Return visits while in Toronto (2 of 3) I came back to Perla and its appeal, at least to me, is very much still there. You are greeted upon walking in to this family run Portuguese restaurant. This time, I tried a bitoque, a steak with an egg on top. It would be on the list of 10 typical entrees you'd find in a Portuguese restaurant. It was preceded by a salad, for which I selected the Caesar salad option. I followed it up with a dessert which was a goblet with a frothy type of gelatin, pudding, or mousse. The flavor was either passion fruit or guava. I forgot what it was immediately upon leaving because I devoured it so quickly! The frothiness made it lighter, such that it wouldn't weigh you down. By now, you should be able to tell this was a very good meal. A few things round out the experience. The bread was accompanied by a pate' or dip of sorts. It was excellent. I didn't know what it was, therefore I asked. It had tuna as well as a good number of other ingredients. Together, it did not taste very fishy or potent in any way, except incredibly flavorful. Their cuisine is representative of all of Portugal, although Perla's roots are in Northern Portugal. The painted ceramic rooster for good luck one often sees hails from Barcelos, just slightly north of the Porto area. In fact, the fueling and rest areas on the toll road through Barcelos have these modern metallic renditions of the rooster that are minimalistic silhouettes you look right through. I might add a few other things that made me glad I returned to Perla. For one, Lusophones are well represented among the customers. But, more importantly, they fill an important niche for me since so many Portuguese locales miss this mark. They are essentially a reliable mid-range restaurant with a broad enough menu. Here, you can avoid the end points that I don't much care for or seek - the piri piri (or peri peri) chicken places where you accompany your order with a pastel de nata that the "hey, wow man" types (at least on the Plateau in Montreal) tend to frequent and the high-end restaurants where Portuguese leans haute cuisine, a lot is about presentation, and the portions are small. (In Montreal, one such place should immediately come to mind.) I was happy that I stopped by, using the TTC card with which you can avoid the crazy Toronto traffic and parking hassles. The College Street streetcar practically stops in front of Perla's door. It all adds up. The team running this restaurant puts their hearts into their work. I am going to go with 5 stars, with each one representing a letter in the word P-E-R-L-A. read more

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Great spot for Portuguese food! One thing I will say, is plan to sit and enjoy your stay. It can take a little while for food and service but it's nice. It's a more relaxed vibe. I had the grilled calamari appetizer and the veal for my main. Our group also went with the server's recommendations (including my choose to get the veal). We were all happy with what was recommended. They brought us some bread but it was toasted and really hard. I didn't love that. The food took a bit and was nice but not the most beautiful. It was very tasty though! Our server was incredibly nice and our glasses were never empty. She took extra care when splitting the bill for us and we had a great time. read more

Came here with some friends for lunch. We got the 2 versions of the seafood paella. Both were amazing, one was more tomato based and the other was more creamy. The paella came with a variety of seafood including mussels, crawfish, shrimp, scallop etc. The restaurant is very cute with a cottagecore vibe. The service was pretty slow dispute the restaurant being empty. I would recommend this place for a slow and comforting lunch. read more

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The service was very good . Very Family friendly and great food to eat.If you are looking for good in the area i would definitely recommend! Enjoy! read more

Perla Restaurant - Tamboril with sea food mixto. - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Hugely disappointed. Service was slow (waited an hour before we could even order as only one person working the floor) Ordered a variety of dishes to share family style as there were 6 of us. Overpriced with very small portions. Some of the food I would say was barely passable to inedible. That cube pork dish that was supposed to be a specialty was disgusting. My 2 week old leftovers look better than that. The paella (another "best seller") was just soggy rice and peas with a few pieces of seafood thrown on top. You couldn't pay me to eat at this restaurant again. read more

The cutest, family run restaurant that served up very traditional Portuguese fare. We had incredible service and the food was freshly made with such care. They have a very nice patio area but the inside was so cozy. We had the octopus and different varieties of seafood rice. They were all delicious. A special bonus were the fresh, handmade pasteis de nata. read more

Perla Restaurant - Pasteis de nata - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My husband and I just had dinner here! Which was nothing short of amazing. My husband said that the fish was the best fish he had in a restaurant. I had the savoury octopus.. The food was excellent! Everything was so tasty. The service was excellent. Obrigado to the cooks and owner We Thank you read more

Amazing food and service!!! It's a family owned restaurant so the ambiance is very homey which I love. The seafood is a must here. I have already gone there twice. read more

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We stumbled upon this place on College and Euclid today, called Perla that had a stunning back patio -covered in grape vines and little lanterns surrounding the space. They have a Portuguese-Italian-Spanish menu and the food was PHENOMENAL! Highly recommend it! If you check it out, ask for Sylvia- her service was very warm and generous. read more

Delicious food, nice staff. Totally recommend if you want Portuguese food.

My rating dropped from 4 stars to 2 stars because the price of entrées and bottles of wine has increased significantly in 2019. Although the food is tasty, it doesn't merit the major price hike! I understand the cost of supplies and/or ingredients has increased, but the entrées more than doubled in price and the bottles of wine are priced substantially higher than at the LCBO or other restaurants in the neighborhood. Given the simplicity of the meal, $80-100 per person for lunch on a week day is steep...especially when I can prepare the same meal - similar quality, flavour and presentation - at home for a fraction of the price. read more

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Good food and quality/price are also a nice deal. Portuguese decorations and food. Very good staff! We'll be back! read more

Perla Restaurant - Portuguese decorations - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This little restaurant in the heart of little Italy own by mother and daughter will impress you. We had a nice lunch but also they are open for take out. In the past the order will take forever but we were impressed how quickly the service was today. The Portuguese pottery decor will transport you to Lisbon. Food was very tasty and the service was so good. In the summer there is a patio in the back.I totally recommend to check it out. read more

Perla Restaurant - Portuguese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Having a craving for fish we decided to check out Perla on the outskirts of Little Italy. Located on the south side of College Street the place features an exposed brick wall and a lovely deep washed blue wall and windows that look north on to College and a small patio. At the back of the restaurant is a bar that runs the width of the restaurant and an exposed kitchen grill. The place is small enough that it offers the feel of a family-run restaurant. Because it was still a little cool we sat inside (they hadn't yet opened the patio) at a table facing the street. The windows facing College Street open and I am sure offer the feel of bistro in the summer. The tables are simple and yet elegant, white table cloths with white squares of paper laid on top. Each table was dressed with a bottle of olive oil and vinegar which is always a good sign for the food that will follow. The food is Portuguese inspired featuring a large selection of fish and seafood in the main menu and appetizers. There is however a large meat selection for any carnivores. The service was polite, friendly and attentive to the food allergies of our group making sure we knew which options could be prepared to order. We opted for a selection of appetizers and everyone was delighted not only with the quality of the freshly prepared food but also with the quantity. The mains that followed were equally well portioned and delicious. It is one of those places that offers a languid dinner, enjoying the view of the street, the food and the service. It was a wonderful dining experience and recommended for anyone searching for a casual, pleasant dinner. read more

I don't usually write a review on my first visit to a restaurant and certainly not until I've had a good feel for the menu and food. This review is an exception. I want to give a big shout out to Perla to commend and thank them for the wonderful experience they provided to my father and his friends on the occasion of his 65th birthday party. Perla accommodated our large 30-odd person party. We dominated their entire small dining room. We were loud and boisterous. Speeches were made. Wine was drunk. It was difficult for the wait staff and kitchen to deal with us. But deal with us they did, and wonderfully so. When you think about how this is a family run business owned and run by a mother and daughter (mom in kitchen, daughter front of house), it becomes even more amazing. Thank you, Perla for giving us such a wonderful experience. No review is complete without a mention about the food. I had the grilled sea bass. It was served whole and was deliciously done. Just the right amount of flavour, and simply made as I understand it should be a-la Portuguese style. We shared appetizers, all of which were quite good albeit simple. Reminded me of the rustic food that one would serve at home in Portugal (although I am no expert). My partner and I are definitely thinking of going back to try the rest of their menu. A big thank you to Perla for patiently dealing with our party and for providing a special event for my father. A big thank you as well to Perla's faithful customers who had to bear with our rowdy party. Just the way a true community restaurant should be! read more

Great service very mom and pop type restaurant. Food will all way be good as long as "mama" is in the back making the food. Very simple Portuguese food and good flavours. read more

The restaurant is cozy and the service is good. It is just good enough compared to the price. We were only 2 dining there. My friend had BBQ calamari , I tasted some it felt burned. Portions are generous and my steak was just ok . Nothing extraordinary or unique. The following day I had cramps and stomach pain for couple of days but I am not sure what the reason was, it could be I had a virus. read more

Perla is a modest-looking spot that doesn't try to match the forced attempts at hipness of many of its Little Italy neighbours. Until a visit the other day, I had barely noticed Perla at all. But there we were, looking for a quick pre-concert bite, and the simple menu called to us. Perla, it turns out, is Portuguese, as evidenced by the caldo verde soup on the menu, and the heavy emphasis on seafood. The look and feel of the interior, as well as the friendly, informal service, recall the old Dundas St. vibe rather than College St. So far, so good. And what of the food? Sadly, that's where Perla falls down. Caldo verde, the ubiquitous Portuguese potato and kale soup, is thin, its sausage chunks chewy and full of cartilege. Grilled calamari is bland and swimming in oil. A grilled chicken breast is hard to mess up; this one is blessedly not overcooked, but the accompanying rice and iceberg-lettuce salad are, well, a big yawn. I hate TV's Restaurant Makeover with a passion. But if any place could use remedial help from a real chef, it's this one. read more

Please read this review! First visit we were seated in the basement. We had fantastic company that distracted from the environment and the food was very good. With a $2,700.00 bill for 6 adults and 2 kids after 2 hours of seating, we were asked to leave as they wanted the table. To our disappointment, we just quickly packed up and left. Tonight we came back, 4 adults and 3 kids, $2,300.00 bill, seated on the main floor. After a few hours, the owner slammed a bottle of Canadian vodka on our table, without glasses and asked us to leave and take the bottle with us. No problem. We promptly packed and up will never come back. Ever. Regardless of how good their seafood is, that bill doesn't require a second/third table flip. Sad, we will always remember how we got so rudely kicked out. TWICE. have spent over $5,000.00 in a couple of months with this restaurant. 1 star for you Perla, I guess you can't buy class. read more

I've joined the Portuguese Mafia...seriously. So to celebrate, what better than to visit little Italy...... Somebody made reservations, thank God, because there were eighteen of us, and the restaurant was the size of a living room. I've never been to an authentic porkchop restaurant before. The art on one side of the room was traditional..I think. But on the other side it was something completely different. I don't really remember what it was, because I used the canvas as headrest. Bad ass. Yeah? I get that they wanted to bring out all our food all at the same time, but it took one hour! I had to ration my beer! Although of course I wasn't paying. Cause I'm G like that. Seriously though, I got here at 1pm, and the food came 2:15. I think they only had one cook. It was sort of like an open concept kitchen, only the counters were so tall I couldn't see anything but heads. I ordered the salted fish with calamari. I don't know which part of the fish it was, but there was so much bone I was unable to eat half of the fish. Picking at the fillet was so much work it made Korean BBQ seem like a vacation. But what do I know, I was the only Chinese guy in the room. Everyone else ordered better looking dishes, and it seemed like very hardy food. Imagine the most generously portioned dish at Milestones, placed on a plate that was appropriate for it's size. So...not like Milestones. The waitress whom I suspected of being the owner didn't get my order of calamari, so I ordered again. When it came, it was just squid, no breading, no coating of any kind. I was afraid of it being too fishy, but it wasn't. My fish was too chewy, and my squid was too..squidish. I gawked at everybody else's meals the entire time, wishing I ordered pork, or fries. My buddy got the platter of seafood. The rice on the bottom was so drenched in sauce, it might have been a soup. Still looked better than mine though. I don't know whether if this was authentic, it looked authentic. The space was painted blue, so that's how I felt throughout my lunch. The area is just teaming with hipsters, I felt like I was trespassing with my suit and all. But it was the good looking ones, so I remained civilized. Perla. Perlaaa.....I just can't think of anything clever to say. read more

I have had my eye on this quaint looking restaurant for a few years - had no idea it was Portuquese- but the fish menu appealed to me - Finally decided to treat myself- but not to fish as I rarely have meat . Started with a delicious vegetable soup - basket of bread with two spread options - one soy ( not crazy about it ) and mix veg pate/ spread that was tasty - and of course lots of Olive Oil dipping on the other side- I ordered the steak with fries and a fried egg , a couple of black olives and a mushroom reduction sauce. .Tasty - meat was tender . It was a quiet night - service was friendly - Very reasonable menu prices. Soup $4 - that's almost unheard of . I was wondering why a plastic ketchup bottle was place on my table - then realized it was for the fries - a small ramekin would have been nicer - I just pushed it off to the side so as to not look at it - Not a huge deal but I wasn't in a burger joint . All fish /plates of the day were 18.00 My total bill with tax was just over 17 - My server noticed I was riding a motor bike and assumed correctly that I would not should not be drinking - Good for her. I Absolutely would go back - read more

What a surprise! From the outside it looks quaint, though the front patio was occupied by some angry people. Inside it got better, presented as a family run restaurant. It was a hot summer night so we decided to eat on the yet I seen back patio. There was nothing redeeming about it. The ground was cluttered with an abundance of toys making it hard to get around our table. Promptly water and bread was dropped off. The water was ok but the bread was our exit note. The basket was filled with at best day old buns and literally broken pieces of white bread slices tha rang out when I tapped them on the table. The prices were 20-30% higher than listed on the online menu. I would add another two $$ to the price rating. Would not recommend this disaster to anyone I didn't really like and warn others not to go. We promptly left and went to another neighbor hood place and enjoyed a descent meal. read more

If you like Portuguese food, It doesn't get more authentic than this. Grandma's cooking is amazing! Both the baked and grilled baccalau (salted cod) are fantastic. Also try the pork and clams. As a starter, either the clams or collard greens soup will make your belly very happy. Wash it all down with a Sagres (Portuguese beer) and the world is a wonderful place. read more

The most boring dishes I've ever had at a restaurant. Grilled Octopus: The octopus itself was fine, but the vegetables were unseasoned and wet. And so the water continued to run off the veggies and soak the octopus. Not cool. Seafood pasta: I don't recall the name of this dish, specifically, but it was also bland. The tomato sauce seemed to have no seasoning at all. The shrimp and mussels were fine, but the crab was also bland. Plus, the pieces of crab were still wet, so the water was continuing to dilute the tomato sauce, and while they were small chunks, the shell should have been cut further because it was remarkably difficult to get the blandest tasting crab meat I've ever had out of the shell. read more

Loved this little place because the food and service were excellent. I had a pan fried fish dish what was simple but excellent, and my wife had a beef entree that she loved. This restaurant seemed to attract local business people on lunch break. A great little place, with an informal patio in the back. read more