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Baldini
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
1012 Queen Street EastToronto, ON M4M 1K1
Neighbourhood: Leslieville
(416) 849-1233
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
10 reviews for Baldini
10 reviews in English
-
Review from Bryan C.
Toronto, ON
It was lunch, I was in the area and I was hungry. I was told by my brother that I had to try Baldini because it was the best food in the area. Always willing to try a new restaurant, that is where him and I headed. When we first walked in it was a treat for the senses. Dual layer table clothes, cloth napkins, oil and vinegar on the table, the smell of fresh sauce; a great visual for an Italian restaurant. My brother and I were greeted by a very smiley Tony, who I later found out was the owner of the restaurant. Tony even recognized my brother as having been there before and remembered personal details that he asked about, very nice and welcoming.
Leslieville is a very over priced area when it comes to food, with lunch anywhere you go being in the $15+ range. Baldini was no different with most sandwiches being $8+ and pizzas being 12+, then add a drink and you are $15-20 for lunch. The atmosphere though was a lot more welcoming than other restaurants in the area which I have found to have a pretentious attitude in the air. Both my brother and I got the Carne pizza, although he kept trying to push the Siciliano sausage sandwich because he had it before and it was incredible.
The food came out pretty quick, looking and smelling great. The taste matched the smell and was one of the best pizzas that I have had in the city. The crust was thin and crispy and I don't know if it was the mix of 50% wheat flour or what, but it had a really nice taste to it. The sauce tasted homemade, but with everything else on the pizza it was overpowered too much to notice. The meats were cooked very well which isn't found too often when it comes to pizza places I found, and the bacon used was thick and crispy. I love pizza like Pizzeria Libretto or Magic Oven, but I think overall the pizza at Baldini is a much more solid pizza (the fresh basil on top giving it a more Italian feel doesn't hurt either).
All in all it was a fantastic lunch. A big and fun personality of the owner, the Italian feel and smells on first entrance, and the full flavoured food. Although I was there with my brother, this would be a perfect location for a nice quiet, romantic date. I have of course not seen the setup for dinner (if candles are out on the tables and the lights turned low), but between the price point and the atmosphere, I can't help but recommend. For anyone wandering through the Leslieville area, I suggest you pop into Baldini for some of the greatest food I have found (so far) in the area. -
Review from Eric T.
Toronto, ON
5/13/2012
Baldini's is a wonderful, low-key Italian resto in a quieter part of the Leslieville strip, on the North side between Carlaw and Pape. Never heard of it? I'm not surprised given the lack of media write-ups or the minimal number of Yelp reviews. It surprises me given the quality of food, service and ambiance.
On my most recent visit, I enjoyed the delicious seafood linguine. The pasta was cooked perfectly and served with a generous portion of seafood in a deliciously garlicky sauce, which is right up my alley. The service is always friendly and prompt. Definitely left me with a family-run sorta feel. Lastly, the space is quaint and romantic. It's definitely on the warm and cozy side, which is perfect in the fall-winter.
Since I live in the 'hood, I've always used Baldini's for take-out. They were prompt, efficient and friendly...and the food has always been tasty! A winner in my books! -
Review from Corey D.
5/13/2012
I don't know much about Italian cuisine (even though I took a cooking class years ago in Florence, I'm blaming the wine for my lack of retention), but I do know when a server says our special tonight is _____, you stop him/her right there and order it. Case in point, a delicious pasta dish with a light tomato sauce, some veg and a spicy Italian sausage. The flavors blended together so nicely, and I felt the proportion of sauce to protein to pasta was spot on. Sometimes places will amp up the noodles because it's the cheapest component on the plate, but not the great folks at Baldini.
And great they were! Incredibly nice, very attentive, great at making a tasty red recommendation to sip with my eats, and quick to notice when I needed more water or bread (bread + olive oil = yum).
I think my favourite part of the experience was the seating situation. It's really intimate inside (like most Leslieville jaunts I've noticed) which makes for a super close evening with friends. I was alone, but a table of hilarious men sat adjacent to me (almost with me) to celebrate one of their bud's birthdays. I didn't catch that gent's name but they made him wear a tiara that said Princess, so he'll forever be known to me as Princess.
Get this, not that I was eavesdropping (give me a break the tables are close!), but I overheard Princess tell the other dudes about this section of the subway that has yet to be completed. Right now it's just a desolate underground abyss waiting for someone to pour more money into it to complete the line. I was super curious about where this station is located. Can you imagine heading down their for an event? Some sort of underground music/dining deal where only those in the know, know?
All in all a great evening out. I suggest grabbing an appetizer instead of saving room for dessert. Nothing on the menu sounded too interesting to me the night I was there, and the sweet I ordered (couldn't even tell you what it was) was overshadowed by the tasty bread and olive oil and delectable pasta special! -
Review from Jon O.
3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Baldini surprisingly took a reservation for 16 for my birthday considering the entire restaurant probably seats about 30 people. They have one waiter, one busboy, and a chef.
The first thing I noticed is that it seems like they have been doing this a long time. The service is impeccable - friendly and down-to-earth, but very knowledgeable about the menu and helpful with the wine list. The waiter even used the kitschy, massively over-sized pepper grinder for our amusement.
The food was solid, traditional Italian. My date and I shared the carpaccio to start, which I have to admit was only okay. It was supposed to be pepper-encrusted, but the flavour could have used some more punch. For the main I had calabrese con rapini, which was excellent. The flavour combination was executed much better in this dish and paired well with the penne (I love getting sauce explosions from inside the pasta).
Almost everyone in the party of reduced-to-14 thoroughly enjoyed their meals.
Overall the experience was great. I highly recommended Baldini if you're looking for traditional Italian fare with the accompaniment of great service in a comfortable, cozy setting. -
Review from Lora K.
Toronto, ON
11/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
I wanted to try this place after reading the Yelp reviews and being not overly impressed by the Nose, which is the close-to-home Italian place in the neighbourhood.
Baldini's is nice and cozy, quiet and perfect for a date night. What really won us over was the food. Basically, it was exactly as you always hope each dish will taste. My boyfriend ordered bruschetta, and it tasted exactly how you hope bruschetta will taste when you order it. Same went for the minestrone soup.
The entrees were excellent as well. I had the agnolotti amore, which was something like a butternut squash ravioli in rose sauce. There was a bit too much sauce, but too much is better than too little. I just scraped a bit of it off, but I love butternut squash, so that's what I wanted to taste more than anything, and with a little less sauce, it was perfect.
The service was charming and friendly with a bit of humour. All in all, an excellent night out for Italian food. We raved about it the whole walk home, and we'll definitely be back again. -
Review from Ev C.
Toronto, ON
9/5/2011
Average, but cozy. Good service.
Holiday Monday dinner, so the small restaurant wasn't crowded yet still had a light stream of business - both in house and take-out. We had:
- Gamberi Limone (grilled shrimp on baby spinach salad w/ garlic crostini)
- Spaghetti Bolongese (meat and mushroom sauce)
- Risotto Pescatore (seafood)
The shrimp were overcooked, some hadn't been completely deveined near the pesky tail end, and the salad might've been a touch overseasoned. My dining partner commented that it was a bit on the sour side, and wasn't sure what one of the dressing ingredients was - I ventured a tapenade by the looks of it. The spaghetti was nice and al dente, but I found the sauce a little too salty to be fully balanced. In comparison the risotto was almost bland, but it had a nice seafood flavour to it. It had mini scallops, two each of shrimp and calamari, and a scattering of little mussels (not clams).
Service:
Good. We seated and served water and bread right away, and had constant top-ups of hot water without having to ask. The one server (manger/owner?) was very attentive and had good timing. -
Review from Sabrina J.
Toronto, ON
2/25/2012
The BEST meal I've had in a long time. My bolognese was sublime. My partner's steak was the best he has ever had. I had a bite and it was truly wonderful. My only complaint is that the tables are too close together, so it can be awkward/uncomfortable at times.
-
Review from Mel C.
Toronto, ON
11/20/2010
Seriously underrated restaurant in Leslieville. I almost never think of it when trying to come up with dinner ideas but tonight someone did and the choice was unanimous. We shared the grilled calamari and the carpaccio and they were both perfectly delicious. As was the bread we used to sop up what was left of the balsamic glaze that accompanied them.
I had the filet mignon and it was tender and delicious in a Barolo wine sauce over mixed vegetables. Really really tasty. The lamb special and the seafood linguine went over equally well with my dinner companions. The portion sizes were generous, the prices, while not cheap, were reasonable (dinner for three with a bottle of wine for $100), and the service was wonderful. There were lots of patrons that seemed to be regulars, always a good sign. I may well become one of them. -
Review from Gary L.
Owen Sound, ON
9/10/2010
Great experience. Each of our four appittizers and entres surpassed our expectations. Fabulous food! Excellent service.
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Review from Jarrod M.
Toronto, ON
3/30/2011
Had a great meal here last week. We started with the antipasto then I had the surf and turf special and my girlfriend had the Veal Lamone. Very delicious. Great atmosphere and the server couldn't have been nicer and helpful. We will be going back again and again
