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    Sambucas On Church

    3.5 (121 reviews)
    ModerateItalian

    Sambucas On Church Photos

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    SAMBUCAS ON CHURCH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Free bread
    Keven S.

    This place is beautiful inside with great staff and even better food. It is located on church street where in my opinion all businesses go the extra mile to make you feel good. The food is authentic and extremely delicious with an array of things to choose from. This place deserves a try.

    Free run chicken with veggies and mushroom
    Signe L.

    We got free run chicken in mushroom with steamed veggies and mashed potatoes--well no potato or mushroom sauce since we asked for dairy and gluten-free. It was totally delicious (way better than the greasier, less professionally cut chicken at Flock) even without these items. The veggies -- green beans, broccoli and carrots -- were perfectly cooked and if I'm gonna raise the bar, the chicken was just a tad over cooked, as well as sliced so the juices ran out. Never slice the chicken! Regardless, it was a fantastic meal, a step up from what's usually found on food delivery sites. Awesome! Probably the best meal I've had from STD delivery out of hundreds of orders. Go for it!

    Goat Cheese Apricot Crostini
    Emma H.

    Came here for Summerlicious. 23$ is definitely a value meal. It's a great place for lunch, you get seated in a rustic dining environment that's still casual but artsy. Got the: -Goat cheese and apricot crostini (if you read my other reviews, you'll know about my love for goat cheese foods haha) -Red Wine braised Lamb shank -chocolate lava cake w/ vanilla ice cream My friends got the steak, seafood linguini, and chicken breast We also got a pitcher of Stella to share. I think the crostini is my all time goat cheese food. I'm not even going to describe the taste - go eat for yourself. Lamb shank was very meat-off-the-bones and you really gotta get messy and eat with your hands. Dip the shank in the meat jus and just gnaw on it. Lava cake was just oozing chocolate - it wasnt too sweet which is rare because usually these desserts are too sugary. The vanilla ice cream really contrasted the hot chocolate lava. Sambucas on Church actually offers the Prix Fixe Menu for Lunch and Dinner during non-summerlicious/winterlicious times too, so i'd definitely go again.

    Eggs Natasha
    Tracy T.

    Came by for lunch on a weekday and the restaurant was pretty quiet. I ordered the Eggs Natasha ($12) which looked delightful on presentation. The eggs were perfectly poached and the hollandaise sauce was light and creamy. Among the sides, there was a good mix of colours from the fresh salad, homefries that were stir-fried with onions and pepper, and four slivers of fresh cut fruit (orange, watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon). Although service was a bit slow, the food was good and with all things considered, the portion size alone was well worth the price. The only thing I didn't like that much was the homefries, which were too mealy and soft. It would be nice if they were crispier!

    White whine Mussels
    Mich C.

    I came here for winterlicious 2020. Prix fixed dinner menu was pretty good, good options. I ordered the steak and lobster for my main, my partner ordered tomahawk pork chop. Everything was ssssoooooo delicious!! I absolutely loved my steak and lobster, it was soooo good. Great portions, more than I expected! Service was great. We went early for dinner but within an hour the restaurant was full!

    Dessert
    Emily D.

    In my opinion, the food is good but the employees here made my experience here not so good. I went to this restaurant for winterlicious and I tried to call in and make reservations but that was a real struggle! I had to call 3 times that day because I would try to make reservation and they would put me on hold but after a few minutes hang up on me. Also found that the employees to be a bit disrespectful as we looked "younger" so they didn't give us as much attention as the other customers they had there at the time. Food was good tho! I had the mussels as my appetizer; they were very generous with the amount of mussels that they gave! The sauce it was in was also very delicious as well. For my main I had the linguine; I thought the ratio of pasta to "toppings" were not really good since there was a lot of pasta and not as much "toppings". The main definitely filled me up cause of all the carbs aha! For dessert; can't remember exactly what it was called but it was delicious! If you like dark chocolate and cake this really hit the spot for me! Would recommend! Would I go again? Maybe if they had a change of employees I would go back, but for now I would say pass.

    Ivy T.

    I went there to try their summerlicious dinner. It was $28 for the 3-course dinner which included appetizer, main course and dessert. I selected PEI mussels, steak and lobster tail, and Tartufo as my three courses. The mussels were very fresh and there was no empty shell in my bowl. The steak was so huge and rare cooked. It was so juicy and no bloody taste. But the lobster tail was so tiny and the meat was so fragile which seemed like not quite fresh. Tartufo is a traditional Italian dessert which was made me feel satisfied for the whole meal! I can't complain anything on the dessert. Each portion was huge and I think it is worth to try! I will recommend this restaurant to my friends.

    Greek Salad App.

    We decided to go to Sambucas (On Church) for a Winterlicious dinner. Out reservation was for 6:30 pm on Sat Feb 8th, 2020. The place was packed. We received our apps at 6:40 (Greek Salad & Mussels ) Our main meals came 50-55 min later. When I mentioned to the waiter he basically said " look at the place, it's packed." I had no problems with the meal itsels, it was delicious. I noticed that this place had no bartender. All the wait staff were responsible for drinks, coffee etc. Meal was great, ambiance, not so much.

    Piccante pasta with garlic bread and caesar salad

    Sambucas on Church - a cute ambient restaurant right by Wellesley and Church in the heart of the gay village. We originally came during the lunch hour for Summerlicious, which was a great offer for $23 - an appetizer, main, and a dessert. However, upon arriving, we decided to order off their regular menu instead. We also noticed that they had a fixed price menu throughout the year (not just for summerlicious), but also for $23 with slightly different options. The staff were kind and quick to serve us (we made a reservation). I ordered the Piccante pasta that came with both garlic bread and a caesar salad, so it was quite a good, filling meal for $15.95. Our food came relatively at the same time, mine took slightly longer than others who had ordered paninis and other pastas, but mine arrived not long after. The pasta was great - it was linguine with black tiger shrimp (my favourite), onions, peppers and spinach in a spicy Cajun olive oil sauce. As a spice-lover, I wouldn't say it was spicy at all, but it was tasty and flavorful. I had to take the rest home and it was slightly oily (after all, it was olive oil sauce), so I couldn't really complain. But the pasta tasted great and I was more than satisfied with my meal. My colleague had the Parmigiana, which was essentially chicken parmesan. It was also super big and filling, and had just the right amount of cheese. We wanted to try the lava cake which I had heard great things about, but we were so stuffed by the end of it that we couldn't get it. Would definitely return to try more options on the menu. They have a huge variety - a huge breakfast menu, pastas, pizzas, paninis, the works. Overall 4/5 stars and would recommend trying for more affordable options in the pricey area of downtown.

    Virgin cocktail - grenadine, gingerale, pineapple and cranberry juice
    Christine R.

    Came in here on a Thursday evening to sample there Winterlicious offerings. A long narrow restaurant with exposed brick walls and dark wood tables with hardwood floors. Our waitress was very bubbly and friendly and came over to take our drink orders. We wanted something fruity and tropical. She joked and said we'd have to go the caribbean for that but she'd do her best to whip up something along those lines. She later returned with a tall ruby red refreshing blend of grenadine, gingerale, pineapple and cranberry juice. It totally took us back to the caribbean! From the Winterlicious menu I ordered Crustini -Three piece crustini topped with smoked salmon and avocado mango relish The salmon was fresh and ample and I loved the refreshing taste of avocado and mango which totally blended well with my caribbean drink. Filet Mignon -Pan roasted bacon wrapped filet mignon with morel mushroom red wine sauce, served with herb roasted vegetables and buttered baby bok choy Boy oh boy did this knock my socks off! I was expecting a wee little piece of meat but out came this hunk of juicy delicious well seasoned generous cut of meat! Everything on the plate looked amazing and tasted equally delicious! Walnut brownie with vanilla ice cream Two Fudgey warm brownies packed with toasted walnuts with a side of vanilla ice cream and hot fudge, simple but lovely end to a fab meal! Tea - English Breakfast by Bigalow Overall superberb meal which totally exceeded my expectations as this was one of the cheaper winterlicious offerings however it was surprisiningly a high quality and outstanding meal + top notch friendly service!

    Swordfish entree for Summerlicious 2017

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    14 days ago

    Great Food, Excellent Service and Excellent Atmosphere. I go quite frequently and also order takeout.

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    3 years ago

    Such a great place for brunch/lunch or dinner. The staff are friendly, attentive and the food is delish!

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    Donatello Restaurant

    Donatello Restaurant

    3.8(222 reviews)
    0.9 kmDowntown Core
    $$$

    This place has it all. No wonder it's rated as a top 100 in the USA. Service, food, music…read more outstanding!

    Donatello is considered a fine dining Italian restaurant. And it didn't disappoint. The foid and…read moreservice were excellent. The vibe was a slightly darkened room (for the evening). There is an upstairs balcony seating but I've never sat there. During warm weather, there is plenty of roadside outdoor seating too. This is my fourth time here but I never wrote a review fir the restaurant before. We ordered the following: 1. Shrimp Perno (daily special $6/shrimp). Jumbo Shrimp sautéed in garlic, white wine, tomatoes, scallions, and finished off with a shot of perno liquor. 2. Rack of Lamb (daily special $59.95). Four pieces of lamb in a rack, with a rich portion wine reduced sauce, that has a touch of mint to it, and Penne Pasta in a tomato rose sauce. The table bread was really good. The crust was crispy but the inside was fluffy. The soft butter that came it was so tasty. The bread was perfect for dipping in the sauce that came with the shrimp. We asked for a second basket of bread and they put two loafs in the second basket. It was too much so they were willing to let us take it home. The shrimps were definitely jumbo. It was so filling. Two pieces (per person) were good enough as an appetizer. The shrimps were perfectly cooked. We requested the lamb be cooked medium rare. It was definitely medium rare. It was juicy and did not have a gamey taste. It tastes great. The pasta was perfectly al dente. The tomato rose sauce was really good. They offered to grind parmesan cheese and pepper so we got both. There is free WiFi. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible. There is paid neighbourhood street parking and paid parking lots. Review 2025-187

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    Donatello Restaurant
    Donatello Restaurant - Lobster pasta

    Lobster pasta

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    Terroni - spinach ravioli-the BEST

    Terroni

    3.3(863 reviews)
    1.6 kmDowntown Core
    $$

    Terroni on Adelaide is a beautiful Italian restaurant with a lot of character and history, set…read moreinside a former courthouse building from 1852 that still shows off its dramatic ceilings, fireplaces, and sunlit atrium. It's a dining experience you don't see every day in Toronto. Even the washrooms are memorable, tucked away in the basement in what used to be old jail cells, which adds to the charm and gives the whole place a bit of personality. We went for an early Sunday dinner before a concert at Massey Hall. The restaurant got pretty busy as the evening went on, but it never felt chaotic. The atmosphere is lovely and lively, a great choice for a special night out or a pre-show meal. We started with Calamari alla Griglia with mixed greens, capers, onions, and fresh tomatoes. It was a fresh, bright appetizer with good balance. For mains, my date had the Spaghetti in Canna a Mare with clams, mussels, calamari, scallop, and tiger shrimp in a tomato sauce. The menu described it as mildly spicy, but it definitely had a noticeable kick. Still, the flavours were really good. I ordered the Ravioli al Brasato with braised beef, butter, sage, and parmigiano. It was tasty and comforting, though portion-wise I could have used a few more ravioli. I was still a bit hungry after and honestly double the size would have been perfect for me. For dessert we shared the Tiramisu with espresso-soaked savoiardi, mascarpone, and cocoa. I had an amaro while my date finished with zambuca. A sweet and satisfying way to wrap up the meal. The service was friendly, though drinks came out a bit slower than expected. Terroni's food is tasty, the setting is gorgeous, and it's easy to see why locals keep coming back. It's not cheap, but the quality and ambience make it worth trying, especially for dinner before a show or a relaxed date night in one of Toronto's most unique spaces.

    I wish I could say I enjoyed Terroni more. The venue itself was not held in the main restaurant…read more The company I work at booked out some of the upper floors for an event. There were four flights of stairs to get up to the first floor with the bar and main dining area. There was another two flights of stairs to get to the upper bar (which I was too tired to walk up to). The drinks at the bar were good and the staff were all great. We started with passed apps. Some of the flavour combinations were just off (the skewer with fruit, cheese and something else) - like they paired the wrong cheese with the fruit. The meal itself was a seat down meal (family style) which did take over two hours to complete for the amount of guests that were present (over 200 ppl). My favorite dish was the tomato and mozza salad. My most disappointed dish was the ragu pasta. Though containing a good amount of meat it was not saucy at all. The pizza was the brocolini was good as well. The reason I gave this restaurant three stars is strictly for the lack of elevator and the food quality vs the price. For what you are paying, there is so much higher quality food in the city and I honestly think you can get better bang for buck elsewhere.

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    Terroni - Special event dining area

    Special event dining area

    Terroni - Olive oil and bread

    Olive oil and bread

    Terroni - Special event space (upstairs)

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    Special event space (upstairs)

    Piccolo Caffe E Vino - Frittata

    Piccolo Caffe E Vino

    4.3(19 reviews)
    2.1 kmEntertainment District, Downtown Core
    $$

    Went here for dinner on a Saturday night / great location and cute spot! I love the branding and…read morethe inside + feels very trendy. This is a wine bar - the house lager was bad (maybe my own bad decision) and the red I got was fine ... nothing to write home about. However place fell apart with the food - the shrimp came with 5 medium sized shrimp with the tails, legs and shells on and were under seasoned. The artichokes were mediocre (loved the sauce they came with). Worst of all was the "Ontario peaches" with the burrata were totally canned peaches - could've even been dole brand! This place has amazing potential with the location and vibe - but the food just was not it. Small portions and the price didn't match what was served. The service was friendly but nothing too crazy. Go here for the drinks, but maybe not for the dinner!

    Went with a friend on a Saturday night and it was pretty easy to get a seat, but they do take…read morereservations. Our server was great at helping us pick our wine, he mentioned that their wines are all on the dry side which is perfect for me, I'm not one for sweet wines. We also had two of their small plates the mussels and the burrata. The mussels tasted great with the sauce, a little garlicky which I prefer. The combination of the peach and mint went really well with the burrata. Light and easy to eat. The patio at night is one of the highlights. The only small complaint was it did take a while to get our wine after we ordered it and a little while to get our check. Otherwise cute spot.

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    Piccolo Caffe E Vino
    Piccolo Caffe E Vino - Smoked salmon bagel

    Smoked salmon bagel

    Piccolo Caffe E Vino - Fried Artichoke, shrimp and peach burrata

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    Fried Artichoke, shrimp and peach burrata

    Sambucas On Church - italian - Updated May 2026

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