Idemo!! If you're around the Bloor & Islington area and want some hearty Balkan fare, please stop by here! Service/Staff is super friendly and attentive! Very spacious for group dining, couples or solo! I definitely wanted to try the Shopska salad and the Cevapi (chevapi) plate so that's what I ordered and it did not disappoint!! A must-order is the bread called lepinja (lepin-ya). It comes with a fresh cheese called kajmak (k-eye-mak) The cevapi plate comes with your choice of 3 sides - coleslaw with oil/vinegar, potatoes, diced raw onions, or baked beans. Everything was fantastic. The cevapi were perfectly done. Lepinja and kajmak were amazing. Kajmak is home-made there, and you can buy some to go! Shopska salad features cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and green peppers in an oil/vinegar dressing with a mountain of shredded feta on top!!! Soooo good!! read more

See all

Came with 4 friends for dinner because we saw good reviews on Yelp and Google. I've never had Serbian food so I was looking forward to the experience. We ordered lepinja sa kajmakom, which was a homestyle bread with cream cheese. This was the star dish of the night omg, priced at $5 for 4 pieces it instantly set the meal in the right direction! We then got the shopska salad which was a salad with tomato, cucumber, onion, green pepper, and feta. Salad was mid, but it was nice to have greens as our main was the mesano meso, a grilled meat platter for 4. This platter was so filling and had different varieties of meats. The best meat in this selection was the sausage, I unfortunately found everything else a little lacklustre. Service was great throughout the night, ambiance was nothing super special. Verdict: come for the homestyle bread!! Still thinking about it haha read more

Bonimi - mesano meso (meat platter) - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Bonimi serves great and delicious Serbian food that's worth coming back for. The owner is very friendly, and service is excellent. Portion sizes are big and everything is very delectable. Ambience is casual. There is limited street parking (metered) right outside the restaurant, and it's also accessible by TTC (closest subway station is Islington station on the Bloor line). We came for lunch on a weekend afternoon and it wasn't busy at all, so walk-ins are totally acceptable here. We saw some people getting large order take-outs, so you can also order ahead for take-out. Dishes that we tried: 1) Serbian Salad - This fresh salad consisting of cucumber, tomatoes, green pepper, and onion was a great accompaniment to our mains. 2) Grilled Sweet Pepper - This was really well grilled. I would've preferred it if it was less oily (or not drowned in as much oil), but it was still good because of the heaps of garlic topping. 3) Grilled Calamari - It came with 3 big peices of calamari, nicely seasoned boiled potatoes, and Swiss chard. The calamari was cooked just right so it wasn't too chewy. 4) Branzino - A whole branzino was butterflied so it was easy to eat. I liked the nice crispy char on the outside, and tender fish meat in the inside. It also came with seasoned boiled potatoes and Swiss chard. Loved it. 5) Crêpes (not on the menu but you can ask for it) - You can order crrêpes with various toppings and fillings (selection includes: Nutella, crumbled walnuts, honey, jam). We got ours with Nutella and crumbled walnuts, and it was really good. There were 2 crêpes in one portion - perfect for sharing and ending to an already filling and satisfying meal. It would've been even better if the crêpes were topped with fresh berries though! They seem to be quite generous in the use of olive oil in a lot of the dishes. Drink-wise, they serve coffee, espresso, and tea. The coffee seems to be really good according to others. read more

See all

Ordered mixed meat platter. Food was warm. NOT HOT. Wait was bit too long for only 1 other table with guests. I mentioned it to our server. Told kitchen is cold in the winter ???!!!?? My plate was stone cold instead of being warmed up prior to serving food on it. Basic chef knowledge. Pljeskavica was dry and of course border line cold. As far as taste goes, it was good hence why 3 stars. As much as I want to give them another chance, I don't think I'll be going back. read more

Bonimi - Pleskavica , pork, čevapi, luk(onions),cabbage salad(kupus) - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I had never tried a serbian restaurant before. And wow what an experience. I have to say that if you like eastern european food, you will like this place. The food was amazing. I ordered the mixed platter and everything was delicious. The best one was for sure the rolled schnitzel because of the melted cream cheese. The only thing about this place is that I feel like the prices were quite high for the quantity you get. Worth an experience once in a while though. read more

Bonimi - a plate of meat, potatoes, and other foods - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Very meat-centric menu and filling! The service was pretty good and the decor was nice. However, the restaurant was quite loud since most tables had kids/toddlers. We had the grilled platter which was a good way to sample everything. Also noticed all the other tables had crepes, which I just assumed was popular until I saw other reviews saying it's complimentary. Though this wasn't offered to us, so I guess it just depends on your luck? :P read more

Bonimi - Side of beans - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

It was my first experience of Balkan food, so I don't have anything to compare it with. But the food was amazing, decor was fancy and our server (to whom I promised to mention his name here, but I forgot it. It was so hard to remember) was so friendly and professional. He also offered us crepe for dessert which was good too. I had KARADJORDJEVA and my mom had Cevapi, both were so delicious. The Cevapi was well grilled. I will definitely go back. read more

Bonimi - KARADJORDJEVA And Cevapi - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Finally made it back here for dinner last night. It's our 2nd visit and I still remembered how much we loved it the first time when we came. Discovering Serbian cuisine was the best thing ever! If you are a foodie, you must try Serbian food! It's too bad that we weren't living in the west end or we would be here on a regular basis. Last time we had the mixed grilled platter for two small which is a perfect dish if you are coming for the first time - a little bit of everything. Since this was our 2nd visit, we tried a few new dishes - pljeskavica (minced meat steak), Karadjordjeva(schnitzel rolled up stuffed with cheese) and of course Cevapi (minced meat roll) which is my favorite dish. And you can choose any 2 sides - I recommend the cole slaw, rice and/or potatoes. It was all very delicious! And to finish it off, they gave us free dessert - sweet crepe with your choice of topping. The Nutella one is my favorite! The portions are huge so you will definitely be full and the service is excellent. read more

See all

I ordered a cappuccino and large pork platter shared among two other friends. The cappuccino was not worth the $5, it just tasted liked steamed milk. The platter had assorted pork dishes, coleslaw and chopped up onions. I definitely left full some of the food was too salty where others was amazing. Food was overall delicious but not worth $90 read more

If you travel in Toronto area and you love east European cuisine than this is definitely a great place to enjoy your food and service. Food is home made, staff is super polite and attentive and the very clean atmosphere! Definitely recommended! read more

Note: Not really as casual as a "cafe", but I'd say Serbian/Modern European is more accurate. Parking: Paid parallel in front of restaurant on Bloor OR Green P on either side of the restaurant. I didn't note any parking specifically for Bonimi around back OR it wasn't marked properly. There are no parking signs in the residential area directly behind the restaurant. Location: Diagonally across the street from Islington Subway stn. My dining companion said the food at Bonimi was very similar to Royal Meats, so if you've ever been there, that would be a close comparison. (I've never been, so I cannot comment.) However, I wouldn't really say it's a "light" meal, unless you just get a salad. Entrees are more meat 'n potatoes type fare. Average entree prices were around $15 for a "small" portion and I'd say that small is quite generous! I shared a small Bonimi Schnitzel (battered, rolled up, with cream cheese, & deep fried) + a small Cevapi with my friend. That was more than enough food, and we were both stuffed, although we didn't have any leftovers to speak of. Both food + sides were good. Home fries were more like hand cut wedges. And I really enjoyed the baked beans! Again, not "light", so if you're looking for more of this kinda meal, it's a great option especially considering the area. read more

See all

Good consistent quality food. My husband loves their Rainbow trout dish, so we have been there a few times. Friendly service, I recommend this place and will come back read more

Well, soup what suppose to be tick and sour veal soup was full of flour and bits of some kind of dry meet... Karadzordeva snicla nothing to do with a real thing - veal (dry) wrapped in a frying mix probable month ago, heated up in a microwave .. difficult to cut and chow Beens way overcooked, heated up in microwave .. Cabbage salad was only item really eatable but portion way to small Price point too expensive for the quality and portions .. Definitely would not recommend the place read more

If you're a meatatarian like me then this is the place for you! I came here with my family for a birthday dinner and we ordered the share platter for four which is chock-full-o grilled and deep fried meats. And it can definitely feed more than four people! Everything was delicious and our server was very nice (the girl with the Marilyn Monroe lip piercing). On top of the already awesome food we got complimentary crêpes for dessert! Tip: Choose the homemade bread over "regular" bread...it's only $3 more and it's so worth it! read more

Bonimi - Share platter for four with homemade bread & beans | Complimentary Nutella crêpe - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

What can I say!? I finally get to write about this amazing place which I've been to for over 4 years. Visited and loved it: probably over 12 times!!! The decor isn't much. It sits about 30 people. It's small and quaint, but the service is excellent and the food is awesome!! Bonus - it comes with complimentary crepe dessert which they have kept it since I tried it over 4 years ago! Happy: It's definitely a hidden gem at the intersection of Bloor and Islington. I've brought many friends to this place and all of them loved it! Today, I ordered my usual which is the veal vienna schnitzel that comes with home fries (which they cut it round and fried it, like wedges but better) and steamed veggies. The tartar sauce is to die for, that's why I keep on coming back and back. I've tried other dishes and they are not bad at all too. You will leave this place honestly truly happy and full! You might have trouble walking since they feed you well. It comes with chewy bread which is nice. Not happy: Nothing!! =) Verdict: Yummy food! Yummy food! You must try it to believe it. You won't be disappointed. I haven't - yet! read more

Wow, what a great find this place turned out to be! Met up with a few friends on a weeknight. I had tead a few reviews and I knew we needed to check out this place. Pleasant and clean restaurant with plenty of nearby parking and public transit. It appears that they have been in business for several years but we had never really noticed this restaurant... until now! Being our monthly 'guys night out' we came prepared with our big appetites and we were not disappointed. One of our group said their grilled cod was delicious and a bargain at less than $20 for a very generous serving. The rest of us ordered one of the Serbian specialties called GURMANSKA PLJESKAVICA which can be described as a large panzarotti made of grilled chopped meat and stuffed with cheese and prosciutto. It comes in a regular or spicy version and come with three sides. One of the most delicious meat dishes we have had, and that is saying a lot. No room left for dessert, but we all managed to (barely) finish our meals. The menu is not huge but has plenty of various options to choose from. A nice selection of imported and local beers is on offer. The service was friendly and efficient. The value is outstanding for such wonderful food. Very highly recommended and a nice discovery. We will certainly be coming back and spreading the word. read more

One of my fav places to grab delicious Serbian food. They have amazing kebabs and bread with kaymak. Food is fresh and delicious, staff is friendly, and prices are reasonable. read more

Had a business lunch here on a Friday. A colleague recommended it. Really friendly service and it got quite busy at lunch with several larger groups. Server recommended some dishes to us along with the homemade bread. We didn't feel like fried food like schnitzel so that limited us somewhat. The bread was amazing. I think that was my best part of the meal! My chicken dish was fresh but it looked and tasted like a pan fried chicken breast with no seasoning or marinade. Will return and try the more popular menu items next tine. read more

Never thought I'd be giving 5 stars to a Serbian/Croatian restaurant but this place is dynamite. I enjoyed their grilled squid with potatoes and vegetables and of course my husband went for the ćevape. The kajmak was delicious. The quality of the food is insane and the portions are generous. The service was just lovely. It was almost better than my mom's and dad's home cooked traditional meals. And their bread! I think this is the first time my husband and I polished off a whole bread basket. Our meal ended with complimentary Nutella and hazelnut crepes that just put us in a state of ecstasy. From now on I'm taking all my family and guests here. Just wonderful. read more

Bonimi - Generous portion of grilled squid with potatoes and vegetable and garlic olive oil. Beyond delicious! - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

These people that own the restaurant are amazing!!! The chef is the best!!!... and the service is more than amazing! Anybody from ex Yugoslavia will appreciate this place!!! Not to mention anyone who appreciates GREAT Food! YUM! read more

As a Bosnian, I can say this food is good. I have brought my friends here on numerous occasions to try their food and they also loved it. Start with the meza, then kackavalj and for a main have ćevapi! Naturally, don't forget the sljivovica. Hearty food. Great service. Will keep coming back. read more

Bonimi - Ćevapi and potatoes. Yum - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I can honestly say I've never (knowingly) eaten Serbian food before, but this was quite good and will inspire a return visit. It's admittedly not the cheapest lunch, but even if choosing from the large plates/dinner menu everything on the menu was under $20. I had mince meat sausages that were wrapped in bacon which were satisfying, but admittedly I was more jealous of my dining associates massive minced meat steak stuffed with cheese and prosciutto which looked pretty epic. Atmosphere is pretty basic but service was very friendly. It's worth visiting, especially if looking for something tasty but different from the norm. read more

Walking back and forth on Bloor St. not knowing what to eat, my girlfriend and I stumbled upon Bonimi. They highlighted they serve Eastern European food and we were intrigued since we had no idea what Eastern European food is like. While sitting on the patio, trying to Google what everything is, a satisfied customer came out and made recommendations based on what she just had. We were super excited to hear someone raving about the restaurant after a satisfied meal. We went with the meat platter for 2..... It was A LOT of food. From what my remembered, There was 4 little sausages (THEY WEER AMAZiNG), a patty, chicken and pork slices, with a side of veggie and bread ... for only 30$! read more

If you like hearty Serbian food, elegantly presented by friendly staff, this is the go-to place. I've been several times over the years, and the quality has always been first rate. It's family-run. Serbian food is big on grilled meat, which Bonimi does a great job of. But that's not all: great salads, yummy cheese-filled rolls, crepes or baklava for dessert. We had all of those things tonight, including the meat platter. A nice variety, nicely presented. This cuisine is best appreciated slowly, in a relaxed conversational way with a friend. Not to be wolfed down quickly. They're also licensed. Lastly, the place is spic-and-span clean. read more

Absolutely fantastic. Authentic Serbian and wonderful flavours and service was awesome. Cevapi was to die for. Shopska Salad was fresh and tasty. Montenegran Vranac was the wine of choice. Check this place out now. read more

Absolutely amazing. That is all I can say. Incredibly good food, it will make you full and you will leave satisfied by how natural everything looks and tastes. It has a very European touch, which I highly enjoyed. Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian cuisine is amazing. The price is also very good, ~120 altogether with tip for 4 people. 10/10 would recommend the Gurmanska Pljeskavica. read more

Bonimi - Gurmanska Pljeskavica - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This place has amazing food. Very nice and clean with extremely polite and friendly staff. We tried KARADJORDJEVA SNICLA TELECA ( VEAL BONIMI SCHNITZEL ) Veal cutlet/rolled in cream cheese/breaded/deep fried GURMANSKA PLJESKAVICA Veal/pork/minced steak/filled with cheese and prosciutto both of them were fantastic. Great job Bonimi, read more

I don't often get out for Serbian food and was very excited when my friend suggested we go to Bonimi. We were welcomed immediately and the excellent service continued throughout our meal. We got salad to start which was solid but the topper was the meso meat sampler plate. Great mix of their best dishes that didn't disappoint! Super pleased and have already recommend to multiple people. read more

The best ever restaurant with the best food taste specially Karadjorjeva and Shapska! Don't forget to ask them for Palachinki after meal, that's amazing desert! read more

Bonimi - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Absolutely fantastic food and wonderful service! We had the mixed meat platter which lets you sample a bit of everything. Karadjordjeva is incredible and cevapi and pljeskavica are a crowd pleaser. The sides are generous as well. Really great restaurant and you get a ton of food for a great price. read more

Pork schnitzel was perfectly cooked - light and crispy on the outside, flavourful on the inside. We were given complimentary crêpes when we were leaving. Customer service was good. Will be coming back again. read more

Bonimi - Pork schnitzel. - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Disclaimer: I very rarely eat Eastern European, and so I have little experience with such cuisine. But I definitely recommend Bonimi to anyone, especially if you don't have it often like me! I went there for dinner with a friend, and it's a very nice place to eat and have a nice quiet conversation. Our server was Stefani, and she very nice and patient with us, despite our having remarkable dietary restrictions and needing to have the menu explained to us. I ordered a schnitzel stuffed with mushrooms, mozarella, and something else which I forget, and I had expected it to be breaded and deep fried, but it was grilled, and now I know I infinitely prefer grilled over fried. The entree was very flavourful and clean, and Stefani even let us know that we could order 2 1/2 sides, and so we found out the rice and vegetables were great as well! On top of this, dessert is on the house!!!! A crepe with your choice of nutella, jam, or honey (or a mix) with crushed walnuts on top. Simply yummy! Highly recommended for the food and service! Great atmosphere for 1-on-1s or family get-togethers. read more

Definite neighborhood gem! Don't let the name fool you, this place is a small sit-down restaurant, definitely not a cafe. They have a small menu consisting of various types of Serbian grilled or fried meats, some seafood, and sides. According to my bf (who is Balkan), the whole menu can all be considered typical home cooking dishes, so very rustic, no-frills food. Our lunch was very hearty, and very, very tasty. We each got a small main, and had a salad and homestyle bread to share. The portions were very generous. My bf said everything tasted the same as he remembers from back home, and I think he enjoyed it so much he even got a little emotional. It's a place we know we're going to keep coming back to! read more

The food is amazing at this little restaurant. Had the pljeskavica and it's very authentic. They gave us a yum desert on the house, great! One waitress was clearly more friendly than the other. The interior of the place has no character whatsoever. Which is unfortunate as this food would go so well with an extended living room feel. However, the food is so tasty that I will come back regardless of the decor. read more

Nice restaurant. Happened upon it by accident when my friends and I were out looking for a place to eat on Bloor a while back. I was recently reminded of it and, though I don't usually write reviews online, I think this place deserves it. I was told the restaurant opened not long ago and is family owned. The staff are all very friendly, and the food was great (and reasonably priced). I'm not an expert on Serbian food, but the schnitzel and seafood were excellent. Yummy crepes for dessert. I was stuffed! Quiet, relaxed atmosphere and overall elegance. Give this place a try :) read more

Bonimi has the best things about ethnic cuisine in Toronto: delicious food, servings that are beyond generous, friendly service, inexpensive, and a casual environment. The interior of Bonimi is small, decorated a lot like a house in the suburbs with lots of modern elements but very little character. The food that is served up makes a huge impression against the benign atmosphere. We ordered the veal soup, a light, flavourful broth with a touch of cream served up with delicate chunks of veal. Next we ordered some fried Serbian cheese, very simple and wholesome tasting, perfect against the Montenegran Vranac we chose for wine. Then came the grill sampler for two, which may as well have been for four. A massive helping of cevapi, plescavica, chicken schnitzel, pork medallions, and the heart attack inspiring karadjorvjeva (fried veal rolled up filled with cream cheese, or "kajmak"), along with piles of steamed veggies and a delectable cabbage salad. On the side was a hearty container of beans, shopska salad, and lepinya bread filled with more kajmak. Honestly, if you looked at our take-out bag you wouldn't have thought we'd eaten anything at all. Prices are extremely reasonable for the quality and quantity. Do it. read more

Found a piece of nasty hair in my cevapi and showed it to waitress. She told us she will notify the owner/cook. She came back and only apologized for a piece of nasty hair in our plate and did nothing about it. We did not get a new plate or anything. To me that is beyond rude and that is not how you treat customers. Never coming back to this restaurant! read more

I'm a bit biased being of Serbian ethnic origin, but I very much enjoyed my recent visit to this little gem of a restaurant in the west end. The food was delicious and authentic, and the service was professional and friendly. Highly recommended! read more

We loved this place, service was great, food was delicious and the ambiance was cozy and welcoming.

Having seen only 4-5 star ratings on Yelp, my expectations were fairly high walking in to the Bonimo Cafe. Inside, the restaurant is quaint and small, a real mom and pop shop. I ordered the gurmanska for lunch which was a dish that resembled a beef steak with cheese filling. It was accompanied by three sides (an onion coleslaw, a lettuce coleslaw, and scalloped potatoes) The dish was beautifully plated and I was excited to dig in! But having never had Serbian food before, I found it to taste rather strange. The beef steak was salty and didn't taste like beef and as a result, I only ate about half of my meal. I'll make note that I can be a picky eater and that my friend finished her meal deftly. The service was good. Waiter was nice and attentive. Overall, I can't personally recommend eating here, though I believe other people's positive reviews to be genuine. read more