Love this store and its people. Long history with my son taking cooking classes here as a young child. Amazing place with great products and service. read more

Surprised by the number of negative reviews. I've gone in a few times for items that I just couldn't find at my regular kitchen store, or hoped to find for less money than Williams Sonoma. I go in with a plan and figure out what I want before-same as I would for any purchase outside my realm of expertise. Staff move quickly and may be a bit short, but they know their product and can find it fast. It's a professional restaurant supply store so they're less inclined to want to share grandma's recipes. They offer a discount for those in the trade, I'm told. Pricing is reasonable and where else am I going to find a real pizza delivery sleeve or proper knife roll that won't break the bank? Best of all, they're willing to help problem solve. I had a knife that needed resharpening and they knew just where to send me. I felt like a member of a club. read more

Worst experience of my life . As a business starting out watch out for these guys they really know how to encourage you to buy buy buy . But after you pay pay pay they are no longer around to help . They sent me wrong items and wouldn't take them back . I'm still waiting on items after a year and now no one is even responding to me and I already paid . Awful greedy business . Don't get stuck feeling they are your only option . There are other better options . read more

This place is a surprise. I have gone past there other location several times but somehow never went in. The setup is very nice and airy and they hold regular cooking classes for aspiring home cooks and people looking to add a spice to their lives. The kitchenware sold here is an interesting mix with an area dedicated for professional equipment i.e. industrial mixers, advance cooks i.e. chemicals for molecular gastronomy and home cooks who prefer high end items like staub etc. Prices can vary a lot and I was surprised to see some items being sold at the same price point as Thon Phat (known for lower prices). I spent a good hour or so here as I was looking for memorable item to give out as a gift. The sous vide machines caught my eyes as have been considering buying one for a while. Unlike most stores they had quite a few one's available which hit all price points (ah well one can keep on dreaming). The staff was quite helpful and provided me with the several options and seemed knowledgeable. The cutlery and server ware options are limited IMO as this is place to buy cooking tools. 4 Stars for what they offer under one roof. read more

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I had a great experience at Nellas. Our sales person was knowledgeable and accommodating. We felt no pressure to buy more than we needed (we were buying good kitchen knives for prep). Great selection, great service and good prices. read more

Allergic to gluten (boo!), I was super excited to find Nella's 3-hour evening hands-on Gluten Free cooking class. After research, we (boyfriend and I) felt that $107 pp incl. tax was comparable to if not less expensive than other hands-on style classes. Nella Cucina contacted us by email to ask about any allergies but once we arrived, the chef -- who made adjustments for people who were dairy-free/vegan, etc. -- said that our class on Gluten Free Cooking wasn't in fact GF. The chef told us, "if you're allergic to gluten, just give away to friends what you make today and try these recipes at home yourself later." Never warned in advance, I was advised to go hungry instead. She also advised us that the GF class class had never been taught before and that she hadn't even tried several of the recipes planned for the evening. This was evident when: 1. We were then subjected to a biology lesson on celiac desease and gluten-sensitivities - having nothing to do with cooking instruction, entirely patronizing and a huge waste of our valuable class time. 2. For the next 2-hours we stood huddled around the chef's workspace where she demonstrated several recipes. We watched as she demonstrated how to make "1-2-3 Nutella Cookies" by combining Nutella and eggs, and placing them on the cookie sheet. It might have required more skill to fry an egg. 3. We had to ask to eat the samples. After 2-hours of standing/watching and no hands-on cooking, and having had nothing to eat, many people abandoned to sit at their unused work spaces, a classmate finally asked if we could eat some of the chef's samples -- growing cold and long out from the oven. 4. In our last hour of actual cooking, we were abandoned to prepare 2 recipes at our stations. It was absolute chaos. There weren't enough cooking tools to go around (the irony with a store downstairs!); 2-scales for 36 people, and few whisks for this baking-centric class. The chef stood at her station and we lined up to speak to her when we needed help, otherwise unadvised. ------------------------------------------------------------------ TL;DR: 10/10 would not recommend. The chef's lack of preparation (and judgment) was evident and a poor reflection on Nella's management/quality-control. Having never offered this specific class before is no excuse for failing to provide a minimum standard of its advertised "hands-on, " insulting the intelligence of it's customers, and starving them. When we asked for our money back (after lots of correspondence) Nella offered us a 50% refund and 50% returned in gift cards. read more

I work for Food Network, and we filmed a couple of videos at Nella for web exclusives. I was acting as "star" for these so I had alot of time to browse while the producer and video people set up and made decisions. Nella is awesome. They sell everything that you could imagine for culinary pursuits, including a wide variety of chef knives. They also have a full kitchen upstairs for classes and demos, which we used for the shoot. It is beautiful and well stocked. I didn't attend a class, but they have interesting options, including cooking for kids classes which I took as a child elsewhere sparking my interest in cooking. They also do private events, which could be really fun. I went home with some really lovely ramen bowls, tea cups and spoons. Everything was priced reasonably. Bonus Points - "Bar Keepers Friend" (the ONLY thing that cleans my stainless steel kitchen island) is cheaper her than Kitchen Stuff Plus. - Super friendly staff - Excellent selection - Good Location for TTC - Gorgeous Kitchen read more

Two things you need to know about Nella Cucina: 1) they have a lot of stuff and if you are a professional chef or baker or work in the food industry and have a lot of knowledge, the place is probably a reasonable choice (although you pay more than other places for high quality stuff). 2) for everyone else, the staff is rude, unhelpful, and relatively useless. If you don't know what you want, don't know what something is called, are looking for a tool to do a particular thing and want some advice - get ready for either a blast of cold air or some heavy-duty attitude - NC has both in ample supply. read more

I used to be a regular customer at NC as i used to live 4 doors down. Their product range is great and the prices are not over the top - quite reasonable for the higher quality! Today, for the first time, i tried out a cooking class. I have to say, all in all, i was very impressed and it made for a great evening. The staff were great and the entire experience was different and nice. I didn't learn any amazing new things about food, but what i did appreciate was all the little cooking tips...a lot of it was new for me (despite considering myself a self taught cook), such as not refrigerating your tomatoes, grid cutting onions for single chops, etc. i recommend doing this for a different and intimate evening. you can shop at the store after with a 15% discount. i was kinda expecting the staff to kinda push products on me while we cooked and after, but it wasn't the case at all. read more

When I was invited to take a culinary class hosted by Barton & Guestier (B & G) at Nella Cucina Kitchen, I jumped at the opportunity to work with an experienced chef in a professional kitchen. What's more is that special guest, Clementine Queraux, the Export Manager and Global Brand Ambassador for B & G guided us through wine and food pairings. Brianne Nash (of Chopped Canada fame) led our team in preparing the entree, which was grilled organic New York strip loin from Beretta Farms. Under Nash's instruction, we salted and grilled the steaks to a perfect 120 degrees. She also taught us how to make a flavourful wine reduction using B & G's Domaine La Gardie. The combination of wine, shallots, beef stock and rosemary produced a heavenly aroma while simmering away. I really enjoyed the hands-on and interactive component of preparing a meal with the other guests. I could not wait to sample the other dishes that were prepared. Once we finished cooking, we sat down and enjoyed the fruits of our labour together. The first course on the menu was a fresh beet, fennel and apple salad with honey-mustard dressing made by my peers. The wine pairing for the salad was a medium-bodied B & G Partager La Gardie Merlot, which had hints of herbs and the sweet scent of raspberry and currants. It was the perfect complement to the crisp and refreshing salad. I eagerly anticipated sampling the main course that my team and I prepared. The steak was served over truffle roasted fingerling potatoes and glazed beans. Although not as tender as other cuts of beef, strip loin is arguably the most flavourful. It is best cooked medium rare, so that it does not become tough in texture. I thoroughly enjoyed the steak, as it was juicy and bursting with flavour, even though it was sparsely seasoned. The vegetarian accompaniments provided a fine balance to the meal. Paired with a glass of dry B & G Partager La Gardie Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium bodied wine revealed notes of blackcurrant, cherry and plum aromas. To end the experience, we enjoyed a dark chocolate brownie with sour cherry compote. Dessert was paired with Les Charmes de Magnol Médoc, a Bordeaux blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot. Fruity aromas wafted from my glass of the smooth, tannic wine. Aged in French Oak for six months, it had a bold and distinctive flavour. My first foray in cooking French cuisine and learning about recommended wine pairings was an excellent learning experience thanks to Nash and Queraux. I look forward to hosting my next dinner party with an air of sophistication and French flair! http://www.hipurbangirl.com/2015/04/an-evening-of-french-food-and-drink.html read more

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This is not a bad store at all. If you want the basics of culinary items, including a chef's knife bag, and a whole range of equipment or kitchenware, this is a good place to start. It's right by Bathurst TTC which is very convenient and they have another location East of Queen, which has more professional equipment. This is more like a Williams-Sonoma with a bit more of a professional flair. I however, do not love the service all the time, which is why I'm not very thrilled. Their computers seem to screw up and go on the fritz a lot, and it gets annoying if you have to wait 15 minutes for some un-related problem. Still, not a bad place to go to for decent kitchen stuff. read more

When looking for just about everything you can think of in kitchen equipment, Nella Cucina is my first pick. No, it's not because it's moderately priced but rather because it carries quality product lines that will last forever (unless you take a hammer or a torch to them). Whenever I'm looking for that unusual tart pan or a new tagine, this is where I go. Once inside you'll also be mezmerized by some of the other offerings such as gourmet food lines and cooking classes that are second to none. I simply can't drive down Bathurst Street without making a stop. It's by far my favourite kitchen essentials store. read more

This place is quite an enigma: it's the place to go if you want to find an array of high-quality cooking and kitchen equipment, people knowledgable about the products they sell, and efficient, informative and professionally-run cooking classes (we were *very* impressed with the one we took very recently).... ...but what is with the attitude of the staff (a good number of them, anyway, a couple of them are wonderful)? I've been in there a half dozen times now and generally the folks are curt, unfriendly, and downright disdainful (watch them look down their noses at you when you ask them a 'dumb' question). I get that they want people to know they're 'the real deal' when it comes to the culinary arts, and I get that they would prefer to deal only with professionals and restaurateurs (vs. kitchen gumbies such as myself), but, really, would it be so hard to be nice to people? Show a little common courtesy? Some of us drop a lot of $$ in the place and maybe just a little gratitude for that is in order... Anyway, I'd rate this place a 5, but I'd only give the staff a 2. Since they likely already know about their front-stage deficiencies, my critique is really only for customers. read more

Very poor course for tweens. They got to WATCH food being cooked and really only participated in the preparation of the ingredients. No placing on or in stove, did not get hands on experience with actual cooking, very minor instruction regarding chopping as the instructors geared it to very young children and the tweens did not have to do dishes, Very dull and overcrowded. The course at Loblaws is better as the children do get to do all aspects of cooking, not just watch and try to cope with extreme boredom. Very overcrowded class. Management was not receptive to feedback. Appeared to be a complete money grab. This course would even bore an 8 year old as they don't get to do much. Adults who take the course actually get to do everything so when they say the material is the same that is true but children don't get to actually experience cooking. All I can say is DONT go here and if you do leave a review and avoid management as the problems are top down. All they want is your money!!!! read more

This place is in my neighborhood I've been coming here since it opened. Today I saw a popsicle molds in a display window and thought I'd go in and check them out. No one greeted me when I walked in the door (not typical, even when they're busy at the cash, they've usually greeted me) but then once the (only) clerk was done w the customer he silently sidled up next to me (a little too close, creepy) and asked if he could help me w anything. I responded with "I'm okay thanks please don't sell me anything!" he's very snootily replied back with "I don't sell you things. I help you find what you're looking for." So sorry mister tall pretentious child with Napoleon Dynamite glasses, I didn't come into the store intending to verbally spar with anyone I was merely considering purchasing some items at this business which employs you to provide customer service - not rudeness. I then proceeded to describe a mold that I'd seen and he cut me off, responding rudely, (employing his art school dialect, attempting to impress, with something along the lines of "....in this postmodern century that we live in these molds no longer exist, I only sell ones that exist in this millenium". I responded with "Well I just saw them on Amazon." and then he seemed taken aback and paused (however briefly) snootily replied with "Well I don't carry them then". I was left speechless by this level of rudeness. I am SO insulted and appalled that this is how a business allows an employee to treat customers. I will never make another purchase there, as well, I will be sure to let everyone I know (in the neighborhood and beyond) about the kind of service they can expect should they ever make the mistake of venturing in here. This is officially the worst service I ve ever received IN MY ENTIRE LIFE (and that includes throughout North America, Europe, Africa and the Carribean). CONDESCENDING. APPALLING. UNACCEPTABLE. read more

Great selection of kitchen gear, but given the rudeness I've experienced from staff (mentioned by other yelpers as well), I can't recommend it. I went in twice over a two-week period and was made to feel like a bother rather than a customer. There are a lot of kitchen stores in Toronto so I'll take my business elsewhere. read more

Nella Cucina is a kitchen store with good but not essential product at premium prices. The type of store that separates itself on customer service, which is why it is so notable that I had one of my worst customer services experiences ever there. I went in to purchase a very expensive item there ($500). I was "on the fence" between the two options and the saleswoman encouraged me to take both home and try them and 'return" the one I didn't like. I did this and decided against keeping either. When I came back to return them TWO days later I was told that "return" only meant exchange or credit. I was obviously upset because if I had known about this unusually tight return policy I would not have taken the items to try and I felt that I was encouraged to do so by the saleswoman, a representative of the company, who promised a "return" which I felt unless specified meant a refund not a credit (an admitted oversight on my part). I pointed out that why would I have taken two of the product if it meant inevitably leaving over $500 with a credit with the store when I brought the other one back? Regardless of the clear misunderstanding between me and the saleswoman I was told that I should have known about the refund policy, even though it was implied otherwise, and regardless of whether the miscommunication was rational, reasonable, or any fault of the saleswoman that it was the store policy and an exception would not be made. I was also told that the saleswoman was a long time employee so it could not have possibly been her fault (suggesting of course that I was lying!) and, sanctimoniously, that I shouldn't be concerned anyways because a credit was as good as money (clearly not the same thing). The end result was that I was "forced" to accept an item I didn't really want and a $500 credit that I have no current use for ... they charged me over $1000 I didn't wish to spend!?!? I am not even objecting to the stingy store return policy but out of principle I felt that I had been mislead, perhaps so that the saleswoman could earn extra guaranteed commission, into spending much more than I intended to spend and then was shown egregious customer disrespect or lack of consideration by the general manager of the store in response to a reasonable misunderstanding on my part. Not that it matters but I have spent thousands of dollars at this store over the years. Imagine how they would treat you if you were just a drop in? read more

I was so excited when my sister bought my fiance and I a cooking class at Nella Cucina. I am in the neighbourhood and always wanted to go. The class was scheduled for February 8 but on the morning of February 7 I discovered I had a last-minute conflict with work so with close to 35 hours before the class time I called to ask if I could reschedule to another class and was rudely told no and all I could do was forfeit the class. I wrote a nice email asking them to consider and Nella Cucina did not even have the decency to respond. I have tweeted and will write every review i can find to warn people - do not go here. They are not accommodating and know nothing about customer service. I would have recommended this to many of my friends in the neighbourhood but instead will now tell everyone to not support this business. Shame on Nella Cucina. read more