Came here for a quick dinner because we had a show to catch at Princess Whales Theatre next door. The best part of this restaurant is if you tell them you have a show to attend, they'll schedule your dinner accordingly and they also have a set menu, $58 pre theatre set. We opted for their Al la carte and ordered risotto, pizza, and pasta. We also got complimentary bread and order their ice cream flight, which came with kiwi, mandarin, and berry. Everything tasted great. Service was very friendly and ambiance was dark, casual yet classy. Highly recommend coming here before your next show read more

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Meh. Overall meh. Staff was lovely. Very friendly wry happy to get what you need/want but overall the experience was just ok. Nothing special. It was fairly empty when I visited. Cocktail was really not good at all. Basic whiskey sour but I knew it wouldn't be good when they didn't dry shake the mix with egg whites before adding ice. It had no depth no body. Flavor was off . Food was fine but again- nothing I'd come back for. Great people- so so good read more

Overall: 4.2/5 - very impressed with this place. Came here for a Winterlicious and it was better than expected for a decent price. I'd come back. Food - 4.2.5 Buratta salad 3.5/5 - I had a bit higher of expectations for this but it wasn't bad. Just not the best buratta I've had and didn't feel like there was much of it Salmon - 4/5 - the salmon was a nice large piece, filling, and really tasty! I enjoyed my meal. Shrimp risotto (not pictured) - 4.2/5 - this was really tasty and something I'd come back for. Enjoyed every bite; was subtle but flavourful. Pistachio tiramisu - 4.5/5 - this was excellent. So fluffy and light but the flavour was amazing. I would come here to get this again Ambiance - 5/5 - again, for the price, this place was really good and the ambiance was so upscale Service - 5/5 - some of the most high quality service.. stuff you'd get at the most fine dining restaurant. I'd recommend this to friends and family for the overall value. read more

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The first winterlicious experience in years and we really enjoyed ourselves. Our servers were really friendly and we got a nice corner booth table. Only thing was that being closer to the door meant there was unfortunately a bit of a draft on the cold day. The decor is classy and bright. Went at 1:30 on a Sunday afternoon and it was packed. Service was on the slower side since the was a show right before so that's understandable. We even got an extra dessert for being patient with was very nice of them. The winterlicious menu was really nice and we tried a good variety of dishes. The house bread with the spicy olive oil was a really nice start. My personal fav was the truffled beef carpaccio and both the panna cotta and the pistachio tiramisu. read more

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Location- Phenomenal Service - Friendly and solid, timely Food- Hit and Miss for our group Value- Lower Ambiance - Good We were looking for a preshow option and Blu had great location being located steps from many venues. Menu was carried and they boast many specials and prix fixe options but honestly, our server kept providing us different menus and could not produce the sidewalk easel advertised pre theatre menu which was confusing for the table. Food was hit and Miss. Zucchini fritters were overcooked, salty and dense and arugula salad was simple and light. Mushroom soup was hearty and flavourful but brussel sprouts were very undercooked and lacked flavour. Zucchini noodle pasta was more like grated wilted shreds and not as expected but flatbread was nicely cooked and hit the spot. Drinks were pricey but very well made. A mixed review for food but no question service and location were positive. read more

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Blu Ristorante was great. They accommodated a quick walk in, as we were visiting just for drinks and dessert. The space has plenty of seating and even had a separate area where they were having an event. The lighting is good for dinner service, and the noise level made it easy to converse without being overheard. Service was quick and friendly, and we were able to grab a quick dessert and head out without feeling rushed. If I was nearby and craving a tiramisu, I would definitely consider coming to Blu again (and I would order a pizza!). read more

Blu Ristorante - Pistachio Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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What a beautiful venue! The lighting here is so beautiful and they have so many gorgeous lighting fixtures throughout. The staff were very friendly and on top of everything. Always there when you needed them. The food was very tasty, and there was a nice selection of so many yummy items on the menu that it was hard to choose. We got the grilled calamari that had such a nice smoky flavour and was cooked perfectly and tender, and I really liked the roasted red pepper and caper accompaniment. We also tried these squash and zucchini, fritters and although the sauces that came with them were tasty, they weren't what we were expecting. We thought it would be more like a thickly, grated vegetable patty, kind of like a latke, but it was more finally ground into solid patties. For the main, we had the sweet potato gnocchi with beef cheek, and it was wonderful! The gnocchi were soft and tender, and the beef cheek and sauce was so flavorful! I would definitely come here again and try Moore more of the menu . They also do a theatre prefix menu, which I think would be really fun, but you'd really have to bring your appetite! read more

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Was expecting a nice fine dining experience with my coworkers but this place felt a bit short. The ambiance was alright, the service was great, but the food for the price definitely fell short. The complimentary bread was great and was able to ask for more for our table. The charcuterie had a good variety of cheeses and meats with a great sweet chutney to pair with. I had ordered the steak and that just completely fell short for me. It was cooked medium rare but still dry. The outside was too charred and tasted a bit burnt. It was only served with a few carrots and a zucchini. The whole experience just felt bleh to me. The service while great, wasn't anything different than going to the chain restaurants nearby, the ambiance was also on par with those. The cool part was seeing an open kitchen but they only prepared small items like charcuterie boards, small apps, so it wasn't that active. My coworkers fish dishes did look much better but still fairly pricey for the whole experience of being $80 per person by the end of the evening. read more

Ok. I thought this will be a fine dine restaurant. No doubt the prices are fine dine but food is meh! The vibe is meh! Even the servers are not dressed for a fine dine vibe nor the music is great! I will not recommend this place. It should be a regular italian place nothing special. Also I dont eat beef so I had only like 3 options in menu. read more

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Excellent ambiance and service. Great wine list and there is lots of space in this two level restaurant. We ordered their sous vide octopus which was okay and only came with one small tentacle. It was soft but wasn't the softest or most amazing octopus I've had. The seafood linguine was nice and had lots of seafood flavors. Their rib eye was cooked well and was tender. It came pre cut and I wasn't particularly impressed with the presentation. It looked like meat piled together w some truffle fries on the side, but the meat was pretty good. Pricy but the ambiance was great! read more

Blu Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Came here for a private dinner and enjoyed the food. It was a set course meal so I had the salmon and the pistachio tiramisu is a must order when come here. read more

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Wow! Blu, a place that I thought that I had already reviewed! I dined here in July of 2024, so the exact items that I ordered are no longer fresh in my mind, but I do recall the amazing service. Each table had multiple service team members managing it. You had your server then you had the section roam that ensured that your plates were cleaned up and ensured that your next entree was served shortly after you finished your last one. I never felt that I had to wait for anything, service was outstanding. Though if I was to be honest, 95% of my interaction was with the roamer, who was amazing and my waiter only really paid attention to me for the order, asking how the food was, and giving me my bill. I had the set menu and I took plenty of photos of my meal, everything was beautifully prepared. I highly recommend checking this place out. read more

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Outstanding food and excellent service. We ordered from pre-theater 3-course menu, and the courses were all very good and well paced (in and out in 1.5 hrs without feeling rushed). Highlights were the bread served with chili oil and the salmon, which was a generous thick cut served with a sweet potato puree and perfectly cooked carrots and Brussels sprouts. Would wholeheartedly recommend for before theater or just a great night out! read more

We celebrated my dad's 80th bday here. It is a beautiful, elegant place; we chose Sunday for the live pianist/singer. The atmosphere was spot-on in terms of what I was looking for for the occasion - classy, high-end, lively music, special. The pianist was spectacular - he takes song recommendations and we were able to have many of our requests sung. No better romantic atmosphere than hearing jazz-y renditions of ur fave songs. Our server was spectacular - extremely friendly, courteous, kind - a true gentleman. The service is impeccable here - even when i reserved the tables and tried to book more than the limit allowed on Open Table - a gentleman named Alfredo messaged me and helped accomodate my request with sincere kindness. Food: the food was good, but not phenomenal- wish it was phenomenal so it can match the service and space, cuz if so, then this place would be one of my faves and knock it out of the park. I didnt give 5 stars cuz unfortunately the food wasnt up to par. My bf's steak was very good tho, and the medium-rare was to perfection. The moroccan octopus was delicious, and so was the tuna tartare - very delicate and detailed appetizer dishes. But my main, parpadelle, was good, but not amazing. Overall still a romantic memorable time and still perfect night for my dad's 80th and a special time with the family. read more

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Came here with a group of friends for Winterlicious - $65 prix fixe dinner, which comes with a choice of appetizer, entree and dessert. I ordered the beef carpaccio, duck confit parpadelle and hibiscus panna cotta. The beef carpaccio was good but came with one super small crostini, wish it came with more / a bigger crostini. My favourite dish was the duck confit parpadelle - the duck was tender and flavourful, and the sauce was delicious. The portion was good and the pasta was the perfect texture. The downside of the meal was the panna cotta - it was way too sour and I wasn't able to finish it. The atmosphere was really nice and the service was good, constantly refilling my water. Overall, worth a try during Winterlicious. read more

We came here for a group gathering on a Thursday night and the restaurant provides us with a semi-private space upstairs. And other tables were full, both downstairs and at the bar! We enjoyed cocktails and a 3-course meal. We were welcomed with Butternut Squash Ravioli that I really liked. I ordered Ahi Tuna Tartar for appetizer, Woodfire Grilled Australian Rack of Lamb for entrée and Blue Chocolate Cake for dessert. And I enjoyed all. The service was amazing with great atmosphere. Finding a parking spot in the area is challenging though. read more

Blu Ristorante - Woodfire Grilled Australian Rack of Lamb - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I came during Summerlicious. I liked the appetizer and the dessert. The mains were just okay. Chicken was a bit dry. Service was pretty good. I wasn't a fan of how close the tables were set next to each other, I could hear the next tables conversations and overall it was pretty loud inside the restaurant. read more

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This is an excellent restaurant. I had the linguine with salmon and the homemade biscotti for dessert. Delicious! Our waiter, Brian, was so helpful and he gave us suggestions of sites to visit in Toronto. The ambiance is really nice. read more

We had a part of eight. Apps were amazing, especially the zucchini. I had the branzino, which was the best I've ever had. Others raved about the gnocchi and the duck pizza. Service was perfection. Lovely atmosphere as well. read more

TLDR: food is really good, i love the antipasti selection; our server is super helpful; good for "appertivo" style dining; nice interior; Food: 4.5/5 stars Super love the Truffled Beef Carpaccio! I listened to the people who recommended it in the menu... and im so thankful I did. Also has some cheese board: Manchego, Brie, Parmigiano; eggplant caponata as appetizer, Calamari, The mains were huge and I wasnt able to finish it. Honestly, I dont think I could after the appetizer. I got the linguine and i think it's just a bit sweet for my taste buds. Also, my friend had the Ahi Tuna with pineapple, and it was also a bit sweet for her Service: 5/5 The server was super great and extremely helpful to us. :) since we had reservations, we were seated right away. She always checked on us and explain almost EVERYTHING on the menu. Ambiance: 4/5 It was not busy initially but as we're nearing dinner time and people started to come in, we were a bit "cramped" in space and we couldnt hear each other on normal voice. read more

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Amazing ambiance, ideal for a date night and even group dinners. The server Joshua was amazingly polite and friendly. Loved the service. Food was something we savoured with each bite. Enough vegetarian and meat options. Great wine collection. Next time would love to try the live music night that I have heard is good as well. read more

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I booked a reservation last Friday night (Dec 17) celebrating my bf birthday. I would say the host was amazing and friendly and took us up to the restaurant right away to get seated. The service was amazing as well. Bus boys and our waiter was very friendly and nice the entire time making sure that everything was ok and cleaning up our plates. We ordered the truffled beef carpaccio, beef veal chop, ahi tuna and sweet potato gnocchi for the side. All of the dishes were flavourfully cooked ! I especially recommended the truffled beef carpaccio if you visit!! Super good ! The veal was a perfect medium rare and melts in your mouth. At the end of it when it was time to choose a dessert, my bf let me pick, haha, and I ended up choosing the tiramisu. As I chose this, our waiter asked who's bday was it and I mentioned it was my bf. He immediately told us that the tiramisu is on the house and wished him a happy bday!! I found this little complimentary from the restaurant so nice and kind. I highly recommend visiting! Customer service and food is both great! read more

Blu Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Amazing service. Servers were very attentive. They also made sure to cater to my gluten allergy. They offer gluten free pasta. Food was very delicious! Patio seating was pretty neat; they have heaters on the patio too read more

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I came here to celebrate a friend's birthday. The food and service were excellent and coincide with the high end ambiance. Not many western restaurants use tablecloths anymore and so when one does it give a high end feel. I ordered the Truffled Beef Carpaccio and my friend ordered the Ahi Tuna Tartare for our appetizers along with the Mixed Greens Salad which we shared, all simply delicious. For the main I ordered the Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon and the Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pesto for the side. The Salmon was delicately done to perfection and the base of Asparagus, Roast Beet and Parsnip Puree with Beluga Lentils & Quinoa added a rainbow of flavours. The side of Sweet Potato Gnocchi could have been a meal in itself and was also perfectly done and delicious. My friend had the Goat Cheese & Spinach filled Chicken Breast and raved about it as well. The portions were very generous so we were unfortunately too full to go for the deserts afterwards which was a little bit of a pity because they looked great at our neighbours table. All in all though it was an amazing culinary experience and I would definitely go back. read more

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Had an experience that definitely left a bad impression. I'll explain towards the end since it happened at the end of the meal. The initial reservation process was easy, and we were able to get an early dinner table for New years Eve. There was a prefixe menu available for the night - no gratuity specified. Service was alright, felt a little rush/quick. They kept clearing things from the table right away and setting down courses before we were done with the last. I thought they were just being really attentive but thinking back, they just wanted turnover. The food was alright. The initial course you can choose cheese or deli meats. I find it a bit odd that they don't offer a small mix of both. I literally received 3 pieces of cheese while my bf got a plate of salami and charcuterie meats. The appetizer was great. I had the carpaccio while my bf enjoyed their Bosco pear salad with beets. We ordered non alcoholic drinks as well which were super disappointing. I got pear nectar soda and he got peach. They tasted nothing like the fruits. It was essentially soda water, but I really just didn't want to bother. At $10 each, I would recommend you take a pass. Just order wine My bf got the beef tenderloin which he thoroughly enjoyed and I ordered the branzino. I enjoyed the flavor but I was disappointed with the skin on the fish. It was super soggy which created a bad mouth feel. Otherwise the dish was good. I wouldn't order it again though. Dessert was alright. I'm not a dessert person so my bf enjoyed it all. There was an orange Panna cotta, tiramisu slice, poached pear and cannoli. The cannoli was really soggy. I think they pre filled these a while before serving. Disappointing for a restaurant of this style and caliber. Now here is why I took this from a 4 star to a 2. When paying our bill, the server didn't give us our space to do the gratuity. He actually watched my bf type the percentage. It was generous but I guess he didn't feel it was generous enough because he TOOK THE MACHINE FROM MY BOYFRIEND AND SAID "here, I'll do it for you". He then entered a higher percentage and then told us it's new years Eve. Now, I'm not here to start the to tipping culture conversation. But tips are optional and up to the guest to decide. At no point is it up to the server to take the machine and enter what they want. It was incredibly rude and my bf had no idea how to react to that. So the server takes the machine, enters his own gratuity, and has the audacity to tell us it's standard for the night. You bet I talked to the host and FOH manager right after. I've worked hospitality for years. Gratuity can be set for group reservations or sometimes events, but it was not at all the case this night. The host and managers got the servers name from us and they apologized. The manager was very kind to gift us a certificate and welcomed us to return again another night. I hope they realize they need to keep a closer eye on what the heck their servers are doing upstairs. They seem to be running some sketchy show up there. That server reflects poorly on his team. I wouldn't want that guy serving my guests. If you get a server and they ever dare to tell you how much to tip them, you say no. It's not ok. They are never to take that machine from you to enter their own number. They don't get to do that. It's incredibly rude and unethical. We're unsure if we'd want to return. Maybe we'll sit at the bar next time and just munch down on some apps. Their appetizer menu is quite nice. read more

Excellent food, great service. Good advice in choosing wine. Took away one star due to loud piano player...couldn't hear ourselves

A fabulous option for a special occasion in Toronto. The atmosphere is so cozy yet chic at the same time. Our waiter was awesome; very attentive, and he did a great job connecting with us. My boyfriend and I split the Caesar salad and the steak. The Caesar was absolutely delicious and I loved the addition of the prosciutto on top, it added a nice crunch and saltiness. I also really appreciated how they split it into two separate dishes since we had told them we were sharing it. The steak was yummy although a bit undercooked for our liking. We asked for medium rare and it seemed very rare to us - blu(e) if you will, lol. We ultimately had to ask them to cook it a bit longer, but they did without question and sent it back out to us a little more cooked. The little potato tower that comes with the steak was phenomenal. It reminded me of ratatouille a bit with the layers of potato and cheese. Overall this is a gorgeous spot with great atmosphere for a date night out or special occasion. I also appreciated that they took our coats and gave us tickets to retrieve them, it felt very posh. Try this place out the next time you're in Toronto! read more

Blu Ristorante - Steak - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Beautiful outdoor dining space - plenty of heat lamps! Food and service were outstanding. We loved the chocolate cake! read more

Blu Ristorante - Blu Chocolate Cake - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Located in the heart of Yorkville, Blu Ristorante is an Italian restaurant with dark and quiet interior. We went during prime dinner hours and the restaurant was almost empty. It had an upscale dining ambience, with soft music playing in the background. The service was decent - what you'd expect from a Yorkville restaurant. But the food wasn't the greatest. Portion sizes were very small, and the tastes were just very average or not memorable. read more

My family really enjoyed the drink and appetizer menu at this spot. All of the entrees were really good, but I settled on the butternut squash ravioli. It was really good, but me and my other family member who ordered it were still a little hungry at the end because the portion seemed a tad smaller than the other ones. They also let us know at the beginning that we could only be seated for two hours, and we all felt like we were being rushed a bit. Besides that, the wait staff was very friendly and quick. read more

Blu Ristorante - Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

the highlight of my evening here was definitely the live pianist, john! he is so amazingly talented! and we loved hearing him sing all these covers. though i wish his set up was a bit different. have the piano and john facing the restaurant guests while he plays, as opposed to facing the wall/curtains. this way, he can project his beautiful voice out towards the diners. thank you for sharing your amazing talent john!! ******* food & service - a solid 5/5! everything was delicious and well balanced. my favourite dish was the truffle beef carpaccio & the mushroom risotto. my friend really enjoyed the olive assortment and veal chops. it was tender and cooked perfectly, accompanied by some smoked vegetables. we loved everything this evening. the tiramisu was well balanced. not dry or overly sweet. we would love to come back on another sunday and enjoy the live music! thank you blu team, you were fantastic! read more

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Went here for a friends birthday in a group of 7. The atmosphere here is very nice and classy with good music. This was a positive until I looked at the menu which was very expensive and drinks were $20+ which I think is inappropriate and it's not like their absolute vodka cocktails are worth a larger mark up then anywhere else. The cocktail itself which was an espresso martini was also mediocre and under shaken. The entrees were also rather expensive but high quality pasta should be. Upon getting the pumpkin ravioli I was met with a complete mess of garnishes and toppings. There was basil, dehydrated grapefruit, sage, blue cheese and balsamic reduction. This combo was very strange with the under whelming pasta. The service was kinda sloppy and all over the place, although it was classy it was inconsistent. We didn't receive bread like all of the other tables, drinks were brought out at different times and one drink was completely forgotten about. To top it off bills were all wrong, with people who had ordered the same things having different prices and more expensive prices than the menu! Overall atmosphere 8/10, service 5/10, price 3/10, food 5/10 I would not recommend. read more

Blu Ristorante - Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Wonderful restaurant and very nuce ambience. Beautiful presented food and super delicious. Also wonderful service the only little this would be nice if it wouldn't be so pricey . But then again it's yorkville and definitely value and experience for you $$ read more

Romantic, beautiful vibe and food was perfection. Will definitely come back again as it was a amazing experience.

This is a quiet gem near Yorkville Avenu. Lovely ambiance. Excellent food was nicely presented and served by friendly and efficient staff.

Celebrated Valentines here last night. They had a $99 Prix Fixe menu. Pricey I know. But everything they served was delicious. The servers were very pleasant and explained everything that was being served. There was someone playing live music on the stage (he was amazing). It was just a lovely night. One thing though, because it was Valentines the restaurant was really busy. It took a while to get outlr bill. Normally I wouldn't care but it was getting late (8:30pm) and my bedtime is 9:00pm. Lol! If you are looking for a nice classy place to take your date, this is definitely a good spot. read more

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We had an excellent meal at Blu Ristorante this evening and would highly recommend it. Our server - Brian - was delightful. He was friendly, funny, attentive, responsive - everything you could ask for in a well-trained server. We were also serenaded by a wonderful live vocalist/piano player. He was amazing to listen to, putting his own twist on well known songs spanning the past 4 decades. Food was excellent for the most part. The one thing that disappointed was the fries. They seemed to be over done or twice-fried; in either case, they could have been better. Otherwise, food was enjoyed by all. Will be coming back read more

Outstanding food and service. The restaurant has nice ambience and service was spot on. Very friendly staff who were very informative about the menu and accommodating to food allergies. Cocktail menu had some interesting suggestions but the wine list was limited. Enjoyed the evening overall. read more

This dinner experience is base on winterlicious 2020. The food was superb and excellent. We ordered roasted chicken breast and it was moist and very tasty while the beef short rib was soft, like it falls from the bones, taste very good. The serving is huge that I have to ask the staff to pack our dessert. The staff was very attentive to our needs, friendly , polite and knowledgeable, he explained each item that was on the menu. The challenge here is the parking, hard to find, there is a "P" parking which is 3-5 min walk but not good on cold weather, maybe for some people is OK but not for me. I'll come back next time and take UBer. read more

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As a neighbourhood place for me, I have been here a number of times. Whether it's sitting indoors (cozy vibe) or out on the patio, service is always great and the food is reliable and tasty. read more