Amazing Happy Hour at Pinkerton's daily from 5-6pm! All cocktails on the menu are $12 and not just…read moresimple 3-ingredient ones either. On Wednesdays, they have a special on their baos (3 sets of 2 baos for $33). Service was great and included recommendations from the staff. For drinks, we had the Stolen Tiki and the Widow's Kiss which were both great. We ordered the Laab Style Beef Tartare and an assortment of baos, including the beef bulgogi, korean fried chicken, and pork adobo. The tartare was out-of-this-world and super addicting due to the spice! It paired so well with the fragrant taro chips, and even my partner who is French said it was one of the best tartares he's had recently (although don't expect a traditional steak tartare). The pork adobo bao came dressed with spicy mango mayo and pickled cucumber. The cut was pork belly which was extremely rich, so the citrus from the sauce and cucumber were perfect to cut the fat. I loved that the cucumber was just slightly pickled rather than using the typical pickles which are too tart for me. The bulgogi sirloin was our favourite due to the balance of flavours. The fried chicken was good, but came with more of a honey sauce rather than a gochujang sauce as described since there was no spice (maybe the wrong sauce was used?) Would definitely come back to enjoy their happy hour and tartare again.

Despite it's British sounding name, Pinkerton's Snack Bar's menu decidedly has an Asian influence…read more The kitchen and the bar seemed to have developed separately, as their drink menu leans towards classic cocktails like my favourite of the evening... the paloma ($16), adorned with a lovely pink peppercorn salt rim that adds a kick to the tequila, mezcal, and citrusy drink. Beautifully made but hardly seems like a drink that pairs with fried rice. Still, I enjoyed it with a plate of duck fried rice ($18). It's a good version of the dish, filled with flavours thanks to duck confit chunks mixed with micro chopped vegetables, egg, and hoisin that added a savoury richness. My only grumble is the rice was too fresh - every Asian knows that day old is best for frying - so the dish was too wet. The crispy salt and pepper tofu ($13) arrived hot and crunchy and would have been delicious if it weren't for the accompanying spicy tomato chutney. While I didn't find it revolting, tofu and marinara isn't really the greatest combination, especially when I was looking forward to the more traditional chopped bell pepper and onions relish version instead. I enjoyed the soft buns used by Pinkerton's for their bao buns ($15 for two), but they needed more filling. There was too much batter on the small pieces of Korean fried chicken, so the protein became dry and leaned towards a jerky consistency. The bulgogi sirloin was better, the beef more pronounced, and being marinated helps to keep things moist, especially when dressed with carrot slaw and spicy mayo. Surprisingly there wasn't a leaf of fermented cabbage in the kimchi fries ($12) - I then realized the menu description says it's topped with kimchi mayo and pickled vegetables but not actual kimchi. The flavours came through in the mayo, but I found there were too many greens compared to the actual spuds, so the dish wasn't hot enough. Ultimately, Pinkerton is aptly named as a snack bar and not a restaurant. Their food will satisfy a boozy stomach but won't wow the taste buds. Luckily, their cocktails do, such as the beautiful floral French 75 ($16). The cocktail's lavender and jasmine elements weren't too overwhelming, additives that can sometimes leave a drink tasting like dish detergent. Rather, it was refreshing, a lovely drink to sip on a hot day.

My friends and I happened to walk by after having dinner and came in to see if they had dessert…read more Not only did we have dessert but we also had an unexpectedly really fun time! The restaurant is super cozy and inviting plus it turns out that the owner Ian is knowledgeable and has a great sense of humour. We tried the vermouth which was dangerously good, and the apple cake was moist and delicious. We plan to be back soon to try their food menu!

Wow, this restaurant is such a wonderful gem! From the warm and inviting atmosphere, to the…read moreimpeccable service - this is a new favourite of mine. The tapas style plates are delicious, and I highly recommend the croquettes if they're available. My friend and I decided to try Ian's "hidden" surprise wines, and he paired the perfect red to accompany our dishes. Beautiful Bonuses: a surprise Seinfeld shrine where you least expect it, and live music on Wednesday evenings. Hands down, I'm going to become a regular here. 11/10.

I ordered takeout on a Friday night and was pleasantly surprised. We waited a few minutes for the…read morelocals to be seated. The ambience is interesting, there's twinkly lights hanging from the ceiling and lots of tables with a great patio. We ordered the mushroom pappardelle and risotto balls. Fantastic! The pappardelle was so creamy and flavourful I'd go back for it any time. I'd definitely recommend Gio's for a casual date or dinner with friends/family!

A hidden gem in Toronto, Gio Rana's is perennially underrated when it comes to the top Italian…read morerestaurants. They do everything well, from curating a cozy vibe the second you walk in, and providing great food and service. We got the chef's tasting menu for $55/person and everything was great. I wish I could remember everything we ate but we had focaccia, salad, tagliatelle, crespelle, meatball, chicken drumsticks, and a lamb dish. Everything was great and Zack was a great server. Overall, I would definitely come back here.

I really enjoyed this restaurant. Service and food were excellent…read more Cozy local spot that made you feel welcome. Looking forward to coming back!

First visit to The Wood Owl. The savoury dishes were well-presented and flavourful. I thought the…read moremenu had a good balance of options. The service was friendly, and the space had a relaxed, cozy atmosphere. Overall, we enjoyed the experience, the desserts & braised short rib could use some improvement imo but not bad.

My friend invited me to try this place before they closed down for renovations. The staff knew…read moretheir menu well and have good recommendations when it comes to which drink goes well with what dish. We ordered the deluxe bento box which is like a sampler set of nine dishes, the nigiri special, the tiger prawn tartare, the beef tongue, a bottle of sake, yuzu G&T, Moscow mule, and the Doraemon drink. 1) Bento Box I don't remember which dishes came in the set but I really enjoyed the ebi mayo the most. I believe it also came with karaage, salmon, beef, corn, and others. There's enough food to share with another person as well. 2) Nigiri Special The fish they used is from Taro Fish. Not much to say except for it being fresh. The Nigiri already has wasabi added to it so it doesn't come with any on the side. The tuna tataki bowl was also pretty good. 3) Tiger Prawn Tartare The dish comes with garlic toast and the tartare is mixed with avocado. It was quite lovely and I enjoyed the garlic toast. 4) Beef Tongue I've never really tried this before and it was unexpected. I did find the meat to be slightly salty but the sauce it came with complements the beef tongue well. 5) Drinks The bottle of sake we ordered was recommended by the staff as it pairs well with the fish on their nigiri plate. The cocktails were regular but I liked the yuzu g&t the most. The food is what you'd expect from an izakaya and a bit on the pricier side too. But I would come back and try their noodles next time since I didn't get the chance to. The service was good, the food came pretty quickly and the server was attentive.

This place is so cute, and I can't wait to come back!…read more I just wish it wasn't situated in a quieter part of town because I'm so used to downtown core. But I'll trek out to come here again. Really nice and cozy vibes, great to meet friends or for a date. My friend and I really came here for the bento after seeing it on IG multiple times. It was a really nice and tasty experience seeing what each block was/contained and then trying it. Each part was delicious and it was like a mini omakase experience but definitely without the $$$ price tag (it was $35). I had some friends comment on my IG story about how it looks like places you'd find in Vancouver! Their bento does change, so I would definitely go back We also ordered an eel roll which I don't remember the name now. It was really delicious but there was some type of leaf in the roll that my friend and I both didn't like -- the taste was quite overpowering unfortunately. I did see the tables around us also order the bento box in addition to actually getting some grilled products so I'd love to come back and try to grill things. This is one place I'd actively go back to Cabbagetown for!

I can't believe that it's been most of 2-years since we were last here but we're *not* disappointed…read morethat we returned. This time we booked a Friday night table with a party of 5. For our meal we ordered 2 paellas and 7 tapas, I think we could have actually traded out one of the paellas and maybe, maybe, added another tapas. In addition to the food we shared a pitcher of white Sangria. Everything was wonderful, the dishes were well prepared, arrived quickly (allow about 20-minutes for paella), and were hot. We enjoyed our meals and used the bread to sop up the sauces as we couldn't let them get away. This evening's flamenco performance included two musicians and a dancer. As always it's a powerful and intriguing performance. It's always a treat. I'm sure we'll be back long before another 2-years go by.

This place is charming, with it's colourful interiors and flamenco show on Fridays…read more Stopped by for winterlicious and the food was pretty good too. Standouts were the absolutely amazing bacon wrapped dates with almonds and honey, and the poached marsala pears. Also got the beef tenderloin with whiskey sauce and fries which is one of their most popular items - beef was pretty tender and whiskey sauce was interesting. Service is friendly. Place has a warm vibe. It's like a party in someone's home.

We visit Toronto frequently and always make it a point to have a meal at this restaurant…read more It is absolutely the best value for money anywhere! The food and drink is great, and the staff and their service are special. We have had several different servers- all excellent, personable and welcoming. But the most memorable is Augustin. The first time we noticed that Corks even existed at the back of the store, he welcomed us and explained with genuine enthusiasm the menu items and weekly specials. We were not planning to eat out that day, but came back because of him, and have returned regularly since that time. This place is literally a hidden gem, located way around in the back corner past the Starbucks. It's worth hunting for if you want a well-priced meal, prepared from products sold at Longo's, and served by great staff!

I got a little lost finding Corks.... wondering around Longos wondering where is this place? a Bar?…read moreDon't see one? Then I saw Starbucks, almost want to have a coffee instead and forget about my beer... then I saw Corks, tagged right at the corner beside Starbucks. Thursdays from 5 to 8 pm, three free oysters when you purchase a pint or a glass of wine is a good deal... but the oysters were kind of small and not really fresh and on a paper plate ..... meh... but it was a nice offers. The bartender here was super friendly and explain to me what they have on tap and character of each beer. Love how Corks feature local beer from the breweries! Plowman's Ale ($6) is bold and heavy and have great characters...love the bitter finish at the end........ I might just skip the oysters but definitely will be here for a quick drink when I am in the area.......oh maybe some Canadian wine... Corks must be a wine bar, as it is call Corks??

The wife and I love coming here when we visit Toronto! It's nice to find a really great izakaya…read more We're never disappointed when we come here to eat. The food is amazing and the service is always on point. The staff is friendly and patient with us when we're not ready to order. The ambiance is nice and cozy and feels like you entered another world! It's a must when we visit Toronto!

We made a reservation for 4 for dinner on Saturday and were seated promptly with a cute reservation…read morecard at the table. The place was full and we could see the kitchen and charcoal grill from our table. We ordered the following along with their own Zakkushi beer and a cocktail: - zuakkashi skewer set ( fav was the P Toro) - garlic beef - beef tongue (5/10) thin cut - mochi machi (8/10) - fried chicken skin (8/10 for crunch) - karage (8/10) crispy and steaming hot - zucchini - beef tataki (9/10) - oden (9/10) - steamed rice in soup with plum (8/10) Overall, the experience was alright but we found the taste and portions to be a bit smaller than before. We had a good time chatting a the food came quickly and also cleared away quickly to remind us for the 2 hour limit. It was about $60 each and I felt we could have easily ordered more food if we weren't sweating at our seats. Tip: avoid the booth at the back as it was really hot and cramped being next to the kitchen.

Reminds me of Tokyo every time we go. Great teppanyaki, the polar beer is fun, but only if you're a…read morefast beer drinker lol. Very authentic and tasty.

Really enjoyed my experience at this izakaya restaurant. The food was amazing overall, and the…read moreeggplant dish was definitely a standout for me. The ambience was also excellent -- spacious, comfortable, and not overly noisy, which made it easy to relax and enjoy the meal. Service was attentive throughout the night as well. Would happily come back again.

This is an OLD, unhealthy place in every sense, MISOGYNISTS RUN THIS PLACE!…read more when you have a concern or complaint, i.e.: about the rotten chicken breast you got from the place, they LITERALLY RUN YOU out screaming pretending YOU are "making problems" and insult you in front of the rest of the customers!! I have lived it and I have witnessed I am a shop owner on the same street and as a visible minority and a WOMAN have been treated so badly by the management, their own??? See the HUGE TRUCKS IN THE BACK DELIVERING FROM CHINESE WAREHOUSES!!! Prices are ridiculously high, in the spirit of "keep the local merchant alive" I was giving my hard-earned dollars to these poor excuse of human beings: NEVER AGAIN!!!

Had a beautiful weekend in Toronto, I was visiting from the Detroit area. We attended a family…read morereunion featuring many products from Mario's wonderful market. The Barese sausage, rapini sausage and chicken souvlaki were outstanding. We cannot find anything even remotely similar in the states. If you are in the area or nearby and want to place an order to have shipped, I highly recommend that you patronize Masellis Market. Thank you, Mario