If I see Iberico ham on a menu, I'm always tempted. At La Paella, the plato de jamon Iberico ($42) is cut thicker than usual, making it meatier and chewier than the delicate, thinner versions I've had before. The upside is you really taste the sweet pork. The downside? It's paired with black truffle chips that completely overpower it. Do yourself a favour: eat the ham first, then the chips to wash down your cerveza. Otherwise, you're wasting the ham. The croquetas ($18 for six) change with the season. Ours were studded with bits of ham, finely diced into a creamy, almost mashed potato-like filling. The crisp exterior against the soft interior made for a great bite. I'm glad the server suggested ordering sourdough ($5) alongside the gambas al ajillo ($29), because the garlicky olive oil and sherry sauce was excellent. Specks of guindilla chilies add a subtle but noticeable kick. If I weren't trying to save room for the main, I would have devoured an entire thick slice of that crusty bread. You'll need at least two people to share a paella but a larger table is even better so you can try a couple of versions. Do not miss the paella de langosta ($100 for two-person portion). It's a simple but effective combination of lobster tail, prawns, and scallops, all cooked well despite the risk of overcooking such large pieces. The saffron rice is infused with an aromatic seafood stock and dotted with broad beans and peas for colour. It could be a touch drier - I prefer when the bottom forms a crispy crust - but if you enjoy a creamier, risotto-like consistency, this will suit you. Only while writing this did I realize you can request it done socarrat (the traditional burnt crust), which I'd request next time. As for meat options, the paella matadero ($84 for two-person portion) is not for the faint of heart. You really really need to love pork - chorizo, pork belly, and ribs make it rich, salty, and quite heavy. Without much sauce, the ribs can lean a bit gamey. As a table, we agreed we should've gone with the traditional chicken-based Valenciana instead, as this was simply too much. By the time 8:30pm rolled around the cheesecake was sold out, but who cares as their churros were fantastic! Freshly fried with a light crispy exterior and a soft moist centre, they were coated in cinnamon sugar and served with a chocolate sauce that wasn't overly sweet. Easily one of the best churro orders I've had. read more

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Walked in on a Sunday with no reso for 2. No wait. I'd say it's something like a 4.3 realistically. Would come back. Food: Paella: ordered the crispy pork belly and rib paella. Was honestly really good. Looking at all the other reviews here it seems like a mixed bag. But this one was great. Maybe the others aren't always good? The paella is made to order and is cooked in front of you though so maybe they don't have their QA locked in. Our experience was great. Super flavorful. Only thing is that there wasn't really any socarrat (which is the best part!). Purists will say this is required for a paella to be good but I enjoyed myself anyway. Gambas: incredible. I could come back here for just this. The sauce was unreal and so flavorful. No notes. Bread: we got up sold on the bread. Went great wiping up the gambas sauce but the bread itself wasn't that great as far as bread goes. Service: Service was not bad. Pretty prompt and didn't wait long for anything. Ambiance: Pretty cute. Decor is colorful and very Spanish. read more

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We ordered the Paella Matadero and the Gambas Al Ajillo. Both were delicious! We went with high expectations for the paella and it honestly didn't miss! Loved every bite. We actually took a take-out box home because we couldn't finish it. We were surprised at how generous the portions were. Our server was lovely and was so quick to tend to our needs. The restaurant itself had beautiful decor and we are definitely going back for another date night. read more

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La Paella is such a quaint little hidden gem in leslieville. It's quite from the core so probably doesn't get the love it deserves. Food and service were great, they had some really unique dishes. The obvious highlight was the squid ink seafood paella - the flavor was so unique and usually I don't like squid ink flavor as much as I enjoyed this one. Rest of the dishes were solid, the two standouts for me were the salad and fried seafood. Definitely would come back here! read more

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Good. Have had better. We weren't blown away by anything. Service was good, and we really enjoyed our dinner. None of the things we ordered had us wanting to go back. read more

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My best friend and I went to La Paella for my Birthday dinner. The environment was very chill with cool decor. Food was mediocre at best. The paella was ok and not that flavourful. Rice had to be cooked longer. Nothing stood out for us in terms of dish wise. I've had better paella elsewhere. The pimento peppers with beef cheeks was mushy and the empanadas was nothing special. The service was fine when we ordered our food but as we're ordering our dessert for my Birthday the server told us our 2 hours is up and we can't order dessert and she needed the table back and for us to leave. I understand during Covid there was a time restriction with the amount of food we ordered and money spent it was so rude to kick us out!! They knew it was my birthday too!! What a bad experience, I have never been told to leave a restaurant in the middle of ordering dessert. Never coming back not just due to the rude service but also food being mediocre. read more

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We had a lovely time sitting by the main window at La Paella celebrating our anniversary. The staff was friendly and attentive. At the end of the dinner, they offered us 2 shots of Spanish liquor as a nod to our celebration so that was nice. The paella is flavorful, delicious, and even a tad too salty to my personal liking. As others have pointed out, the paella was definitely on the pricey side given how much they put on that cute/small paella pan. They could have increased the portion to keep their guests happy. Often times, businesses don't realize offering a bigger portion at the cost of a relatively/modestly smaller profit keeps people coming back. Or in this case, they could be well aware of it but there is enough traffic to justify the small portion... I am unsure... Even the empanadas are quite expensive for that couple of pieces they offer. Are they yummy? Yes. But do I want to pay that price to eat a few pieces of pastry? Not again. That being said, they definitely are popular even with this pricey menu so maybe they actually are priced right. Throughout the dinner, people were turned away if they had not made a reservation. Even for people that did make a reso, they still had to wait until the table is ready due to the size of this restaurant. I feel it was a lovely dining experience but for me I am not a returning customer due to their highly priced menu. I am, however, inspired to try to make paella at home :) read more

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Our group of 4 had high hopes for this place but we were a bit disappointed. We were unaware of a patio so we were seated outside. We requested indoors (it was a cold night) and was denied. Just a heads up to ask for indoor seating when calling for a reservation. There are heaters outside but it doesn't cover all the tables. We shared the croquetas and gambas al ajillo to start. Our main was the paella valenciana and paella negra. Paella negra was salty and the rice was undercooked. From this, we would've preferred sharing one paella and ordering more starter dishes. read more

We came on a rainy and dank Thursday evening for our 6pm reservation. We were the only guest for a while. When we left, there was only one other party. The service was cordial and efficient. Very attentive. Since the place was not busy at all, we were not rushed. We ordered the triple ham appetizer and it was excellent. My glass of Muga Reserva Rioja was excellent. We had the seafood paella for two. It was good but nothing to write home about. Not sure why there was two kinds of shrimp but the larger ones had shell on and were slightly overcooked. Overall, we had a good experience and would return. read more

I guess my expectations were too high. I saw that the paella for 2 was $80, which seemed reasonable, so I assumed it must be good and large. However, it wasn't. The paella was wide but very thin, and a single spoonful made a noticeable dent in the dish. The atmosphere is amazing, and the food did taste pretty good. However, I was disappointed that I left still hungry after spending $100 for two people. I expected more in terms of flavor and quality. In comparison, Costco offers a more generous serving of paella in my opinion. While some people might enjoy it, I don't think I'll be coming back. On the bright side, the staff were very nice. read more

La Paella is a Spanish restaurant with a tapas menu and a selection of upscale paella made using quality, imported ingredients. Four of us came in on a Friday night and were promptly seated. We did have reservations and they are recommended. Service throughout the evening was attentive and very helpful. We started with half litre of house red wine. The quality was excellent and would recommend. Paellas take about an hour to make, and you can watch the Chefs at work in an open kitchen. You can order paella for 2, 3, or 4 people. We selected the Valenciana, which had Chicken, Spanish chorizo, Jamon Serrano, calamari, shrimp, mussels and piquillo peppers. This pleased everyone at the table. For our tapas selections we ordered a Platter of cured Iberico ham and Manchego cheese, Sweet pimientos del piquillo stuffed with beef cheeks, House-made Spanish style empanadillas with tuna, and Spanish omelet with potatoes, eggs, onions and truffle. Everything was delicious and the timing of each dish was perfect. While everything was on the expensive side, the quality of ingredients and care in preparation was on point! The restaurant was quaint and Latin music created a great vibe. I definitely recommend La Paella. You won't be disappointed. read more

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The atmosphere is amazing, and it did taste ok. I was just disappointed that I walked away still hungry after paying $100 for 2 people. And I expected more from the flavour, quality, etc. the paella was dry and they were not generous at all with their portion Some probably like it but for me I don't think I'll come back. Nice people though. read more

La Paella - Paella with seafood and chicken - Spanish Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Great service. great food. Ordered a few dishes to share. Ordered 2 paellas, one was good, and one wasn't as good. The squid ink paella was a little on wet side. read more

La Paella offers great-tasting Spanish food in a somewhat rustic (with the nice wooden tables) and casual ambience setting. All the staff are very friendly. There is an open kitchen by the bar, where you can watch the chefs cook paella on the wide pans. The restaurant is cozy and intimate. There are only few tables for groups of 2-4, and a couple of seats at the bar. It's best to make reservation ahead of time, especially if you plan on coming in for dinner on a weekend. You get complimentary bread in the beginning, which is toasted bread doused in olive oil and rosemary. They're best known for their selection of paella. We tried the Paella de Mariscos (Seafood Paella), and it came with juicy & tender monkfish, large scallops, shrimps, mussels, clams, green peppers, and piquillo peppers, on a bed of perfectly seasoned rice. You can tell that the seafood is very fresh. For the tapas, we ordered Ensalada de la Casa (House Salad), Oyster Mushrooms with Garlic & Olive Oil, and Fried Mediterranean Sea Bass (Andalucia Style) - my favourite dish on the menu. Everything came in pretty good portion, and tasted delicious. The washrooms are gender neutral, wheelchair-accessible, and super clean. There is even a map of a Spanish city subway system on the wall. The restaurant interior is nicely decorated, and there is Spanish music in the background. Nice ambience overall. read more

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As a lover of all things Spanish, I was thrilled to discover this authentic Spanish restaurant in Leslieville. Everything from the decor, to the warm and friendly service, to the traditional paella and tapas brings back memories of trips to Spain. This place is not flashy or "trendy", but it is cozy and legit. Once you enter, you should order a nice glass of wine and they will bring you some chips or other snacks to nibble on as you peruse the extensive menu. Don't be afraid to ask about the daily specials or recommendations. We tried the scallop and tuna carpaccio which were so fresh and thinly sliced - delicious! The menu is full of our very typical tapas such as croquetas, patatas bravas, pulpo (octopus), jamon serrano... We didn't have room to try everything we wanted. I went in a group of 3. I would say this is a great place to come with ~4 people to try more things. It's not cheap but pretty good value considering the quality of the ingredients. They have a variety of paellas. We went for the seafood one, which was hearty and bursting with flavour. We were there on a Monday night, so it was pretty quiet. Reserve ahead for a Friday or Saturday if you want a livelier atmosphere. But we really enjoyed having a leisurely quiet dinner there. It's kind of nice going somewhere you can hear each other without having to shout! I will definitely be back to try out the rest of the menu. read more

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I love it when plans fall apart, only to lead to someplace better, because that's what happened to me here. It's a (seemingly) pretty small restaurant that doesn't seem to seat more than 40 people, so I'm glad that I could make a reservation for one even at the bar to secure a spot for a Saturday evening. The staff was extremely friendly, even the chefs - since it was just me and it wasn't wildly busy yet, they were nice enough to make a smaller sized paella for one. The bartender chatted with me and explained the history behind the restaurant and, and another server chatted with me about the city in general. The paella mariscos (seafood) I had was phenomenal, plain and simple. The varied seafood was fresh and the rice was cooked to have the traditional robust, borderline too salty flavor and chewy, yet soft texture. It definitely satisfied my paella fix for the year, especially since I don't know of any places back home that serve the dish. read more

La Paella - Paella Mariscos - Spanish Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Spent a Friday night here and it was excellent! Service was on point: friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. Food: delicious. The seabass was super tasty. I wish it was bigger! Paella was great. We had the special Prawn Paella which only came with 2 Prawns for $100. But there were 3 of us dining, so we requested for a 3rd prawn and they gave it to us for $25 more. Totally worth it. Oyster mushrooms also very good :) as was the cheesecake for dessert... The only dish we could've done without were the meatballs. Not as flavorful as they looked. (No photo attached, sorry). Their house red wine was so good, we ended up getting 3 bottles! No one was driving, so a bottle each wasn't bad at all. read more

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Super enjoyable dinner experience. Restaurant is small and felt family run. It's well decorated and they do a great job of making it feel like you're transported to Spain. Make reservations otherwise you may get turned away on a busy night. It's on the east end and not in the downtown core with 100s of options. So be extra careful about it since a plan B is slightly more challenging. If you go here, obviously go for the paella. I recommend their seafood paella. We did the one with chicken and ribs. It was solid, but we didn't enjoy the ribs. We saw a few of the seafood paella being served and we could tell that was the one to get. Portions are extremely generous here. Be carefully about the order size. Calamari app is delicious. I would get that again (see image). I've been to patria, bar Isabel, bar Raval, and Carmen in terms of Spanish restaurants. I definitely put this as one of the most authentic and enjoyable spots along with Carmen. Downside is location, but if you're trekking out specifically for food. Can't go wrong here. Wine menu and selections are excellent too! read more

La Paella - Spanish Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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After reading all the good reviews, my husband I were really excited to try out the paella at this place but unfortunately we were very disappointed. We had ordered the vegetarian paella and probably that could be a reason why it might not have been such a great hit but even then I was quite surprised with how under seasoned the dish was. It was extremely bland and lifeless. We had also ordered the fried potatoes in a spicy sauce and the potatoes were a tad undercooked. Besides that it's a cosy place with some great service but I wouldn't be returning. read more

La Paella - Spanish Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Just wanted to give another shout out to La Paella- patio is built and ready to go! Call ahead and book that reservation for popular times- we didn't have one but he managed to fit us in before the reserved guests arrived. Perfect service and food- no, the pandemic didn't have any negative effects on their culinary skills or quality of service or food. Absolutely delightful. read more

Excellent service. Angel the host always makes you feel welcome. You're greeted with complementary chips and peanuts or olives and bread and hummus. If you sit at the bar you can see the awesome cooking being done. I've tried almost everything on the menu by now. Favourites include the meatballs, lamb chops and scallops. The wine is excellent too. Not a cheap outing but worth it customer service alone read more

La Paella - Meatballs in white wine sauce - Spanish Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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La Paella has long been one of my fave restaurants in Toronto. The food, service and ambiance is worth the price and a very special treat. We recently ordered take-out during Covid and were extremely happy. The paella is served in nice large takeout containers still with thoughtful presentation and amazing flavours. Grab yourself a bottle of Spanish rioja at the lcbo and create a special date night during quarantine by ordering from La Paella. And If you want something that will totally blow your mind, splurge on the white asparagus appetizer. You will be extremely impressed! read more

La Paella - Spanish Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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The best paella in town!! The service is always 10/10. The quality of each dish never disappoints.

It's a nice little restaurant. We were seated in the covered patio, weather was humid and hot, and there were a lot of bugs flying around, but in general it was nice. Service was good. We ordered 2 tapas, the stuffed mussels and boiled octopus. Both were very tasty and nicely presented. We ordered the paella negra and the paella with lobster tails. The first one(cooked in cutterfish ink) was good. A bit salty, but with the lemon juice on, the flavor was spot on. The shrimps on top were tender. The paella with lobster, on the other hand, was a bit disappointing. The lobster tails were overcooked, and tasted bland. The paella itself was just ok. In conclusion, it's a nice restaurant and a bit pricey. If you want to celebrate a special occasion, and that's the area you wanna visit, it may be a good choice. Otherwise, not worth a special trip for. read more

Incredible!!! Stop what you are doing and go to La Paella. Delicious food, outstanding service, welcome setting and beautifully paired wine menu!! Patatas Bravas and octopus better than what we had in Spain - we will be back! read more

La Paella - Octopus - Spanish Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The moment you step in this place you feel like you are in Spain! The decor, the staff working the restaurant, and the food is a true authentic Spanish experience. We were a group of 8 and we ordered two paellas and a few tapas sized dishes for the table and everything was delicious. The squid ink paella was the true hero dish and the chorizo paella was a close second. The squid ink was truly unique and would order for a group but might be a bit much on its own for two. I love that the east end of Toronto is truly becoming a hot spot for these awesome unique restaurants. We went on a Wednesday night and it was packed so I would suggest making a reservation. Prices are a bit expensive I'd say but it's a truly authentic experience and I would recommend for groups. read more

La Paella - Spanish Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Not bad, only thing I was supervised was the amount of food for Paella ( order for two people) was small, you don't feel full for the order, which was a big negative! Why so stingy for this price? read more

Came here with my partner and his very particular (when it comes to food) father. We ordered the olives, the mushrooms, the vegetarian paella and a seafood paella. The olives were some of the best I've ever had, mushrooms were controversial at our table but I personally enjoyed them and both paellas were thoroughly devoured. The crisp bread served at the tables was also a delicious touch. Wine choices were excellent and service was very good. We particularly loved the space, open kitchen and small size / limited number of tables. read more

Staff is attentive but service is slow. It took around 30 minutes for our paella to be cooked and the prices are quite high for what is served $70+. Probably a great place if you are in a leisurely mood but terrible if you are in any sort of rush. read more

The location and restaurant was super cute and the decorations were very authentic. The workers were so humble and sweet! They were down to earth and had great conversations. They cook the paella at the bar which is so good. The paella was very authentic and tasted like we were in Spain!! Loved it! read more

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Customer service (5/5) - quick, helpful service Ambience (5/5) - cozy and very authentically decorated. You feel like you're in Spain Food and drinks (5/5) - Paella portion size was generous - Wide variety of wine and cocktails Tips: - Make a reso, you won't be seated otherwise - If you're a party of 2, expect to be seated at the bar, and a 1 appetizer + paella should suffice Two thumbs up! read more

Delicious food! Reminded me of what Spain taste like! Very friend and polite staff. The Paella special (red prawn) was exceptionally good.

I love that this is a small restaurant packed with ambiance and character. Great selection of tapas and the paella was delicious and authentic. We sat at the counter and had a great view of the chef preparing all the dishes. read more

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Importing food from Spain might make something taste authentic; but in my opinion: a chef should use a love of paella to create beautiful new dishes using locally sourced foods. An order of Spanish paella using imported Spanish ingredients starts around $45. 4 stars less 1 for closed minded thinking. read more

Wow. What a fantastic place. The food was spectacular. The best paella in town. The chorizo was delicious and the charcuterie board was pretty delicious. The choice of wine is great too. This is a great restaurant in Leslieville. read more

Beautiful restaurant and bar, owner is very passionate and helpful. Amazing tapas and paella.

OUTSTANDING Spanish food that was obviously made to order and fresh. Complimentary bread and good house red. The Tapas were outstanding and the Paellla Valenciana was the best I have tasted in Toronto. Dont miss the almond cake. Moist, delicious and real Almond taste. Fantastic family run and the hospitality shows. read more

For a restaurant named "La Paella" I was disappointed at the lobster Paella. Thin layer of rice and the lobster portion was small and rubbery. The customer service is great. The free chips when you sit down were the best item I had during my visit. read more

Great little place. Authentic. With the vibe that you get at top contemporary spanish restaurants in the mainland. A definite must in Toronto! Food is good too (of course). read more

La Paella brings me back to the delicious tapas and paella that I got to savor in Barcelona. My impression is that in Toronto we don't have a great selection of great Spanish restaurants, but La Paella definitely did not disappoint. I really hope the restaurant will be around for many years to come! read more