When it comes to the food, that place is simply phenomenal. Simple menu and everything I had was simply delicious. That lamb pasta I had during Winterlicious was one of the best pasta dish I had in years and I came back a second the same week for that same dish. The seasoning on my octopus appetizer was to the point; it was spicy and the the orzo brought the perfect amount of umami to my meal. The dessert and appetizers were also very well made and portioned. The space is industrial and lofty. Great for events but if you are looking for intimacy, It might not be the best venue. I am curious to know where that chef learned to cook like this. His recipes are inspired and simply delicious. The place is often reserved for event, call first to see if they are open to the public. read more

What a terrible establishment. It was so bad my date and I couldn't stop laughing. What a farce. The food tasted like it was cooked by a 12 year old. We both had a grilled calamari appetizer, and they hadn't been properly cleaned. There was still a JELLY inside the calamari tube that looked like undercooked egg whites. I want to puke just thinking about it My date ordered the steak, but it didn't come with a steak knife. We asked for a steak knife... It came by the time she was done her entire meal except for the steak. Any server should know that you can't cut it with a butter knife. She also asked for salt and pepper which did not come at all. When we arrived, they asked us to be seated next to the window, it was really sunny (and the place has no Air conditioning), so we declined and chose other seats. 5 minutes later the sun was beating through the window on us. It was way too bright and we were both sweating. My date used the washroom (which is male-female in 1) and there was shit all over the back of the toilet seat. Midway through our meal, I received an email on my blackberry saying they had cancelled my reservation. haha We sat at a table for 2, which was right beside the wall behind the server. At some point in the meal the server pops her head out from behind the wall like 3 inches from my dates face, then pops back. haha so strange. I actually thought we were on a candid-camera tv show. Brutal. read more

I came here once with friends. The patio was pretty full, the inside pretty empty, but service was very slow, although friendly. The food was pretty good, but I felt a little overpriced. I would return if I'm the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way to. read more

I like the open concept of the dining room. There was a lot of space between tables and it is refreshing to eat at a restaurant in Toronto where you are not touching elbows with the people next to you. We came on a Wednesday night during the christmas market. The restaurant had other customers but it was by no means "busy" We ordered our food, and the appetizer and drinks came out promptly. Afterwards we waited an additional 35 minutes for our mains to show up. People around us who arrived after us started getting their food, and our mains still haven't arrived. The server did come by the table to say the mains will be right out.....ten minutes, then 15 minutes passed and the mains still hadn't arrived. We ordered the striped bass and Hangar steak. When we finally did receive them my fish was hot, but the steak was luke warm at best. It looked like it was sitting out for a while hanging around. Our guess is they messed up the fish or forgot it or didn't realize they had to cook it until after the steak was finished. Not sure what the remedy for a situation like this would be, but i do feel like it should have been addressed at some point during our meal. The food was ok...but not good enough for us to be dying to go back. read more

Came with girlfriends and sat outside at patio for a glass of wine and also tried the beets soup. Our server, Carrie, was super sweet. Would recommend based on the good service! read more

The food was ok. The recommend special was dry and excessively crunchy. Our waitress shame blamed my friend for not mentioning a peanut allergy. She, in her own defence, vehement claimed that there was explicit mention of nuts on the menu. She embarrassed all of us. We went home with our tails between ours legs and looked up the menu only to see that was no mention of nuts on her meal choice (the steak). The acoustics were ok. read more

Particularly impressed when I attended a wedding here last year- the space is fabulous to host such an event, as the decor is modern yet rustic and can carry off a moody atmosphere perfectly. The meal was delicious- felt like a dining experience more than a perfunctory wedding meal selection. Wine selection was also nice. The mini pass hors d'oeuvres were creative, cute and tasty. Serving and bar staff were fabulous and attentive. Surely a great spot for a meal, a real gem in the distillery district. read more

Didn't love the food. It wasn't authentic Italian food but rather different unique maybe fusion like. The only saving grace was the kids loved their meals. And the wine list lacked lustre. what Italian restaurant doesn't have any Italian wine on the menu. So strange. It was disappointing for sure. read more

Where to start ! 1- the smell of the place is very bad 2- chairs are not clean, even the utensils 3- the food isn't great that u would overlook the uncleanliness read more

Archeo is a great choice when looking for a place to dine in the Distillery District. Like many Torontoians I am simply enamored with the Distillery District all its offerings. But unfortunately I'm not made of money and I dine out a lot so I'm always on the look-out for something moderately affordable but still classy enough to feel like you're going 'somewhere.' Archeo is the first restaurant as you walk through the gates into the Distillery (which is accessible from Mill Street; go south on Parliament and turn left onto Mill Street). It is an Italian 'trattoria' as the name suggests with some outdoor seating at the front and a large lofty space on the inside. The decor is a little sparse for my taste--a little too industrial--but the space is nice and comfortable enough. The menu is small-ish with many excellent options; they feature only the best. They bring warm bread and balsamic vinagrette/oil to the table. I started with the soup of the day--butternut squash--and it was delightful ($8) thick and soupy, just as I like it. I had the margherita pizza as my main entree and make sure you add peperoni for the extra $2, its worth it and the pepperoni is really tasty. A girlfriend got the margherita but seemed a little bland (as I usually find margherita pizzas). My boyfriend ordered the Braised Rabbit Ragu with Orecchiette and it was really quite good, and surprisingly affordable ($14). I had a bite and I was impressed. Another friend had the Sweet Potato Pansotti which she thought was delicious but the serving was a little on the small-side, fill up on bread if you're inclined to order this dish (or good for those who aren't starving when they arrive at the resto). The service was a highlight of this place--clearly seasoned servers who understand the value of treating customer king. Its not like I like to be pampered or anything but simply remembering orders, refilling water on the regular, remember who ordered what, and having no trouble splitting the bill (side note: don't you hate when waiters moan about splitting the bill; I mean they probably make more tips on seperate cheques anyways!). The guy-girl duo who was working the room took great care of us, and I appreciated it. So if you're in the Distillery District or around in Corktown stop by this great little spot--with a great blend or modern-traditional cuisine in a great space. The prices are right (for the location!), the service is well honed, and you'll enjoy yourself, I promise. read more

My wife and I went to Archeo for Summerlicious 2015. When we showed up, the restaurant was about half full so it was a very nice and quiet time. Our server took our drink order and brought us our drinks very quickly. We were starving, so we ordered our food quickly in the hopes that the appetizers would be out very soon. I had the poached arctic char salad, linguini alla amitriciana, and the creme brulee and my wife had the caesar salad, pan seared atlantic salmon, and creme brulee. It took about 15 to 20 minutes before we received our appetizers even when the restaurant was not busy at all. The arctic char salad was delicious and was not fishy at all and the caesar salad was pretty standard. Once we finished off our appetizers, our mains came out about 10 minutes later. My wife's atlantic salmon and fingerling potatoes were very good but the sauteed spinach was a little oversalted. The pork hock in my amitriciana was the best meat I've had in a while but the sauce and pasta was just okay. By the time dessert was brought out, we were pretty much stuffed. I tried the creme brulee and it was perfect. The espresso bits inside made it that much better. Overall, it was a decent experience but the wait staff wasn't very attentive and the kitchen seemed very slow for a Tuesday evening with only half the restaurant full. read more

The best that I can say about this place is that whomever designed the inside had really good taste in art. Whoever cooks the food is clueless about how to make a delicious dish. Everything was bland, boring and uninspired. Whoever hired the waiters and hostess doesn't have any idea about the scope of their staff's duties. I shouldn't have to feel like a pain in the ass asking to order or get more water or receive the bill. This place sucks. Spend your money on other restaurants in the Distillery. read more

Im not satisfied with this place! The main point was that the service and food were very disappointing. Or server never came to check on us or our food or wine levels read more

I had a great experience at Archeo. I went on Valentine's Day with a friend of mine and we thought the service was very good and we had a friendly server. We both got the spaghetti and meatballs and it was delicious! Months later I still remember it. The atmosphere was nice inside with a rustic feel. We saw some over priced items on the menu but you can steer clear of those if you wish as some items are reasonably priced. Would go back again. read more

This is a nice-looking restaurant with a great patio and I probably would've given it five stars had I not returned so many times and found the service and food to be inconsistent. When it's good it's really really good, but because I'm rather a regular there I've experienced some frightful moments like: getting meat when I specifically asked for none or being ignored by servers. For the most part it's pretty great though; obviously the fact that I keep going back (I work in the Distillery) speaks for itself. The Caesar salad is amazing (usually) and if they had a few more healthy/vegetarian dishes I'd go more often. read more

Came here for Mother's Day Brunch. The decor of the restaurant is beautiful but the food was just ok. The brunch set up is in the middle of the room and the tables are kind of crowded together along the sides. Perhaps because the brunch there doesn't seem as busy as other places (Hot House), food tends to sit longer and gets an unappetizing look. I think my favourite part of brunch was the dessert. They had a strawberry angel food cake, it was like eating a cloud! (Or at least my idea of what a cloud would taste like lol) They also had little jars of what looked like strawberry rhubarb crumble, chocolate cake and little heart shaped cake pops dipped in chocolate with the word 'mom' written on the front, nice touch. The service was good and our server checked on our table often with prompt tea/coffee refills but it's highly unlikely I would return here for brunch. read more

This place is lovely for an event. The interior is beautiful and has a authentic meets modern look to it. Inside there is a mix of wood and stone and glass as a design. They offer a wide selection of drinks. Pricing can range from high end of affordable to expensive depending of how much you drink and eat. It is tucked away in the distillery district so it is mainly Accessible by walking or bus. read more

My fiancé and I had our first date here and we keep going back! We like the atmosphere, especially during the quieter times we were there. It can get quite noisy when busy (as with any restaurant of course) but that's minor. The food has always been great, albeit a tad expensive but we expect that for this area. And we can't say enough about the staff. Each time we've been there we were greeted with a warm smile, and the servers were always on top of things. We make it a priority to go during Winterlicious every year to try whatever dishes they're offering and we're never disappointed. We'll be back! read more

Brought my girlfriend here for her birthday and was not disappointed. Atmosphere is a 5/5. Really nice spot for a date. Really cool gallery feel inside. Food 4/5. Small menu but the food was well done. Prices were reasonable. Wine menu was great. read more

Meh. The menu's pretty uninspired. There are better restaurants in the distillery, and there's better Italian to be had in Toronto.

Excellent patio seating. It's stunning venue if you like the modern rustic look. Their Summerlicious menu was excellent for a $15 lunch. The smoked pork sholder quiche was suprising good. Their bread was soft and still warm. read more

We had a small Sunday brunch wedding at Archeo, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone else planning a similar event. There are cheaper venues around, but we didn't regret the extra money. The space is beautiful, the staff are really great at what they do, and the food was fantastic. The planning process wasn't perfect - we had to request some things more than once - but on the day the staff on site were just incredibly competent and accommodating. We didn't have a wedding planner or really anyone else who could deal with the venue, and I was a bit worried that we would spend all morning making sure everything was going smoothly, but instead they really looked after us, even bringing out the food early when we got a bit ahead of schedule, making sure I got a cup of coffee, etc. I wish all customer service was this top notch. read more

While the service was slow and the room cool because of change in weather, it was worth waiting for as the food was fabulous. Our party of six had soup of the day (tomato), chicken pizza and eggs Bennie brunch and we all commented it was very good. read more

The best dinner I have had in a long time! So accommodating to my gluten-free requirements and beyond delicious. I had the chicken pesto pizza and the Nutella semifreddo! My only wish is that I could eat there for every meal, every day! The beautiful decor didn't hurt either. read more

Just avoid the place, there's plenty of choices around. The food was barely acceptable. The mushroom pizza had blue cheese instead of gorgonzola. My wife left half of the margarita because it was bland. The fries in the burger were soggy and nothing more than a regular burger. Yes the place is overpriced. Apparently the Gnocchi was good but I didn't have it. The worst part was the service. For a Sunday at noon the place was half empty but they wanted to charge minimum consumption when making the reservation. You would get your food and 20 minutes later your drinks. Then comes the bill, one per table and no option to get your bill split because it was already in the system. Ridiculous excuse because any decent place can provide service since the smartphone became popular. Talking about service.. you get dinged with 17% gratuity because of all the great service that I just mentioned. I usually tip 18-20% when I feel served, but this place is just below average. read more

Due to the good reviews, we decided to have lunch here on August 11, 2015. Very nice ambiance. Server was fine, however the food was hit and miss. My husband enjoyed his lemon linguini vongole and my daughters said their pizzas were okay, however, the gnocchi was awful. My food was luke warm when it arrived and sitting in a watery sauce. Everything about the dish was awful- the chicken and the mushroom were bland and tasted water logged, the gnocchi was seasoned with herbs but not tasty. I didn't finish most of the meal. Disappointing. read more

Absolute worst service I have ever experienced. We got our table promptly but didn't even have our drink order taken for half an hour, and that only happened because we asked if we could order. Food took over an hour, no one apologized, no one offered an explanation. I might have been more understanding if the servers were actually busy but they spent a lot of time standing around, and none of them were very friendly. All of the tables around us were filthy and no one ever took the time to even clear them off. The food was delicious, and we are lucky we had great company with us to make the time enjoyable, however I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone. Hi Rik, I think it was October 24th because that is my mother's birthday and that's what we were out celebrating. Thanks for your concern. read more

The pork hock linguine was fine, but the pasta was over-cooked, the tomato sauce was starchy and the dish tasted too much like parsley. The margherita pizza tasted like it came from the discount freezer at a grocery store, the crust was bland and chewy, there was way too much cheese. The 'port steak' was also just ok. I loved the dandelion greens, and with the polenta, it was a nice combination, but the beef was on the dry side. The beer menu had decent variety, including a mix of Italian and local options, but the pinot noir we ordered tasted sour; not sure if we can fault the restaurant for our wine choice but it wasn't the most pleasant dining experience. The server was very friendly but never followed up after our meal was delivered; we would have ordered another round but never got the chance. This was my second visit to archeo. On my first visit, I had octopus that was burnt to a crisp, I gave them another chance but I don't think I will be going back. read more

My friend and I had brunch there yesterday (Feb, 17,2013), the worst service possible. The servers didn't bother even coming by and asking for water, coffee or anything. The only time we were greeted by a smile was by the host, that's it. even the food (buffet style) was less than average. Will not be returning. read more

An hour after eating seafood pasta at Archeo yesterday, my friend became ill and spent the rest of the evening in the bathroom. And I have felt sick all day today from a meal that shouldn't have made me feel sick. read more

TO be honest, this place caught our attention only because we ditched the idea of going to El Catrin next door after reading a series of negative reviews of that place, plus our appetite had been worked up after walking around in the gloomy afternoon at the so-often visisted distillery district. But I gotta say Archeo served us well. With an austere food menu (but not so for the drinks), we were still able to order some really amazing food, like the risotto with a hint of tea leaf and sweetness, and the vegetable lasagne that had large slabs of mushroom in sophisticated layers. The friendly servers were attentive. Industrial Archaeology, they say, is the systematic study of material evidence associated with the industrial past. If my memory serves me right, the wall by the entrance had the term printed in Italian. I guess this place has somewhat made its relation with the industrial heritage of the whole district the theme of the restaurant. The loft style dining space offers a vast yet intimate experience with the space. PS. I genuinely welcome the lavatory style restrooms at this place. Far as I know, only El Catrin next door and Salad King on Yonge boast such sumptuous treatment for their patrons. read more

Came here for the first time a week ago Monday. The food was good, and our server knowledgable. Ordered a chicken pizza and our server paired it with a great wine, can't complain there. However, the manager doesn't seem to care about the business coming through the door. We were one of the few tables left (although it was very early, before 9 PM), and the manager (at least I think that's what he was.. He was the only one not wearing all black) started moving tables around (I guess they have a different set up during lunch?) before we had even left the restaurant. We also overheard him being pretty agressive with his staff members. It made what started out as a good evening pretty uncomfortable. It was clear even our server was embarrassed so instead of dessert we grabbed the check and headed out. The food was great, but save yourself the headache of feeling like an unwanted houseguest and head to somewhere in the distillery. read more

My partner and I lucked out and got a seat here during the Winterlicious event! It was a delicious and reasonable meal where there was an appropriate amount of food per course (very hard to come across at other restaurants). Good salad starter, tasty fresh made pizza entree and a not so bad chocolate cannolis dessert. Wonderful service that was friendly, upbeat and efficient. We stuck around for awhile and took our time eating and felt no pressure at all. Everything was decent so if you're at the district, it's worth a visit, especially during Winterlicious! read more

Could be good. Nobody knows for sure as they are very very rarely open to the public. I have lived in the Distillery for over 3 years and every time I tried to go there they were closed for a private function. Treat this as a wedding venue and not a restaurant. read more

We came for dinner during Summerlicious, and I understand that portions are sometimes a little smaller with the set menus. The 3 course meal was delicious but the portions were absolutely tiny! The appetizer and dessert were two-bite sized. I was still very hungry when I left the restaurant, and I am not a big person. My husbands meal was a little better - I would say that his meal was 4 stars. read more

Came here for Winterlicious recently and was not impressed. The pasta (papperdelle alla puntanesca) had a very odd taste to it; the capers with the anchovies gave it a really overwhelming salty/bitter taste. The margherita pizza was just okay, I've had better. The only highlight of the 3 course meal was the white chocolate ricotta cheesecake. Overall, a subpar restaurant experience given its location. read more

Went here for brunch this past weekend... AWFUL AWFUL SERVICE!!! The food was decent, but man I can't stress enough how bad the service was. The hostesses were pleasant and were kind enough to take out coats... but things went downhill very quickly after. Our waiter didn't appear until 30 minutes after we had helped ourselves to the buffet style brunch. He was cold, and seemed uninterested in his job. While making their rounds, they constantly ignored our corner of the room, leaving us with piles of dirty plates and empty coffee mugs. Near the end of our meal, I witnessed the floor manager approach the table of 6 beside us, and ask them to leave because the "next reservation had arrived". Completely unprofessional and EMBARASSING. Once the party had left, i overheard the two waiters cleaning up Complaining about how some people "really can't take a hint". Our waiter finally cracked a smile when handing us the bill, expecting some sort of a tip from us... Get real UNREAL. so incredibly disappointed. I will NEVER return to this restaurant and will let as many people know my terrible experience here. read more

Food was delicious. Ambiance was very nice. Service was great.

Went here with two friends one evening after the Christmas market. The interior is beautiful, I only wish they made better use of it. But the main point was that the service and food were very disappointing. Or server never came to check on us or our food or wine levels- he was totally mia. We had to order from the bus boy who didn't seem to know much. The pasta tasted like grocery store boxed noodles- and at that price point I would expect much better. We also had to ask for Parmesan since it wasn't offered. A total lack of service and I could have made better food myself. I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

We went during Winterlicious and I just have to say they were amazing! I ate at about 5 restaurants during that 2 week span and they were the best with their customer service and they didn't skimp on the portions either, which I noticed restaurants did. The Muscles were amazing, the deserts were great, and the main courses were delightful too! Only reason they didn't receive a 5 is because they forgot about us for 20 minutes and failed to take our order at the beginning and I had to re-order another 20 minutes after ordering due to them running out of the ingredients for my meal. I was a little bummed because I'm lactose intolerant and needed to completely alter my re-order, but it was still delicious. The server also seemed apologetic and sincere for the minor bumps so it didn't interfere with our experience very much. I almost gave them a 5 but had to give a 4 due to the bumps in the road. ;) read more