juices; this cooking style is definitely worth a try. For sides I always go for the twice baked potato; bacon, cheese, and baked potato how could you go wrong?  This place gets bonus marks for letting our huge group split the bills and not adding an automatic gratuity (which most restaurants do for large groups). Definitely a great place to go with a large group, on a special occasion, or simply for a nice dinner. Overall great food, beautiful restaurant and good service! *My only complaint is the drinks were pretty expensive, bought a shot for my friend and it was nearly $9 for a standard shot! That's pricy! 
I think we found the best tacos in Toronto. Great tasting big tacos for a reasonable price. Faves were the mahi mahi and baja fish. Gobernador was a bit too salty for me. Cool drinks available too to wash down the tacos. Only open for lunch or early dinner, but awesome place. 
The Monarch Tavern is a place that you can bring in your lunch or dinner from one of the many great local eateries (California Sandwiches, San Francescos, Bitondos etc).  There is now an in  house option.Caplansky's is in the back of the second floor of the Monarch Tavern.  The menu is very limited, but it makes up for its size in quality.   The owner brines and smokes beef to come up with a truly great smoked meat.  It's not like any deli meat I've had in Toronto, Montreal or New York.  It's a deli meat but much more smoky, yet not overly so.  If you like deli, go to Caplanskys for a sandwich.  His hand cut fries are pretty good too. 
Amazing food with amazing servers!! The menu was filled with different dishes that everyone can enjoy. I cant eat no pork nor shrimp but in Pai they have multiple dishes that suite my needs. The server we got was Jason and he's amazing!!! My sister knows him personally so he hooked us up with dessert. Jason was very informative and knew all the dishes as well as gave his personal opinion on certain foods he likes. The atmosphere had a chill vibe with some cool indie pieces. The restaurant was situated underground and near a cool district with lots of other cool restaurants. Food,I went for the vegetable spring rolls as a starter and boy oh boy it was very tasty. The dipping sauce it came with was a winner. The roll was your typical vegetable spring roll with a hard crispy breaded coating that delivers an incredible taste. Next is the main appetizer, I got the Chicken Pad Thai in medium. Slightly disappointed because I expected it to be a bit more spicy but nonetheless it was still tasty!  Not your typical pad thai for sure. Generally I dont finish food from other restaurants but Pai was an exception. Every bite I took from the pad thai made me want to get another. The portion you get was massive, enough to feed two but if you're really hungry then this should be a good size portion. Lastly the dessert, I'm saddened to think, I actually forgot the name of the dessert but if your Filipino it was a twist on suman. The dessert was sticky rice but it had a sweet taste to it. The taste wasn't a sweet overpowering dessert it was quite subtle. It had mango on top. Overall Pai is the best Thai food i've ever ate in my life. If you need to impress someone or need a place to eat, make sure to check out this place. Dont forget to ask if Jason could serve you, he's awesome! Coming back for sure. 
Banh Mi Boys is fast food at its best. Cheap & tasty like my women. Love this place. 
I give two stars for the view only. The attitude of the server was very terrible because I was NOT satisfied with the dish he presented. The dish was made for at least 4 people and he did not warn us how big the dish it would be. Aside from the size of the dish, the taste is beyond horrible. I grew up eating oyster and I immediately noticed how unhealthy the color and the taste of the oyster was. We asked him to bring us a plate of fresh cracked oyster after the complain and this time he actually brought us fresh oyster and it looked completely different from the oyster he gave us originally. Also the muscles were empty, literally. We found more than 15 shells and they were all empty.. where did my muscles go? The salmon is smoked and baked and tastes very dry. Over all the service was ok and the food I give it 1.8/10 
Glorious!  Unlike every other Japanese style restaurant in Toronto, Guu is definitely an experience with its decor to the way it greets its customers.  More importantly, the food was divine and the Japanese wine was unlike other wines I have tasted.  As Will mentioned, the dishes span from $4-$11.  In my party of 8 people, we ended up ordering I think 3/4ths of the menu + alcohol.  Unfortunately, I came in after my party ordered (I was running late), hence from my pictures I have no idea what dishes we actually ordered.  Altogether, our bill came out to approximately $250 which I thought was reasonable considering how much food we all ate.  Surprisingly, we all cleared our plates but suffered (at least I did) a bout of food coma.  I will definitely be back for another round. 
I really enjoyed my meal at Momofuku Daisho and was very impressed with the food and service. I came with a party of 6 and our server was very helpful in making sure we ordered enough food and the right dishes. We ordered the buttermilk biscuits which were the best biscuits I've ever had in my life and I don't even like biscuits. We also got the heirloom tomato salad, the poached cod, the beef short ribs, the rice cakes and the chanterelles. My favourite dish was definitely the rice cakes, they were spicy but not painfully spicy. All of the food was really good and I would recommend someone to order our exact order except maybe the heirloom tomato salad as that didn't really wow me. My only complaint about Daisho is the cocktail list. I expected a higher level of drinks available- more unique tasting cocktails with fruits, flowers, etc. I had the lavender lemonade and it literally just looked and tasted like a normal lemonade. Other than the drink list I would happily return to Daisho! It was oddly affordable too we split all of our dishes between 5 of us and I had two cocktails and my bill was only $60. 
My boyfriend brought me to Byblos for my birthday celebration! We loved our experience at Byblos and decided to revisit :) Service was excellent. Our server had great recommendations for popular items on the menu and was very friendly. The atmosphere is candlelit and dim, good for dates!ORGANIC HOUSE LABNEH (5/5)(Fennel + Honey + Olive Oil + Barbari Bread)Tasted like a very yummy humus haha! It's soo delicious! The bread was covered with different types of sesame seeds so eating the bread itself was already very tasty. Adding the labneh was a plus! Loved it!EGGPLANT KIBBEH (4/5)(Zucchini Flower + Baharat + Chickpea Batter + House Yogurt)I was super excited to try this crispy eggplant again but I realized they cooked it differently from how they did before. I'd prefer the crispy eggplant than this way of cooking. Both are still good.WAGYU LAHMEH PIDE (5/5)(House Turkish Paste + Fior De Latte + Toum + Basil Cress)How can flat bread taste so good?! I'd order this again and again. The wagyu paste was delicious and the bread itself was very chewy. This dish wasn't dry at all because a lot of cheese was drenched on top of the bread. The smell makes you even more hungry.GRILLED WHOLE BRANZINO (5/5)(Chermoula + Saffron Toum + Watercress)We came back for more of this!! I told my friends to order this dish at Byblos and all their reactions were like..Fish..?! Yes! Fish! They make it so good! The fish meat is drenched with flavour and the best part of this is.. It's boneless! DESSERTS:LOUKOUMADES (5/5)(Attiki Honey + Walnut Praline + Burnt Honey Ice Cream + Halva)Tasted like chewy donuts dipped with honey glaze. It tastes really really good - especially the burnt honey ice cream! I suggest eating each of these little bits separately first. Each one has its own flavour. Once mixed together, it creates another type of texture!PIZZELLE (3/5)(Baklava Ice Cream + Salted Caramel + Cous Cous Praline)The Baklava ice cream was amazinggg! The cous cous praline on top of the cookie was also delicious. The only thing lacking was the cookie itself. It was kind of soggy. 
This place is over priced for their food and the food has no quality. Bad service the manager was rude asking us to pay 20% tip the seatings are not enough about lucky not coming back. They wouldn't clean the table very terrible experience 
Bad Service. Excellent food. Too bad the service was horrible. Because the service was so bad, I even downloaded this app, made an account and am writing this review because it was that bad. The waiter was rude as ****. Here is why. When my friends and I were ready to order, we called the waiter over and he told us to wait so we waited. It turns out he was getting the card machine for the table next to us. After he gave the card machine to the table next to us, I asked him again because now I had a question about the menu and he responded to I told you to wait. I was shocked because I had a question and he was just standing there waiting for the person at the other table to be done with the card machine. In all honesty, I had a question about how many pieces the sashimi and sushi was. So my friends and I waited until he came over. When he came over, I asked him how many pieces the sushi and sashimi came in he told us. Knowing that the sushi came in two pieces and sashimi came in three pieces, i momentarily asked my friends to clarify what we wanted - it was less than 10 seconds - and the waiter told us to call him when we were ready and he chucked his notepad at the bar table (which was right infront of our table). The tone he was using was unbelievably rude, disrespectful and discourteous. I was shocked that he had the audacity to treat us perhaps because we were just some university kids and were not grown ups which does not mean the waiter could treat us that way. It was ridiculous. Not only that when it came down to the bill, when I was in mid sentence to telling him that we were going to split two ways, he took off who knows where when the restaurant was empty. I was absolutely shocked. There were so many other things I would have tried but because of the terrible service my hunger ceased immediately. For a high end restaurant, to have such a rude server was just very sad and disappointing. Compared to Jabistro, Jabistro's service and food were on par. However, this restaurant was just too disappointing. 
Best ramen in Toronto , great service and consistently great broth! The beef curry is also amazing! 
I was really excited to try the food at Khao San Road, since I had heard such great things and seen the Yelp ratings. And, the raves about the food are absolutely correct. The food is good (but even still, I've had better Thai). Unfortunately, the owners and the service I received completely ruined my experience. I was staying at a local hotel, which made reservations for our party (and I heard the concierge make the reservation). When we got to the restaurant, they first couldn't find our reservation; after waiting 10 minutes, they tried to seat the four of us at a table for two in the back corner. There was no way the four of us could fit around this small table. So, the OWNER (note: not just an employee) apologized and offered us a round of drinks on the house to make up for the delay. We were finally seated, but again the owner came over to our table to tell us that we didn't have a reservation and basically called us a liar. We asked him what he would like us to do - we already had appetizers on the table, so he told us to stay (so what was the point of him harassing us again?). The bill came and our drinks were not taken off the bill. We called the two co-owners over and they told us we all must have misheard and that had never said anything like that. Blatant lie. He then called us liars and told us we were trying to get out of paying. He then proceeded to charge our credit cards twice, so somehow I now am paying three times what I should have been paying (since those drinks were never taken off). As a customer, I've never been treated so poorly. So, yes, the food is good, but there are equally good / better places out there that don't treat their customers so horribly. Do yourself a favor, avoid the crowd and wait, the insults and harassment, and go eat somewhere else. 
Came here for a lunch with colleagues. I've been here a couple of times before and always had a good experience. This time was no exception. I had heard from another yelp elite friend about some dish off the menu called Islamic noodles and decided to try it. And I have to say that it was absolutely delicious! It's basically noodles with vegetables and your  choice of protein tossed in a nicely seasoned creamy curry sauce. Sooo good!! This is a dish I will definitely order again. On the bad side, the water quality here is really really bad. I normally just have tap water with my food but the water here tastes chlorine! It's like drinking diluted bleach. I don't know why the water tastes so bad here because everywhere else in Toronto the water quality is good. I think Salad King should look into this because it really brings down the food experience. Because of the poor water quality I rate them 3 stars, although food alone would get 5 stars. 
Loved it!!!AMBIENCEI really like I was like n Thailand.  The place is underground and it was a cool place.  It had ample seating and a sizeable bar for a nice hangout if you were going for drinks. My guests and I sat at the tall tables, group of six.  There's is cell phone charging station, very safe and useful I left my phone charging over dinner.  A nice place to hangout with friends or a date night.SERVICEI like the staff, there was cool and took care of us.  We also had a canteen of water and our food always was served hot and fresh.  It was just the way I like it.FOODSo gooood!!!  Starter - grabong = squash fritters;  paired with a tangy sauce.  Not oily and nice and crispy.Plah Nua - beef salad.  Roasted rice with some lime sauce.  So good!!!Som Tom Tad - papaya salad.  Perfect citrus levels.Entree - gaeng kiaw wan in a coconut.  Green curry was served a coconut, it was so good.  Creamy, savoury and perfect balance.  I ate all of the way down to the coconut meat.  So my favourite.Dessert - mango sticky rice.  It was good not something that really stuck out.  I don't think I would eat.  Just not my preference.I am looking forward to returning again, soon! 
Amazing from start to finish!We sat on the back patio, which has a great atmosphere, on a weekday for an early dinner. The patio is all communal tables which adds to the casual and social feel. All of the front of house staff were charming and welcoming. They were attentive and friendly without being obtrusive or fake. I had the jesus juice cocktail, which was tasty and refreshing and had just the right amount of sweetness for a very hot summer day. We had a bunch of the tacos, and all were perfect. A big standout for me was their shrimp taco. The shrimp inside was breaded and fried, which made me nervous that it would only taste like batter and oil. I was so wrong. It had a wonderful shrimp flavor that was perfectly complemented by the sauce. The beef cheek was also a highlight. Although there are lots of places to get cheaper tacos in the city, I will definitely be back to Grand Electric. The patio, service, cocktails, and variety of delicious taco options make it absolutely worth it. Would recommend to anyone. 
I have mixed feelings about this place. Although I love the ambiance, decor, and the food... I wasn't a fan of the service. Once we had arrived, it took a while for the host(ess) to notice us and have us seated. After ordering there was some confusion and delay as well. The food was really good.... we ordered the charcuterie board and I think the Diavolo pizza. I loved the cured meats (every bite!) and the lightness of the pizza. The drinks are really good too! I've been here on a couple of late nights and the patio is the perfect place to be on a warm summer night. 
If you want cheap Thai food this is the place to go! This place is always packed and there's always a line. But the wait isn't too long. People come and go really quick. If you don't have much time it's a good place for take out too.  Came here a couple of times already and decided to write a review. Most of the time I ordered the curry. The curry here is delicious but the rice that comes with it isn't too good.  Portions for the curry is a little small. Needs more rice. The fried rice dishes here are also pretty good. The tom yum soup here is cheap but is lacking flavour. It really sour and spicy. Wouldn't recommend it. I've also ordered the Thai street noodles. The portions are huge. There's a lot of rice noodles. But the broth lacked flavour even though it's cooked with shrimp and chicken. It was just too sour. It's so sour that the noodles taste sour. It's not salty enough. The only thing you can taste is sour and spicy. Really would not recommend. They need to make major improvements to the recipe of this. Additionally, there's a problem. The water here is tap water like most places but it has a really weird odour. You should ordered a drink instead..... The Thai ice tea is good. Overall, good for the curries ! 
After all the hype - just ok. View was FANTASTIC and the revolving part was really great. We dined about an hour before sunset so we saw the city in the day, dusk, and after dark, all lit up. Service wasn't very good - I think it was kind of busy, but that's not really an excuse. It seemed like they wanted it to be a very fancy dining experience (prices, decor) but it came off as pretty touristy. There were lots of families there with loud children and people wearing jeans. For ~$100/person I would have expected better service, food, and atmosphere. The food was alright - ate from the pre fixe menu and it was normal 'fancy food' salmon, small salads, chocolate cakes, etc. The worst part was that near our side of the restaurant, we happened to have a great view as the sun was disappearing, so lots of other people crowded around our table to take pictures of the sunset against the glass - rude. Good for the view, but maybe just go up there to have drinks? Much better view that the observation deck (which we stopped at on the way down) TERRIBLE view..it was all fenced in for safety I assume, but it made for an awful view. 
Been here twice. First time was quite a while back but I had their fried chicken dinner and it was phenomenal!!!! Must try if you haven't yet. My dinning companion at the time had a burger, it was a solid, big burger. But of course the fried chicken was better. Yesterday I finally went to the Stockyards again so I can try their ribs. Some bits were dry and chewy, but overall good value for what you pay for ($15 for half rack, $30 for one rack). My dinning companion had the pulled pork sandwich. I tried a bit, it was veryyyy good. Bottom line: fried chicken is a must get. 
The Thai food scene in Toronto has taken off lately. If you are aching for some really good Thai food, this place might not be for you. Having that said, Salad king is a fine place for a bite for run-of-the-mill Thai dishes.My favourite dish here is their golden curry which is quite tasty. Prices are cheap and you can get a decent dish for around $12-13 (after tax+tip)The place is quite busy on weekends, and it is almost always quite loud. Communal seating in the middle of the restaurant can be charming and annoying at the same time.A thing I do notice here is that service tends to be slow. Food comes fast once you ordered, but the hard part is waiting for your server....and the same happens when you want to pay. If you are in a rush and think this is a place for a quick meal, you might be disappointed. 
I've been hearing a lot about this place, but have been hesitant about going because a lot of people have said it isn't worth the extra money compared to the regular $2 Banh Mis on Spadina. They are wrong. Although the $2 Banh Mis are a steal, and make for a quick lunch, you are certainly getting what you pay for when you go to Banh Mi Boys. My sandwich came up to $6.77, which was very reasonable for what I got. This place must have an immense amount of pressure to keep their prices down given a) the competition in the areab) the fact that most people who know what a Banh Mi is are used to paying $2 on SpadinaTherefore, the fact that they can offer what they do at this price point is impressive.The Food (Pork Belly Sandwich):- The bread was very fresh, tasty, and was toasted perfectly (not too hard, not too soft)- There was a decent amount of tasty, tender meat. It was a little fatty, but this is to be expected from pork belly- The meat was of good quality; leaps and bounds better than the mystery meat of the classic $2 Banh Mi. - The vegetables were also very fresh, and I enjoyed how there was a pickle in the sandwich which I have never had before- The hot sauce was great as always (I'm a big fan of this sweet hot sauce in Banh Mi sandwiches)- I asked for spicy, and the hot sauce was unevenly distributed with one half being medium and the other half being very hot. This isn't a deal breaker, but just an observation.The atmosphere:- Loved the music they were playing in here. Great old school hip hop playing at good volume- The decor was decent. I liked the lamp shades on the lights- The staff was friendly and helpful.- The cleanliness of the place was pretty poor, and this is why the place gets a 3, instead of the 4 it would have received if it was cleaner. There were discarded napkins and food under every single table, with as many as 10 or more discarded napkins under some tables. The 2 tables that were free had varying degrees of mess on the tables from previous customers. There were no tables whose tops were completely clean. I can understand that some customers are quite messy and that the employees may not have had time to clean up after these people, but given that there was a mess under and on every table indicates to me that staff had not cleaned in while, and did not care about the establishment's general cleanliness. One of my biggest pet peeves at a fast food joint is when the place is this messy, because it makes me feel like I'm eating in a barn.That being said, the food here was great, and I will go back to this place, and change my review if the place cleans itself up. This restaurant is a welcome and significant improvement to the other fast food options on this corner, being McDonalds, A&W and Hero Burger. 
It seems like many of the Yelpers concur that Jacobs is the place to be.  From the moment they accommodated me by placing the roses I ordered at our table, to the time our evening ended, it was amazing.  Pure class! It's not your typical dark dungeon of a steakhouse.  Dimly lit but you could see who was around you.  First when we arrived, the provided us a with complimentary glasses of champagne to celebrate our anniversary.  The server gave us a moment and then explained the types of steaks that were on the menu.  The bread was freshly made and would have ordered more if we wanted plenty of carbs.  It was so deelish.  The bread was shaped like a large muffin.  It was light and melted it your mouth.  Then came the ever popular Caesar Salad made right at your table.  The person serving it to us explained what went into the salad.  I would never order another Caesar Salad from a restaurant again.  The person mentioned that there is a video of how to make their version of the salad.  I'm gonna do it. Then came the steaks.  For sure you will pay a pretty penny for them, but they are to die for.  I got the 10 oz Wagyu steak and my gf got an 8 oz aged steak.  As always, she said mine was better.  :) We shared ice cream for dessert.  You have a choice of three of the six flavours.  We chose mango, white chocolate and dark chocolate.  In the end, they provide you with 2 chocolate chip muffins.The food and the service was definitely excellent.  I would definitely recommend this restaurant and would go back in a heartbeat. 
I used to love this place. Gorgeous view of the lake, cute chairs and blankets, yummy burgers, and a live DJ. I even came here to celebrate St. Patrick's day last month and had a great time. However, it seems as though the reception is handled by unprofessional hostesses who make old customers feel very unwelcome. I'll tell you why I say this. We came down here at a semi busy time, but from what we checked, there were plenty of empty tables both upstairs and on the patio on both sides of the restaurant (The restaurant has 2 different entrances). We were greeted by a hostess who told us that the wait time to get a table is about 30 minutes. When we told her there are plenty of empty tables, she said that there are people ahead of us on the waiting list, when clearly there was nobody around waiting to be called! As a matter of fact, we saw a guy who came and told her that they never called his name and he got angry when she said she had called his name and there was no response.My boyfriend did not like her attitude and neither did I. We ended up sitting at the loud bar, instead of the more spacious area upfront. Now, I'm not going to ignore the fact that the waiters are very good at their job and that I like their food and beer. That's why I'm giving them a 2 stars instead of 1. You see! A terrible hostess with a crappy attitude can change the whole game. 
Definitely lives up to the hype!  It's busy at all times but if you're a small group it shouldn't be too hard to get a seat.  They pack people in tight like a can of sardines so don't expect much privacy or quiet. Service was about what you'd expect in a packed place, food came quicker than i was expecting and appetizer arrived in minutes.Food was amazing.  We ordered the Fresh Rolls as a starter, which is a pretty standard thai dish but their dipping sauce was really impeccable (just the right amount of heat for an appetizer). As our main course we shared a chef's special pad thai (chicken) and a pad gra prao (minced beef on rice).  The pad thai was greasy and delicious, I like how they put a twist on the standard pad thai (noodles+sauce made it a bit soggy but i think that was on purpose because it tasted awesome).  The pad gra prao tasted good as well, but was kind of overshadowed by the pad thai.  It's a pretty common dish, but i enjoyed the way they made it (nice and filling).If you like spicy you might want to go hotter than medium, which was more of a slow burning aftertaste, than a sweating forehead hotness. 
MMMKKKAAAYYYY here comes the review I've been putting off for a while, because I don't have enough words to describe and I get lost in thought. So here's point/numbered form:1. We waited for 2.5 hours on a Saturday night, we got here around 730 and got to eat at 10pm. Went to Queen and Beaver after putting our name down. They're supposed to call you if you're next in line but we just showed up.2. It was PACKED, looud, crammed, full of happy laughing people. 3. Every time somene leaves the restaurant the whole place screams and waves at them and it's amazing and hilarious4. They have 1L jugs of Sapporo. HOLY MOTHER OF GOOODDDDD!!!!! I was in heaven. 1L jugs of anything are ma kinda jugs5. We ate the following: deep fried brie, shrimps (battered), cheesey mushroom rice in hot stone pot, beef tongue, beef sashimi, pork cheek, deep fried chicken, fried calamari... I think that's it. I discovered a burning, passionate love for tapas bars...i was so worried when I was coming here that I would just get to try one or two dishes. PHEW! The brie and beef sashimi were my favorite, the calamari were disappointing.6. All that food, 3 1L beers and two of those glass bottle drinks (where you have to pop the glass ball in to drink it) and the bill came to appx $150. Now cheap but there were 4 of us, a lot of the dishes come with 4 pieces so it worked out perfectly. Bathrooms were amazing, they have mouth wash, cream, hair spray, etc - so cool! and clean! Great experience, I would go here again...I don't mind waiting and hitting up a bar before dinner either :)) 
I had heard rave reviews about Wish and decided to make a reservation for Sunday brunch, which was my first mistake. After arriving with a small group at this cute little restaurant, I gave my name, but was warned by the customer ahead of us in line that reservations don't mean a thing at Wish. She was right: we proceeded to wait 45 minutes to be seated. As for an explanation, the manager couldn't get her story straight. She told me that our table was being set up and would be ready any minute, while another person reported she had said (moments later) that our table was still occupied and they couldn't kick out other patrons, even if they were taking forever to pay. In truth, they were overbooked and understaffed.When we finally got to our table, there was no apology or acknowledgement of the situation or how long we had to wait, even with a reservation. The food (which, unsurprisingly, took forever to arrive) was decent but not worth the headache and certainly not the best brunch I've had in Toronto. We all left with the impression that because Wish is so trendy, they don't care about providing any actual service. You feel like you're just a number, which is surprising for such a cozy, intimate space. I know that brunch places can easily get overwhelmed on Sundays but if the staff had acted like they cared and not like they were doing us a favour, it would have made a difference.Also, be warned, if you're seated in the front part of the restaurant, it will be so noisy that you can hardly hear the people you're with. What you can hear exceptionally well is the bell chiming from the kitchen and cooks yelling orders to each other, but I'm assuming it's a deliberate attempt to be edgy.Go elsewhere for better food and way better service. 
Probably one of the best meals in a while! Was taken here by a lover and had absolutely no expectations. When I first entered Byblos I was endeared by their lovely decor and ambience, you could tell that great thought was put into the design, flow and layout of this place. The place fills up real quick during the nights and the night I came had many tables reserved. The food portions are adequate and fills you up without leaving too heavy of an after taste. The flavor pairings of the dishes were very well though out beginning with waitress' recommendation of fig salad; the herbs and leafs in this was so fresh I almost felt like I was eating it straight from the plant. The sauces and seasoning was so eloquently used that everything balanced out so well, not ashamed to say that I quickly chowed down the entire plate in mere seconds. Next I had the crispy squid, similar to calamari but a little lighter and smaller tentacles. Also had the steak tartare paired with greek yogurt (they call it labneh) which melted in your mouth, albeit being a little plain. The lamb rib felt a little stingy; each bone was probably one bite-size, nothing special.Probably the best dish tonight was the oxtail basmati rice, a little on the heavy size, it was aromatic, creamy and rich. The flavour of the oxtail was imbued into each scoop of the yellow golden rice, while the kale offered a variation in texture with every mouthful. This I am definitely coming back for.To finish had the chocolate mousse and burnt honey ice cream. Mousse was typical, but the ice cream was interesting - I actually don't know how they got that flavour so on point! Must try (and it's only $3).An amazing discovery I had tonight was dukkah: crushed hazelnuts, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, cumin. The texture and aroma of this garnish is addictive, and Byblos isn't afraid to abuse their dukkah. I left craving for more, and now I'm in the search for making some at home. 
This place looks like a really expensive restaurant that is classy and upscale...BUT rest assured, it's not that pricey. With that said, I really enjoyed my visit to this restaurant. The moment you walk in you can see how classy and elegant the design of this place is. My wife made reservations for two on a Saturday evening. From the door at the main entrance I was amazed. We walked in, the staff took us to our table and sat us down. We ordered our appetizers and dinner at the same time after taking in the view and deciding from the excellent menu options. To our surprise the dinner and the appetizers came out at the same time. It was weird at first but then all we had to do was request that the appetizers come out before the main course. So that wasn't a big deal for us and we didn't mind at all. The food was very delicious.The restaurant becomes a lounge with good music as the evening progresses. There is a lounge area that has beautiful couches and throw pillows where you can enjoy drinks with friends in a great ambiance. All in all, a great dining experience with great service. The food doesn't deserve a 5 star (maybe a 4 star) but I rate this a 5 star for the experience and feeling that my wife and I felt as we left the restaurant. 
I went here and loved it. One of the best dining experiences I've had in awhile. Despite the pre-selected menu, you do have many options. Don't come here for the ambience. Its a tiny place with minimal decorations. The presentation of the food was beautiful. I prefer pretty food that smells heavenly to flowers on the table. The food was tasty and seasoned well, portions were big, service was warm. Food truly was healthy. Fresh produce was used and you see them cook your meal as the kitchen is next to the dining area. I like to watch my food being made. The chef was exceptional. Don't come here if you don't like veggies or fruit though. I left full and happy. Such a great experience that I wanted to tip well but couldn't leave as much money as I wanted because I ran out of Canadian money. Bottom line I have payed more for not as good a meal. 
This is one of the most interesting restaurants to dine in downtown!  The decor is great and the old courthouse space makes for good conversation while waiting for your order to arrive. I came here with a large group and we had a room all to ourselves, so the noise factor was reduced quite a bit. It was rammed at 6pm on a Saturday night and there is a lot of seating here so come early if you want a good table.I thought the service was great and the pizza and pasta were both excellent - I had the seafood pasta and the smoked salmon pizza. The bathrooms are a bit small and cramped but I guess they face the basement problem that most downtown restaurants have here.  I had the chocolate-covered gelato in espresso for dessert - delicious! 
My fav thai place with another location! Less busy / more space, food that is on par with the other sukhothai locations but with more variety, and friendly staff. Loved the ox tail curry, papaya salad, and the mango sticky rice 
I really like this place. The first time my friend took me here, though, I had a better experience than the second time. The first time was a definite 5 star, and the second a 3 star, so here we are!The food is overall, great. It is really reasonably priced -- as long as you don't over-order. The first time I went I had the chicken soup and shared the spring rolls with my friend and everything was super delicious (5 stars!). The second time I went, I ordered the large thai beer and it was huge -- way too much beer, and my boyfriend ordered the basil beef on top of the soups and spring rolls to share and it was way too much food (not to mention not that great in itself). But, all in all, the food is really great and extremely inexpensive for what you get. A definite recommend! 
FABULOUS. :)a little house tucked in from the hustle of the yonge and york mills interesection. the moment you reach the gorgeous white double french doors, you feel special walking into a countryside home with BEAUTIFUL Ambiance.  It's as romantic as it gets!The newly renovated decor truly lives up to the auberge name (french for 'inn').Glorious service that spoils you to no end beginning with their sweet hosts and knowledgeable servers.  My friend was a vegetarian and they catered to her needs with zest.  The food was intricate, beautiful, and delicately balanced, and every bite was a big bang and wow in your mouth.  Each dish was full of bold and big flavoured organic ingredients. at one point our server recommended a spruce birch non alcoholic beer, and we tried it and i am still dreaming about it -- it was amazing.YUM YUM YUMfrom the articoke spread for your freshly baked ethereal bread that comes out fluffy and crunchy at the perfect temperature with olivesto the passion fruit granita,amuse bouche soup octopus terrineorganic greens, and the amazingly sauted kimpachi --every bite was memorable. and that is definitely a mouthful to say. ;)esp in toronto.highly recommended for a nice night out.~$70-100/ person 
The food is fine,weekday Lunch AYCE for $17.99. But their dishes and water mug are not really clean. The service is not  satisfied.Our waitress is an older woman, she forgot our items and rush to leave before we finish our order. 
Came here with family for a birthday and though the price was higher than other AYCE sushi places, it was probably worth it, though we would not indulge like this very often at $23 a head. It seemed that service was quicker for the hot items and desserts than for sushi, sashimi, and rolls, but perhaps more people ordered sushi.  Was very impressed with variety and taste of dinner menu items included in the AYCE, the variety of the rolls especially. Had silly little items such as a small piece of fish with a bit of sauce served on a Pringle chip, and deep-fried scallops with a dollop of katchup on them. Come hungry and as I recommend for every AYCE joint, go with friends to maximize the number of unique items you can order and be able to taste more of a variety. Try to make a reservation if you will be more than three people- the place was packed and it was a Tuesday night (albeit the week of Christmas). 
I can't say enough about this restaurant. The food is amazing and the service is fantastic. I loved their quails and it was my most favourite dish but they have recently removed that :(The only bad experience i had was a couple of years ago when we decided to celebrate my husband's 30th birthday there. I called ahead of time and brought them a bottle of rare wine we had brought with us from South Africa so they could open it and let it breath prior to dinner. I personally spoke to the sommelier and discussed it with him. But when we got there for dinner I noticed they hadn't opened our bottle that they so insisted I bring hours prior to dinner. But all in all it is a fantastic restaurant with great food. Highly recommended. 
I really like the food. The chicken was pretty tasty and perfectly cooked (tender). Other reviewers had complained about the relatively small portion. That, I concur. Chinese places always undercook their chicken, but not this place. Btw, The fried chicken skin were divine. Next time I will eat in and enjoy their cocktails. 
Horrible service. Manager was very rude. Will never return. Anyone who is deciding to go here, be smart and try any of the other 100 restaurants in the area. You will be very disappointed with the service. The food was also very greasy. Also, they will try to pack your boys with extra calories. TOURISTS BEWARE! 
I finally had the opportunity to try Byblos after struggling to secure a reservation on a weekend a number of times. Settled with a 6:30 pm slot on a Monday evening and although it was relatively busy, you could probably take your chances doing a walk-in on a weekday.Contemporary decor but still had a very classy vibe. Lamb Ribs ($14) - These were delicious but tiny!! 3.5 small lamb ribs (the 4th one was more like a twig with barely any meat) that are tender, mildly flavored with a crispy texture. Not exactly the best value but taste-wise, 4/5  Roasted Red Beets ($13) - I debated whether or not to order this dish pretty much until the very last minute when I decided to just take a leap of faith and trust my fellow Yelpers. So glad I did as it was the highlight of the night. I was hesitant because my boyfriend and I aren't the greatest fan of red beets but you can hardly taste it when mixed with the labneh which had the perfect consistency and creaminess. Served with some delicious barbari bread, this dish is one you don't want to pass up on. 5/5Crispy Squid ($13) - This one was a decent portion but the individual pieces of squid are very small. Lightly fried and the spices and garlic sauce (toum) give it a nice kick. Very flavorful dish overall and tasted great with our rice. Probably one of the least traditional items because frankly, it's basically calamari with some Eastern Mediterranean seasonings. But I wasn't there to judge (nor would I know) how authentic their food was, so 3.5/5 Turkish Manti Dumplings ($14) - I was looking forward to this the most but it ended up being the biggest disappointment of the night. Such a shame. The dumplings were underwhelming to say the least. I actually didn't even know they were filled with eggplant until the fourth one or so because the ones I ate prior had nothing in it. The molasses balanced the yogurt really well but other than that, nothing special. 2/5Tartufata ($30) - Probably the most expensive rice I've ever had.The truffle and mushrooms were decadent and the fried chick peas were amazing. Crispy and flavorful. The rice itself is very ordinary. So all things considered, I can't say it was completely worth it. I wouldn't order it again because I'd like to try their other rice offerings which looked and sounded just as appealing. 4/5Seared Cauliflower ($8) - It's considered to be a side so I'd recommend ordering this with one of their meat dishes (ribeye, lamb shoulder, etc.) because I think it'd compliment it quite well. We just thought cauliflower with duck fat sounded awesome so we couldn't resist and ordered it anyway. I prefer stronger flavors so I loved this but heads up it can be a bit heavy. 4/5As for dessert, we had the Loukmades ($12) - Fantastic! We were pretty full and while waiting, we kept negotiating how many bites each person would take to finish it. Ended up fighting over the last piece. Pretty much burnt honey icecream on a krispy kreme donut (but a different shape). So good and a must-order!! 5/5  Service was lackluster.  Our server was kind and filled our water pretty often but eventually disappeared. We found ourselves waiting a lot - to order dessert, to ask for the bill and to pay. Service shouldn't end after the customer finishes their main course but rather when they walk out the door. Also, typical of many high-end restaurants, they explain what's in every dish but it was spewed out so quickly that a lot of it was incoherent. Didn't really add any value to our dinner.  A little overhyped but I'd come back because their menu still has a few other interesting items I'd like to try. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who's looking to celebrate a special occasion or somewhere nice to go for a first date. Just don't expect to be blown away. 
All I can say is wow! Impeccable service. You are made to feel very special here, and the service is down to earth and unpretentious. We were literally thanked by 20 people on the way out. The steak is delicious, the Caesar salad (made at your table according to your specifications), the mushrooms, asparagus, potatoes, and fries too. The chocolate cake was unbelievable. They made me a fruity drink that wasn't on the menu; it was tropically delicious. Loved it! One of the best dining experiences I've had in Toronto. We weren't rushed, and were given complementary muffins for breakfast, complimentary chocolate, and champagne as our friends were celebrating their anniversary. 
My cousin took me here for my belated birthday lunch and she has officially ruined normal GTA sushi for me. The crazy 5 star ratings is 100% deserved here and I can't wait to take my boyfriend very soon for a special lunch date. This is how sushi should be done and presented! The food was visually stunning. They've put a lot of thought and care into the presentation which really makes the entire experience all the better. The staff are very knowledgeable and take the time to explain the specials and dishes to you. I really appreciated that!We ended up getting the chef's special *Miku Zen* which differs, so you should ask the server first. Ours had a tofu salad (I hate tofu and I ate the whole thing.. didn't taste like tofu at all and well seasoned), beef, fish, and a spin of fish & taro chips. It came with 5 pieces of chef select Aburi (torched) sushi. Each one was delicious and the flavours are already there. You will not be using any soy sauce of wasabi for this sushi meal. We also got the Kale Goma-ae salad which was also very delicious.Dessert was the best. For a limited time, they're having this mochi dessert that's got condensed milk whip on the inside and a walnut cookie base. The mochi comes with a scoop of black sesame ice cream (my favourite) and drizzle of tarragon honey & various fruits. The mochi is so soft and fluffy it's like eating a cloud!!!!Everything was well seasoned and balanced and the chefs really take care to present and create each dish so every bite is a whole new experience. The decor is fantastic, service is excellent, and the food was just outstanding. Not an everyday type of lunch spot, but a nice treat once in a while. We all deserve to be mind blown by amazing food!!! 
Truly the best Thai restaurant in the city. We arrived around after 7 on a Wednesday night which was prime time. They do not take same day reservations. The wait was just about under an hour and decided to wait. You may sit by the bar and there is also a bench in another room that you can sit and wait. We waited about 45 mins unil we got to our table.The vibe is very loud and they played great music. The decor was very cozy as if you are at your friend's house for dinner. I loved all the photographs on the wall.They have daily drink specials. I ordered mango juice and and my bf ordered a beer. We could not decide on an appetizer so we had asked the server their favourite dish to which she suggested the battered squash. BTW unfortunately I do not remember the Thai names.When it arrived, it looked like fritters and shoe strings. The dip was like a mixture of sweet chili sauce and fish sauce.  It was so delicious. What a great start to our dinner.For our mains, we ordered the Khao Soi and or course, a curry fiend.. the Coconut Green Curry. It is served in a coconut.My Coconut Green Curry was definitely the BEST in the city that I have ever had. I can also scrape off the coconut which soaked in all the flavors.  The Khao Soi was also so delicious.I cannot wait to go back and try the other dishes. Also an awesome place for after work drinks! !! 
I love visiting Colette Cafe not just for their delicious teas and caffinated beverages but also to admire their beautiful interior design and decor. For those who know me, my absolute favourite colour is blue. They just make everything look so elegant and precious. I'm literally obsessed with every detail they have from tiles, paint, furniture and fixtures. It's very European, which they are, and I absolutely adore. I never really had the chance to pick out anything other than their hot beverages and a buttered almond croissant here and there, but they most certainly offer items such as baguettes, cupcakes, special donuts, cake, macarons, quiches and salads. Honestly I get so focused and fixated on their restaurant designs that I lose focus on the actual menu itself. I'm don't have much of a sweet tooth so I'm not necessarily drawn to the sweet items like most of my friends do. Other than that, if you enjoy tea they have a wide selection of aromatic teas to choose from. Colette also has a really great patio which is open during the warmer months. It is located on a smaller street in Toronto so if you like a more quiet, outdoor environment to do work you may want to check this place out. 
Great atmosphere, awesome cocktails, SUPER fast service and delicious food. Win!Really enjoyed all the food and drinks we ordered! 
Ambiance is on point. Beer is on point. Food is on point. Neighbourhood is on point. This is a great spot to chill and have drinks. A great spot to come for dinner. There are a lot of other bars and restaurants around so you could jump around and binge on excess. 
My husband took me here for my birthday, and I loved everything about it! We had reservations on a Thursday night at 630pm. Once we walked in, our jackets were taken and coat checked, and we were quickly seated. The ambiance great! Our waiter came quickly, was very friendly, and took his time to explain the menu to us as it was our first time there. We started off with Aburi Beef Carpaccio, which was awesome! I loved the shoyu eggs, it was perfectly cooked. The baby green and pear complimented the beef very nicely (although a lot less greens would have been good). The beef carpaccio itself was amazing, it melted in my mouth and was packed with flavour! We then had the Kaisan Soba, which was basically a seafood soba. You can choose to get it mild or spicy. I got it spicy, which I thought was a very nice kick, I didn't find it too spicy. I was surprised with the generous amount of seafood that came with the soba. There were clams, mussles, prawns, scallop and squid. The seafood were all huge, and super fresh. The soba had a very nice texture to it, definitely one of the best soba I've had. Keep in mind this isn't your traditional soba dish though, it seemed a bit more stir fried. Anyways, overall it was super yummy!Miku is known for their Oshi Sushi (aka the blow torch pressed sushi), so I definitely had to try that. I had the salmon and mackerel. Both were amazing! The rice was very sweet and soft. And both the salmon and mackerel were torched perfectly. The salmon sushi came with a small jalapeno on top, which adds a bit of a kick to it. My husband really liked that touch, I personally took it off before eating the sushi. We also ordered the Miku roll, which was to die for. This roll literally melts in your mouth. What I loved the most about it is that there was such a thin layer of rice around the roll, with each bit, I mostly just tasted the salmon and uni and tobiko, which was awesome!!! I would recommend that everyone must try this roll!! Everything was plated beautifully. I thought the price actually quite reasonable for the quality and ambiance of the restaurant. I can't wait to come back again! 
It's good. But not *that* good. Not good enough to wait for two hours. Definitely not good enough to wait for two hours when it's cold outside. If you're going to do the no reservation thing, at least have a phone/text system to alert people. The food is really reasonably priced. And there are lots of interesting items on the menu - but nothing that made me feel that the super long wait that I endured was worth it. I'll give it another shot when the 2nd location is open. 
Friendly staff, fast service, great toppings. Finally ordered a pizza with all the toppings. So good! Need a location close to my work or home... 
Best sushi spot in Toronto. Great service and location. Staff always welcomes you with great suggestions on their favourites and explanations on the freshest items on the menus. Their cakes are a must 
This place was quite good by my ramen standards. Up there with Santouka and Orenchi (a hometown favorite in Santa Clara, Calif). They offer two kinds of noodles - the thick one looked better. 
It was amazing experience, I suggest to try the lobster pasta and especially mushroom ravioli. It was savory, creamy, and the entire plate had a whimsical texture to it. We came in at unusual hours of 4 pm to have lunch and service was on point. We also bought a jar of their own hot sauce, which we paired with oysters there. Worth the try! 
Great food and beer! Fantastic service! 
Favourite taco joint in the city!The interior is cozy and eclectic often with rap music playing in the background. My go-tos include their Baja Fish taco (every time! the fish is so light crispy and delicious!) , their coconut cream pie (not sure what those white marshmallow pieces sticking out of the pie but it's THE best), and a bottle of Mexican beer to compliment the food.I've had their ceviche, chips and dip, as well as other offerings, but I still gravitate towards the tacos as they are always fresh and flavorful and never disappoint. 
Still till this day my fave spot to grab Italian food. I went here with my fam and ordered the seafood pasta, gnocchi tomatoes pasta, pear and white sauce prosciutto pizza as well as the tomato sauce one. Delicious! All the pastas are done in house so the aldante texture is surely there. The sauce is flavorful and thick not watery at all. I have had the pear pizza before so I knew I had to get it since it was so good. The caramelized pear thinly sliced on the pizza gives it that sugary and honey flavor. I highly recommend that pizza! It's not your everyday pizza. If you are a fan of things pizza you will surely love it.The service as usual was excellent! Friendly and professional. 
Good food, clean, affordable. More spacious than other restaurants I've been to in Chinatown. 
This place has an amazing vibe! duck fat friest are a must! favourite sausage is the venison! wild boar is also really good and its cooked perfectly, spicy and a great texture. Kangaroo is a little on the dry side, nice to try just to say you had it but not up to par with the other game meats. Kangaroo hardly has any fat so what do you expect.Place is amazing and love the bench tables structure. great for a lunch with coworkers or a night out before partying! 
I went to this place expecting a lot. Ramen being one of my favourite things. Was here on a wednesday night with a few friends. i was really looking forward to the ramen. i feel the interior design was nice and spaciousi ordered a spicy pork miso ramen. the soup in the ramen was very salty, and MSG taste. basically i couldn't drink any soup becuase it was really over salted. the noodle feels like instant noodles. and the pork is average. the egg was good, which i had to pay extra for. The ramen was really missing a lot of toppings and literally this regular sized ramen only had 1 piece of pork. my feeling is for the price they are charging, and the flavour it wasn't worth it. The taste is not good. and the portion is not a deal at all. there are so many ramen places in the area. which is why i'm surprised why this one had such a high rating, because it is really not good or worth the money. i would not recommend this to anyone, as there are much better ramen places in the area, and as well in the city. it is not worth it taste wise or price wise 
The thing about scaddabush is that you enter and are immediately expecting a great night - the decor, personable hostesses, vibe, even price points are all great. The issue with this place comes with the service -- which is slow, slow, slow. Ive been here twice in the last two weeks and both times the service is less than desirable. Which is hard to understand as there are a plethora of servers working the floor. 
This place is usually packed so better to reserve or go at not a peak time. Pretty much everything on the menu is delicious. Must try the Pad Thai and any of the Currys. Quick service. Once I had a hair in my curry and they apologised and gave me my meal for free. Not at intimate place to eat, gets very loud during peak times. Shared tables if you come in twos. 
If I could give this place zero stars I would. Just another below average mall chain restaurant headlined by a celebrity chef charging outrageous prices for dishes that my Italian neighbour could make better. We only came here as a backup bc joey's yorkdale could not accommodate a group larger than 10. Beware - they also take your credit card for reservations and state that they will charge you $20 per person for no shows... Who the heck does that?! I ended up ordering a bunch of sharables w my friends. Crispy squid and mushrooms fritti aka battered mushroom spears. They were average... Not very many pieces. We were going to order the tomatoe bruschetta until the server told us it was only 1 piece of bread and not very sharable ($10 for 1 slice of bread - wtf?!). So we resorted to the garlic bread w sundried tomatoe and olive tapenade.. It was ok. Then we ordered the fungi, Margherita, and Parma pizza. They were the size of a small pizza.. Cut into 4. Honestly, you're better off going to Pizzaville and ordering their Margherita pizza and paying 4 bucks compared to this place. Or if you want great pizza.. Go to libretto downtown. Overall, this place doesn't deserve to be a part of yorkdale. The food is not flavourful, expensive, small portions. It looks nice, wooden decor, legs of Proscuitto hanging from the ceiling of the bar. Looks rustic, but everything else is a disappointment. Could not pay me to ever come back and eat here and would not recommend to anyone... Spend your money elsewhere. 
Location: On Dundas just east of Yonge-Dundas square. Parking lots are available but pricey. The lot right next to Santouka is $10 flat on weekends. The one behind Santouka is $6 flat on weekends. Facility: Fairly small, almost always packed, very little waiting room. The corridor fits only about 5 people before it starts feeling cramped, then you'll have to stand outside. Floor to ceiling windows and an open kitchen. Washrooms are nice but TINY. Anyone taller than 5'9 may have to duck.Food Quality & Price: Meat was soft and tender. I was impressed by the presence of crunchy bamboo shoots and black fungus in my shio ramen. The egg was also very well done, marinated just right with a yolky middle that wasn't cold at all. I personally didn't like that the default noodles were so thin (almost like instand noodles), but they were cooked well enough. The regular/small size is a decent portion and really hit the spot. The only negatives about this ramen is that there is noticeable MSG in the soup base and it is very salty. While I don't doubt that the soup has been simmering for days, I think it would be just fine without MSG. You can ask for LESS salt and LESS fat, but I'm reviewing the default dish that you get without customization. Service: Good service with a smile from both the ladies and the gents. Fast, and checked in on us just the right amount of times. Didn't feel rushed.Overall: I would return to Santouka if I was in the area. I do believe that Santouka caters to general ramen eater who prefer a great deal of flavour and artificiality in their soups. So while it appeals to the masses, I find that it's a bit of a cop out. While the location boasts of Japanese locals seeking out their establishment, I think it's just a matter of decent food at a prime location. They earned a solid 4 stars but could improved by automatically reducing the amount of salt and removing MSG from their soup. 
So this was my second time coming to Insomnia! Just wanna try their brunch before 3pm!We sat in the comfy sofa at around 1.50pm and ordered Charlotte, Heaven on Earth, black coffee and hot chocolate.Hot chocolate and coffee came first. Disappointedly we didn't have the hot chocolate but a warm one, despite the fairly good glass that holds the chocolate. Black coffee is normal. Although there are just few tables of customers, the food came long after we finished the chocolate. So we also got a jar of water that came slow. At first when I was yelping and saw the Heaven on Earth french toast photo, I thought the cheese inside was ice cream but no. So I then ordered a ice cream topping too for my french toast since I think ice cream with any french toast is the best combination ever for me!! And yes, this combination never goes wrong.As I am not a cheese person (I can accept cheese like in grilled cheese), I think the thick cheese that stuffed in the french toast is too much for me. This would be a little reminder for some of you like me, to be careful of it haha. Stuffed Blueberries and strawberries are OK. One interesting note is that the french toast has a quite unique texture than most of the typical ones. The egg-like texture is soft and thick..with crispy corners of the bread. Perfect with maple syrup alone or the addition of ice cream.The salmon egg benedict was great too. The side potatoes are like potato fries; they won't occupy much of your stomach but instead giving you a crispy outer layer and hot and soft potato crust. The salmon was fantastic and it makes me speechless. I wonder how they cook it. Muffin below reminded me of McDonalds' muffins. Eggs were well-cooked; they are like poached eggs. Good for those egg lovers!Maybe because we went there late and finished our brunch late like 4pm, the waitress got us the bill once we finished our food. We didn't even have some time to rest or chat since she just came and asked us if we have anything to order, we said no and she said okay just the bill and she went to get us the bill right away. We felt weird or funny that why everything happened so fast lol haha. But all in all that was a quite good experience comparing to my last time late night dinner here. (If only the food came faster and we had more time to just stay, cos there were almost no one in there - or will they close before dinner hours?) 
Most ultimate restaurant for a lovely lunch with girlfriend (and babies or not), friends, colleagues or clients. The space is big so you are not side by side with another table. The service is always impeccable, the food divine, and ou HAVE TO try the pancakes as a dessert (ask for a smaller portion if you can't do the full dish;-) 
I should probably preface this by saying I am related to the owner, but that only adds to the appeal!  So what if I get a free beer once in awhile? I come here anyways!Having lived in Belgium, I come here to relive some of my favourite Belgian foods and beer (although, I am admittedly not much of a beer drinker). The cheese fondue and frites are authentic standouts, as well as the pulled pork sandwich even if it's not really Belgian. You have to ask for the pulled pork as it's not on the menu, but it should be since it's so popular. Maybe I should see to this since I have the connection and all! 
Their steak is really good AND it doesn't break the bank if you wanna have a nice dinner. There are different sauce flavours you can choose from as well!The table next to us had a mussels appetizer and the portion looked huge! Definitely eyeing the all-you-can-eat mussels and fries for next time.. it's just such a deal for $22! Or.. maybe I should listen to my boyfriend who always says my eyes are hungrier than my stomach and just order the appetizer.... Also the match stick fries are delicious, make sure you order that as a side 
3.5*. While the food was just okay, the ambiance was great and really made the experience here worthwhile. Located in the heart of the Distillery District, we visited on a Thursday evening and had the choice of sitting on the patio or indoors - it wasn't too cold, and we chose the patio which is heated. They also provide blankets for you to wrap around yourself in case the heaters aren't enough for you. First, parking. There are several Green P's located in the area surrounding the Distillery District (on a weekday evening, the average was around $4.50 an hour, or around $8.00 flat for the evening if you arrived after 6:00 PM).Second, ambiance. Beautiful, inside and out. Pretty lights, an intimate setting amongst a good sized space. This restaurant is a great option for both group dinners and dates. Plus, they take reservations.Third, the food. We had the guacamole (which they mash in front of you), Baja Fish Tacos ($15.95 for 3 tacos), Campechanos Tacos ($15.95 for 3 tacos), Costilla Courta ($16.95 - braised short rib), the Love Boat ($14.95 - fried plantains with braised beef), and Churros. Overall, the Baja Fish Tacos were the best item we ordered (nice, crispy, light, with decent flavor). The tacos were an okay size, but a bit on the small side. The guacamole was just okay (I wish it had more of a kick and body). Generally speaking, the food was just average, but it was the environment that made the experience enjoyable. A wonderful atmosphere for our group dinner, with great service (thanks so much to our awesome server, Christina, for a nice evening!). We would definitely come back here again for the ambiance, but it's not our first choice if we were strictly looking for the best Mexican food in Toronto. 
Came here a few times and loved it each time.  How can you complain about all you can eat fresh meat.  Service is fine.  Ambiance is great!  Love the dancing ladies.  The Parmesan beef thing was ridiculously good.  This place is not for cheapos.  In fact I think all cheapos should not eat out at all.  They should all cook at home and be cheap to yourselves and not bother anyone else.  The salad bar for all you vegetarian losers is good also.  Not that a vegetarian should even step one foot inside this place. 
Not sure why just west of Yonge & Dundas is becoming Toronto's 'hypebeast Asia-town'.  In the area, there are line-ups for ramen, bubble tea, matcha, and Japanese cheese cake/tarts as a lot of global Asian brands are opening locations here -- and Asian kids just love lining up for trendy Asian food.  These businesses are completely sustained by IG-'foodies'.Anyways, I don't know too much about Pablo - other than it being a Japanese chain that specializes in cheesetarts.  I didn't really have interest, but the lady wanted to try it out and there were no lineups.We got a full size cheese tart for around $15 and it was about 8.  The texture of the filling is similar to flan or pudding - taste was very light (not eggy or cheesy at all).  Most of the flavour comes from the apricot topping.  The crust was pretty flaky.  Neither of us will try it again - just not a great value proposition (their 'premium' cheese tart is the same size but $25 with a creme brulee topping).Although not the same, Uncle Tetsu is probably their nearest competitor (geographically and figuratively).  I'm not a huge fan of sweets, so I do prefer the more subtle taste and better texture of Tetsu's 'cheesecake' (which I probably won't have again anytime soon either).  However, with Tetsu, it's hard to find a good substitute -- with Pablo, I rather have a good Chinese egg tart or a Portuguese egg tart... and I won't have to pay $15 - $25 for either. 
Quick update to my review...I came back with two friends during the summertime and had a BLAST again. This time, I sat at the bar right in front of the chefs who were quite amusing to watch.Note to all -- GO ON YOUR BIRTHDAY! It is amazing to see these chefs and waitstaff whip out silly glasses, do a silly dance, and sing you an original happy birthday song. They have so much energy. I can't do the explanation justice.The waitstaff and chefs also shout a LOT, so be prepared for the loudness. However, listening to their amusing little side songs and comments in Japanese made for a very fun evening. We loved our experience there!The food was good and filling. One surprising tasty dish was the gomaae, spinach with sesame sauce. So delicious! The deep fried pumpkin with egg inside was prepared interestingly and it was very satisfying to eat. My friends loved the ramen... they said the pork was done perfectly! I had some of the broth and that was pretty tasty.Saba and oden are always great staples here too.I heart this place! 
Heard great things about this place, but slightly disappointed overall.For a start, the service was great and our waiter was very attentive. Appetisers wise, we ordered the squash fritters, the chicken wings, and a starter bowl of tom yum soup. The chicken wings were amazing, and I especially liked that the tom yum soup was slightly sweet instead of being too sour like it is at most places. The squash fritters were tasty, but the portion was huge - way too much for 2 persons, and more suitable for a party of 4 or 5. For mains, we ordered the green curry in a coconut and the basil pork. The green curry was great, but we waited about 30 minutes for it. We also specifically requested it to be served piping hot, but to our disappointment, the curry arrived to our table at room temperature. This was the same for our tom yum soup, which was unfortunate. The basil pork was good, but I have definitely had better. Sangria was great - refreshing and tasty. The Thai iced tea was way too sweet, but not too bad. Restaurant had a trendy, eccentric hipster vibe, and was overall not a bad dining experience. More towards a 3.5 stars. 
This place started out at a four star review, the food was very good, the service was not awful (hence the four, instead of five star original rating) then, out of nowhere, the lights were dimmed and the most awful top 40 rap started blasting!!! We then couldn't find our server because she was so busy serving tables like ours who were trying to get the heck out of there ASAP!!!! Had to sit for 20 minutes in the midst of a sudden club atmosphere when I was just trying to have a nice, laid back dinner and some drinks. (Drinks menu is great, I just CAN'T understand why they would turn it suddenly into a club!!!) awful. 
If you're looking for a hip place to have some amazing seafood and drinks with friends, this is the place. I went on Thursday where you can eat 100 oysters for $100. Every oyster was shucked to perfection and the servers kept the hot sauce and vinegar toppings coming. I also ordered the mahi mahi dish with coconut rice (amazing!). It melted in my mouth and was just the perfect amount of fish to rice, along with the savoury seasoned veggies (which were all cooked perfectly and not limp).I brought my 6 month old baby here and it was a by too loud for him but this is definitely not the type of restaurant that you should bring a baby to. The one thing I would suggest is for the servers to refill the water a bit more often. We put the water container on the outside part of the table, hoping a waiter would notice because they just kept whipping by (it was packed) but no one noticed until we eventually stopped someone. My parents had the calamari and loved it! I will definitely be coming back here again to try some more menu options (sans baby!) 
A tad small (my only complaint, but hey its Kensington Market) but sooo damn tasty. Don't bother with one- YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST TWO!  The blackened mahi mahi was incredible!  Highly recommend it.    Note: very limited seating (around 4) and some places to stand, so either be prepared to stand and eat or savor the food experience somewhere outside - either way it will be an unforgettable. I will be back to taste the others. 
Its a little frustrating to rate this restaurant as we had a fantastic time here. The setting, decor and ambiance is just lovely, I went here with a friend for food and cocktails. Cocktails were fab, we had one at the bar while waiting 15mins for our table and another with our meal. While our food was slow the waitress recognised this and was very attentive keeping us up to date.The big but is that the food just isn't great, we both found the meals bland, the table side guac was the same and the chips were stale. Maybe 3 is a little unfair and if this was a bar not a restaurant I could forgive the food. But this is a restaurant and it is not a cheap one so this is too disappointing to ignore. 
Location: On Dundas just east of Yonge-Dundas square. Parking lots are available but pricey. The lot right next to Santouka is $10 flat on weekends. The one behind Santouka is $6 flat on weekends. Facility: Fairly small, almost always packed, very little waiting room. The corridor fits only about 5 people before it starts feeling cramped, then you'll have to stand outside. Floor to ceiling windows and an open kitchen. Washrooms are nice but TINY. Anyone taller than 5'9 may have to duck.Food Quality & Price: Meat was soft and tender. I was impressed by the presence of crunchy bamboo shoots and black fungus in my shio ramen. The egg was also very well done, marinated just right with a yolky middle that wasn't cold at all. I personally didn't like that the default noodles were so thin (almost like instand noodles), but they were cooked well enough. The regular/small size is a decent portion and really hit the spot. The only negatives about this ramen is that there is noticeable MSG in the soup base and it is very salty. While I don't doubt that the soup has been simmering for days, I think it would be just fine without MSG. You can ask for LESS salt and LESS fat, but I'm reviewing the default dish that you get without customization. Service: Good service with a smile from both the ladies and the gents. Fast, and checked in on us just the right amount of times. Didn't feel rushed.Overall: I would return to Santouka if I was in the area. I do believe that Santouka caters to general ramen eater who prefer a great deal of flavour and artificiality in their soups. So while it appeals to the masses, I find that it's a bit of a cop out. While the location boasts of Japanese locals seeking out their establishment, I think it's just a matter of decent food at a prime location. They earned a solid 4 stars but could improved by automatically reducing the amount of salt and removing MSG from their soup. 
Amazing cheesecake! I waited in line and it was totally worth the wait. Sooo good. I also tried their Angel Hat original cheesecake, a small sized one for 10.00. It was really moist in texture and a bit different from the original cheesecake but still just as good. Then headed over to their match store for some Madeleines which where tasty for breakfast. =) 
Miku is one of those places where it's correct to boast it's cultural dishes. The dishes were a bit pricier than the usual a la carte sushi but it was definitely worth it. You wouldn't be wasting a penny on the food or service.We had the sashimi lunch platter which had red tuna, salmon, yellow snapper, and scallop. It was fresh and tasted perfectly seasoned even without the soy sauce and wasabi. Which is what I feel sashimi should actually taste like.The Miku four dish spring set was made with seasonal food and had a variety of seared fish (tuna, red snapper), salad, and ingredients native to Japanese dishes. The dessert was amazing, perfectly balanced in sweetness and tartness. Would definitely come back when the sushi craving strikes! 
I can see why some people would rave about this place, but personally wasn't impressed.  The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't something I would go nuts about.  Especially since I hate Kale.I have been a couple times as my date would want to go but won't make reso.The place is crammed which I hated and super loud. The steak tartar was good though. Pizza was okDrinks though were on point 
Surprisingly decent quality food for a good price. Really fast service at a convenient location. Will return. 
The food here isn't too bad, but it also isn't excellent. When I ate here I had by far some of the WORST service I've ever had. To start off, I am really against the idea of ordering off iPads. Especially when we had a larger group who had to pass around one iPad to order. It took forever to place our orders because of the size of the group (over 30 minutes). I see the iPads being good for one or two people, or if everyone in your party was going to order all-you-can-eat. But it all became very confusing, very quickly. Our food was coming at the most random times and they ended up giving me the wrong food. It was all very confusing. To top off all the frustration and confusion, our waiter spilt hot soup on someone at our table. I get it, mistakes happen...but with everything that was happening we were not impressed. When it came time to get our bills it took ages to sort everything out. We were already running behind from the slow service and we didn't have time to wait another 20 minutes for them to sort the bills out. We were finally able to pay and get out of there. I was not happy with the price I had to pay for the mediocre food I had eaten. I will NEVER be coming back here again. 
My friend has been telling me about this place for about 2 months now.  She works in the area and goes at least twice a week.   So last night, just before we went to the movies, we finally tried it.  We were in a group of 3 girls.  Seating is very limited, so your best bet is probably to get take out and eat it on a nearby bench.  That is my only negative for this place, hence the 4/5 rating.  From here on in, it's all amazing all the time!My mouth was watering as I stood in line and checked out the menu.  I'm obsessed with Korean food, so the Kalbi beef Bahn mi caught my eye immediately...as did the Kimchi fries.  My heart hurts a little as I write this, because at the very last second, I opted to get the sweet potato fries instead!  I know...shocking!  My reasoning for such a heinous act?  My two girlfriends don't eat meat...so I figured we could at least share them.  The Kimchi fries have pulled pork on them...totally unshareable with Veggie Friends.  i wil get you next time, Kimchi Fries...oh yes...I will!Each bite was delicious!  And for a person who loves spicey food like me, thie kalbi beef bahn mi had just the perfect amount of kick to it.  My mouth is actually watering as I write this and it's only 9:42am...I think this might what the beginning stages of a drug addiction must feel like!I digress.  For first timers gearing up to visit The Boys...here are a few little things you should know...that I didn't...and kinda felt like a very green rookie.First of all, don't call it a sandwich...it's a Bahn Mi....  So call it that.  I  felt like I kind of insulted the guy taking my order when I almost said can I get the Kalbi Beef...sand...  He promptly corrected me (not in a rude way at all...just totally informatively) that it's called a bahn mi.Also, they ask how spicy you want it just before they make your order...  I got the Thai Red Chillies....DELICIOUS!Next time, I'm going to tackle a couple of the tacos.  And then the time after that I'm going get the Steamed bao...then, the time after that.... 
We revisited here again.  This time is for our dinner time. Same things, great food and great decor.  I enjoy the quiet and gentle atmosphere in a restaurant and definitely it wins my heart.We ordered green curry with veg, khao sow with chicken, tom yum soup with shrimps, mango sticky rice and ginger tea and a beer.Food: Authentic Thai Street FoodPrice: $$ ReasonableService: Friendly and Welcoming and Fast Speedy Cooking time (considering there was 3 more tables at the same time) A surprise to us was that we got a free appetizers , what a lovely owner!! :) Thanks Jatujak @ Victoria Park Will recommend this place and so missing Thailand and here I can find the taste again!! We are the fan from now 
To be honest, I had higher expectations for this place. I am not vegan myself, and typically I don't eat at vegan places. However, I was in the area and a friend recommended it so I thought I'd try it out.The restaurant has a very elegant, chic feel. The décor is amazing and the setup is very aesthetic. Loved the circle tables, comfortable chairs, and earthy feel with the plant wallpaper. I ordered the Sweet Mess Tacos and for its price, the portion size was very small - only two tacos! However, it did taste very good. I'm not a fan of cilantro so I took it off my plate but the beans, sweet potato, and avocado blended together very well. I usually eat chicken or beef tacos, but these were so good that I forgot it was vegan!The service was also amazing. There were plenty of servers who refilled our water constantly. And our food came in a timely manner as well.All in all, this place is definitely on the pricey side. Since I am not vegan, I don't exactly see the value in paying almost $15 for two tacos. It was a good experience, but I don't see myself coming back. 
Today we went there for lunch with a group of 10 people. TERRIBLE SERVICE! WillNot return.  The restaurant was not busy and still no one helped us. They sat us down and didn't give us menus. We asked three different people for menu. Our main waitress had an unhappy face and very rude. She gave us menus then no one brought tea. They force you to accept very large lobster with very tough meat. We ordered extra friend rice and noodles to eat with the lobster but they never came until the end. No one offered water, waitress was never found. We had their congee - bland and watery. We asked for soy sauce and it was brought out in rice bowls, 10 bowls of soy sauce!!  Never before have we seen such thoughtless service. We brought a family of friends there for Father's Day lunch and were so embarrassed that we chose this restaurant.  Our food took too long to come. Not going back there. 
Came here for my birthday and saw $1000+ steak...which they were sold out of!!!  I can't even imagine what that steak tastes like but it must come wrapped in bills.  OK, I'm kidding.Anyways, the place was packed...we had no reservation...dropped in the last  minute and did I mention it was right before Xmas.  The hostess did a walk around and found us a table at the upstairs bar.  They were the last seats in the house and the best seats in the house!The place looks like a steakhouse and feels like a steakhouse...or what a modern one should be.  It's pretty slick.  We sat down and our bartender/waiter was awesome.  He helped us through some of the drinks and we ended up ordering 2 steaks, 1 from Alberta and 1 from the US, as well as beefsteak tomatoes and the potato gratin. The steaks came cut in strips (we made the request) and were cooked perfectly!  I do prefer the American beef over Alberta beef, sorry Canada, I hope this doesn't make me a terrible Canadian!  Both steaks were excellent though.  The tomatoes (feta and thyme) and potatoes were excellent as well.  After our meal we got a small tour of the see through steak fridge and some explanation of steaks are aged.  It's a pretty cool ending to a great meal.  The service is excellent and food does match it.  It was one of the best overall experiences I had in 2013 which was filled with amazing experiences. 
LOVE LOVE LOVEI came here a while back in the summer and was blown away here!My hunni loves seafood, so I chose this restaurant downtown when I knew we were going down for errands. When you walk in you are greeted by a beautiful and dim restaurant. It has a bit of a romantic feel, but with more energy. It can be a great date place if you don't mind it being a bit loud. We were seated promptly ( since I made a reservation) and were lucky to get a booth that was like a bench, where we sat on one side with the table infront of us. Making it a bit more intimate for us (which was nice). The waiter was helpful and knowledgable with the menu and was attentive and excellent during our meal. Now the food:Of course, one needs to order the seafood tower at pearl diver, because you need to bask in it's holy glory at least once in your life. The tower is damn beautiful, with two tiers of seafood beauty.On the top tier you have your shrimp cocktail, salmon and king crab legsOn the bottome you have your assortment of oysters with 3 dipsFRESH AF pretty much sums up the tower. JUST TRY IT. Chicken Liver & Oyster PateI really enjoyed this, but my hunni thought it was a bit weird. I mean it seems like a weird combo, but I thought it was a great savoury dish. So i think this is probably a hit or miss item. It's pretty difficult to explain the taste of the pate, but it's oyster so... if you're adventurous or an oyster lover, go for it!Cured Fish PlateAssorted and served with rye breadFresh. not the highlight but still a great appetizerSticky Toffee PuddingThe hype about it is true. It's a decadent dessert that really hits the spot after the meal, the pudding is soft and melts in your mouth. ** we also ordered two cocktails but I forgot the names, but they were both very good and would 100% recommend**Overall, I had a great time here !! I liked the food, atmosphere and had a great waiter. This place also seemed to be great for birthdays since I saw a large table in the back celebrating a birthday and another birthday celebration in one of the booths as well. 
The last few visits were very disappointing!A waste of time, drive and money!From poor SLOW service, and OVERPRICED to bland mediocre food. And terribly long waits to get seated outside!We're talking 1 hour! (I can think of hundreds of other activities I'd rather do on our night out then stand in a line up for bad food and service) or how about go next door? ? Our pre last visit was a disappointment as our child had gotten a bone in his food and hurt his tooth, the manager approached us had a chat and tried to make it better by offering other foods, and invited us back with no wait.We took him up on his offer, We had returned as a family of 5, were seated promptly and had the visit from the manager, he had gotten our child order inn right away and was pleasant, however as soon as he left it all went down hill! The servers were not pleasant/ actually quite rude and moody! Our food took extremely long to arrive! As a comparison, the table next to us arrived after us! As they were enjoying coffee and dessert we had still not gotten our main meals!?? Our servers did not clean our tables from dirty plates, we had to keep calling them over for that, to clear our dirty plates were piling up from apps and dirty cups from drinks... they did with attitude for some reason...We had contacted the manager and had tried to fill him inn on the poor service and food quality (which I had sent back my food, as it arrived after most people around my table finished their food, and mine wasn't even good after all that wait for a tiny 4oz or so fish- ridiculous)he served also had the nerve to argue with me, trying to put the blame on me as he claims he warned me it would take longer- I had 4 others at my table witness this and that it's a lie- as well as it's the smallest plate and should not have taken THIS LONG!  the manager had read our messages. And weeks later still had not reached out.Very disappointing, a let down really...we feel we've given this place enough try's to finally say- other then the decor there's nothing good here! Nothing to return for. And was a huge waste of our time and money! It used to be better,  a few years back. From quality to service- had truly gone down!! A shame. 
The interior is similar to a dive restaurant. It's fairly clean with a mix of high seat tables or regular tables. Having come on a friday night at 8:30pm it was quite busy. The wait was well over 45min, but the server said he could text me when my table was ready. Luckily my friend suggested we sit at the bar as the servers had no problem serving food there. We got our menus and have to say that this place is a little more on the expensive side. It won't break the bank, but can you put that much added value?We got the Gaeng Hunglay - Ox Tail, Pad Thai, and chicken skewers. the food came out really quick even though the restaurant was so busy. The skewers tasted great and it came with peanut sauce and a sweet/vinegar based dip with thai chili's inside. The peanut sauce was well made and authentic instead of taking a glop of peanut butter and blending it with some hot sauce. The vinegar based sauce tasted great as well and my friend practically drank the sauce. The pad thai tasted as expected, the portion wasn't too big, but satisfying. A good mix of chicken, sprouts and everything else evenly throughout. Nothing stood out from it and the foreigner spicy translated to mild. The Gaeng Hunglay was something else though, think curry, but a little sweeter and hints of ginger. I thoroughly enjoyed that dish more then the pad thai Thai cuisine doesn't have a lot of expensive ingredients, the pad thai costs around 15$ and it wasn't special or outstanding enough for me to order it again. However, the Ox tail was delicious and if I were to come again and I would definitely order something along those lines.For authenticity this place would be 4.5/5 for Thai cuisine 
I will agree that the soup is on the salty side. But the ramen is still really good!We got the spicy tan tan and the tonkotsu with thick noodles (curly, great for slurping and retaining the soup). I loved both the broths. The tonkotsu had a good pork bone flavor with this creaminess that comes when it's cooked with the ramen. The tan tan was spicy, but just enough that you want to keep on slurping the ramen and drinking the soup! By the way, there is only one slice of pork belly for the tan tan but two for the tonkotsu.Adding any extras, like shitaki mushrooms, will cost you more, but I definitely recommend adding the mushrooms because it has a sweet flavor that complements the salitness very well.I would NOT recommend getting the gyoza - it's mediocre for the price really, and their star is the ramen. Would want to go back again for the ramen! 
The tacos are delicious - no doubt - and the taco included a very generous portion of fish. We got the basa fillet taco and the spicy shrimp one. The basa fish was a tiny bit bland but the fish tasted very fresh. The shrimp was deliciousssss... a bit sloppy since the sauce was dropping all over the place... but packed with flavour and just a hint of spice. The shrimp is definitely a must try! I also loveeee their flour tortillas which tasted very fresh and they double up the tortilla per taco. Four stars for in total since $6 is a bit pricey for one taco (even $5 is a lot better) but compared to some of the other taco joints, their tacos are definitely top notch in Toronto. Warning though, there are really no seats in this place, mostly just a pick up and go 
The ambience was nice and the food was good too. Giving it 3 stars because I had really high expectations and the salad I got was subpar. 
What can I say about Byblos? Possibly my favorite dining experience ever, even better than Splendido and Gramercy Tavern in NYC (my next favorites...now).The hostess was very pleasant and helpful, our server was  efficient and very personable, and the manager James was a great host, checking in often to see how we were doing. Top notch service in every way!The food...wow. We started with a very nice salad and a fantastic artichoke and yogurt dish (I don't even like artichoke) that we devoured. Next, succulent lamb ribs with a coriander based (I think) crust on them that is similar to the excellent bread that they serve. Delicious!Wagyu beef on a cauliflower hummus that just bursts with flavor in every bite. Cooked perfectly and seasoned according to the rich fat of the wagyu to combine for the perfect bite of steak, IMO. A creamy lobster dish, some exceptional short ribs and some phenomenal Israeli couscous (and Brussels sprouts with haloumi cheese and bacon!!!) and we were pretty much stuffed, but James the host also provided us with three small desserts that were also fantastic. We also had one of their chilled alcoholic teas, and wow, does that ever finish a meal off perfectly. Can't say enough about our experience at Byblos. My wife and I are now presented with the challenge deciding how long we should wait before going back. We love trying new restos and don't like to overdo one spot, but I don't think we can wait much longer! 
An excellent addition to this saturation of mediocre restaurants close of king street. A perfect pre or post theatre dinner or drinks. Love how it feels like I've walked into a tropical island and left the city. Right now their menu still seems to  be finalized. There were items that weren't on the menu like the ox tail curry and pork belly everything.  I found the portions small at first but it was a good size in the end for two people. We had the ox tail curry which was excellent and the fried fish with tamarind sauce. It was delicately fried and not greasy. For dessert the mango sticky rice was really good and recommended. They have a nice mat kneeling area good for     A good size group. Also a small nook to the left and a private party room begin the bar ? Lots of options for drinks and fun. No liquor license yet! 
I haven't tried many Thai places in Toronto, but I was born and raised in Chicago. When it comes to food I'm critical. Pai indeed lives up to my expectations! Taste and quality is amazing. It's reasonable priced especially during lunch hour. I always get my pad Thai with tea ross, but green curry is amazing too! 
Authentic Japanese home-cooking and premium-quality sashimi. Karaage is outrageously moist and crisp, while beef sukiyaki houses a variety of deliciously fresh ingredients in a rich and aeronautic broth. Staples like gyudon and katsudon are comfort foods not to be missed. Finish off the meal with some of the city's best cakes, meticulously crafted to a Japanese master's standards. Tofu cheesecake, earl grey chiffon, and matcha are some of many standouts. 
Great little place with delicious food! Has a really homey, comfort feeling to it. I will definitely be going back. A must go to if you're in the area! 
A Jack of All Trades, but a Master of Noneis the perfect figure of speech to describe the the Pickle Barrel at Young and Dundas.The first thing that you notice when sitting down is that the menu is roughly 10 pages long and they have nearly every type of eats from thai and chinese, to all day breakfasts and seafood, not to mention Rose Reisman's healthy choices (which are undoubtedly the best picks on the menu, albeit slightly more pricey, and are excluded from a lot of the bashing the rest of the establishment is about to take from me). The large selection is about the only good thing about this particular restaurant. Which isn't especially saying much since the large selection comes with the large prices, with most entrees looking to put you back $15-30.The service... I don't even know why they bother hiring the hostess (VERY loosely used term) upstairs because she's obviously there for show. The last two times I've entered through the upstairs entrance I had to wait for the hostesses (these were two different people by the way) to finish texting before telling me to walk downstairs and through the restaurant in order to have the downstairs hostess put my party on a list for a table.I can deal with that, just enter through the downstairs entrance through the Atrium, better service. Once in the basement though, which is sort of drab, dreary and just uncomfortable as fine dining atmospheres go, all the waiters I've had have been excellent.Now the food... All I can say is mediocre at best.Their calamari is decent as a large appetizer. Yet beware, their batter is incredibly rich and takes on a lot of oil (over-fried) so expect to feel some bloating.I personally had their eggs benedict today which was horrendous. If you want a benedict, go somewhere else (yes, even Golden Griddle who had a surprisingly good benedict last time I dropped by). Eggs were overcooked and didn't seem like they were freshly made, the bacon was obviously heatlamped, and the english muffin tasted stale. The only good point of the breakfast was the potato latke which was nothing like a latke and was more like a hashbrown, yet it tasted good, albeit a little salty. In the past I've had their a few of their steak and pasta items. I'd highly advise against the steak (dry, overcooked, tasteless), though the pasta is definitely passable.I saved the best for last. The dessert.I'd personally recommend the Killer Milkshake at $4. It's massive. You'll probably be able to find a better milkshake in town, but not one that size, and not one for that price.I know a lot of my friends love their brownies and cake, I haven't tried them though so YMMV.In closing, Pickle Barrels isn't a place I'd particularly recommend to go. It definitely has the menu, but the food ruins it by being mediocre. There are so many better eats for better prices in the area. 
if you are meat lover and like to try different kind of meats and flavours then this is your paradise. abundant of tender meat made to perfection served at your table and don't mis the pineapple it's so delicious 
This place is ALWAYS busy. It is a fast food Vietnamese restaurant. And don't expect 5 star food. But for what it is it's great! My boyfriend and I go here when we are looking for a quick bite to eat.  For both of us with a drink its $20. You order at the till an have a seat, 2 minutes later they have the food in front of you. I love it and recommend it. 
Guu has really good food, amazing cocktails and nice staff. Try the sake in bamboo! 
I came here for breakfast with my family. The menu is full of egg puns. Nevertheless they do have a fruit salad plate which is vegan. Fruits are fresh, colorful, and very filling. Display is a work of art! Booths are comfy. Staff is friendly and very accommodating. I wish they had more vegan friendly options like tofu scrambles. Feel free to order toasts / potatoes with no butter. Coffee is bottomless. 
Their Kalbi Beef tacos are addicting with the perfect ratio of meat to veg and any of their steamed baos are the perfect cure for you hunger or hangover pangs. I've only every gotten takeout but they have me hooked! delicious but no cheap eat 
Quite the disappointment. Had high expectations for a restaurant owned by Oliver & Bonacini. Service was slow, the kitchen was slow, and the food was underwhelming. 
I came here to celebrate my birthday a few days ago because of all the great things I've heard about it! I was extremely excited, and rightfully so. This restaurant has a fancy upscale vibe to it and looks stunning on both the inside and outside. The atmosphere is perfect for a celebration, but still OK for a casual meal. I came mainly to try the aburi sushi, and it truly was the highlight of my dinner!The service was GREAT. Everyone was so polite and friendly from the moment we walked in to when we walked out. The servers are incredibly attentive and the food expeditors really make sure to describe what your dish is made out of as they come out. I really liked the detail in these descriptions. The place is pricey, but it's worth it for the quality of food and service. Overall, I had an amazing time at Miku!Here is a small breakdown of what I ordered and my thoughts on it:Albacore Tuna and Wakame Tartare ($18) - thought this tasted pretty good. The tuna was fresh, and it came with avocados which is my favourite. It was a cool item to try, but I probably wouldn't buy it again.Salmon Oshi Sushi ($17) - this was the best part of my dinner and I would honestly come back just to buy this again. I absolutely love it! And you probably won't be able to find aburi sushi like this in Toronto (other than at JaBistro).Red Wave Roll ($18) & Miku Roll ($22) - got 1/2 of each. Both were must haves!! I personally enjoyed the red wave roll much more though (not a big fan of uni, but I LOVE tuna). Aburi Sushi Sampler ($20) - perfect dish to start off with because you get to try a variety of different things! I'd totally recommend this to anyone who's in for trying something new.Atlantic Salmon Sashimi (6 pieces for $16) - salmon sashimi has always been one of my favourite things to eat, but I didn't find anything too special about the sashimi here. Tasted great, fresh, but not TO DIE FOR or anything like that! Just average.Uni (Sea Urchin) and Cho Toro (Tuna Belly) at market prices - I LOVED the tuna so much!! I want to go back just to have more! Didn't enjoy the uni at all though. It was my first time trying it, and it tastes extremely seafoody! It's a bit of an acquired taste and was certainly not right for me.Green Tea Opera Dessert ($13) - the green tea ice cream tasted pretty regular to me, but the CAKE with many layers to it was absolutely delicious! Must try if you're into the green tea flavour. 
Guu is the hottest little piece of culinary wonder to have hit Toronto in a really long time. The buzz about this place has been absolutely ridiculous. I am not really a follower in this aspect, usually I would just get disappointed and feel ripped off. Guu was really a great surprise for me. A girlfriend and I have been eying this place for a while. Usually, I would wait until all the hype dies down but for this restaurant I don't think it's going to die down anytime soon. Regardless of the day or time, this place is always packed but trust me the wait was absolutely worth it. I guess what made this place really stand out is the environment. Once you step through those doors, you are literally transformed into a different world. It felt like you just nested into the heart of small Tokyo bar. This place is really ALIVE with all the sights and sounds of what a real Japanese restaurant should be like. Just on the environment alone, I already fell in love with this place. I wish we sat at the bar however, it would be so fascinating to watch the cooks & staff interact with each other. They seem like the really love what they are doing and  just by that, you know the food would definitely deliver.So, we ordered a couple of things. Here's my take on them:TAKOWASABI: You have to be a true fan of wasabi to like this dish because it really hits you in the face. ABURI SALMON: The texture of this dish was amazing - the salmon melts in your mouth and the fried onion chips really added that extra something-something to it.HOTATE CARPACCIO: I loved this dish, it was light and refreshing but I really wish we got this dish first. With all the other overwhelming flavours of the other dishes, this dish found itself on the bland side. Pity really because the presentation was beautiful.SOY SAUCE MARINATED B.C TUNA: Literally MELTS in your mouth but it didn't stand out to the other dishes. However, still some of the best tuna sashimi I've had to date. TAKOYAKI: MUST MUST MUST try. Once I had one, I just wanted more.  Enough Said.KABOCHA KOROKKE: This is probably my favourite dish, maybe because I am a huge pumpkin fan however, I was slightly disappointed. I was expecting the outside to be a lot crisper. Maybe it was just ours. Will have to try it again!! & TOFU CHEESECAKE: Yum. Yum. Yum. Period.It was just overall an amazing experience and I really can't wait to head back. There's still a lot on the menu that I would still love to try out. Although the food & environment was amazing, the icing on the cake was the staff. They were fast and ran like a well oiled machine. The waiters were cheerful and helpful. A small incident happened at Guu, a waiter accidentally broke a glass bottle behind my friend and in literally 10 mins, the mess was cleaned up and the boss came out to apologize and offered us some complimentary edamame. That, there my friends is what you call superb customer service. We ordered 8 things and it came up to be $50 dollars. Honestly, thats an amazing deal for the quality and services Guu provided. Folks, all that hype from this place is there for a reason. Guu is really really Guu(d)! 
Fusion kitchen at its best... We got the chef's menu. They kept bringing all these dishes while we enjoyed the food and the company. The Singapore slaw is no any slaw.. It's the slaw of slaws. We started our meal with slaw and ended it with slaw, not to mention all the great dishes that were in between. I was filled up to the brim by the end of the night. 
One of the best friend chicken and bang for your buck. At one point, my boyfriend and I were so hooked, we went twice in a week - we must've went to the gym twice as much that week too.So why is the best? The skin is a major reason for me. It's so crispy and perfectly salted, you can probably get a heart attack from it tbh. But I'll still eat it. The chicken is second. Tender and cooked to perfection. It's steaming hot when it comes to you and as much as you want to let it cool, you can't help it and you burn your fingers and tongue trying to eat it in the first 5 mins. Thirdly, the fries. Those crispy, crispy, fries. It's like their deepfried 3 times or something. And you get so much of it, you likely won't finish it. Aside from the food, their service is awesome - quick, no chit chatting and friendly. Ahh.. Fried chicken... I am salivating just writing this review. 
I appreciate the variety offered, but in terms of taste, the dishes I had were solidly average. spring rolls, Pad Thai, curry chicken, sticky rice. None stood out, really. 
Good thai food downtown, nice and spicy, service was good and turn around was quick, portion was a decent size. nice flavours! 
Great breakfast (ginger pancakes and eggs benny)! Fast service, delicious food and simple but solid breakfast/brunch menu. Highly recommended. 
So happy that Yelp led us to possibly the best Thai food in Toronto! There is definitely a vibe in this restaurant - the music was a little loud, the tables were very close together, and it seems to cater to younger people, but we had no problems with it. It was packed during lunch time, and I expect probably during dinner time as well, so plan accordingly.The menus were colorful and descriptive -- my boyfriend has a deadly shellfish allergy, and they were able to accommodate his allergies by taking out oyster sauce and shrimp paste (with no detriment to the taste), so A++ for that. We ordered the chicken pad thai (YUM, BEST EVER!), and the braised beef Khao Soi. I've never had such good Khao Soi -- they said that they were sold out of chicken drumsticks, but I bet it's even better with the drummies. The prices are a little expensive for lunch, but it is SO WORTH IT. Would absolutely come back again! 
Get the cheese dishes! They're the best!! Other tapas are good too but a little overpriced to be honest. Servers were really nice and attentive. Our server was very patient when explaining the menus to us and making recommendations. Really nice decor as well. 
Neo Coffee Bar is a spacious, modern cafe near old town Toronto. The decor is filled with industrial materials, concrete and wood. Soft, fluffy cake with yummy creamy filling; Neo's roll cake are delicious. Most of their pastries are made from whole wheat pastry flour, organic free-range eggs, organic milk and organic cane sugar. Everything is made from ingredients sourced from local purveyors. There seems to a wide range of healthy, gluten-free and vegan options. My companion and I shared the infamous Matcha and Aduki roll cake. The cake is made with Kyoto matcha and organic red beans. We devoured it within seconds. Great drinks, delicious treats, fabulous atmosphere - this little tucked away cafe is one of the best places to work out of! 
The food is very fresh and surprisingly good. Not cheap. But worth the price for sure! The uni I had was extremely sweet and full of flavour. Will go back again. Remember to book the reservation since it's very tiny space. 
Overall had a pretty disappointing experience with the service. Food was average but I am from Vancouver so quality of Japanese food in Toronto can't be compared.We ordered the omakase sushi .. on the menu it says 18 pieces. Chef selection. No substitution. When it arrived..there were only 17 pieces. We asked the server about it. She counted twice to confirm it is indeed 17 pieces and said it was because uni and ikura are considered premium sushi so they give us one piece less.I find it pretty ridiculous... The menu says 18 pieces yet that can give us any amount they want? Neverthrless, is it THAT costly for the restaurant to give us that 1 extra piece of sushi? I'd say its false advertising. Service was not great either-water was never filled-never offered to order drinks when we sat down -expected us to make room for the server to put down the food- didn't even place the plate properly in the right directionI spoke to the manager and told him I was very disappointed with the service I received  and all he said was I am very sorry without even asking what went wrong. Unbelievable.If they position themselves as a higher end Japanese restaurant, as reflected in the price, I am expecting a better dining experience. 
Dim sum was tasty, but was not spectacular, service was bad for fine dining.  I thought there's an early bird special, probably outdated pic from yelp.  So I did check with the mgr before I ordered, and she said yes they have the special, so I ordered thinking there's a special flat price for small, medium, and large.  For the total of 6 dishes I ordered, the bill including a 15 percent tip and tax was $40.  This gotta be the most expensive dim sum I have ever eaten lol!  ESP considering I don't have much left over and I didn't order a special kitchen dish like BBQ or fried noodle!  So for slight better in ingredient and taste, I would agree with fellow yelpers that this place is not worth it.  If u have lots of cash and would like the better ingredients and decent taste, then it's probably ok.  Luckily my work is footing the bill, but that means I have $15 left to eat lunch and dinner the rest of today :p 
We went as a party of four for dinner without a reservation. The place was packed but the hostess was very nice and found a booth that could accommodate us within 15 minutes or so. We had a drink at the bar during this time.Once we got our table, we ordered 24 assorted East Coast oysters. Personally,  I liked the ones from Martha's Vineyard best. The oysters were fresh and tasty. For the main course, I ordered sesame seed ahi tuna and it was delicious. The tuna was cooked perfectly and the side was a wasabi mashed potato which was also great. We finished things off with a cheese platter that was good but sadly didn't live up to the rest of the experience.The food was good if a bit pricey for what you get, the service was good and accommodating and overall it was a rather pleasant experience. The atmosphere was great and the music was good. I will definitely go back at some point. 
We had a disappointing experience at Cluny last night which is what is prompting me to sign up on Yelp and write this review.  Although I am new to writing an official review on Yelp, my husband and I are no stranger to frequenting a variety of top restaurants in Toronto and around the world for that matter.  Last night was our first time at Cluny and we were both very excited to try it out.  When we walked in, we were immediately impressed with the quaint French bistro décor and overall feel and ambiance.  Loved the little bakery at the front of the restaurant.  When we arrived, we were not greeted by anyone (restaurant wasn't even busy at this point 6:45 Monday evening), after about 5 mins of standing there looking around, someone that looked like he was one of the Chefs (who happened to be getting something in the stock room/closet, finally said someone will be with you shortly.  We were greeted by the hostess with a less than impressive hello.  After we were seated, it took about 10mins before we were acknowledged by our Waiter for the evening.  Again, was not impressed by his demeanor and lack of interest in us as guest.  We've probably had better service at a local Chain restaurant or a drive thru for that matter!  Our appetizers came relatively quickly (Oysters, Cod balls and Caesar salad).  The Caesar salad was a complete disappointment, perhaps I had high expectations but when you proudly call a dish Cluny Caesar with a price tag of $13+ I would expect a little more than 2 branches of Romaine barely drizzled with dressing and 4-5 chick peas and feta lining the bottom.  We ordered Oysters and when it was  brought to us, the Waitress was trying to explain the different Oysters and said Oh and I forget what this one is called.... Anyway, I don't want to get too lengthy with the review here but all in all I would rate the food quite good (minus the Caesar salad) at this restaurant but the underwhelming service takes this place to a whole new low.  The atmosphere in terms of décor and ambiance were excellent, very reminiscent of a bistro in Paris which is a rare find here.  The service was beyond below average.  Our waiter (middle aged male, appeared quite sloppy if I can be honest) was inattentive, unpleasant and simply unprofessional.  He did not check on us until our dinner was done and did not even utter a Thanks or good bye when we paid the bill.  This is definitely a very poorly managed establishment with very disengaged, unprofessional/untrained staff, you can see it in their demeanor and even the way they are dressed. I think the hostess was wearing running shoes and some other waiters were dressed in black golf shirts or sports bra like gym attire.  I am disappointed because this place has potential. 
Inspired by Munich style beer halls, Wvrst opened mid last year in the Toronto King West area, serving up some exotic sausages and a wide variety of beers. I've been wanting to try this place since it opened and luckily I was able to find someone who was yet to have tried it.  Thanks for coming with me Justine H! In a nutshell, this place is like Oktoberfest, and now you can have it everyday at Wvrst!Wvrst  definitely has flavours of a European sausage and beer hall, and really reminded me of Oktoberfest (except nicer). It's spacious and dimly lit with with ceiling strung lights --a casually comfortable place.Wvrst MenuScattered around the hall tables were these long sheets of recycled paper which would be the menu. If you're looking for something other than fries, sausages, and alcohol, you're probably at the wrong place. The menu is simple, but the numerous options lie in the type of each you fancy.At the back of the establishment there is a long open space that leads up to a rather small counter where you order and pay. I imagine this empty space is filled up by a line up during busier lunch hours. It wasn't too bad on the Tuesday night that we went.Sausage Display CaseThe display case is neatly organized with all the different sausages that they have. If you're in the mood for some exotic meats, then you're in luck. They have everything from kangaroo to venison, rabbit to guinea fowl. Justine H and I weren't too appetized looking at it, but after we managed to get over its appearance we went up to the counter to order.DrinksThey have quite a number of beers here, bottled and on tap. Definitely not as many as a place like Beer Bistro might have, but more than just your commonly seen brews. Justine opted for the San Pellegrino Orange, and me an Austrailian beer Stiegl. Figured it was only fitting that I had a beer in the given setting!Bratwvrst ($6) -Veal, Pork, and WineDuck ($9) -Maple and Fois GrasThese contemporary European sausages for the most part were quite good. Juicy and full of flavour. Didn't feel like I was eating a super artificial chunk of meat like I do having hot dogs from street vendors. In terms of flavour, I think it really depends on the sausage you order. You could definitely taste the fois gras in the Duck sausage, which was something Justine H didn't enjoy too much. I didn't mind it and found it to be an interesting combination, but I definitely liked the Bratwvrst more. I'd like to add that these sausages are quite small, and even with my small appetite I was unsatisfied having just the one hot dog.Duck Fat Fries ($4.50)Lots of other food enthusiasts raved about these fries, so we ordered a serving to share. Perhaps it was the heightened expectations from all the amazing reviews, but these duck fat fries fell just a bit short. They were full bodied, thick, and buttery, but they just weren't amazing. To be honest, I couldn't differentiate what difference the duck fat had on the fries compared to the ones made in regular oil. The order of fries comes with one dipping sauce, and the Wvrst Spicy we chose was great. Definitely not the best fries I've had, but they are quite tasty still, and would easily satisfy those random starchy fry cravings.One last thing to note, is that they are big on leafs games here! They have a ticket giveaway at around 6:30pm the night of every Leaf's game at the Air Canada Center. With TV's all around the dining hall and tables that encourage conversation, it would be a great place to go catch the game along with a couple of drinks. But be warned, it might get pretty rowdy later in the night with cheering Leafs fans who've had a couple drinks or two! 
I went on a Wednesday night (during great patio season weather) for a table of 4 and there was no wait time.The prices were great, the best part is that tax is included in the price. That being said, this is a snack bar, and the portions are quite small and not intended to substitute dinner (which was what I originally intended to do). I ordered the KFC (which was just okay), the steak tartare, and the foie torchan. My favourite was the steak tartare!! I would come back again if I wanted a quick stop for a snack and a drink with friends. 
Fantastic beer, delicious food, relaxing ambiance (speaking more to my recent, winter and spring month experiences, sitting inside, upstairs). This is the very first choice when thirst and hungry strike at the same time.The inside looks tiny here, but there is an area upstairs that overlooks the front of the restaurant and the back brewing area. Service is always great up there even though you feel like you're tucked away in your own private alcove.The beer list changes a fair bit and I appreciate the detailed descriptions on their menu card. I've tended towards trying the IPAs and have loved them all.While Bellwoods gets a standing ovation for its beer, the food has to be applauded loud and long. This is not just a brewery with food, these are really well thought out and well prepared beer accompaniments. I wouldn't be surprised if people come here for grub who don't order beer. Me and my DC have mostly always ordered the same items on every visit and they've been consistently excellent - the kale and ryeberry salad, the duck meatballs - sometimes the fries, and the corn cobs when they're available... all are unique in their own way. We tried the queso fundido last time - surprisingly scoopable and so decadent with the chicharrones. Portion sizes are spot on.We've only really had one food miss here - the smoked bratwurst (which seems to have disappeared the lamb sausage with fennel curry, which we really loved). It is difficult to eat and not worth $14. Everything else on the menu is elevated though it's pretty simple fare, and this one seems a spin on the, IMO, now-overly-prevalent genre of fancy-not-fancy junk food. 
After MANY suggestions I finally decided to try and brought my mom and sister along. The food was really great, we had the duck confit, the short rib tacos, cheeseburger spring rolls, truffle fries and the chicken and waffles. Despite being good, the service was awful. It started out well, but then we got a table beside us with four people. The server must have known them. They got their food before us, despite arriving a half hour after us. The server was very attentive to them gave them each a dessert for it being their birthday, when they expressed that it was intact only ONE of their birthdays. So they all got dessert with a candle. We were still waiting for our last entree. They had all 8 of their plates come out and we were waiting for our 5th. It took 25 minutes to get the bill and the server went to the group beside us to cash them out first. It was extremely frustrating seeing everyone getting their food and special service. The food was great but the service seriously put a damper on the night. I honestly won't go back, there are way better restaurants with great and attentive service. After all, it's a part of the ambiance and experience. 
Byblos is one of those restaurants you're always reading about but somehow you just never get around to visiting. But given that we had theater tickets one Friday night, the time was finally right to sample Byblos' much-ballyhooed wares.We arrived at around 6:15 and we promptly shown to our reserved table near the front. Our very helpful waitress appeared shortly after and we began the slow process of figuring out just what to eat. We ultimately chose six items:Duck Kibbeh (dried fig + date molasses + tahini): This was easily the highlight of the entire meal. I've eaten plenty of kibbeh over my lifetime but this is unquestionably the tastiest version of this venerable dish I've ever had. Everything was perfect, from the delectable spices to the unctuous, melt-in-your-mouth meat to the note-perfect sauce. Just astounding.Spanish Octopus (fingerling potato + biber chili vinaigrette + preserved lemon): Although the octopus was cooked about as well as I've ever had it - the octopus at Bar Isabel, for example, was far chewier - there was nothing about this dish that really stood out. Perhaps it's because it came on the heels of the sublime Duck Kibbeh, but there was nothing here that really blew me away in terms of flavor - although the presentation was quite nice.Sujuk Pide (turkish paste + persian feta + za'atar): I'm a big fan of sujuk (a spicy Middle Eastern sausage), so I was especially excited about this one. It's very good. All the components work extremely well together and the enveloping crust is baked perfectly. I suppose my one complaint is the sujuk itself, which, in addition to not tasting like any sujuk I've ever had, is completely lacking in the heat I've come to associate with the sausage.Mejadra (lentil + hung yogurt + fried shallot): Again, this is something I've been eating my entire life and I have to say, unfortunately, that this dish just didn't measure up. Despite the aforementioned dollop of yogurt, the rice is just dry as heck. It's been cooked in a skillet, which allows the side and bottom rice to get crispy - an idea which sounds great in theory but doesn't really work here. Far more problematic is the fried shallot on top. Traditionally, the shallots (or onions) are taken beyond the point of caramelization, which lends the dish a rich flavor that's unfortunately completely absent here. This was definitely the biggest disappointment for me.Seared Cauliflower (duck fat + tahini sauce + sesame + coriander): This is a very tasty side that's almost workmanlike in its execution. It's well done but it's nothing special, sadly.Turkish Manti Dumplings (smokey eggplant + yogurt sauce + molasses): This incredibly rich dish admittedly goes well with the Mejadra, as it cuts that dryness I mentioned. But it might be just a little too rich; between the heavy yogurt sauce and the sweet molasses, it's impossible to taste the smokey eggplant supposedly contained within the dumplings.All in all, I quite enjoyed my meal at Byblos. The ambiance is inviting, the service is flawless, and the food is, for the most part, quite above average. And I'd sure as heck go back just to eat that Duck Kibbeh again. 
This place feels like a Toronto classic with a fusion twist on Asian classics! My go to here is usually kimchi poutine, or one of the sandwiches. All the food is always hot and fresh (probably because of how busy they are), and the ingredients taste authentic, even though the dishes are fusions. The spaces are usually small, and definitely not intended for long stays. I usually take my food to go and find a nicer area nearby (parks and public spaces abound). Definitely good for quick eats!