A lovely and homey Italian restaurant, with super friendly owners that make you feel part of the family. We liked our experience so much that we came back twice on two consecutive Saturdays. The food is delicious, with relaxed and flexible options. They are happy to pair any of the sauces with any pasta so that your dish will be to your liking. We had a lovely seafood pasta, and their meatballs were amazing. Would definitely recommend for a hearty Italian hope cooked meal. read more

La Bruschetta Restaurant - Meatballs - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Such a cute little restaurant, it's small and easy to miss but has such a nice homey vibe. My friends and I had a reservation for dinner and we were seated quickly. I think this restaurant has the right idea of how dim the lights should be to create a nice atmosphere. The overall feeling of the place is so nice as it's a family owned restaurant. The staff were kind and super friendly. The meal comes with complimentary bread and bruschetta. True to their name, the bruschetta is great. I ordered the papardelle with wild mushrooms, but I ended up getting fettucine. Honestly I think it was quite good- there was a nice strong mushroom taste and I found it very filling. My vegetarian friend got the gnocchi which was nice- I think it was bit soft but still good. My other friend got the linguine bolognese which the pasta was a little undercooked, but the sauce was really tasty. Each of our dishes costed $23. We finished off by sharing a tiramisu, which was $13. That was also really nice, and it had a good strong coffee flavour. Overall, a great experience and I feel that I got my money's worth. read more

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Was treated very well. Food was excellent. We had to wait a long time to get table it was so busy but we were determined .

My review is based on my experience for Summerlicious 2012. Maybe just the food I ordered? My Vegetarian Date was really happy and enjoyed her meal while I was totally disappointed! Dinner for $25 definitely not a bad price for a 3 course meal, I ordered: Appetizer: Porchetta - One of the driest pork I ever ate... Overcooked? Even hurt my mouth when I was chewing on it - Polenta on the side was pretty good though Main: Linguine alla Pescatora - seafood was not fresh and the tomato sauce was bland - I forced myself to eat half of it, while my date wondering what's wrong?! (I wish she can try some of those chewy seafood!) Desert: Tiramisu - Best part of the meal - great liquors flavour, soft and rich.... I don't think I would come back to La Bruschettta with all these Italian restaurants all around the GTA.... Service though is really good, but not enough to make up for the food! read more

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excellent, amazing and like a second home! If you want outstanding food come here! read more

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT! Visiting from AZ & gave this restaurant a try & it did not disappoint! I got the gnocchi & it literally melted in my mouth. The sauce was perfectly cheesy with a little spicy kick that was perfect. Service was great, I have no negative comments about this place! Can't wait to come back! read more

Came here for a birthday party and I thought it was just meh. They had a prix fixed menu for our party and the items chosen wasn't too bad. I personally didn't enjoy any of the food items enough to actually go back, though. Insalata Cesare (Caesar salad) - I love me some caesar salad. Theirs was alright however I found the lettuce a little bit on the soggy side. You know when salad has been sitting in dressing for hours? That's what it was like to me. If it weren't for the crunchy croutons, I would've thought that the salad was from the night before or something. 3/5. Spuntini (Grilled polenta) - I personally don't care much for polenta. I find it bland and a waste. Theirs had a nice presentation but just like any other polenta, it was underwhelming. Well, to me anyway. 3/5. Gnocchi Gratinati - Not a huge huge fan of gnocchi but theirs was very good. It was like eating cheesy marshmallows. 5/5. Rigatoni Boscailola - My fave part of this dish was the al dente pasta, however the flavour itself I wasn't a big fan of even though it was nice and light. 2/5. I can't find it on the menu so it may have been a special order for the party but we also had chicken in marsala sauce which was absolutely delicious. I enjoyed this dish the most. The other item we had were the meatballs which were also pretty good. Both I rate at 5/5. read more

Went here with two friends for dinner during Winterlicious. We came in at 7:45, there were only about four other tables present. We weren't immediately greeted at the door and we weren't immediately given water once we were seated though asides from those two mishaps, the owner is very kind. We were given bruschetta and bread to start. For appetizers, we had the Polpette di Cingiale (wild boar meat balls), Cozze Alla Sambuca (fresh mussels), and Carpaccio e Frisse (thin cut roasted beet with poached shrimp ... salad). Good sized portions. The meatballs were juicy and tasted good but the mussels were heavenly. The Sambuca and roasted cherry tomato broth with cream that came with the mussels were to die for. Needless to say, my friend devoured every last drip of it. The table of two next to us both had mussels as well. A group that came in a bit after us tried to order the mussels but unfortunately, they were told that they had ran out of them. For entrees, we were told that the Tagliatelle con Arragosta (homemade pasta with lobster and shrimp) was replaced with a lobster ravioli and that the ribs weren't going to be ready for another two hours (a shame because we arrived at 7:45) and that they were doing some sort of veal dish as a replacement. My friends ended up with the veal dish and the lobster ravioli while I had the Baccala (fresh cod). The veal did not look appetizing but it tasted alright to me, the lobster ravioli tasted good, and the cod was good but portion was really small. Though my friend said that the veal was disappointing and that the ravioli wasn't very good. For dessert, we all had the Tiramisu and so did almost every other diner. It was absolutely delicious. The two stars of the night were the mussels and Tiramisu. The meals were spaced nicely apart. Overall, it was a good experience and I would recommend it. read more

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What a great find for us! While it's been in business for 40 years (!), we just discovered this great Italian resto. We had a simple insalata verde, grilled homemade sausage, the penne visuvio and chestnut ravioli... and then to top things off - torta della nonna and profiteroles... we rolled out very satisfied and will be coming back! Thank you! read more

Came here for Winterlicious dinner last night, after wanting to try this place for a while. It was OK at best, and mediocre at worst. The good: 1. Complimentary bruschetta is pretty good and a nice touch. 2. The salad appetizers were both good, with the Rossa being a clear favourite. The Noce was good too. 3. Service was efficient and friendly. 4. The house red was quite good, and served in cute old-school glasses. 5. The decor is charming. 6. Street parking is affordable and abundant. The bad: 1. During Winterlicious, their a la carte menu is off-limits--meaning, they won't make anything a la carte for you. This forces you to order from their Winterlicious menu whether you intended to or not. 2. The mains were not good. We ordered the Pomodoro and Capellini pastas, and they were both bad. The pomodoro was over-salted and didn't have much flavour, and the capellini lacked flavour as well. The pasta itself was clearly overcooked, and not al dente, as you would expect from an Italian joint. When they arrived, they were lukewarm, and you could tell they had been reheated because of the texture of the sauces. I could make pasta ten times better than this, and I am not a chef by any stretch of the word. 3. The desserts were not good. The tartufo was OK, but it was clearly store-bought. The profiterols were gross and also clearly store-bought. Bottom line: If you need to eat, $28/person for a three-course meal is a steal, but don't expect to be impressed. I won't be back. Edit: Yes, I'm aware every restaurant has a special menu for winterlicious. My issue is that this restaurant refuses to make anything from their regular menu, thereby forcing you to order from Winterlicious. Other restaurants, maybe not all, allow you to order a la carte during winterlicious. read more

Were here last night treating a friend to dinner. This is not a cheap restaurant, but the food is first rate. Traditional Italian (not updated or North American Italian) with a seeming emphasis on dishes from central Italy (Lazio, Umbria, etc.) I ordered a non-Italian appetizer, Caesar salad, but it was one of the best I have had in a while (note, they do use anchovies in the dressing so be forewarned if you don't like them). Our friend had buffalo mozzarella over tomatoes, also wonderful. We all split an order of carpaccio. The virtually fat free paper thin meat slices were bather in lemon juice and topped with a lot of shredded (not grated) parmesan and were heavenly. The main dishes were just as good - the specialty veal bruschetta was great and I ordered rigatoni with ground lamb, mushrooms and truffle oil which was melt in the mouth perfect. A gratis portion of good bruschetta comes with the meal. Beware of the olive oil served with the bread - it is hot pepper flavoured and really HOT! Nice service but we were there when the place was empty. Too full for dessert. One minor quibble was that for a place of this caliber, serving the parmesan for the pasta in a little sprinkler seems a bit declasse. A chunk in a grater would have been nicer. Decor is pleasant but not fancy. Expect to spend about $45-50 per person without drinks, tax and tip. read more

My husband and I went to La Bruschetta for Summerlicious 2013. For any "licious" event I do not set my expectations very high, so I wasn't super disappointed or surprised at the mediocre dinner and service we received. We had an early reservation, so when we arrived there was only one other table sat. The staff were at the back standing around the bar or sitting at tables. Some looked at us, but no one came over for at least a couple minutes - it was so weird! The man who finally sat us ended up being our server. He was snobby beyond belief and pretty much secured our unwillingness to return. The food was hit or miss, with my husband getting most of the hits. He had the meatball appetizer (Polpette della Nonna) and I had the peach and arugula salad (Insalata Umbra). I was so jealous when the meatball was tender, flavourful and in a delicious sauce and my salad was overdressed in a sour vinaigrette. My main was the clam spaghettini (Spaghetti alle Vongole) which looked a bit sad and tasted worse. There was no flavour other than salt and the clams were chewy and grainy. The homemade pasta was good though, so I was wishing I had chosen something else. The tiramisu dessert was amazing - light, creamy and spiked with string coffee. Could this redeem the whole experience... I would not return to La Bruschetta. Summerlicious is an opportunity for restaurants to bring in new customers and wow them so they will return. By giving second rate service and not giving special attention to the food and menu, La Bruschetta missed an opportunity. read more

Had not been to La Bruschetta for years but it is still just as delicious as ever. The complimentary Bruschetta is divine! My friend and I shared a Caesar salad and they split it into 2 in the kitchen, nice! My friend had the Linguini Alla Bolognese (this is not your average tomato meat sauce!) which she enjoyed immensely, and I had the Pappardelle Tartufate, thick bands of pasta in a mushroom sauce with garlic, wine and brandy, very rich and flavourful. The only disappointment was that they did not have Profiteroles or Tiramisu for dessert, so we split their special Tartufo in Baileys which was served in a fancy martini glass. The service was great, our waiter attentive and entertaining. I won't let it fall off my radar and will be back soon! read more

Amazing food and great atmosphere! I had the pappardelle al' tartufo and they were to die for. You can tell that everything is prepared fresh. I will definitely be back. read more

Went for Summerlicious 2022 and had a very disappointing experience. The complimentary bruschetta was mediocre and the appetizer of grilled calarami was good but did not include arugula as stated on the menu. Rather, it was accompanied with coleslaw which was quite salty. The main item I chose was the fettuccine with shrimp and lobster and the sauce was so pasty and tasted as if it came from a jar. Shrimps were overcooked and rubbery and was given ONE very small piece of lobster. My partner had the veal scallopini and was upset by the taste of the odd sweet sauce. It was accompanied by limp and overcooked green beans. Dessert ordered was the torta della nonna and it was obvious that it was cut from a store bought dessert rather than in-house restaurant made as you can taste the old refrigeration of the dessert. Overall, a very disappointing experience and food did not taste fresh at all. Definitely will not be returning. I hope management will read this and taste other Italian restaurants' food and make a change for the better. read more

This place is a bit out of my regular path so I was quite excited to check it out when given the opportunity. I came here with my girlfriends and we had a great evening with the Winterlicious Menu. The Atmosphere -remarkable. It is esthetically pleasing. I especially enjoy the plates on walls and the mosaic tiling by the bar. It is a cozy restaurant with great dining potential. The Food - fabulous. Not only do they give you bread to start, they also wet your palate with well Bruschetta. I must warn you though. The hot pepper concoction they bring to the table, small doses my friends... I had upper lip sweat like there was no tomorrow. - The winterlicious menu is extensive. Alot of the restaurants have a small menu and don't really showcase the variety or the details of their regular menu. - The bad part about this restaurant is that while Winterlicious is on, they only serve from that menu, not from their regular menu. The Staff - Everyone was extremely pleasant and very knowledgeable about their menu. Definitely make the commute to La Bruschetta. You don't be disappointed. read more

A very special place full of good energy and authentic italian food. The wonderfully-charming Benito and his family run this restaurant with care and with love. The food is wonderful; the wine selection very thoughtful, and there are always surprises, like cheeses that Benito has aged himself. Ask him about how they make their pasta. Can't wait to go back! read more

I came here for Winterlicious and it was pretty much exactly what I expected. It was delicious food with friendly staff. I had a veal stew served on polenta, which was extremely flavourful. The panna cotta desert was probably the best I've tasted. Their calamari is exactly what you'd expect from a quality Italian place. Normally, I'd give this place 4 stars, but there was just one thing that was a bit weird about this place that took a star off (and honestly I don't know if maybe it should gain a star or lose a star because of it...). The ground floor was full when we got there, so they seated us in the upstairs dining room. The tables and chairs up there look straight out of grandma's kitchen (if grandma bought her furniture in 1982). In some ways, it made the place feel cheap; in other ways, it made it feel homey. Either way, I'd recommend this restaurant to someone wanting the St. Clair West experience. read more

Went here for Summerlicious with some friends on a Saturday evening. I was happy to see that we were started off with some of the namesake bruschetta. I found the bread tasted a bit stale for my liking, but overall fairly tasty. My appetizer was a salad with peaches, bocconcini, almost, and a balsamic mustard vinaigrette. The peaches were substituted without notice for figs, which were delicious. My main course was the ciangale spaghetti with wild boar meatballs and truffle cheese. The meatballs were juicy and flavorful although the sauce was a little disappointing. The panna cotta for desert was quite delicious, although it left a rather unappetizing taste in my mouth moments later. The tiramisu one of my dining companions order was apparently quite delicious. Overall, the food was quite good, although given the price of the dishes, I would think twice about returning. read more

Last night my girlfriend and I went to La Bruschetta for the annual Winterlicious event. Here are my thoughts regarding our dining experience: - I ordered the following items: 1. Appetizer - soup of the day - it was a bowl of vegetable consomme. 2. Entree - I chose the fettuccine with veal meatballs. 3. Dessert - Tiramisu Appetizer: The pluses: it was served hot, was a good sized portion, and had a good variety of vegetables. The minuses: it tasted like there was a bit too much salt. Entree: The pluses: it was a good sized portion, the fettuccine seemed fresh. The minuses: they skimped on the amount of meatballs. There were only three provided. The sauce was a bit on the bland side. Dessert: The pluses: the tiramisu was tasty. The minuses: it was a bit soggy, and the portion size was quite small. My girlfriend ordered the following items: greens for an appetizer, pasta (I can't quite remember what they called it, but it was cut short and had a twist to it, and was doused in a cheesy type of sauce with some mushrooms), and Tartufo for dessert. I had a brief taste of her entree and her dessert and can say that she made a better choice than myself. As far as the dining experience was concerned, I have mixed things to say. On the bright side, they were able to accommodate us as we made a reservation only a few hours before dinner. On the negative side, we were delayed arriving because of heavy rush hour traffic. When we arrived, the hostess told us to wait in the narrow hallway (note: there was no where to sit and we had to awkwardly get out of the way when people wanted to get by us). We ended up waiting around a half hour to be seated. We were directed to their upstairs dining room. While the room was not significantly large (maybe a dozen tables), it was quite noisy, and often at times I found I had to ask my girlfriend to repeat what she was saying in order to hear her. As far as service was concerned, while the waiters were quite friendly, there were only two staffed upstairs, and we found that we had to ask multiple times to have our water glasses refilled. Probably the best part of the meal was the glass of sangria that we had beforehand. On the whole, I'd say that for the price that was paid ($40/each tax & tip incl.) the meal was on the average side. Of note what I thought was cool (some would consider kitschy), was the fact that in the opening hallway, they have dozens of plates that have been signed by noteworthy people, hanging on the wall. Thus if you do have to wait for a table for a while, you at least have something to entertain you while you wait. read more

We had a wonderful dinner here on Saturday night and Sil is just amazing! We had not been to the restaurant for some time and she remembered us and even recalled where we were sitting the last time. I can't say enough good things about this restaurant and I can't wait to take more of our friends to experience it. Just about everything on the menu is delicious but if you are not sure, let Sil put something together for you. She put together two plates of various pastas and it was delicious.The LINGUINI ALLA BOLOGNESE and GAMBERONI ALLA DIAVOLOSA are out of this world and this is the closest thing to home cooked you will ever find. That is, if your mother is a great cook. What was so nice is several times through the course of the evening Sil came over to our table pulled up a chair and chatted with us and that makes all the difference in the world. It was like we were dining at an old friend's house. And thank you Colin for your attentive and excellent service! I would recommend this restaurant to anybody, except for maybe a children's birthday party. read more

This lovely restaurant is the real deal! True Italian fine cooking using old family recipes which cannot be beat! If you are lucky enough to try it, you will love it. I started with a small mixed salad green salad with toasted walnuts, pear & brie, very nice! I was offered a new item not yet on the menu. From an old, family book of recipies... It was simply divine! and it was wheat and gluten free! Little hand shaped rolled spinach made with buffalo ricotta, lemon zest in a brown butter and sage sauce. Perfectly light ! See my photo! Service was excellent! I only spent $21... Excellent price for value! I'm definitely going back! I Highly recommend it! read more

La Bruschetta Restaurant - Family Recipe... hand rolled spinach of Bufalo ricotta, brown butter, lemon zest and sage... and it's Gluten free! - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Probably the worst service I have ever experienced at a sit-down restaurant in Toronto. I came here for a Summerlicious meal last week with my family and we were treated horribly. The wait staff was unprepared and over-worked, and a short-haired woman (who I see other complaints about on here) was rude from start to finish. For starters, we had a reservation for 6:00. Upon arrival we were surprised to see the wait staff standing outside. The manager/ whoever was opening the restaurant didn't show up until 6:15. Not to mention, no one even seated us or greeted us at the door, they just flung the door open when they saw us waiting there and headed straight into the kitchen without saying a word. Since the manager arrived late, they turned their stoves on when guests were already seated and the entire restaurant smelled of gas for the first half hour. The food was pretty good, and it was a good price for what it was, but we waited over 30 minutes between each course and waited an hour for our bill. We got there at 6, and couldn't leave until 10:00 because of their disorganization. We flagged down our waiter at least a dozen times and he still didn't come and bring us our bill. Finally another table stepped in and also started to help us flag him down because they realized that they were ignoring us. No one offered us water or checked on us during our meal either. On top of that, we noticed that we were offered different desserts than other Summerlicious diners. We were given three options, they were given five. Even when we asked for takeout containers for our mains, they said they weren't doing those today because they were low on containers and were not giving them to Summerlicious diners, but the two tables next to us who were having Summerlicious were given containers. Other tables were given special treatment that we were straight up denied. I will never be returning to this restaurant and hope they learn to treat ALL of their diners with respect, and not just the ones who they believe deserve better treatment than others. If you want Italian cuisine, there are much better restaurants with better service and comparable/ even better food. Just a quick walk down St. Clair will bring you to somewhere better. Don't waste your time with this over-hyped restaurant. read more

This meal blew me away. I'm from out of town and was told to go here by a local. Incredible. It just kept getting better and better. Jumbo shrimp the size of my fist. In a sauce that I'm going to dream about. The pasta in meat sauce was good, but the wild mushroom pasta was AMAZING! And that Tartuffo for dessert. Perfect meal. Lovely owners. Great servers. Can't wait to go back. read more

It was our valentines date location and didn't disappoint. Cute wee spot, eclectic and fun, staff were lovely and food was delicious. Only downfall was no candles on the table....but we survived! read more

Family run authentic Italian restaurant. Wonderful owners. Benito still cooks and is nearly always there while his daughter Silvia (who is amazing) runs the business. You won't be disappointed. Have the gnocchi. read more

One of the highlights of our visit to Toronto. We had a wonderful chat with the owner who is very involved in the running of the restaurant and seems to know almost every patron who walks through her door. The food is delicious and authentic. Definitely give the gnocchi a go it's amazing! We let the owner guide us in our food and wine choices and we weren't disappointed. A must try if you like good Italian food read more

Some of the best food I have ever had. Made with love and care, Silvia and her family make you feel at home. You will not leave hungry! Try the gnocchi. Great wine selection, as well! read more

Came here on the first night of winterlicious because of the gnocchi! Found parking nearby for pretty cheap. It was a small quaint restaurant with not many people inside. The waiter who was also the owner was very nice and humorous. We had a pitcher of the sangria which was nice but had an interesting flavor to it that I wasn't a total fan of. They gave complimentary brushetta and bread, which was really nice. I had the wild boar meatballs which definitely didn't go too well with me. Not a fan of pork but I tried to be adventurous. It was very juicy though so maybe pork fans might really like it. I had the gorgonzola gnocchi which I thought was yum. It does have a strong blue cheese taste to it that after awhile made me feel a bit nauseous. But still I think it was a good choice. I had the Nutella gelato with Nutella on top and it was scrumptious. It had a wafer in it that had a weird taste but I just took it out. Overall it was a nice experience but I probably wouldn't return. read more

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We were back here on New Year's Eve. Once again, we were totally blown away. The food was outstanding. What really got me was that we had a friend with us who has serious food allergies and the owner simply sat down with us to figure out exactly what our friend could eat. That was seriously great service! I will happily go back anytime. read more

Fantastic service and wonderful food. If there's Tartuffo as a dessert option, get it- it's imported from Italy. I can see why this place has so many diehard regulars!! read more

My wife, kid and me met my parents and brother here. Overall we enjoyed ourselves. Although, we felt a bit cramped where we were seated. Some highlights: literally everyone's pasta dishes were great, nicest wines at affordable prices, big grappa list and the tiramasu was delicious... would definitely go back! read more

Attended this restaurant with my sister her boyfriend and myself. My first impression was great the bruschetta was delicious and the mussles. I ordered the special oh so buco and mushroom pasta honestly by far the worst quality and preparations I have had. My sister ordered the gnocchi which I can bet money they use the kraft dinner cheese package on that dish I was pretty let down. I do not recommend this resturant at all. read more

I've dined at La Bruschetta twice and both times were amazing. From outside, it looks rather plain, but once you get inside, it's intimate and inviting. The house white went perfectly with my stuffed trout. The servings were well-portioned and the service was great. This is definitely my favourite Italian restaurant. read more

We went here tonight to experience the Summerlicious 2013 menu. The exterior of the restaurant is old however the inside was a pleasant surprise.The space is very small and quite congested. The service wasn't anything spectacular. I asked for water with lemon twice throughout our meal and only managed to get a jug with lemons pictured on it. Coincidence ? The food was mediocre. The best part was the dessert. We wouldn't return. read more

Best gnocchi in the city!!! I suggest you never try it because it ruin your life because gnocchi anywhere else is like eating michallinas next to it. Sil's has made a deal with the devil for that recipe. Same goes for the carpaccio it's like you have died and gone to heaven you can't eat enough. You know with a name like la bruschetta it must be amazing and they don't disappoint. I have been going there for 25 years they treat you like your family!!! read more

Maybe it was because it was New Years Eve but we were very disappointed! Our dinner was cold, the prices inflated from their regular menu on line and we could not get regular coffee only espresso, or only earl grey tea. Our Caesar salad was wilted, no Parmesan on top and too much dressing. No one greeted us when we arrived and no one said goodbye! We all felt that they only had time for the people they knew. We might try this restaurant one more time to see if this disappointing experience was unique. read more

We had a Groupon voucher and made a reservation for Wednesday, March 22, 2011 at 8pm. The waiter was so arrogant and rude that we walked out after drinking only a glass of wine, leaving money enough to cover it. Neither of us can remember being treated as poorly at a restaurant. Since we were out to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary, it was a bitter disappointment that will not be forgotten, but will be shared with all who care to read about it. read more

This was one of the best dining experiences I have had. Wonderful family owned Italian. The people are what make this special.

The service was poor. The servers were arrogant and rude..made us feel like eating in a cafetaria. The food was average and very salty. The menu is short and overpriced. They call themselves traditional Italian, but we had authentic Italian food in Toronto and Italy that tastes a lot better. read more