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Bloom Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Latin American Latin American [Edit]
2315 Bloor St WToronto, ON M6S 1P1
Neighbourhood: Swansea
(416) 767-1315
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Tue-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
12 reviews for Bloom Restaurant
12 reviews in English
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Review from bold c.
Toronto, ON
11/13/2011
Recommendation - Good buy
30 Sec Summary
-----------------------
1. Try the $35 chef selection during the week
2. The soup was warm and comforting
3. Atmosphere hospital and bright
4. Try the mussels and capacio -
Review from Chris M.
Toronto, ON
4/7/2012
I had dinner there and my meal, steak w/garlic mash and aspargus wasn't very special. My date had a lobster risotto with tomato, that turned out to be a tomato sauce risotto with lobster. The tomato sauce had a Campbell soup flavour. Ugh. That being said, when we mentioned that we weren't pleased the staff promptly removed the dish from the bill and threw in a round of drinks. The service there is SPECTACULAR!! The food needs to work up to the same calibur.
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Review from Linda M.
7/14/2011
My first summerlicious of the season! And it didn't disappoint. Bloom is right in my neighbourhood but I've never been because it's a little more than I try to spend on a regular basis. My DC and I often try restaurants together, and although she lives in the neighbourhood too, we've never gone together to a restaurant in our area. So we decided to change that!
First off, it really is a lovely little place. The seating is super comfy, whether you're on the bench or the chairs, which I always appreciate. I enjoy skooshy furniture. The atmosphere really sets the mood for the dining experience. Another extra that I really liked was that they put their summerlicious menu into an actual menu, rather than just having it printed off as I've seen in some other establishments. The service was also fantastic, I can't say enough about that. My water glass was never empty, and I tend to drink a lot of water. And what's better is that they weren't intrusive about it. Just the standard checking in on each course, but then our conversation wasn't interrupted. They would just come by and silently fill the glass if necessary. Loved it!
On to the food...for starters I had the prosciutto-wrapped chicken and my DC the gazpacho. Both dishes were beautifully presented and were not lacking on the taste front either. The guava foam that accompanied my chicken was especially interesting to me. I'm not the biggest fan of frisee though, I find it doesn't have much flavour and is a little difficult to eat tidily. I was a little surprised that the gazpacho was pinkish in colour, since it was described as being a cucumber soup? But my friend said nothing and seemed to really enjoy it.
For mains, we both went with the flank steak cooked medium-rare. Again, beautiful presentation. The chimichurri pesto on top wasn't really my thing, to be honest. It looked pretty but I didn't find that it really enhanced the taste. The steak was cooked very well, a little more rare than I was expecting, but still good. It was also pre-sliced into three pieces that had been seared on their sides. Very tasty steak for sure. The yucca fries were fantastic; I wish there had been more than three.
As for desserts, I ordered the "Nutella and Spicy Chocolate Layer Cake" and my friend the churros with dulce de leche ice cream. I'm not a big fan of churros myself, but the ice cream that I tried was divine. My cake however...it was good. It was tasty. But it was not what I expected at all. First, it was pretty small. It was a rectangle smaller than a post-it. And it wasn't chocolate. I'm not sure what the layers were, but I was expecting a big chocolate cake with some nutella in there, and some kind of chili spice to it. The only thing that I got right was the nutella. The thin layer of frosting on top was definitely nutella. But there was no detectable spice, and there was no chocolate cake. The rest of it was white. Still tasty...but not what I was expecting based on the description, and smaller than I would have hoped for.
All in all, it's a restaurant with a very nice atmosphere, fantastic service, and good food - but not great food. I will add that my friend seemed to enjoy it immensely and had no complaints. I would give the food three stars, but the service, presentation and the atmosphere deserve another.Listed in: 'Licious List
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Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
10/6/2011 7 photos
Summerlicious ($35) at Bloom Restaurant was quite delicious.
Summer rain and me forgetting my wallet resulted in me being over 30 minutes late for my reservation. The staffs did find a table for me but my Yelp Drinking Buddy who was busy drinking down the street was later than me, so I ended up ordering one of their Martini Sparkling Pom ($12) which was delicious...
My eating arrangement with my YDB is that we always that we have to order something different so I am stuck with
Appetizer: Prosciutto-wrapped Chicken With Frisee Salad and a Guava Foam Dressing
Main:Coriander Roasted Arctic Char Cilantro Yogurt Sauce with Roasted Fennel and Carrots
Dessert: Churros & Dulce de Leche Ice cream
Personally I like my choice better. The taste was more subtle and was quite refreshing for summer days.
Now from Tuesday to Thursday Bloom has a prix menu for $35 so you don't need to wait for any "Licious" try out their Mediterranean Menu with Latin American Influences!! -
Review from Christine C.
Etobicoke, ON
The flower is definitely back on The Bloom on Bloor Street. I used to be fairly regular at this Bloor West destination but dining competition is fierce and after a few visits at Bloom the menu lost its lustre for me. Then by chance a food writer friend of mine invited me to what I refer to as a "soft re-opening" of the restaurant. Immediately I noticed there seemed to be a different, fresh vibe in the dining room.
The wall colour isn't the only thing different at Bloom. The new man behind the doors in the kitchen, Chef Pedro Quintanilla, whose background in Cuban cooking, turned the menu on its ear with his blend of Latin dishes. Surrounded by my food tweeps we settled in for a glimpse to what we could expect from the newly refaced Bloom restaurant.
The hosts welcomed us with some lovely light cocktail offerings of Bloom Mojitos or the Blooming Buds. Both were refreshing and a great way to start up the evening. The opening act was Cassava Frites garnished with Mojo dipping sauce. Anything with the word mojo in it is like that moment in the film "Jerry Maguire" with the old "you had at me at hello" line. It was a perfect Amuse Bouche and got my taste buds all roaring and ready to go.
Starters were a choice between Ceviche or a Spring Terrine. In my wisdom I buddied up with a Food Tweep and we struck an agreement to each order the opposite and share our plates so we could get to try it all. The Spring Terrine (chicken liver & foie gras) was sided with crostini, two crispy onion rings and stems of freshly steamed aspargus. Kudos to the kitchen for not turning the asparagus into stringy sticks of greeness. On an ethical food note, Bloom is committed to using sustainable fish, bravo to the management for recognizing the importance of a sustainable seafood supply. The fish was cured in lime juice, habanero peppers and cilantro. It had some attitude and I was down with that. Although the Ceviche we had that evening was a bit chewier than I prefer, the lime juice with the Habanero really kicked it up a notch. For me the winner was the Spring Terrine. I have since again tried the Ceviche, which really is a house specialty, and the second time was much better.
For mains, the choice was Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna Fillet with crispy spuds, roasted veggies drizzled with a tofu-wasabi dressing or a pan seared Flank Steak topped with a Chimichurri Sauce, sided with garlic mashed potatoes and ginger glazed carrots. The fish was cooked perfectly with the sesame creating a very dry crust. I have eaten my share of Chimichurri over the years but hands down the Chimichurri atop a seared rare sliced pile of flank steak was freakishly delicious.
Most restaurants make the Chimichurri in a food processor, turning it into what most would say looked more like Pesto. This Chimichurri had real body to it. It wasn't runny but rather sat like a firm condiment across the meat. I later learned from Chef Quintanilla that he hand chops the Chimichurri which explains the consistency. It also told me volumes about the calibre of the food he sends out of the kitchen.
While I liked the Tuna, I'm a meat loving kinda girl and the flank steak was a home run. Just writing about that Chimichurri on the steak makes my mouth water. A mouthful of that meat and those garlic mashed potatoes was a food love affair in my mouth.
Bring on the sweets! The evening choices consisted of Churros (insert drool strings here) with warm chocolate sauce and ice cream or a Cuban Dulce de Leche flan with Thyme. The Churros was much more tiny than what I am accustomed to. The killer though was the warm chocolate sauce that was edgy with a slight tang of heat and cinnamon. The Dulce de Leche flan was true to flan style and was pretty much spot on although I'm not sure I could taste the Thyme.
The winner for the sweets of the evening, without question, had to be those crispy little Churros drizzled with that chocolate sauce.
Malivoire wines were the accompanying libations. They included a 2009 Pinot Gris, a 2007 (which by far and away was one of the best years for wine in Ontario) Pinot Noir and for dessert a 2008 Icewine Riesling was served. All worked well with the food but for me I was feeling the love for the Pinot.
I'm definitely adding Bloom back to my restaurant destination list. It's a great date spot, a great spot to get together with your girlie pals or just a lovely, low key spot to kick back and enjoy a decent meal. The new menu at Bloom is worth a look at. You don't want to miss out on that Chimichurri and the Churros are plate licking worthy! Like I said, the flower is definitely back on the Bloom!
Couple of quick notes; Bloom offers a BYOW with corkage of $10 bucks Tues-Thurs, $20 Fri-Sat. -
Review from Janna S.
9/3/2010
I made reservations here after purchasing a Groupon voucher. I read the reviews and looked at the website before my visit, so I was expecting something a bit more upscale based on the pricing. Don't get me wrong, this place is lovely and hardly ramshackle, but some of the chairs have seen better days and the decor seems more homey than haute.
I ordered the salad and crabcake appetizer for my dinner and my friend had the salmon entree. The menu changes from time to time so the selection is somewhat limited, albeit quite fresh. The salad was delicious with just the right blend of sweet and tangy, but for $9, this appetizer-sized salad needs to be outstanding (which it was).
The crab cake appetizer was surrounded with a thick sprinkling of... dust. Yes, dust. What appeared to be cheese was the result of a voracious dish-polishing regime going on the kitchen. The server apologized profusely and reappeared with a replacement crab cake. This was decent, but for $16, I was a bit disappointed.
Overall the service was outstanding but the decor and food were priced a few points above what I thought they should have been. -
Review from Rafi N.
Toronto, ON
8/1/2011 3 photos
Bloom is a modern and classy restaurant. The food is good and the service even better. I came here for a 3 course Summerlicious dinner with a friend.
*** FOOD ***
I had the Summerlicious 3 course meal.
* Pear & Caramelized Onion Empanada *
The empanada was nice. The pear and onions made it sweet. The crust was soft but crunchy on the edges. The cheese was not to my liking. The greens and vinaigrette were refreshing.
* Grilled Flank Steak *
The steak was cooked medium rare, but it was a little on the tough side. The outside was tender, but inside was chewy. The meat didn't cut as easily as I expected. The sauce that was served with the beef was runny. The fried yucca was okay but seemed like it came out of a package since it was deep fried. The portion size was good and altogether it was a nice meal.
* Spicy Chocolate Layer Cake *
This was a good chocolate cake. The cake is like a traditional cake: it's fluffy and moist. There isn't a lot of icing, and there a thin layer of chocolate on top. The cake isn't too sweet and it has a slight kick of spice, but it's not peppery.
*** SERVICE ***
Service was very good. As soon as I entered, I was immediately greeted and asked if I wanted anything to drink. The server was patient with me as I decided what I wanted. He refilled our water throughout the night. He was always pleasant and seemed happy.
*** ATMOSPHERE ***
Bloom is a modern and trendy looking restaurant. It is very clean and well lit. They dim the lights in the evening for a more intimate feel. There is a lot of grey and all the furniture is pretty straight-edge cut, which makes it feel a little sterile. The overall effect of the decor is modern and classy.
*** PRICE ***
Prices are generally decent, but this was Summerlicious.
* 3 Course Summerlicious Dinner | $35 *
*** BLOSSOM ***
Bloom is a nicely decorated restaurant with great service. The food and the pricing is okay. Anyone could have a nice time at Bloom, but you won't be dazzled by the food. There is more on the menu than what I had, so I would be willing to try Bloom again.Listed in: Steak Out
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Review from Andrea L.
York, ON
2/9/2010
Mmmmm! I've lived in the west end for almost five years now and have been hanging around here for a few more and had never eaten here before. I've walked by on a number of occasions and looked in, but had never eaten.
I decided to take my boyfriend out for a celebration of sorts. However, my timing coincided with Winterlicious and I thought I would be out of luck. Bloom accommodated us on a blustery Saturday night. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and were impressed with the portions sizes. The bass and the cinnamon fritters were amazing. It's really great that we may now have our cute little go-to! -
Review from Alexandria M.
Toronto, ON
3/30/2011
Delicious food and terrific customer service. I had the steak frites and it was mouthwatering! My waiter recommended a perfect wine pairing. Amazing experience!
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Review from Ramanan S.
Toronto, ON
8/22/2008
Bloom is a brilliant restaurant. It's a gem hidden away in the west end of the city. I have been several times now, and have yet to be disappointed. The interior of the restaurant is quite nice. A handful of tables line the wall along the left side of the restaurant and end at the bar. White brick walls contrast the smooth red ceiling nicely. On the right are a few larger tables and a booth of sorts. The place is dimly lit, which is what makes it look closed from the outside when you peer in through tinted glass. I wanted to steal the chair I was sitting on, but didn't think I'd be able to sneak it out of the store. The food is great. (It's sort of Italian, but not quite.) They have a small menu that changes often, which you can view on their website. This is a great place to take a date.
Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Brenna K.
Toronto, ON
2/9/2010
I went here for winterlicious and was totally unaware this restaurant existed in my neighbourhood. I opted for spinach salad, the vegetarian dish which was this hugh falafel type thing wth apples, cucumber and a dill yogurt on top and it was amazing. The portions were big and the service was great. I would definately go back, but not on a regular basis as it was a little expensive even for winterlicous. We did have wine and with tip it was about $65 per person.
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Review from Rachal S.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2011
My family and I went here for Winterlicious and it was my best 'licious experience yet. The food was fantastic and good sized portions. The ambiance was wonderful and the most courteous staff ever! Most stand-out dish was the pan-seared chicken. Cooked perfectly and paired with a unique veggie - anise! Apps and desserts were wonderful too. It was a table of very different palates, but everyone enjoyed themselves.If you get a chance to check it out for Winterlicious - GO!
