I really enjoyed this restaurant. Service and food were excellent. Cozy local spot that made you feel welcome. Looking forward to coming back! read more

The Wood Owl - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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You can rely on The Wood Owl to come through with a spectacular meal and the best short rib I've had in my entire life. Go there, order it and enjoy it. All of the appetizers are also unique and incredibly good. Stop reading this lame review and make a reservation now read more

The Wood Owl - Short Rib Entree - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

First visit to The Wood Owl. The savoury dishes were well-presented and flavourful. I thought the menu had a good balance of options. The service was friendly, and the space had a relaxed, cozy atmosphere. Overall, we enjoyed the experience, the desserts & braised short rib could use some improvement imo but not bad. read more

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Incredible. Let's just start out with the vibe. Immaculate lighting and interior, like an old library/bar with an almost romantic woodsy feel. The service was great, attentive, all of it. Where this place made my day, was the food. The lamb ribs were one of the best bites of food I've ever had. Don't get me wrong, everything else was fantastic, but the lamb ribs BLEW my mind. read more

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Food was great, don't be afraid to try new things, this place does a good job combining different flavours from different ingredients you wouldn't expect to pair well. Staff were really great, and my favourite was the atmosphere and ambiance. This is a great place for a date or or small group of friends as the menu is designed for sharing. read more

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Cool vibe, good food. Came here for dinner and got a bunch of stuff, with the standouts being: - Shortrib: Smoked perfectly, cooked tenderly. Kimchi gave it a nice pop. - Bread and Whipped Butter: Not joking. That butter is memorable. - Chocolate Cake: Soft and smooth. There's a citrusy dash to it which, along with the hazelnut and coffee brittle, is a great contrast to the sweetness. Service was excellent, place was narrow but well laid out, atmosphere was casual and welcoming. I get why so many people like this place. read more

The Wood Owl - Menu (September 2023) - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This restaurant was cosy and cute right beside The Wren. We had a reso on a Wed night at 8:30pm and it was packed. The service was really good. Our Server was charismatic and genuine who was attentive without being intrusive. We were the last table yet they never rushed us but tastefully shared that they close at 11pm. The food was hearty and rustic. Menu is not big but each item was thoughtfully prepared. Surprisingly my favorite was the smoked trout dip with crispy chips. The Vieux Carré cocktail was also tasty. A great neighbourhood gem that's well priced for its location especially compared to all the inflated prices dining out downtown. read more

The Wood Owl - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

COZY RESTURANT WITH GREAT VIBE ON THE EAST SIDE! I arrived at around 5:30pm on a Wednesday and was seated at the bar, which I found it a bit odd since the restaurant was almost empty at the time (thus I was expecting a "sit wherever you want" type response instead). Then we figured out why at around 6pm when we saw waves of people (with reservations) coming in! The place was fully packed shortly after, so make sure you make a reservation even if you plan to go early on a weekday night! I started with a glass of wine while waiting for my partner. The staff is very friendly, energetic, and caring! They took the time to brief me on other "wine by the glass" that's not on the menu - it was a Pinot Noir that day, and it's definitely an above average "house wine". Since I was waiting for my partner to arrive at that time, the staff also popped by from time to time to have little chats which certainly made me feel comfortable and relaxing (especially after a long work day)! The food was quite astonishing! We started with steak tartare and scallop crudo. The steak tartare was probably our favorite - great texture and very smooth when mixed with egg yolk. Too bad it's meant for sharing, as I swear I can finish the whole plate by myself lol :) The scallop crudo was very refreshing - the hints of sourness from the sauce certainly made us even hungrier! In a hindsight, we should have finished the scallop crudo first before we dig in the steak tartare - lesson learned for next time! Then, we ordered the pasta with sausage and the steak with a sauce made with black pepper / soy sauce. The pasta has a very rich taste and the sausage blended in very nicely. The steak is tender and flavorful. The sauce is well made - it doesn't quite fit my liking, but that's just my personal preference and not their fault. The overall experience has been excellent, and we definitely would be visiting again in the future! read more

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oh my days -- i've never had so many sleeper hits from any restaurant because every single dish blew me away. chicken liver mousse is hands down my favourite though, it's silky and savoury which makes it the perfect spread on their house baked challah. beef tartare is also now my new fave in the city. read more

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Food: yellowfin tuna tiradito - artfully plated and incredible, the seared picanha with romesco and shishito peppers - a showstopper, and masala lamb - this was good but did not shine like the other items. Finished with a chocolate cake topped with hazelnut and coffee brittle that was decadent and the perfect end to our dinner. Service: prompt and friendly Ambiance: sat outside which was nice, moved inside when it started raining, very cozy vibes inside read more

Went in for some late night snacks and drinks. Wow ... they have really nice ambiance of retro style Ossington strip vibe. Since we ordered cheese plate, it would be a right choice to go with wine but we were very curious about some cocktail choices. Both Spanish Fizz & Sazerac were delicious. Raw goat cheese ( Treizeme Apotre from QC on the cheese plate was fantastic. When dipped in honey, it was like I was in heaven. Rosemary crackers were also soooo good, we had to order extra. Staff kept coming back to our table to make sure we got everything we needed. Would recommended this place for great wine sipping, cocktails, small plate food for a date night or girls night out. read more

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Nice little restaurant for fine dining. Seems like reservations are almost a must. We walked in and only seats available was a small little bar height desk table for two. Atmosphere is what you would expect at fine dining. So are the prices. We ordered the beef tartar, fried potatoes, steak frites and a cheesecake. All were quite good. Overall a nice place to eat if you're looking for something fancy. In terms of value? I'm not sure it's there price wise. read more

We walked down to The Wood Owl on only its sixth night since opening and were delighted with this new addition to the neighbourhood. A fledgling spot on the Danforth, The Wood Owl has the same ownership as its older sibling next door, The Wren, and a cross pollination of talent from The Wren's talented culinary staff. The decor is circa 1930's diner with a touch of romance thanks to the soft light and warm wood accents. If you remember a lovely but now defunct spot on Queen West called Peter Pan, the feel of the place is similar. In fact, "Queen West comes to the Danforth" although cliched, rings true on the decor alone. A minor demerit on the ambiance was the music selection. Edgy alternative 90s is not my bag and seemed incongruous to the atmosphere but I survived and if the staff dug it, we'll then, ok. It wasn't too loud. The drink menu was refined, even artisanal. My companion had a nice French white wine by the glass. I opted for the pale ale by Slake. I'm usually sceptical of the oft overly hopped local brew craze but this was crisp without being bitter, light without being bland, and had a hint of citrus and the body of a wheat beer. Nice. Oh yeah, the food...We started with the bread, which was crusty and fluffy, served with whipped butter supercharged with extra grains of coarse salt. Well played chef! Next was the butter beans with semi dried tomatoes (more nuanced than sun dried tomatoes) and a kind of olive tapenade dressing. Beans were perfect. There was a hint of too much vinegar in the dressing for my taste, perhaps introduced by the suspension the olives or tomatoes came in. But it was redeemed by a decent about of heat and bite. Ultimately, the beans proved a able foil to the feisty dressing. The highlights were next. Eggplant fritters. Perfectly done with soft and delicate eggplant innards and a crispy but not oily outer crust. Served with a green tahini and a sweet onion relish, the textures and flavours interplayed beautifully. Finally, the charred trout in a cucumber buttermilk dressing was outstanding. Trout was cooked perfectly (not over cooked as is the common folly of lesser kitchens). The charred skin of the fish delighted the palate and the similarly charred spanish onion offered some sweet crispness. The buttermilk cucumber dressing was a nice cool contrast with a hint of honey sweetness. An inspired and perfectly executed dish, much like the Wood Owl on the whole. read more

Came here recently with my bf to celebrate his birthday. This place felt like the perfect spot for a relaxing evening meal, with dim light and cozy seating. Service was on point, staffs were very welcoming and attentive. Food was great and their price was pretty reasonable. Location is very convenient as well, 2 mins walk from greenwood station. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a delightful dinner. read more

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It was my first time dining in the east end since the pandemic started, and I'm really glad to have chosen the Wood Owl. We were well taken care of- service was excellent. We were there from when they opened at 5 PM, until well after 10. The conversations just kept flowing. The wine list is extensive, and the server had great recommendations for the table. I wasn't drinking so they gave me a special bubbly fermented berry something that was quite tasty. For food, we had the zucchini fritters, Branzino crudo, chicken liver mousse, ricotta carrots, and cheese plate. All plates were generous and shareable. I had sent one of the cheeses flying onto the floor while trying to cut through it- oops! And they were kind enough to bring us a new piece. I really enjoyed the sweet and zesty spice of the crudo, and the subtle mix of flavours and textures of the ricotta carrots. The food and vibe are great here- I'll be back for sure in the near future. read more

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The wood owl doesn't take reservations, it's first come first serve. Once we got to the restaurant, we put our name on the list. The wait was maybe 30 mins tops before it was out turn for dinner. Defiantly worth the wait! They have amazing croquettes, nice and crunchy on the outside, and perfectly soft on the inside. I wouldn't skip out on the bread either, the butter it comes with is so deliciously flavourful. We also got a charcuterie spread, and steak with fries. The Sommelier was super knowledgeable and was able to help us narrow down the type of wine we would enjoy. Would love to come back and try a few more things off the menu. read more

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The Wood Owl is incredibly charming on the inside. It's classy and cozy. You can really feel that comfort inside. The staff was incredibly friendly, and our server was so knowledgeable about the entire menu and wine. My friends and I tried various dishes off the menu. We were finding that the dish range went from either exceptional to then decent. There was no bad dish. But when we liked a dish we all agreed it was good. But when a dish was okay, we all agreed on that as well. The best dishes were the beef tartare and short ribs for us. I do suggest coming here if you are in the area. read more

The Wood Owl - Beef tartare and beef tallow toast (front) and Hokkaido scallop crudo (back) - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Great look inside, not too many tables. Food is very good quality and flavours. Smoked trout spread w dill was super, only not with enough chips n they charged for more . Steak n skinny fries cookec perfect and chick pea eggplant unique flvrs. read more

Excellent dishes. Variety and some change of the menu. Overall excellent value. Bring friends and share.

Great for price point. Had their trout dip, which was excellent. Beef tartare was slightly above average (but the bread with the tartare was amazingly flavourful on its own). Short rib was pretty good, rich in flavours with a tasteful purée. Chocolate cake was just alright. Great service and cozy environment making a great date place read more

Visited the Wood Owl for the first time recently. Long time fans of sister restaurant The Wren. The ambience was lively, but also relaxed feeling. Not too noisy. Service was excellent and we had some wines by the glass on special which were well curated and well priced too. The food was outstanding - flavors were complex without being fussy. We will be back for sure. read more

To the hostess who was working front of house at 7:30 pm today: Please develop some emotional intelligence when dealing with customers. To her bosses: Please make sure your staff are trained professionals. I asked the hostess a simple, very common question in restaurant service: "How long will the wait be?" (Wood Owl doesn't take reservations.) She proceeded to sarcastically say "this much" while pinching the air to indicate the number of names on the wait list. When I politely followed up and asked, "Are you able to give me an estimate?" she replied, "I forgot my crystal ball so I wouldn't be able to tell you." When I asked her to clarify her (rude) remark, she finally explained why she couldn't give me a firm estimate because it ranged from maybe 15 minutes to several hours. Um. You could've saved us both a bunch of wasted time and unpleasantness if you just told me from the get-go, "Unfortunately, I can't give you a firm estimate but it ranges from 15 minutes to several hours." This negative experience really dissuades me from trying to eat at the Wood Owl again -- even though I've eaten here before and had a great meal (I'm also a longtime and regular customer of The Wren, which has the same owners). I was pretty surprised by the hostess' attitude given that the Wood Owl is still trying to make a name for itself. It's a pandemic so everyone is stressed but you gotta get your stuff together if you want to be a sustainable business (that's what I and so many other people in this city do). I'm a community leader in this area as someone who plans local events through our neighbourhood association, so I won't hesitate to relay this experience to others. read more

This is my second visit to the Wood Owl and it won't be my last. There's an impressive wine selection and very knowledgeable staff. It's a great antidote to the danforth's mostly generic, boring beer pubs. The food is outstanding. Standout is the ricotta carrots and the croquettes. read more

Was my first choice of place to go once restaurants re-opened from lockdown. The restaurant does a beautiful job of balancing a casual, chill atmosphere with artfully prepared and wickedly delicious food at very reasonable prices. Having actually been twice now, having ordered most things on the menu, can say nothing disappoints. As a pescatarian, my favs were the seafood dishes: trout croquettes that were crunchy, salty magic, and mussels in a silky buttery sauce that I wanted to drink by the pitcher. They specialize in good wines to accompany their dishes and the staff are knowledgeable and friendly. I believe they opened just before the pandemic so give this restaurant some love. read more