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Bar Italia
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian
582 College StreetToronto, ON M6G 1B3
Neighbourhoods: Little Italy, Palmerston, Bickford Park
(416) 535-3621
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 1 am
Fri 11 am - 2 am
Sat 10 am - 2 am
Sun 10 am - 1 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dessert, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
37 reviews for Bar Italia
Review Highlights
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"For dessert I had the panna cotta, which is made on site." In 4 reviews -
"The best flourless chocolate truffle cake." In 3 reviews -
"I highly recommend the lemon tart for dessert." In 3 reviews
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37 reviews in English
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Review from Corey Z.
Toronto, ON
3/24/2012
the food was great, I had the swordfish special and my girl had the linguine pasta, that atmosphere could use a little work...they kept turning the lights lower and lower to the point it was getting a little hard to see, that and the floor and tables/chairs need some rework, the floors remind me of a 1995 cafeteria experience and table/chair combo's are just not very comfortable.
overall I would go back due to the good quality food, but I would like to see them bring the whole decor up to par, you can tell that they did the walls and the like semi recently but the floors and table/chair combo's just stand out like a sore thumb. -
Review from Vivian W.
12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am very tempted to give this a 1 star! The only thing that got me to give a 2 star is their oval shape table. I believe it's the only oval shape table, very cool looking in the restaurant, and the best part is no one would be isolated because they are sitting at one end of the table.
Service was the worst part of the whole dinning experience. It was a Friday night, I get that, and it's busier than normal. We sat down around 7pm, and some of us were 10-15 minutes late..whatever, server came over...explained the menu, and specials of the day...took our orders around 7:30pm. We were still fine at that moment...we were all starving and got kind of impatient after 20 minutes. Our Starters finally came at 8pm! is half an hour since we ordered....what so ever...so we expect our main to come out pretty soon because it's at least half an hour since we place our orders. But no, our main did not come out until 9 o'clock. What's funnier is, one of our friends martini, that was ordered at the same time as we order our food (7:30pm) didn't come until 9pm!
Forget about service, we tried to complaint to our server, all she said is the kitchen was very busy that night. But we just totally disagree, it's not their first friday night operation, the kitchen should know what to do in order to manage the speed.
Anyways, more disappointing is, we all read their yelp review, everyone said the food is excellent. When we got our dishes that night.....the number one disappointing part is that 6 out of 8 plates were cold to warm. (Definitely not fresh off the stove). We complaint to our server....she did offer to bring it back to reheat it, but honestly, we were starved for 2 hours already...really? We expect her to just offer some free dessert or discount on the bill at the end as a courtesy or apology...nothing happened. Because its a birthday dinner, we opened a bottle of champagne and ordered multiples glasses of wines and martinis too. The total of our table is at least $500. Not just that she did not offer discount or free dessert, she also put in the mandatory 18% gratuity to our bill. I understand it's printed on the menu, but that's just not impressive. I will not come back ever. -
Review from Charlotte W.
North York, ON
12/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here for Ryan F's birthday, but also invited some fellow yelpers (Laura C., Vivian W., Simon C., and Alexey T) to Bar Italia. I looked at their website to preview the menu and it seemed like the restaurant offered a wide and tasty selection of Italian fare. I also glanced at their 'photo' section and noticed a round table - nothing irks me more than having people sit in one long table where conversations are isolated to your immediate left and right. Round tables invite everyone to the conversation and no one is excluded.
So, I reserved the only round table at the restaurant for 9 people.
Intro. I was the first to arrive and the hostess (also our waitress) greeted me very professionally. She asked if I was Charlotte, to which she responded it was a pleasure to meet me and handshake. She led me to my table, offered to hang my coat, and mentioned that Friday's were $6 martini nights!
WARNING! There are 3 coat hooks by the round table so that if you are the first one to put your coat on a hook, be prepared to have hundreds of other coats on top of yours. In other words, if you want to leave early, you will have to fish for your coat which I found not cool.
Food. I ordered the Buffalo Mozzarella salad which is nothing new or extraordinary, but if filled my hungry spot quickly. I also ordered one of their special's which consisted of Bucatini Pasta. I immediately thought that it was a play of Bucatini All'Amatriciana but I soon found out that it wasn't. While delicious, the sauce wasn't like the Sugo Amatriciana I remember tasting in parts of Rome. At the end of the day, the pasta was delicious, but it didn't wow me.
For dessert, Ryan F. and I shared the Panna Cotta but to my utter disappointment, it tasted like dense saffron. Next.
Service. The night was busy and I remembering the waitress apologizing for the extremely long wait because the restaurant had an unusually high volume of patrons. Now, I am not sure what to make of that excuse because first of all, reservations are an indication of how many people will be at the restaurant. A good restaurant will take into account how many patrons will be eating and at what time...no?
18% was automatically added to the bill of 8 or more. Although we were 9 in total, we decided to get separate bills. I paid for Ryan F and our bill for two came out to be $225 which is, in my opinion, expensive. To be fair, I added a bottle of Prosecco ($49) to my bill for the table, but to give you a sense - Bar Italia is not cheap.
Because there are restaurants a-plenty on College Street, I wouldn't come out of my way to eat here. -
Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
12/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
2.5 Review
It seemed to have a lot of potential, but in the end didn't meet our expectations.
We can here for dinner on a busy Friday night for Charlotte W and Ryan F 's birthday. What we were really liked was the oval table we requested when making a reservation. It fits 9 people. There was also a large square table in the front that seemed to fit the same. Highly recommended if you come here with a large group. it was perfect for conversation, and I wish more restaurants would follow suit.
The atmosphere is modern and clean. It was a bit noisy, but seemed everyone heard me okay. The chairs were a bit uncomfy, and after sitting for 3.5 hours (I'll get to this) my back really hurts.
Most of us arrived at 6:30, and after she told us the specials our order wasn't taken until at least 7:30. It is true we were engaged in conversation and noticed only afterwards. Ordered our apps, which came later. I did notice that our entrees only came past 8:30 and we left at 10pm. It was a long meal, but could have been faster. Nonetheless, with good company we barely noticed, it was okay. Would have been more annoying in a date situation.
It was also quite dark, and the dimness messed up my eyes a bit, but I think this was only in our section.
We got one of the appetizers to share, Pan seared SCALLOPS with grape tomatoes, pancetta and wilted greens. For $11 there were only 4 scallops, 4 half tomatoes and a few leaves of spinach. It was tasty, and but didn't seem worth it.
For my main, I was looking very much forward to my GNOCCHI GORGANZOLA ($15). The description boasts mushrooms in a veal truffle reduction with gorganzola cheese. I was comtemplating this for a few days actually, and whether I should have such a high intake of creamy/cheesiness which will make me feel nauseous. When I got it, I was disappointed that it tasted nothing like cheese, and although the sauce was flavourful, the gnocchi tasted really plain. There were bits of crunchy pancetta, which was a nice addition, but it just made everything extra salty. Compared to the creamy decadent pasta I had at bar vespa last week, this was incomparable.
AT got the Veal Scallopini ($22). We did mention to the server that this dish (and another at our table) was cold.Note it already took two hours to get the dish, didn't want to wait any longer. She didn't really do anything about it, except say sorry. It wasn't reflected at all in our bill.
The Veal was okay, but flat and dry, only the sauce seemed to make it bearable.
For dessert, we got the Chocolate Truffle Cake ($7). It's flourless, so I think this will work with the gluten free crowd, but tread carefully. It's extremely rich, so make sure to have water in hand.
Overall, I would give the food a 2.5-3. I know some others in the group had better dishes and were pleased. You'll probably find their review here too.
Our service wasn't terrible. She was friendly. Not sure if it's her fault or the kitchen that the food was slow, but I think waiters should have a hand in managing this if it's gone to the wayside. Our food temperature should have been handled better. Sometimes when filling water, she would fill for half the table, maybe she couldn't see because it was dark.
She did, however, gladly split the bill every which way for us, without giving us a hard time, and took all credit cards. Even told our where the closest ATM was.
It's 18% mandatory tip for large groups. Unfortunate that we were forced to pay this even though I am a strong believer that tips are a voluntary monetary reflection of the satisfaction of their service. And since it wasn't amazing, we wanted to show that, but couldn't. Oh well. Do you think they try less hard because they know this? I guess if they made the mandatory tip less, people might pay extra on top of this. But I digress, this is another discussion.
There is a live band upstairs, but we didn't bother to stick around for it. $10 cover, but free if you've eaten there and get escorted by your server. I wish we would have stayed (re: Madelaine's review), but with the heavy cake, and already been sitting for a while, we just couldn't stay. -
Review from Ryan F.
12/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Laura C. summed up a lot of the items that were right and wrong with our night at Bar Italia.
First, loved the group tables they had. The table we were at, was an oval table that allowed our group to be very intimate but also not too crowded in having our meals. I often find that restaurants opt for the small tables to maximize the 1 or 2 people client groups that come in. Fully understand the need, but it often results in a lonnnng table with people dispersed in a fashion where you can really only talk or engage the 3 people in front of you and the 2 people beside you. So this was a nice novelty to have. We were at the wooden oval table tucked in behind the stairs but there was an equally nice square table right at the entrance.
Service wasn't bad. Our waitress seemed very efficient when we came in, almost dictatorial in a Steve Jobs fashion. She was very specific on how food needed to be brought out to the far corner of our table (hardest for a server to reach) which spoke to some sort of plan, but when the food came out in multiple orders, this plan seemed to hinder instead of support the event and service. Seemed odd that the other waiters wouldn't take drink orders, only she was allowed to, even though at least 3 waiters seemed to assist on our table.
I don't know if its a reflection on her or the kitchen on the long wait time for appetizers + main course + most items as the night progressed (which lead to cold meals). I do understand that the place seemed to be really bustling but I am of the opinion that its at the bustling moments that you need to pick up your game because great service in busy times can be the BEST marketing you can invest in.
My food was good. Had the lamb special and it hit the spot, but I am a little cautious to overly rave because by the time i got it, I was starving.
Yelpers don't lie, the panna cotta is good!
It speaks volumes that after the meal, I was still hungry and stopped for street meat...my food was good but the long waits made me hungry :(
Overall I think I would come back, but maybe not in a group (even though they have great tables!!!) Given all the other reviews it may have been an off night for Bar Italia for me and my friends. -
Review from Madelaine D.
Toronto, ON
10/16/2011
4 stars for the restaurant alone but 5 if you take advantage of the band upstairs on a Friday or Saturday night.
What in the world am I talking about? I'm talking about "Shugga", the R&B, soul, hip-hop, funk band that plays a mean set upstairs starting at 11pm every Friday night. The singer sings the ENTIRE set in falsetto with lots of songs that make you want to move (and move people do). The walls are red velvet, the lighting is dim, and the crowd is late twenties and up (and UP!)
The restaurant itself is crowded, in my favourite kind of way. They pack you in, table to table so you can hear the people next to you if you felt so inclined (but you should go with company good enough that you don't want to listen to the people next to you because you're too absorbed in your own titillating conversation.) The lighting is dim. They have booths for bigger groups. A patio that seats 20+ people. It's fantastic.
The servers are casual and friendly but still keep a level of professionalism that I love. The food is fresh, classic and at times, inspired. They have specials every day, and their menu is definitely NOT too long (7-8 pasta dishes, 5-6 secondi's, 10-12 appetizers and a few sandwiches to choose from). Plus a couple daily specials.
If you're going on a Saturday make sure you make a reservation or you won't get in.
Do go on a Friday for the music. It's $10 cover if you come just for the music (which is well worth it) and free if you eat there before hand.
Anyway, this is the perfect way to spend a groovy weekend night and makes a spectacular date (or double date).Listed in: 30-Day-Challenge
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Review from Nadia S.
Vaughan, ON
5/2/2012
Amazing Food. Their pastas and panini's are unbelievable. The prices are very reasonable and the staff is super helpful and friendly. Great and highly enjoyable experience every time I go. . Cool crowd and ambience. Friday and Saturday nights there is fantastic live music. A true favourite and a represents modern italian dining perfectly
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Review from Yvonne T.
My best friend's birthday party brought me back to Bar Italia. The restaurant was quite busy when we arrived but luckily we had resos.
The reason why I didn't give it the full 5 stars rests in attention to detail. Forgetting to bring us requested separate bills and my Lychee Martini that came once with and the other without an actual lychee. Another reason was a few of the dishes weren't up to snuff. For one the Osso Bucco wasn't as tender as it could've been, and the Papparadelle Bolognese was unimpressive.
The feature salad - Citrus Fennel was fresh and light topped with Parmesan and pomegranate seeds. A great starter! The calamari was also one of the best I've had and was cooked perfectly and had a nice charred flavor to it.
For my main I ordered the Papparadelle di Mare which consisted of egg noodles tossed with shrimp, mussels, bay scallops and calamari and finished off with a tangy tomato sauce. I loved the sauce and noodles!
Also tried the Gnocchi Gorgonzola, which I found to be a bit "pasty" tasting. The prosciutto was very salty and the Gorgonzola was too mild.
The Ricotta Cannelloni was divine. The filling was nice and creamy and then topped with a tangy tomato sauce.
Desserts were also superb. The Panna Cotta is smooth as can be and the Tiramisu was amazing; just the right amount of coffee flavor.
Bill for 5 people with 7 drinks and a bottle of Malbec was a little shy of $300 with tax and tip - well worth it! I definitely recommend Bar Italia!Listed in: The Best of Toronto, What's the deal?, 30 Day Yelp Challenge, Sate a Date, Mangia mangia!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/9/2011
With my LivingDeal voucher in hand I entered the Bar Italia.
We were greeted by a handsome waiter who… Read more »
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Review from William T.
Scarborough, ON
10/31/2011
Friends Birthday dinner preceding drinking.
I had the Gnocchi Gorgonzola, which had a chalky texture when I bit into it, & tried a bit of Ricotta Cannelloni which was very good.
Desserts, The Panna Cotta was smooth &the Tiramisu had the optimal amount of coffee flavour.
Overall I liked that interior & decor, the food was good & wait staff were attentive. -
Review from Anita T.
Toronto, ON
9/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
The problem here was that there was too much to choose from. At times like this I wish I had an expandable stomach - seriously, how else am I going to try all the good food?!
I settled on an old classic - whole wheat spaghetti. It was the only sure way of determining if I'd be back (you do a classic right and I'll be back, right?). Well, I wasn't disappointed in the least - loaded with extra veggies and marinara sauce, the spaghetti was absolutely delectable.
My friends ordered the Mixed Grill (where you get a little of everything) and the Gnocchi and they couldn't stop raving either! Apparently, we'll be back! -
Review from Rachel N.
Toronto, ON
2/14/2012
I have been here twice now-once last year and once for Winterlicious. I enjoyed most of the meal but my pasta was far too salty. It has a nice atmosphere, but nothing spectacular. I would probably not return, only because there are so many other great italian places to check out.
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Review from KL M.
Toronto, ON
11/20/2011
I've been here a handful of times and I've always enjoyed my experience. The food is good, the setting is nice, and the desserts are exceptional.
There are a number of good pasta dishes - I've never had a bad experience but none are particularly memorable either - I do, however remember the flourless chocolate cake and lemon tart the most. And the service here is top-notch.
With so many scattered options are Little Italy, this is one that consistently delivers. -
Review from Angela K.
Mississauga, ON
2/6/2012
On Saturday night, my boyfriend and I along with another couple ventured to 'Bar Italia' for Winterlicious. I made my reservation with ease along with some alterations.
Upon arrival, our fabulous 'U' shaped booth was ready for us and it was awesome along with the dim ambiance. It was incredibly busy (which is good for them) therefore resulting in a much longer than anticipated wait time for food/beverages. Luckily our group was laid back and in no rush but an apology for the extremely long wait would have been a nice touch. With that said, the food was definitely worth the wait; it was absolutely delicious! You could tell everything was fresh and made to order and the beef tenderloin was cooked to perfection; huge compliments to their chef. The desserts were amazing too and could tell were made on site.
The service was alright as our server was attentive (although took a while to greet us) but in my opinion lacked personality and seemed run down.
It also looked like there was a private function going on upstairs which is a nice feature of this restaurant; they also had a cute patio in the front for their summer patrons.
All in all, a pleasant experience........the food would bring us back. -
Review from Tonja B.
Toronto, ON
4/10/2011
With a handful of visits under my belt, this morning's brunch at Bar Italia was another friendly reminder of what a great resto-bar this place really is. I have to note that BI has one of the best brunches I've had in the city in a long time. Excellent selection and reasonably priced ($8-$13 mains).
As we were a group of 8+, they reserved a large table for us: oval-shaped and conducive to seeing/chatting with everyone. Perfect. I ordered the French toast - stuffed with lemon-infused ricotta, dusted with cinnamon, and topped with fresh fruit and pure maple syrup: a little taste of heaven. A sample of the eggs benny, omelet, and homemade waffle yielded similar results.
Whether my visit has been for drinking at the bar, late-night dinner or dessert, BI never disappoints. The service each time has been seamless and the staff members are friendly and accommodating. The lunch, dinner, and dessert menu selection is just as exceptional.
Honourable mentions:
- Patio area facing College St.
- Live music Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night upstairs
- The best flourless chocolate truffle cake. Ever.
- A fine selection of scotch and whiskey -
Review from August L.
3/8/2011
Bar Italia is a wonderful place to hold an event.
STAFF
They are very easy to work with and will work with your budget. They are very experienced in holding events and have employees that are knowledgable with AV equipment.
VENUE
The venue has both positive and negative aspects.
Positive
- Great mood lighting
- AV equiped. Meaning they have mircrophones, a projector, PA system
- Elevated stage
- Great looking chairs that they use on stage
- a bar on the top floor
Negative
- The room got REALLY hot during the event and it took a while for the AC to kick in
- The 2nd floor itself is usually where they host events. I don't really like how narrow the place was. You could fit about 8 people per row I believe. It felt really squishy for about 70 peiople
FOOD
I didn't really have any food that night so I can't really comment.
So if you're not picky about the room size and layout, this place is great to hold an event.Listed in: Places to hold events
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Review from Anne M.
1/24/2011
I had lunch here last week and it was good! The spot itself is pretty cool - one part 50s dinner/restaurant, one part stylsh. Black pleather booths line one side and benches with tables lines the other. The servers were lovely and even hung up my coat!
It was about $20 for lunch, with no apps or drink. But, as someone who is very sensitive to onions... the salad came laden with them in the dressing. It's okay to pick them out when dining with friends, but this was a meeting so it was sort of embarrassing! In my humble (and onion hating) opinion.. something as aggressive as onions should be mentioned in the description!Listed in: Onions? No thanks.
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Review from Laura T.
2/21/2011
This review is based entirely on ambiance! But I'm a fan, and would love to go back for an entire meal!
After dinner at Utopia we were looking for a good dessert spot and stumbled across BI - they had a lovely dessert menu that was reasonably priced. There was tiramisu, chocolate tort, some sort of lemon tart dessert and a good selection of tea to accompany. They also had biscotti for $2, it wasn't too hard, and just the right amount of sweetness (chocolate & almond).
It's a really neat spot - cool decor, big comfy round booths, WICKED light fixtures, it was just right for a hot beverage and a sweet.
Heads up - the hot chocolate isn't sweetened, they offer sugar with it, but it didn't receive a favourable review from my girlfriend. -
Review from Cat S.
Toronto, ON
11/26/2010
One of my favourite dinner destinations in Little Italy, and maybe even in the city.
Both of my experiences with Bar Italia have exceeded expectations. On my most recent visit, I had the caprese salad, which I remembered (and raved about) from my first Bar Italia experience months earlier. It did not disappoint. For my entree, I had the egg noodles with bolognese sauce, which was simple and delicious. Some of the best pasta I've had outside of Italy. I highly recommend the lemon tart for dessert. In the sea of Italian restaurants on College St, this one is sure to impress! -
Review from Horace M.
Toronto, ON
3/15/2009
Ye gads. Harumph. It pains me to write such an unfortunately negative evaluation of what seemed to be a neighbourhood standard. I was walking along the boulevard, my cane in one hand and a work of historical academia in the other, a satirical look at the Algerian slave trade, and happened upon this 'Italian Bar', which i believe in the translation. I've never been much for the southern languages, but I daresay my background in Latin helps me understand much of the Italian language. I digress. I entered in with the hopes of a breakfast and a restoring Gin and Tonic (my malaria often acts up this time of year), but was sadly disappointed. My complaint has nothing to do with the polite service or ambiance, although the music was a bit loud and I had to turn my hearing aid down a few notches, but rather with the abysmal fare they are plopping onto the tables in this joint.
Why would a gentleman such as myself want peameal bacon which has been pre-cooked and thrown onto a grill when ready to eat? Or a sausage for that matter? The real slap in the face was the toast, which cost about 90pence, thin, dry, bended pieces of rubbish. When I pay as much for a couple of slices of the old daily bread as costs a loaf, I expect at least an inch thickness and a nice, moist centre, not the bloody bird feed I got!
I must say that the eggs were poached expertly, and the fruit salad was nice, but that is beside the point. I beg you, have your morning nosh elsewhere.
Good Day Sirs! -
Review from Sarah S.
North York, ON
8/15/2011
I keep returning to bar italia for it's excellent service and succulent dishes.
The menu is simple and the ingredients are always fresh. I have a wicked sweet tooth and without fail, the tiramisu or the flourless chocolate torte satisfy me every single time. -
Review from Katrina L.
Richmond Hill, ON
5/28/2009
I sat on this tiny little patio that I had to literally climb over a few people to get to but once seated, it was surprisingly comfortable and not at all intrusive if you wanted a private conversation.
The inside had a great vibe and was quite romantic with candlelight, as many of the other restaurants in the area have, and upstairs was a lounge type of place with couches to sit on, a bar that had some great lighting around it and a DJ playing some decent music. Bathrooms are downstairs and are decently clean and smell pretty good for being in the basement.
They had $6 martini's that day (Friday) and some decent tasting food. Everything seems decently priced and matched the taste of the food, I felt that the side of rapini that my partner ordered was overpriced and underwhelming. I was dying to try the tiramisu but it looked quite small and didn't have the stomach for it after eating a large portion of food.
Most people sat there and ate and chatted and stayed long after they finished eating for some more drinks and good conversation. Great place for a date as it has a romantic feel and isn't so loud that you have to scream at each other. -
Review from John C.
Mississauga, ON
1/30/2011 1 photo
Great food for a great price.
I have been here a few times and always leave very happy. -
Review from Danielle F.
Toronto, ON
5/5/2010
What does one do to reward themselves after hours of moving in and out of apartments? Go to Bar Italia, sit in the sheltered-yet-still-outdoor patio, press your palms flat on the white marble and have a great meal. That is just what I did, mother/moving partner in tow.
Bar Italia's got the whole patio thing figured out. I'm pale, I don't want to sit right in the sun but I would love the breeze and outdoor feel. That's just what I got.
The meal started off with a warm mushroom salad with walnuts, celery hearts, and parmesan cheese (the real deal, shaved slices, not the powdery stuff). It was such a nice and refreshing start with a glass of white wine to top off the experience.
Onto pasta. I seldom go to Italian restaurants without hitting this carb up, in any form. I got the fettuccine with chicken, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil and parley in a cream sauce. Perfectly cooked pasta, a generous offering of all the above components, and sheer creamy-but-not-too-creamy deliciousness made this one a winner. A waiter even came over thinking I was done, but there was no way I was giving that last bite up. I finished it. I love that it didn't come in ridiculous size. Still a good portion, still more than enough, but edible in one sitting unlike the heaps upon heaps of pasta I see in other places.
Ah, I feel more relaxed even as I write this review. Who needs yoga? Bubble baths? Long walks on the beach? Go here.Listed in: 5 Star Toronto******
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Review from Sophia K.
Toronto, ON
7/22/2009
Bar Italia has a really chill vibe and is a great place to go with a group, or with a date. I've been in a group of about 7 or 8 and they were very accommodating, which is always nice. They also have cozy seating inside and a pretty nice patio. Food is always delicious, and priced accordingly. To me the menu seemed a little small but I think they change it up every once and awhile.
Also, the other day I was walking by and noticed that they offered brunch, so I would say that is definitely worth checking out! -
Review from Jay G.
Toronto, ON
5/27/2009
This place is has a nice small patio that I was able to enjoy, a rarity in Toronto. The space inside is very nice with booths along one side, banquettes on the other, a mixture of light wood and dark leather, and a big opening to the kitchen, I love when restaurants do that.
The upstairs lounge area is even nicer with red velvet walls, white banquettes, dark flooring, a good sound system, and great mood lighting it is very rare to find a place to get both good food and good music in a good environment.
As much as I wanted to stay inside the weather was so perfect I had to take advantage of it and turned out to be great. Although the patio is small and may be a little crammed the service outside is just as speedy and charming as it is on the inside. The waitress was very nice, accommodating, funny, and really knew her stuff when it came to specials, drinks, and pairings.
Food is good. I don't recommend the vegetable crustini as it is not very flavorful and the crustini as more stale chewy bread than a thin cracker like bread. I had the seafood pasta for dinner and it was good. I wouldn't say it is the best pasta I've ever had, but its pretty good and the portion is large. You get shrimp, muscles, bay scallops, and calamari all in a wonderfully light tomato and herb sauce. I was full half way through but it was just so good I ate it all. My one complaint was that a lot of my pasta stuck together and being an Italian place, you just gotta make the pasta right, flavors were good though. The bread served up is also very good.
Overall, it's a great place to have food and a few drinks. Service is awesome and the lounge upstairs has a good vibe. Makes life easier for those indecisive people out there that wanna do dinner and do something else afterward, this place has both dinner and nightlife. Prices are decent and pasta portions are good. Rapini sides are great but $5 for rapini is almost crazy. -
Review from Melissa G.
North York, ON
10/21/2009
I had a lovely dinner with my big sister at Bar Italia last night!
This restaurant has a very funky vibe with soft lighting, cool interiors and great service.
From the moment my sister and I walked in, we were greeted by the help and warmth of their staff.
The food at Bar Italia was absolutely delicious and was not too badly priced.
For an appetizer, my sister and I split the shrimp cocktail, which comes with a few HUGE shrimp, complete with seafood sauce to dip into and a mixed green salad on the side.
For our main courses, my sister had the rigatoni with spinach and cheese which was dressed in a flavourful rose sauce.
I had the risotto, which was an amazing mixture of rice, smoked chicken, spinach, plump cherry tomatoes and was dressed in asiago cheese. The combination was just heaven when it came to my palette.
For dessert, we split the flourless chocolate truffle cake, which was rich and literally melted in our mouths.
The final bill came out to $60, which is not horrible for a full meal complete with appetizers and dessert.
I would recommend Bar Italia because the food is good quality, the service was friendly and the atmosphere is really warm and nice.
Also, they apparently do private events if you are looking for a party venue.Listed in: A little taste of Italy in…
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Review from Lynda C.
Aurora, ON
4/21/2009
Love love love Bar Italia!
As a student who is constantly in the city, specifically the College St. area, Bar Italia is a great place for a sandwich, great salad (Bresola salad!), a quick drink on their patio...but my favourite...Seafood Pasta. My friends and I go there specifically for this dish....and clearly so does half of the restaurant since the last time I was there about 50% of the crowd were also eating the same thing.
Otherwise, the atmosphere is great, and so is the service. -
Review from Hailey E.
Toronto, ON
2/6/2009
On of the best places in the city to host a party, Bar Italia serves up consistently good food in a fun and laid-back atmosphere. Prices are affordable and the live music upstairs on weekends can be a lot of fun. I've hosted and attended parties of 8 to 40 people both upstairs and downstairs at this College Street hotspot.
The selection of martinis and mixed-drinks along with a highly accessible wine list makes this a great (and easily accessible) place to meet friends. -
Review from Mike P.
Toronto, ON
7/27/2011
Not great, but I'll chalk it up to summerlicious menu...I've eaten there before and it was better. Service was lousy
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Review from Joey S.
Toronto, ON
6/27/2011
Great food, great service, great ambiance. I highly recommend this place for either a romantic date, or bring the family. Super friendly wait staff. One of my very favorite eating establishments in Toronto.
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Review from Mariko M.
3/12/2010 6 photos
I came here tonight for a birthday dinner with my girlfriends. As we were seated, our waiter told us about the $6 Martini promotion... BONUS! It was sheer coincidence that there was this promotion after talking about our favorite martinis on our street car ride to Bar Italia.
Both the exterior and interior of this joint are aesthetically pleasing. Portion sizes are generous and is reflected in the price. My main course was the risotto - filled with vegetables and chicken. I was impressed! For dessert I had the panna cotta, which is made on site. It was absolutely delicious and I would recommend to anyone. It was sweet, but not too sweet that you couldn't enjoy the dessert.
I would like to come back in the summer when I can down a couple of martinis while looking out on to College Street.
In short, I recommend:
- Lychee martini as a cocktail
- Risotto as a main
- Panna Cotta as a dessert -
Review from Benjamin G.
Toronto, ON
4/16/2009
Last season's holiday party was held at Bar Italia. It was my first there and my first time seeing their second floor. I'm a fan of their interior style and design. Plus who doesn't love suede ceilings?! Right?! ...No? My personal fav are the blue pencil lights hanging from the ceiling in the back of the second floor.
The holiday party deal was dinner was covered but drinks were your own bill. (I should note that I didn't organize the evening so I don't know what was agreed on) I was disappointed to find out that something as cheap as coffee wasn't included in the dinner. Slap 2 coffees onto my bill, that's right, two. Aren't refills normally free? Now I know this is would be a generous extra, but I feel it would have gone a long way to give each table a bottle of wine. Through my investigative methods I found out the price Bar Italia charged person was not cheap. It's the little extras that make the difference. I felt that Bar Italia was just interested in the suppling the most basic service they could. The food was good which helped my opinion. The food wasn't great, but it was good and I enjoyed it. I feel it should be noted that the staff was really nice. I almost didn't mind the small details Bar Italia lacked because of the awesomeness of the staff (almost). Overall I enjoyed Bar Italia and I would probably go back. If by change the manager or owner is reading this, consider going to extra mile. It would make a huge difference.
Pros:
Awesome atmosphere
Great staff
Really cool blue lights
Good food
Cons:
Coffee.. please include it
Attention to detail -
Review from Kat F.
4/4/2009
I can't vouch for the lunch/dinner options but the chocolate ganache cake at Bar Italia is to DIE for. Maybe literally. It's essentially composed of just pure dark chocolate and heavy cream. Unbelievably good. It's definitely an indulgence but kinda nice if you're coming back from a movie at the Royal and want to have a sinful dessert.
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Review from Lan T.
Toronto, ON
6/5/2009
I really like this place. If my husband was to rate it, it would get 4 stars as he loves the seafood pasta. I like the risotto. The service is adequate and the food is good.
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Review from Helen Y.
Vancouver, BC
6/6/2010
had visitors from Vancouver, took them for week night dinner on the patio, great spot, got rock star parking, started off nice.. yummy drinks, great service, then the food came... we all ordered salads to share and pasta. my mushroom salad was pretty good, but i thought the pastas were pretty mediocre. Pusateri makes better pasta.. sorry..!
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Review from Keidi K.
3/30/2010
Maybe it's just me but I find the waitresses here overly arrogant, its really a turn off since the food is good.
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Review from Anita S.
Toronto, ON
4/1/2011
Great food, good service - have been going here for over ten years on a regular basis and it's consistently good - I can't say that about many places. I have never had a bad meal here and it's always good.
