Tucked into the convivial streetscape of Little Portugal, Enoteca Sociale arrived on our radar the way the best restaurants always do -- not through advertising, but through the quiet reverence of those who know. A thread on Reddit, a chorus of local voices: this, they agreed, was Toronto's finest Italian table. We arrived for our anniversary with measured expectations and left with something considerably more difficult to measure. The room is lively and intimate in equal measure -- the sort of neighborhood trattoria that Rome does instinctively and Toronto aspires to. Upon arrival, our assigned table sat squarely amid the bustle of the main floor, a placement that felt more pragmatic than considered. It is here that the evening's one minor friction arose: the seating arrangement, in its original configuration, prioritized capacity over comfort. Yet what followed speaks volumes about the character of the house. With unhurried grace, the staff offered us a more suitable table. A small gesture, but in hospitality, small gestures compose the entire symphony. The kitchen delivers with confidence and sincerity. Every dish that arrived at our table bore the hallmarks of careful sourcing and practiced technique -- the kind of Roman-inspired cooking that trusts its ingredients implicitly. The pastas in particular are the soul of this menu: pillowy, precisely cooked, and richly sauced. Fellow diners have waxed lyrical about the gnocchi (described as "little soft pillows of joy"), the amatriciana with its deep tomato richness, and the cacio e pepe -- classical canon executed with honest restraint. The bread, warm and unhurried, with its accompanying olive oil, set the tone beautifully. Service throughout was attentive without being solicitous. The staff's awareness extended to the occasion itself -- our anniversary did not pass unremarked, a thoughtfulness that elevated the meal from excellent to genuinely memorable. For those who seek Italian cooking that is rooted, soulful, and made with evident pride -- and who value the warmth of a room that feels lived-in rather than designed -- Enoteca Sociale rewards the pilgrimage. read more

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I was really excited to finally try Enoteca Sociale; especially after hearing so many rave reviews and learning they make their own gluten-free pasta in-house. Unfortunately, the experience didn't live up to the hype. We decided to order several dishes to get a sampling of the menu. We started with a green salad and added burrata. We then had the chilli shrimp pasta, lemon ricotta ravioli and bistecca. Our first pasta dish was the gluten-free shrimp tagliatelle, and while I appreciated the effort to accommodate dietary needs, the dish itself was disappointing. It arrived swimming in a heavy pool of chili oil, and the noodles were clumped together in a way that made it difficult to enjoy. We were also impressed to see house-made gluten-free ravioli on the menu. While the filling had a delicate lemon flavour, the execution fell short. The pasta was overwhelmed by an excessive amount of melted butter, making the dish feel greasy and unbalanced. The steak was cooked properly on the inside, but lacked the sear and depth of flavor we were hoping for on the outside. On a positive note, the green salad with burrata was the standout of the meal; fresh, well-balanced, and easily our favorite dish of the night. Overall, we came in with high expectations, but left feeling let down. The restaurant does have a cozy and romantic vibe and the intention/service are strong, the execution just didn't deliver on this visit. read more

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3.5 stars for the food but service was 5/5 One of my best friends and I came here this evening to try their pastas and I got the cacio e pepe. It came with spaghetti coated in a dairy white sauce, generous amount of black pepper, and Pecorino Romano ($25). I did not expect the black pepper to overpower the dish so I felt that I wasn't a huge fan of it. It was also not so al dente rather more uncooked than I preferred. My friend got the agnolotti ai funghi which I had a bite of and that was delicious and smelled divine! We had booked a reservation earlier in the week so I felt that was the only way we got seats. read more

Enoteca Sociale - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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First off the service our group received was top notch. 5 stars all the way. However I reduced my rating to 3 stars because of the food. The appetizer we ordered was great. The Arancini balls were delectable. Off to a good start Unfortunately, The main dishes were lacking. I think they try to make it high end and presentation was key. But It was nothing special. 1. The Gnocchi Pomodoro was plain. 2. The Rigatoni Pork and chestnut was bland 3. The shrimp linguini was overly spicy. It was borderline unbearable. 4. The Vitello Saltimboca was as expected. It was surprisingly good with the crispy fried prosciutto. It was the best of all 4 I actually wished I ordered that instead. All in all the food was average and trying for high end Italian didn't meet expectations. I would recommend this place though as service is top notch and they change menus monthly so maybe their chef will amaze you with their other options Just not "my cup of pasta" read more

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This restaurant is beautiful! We walked in around 7 or 8pm without a reservation. Luckily there was bar seating. Otherwise the wait for a table would was quite long. The restaurant is a bit loud. We ordered a mule, three aracino, agnolotti di funghi, carne crudo, pesce crudo, tiramisu, sticky toffee pudding, affogato, and three biscottis. Total came out to a little over $200 CAD. Service was fantastic! The food came out relatively quickly. The servers changed out the plates frequently and even helped wiped down the bar area. They brought out extra bread for the two crudo dishes when the bread ran low but there was still crudo to be eaten. I enjoyed the agnolotti. It was the perfect amount of food for dinner. The arancino had a great crunch. It was the perfect appetizer. The dessert was unexpectedly huge portions considering the price was around $15 CAD each. Dessert was even bigger than the entrees. Each dessert would probably be appropriate to share between two people. The exception to that being the biscotto. The biscotto was a small round soft cookie. It wasn't what I imagined which is a longer hard twice baked biscuit best eaten with a beverage. I ordered the tiramisu. It is heavy on the booze and the espresso topping. This was quite a surprise. Usually places have overly sweet tiramisu. It's best shared with a friend. The sticky toffee pudding and vanilla ice cream was very sweet. The serving of ice cream was very generous. It was a giant scoop. Same with the ice cream for the affogato. It's a little pricy but I think Enoteca Sociale was very good and worth it. read more

Enoteca Sociale - Agnolotti di funghi - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This is probably our new fave Italian joint in the city. We got the Arancino which was super crispy on the outside paired with a delicious tomato sauce, the Radicchio which took us by surprise at how fresh it was. The ceci e porchetta was by far my favourite appetizer. For our mains we got the cacio e Pepe and agnolotti ai funghi. And for dessert the sticky toffee pudding is a must. Would definitely recommend making resos as it's quite packed on the weekends. read more

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Michelin Guide restaurant with great food, great vibes and reasonable pricing in downtown Toronto! The food here is great. Server was good. Drinks amazing. Got a few dishes to share based on some recommendations from friends. Here's what we thought: Albacore Tuna 5/5 - Light, refreshing and opens up the palette nicely for your meal to come. Looks beautiful and had a great flavour profile. Rapini 5/5 - Smokey char flavour topped with parm and splash of lemon juice. It's great with the drizzled oil and chili flakes as well. Would get this again! Branzino 5/5 - This was crispy on the skin side and soft and flakey on the inside. Didn't look the best in terms of presentation but the taste was definitely there. Cacio E Pepe 5/5 - An Italian classic with pecorino and black pepper. Perfectly emulsified sauce that was creamy and hearty. Guanciale 5/5 - My favourite dish since I love anything tomato sauce. Pasta was cooked perfectly to al dente, had a bite and the texture was just amazing. Great spot with great prices. I can't wait to come back to dine here again! read more

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I'm normally not a fan of arancini, but the arancini at Enoteca Sociale is phenomenal. The outside is crispy, and the inside is a perfect balance of rice and cheese without being too soft. The service in the basement cellar was excellent, and the waitperson was incredibly friendly, funny, and accommodating. If you do dine in the wine cellar, just know that it is a cellar, and it is chilly! Definitely bring something to keep you warm while you wait for the food. The space also has a Bluetooth speaker for you to connect to so that you can play your choice of music; you get to set the vibe of the meal! This was my first time at Enoteca Sociale, but it definitely won't be the last! I would come back to dine again above ground, for sure. read more

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Made a reservation a month in advance and when I got to the restaurant I was pointed towards three tables that were outside the main dining area and where it seems like they were seating all the walk-in guests. It was disappointing but we decided to not let it ruin our experience. The service was also pretty great so that made up for the location of our table. We ordered the arancinco, beets & celeriac, and striped bass crudo as appetizers. The beets were the best dish we had overall, the arancinco didn't really have any 'nduja, and the striped bass crudo was chunky pieces of fish almost like sashimi. It was heavily oiled and didn't have enough citrus. Not the lite and refreshing crudo we were hoping for. For mains we got cappaletti and agnolotti ai funghi. The agnolotti was very good. That and the beets were the only 2 good dishes we had. The cappaletti which was supposed to have apple tasted like it was filled with apple vinegar. It was a very unpleasant flavor and once you pick up on it, it's hard to enjoy the pasta. For dessert we got the sticky toffee pudding. It was nice and crispy on the outside but honestly it's more like a muffin on the inside. I wouldn't order it again. We also got a glass each of wine and an amaro after dinner. The manager (I assume) walked us through the amaro menu and gave us tastings of the 3 we were deciding between. We would maybe go back again to try some of their more traditional dishes, but it will be a while before I give it another shot. read more

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In the area and wanted to have a quick dinner with friends. Always had this on my list and was curious to try. Glad I did, cause what a great a resto! Recommend getting reservations but if lucky they might have a few seats for walk-in. My friends and I tried a variety of dishes: Appetizers - Arancino with tomato, 'nduja and basil - Grilled Rapini with lemon, chili flake and Pecorino Romano Thoughts: The Rapini was nice but you need to pair it with something to offset the bitter flavour. However. I could order a plateful of the Arancino. The risotto inside was soft and had cheese inside. Definitely my favourite! It was so good! Mains - Gnocchi Pomodoro with tomato, chili, garlic & smoked ricotta - Agnolotti ai Funghi lemon-ricotta, wild mushrooms, porcini de Parmigiano Reggiano Thoughts: Both dishes were great, pasta was so fresh and Gnocchi was especially soft and pillowy. Dessert - Chocolate Terrine hazelnut, olive oil and salt - The Maker Fire with panna cotta, rum, pine nuts & persimmon Thoughts: The Maker Fire was my favourite surprisingly, it was just so tasty! Flavours went well together. The Chocolate Terrine was nice but I felt there was a bit too much olive oil/ salt for my personal taste. Service was not bad and I think our server was trying to give us space but at times during our meal it would have benefited to ask us if we needed anything as we were there for a quick bite. Ambience: It does get noisy in late evening. We were sat by counter looking at the kitchen and found it more fun than expected. Kinda cool to see dishes being made and what people are ordering. Felt a little like watching a cooking show. lol. Overall, a lovely dinner. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place for dates, friends, family or work. Want to come back to try other dishes, especially the huge tiramisu! read more

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Enoteca Sociale at the corner of Dundas St. W. and Coolmine Rd (near Ossington), serves up classic Roman cuisine in the city. This place has been on my to try list for years and I'm glad I was able to try it recently. They also renovated in 2020 for their 10 year anniversary with a beautiful new space. There is indoor as well as patio seating as well. My friend and I dined at Enoteca Sociale on a Wed night where I made reservations ahead of time. Upon arrival we were greeted and shown to our table. Our server was attentive and friendly and was knowledgeable about the menu giving us options and suggestions regarding food and wine when we asked. The white wine she recommended me based on my preferences was great (forgot the name though!). The meal was paced well and our server came to check up on us making sure that we were doing okay. When I went to the washroom staff even folded my napkin as well! Food wise, these are the following dishes we ordered to share: - Arancino (tomato, 'nduja, basil) - the price listed on the menu is per piece. - Chicken liver mousse (frutta cotta & toast) - Carne crudo (beef, tomato, celery, pecorino, mint, and chili) - Fava e cicoria (fava bean, dandelion, and pecorino romano) - Spaghetti cacio e pepe (black pepper & pecorino romano) - Agnolotti ai funghi (lemon ricotta, wild mushrooms, porcini, & parmigiano riggiano) - Tiramisu We ordered quite a bit but we finished everything and were stuffed in the end! We were also celebrating a special occasion and our server was nice enough to put a candle with the tiramisu dessert as well. In terms of the appetizers, my friend and I enjoyed the arancino, chicken liver mousse and the fava e cicoria was unique. The arancino was perfectly crispy on the outside but melty and cheesey on the inside. The tomato sauce it came with was perfect, the right amount of tart where the basil complemented everything. The chicken liver mousse was light and airy without being too heavy and the toast it came with worked well as a vessel to enjoy our mousse. The fava e cicoria was an interesting unique dish as the dandelion greens were bitter tasting, however, when eaten with the fava bean puree the flavours were more balanced. This dish grew on me the more I ate it. Lastly, the carne crudo was unique in the sense that it had chili but I felt that the beef was too heavily salted, making the dish more difficult to eat. For the pastas, the cacio e pepe and the agnolotti were cooked to el dente. The cacio e pepe was classic, super peppery though! Our favourite was the agnolotti. The wild mushrooms gave an earthiness to the dish while the lemon ricotta filling of the agnolotti gave the dish a nice citrus contrast that did not overpower the whole dish. It was a nice refreshing summertime dish that was delicious. The tiramisu was a big portion made to share where it was pretty classic. We did feel like it was quite heavy on the coffee but we finished it to end our meal. Overall, great Italian food in the city, a staple for classic Roman cuisine. The restaurant got busier as the night went on but we never felt rushed to leave. The food is good and the service was great. read more

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Came for our 25th Wedding Anniversary on a reco from a friend. A little Italian spot in Little Portugal that gives "Nonna made vibes", this place was everything the recommendation suggested and more. The food was absolutely fantastic starting with their fresh bread. We started with the Pomodoro Salad shared and we had the agnolotti and the tagliatelle. All dishes were amazing. Aside from the food however was the amazing service. Richard's (our server) knowledge of the menu and his suggestions were spot on. Started this review before dessert came and had to make this edit. Holy Crap the pannacotta was crazy good I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for some great Italian. read more

Our steak tasted off... but probably shouldn't have ordered steak at a place where pasta is their thing but for $85, I was shocked at the lack of quality. Sticky toffee pudding was nice. Lemon ricotta pasta was decent but after a few bites the lemon began to taste artificial. i would go elsewhere for italian food read more

Enoteca Sociale - Steak - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This restaurant is on the michelin guide (not star). We decided to try the tasting menu. It is around 100 dollar per person and including taxes and gratuity it's around 134 per person. Service is great. Tasting menu provides the bar seat to oversees the entire kitchen, which is very small but efficient. Sparking water is about 10 bucks for a small/medium size bottle. The bread was decent, but a bit too cold for my like. Olive was fantastic. Beet salad with duck breast was creative and interesting. The scallop didn't quite hit the mark, wasn't that fresh, pretty risky for searching sashimi in Toronto in an Italian restaurant. The chicken was spot on, juicy and crispy skin. The truffle pasta was very soso, almost no flavour. Overall the place had few decent dishes, but for the price. You can find much better Italian food in the city. read more

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We really enjoyed this place. The service was impeccable, everything that we asked for was brought promptly. The server was charming and helpful. The food was amazing. We each had a pasta dish and enjoyed them very much. Dessert - chocolate panna cotta - was great as well. Highly recommend. read more

Top notch and good value Italian restaurant in Toronto. Excellent service, great cocktails and some gem dishes on the menu. Spaghetti e Pepe and Funghu pasta were both really good. Note the portions are not big.The sticky toffee pudding and ice cream dessert might be one of the best dishes. Location is in a great area for drinks somewhere afterwards. Will be back! read more

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Popped in here for brunch on our way to see the cherry blossoms. We've heard good things about their pasta and I was not disappointed. We came on a Sunday at around 3 which is their brunch menu. They did tell us that at 5 they would be preparing for dinner service but that's plenty of time to eat. We ordered some sour dough to start along with spaghetti cacio e pepe and carbonara, and some espresso to drink. The sour dough was very good, albiet not warmed up, and the olive oil they used was very mellow and buttery. The espresso was also good albiet basic. The pasta dishes were very authentic Roman staples and we were not let down. They tasted exactly as I expected with no shortcuts or inauthentic ingredients used. The carbonara was very good, and the guanciale they used was the right amount of crispy and fatty. The cacio e pepe was loaded with plenty of pecorino Romano, and the sauce stayed perfectly creamy throughout the whole meal with no breaking which was very impressive. If you haven't had authentic Roman pasta before I highly recommend this place. The interior itself is very cosy, with nice dim lighting perfect for a date night. The server was also very friendly, and since there was barely anyone there for brunch service everything was very quick. read more

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This was both my first time in Toronto and at this restaurant. My partner and I made a reservation in advance for my birthday dinner. It was unfortunately raining heavily so we thought we'd stop by 15 mins ahead of our reservation to see if we could get seated earlier. The person at the front counter greeted us with a cold face but seated us anyway at a small table. Not a great start so far but I was optimistic. After I returned from using the restroom, my partner told me no one brought water until 10 mins after we got seated and the waiter reacted snobbishly when we requested tap water instead of stillwater. That's strike 2. At this point, I was already hanging on by a thread when the food took nearly 30 mins to be served. What was the final strike, you ask? Well, it was, in fact, the $30 undercooked cacio e pepe I had. It's shockingly ironic that a pasta restaurant would serve undercooked instead of al dente pasta. The workers serving the food were doing their best but it was clear our designated waiter couldn't care less. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone who cares about food and service quality, much less reconsider coming back. read more

Enoteca Sociale - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Popped in here for a casual weeknight dinner after the recommendation of a friend, and it sure did meet my high expectations. Here's a quick rundown: - Amarargarita: delicious cocktail, smooth drinking and a nice twist on the classic - Cacio e pepe: great, but not blown away great that's it the best cacio e pepe I've had in Toronto. It sure is up there with the rest of them though. It's tough to make a classic your own. - Gnocchi with Ricotta: I had one bite of this and it was some of the best gnocchi I've had. They were like little soft pillows of joy in my mouth and I can't wait to order this when I come back. - Sticky toffee pudding: this was delicious, but extremely sweet and I couldn't even finish it. Overall the meal was great, but it was so rich that I was full despite eating quite little. The pasta is excellent but I would recommend trying some of their more unique pastas rather than the classics. I'm torn on 4 or 5 stars but I'm going to give them 5 due to excellent service and the fact that I know when I try the other dishes I'm going to love them. read more

Enoteca Sociale - Cacio e pepe - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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So happy to finally get to try this place. Dinner was spectacular! The server was very nice and the staff were very attentive. The restaurant was small but cozy. The food was good portion size, and definitely delicious!! Wouldn't mind coming back next time for a date night read more

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This was my second visit. My initial visit was during the pandemic and before they were on Michelin Guide. My initial visit was just alright, but I wanted to give it a try again. I took my partner here for a Christmas celebration, so the place was quite busy and packed. Our server, unfortunately, I do not recall his name, was extremely nice and helpful with navigating the menu and our selections. He was considerate enough to suggest the food orders as we ordered quite a few dishes. We ordered: Sourdough&focaccia, arancini, beef crudo, gnocchi pomodoro, cavatelli con coniglio, and bucatini all' amatriciana. Bread was AMAZING. I just wish they warmed up the bread as it is served cold. The olive oil that it gets served is extremely rich and you will know it's top quality. Arancini was delicious as well, it was at the right temperature and balanced really well with the tomato sauce. Beef crudo was one of my favourite dishes as well, and the amount of truffle that was served was beyond what I expected. The only downside of this menu was that the bread was too plain. It almost tasted like wonder white bread. I wish they had come up with different ways to serve the beef crudo. The server was nice enough to check in with us to ensure we had enough bread to eat beef crudo! Overall, the pasta was amazing, I usually like more white, creamy pasta, but I loved the tomato sauce-based pasta this time. I would say cavatelli con coniglio was my least favourite out of the 3 pasta dishes we got. This is a very nice place for a date night. Since I went during the holidays, there were quite a bit of families that visited. Service is quite fast, efficient and thoughtful. From coat check-in, extensive menu explanation and making sure our table and tableware are clean at all times. My second visit was satisfying and I would definitely visit again! read more

Enoteca Sociale - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Well, I can say I was very excited to check out this place especially with all of it's accolades However, maybe this was one of those off days. I went with eleven people spread over tables. So I can say, we were all surprised how things played out. As for myself, I just came back from Rome so I was missing some of my daily food. In Rome, sourcing local and just how things are grown it's hard to ask for more fresh taking ingredients. I was, to say the least, not that thrilled by anything. Although I will say the pasta was quite nice and so was the in house bread. But the burrata was tough and dry. I have been accustomed to a softness in the texture. You know, a good burrata you literally could just bite right into this. I didn't want much more than a few bites. I love cacio pepe but I was craving the amatriciana. It was not bad but the guanciale was over cooked and some pieces I can say were too crisp almost burnt and folks if you are familiar with the ones in Rome it's not what you want. It had a heat to it sure but perhaps a little heavy handed . I enjoy spice but the burnt pork pieces was overwhelming The squid ink was unfortunately, much too bland. You can get away with less in Rome because every ingredients sings so well solo but the harmony here was off. Like I said, every great place has its off days. Both servers at the tables we thought maybe it was their first day? I read reviews where the servers come back to the check repeatedly to see how we were doing. Do you have any idea how hard it was for us to get our server back to our table? We had a large party so we were seated at two separate tables and the reviews for the customer service and food were the same. Although we heard great things about the fish and montalpucino wine. I did enjoy the house made bread as well as the al dente of their house made pasta. read more

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The pasta was good but overpriced. Portions were small. Same goes with the drinks. Service was good and it was not too busy on a Friday night. I walked in with no reservations. read more

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One of our favorite dinners in Toronto! We had a great time with the Chef's table experience. The counter overlook the kitchen and we interacted with the friendly staff there. They served a 6 course meal that was delicious. We enjoyed every single one of the courses. They use fresh ingredients and have generous portions. We will be back read more

The food was very good, but my portion of pasta, was fuckin sad. i left still hungry for the REST of my dinner. I wondered, almost out loud "where is the rest of it". Paid $32 for a plate of pasta that was smaller than an appetizer. Service good. Ambience good. Wine good. Food, tasty but...like I said...sad portion. i will not go back, because of that, but instead will go back to ordering form Scratch Ragu for HALF the price and twice the portion, same quality food. read more

Julian was amazing!! Ben was the manager that night and he was so welcoming to us, he checked on us periodically and made sure we were having a great time. The staff handled my food allergy with professionalism and care. We came here for my bachelor party celebration and rented the private room in the wine cellar. We felt so special, very VIP, and Julian even offered to let us play our own music throughout dinner. The drinks were great. We ordered champagne, wine, and espresso martinis. BEST espresso martini I've ever had. Julian says the secret is Tia Maria. The food was incredible. It was the best meal I've had in years! read more

Enoteca Sociale - Espresso martini - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Amazing food, the waiter was so nice, and the place was very nice and cozy. If you go here get a arancini and fir dessert get the gelato.

Love this place! The vibe and ambiance are super trendy and cool. Waitstaff is very knowledgeable and great service. Every dish was delicious. Highly recommend the cacio and peppe. read more

Enoteca Sociale - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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It was 2016 when I last reviewed this buzzy Italian bistro on Yelp...and it's still going strong. Even on a Wednesday night the place was full. We walked in at 8:30 without a res and waited about 25 minutes for a table (at a bar nearby). The cacio e pepe pasta - a simple "cheese and pepper" preparation - is always what I remember about Enoteca Sociale. This has become a very trendy dish at fine Italian restaurants, but few execute it better than here. The pasta is perfectly al dente and the cheese and pepper balance is just right (not at all too peppery for those wondering). Definitely a stellar pasta. Another dish that really impressed me was the artichoke salad with pickled fennel. It was so dainty and addictively acidic. Loved it. To finish the meal, the tiramisu was delicious, although a little small for my taste (I easily could have polished off two of these). Barolo by the glass was a nice pairing for the meal. And bonus - they have an amaro flight. A perfect digestif!! Enoteca, whatever you're doing, keep doing it. read more

My first time at Enoteca Sociale was amazing! They were kind enough to squeeze our party in on a Saturday night and our server was great! They were so attentive and fun! The food was AMAZING. We got the gnocchi and agnolotti and both were perfectly cooked. The gnocchi was so fluffy, I would definitely recommend ordering it if it's your first time. I really appreciated the portions as well, it was just the right amount of food and I didn't leave feeling overly full like I often do at pasta restaurants. We ended our meal with the tiramisu and an espresso, which was also perfect. I would probably make a reservation next time to be safe since they seem to be really busy most of the time, especially if you're trying to go on a weekend! A great spot for a fun date night or dinner with friends. Loved it and will definitely be back. read more

Enoteca Sociale - Gnocchi Pomodoro - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Haven't been back to this restaurant for many years, it was so nice to be back again! Service was friendly and professional. Food was delicious. We ordered almost everything off the menu, the stand outs for all of us were the rigatoni and the lemon biscotti. The rigatoni was so good we ordered 4 between the 6 of us. The lemon biscotti was on the house and they were soft and chewy hands down the best biscotti I have ever had. The oManager was so kind he even gave me the recipe to the biscotti. They respected social distancing indoor and outdoor was as romantic as I remembered it. Only small critic would probably be the potatoes on the trout could have been crispier but the trout was also out of this world. Can't wait to be back again. It was such an enjoyable dinner! read more

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Decent pasta (but could be better), fantastic desserts. Ambiance was very cozy and sophisticated.

Rude waiting staff. Unable to make accommodations. Poor point of contact. Phone lines not working unfortunately.

I took my parents to this restaurant and we had a great experience. I'd say the food at this restaurant is elevated. This is no typical American-Italian style restaurant with excessive use of garlic and butter. This restaurant offers interesting choices such as a rabbit ragu or oxtail tortelli. Our waiter was exceptional in offering his expertise on menu recommendations and appropriate wine pairings. We dined on the patio and it made for a very pleasant experience. One of my favorite features of the restaurant is exposed kitchen that showcases the hard work that goes into to preparation of the food. I'd recommend this restaurant to someone looking to see what a skilled Italian chef can do. read more

Enoteca Sociale - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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If you're looking for fresh pasta and an romantic ambiance, look no further than Enoteca Sociale! This institution has been around since 2010 and has been the go to place for Italian cuisine. They have an extensive wine list (yum) and a tasting menu too! I liked the amarone since it was full bodied with a super silky finish. We opted for a la carte and ordered the arancini rice balls which were smothered in tomato sauce and nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The grilled rapini, omg, was sooooo delicious. I highly recommend this dish because I've never had it done like this. The rapini was so flavourful, topped w pecorino Romano and slightly crispy from the grilling yet not overdone. My review echos the other raving Yelp reviews for the delicious rapini dish! It's inexpensive at only $10 as a veg dish! Our agnolotti (mushroom pasta dish) was also super delicious like biting into pillows of lemony mushroom umami. The anchovy and crab pasta dish was a little too fishy for my liking but I'm glad I tried it. I have to go back for their carbonara and other pasta dishes! read more

Enoteca Sociale - Grilled rapini!! Loved the cheese! - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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It's become increasingly clear that ambiance plays almost as big a role in my enjoyment of a meal as the food itself, and this concept was certainly illustrated in spades during my time at Enoteca Sociale. We arrived around 6:00 on a weekday, and though we didn't have a reservation, we were immediately shown to a table on the patio. It's a nice patio, admittedly, but there are definitely some problems. The biggest and most obvious issue is the lack of space between the tables. We were sitting between two other tables and there was probably only a few inches separating us and our neighbors. It was less than private, to put it mildly. We were also sitting underneath some trees and there was some sap or something that kept falling. The diners to our left actually wound up moving because of it, and my dining companion wound up with some gross-looking stuff on her shirt. It's not exactly an atmosphere conducive to enjoying a quiet, romantic meal, is my point. Anyway, in terms of the food, Enoteca Sociale is definitely an above-average destination. We were presented with some complimentary bread to snack on, and it was delicious. The bread was fresh and tasty, while the accompanying oil contained a smokiness that I found irresistible. For my main, I went with the Amatriciana ("Guanciale, tomato, Pecorino Romano & chili"), and aside from the fact that it's an almost comically small portion (I think I ate the whole thing in about two minutes), this is definitely a top-notch bowl of pasta. The tomato sauce contains exactly the sort of deep richness that one covets, while the pasta itself was cooked quite well. The concoction could've been hotter (i.e. it was probably sitting for a few minutes before I got it), but otherwise I really dug the heck out of this. It's just too bad about that ambiance. read more

Roman cuisine is the focus at this Dundas West mainstay, which means the menu is full of homemade pastas, such as Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, l'Amatriciana and Carbonara, as well as Italian wines that are rarely available elsewhere. In pre-pandemic times, this recently renovated space was constantly packed with carb-eating guests. Its warm and homey vibe made it ideal for a date night or evening out with friends. Toronto can now delight in Enoteca Sociale's full takeout menu, as well as a four-course prix fixe menu "per due", curated by Chef Kyle Rininella. Rininella takes his culinary inspiration from Rome, remaining as true to the traditional culinary practices as possible. For $66, the prix fixe menu includes marinated olives, irresistible arancini, three generous pasta dishes to share, and cannoli for a sweeter than sweet ending. read more

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Came to this restaurant with friends the other night. Only one out of four enjoyed their meal. For the price there are definitely better Italian restaurants in Toronto. read more

One of the best Italian restaurants I've visited in North America with a creative twist. We landed in Toronto late Friday night after multiple delays and was looking for a sit-down restaurant. After trying 3 different places that all turned us down due to not having a reservation, we finally got a seat at Enoteca Sociale. We were delighted with everything- we were seated right away, despite the restaurant being so busy; the waitress was very nice; we were dressed very casually, but they still seated us; everything we ordered was so delicious. First, we ordered the bread platter (focaccia and sourdough) and the artichoke salad. We couldn't get enough of the bread selection. Honestly would've ordered more if it were $7. The artichoke salad was a chopped salad with lots of texture. It was definitely different than any "salad" I had. For the main, we ordered the bucattini, agnolotti funghi, and fettuccine with mortadella ragu. The agnolotti- oh my goodness. It was one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had. The slight hint of lemon zest just brightened up the dish to a different level. I just wish there were more on the plate. Lastly, ordered the pannacotta and the chestnut torta. They were perfectly sweet and smooth and indulgent. Honestly, everything was so so so good and there isn't a dish I would not recommend. The only comment I have is the portions are small. Be ready to spend some money here. read more

Best dessert I have ever had was the flourless chocolate cake here. Period. The espresso martini was also lovely, the Cacio pepe was delightful and the waitstaff were extremely knowledgeable. Vibes and food are 10/10 read more

Enoteca Sociale - Flourless chocolate cake - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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