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Wow and wow. Great date spot. Cocktails were classic and amazing. For appetizers we got the burrata and octopus. Both prepared well and fresh, but I found them slightly under-salted. The star of the show was the truffle gnocchi. It was incredible. Packed with so much favour from the mushrooms, gnocchi was so soft, and carrots gave a nice crunch. The bolognese was just as good, tasted very classic. Desserts were great too. Super smooth chocolate mousse and perfectly crisp cannoli. Definitely a bit on the pricier side, but you pay for quality. I will definitely be coming back for the gnocchi.
ARDO is a Sicilian restaurant on King St East, boasting a Michelin mention. We didn't know that until we arrived but soon saw why it was deserved. We sat at the "chef's table", which was simply bar seating overlooking some small but productive cook stations. It was fascinating to watch the young crew of chefs turn out the food all night long. We started with the tuna carpaccio and the panelle fritters. The tuna was delicate, light and flavourful. It would be a perfect summer afternoon dish but worked just as well on the winter's night we were there. The Panelle were perfectly fried and salted chick pea fritters. Shaped like skewed scrabble tiles, they had a crispy finish with a soft and satisfying filling. So simple and surprisingly delicious. For mains, we had the linguini with fennel and the ragu. The linguini was light with a nice hit of fennel, in a pesto sauce. It was very different from the ragu but my wife appreciated the lighter flavour profile. I had the ragu and it was as hearty and comforting as it should be. A little salty but after adding the pepperoncini, it was perfect. We saw quite a few of those ragu plates leave the kitchen while we watched so it's likely a fan favourite. Three things we didn't order but watched being cooked also looked amazing. The octopus is a specialty and they use large pieces with quite a bit of girth, bigger than most restaurants that serve it. The pieces are flame-grilled and served on artichokes. We also watched the hearty brasato get plated with mashed potato and roasted green beans. More comfort food, done expertly. And finally, we were enthralled with the care taken to prepare the 14oz ribeye. The raw aged steak was removed from a vacuum sealed bag, salted, and seared in a hot iron skillet. Then a herb bunch was placed on top and the steak was baked in the oven. It was then removed and rested for quite a while. The chefs poked and prodded the steak while it rested and took its temperature at least three times in at least two different parts of the steak. It may sound manhandled but it wasn't - it was more TLC than anything else. Finally, the steak was flash grilled for a few seconds and then sliced up to serve. Mouth watering. As we walked out the restaurant after our meal, I glanced over to the table that was served the $110 steak and clocked very satisfied diner sat in front of an empty plate. Like Sicily itself, ARDO sets itself apart from the milieu of Italian restaurants in Toronto. Great service too and I do recommend the chef's table for a behind the scenes glimpse of how the magic happens.
Absolutely delicious Italian restaurant with amazing service! The burrata was so good and fresh! The tartufo pasta was also delicious and creamy and so flavourful - the fresh black truffle was delightful! The portions were perfect! We sat by the bar and got to watch the chefs prepare the meals. It was like a show with our meal! Absolutely loved it!
Came here with a friend after a good workout session. The restaurant is very clean and tidy. And the staff were neatly dressed and very kind I helped myself to the pesca cocktail which is a great rye base cocktail with peach flavour. My friend and I were encouraged to order to share so we got the scallop entree. The sliced scallops were so fresh and the olive oil was delicious. Then we shared a truffle pasta and a pizza. The two were so delicious. There were so many other interesting menu items so my friend and I are hoping to come back next week to try even more.
Super yummy food. Highly recommend the burrata and the gnocchi. The gnocchi texture was pillowy but with a bit of a crispy outer layer from being sautéed. I would say skip the fish as it wasn't anything too special. I also got their lemon spritz mocktail which was yummy. It is a bit of a cozy place with narrow walkways. It's got an open kitchen so it just smells amazing everywhere. The service was OK. For some reason, our main server was in a rush and cleared our plates really fast even though my friend was still eating. But the other staff were all super nice and friendly so maybe just an outlier.
The restaurant is beautiful and dark (in a vibey way) , services was extremely attentive and food was balanced, authentic and rich. However, the portions were tiny. I don't eat much and I ended up a bit hungry. Too expensive for the size
If you expect to have the same same Italian food at Ardo Restaurant, you might be disappointed. Come with an open mind and you will be rewarded. Small neighbourhood vibe just like a little bistro somewhere in Italy. Great for a date night or just come for some excellent Italian fare with your friends. - sarde: spaghetti, fresh sardines, wild Sicilian fennel, raisins, saffron, toasted bread crumbs So good! And I don't even like sardines, raisins and fennel. But the combination just work! Great depth of taste and texture. - insalata di mare: fresh seafood salad with octopus, little shrimps & clams, frissée salad, celery foam - cavolo: organic kale, romaine, cabbage, radish, pickled red onion, crispy parsnips, shaved parmiggiano, housemade Caesar-style dressing - crudo & 'shroom: fior di latte, tomato sauce, 24 months aged prosciutto crudo, preserved mushrooms Enjoyed all the items we ordered! I guess I really love Sicilian cuisine?! A taste of Milazzo in Toronto!
To start, the ambiance, music, and vibe of the restaurant are excellent. A perfect date night location. Which is why I really wish the food was not as bad as it was so that we could have made it our date night spot. But alas, it was pretty bad. We started with the pulpo and sardines. The octopus was very good but there were a couple of pieces of artichoke that had a dense outer layer that couldn't be bitten into. I had to pull them out of my mouth. We both agreed the sardines had so much lemon that you couldn't taste anything else. Not enjoyable. For mains we had the gnocchi and truffle pasta. The truffle pasta was cooked well but we both felt it was just bland. It was like spaghetti in cream. The few pieces of truffle shaved on top were not going to give an entire dish flavour. The pancetta in the gnocchi made it too salty to eat. It's also not how I personally like my gnocchi. It was quite dense, I prefer them pillowy. My bf loves salt so we had to switch plates. he loved the gnocchi The cannoli and panna cotta were excellent. I didn't taste the fennel in the panna cotta but the lemon was to-die-for The waitress wasn't very good. She may have been new but that wasn't a factor in my stars. I have patience for staff that are trying. The only negative though is that when we ordered a coreto she said they didn't have. I knew there was no way an Italian restaurant wouldn't have sambucca so we asked her to check and they did. Don't say you don't have something because you don't know what it is. She didn't ask us about our drinks all evening with empty glasses on the table but that's ok. It saved us some money. I don't know if it was because we came at Easter weekend and it may not have been the chef back there but I can't imagine how this restaurant has gotten a Michelin nod or the reviews it's gotten with this food. It's very upsetting that we paid so much for really bad food. We will not be returning.
I have always been fascinated by the beautiful cuisine Chef Roberto created at Dova, so I have decided to come to his other restaurant Ardo and boom! It blew my mind again. Each dish is made with love and passion. He kept the most organic taste of each ingredient in each dish and I just love every single bite of it. Must have: 1. Acciughe 2. Pane 3. Capesante 4. Tartufo 5. Ragu 6. And of course! Cannoli!
Ardo is a small Italian (serving Sicilian style food) restaurant. The interior is clean and simple. However, the tables for two are extremely small. It didn't help that the plates are large. For a weekday lunch, it wasn't a full house, however, make reservations to be safe. The service was slow; The attentiveness of the server could be improved. Food: Polpo (Grilled octopus tentacle): The octopus had a pleasant smoky flavour from the grill. I don't recall much about the accompaniment, other than that we ate everything on the plate. I do wish the octopus was a bit more tender as it was ever so slightly tough. I will caveat that I asked the octopus not to have too much char. Overall, a simple and tasty dish. D'oro: Lightly dressed salad with lots of arugula and some golden beets. The freshness and slight sweetness of the golden beets is the highlight of this salad. The almonds at the bottom add additional texture contrast, though I would rather another type of vegetable. A simple light salad to balance out the rest of our meal. Pollo Porchetta: This was one of the specials of the day. The chicken was cooked to perfection. It was unbelievably tender; probably best cooked chicken I've ever had. The sausage is the porchetta. Unfortunately, it was overly salty and too rich due to the amount of fat used in the sausage. I'm glad my companion was open to sharing all the dishes because if I ate the entire dish, it would be too rich, heavy and salty. The cauliflower was also charred to an inedible black crisp on some sides. They need to rethink this dish. Ragu: While they didn't have the acclaimed duck ragu, they do have a regular ragu on the menu. The sauce was made with dry aged beef. The pappardelle, made in-house, has a gorgeous deep green colour. The pasta was coated well with the sauce and had the most pleasant texture. This dish tasted light (especially in comparison to the porchetta sausage), and well balanced. It was not salty or too rich. While the portion looks small, if one has a starter, main and dessert, IMO, it is the perfect portion. Gelati: Each order comes with two flavours. We opted for pistachio and cherry. The silkiest and smoothest gelato I have ever tried. I enjoyed the cherry more than the pistachio. It had actual cherries and the slightly sour cherry flavour was present. The pistachio tasted nutty, but it could have benefited from more pistachio flavour (maybe add some pistachio pieces?). Also, the each gelato had the perfect amount of sweetness so the natural ingredients could be tasted. While the gelati is not made in-house, it is of very high quality. Lastly, they were kind of enough to let me sample their extra virgin olive oil. It had a great dark golden/yellow colour and it was viscous. I also felt a great spiciness that hit the back of my throat. Overall, characteristics of a very high quality extra virgin olive oil.
was really looking forward to my visit to Ardo, especially given its Michelin recommendation, but the experience ended up feeling a bit underwhelming for me. We started with the octopus croquettes (special of the day I think), which unfortunately leaned quite fishy. The carpaccio was fine, pleasant, but not particularly memorable. As for the pasta, I struggled to find the right words for it; nothing was wrong per se, but it just didn't quite come together for me. I'll admit that I may not be deeply familiar with Sicilian cuisine, and I don't have extensive exposure to it, so this is very much from a personal perspective. Still, throughout the meal I found myself quietly sighing more times than I expected, which probably says enough about how it landed for me overall. It's also possible we ordered the wrong dishes. As we were leaving, I noticed many tables enjoying pizzas and other pastas, which made me wonder if those might be the stronger highlights of the menu. That said, from a Michelin-recommended restaurant, I did go in expecting everything to be solid across the board. The service, however, was amazing. I'd be open to giving it another try someday, perhaps with different orders. But this visit, unfortunately, didn't quite do it for me. read more
9 months ago
Food and service were great! And for a Michelin recommended restaurant, the prices were reasonable for the quality of food. Not to mention the service was excellent and attentive as well. My friend and I started with the beef carpaccio paired with complimentary sourdough bread and it was delicious! The meat was super high quality, and the toppings complimented the dish nicely. For our mains, my friend ordered the Con Le Sarde, a pasta dish featuring linguine tossed fennel pesto with anchovy & sardines. We worried the fennel would be overpowering because it's a strong spice, but honestly everything blended so well together to create a fresh tasting dish still with a lot of depth. Only suggestion I have is that it should've had more parmesan! I ordered the ragu, which was also delicious. I liked that the torchietti they used was made in house, and the sauce wasn't overly tomato-ey. Tomato based sauces aren't my first choice but I actually really enjoyed this dish so much I would order it again. It was hard not to inhale the whole thing, but I was pretty stuffed after finishing my plate. The restaurant's space is small and intimate without being overly pretentious. It's a great little dinner spot with some unique dishes and high quality food. Definitely recommend checking out this spot, not sure if they have a rotating menu based on the season, but it's sure worth a try! read more
Wow and wow. Great date spot. Cocktails were classic and amazing. For appetizers we got the burrata and octopus. Both prepared well and fresh, but I found them slightly under-salted. The star of the show was the truffle gnocchi. It was incredible. Packed with so much favour from the mushrooms, gnocchi was so soft, and carrots gave a nice crunch. The bolognese was just as good, tasted very classic. Desserts were great too. Super smooth chocolate mousse and perfectly crisp cannoli. Definitely a bit on the pricier side, but you pay for quality. I will definitely be coming back for the gnocchi. read more
10 months ago
ARDO is a Sicilian restaurant on King St East, boasting a Michelin mention. We didn't know that until we arrived but soon saw why it was deserved. We sat at the "chef's table", which was simply bar seating overlooking some small but productive cook stations. It was fascinating to watch the young crew of chefs turn out the food all night long. We started with the tuna carpaccio and the panelle fritters. The tuna was delicate, light and flavourful. It would be a perfect summer afternoon dish but worked just as well on the winter's night we were there. The Panelle were perfectly fried and salted chick pea fritters. Shaped like skewed scrabble tiles, they had a crispy finish with a soft and satisfying filling. So simple and surprisingly delicious. For mains, we had the linguini with fennel and the ragu. The linguini was light with a nice hit of fennel, in a pesto sauce. It was very different from the ragu but my wife appreciated the lighter flavour profile. I had the ragu and it was as hearty and comforting as it should be. A little salty but after adding the pepperoncini, it was perfect. We saw quite a few of those ragu plates leave the kitchen while we watched so it's likely a fan favourite. Three things we didn't order but watched being cooked also looked amazing. The octopus is a specialty and they use large pieces with quite a bit of girth, bigger than most restaurants that serve it. The pieces are flame-grilled and served on artichokes. We also watched the hearty brasato get plated with mashed potato and roasted green beans. More comfort food, done expertly. And finally, we were enthralled with the care taken to prepare the 14oz ribeye. The raw aged steak was removed from a vacuum sealed bag, salted, and seared in a hot iron skillet. Then a herb bunch was placed on top and the steak was baked in the oven. It was then removed and rested for quite a while. The chefs poked and prodded the steak while it rested and took its temperature at least three times in at least two different parts of the steak. It may sound manhandled but it wasn't - it was more TLC than anything else. Finally, the steak was flash grilled for a few seconds and then sliced up to serve. Mouth watering. As we walked out the restaurant after our meal, I glanced over to the table that was served the $110 steak and clocked very satisfied diner sat in front of an empty plate. Like Sicily itself, ARDO sets itself apart from the milieu of Italian restaurants in Toronto. Great service too and I do recommend the chef's table for a behind the scenes glimpse of how the magic happens. read more
Absolutely delicious Italian restaurant with amazing service! The burrata was so good and fresh! The tartufo pasta was also delicious and creamy and so flavourful - the fresh black truffle was delightful! The portions were perfect! We sat by the bar and got to watch the chefs prepare the meals. It was like a show with our meal! Absolutely loved it! read more
Came here with a friend after a good workout session. The restaurant is very clean and tidy. And the staff were neatly dressed and very kind I helped myself to the pesca cocktail which is a great rye base cocktail with peach flavour. My friend and I were encouraged to order to share so we got the scallop entree. The sliced scallops were so fresh and the olive oil was delicious. Then we shared a truffle pasta and a pizza. The two were so delicious. There were so many other interesting menu items so my friend and I are hoping to come back next week to try even more. read more
Super yummy food. Highly recommend the burrata and the gnocchi. The gnocchi texture was pillowy but with a bit of a crispy outer layer from being sautéed. I would say skip the fish as it wasn't anything too special. I also got their lemon spritz mocktail which was yummy. It is a bit of a cozy place with narrow walkways. It's got an open kitchen so it just smells amazing everywhere. The service was OK. For some reason, our main server was in a rush and cleared our plates really fast even though my friend was still eating. But the other staff were all super nice and friendly so maybe just an outlier. read more
1 year ago
The restaurant is beautiful and dark (in a vibey way) , services was extremely attentive and food was balanced, authentic and rich. However, the portions were tiny. I don't eat much and I ended up a bit hungry. Too expensive for the size read more
2 years ago
8 years ago
If you expect to have the same same Italian food at Ardo Restaurant, you might be disappointed. Come with an open mind and you will be rewarded. Small neighbourhood vibe just like a little bistro somewhere in Italy. Great for a date night or just come for some excellent Italian fare with your friends. - sarde: spaghetti, fresh sardines, wild Sicilian fennel, raisins, saffron, toasted bread crumbs So good! And I don't even like sardines, raisins and fennel. But the combination just work! Great depth of taste and texture. - insalata di mare: fresh seafood salad with octopus, little shrimps & clams, frissée salad, celery foam - cavolo: organic kale, romaine, cabbage, radish, pickled red onion, crispy parsnips, shaved parmiggiano, housemade Caesar-style dressing - crudo & 'shroom: fior di latte, tomato sauce, 24 months aged prosciutto crudo, preserved mushrooms Enjoyed all the items we ordered! I guess I really love Sicilian cuisine?! A taste of Milazzo in Toronto! read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
To start, the ambiance, music, and vibe of the restaurant are excellent. A perfect date night location. Which is why I really wish the food was not as bad as it was so that we could have made it our date night spot. But alas, it was pretty bad. We started with the pulpo and sardines. The octopus was very good but there were a couple of pieces of artichoke that had a dense outer layer that couldn't be bitten into. I had to pull them out of my mouth. We both agreed the sardines had so much lemon that you couldn't taste anything else. Not enjoyable. For mains we had the gnocchi and truffle pasta. The truffle pasta was cooked well but we both felt it was just bland. It was like spaghetti in cream. The few pieces of truffle shaved on top were not going to give an entire dish flavour. The pancetta in the gnocchi made it too salty to eat. It's also not how I personally like my gnocchi. It was quite dense, I prefer them pillowy. My bf loves salt so we had to switch plates. he loved the gnocchi The cannoli and panna cotta were excellent. I didn't taste the fennel in the panna cotta but the lemon was to-die-for The waitress wasn't very good. She may have been new but that wasn't a factor in my stars. I have patience for staff that are trying. The only negative though is that when we ordered a coreto she said they didn't have. I knew there was no way an Italian restaurant wouldn't have sambucca so we asked her to check and they did. Don't say you don't have something because you don't know what it is. She didn't ask us about our drinks all evening with empty glasses on the table but that's ok. It saved us some money. I don't know if it was because we came at Easter weekend and it may not have been the chef back there but I can't imagine how this restaurant has gotten a Michelin nod or the reviews it's gotten with this food. It's very upsetting that we paid so much for really bad food. We will not be returning. read more
5 years ago
I have always been fascinated by the beautiful cuisine Chef Roberto created at Dova, so I have decided to come to his other restaurant Ardo and boom! It blew my mind again. Each dish is made with love and passion. He kept the most organic taste of each ingredient in each dish and I just love every single bite of it. Must have: 1. Acciughe 2. Pane 3. Capesante 4. Tartufo 5. Ragu 6. And of course! Cannoli! read more
4 years ago
Ardo is a small Italian (serving Sicilian style food) restaurant. The interior is clean and simple. However, the tables for two are extremely small. It didn't help that the plates are large. For a weekday lunch, it wasn't a full house, however, make reservations to be safe. The service was slow; The attentiveness of the server could be improved. Food: Polpo (Grilled octopus tentacle): The octopus had a pleasant smoky flavour from the grill. I don't recall much about the accompaniment, other than that we ate everything on the plate. I do wish the octopus was a bit more tender as it was ever so slightly tough. I will caveat that I asked the octopus not to have too much char. Overall, a simple and tasty dish. D'oro: Lightly dressed salad with lots of arugula and some golden beets. The freshness and slight sweetness of the golden beets is the highlight of this salad. The almonds at the bottom add additional texture contrast, though I would rather another type of vegetable. A simple light salad to balance out the rest of our meal. Pollo Porchetta: This was one of the specials of the day. The chicken was cooked to perfection. It was unbelievably tender; probably best cooked chicken I've ever had. The sausage is the porchetta. Unfortunately, it was overly salty and too rich due to the amount of fat used in the sausage. I'm glad my companion was open to sharing all the dishes because if I ate the entire dish, it would be too rich, heavy and salty. The cauliflower was also charred to an inedible black crisp on some sides. They need to rethink this dish. Ragu: While they didn't have the acclaimed duck ragu, they do have a regular ragu on the menu. The sauce was made with dry aged beef. The pappardelle, made in-house, has a gorgeous deep green colour. The pasta was coated well with the sauce and had the most pleasant texture. This dish tasted light (especially in comparison to the porchetta sausage), and well balanced. It was not salty or too rich. While the portion looks small, if one has a starter, main and dessert, IMO, it is the perfect portion. Gelati: Each order comes with two flavours. We opted for pistachio and cherry. The silkiest and smoothest gelato I have ever tried. I enjoyed the cherry more than the pistachio. It had actual cherries and the slightly sour cherry flavour was present. The pistachio tasted nutty, but it could have benefited from more pistachio flavour (maybe add some pistachio pieces?). Also, the each gelato had the perfect amount of sweetness so the natural ingredients could be tasted. While the gelati is not made in-house, it is of very high quality. Lastly, they were kind of enough to let me sample their extra virgin olive oil. It had a great dark golden/yellow colour and it was viscous. I also felt a great spiciness that hit the back of my throat. Overall, characteristics of a very high quality extra virgin olive oil. read more
5 years ago
5 years ago
A cozy little gem! First time here and I HIGHLY recommend sitting at the chef's table. The ventilation is excellent and I had no issues smelling like food after my meal. It's so fun watching the chefs in their element, just fully focused and pumping out perfect food plate after plate! I ordered the anchovy crostini appetizer. It was tasty but as an anchovy lover, I'm also easy to please. The crostini should have been more substantial to hold the mouthful of flavour together. Hubby ordered a pizza which was pretty good but not spectacular. The stand out dishes seem to be their pastas (rightfully so). I ordered the duck ragu and it was spectacular! I've had a similar dish at Terroni before but it was too heavy. This dish though was perfectly balanced and not too rich. Every bite as delicious as the one prior, right to the very last forkful. This dish is a MUST for all! Will definitely return and exhaust all the other pastas on the menu! read more
8 years ago
Third time here last night. Nice place for evening with my family. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. The owner is very interactive with the customers. The food is nicely prepared. You can tell everything is fresh. Presentation is impeccable. Very extensive wine list. Dessert listing is short by sweet Reservations are easy to make online. Ask about buying the busiate pasta or the olive oil... read more
3 years ago
I had such high hopes and came out sorely disappointed. To start off we got bread and olive oil for $7. This was 5 slices of the butt end of the bread and they were SMALL. You can see from the picture. Granted there were 3 types of olive oil to dip, but they were in tiny dishes and they didn't even bring out the bottle to show you what they were. I understand that they don't have to give you a big portion, but when they are charging $7 you would hope you either get more slices or bigger slices that don't include the end piece that is literally the size of a third of your palm. Anyways moving on. I came for the gnocchi (Italian porcini & local mushrooms, heirloom carrots, cream, parmigiano cheese) and there's just one word for it - SALTY. Also they don't tell you on the menu that it's actually fried gnocchi which feels like a pretty important thing to note. We also came specifically for the pizza that had zucchini flowers on it and it was sold out. Note we were 1 of 2 tables there for dinner (covid times). So we decided to get a classic magherita instead. The pizza was nothing special at all and the crust was really dry. Tons of other places in toronto to have better pizza. Do not waste your money here. read more
8 years ago
I went to ARDO to celebrate my birthday this past week. It was the first time any of us were there and I can easily say everyone enjoyed themselves. The service was really friendly and the food was delicious. We had a slight issue with one of the mains coming out late, however the house offered us a complimentary pizza to make up for it. In my book ARDO is very close to a five star restaurant. It is truly an underrated gem in the city, the dim lighting and delicious food kept me happy. Will be going back for my friend's birthday next month. read more
2 years ago
Small menu, with sufficient selections and I think because it's a small menu they are able to execute it really really well. Barata - so light and yet flavorful. Just finesse! Lobster ravioli - fresh lobster, good balance in ravioli between the dough, skin, and cheese inside. You won't be disappointed coming here. It was full even on a normal Wednesday so book a reso. read more
7 years ago
I've been thinking of Ardo since the last time I tried it and finally had it again tonight and it tasted just as delicious as I remember it. We ordered takeout from the website and the food was prepared hot and fresh and was ready shortly after we arrived. Normally when you get food for takeout, it never tastes as good as eating in but everything was so delicious. I recently tried gnocchi at Nodo and it did not compare to Ardo's - full of flavour and pan fried so that the edges of the gnocchi was crispy. The Ragu Pappardelle is the best I've ever had. Tonight's dinner confirmed that Ardo is my favourite Italian restaurant - in comparison to Nodo, Terroni and Gusto. I cannot wait to go back. read more
9 years ago
My boyfriend and I stumbled across Ardo in an attempt to explore different pasta joints downtown. We were immediately seated and had the pleasure to sit in front of the kitchen/prep area. Neither of us have had a dining experience like this before and we were excited to be immersed in the preparation of delicious food. We started with the bread and had a side of olive oil and a spicy chilli paste. I ordered the funghi gnocchi and my boyfriend had the salsiccia pasta. This was the best gnocchi dish I've ever had and I was blown away by the simplicity of it. The salsiccia pasta had a great kick so we were stealing bites from each other's plate. However, the highlight of the night was being able to watch how the food went from kitchen to plate. You can see how focused the chefs were and the attention and care they put into their food. I would highly recommend sitting in this area if there are spots available. Kudos to them for being able to cook and check in with guests at the same time! read more
Ardo is located at King/Sherbourne with an open kitchen that serves traditional Sicilian dishes and pasta. I came by Ardo with a friend for dinner on a Wednesday night, we made reservations ahead of time. Service was attentive and friendly and we were given ample time to catch up without feeling rushed by the waitress. We both ordered pasta dishes (I got the salsiccia [orecchiette, house made Sicilian spicy sausage, Sicilian provolone, rapini, heirloom cherry tomatoes] and my friend got the funghi [Handmade gnocchi, local mushrooms, stracchino cheese, heirloom carrots, black truffle oil]). Both pasta dishes were delicious. We both also got drinks after dinner. Overall, good food and atmosphere. read more
9 years ago
Came here for dinner on a Sunday night with a reservation mentioning a birthday(Was slightly disappointed there was no special for a birthday, because I went to another place the night before and they included dessert). At 6.30 it was still a bit empty but filled up as the night went on. It was highly rated on websites for having good pasta so we went to try it out. The place is nicely decorated, wasn't that big but felt cozy. The servers were nice and knowledgeable on the specials, she really memorized a whole speech with the options for the night. We got the beef carpaccio and grilled octopus to start. Both were good, the octopus was nicely grilled and not chewy at all. The beef was thin and the parmesan and arugula and pickles on top added great textures. For the mains I got the salsiccia pasta, with orecchiette pasta and spicy sausage. The pasta itself was good, great texture and had a good chew. Had a good pasta to topping ratio. The portion wasn't too big I definitely could have used a bigger plate to be more full. I also tried the sarde pasta, with sardines. However the sardines felt too fishy and added a slightly unpleasant taste to it. The portion again was not big. The pizzas were also mediocre, seriously forgettable, there are much better pizzas in the city. Overall the mains were very disappointing especially with all the hype and reviews. We ended with 3 desserts. The cannoli and the adffogato was good, solid, although not outstanding. The cassata was interesting in a good way, pistachio ice cream hiding under ricotta mouse with lots of toppings of candied fruit, melon chunks and chocolate, it seems like a lot but everything together was delicious! Overall it wasn't bad but it also wasn't great, I don't think I'll be returning since there are much better options for Italian food around the city. read more
10 years ago
This review is written after my second visit to Ardo The first time when I visited with my significant other, it was marred by various issues - this small resto was too packed, and my water drinking glass smelled funky (like the moldy smell from a dirty rag) which my server had to change several times because the new ones smelled too. Other patrons had the same issue, so it wasn't just me. But anyway, after that was resolved, I thought the food was alright. My second visit was with a group of friends, and the night started promising. We ordered the crochette, octopus and the cavolo salad as starters. I didn't try the crochette nor the salad (both looked just ok, nothing special), but the octopus was delicious - it was tender and flavourful. For my main course, I went with the sardine pasta. Long story short, it was "meh". I did not love how the toasted bread crumbs tasted and hated the texture it gave to the dish; the pasta was al dente but the flavor was weird due to the sauce almost being "too sweet", which did not go with the flavor profile of the sardines. My companions ordered the truffled gnocchi, the etna pizza (fior di latte, sicilian sausage and rapini) which I had the first visit and liked, and the seafood cous cous. The person who ordered the pizza did not like the bitterness of the rapini (which I would have liked); the gnocchi was mushy and did not have any truffle taste to it, and the friend who ordered the cous cous obviously hated it since she barely touched the dish at all. For dessert, we ordered the cannoli, the affogato and the torta all'arancia. The only thing that looked good to me was the affogato, which is almost impossible to screw up. The cannoli looked a bit dry to me, and the torta looked like an ordinary cake. Overall, me and my companions had high hopes for this visit, and we left disappointed. The food is not "horrible" per se, but for a place that seems to have all the hype going for it and lots of patron-packed nights, I think the popularity might be unjustified. YMMV read more
10 years ago
Great day to come to this restaurant when it's cold and snowy outside. Weekends are usually packed, which means you have to make early reservations. The service is impeccable plus the ambience. Personal, and the open kitchen that you can see people coming always excites me. The chefs pizza special was ordered, which was abit salty on the crust. But the pasta with sardines and raisins was amazing! The pasta has a really nice bite to it Al dente and fresh. It came as a surprise to me that they charged for bread. Not that it's a big deal, but the bread was mediocre. The saving Grace was the olive oil that came alongside for dipping. A must try, imported and directly flown in Sicilian olive oil. It's Grade A olive oil (besides from Kalamata). Chef Roberto has done well in making this one of the must try and go- to Italian restaurant along on King Street. But only if you like the Sicilian Italian food style. read more
Ardo brings Southern Italian eats to Corktown. We were seated by the window which opens up onto King Street - there are only a few tables at the front, so try to grab one! Chef Roberto Marotta offers Sicilian dishes and refreshing Campari cocktails. The Polpo ($13) was my favourite dish. The octopus was perfectly grilled and tender, chewy and fresh. I found the burrata ($19) slightly underwhelming. The cheese was firmer and the wine-preserved peaches were not as sweet as expected. :( Carpaccio ($16) was good served with arugula, cheese, pistachios, and mushrooms. As far as salads go, the cavolo ($14) was fun, cheerful and colorful. Kale, romaine, radish, with crispy parsnip and shaved parm. The ragú ($17) was fairly standard, meat sauce on pasta. We packed the rest to take home. The margherita was topped with fresh basil, a midweight crust, but it wasn't particularly memorable. ($14). The desserts are simple. The cannoli is popular and plated nicely. The ricotta center was a bit runnier than desired. The pistachio gelato was delicious though. Overall, we had a nice meal here. In terms of service, it was a bit slow, but the restaurant is still new. We might have ordered a lot of carbs, but it might have been nice to have been offered bread. By the time we finished out meal, the table next to us had cycled through two seatings. We looked longingly at bread served next to us.. twice. Sometimes, all a girl wants is bread. Lots and lots of bread. read more
7 years ago
Delicious food, cute and classy atmosphere - a great date spot! We ordered the Ardo pasta and I must say it was one of the most delicious pasta dishes ever!! I absolutely recommend this restaurant! read more
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