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Eight Wine Bar
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Nightlife Bars Wine Bars Canadian (New), Wine Bars [Edit]
Cosmopolitan Hotel Toronto8 Colborne St
Toronto, ON M5E 1E1
Neighbourhoods: St. Lawrence, Downtown Core
(416) 350-8188
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Intimate
- Has TV:
- Yes
6 reviews for Eight Wine Bar
6 reviews in English
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Review from Joy L.
Scarborough, ON
2/4/2012
It's sad but every licious (summerlicious, winterlicious) I would create and excel spreadsheet with price vs online ratings to determine how to get the biggest bank for my buck! Yes, frugality is in my blood. This year is no exception. Upon careful consideration, I had decided to drag my friend to Eight Wine Bar (EWB) at Cosmopolitan Hotel for lunch. For an affordable $15 you can enjoy a decent lunch completed with dessert!
Appetizer:
Chardonnay Steamed P.E.I. Mussels with Roasted Garlic and Flat Leaf Parsley (3/5)
The taste of the chardonnay is not very strong to me! Mussel doesn't have a frozen taste like some restaurants in Toronto. There were two mussels with a bit of sand in them. The mussels might need to be soaked a little longer. All in all, it is not a bad dish.
Entree:
Hand Spun Fettuccine-Vegetarian with Truffled Cream, Wild Mushrooms, Parmesan Reggiano(3.5/5)
Someone was enslaved in the EWB kitchen to hand spun every plate of pasta. Whoever spun that deserves a kudos! The first bite was great! The pasta was al dente! It still had that resistance to the bite, but cooked thoroughly! However, as I dug deeper into the dish, it got slightly salty. The cream was on the heavier side and the truffle taste wasn't very strong. Nonetheless, it was a decent plate for Fettuccine!
Dessert:
Maple Crème Brûlée with Biscotti (3/5)
I wish the crème brûlée was warm and not cold. The temperature of the crème brûlée definitely did a number on the creaminess of the texture. The custard just wasn't smooth enough for me. It was still palatable.
My friend had the Chardonnay Steamed P.E.I. Mussels with Roasted Garlic and flat Leaf Parsley as the appetizer, Citrus Roasted Atlantic Salmon Fillet with Honey Glazed Root Vegetable Ragout and Blueberry Pinot Reduction as the entree, and Belgian Sugar Waffle with Macerated Berries and Vanilla Whipped Cream as the dessert. I took a bite of her salmon, the skin was so crispy, the salmon was still moist! Nom nom nom! The dish was so purrdy! The purple from the blueberry reduction is balanced by the green from the herb oil. I actually preferred her salmon over my pasta. The waffle was unfortunately cold and was not fluffy...although it was still better than Wanda's Waffle and I think that says a lot!
Overall, EWB deserves a 3.75/5. I don't know how I came up with the math. Somehow, the overall experience was good! It could be the good company, could be the value, could be the taste of my friend's dish, could be the distraction from the beautiful waitresses, could also be my lack of math skills but somehow they earned a place my heart!
http://allaboutnoms.bl.../ -
Review from Anne B.
2/3/2012
I met a friend here for dinner last night to try out Eight Wine Bar's Winterlicious menu. My first impression was unfortunately not positive, as we stood at the entrance of the restaurant for 10 minutes without being greeted. There were three people working behind the bar which is located directly beside the entrance. No one said anything to us in spite of my clearly audible remarks regarding our desire to be seated in the foreseeable future. Eventually, the host returned to his post and took us back to our table.
The restaurant's decor is very vibrant and modern, but it lacked the class that I was anticipating. There were red wine stains on our table cloth and our table itself was very wobbly (which they remedied with coasters upon our request...not too sure how no one noticed it was off balance while they were setting it earlier). I would have expected greater attention to details like these given the prices at this establishment. We found the prices on the wine menu to be insanely overinflated and opted to ask for a cocktail menu instead. We quickly changed our minds when our waiter informed us that their cocktails were $15 each. That's just plain ridiculous. Much to my dismay, we ended up sharing a decanter of Yellow Tail Shiraz as it was the only reasonably priced alcoholic beverage they offered (and even then I felt cheated paying $16 for 10 oz of Yellow Tail...).
I had the Chardonnay Steamed P.E.I. Mussels for my appetizer and they were cooked perfectly. The bread that accompanies this dish is also nice and thick - wonderful for sopping up the broth. My only complaint is that the pieces of bread weren't bigger. You're only given two little triangles, so you're left with a lot of delightful mussel broth and no remaining sopping device in sight!
For my main course I had the Wild Mushroom Butternut Squash & Ricotta Crepes. I found this dish to be entirely too heavy and my mushrooms tasted charred (which was such a shame, because I adore wild mushrooms). The truffle cream they adorn the crepe with is really overkill. I also found the presentation to be sloppy and unappealing. My friend, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed her Citrus Roasted Atlantic Salmon Fillet. So, if you're coming here for Winterlicious, I'd suggest you order that instead.
For dessert we both had the Fresh Fruit and Berries with Yogurt Mint Dip. This came as a huge relief after the overly rich crepe I had, but let's be honest here - I can't really rate this dessert since it was just fruit and yogurt. As long as the fruit is fresh (which it was), it's tough to mess that up.
I'm still going to give Eight Wine Bar 3 stars instead of 2 (as I was initially compelled to do) based on the fact that my dining companion really enjoyed her entree. I strongly believe that they should take that atrocious crepe dish off the menu (especially their Winterlicious menu which should be attempting to showcase what they're capable of). -
Review from Roger B.
Toronto, ON
12/13/2011
A great wine bar right in the heart of the city. It's not at all stuffy with your cliche tome of a wine list. Rather.. it has a great selection at reasonable prices without being overwhelming.
The food is also very tasty (I think I've worked my way through the entire tapas/apps menu without complaint)
Would recommend Fridays.... 1$/ounce. Great/inexpensive way to explore some unique bottle that you might otherwise never get the chance to try. -
Review from Michelle G.
Toronto, ON
3/1/2011 ROTD 1/28/2012
I dropped into this wine bar for.... surprise.... a glass of wine. I had checked out their menu online earlier but opted not to order anything solid. Though they do have a couple of small veganish options.
Eight has a modern decor, good atmosphere, and while I was there, a live DJ. There were television screens in the wall playing oh so hipply distorted Alfred Hitchcock movies.
When I walked in it was mostly empty, the bartender was friendly, and the service reached that delicate balance of attentive but unobtrusive.
I ordered a terrible wine, the name of which I have forgotten, but that's not their fault. I picked something local and cheap. They have a great wine list, available by the glass or by the bottle, so you're bound to find something to enjoy.
The server was kind enough to keep offering to fill up my glass of water at least 5 times after I finished that 1 glass of (terrible) wine. They weren't exactly busy, but there wasn't a moment I felt rushed out of there and it was appreciated. -
Review from Tina H.
7/2/2010
Went here for a Summerlicious lunch. I love Summerlicious. This place was pretty nice inside and tasty. Service was friendly. Eight Wine Bar is worth a try.
-
Review from John G.
Toronto, ON
8/23/2009
Every Friday they do 20 wines by the glass. $3 for a 3 ounce pour. The wine was good, service excellent, ambiance is hip and happening. Food was pretty good. All in all the experience was excellent and I would easily go back. With the wine for two we ended up around $135.
