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Fishbar
Category: Restaurants Seafood Seafood [Edit]
217 Ossington AveToronto, ON M6J 2Z7
Neighbourhoods: Little Portugal, Ossington Strip, Trinity Bellwoods, Beaconsfield Village
(647) 340-0227
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 6 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- No
20 reviews for Fishbar
20 reviews in English
-
Review from Yvonne T.
Seafood is one of those things that you take a chance on when you go out. I am particularly picky (and spoiled) when it comes to seafood. There is nothing I hate more than ordering ocean critters only to have them overcooked and dry on my plate.
Fishbar shares in the fame of good restaurants located on the Ossington strip. It is certified by Ocean Wise so you can eat guilt-free knowing that you are supporting "...sustainable, ocean-friendly seafood." Just Google fish population maps and reality will hit you in the face. Nothing speaks more than a visual. I know I was astounded.
The fire hydrant and wall-mounted ice bucket were memorable elements in décor. The wooded tables with white chairs, navy-striped cushions and opened windows letting in the sunshine and breeze brought a coastal feel to the restaurant. The only thing that was missing were a few flocks of seagulls and docked boats.
The food was ambrosial. It is very hard for me to give a restaurant 5 stars. And while I tried my darndest to find something to nitpick at, I was completely speechless. Everything was spectacular.
For starters I munched on the Fried Lake Smelts ($7) which was perfectly salted and came with a wedge of lemon for you to squeeze to your heart's delight. They were fried to a golden brown, and not overly oily and the protein boost no doubt makes you feel slightly better than munching on a plate of carb and starch-laden fries.
On the lighter side of things, the Wild Arugula Salad ($8) served with crunchy Royal Gala apples, paper-thin shavings of aged Parmesan Reggiano and a chestnut vinaigrette. With Arugula having a nutty taste, I was worried that having a chestnut vinaigrette would make it too nutty but this was not the case at all. I liked the barely-there presence of the vinaigrette.
The Grilled Whole Fish ($24) of the day was a Sea Bream which featured a duo of olives and oven-baked tomatoes tucked into the belly of the fish, and topped with pea shoots and cilantro. It came deboned and is perhaps one of the most memorable fish dishes I've had in Toronto, or anywhere for that matter. The olives were not overly powering nor salty, the skin was nice and crispy, and the tomatoes held their shape. The pea shoots were a great accompaniment and added a dimension of freshness to the dish.
Instead of opting for one of the à la carte sides, we indulged on a Lobster Mac 'n Cheese ($14) which was made with a blend of aged Cheddar and Gruyère and truffle oil. While the smell of the truffle oil was overpowering, its taste was less prominent and worked well with the rich and creamy mac. Although I didn't taste much of the Cheddar, the Gruyère also didn't drown out the lobster. It was a decadent dish indeed.
To finish off the evening we opted for a lighter Lemon Curd Parfait ($8). As my dining companion added, it was like an upside down lemon cheesecake. The layer of Vanilla crumble was not soggy or soft, but crunchy and dry which worked well as a textural contrast to an otherwise creamy and luscious lemon parfait. Every spoon lingered but for a moment before melting in your mouth and the cream cheese made it simply divine.
Verdict:
I dare say that Fishbar might just top my list of Top 10 dining experiences in Toronto, which can only be further supported by the restaurant's nod from the National Post as one of Toronto's Top 10 Restaurants.
The seafood is fresh, the service is great, and the price tag is reasonable. I will definitely be back to try the octopus ceviche and some fresh oysters the next time I'm in the area. I even got a stint of a geography lesson - did you know that there's a place called Effingham in British Columbia? I certainly didn't. And just uttering the name amused me. -
Review from L B.
Toronto, ON
5/14/2012
I had a great table in the front window, highly recommended on a great night.
The food was less successful. Portions are small, so expect dinner for 2 with no wine or beer to cost about $100+.
Halibut was overcooked and a bit bland. Octopus ceviche was a bit pasty but ok. My lovely R declined her second bite of tuna/swordfish wrapped enoki.
Best was fish taco but a bit small. Overall, we liked the place but were disappointed by the food. -
Review from Nayha M.
Toronto, ON
1/29/2012
Good: Almost all the seafood is sustainable, so you can enjoy a great meal without feeling guilty about callously depleting the world's oceans. The ambiance is very Ossington: Loud and lively.
Better: Fried lake smelts! Lightly breaded and fried, these crispy delights are eaten whole. Normally I don't like it when my meal is eyeballing me, so I devoured them head first. Much more interesting than french fries.
The lobster mac and cheese was decadent, with just the right amount of truffle oil. The oysters were so tasty that we ordered seconds, and enjoyed them with lemon and fresh horseradish.
Best: The octopus ceviche was out of this world! It was fresh and the consistency was perfectly chewy - nothing slimy or rubbery about this cephalopod. Loved the addition of creamy avocado.
Overall, the best seafood meal I've had in Toronto. Will definitely be going back to try the rest of the menu.
This is actually a 4.5 star review; my only complaints were the mediocre dessert (lemon curd parfait) and that our vegetable sides were served after the rest of the meal.
Funds: $160 for 12 oysters, three seafood dishes, two vegetables, two drinks, dessert and a hefty (well-deserved) tip. Not sure what it entails, but they have a weekend happy hour starting at 3:30... sounds tempting! -
Review from B D.
Toronto, ON
5/8/2012
Disappointing... from the distracted service to the long wait to get food to the tasteless arugula salad and rubbery calamari. I really wanted to like this place, as a self-labelled fish-o-phile. I proudly brought my girlfriends to what sounded like it had so much promise, in a fierce strip of resto-real-estate.... but, the overall impression was simply - Meh. I wouldn't bother. It's truly nothing special.
-
Review from Martin W.
10/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ok, not a bad little fish joint at all. Very chill staff in this small little seafood restaurant on Ossington. Just about EVERYTHING on the menu sounds really delicious so you just have to pick and choose, unless you have some sort of infinite belly and equally large wallet.
Taste wise, I am slightly disappointed. Everything that was outstanding about Fishbar had little to do with the seafood itself. It was usually the delicious little bits of corn on the scallops, or the amazing sauces that added to the dishes that really stood out, not the dishes themselves. The actually seafood was so so. Slightly undercooked smelts that lacked that crispy goldenbrowness to it, slight overcooked octopus that tasted like rubber and bbq grill, average tasting sashimi, and so on. -
Review from Chad M.
10/12/2011
Fishbar is an interesting concept, but ultimately it failed to provide a really satisfying dining experience. Overall I found the food to be somewhat bland and incredibly overpriced.
I did appreciate the fact that they're fish come from sustainable sources and while I don't mind paying a bit more for that, you really need to provide some "zing" at these prices.
Meh! -
Review from Steph L.
8/3/2011 ROTD 9/5/2011
Fishbar is wunderbar! Hands down one of my favorite seafood restaurants in the city.
Greeted by friendly smiles, we were seated at the bar while we waited for a table by the window to open up.
The drink menu didn't disappoint.
* Shrimp Cocktail Caesar - Perfectly spicy with a gigantic shrimp.
* Octopussy - Hah, clever. Oysters and vodka... can't go wrong. =)
We ordered a few items:
* Oysters..of course!
The variable oyster menu is written on a chalkboard at the front.
About $3 bucks a pop.
I don't think I'll ever step foot into Rodney's again.
Great selection of Canadian oysters. We got a mixed platter of oyster goodness.
* Grilled Calamari ($9)
With a yummy tomato paste, capers and lemon.
Delicious! The calamari was so fresh and a bit chewy but springy.
Probably some of the best calamari I've had.
* Pei mussels ($8)
Bits of chorizo, smothered in fresh tomato sauce.
Piping hot and not too heavy.
I wanted the lemon tart for dessert....but they were sold out. =(
As an alternative, I had the strawberry shortcake with white chocolate mousse and strawberry mint salsa ($8).
If you like your shortcake light and fluffy...this one isn't.
It's much more dense with the biscuit and it's a heavier mouse.
It's a romantic venue with fantastic seafood!
The service was great and I had such a nice time here!
I heart Fishbar! =) -
Review from Ken S.
Mississauga, ON
8/4/2011
I visited Fishbar as part of their Tweetup with some local Twitter foodies. Met some great people and ate some great food. Go to fishbar and try something new.
Seafood with a conscience? I know this sounds like a contradiction in a world where global economy continually pushes natural resources to the brink in the pursuit of profit. However, some groups do not subscribe to this unsustainable strategy and opt to pursue a path less traveled. Though not blazing trails per se, Fishbar at Ossignton and Dundas offers up an almost complete Oceanwise menu.
What does it mean to have an Oceanwise menu? Well, it means that the seafood offered at the restaurant are all sourced from sustainable providers. To put it simply, we are not driving the seafood to extinction. Yes, you can have a great meal and not destroy the fish population. This is what makes Fishbar special. They care enough to offer quality seafood that will still be around for our future generations.
Oceanwise is a cool idea, but does that mean that the food is not as tasty? I would say the food is just fine. Now don't get me wrong, I have a love affair with the handful of Japanese restaurants serving beautiful fish. Beautiful fish that you will find on many, endangered and extinct proximity lists. Beautiful fish, like Bluefin Otoro tuna, which is at the top of the extinction list and my Omakases. It is just so hard I say, however I promise to attempt to be a better food person. Just don't quote me. At Fishbar, supporting sustainability is not a gimmick so you will find great food.
Fried smelts should replace fries. Burgers and Smelts anyone?
I spoke to the owner Jaime who ran me down some basics about the concept of Fishbar. Fried smelts, sashimi mackerel, mussels and oysters with all supporting ingredients obtained within a 100 mile radius. These are the places we need to support. Food shortages throughout the world, scientists calling for local sourcing and quality restaurants like Fishbar truly listen and act. I believe he felt it is the food purveyors duty to educate the masses that sustainable fish like smelts, sardines and anchovies can hold their weight against fish we may never see again.
Still not convinced? Fishbar also happens to have Botarga and White Anchovy. White anchovy that just happened to blow my mind. This has to be the best dish on the menu. Citrus, ocean, salt and butter attack your tongue and force you to submit. White Anchovy makes me feel like I am sitting on the coast of Sicily, bartering with a fisherman that I do not understand.
Their wild caught Sockeye Salmon was bright red. Most of us think pink when picturing Salmon then Fishbar just blows me away with this gorgeous red coloured, tartare. Yes, its red and yes it is Salmon. So good.
The only thing that would of made the mussels better would be some al dente noodles to sop up the remaining sauce.
Mackerel sashimi was good and was served with this intensely sour cumquat that paired perfectly
Diver scallops, cooked medium, served with an insane mais, reminiscent of chick peas.
White anchovy is my mistress
Oysters were fresh, briny and sweet
Their Octopussy or Oyster Martini.
Calamari was my least favorite dish
Perfectly spiced ceviche. -
Review from Bahi K.
Scarborough, ON
8/19/2011
Had dinner here on a Friday night after reading as much as I could about the place. We happened to be sitting next to an elder couple who were returning to the restaurant to celebrate their husband's release from the hospital. The first time was prior to him being admitted, and they happened to sit next to the reviewer from the Globe & Mail. Apparently they had gushed to him about the food, and of course the review turned out very favourably. Well, either the walls have ears or somehow someone at the restaurant found out about this good deed, and they were getting comp'ed all sorts of dishes, not to mention a special visit by the manager.
We ordered the Steelhead Trout Rillette, White Anchovy (too salty for my likes), Codfish Brandade, Salmon Tartare (bright red salmon), PEI Mussels w/ Spanish Chorizo (standout dish, particularly because of the chorizo), Beer Battered Fish & Chips, 6 Oysters (3 East Coast & 3 West Coast), Crispy Calamari and a bottle of the Gruner Veltliner '10 ($40 bottle that is refreshing and pairs very well with the seafood). The highlights of our meal were the oysters (the East Coast ones were definitely better than the West), the PEI Mussels with the chorizo and the Veltliner (white wine).
Overall, somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, but I'm feeling generous so I will round up. -
Review from Sam C.
9/18/2011
Underwhelming.
I really wanted to like this place but found my experience to be underwhelming. It's a small restaurant and when we were there around 9pm on a Sat night. We had to wait about 15 min for a table (2). Not too bad on a happening night.
We started off with a dozen fresh oysters, came with a few sauces, strangely enough no vinegerette though. Half from the west and the other from east coast. I found them to be just okay, not a super great selection.
Next was the salmon tartare, supposedly wild sockeye salmon and very asian inspired but found the soy sauce overpowering and can't taste any of the fish.
Savings graces were the fried foods, crispy calamari which I thought was one of the best in the city, thick cuts and battered well. The Fish & Chips were a standout to with flaky white haddock.
No dessert and a bottle of white wine (their wine list is a bit depressing and overpriced) came out to be pretty pricey in comparison to other top restaurants in the city. I didn't find a lot of value or our money well spent. I really tried to like this place but found it very hard to do so. -
Review from Melissa L.
North York, ON
9/27/2011
Am I on another planet or did Fishbar just really screw up on one Saturday night?
Ceviche was just OK. The salmon tartar was terrible - the worst I've had. Very bizarre consistency. The batter on the fried calamari was too much. The fish and chips was the best thing there. Dessert -a peanut butter concoction on top of a spongy sort of cake did not work at all.
It felt like they were trying to add flair to the food yet hadn't mastered the basics. Its a cute space and it was very busy but if you are a foodie, you won't return here. -
Review from Avitania B.
Toronto, ON
8/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
There's something fishy about the Fishbar, but that's an awesome thing. After reading the great reviews about this place here on Yelp, my two dining companions and I went there for my birthday last week; happily, Fishbar definitely did not disappoint.
Out of all the dishes we ordered, the ceviche and salmon tartare were the biggest standouts. The salmon was delicious: mild and so so fresh, mixed with teensy sweet apple pieces. The ceviche was refreshing and zingy, and perfect with the accompanying fried sweet potato "matchsticks." The pan seared arctic char shouldn't be missed, either -- cooked perfectly, totally tender and moist. I also really dug the shrimp cocktail Caesar, which was nicely spicy and perfect with the giant shrimp attached.
The one detractor about the experience is that this restaurant gets loud when it's crowded. It was hard for me to hear my table-mates and be heard. It was especially difficult for my mother who is, shall we say, a little bit "older", and her hearing is not as good as it once was.
Despite the noise, the experience at Fishbar was overall very positive. I love the fact that most of the seafood on the menu is certified sustainably caught, plus the service was stellar. Highly recommended! -
Review from The Vong Choice I.
Toronto, ON
8/1/2011
This new kid on the Ossington strip needs a bit of time before I venture back. Service was very slow and the tables are packed in so close together that it's impossible not to eavedrop on your neighbors conversations.
Like it's name suggest - you come here for fresh seafood served tapas style with oyster platters, fresh fish served different ways, and a variety of other sea creatures.
One highlight was the steelehead trout rilette. My good friend Ben was raging about how amazing it was and definitely wanted to see if it was worth the hype. It was presented in a small mason jar, topped with clarified butter for you to spread on your crostini. It was definitely very buttery and creamy and felt very decadent. It was good!.
Also we both are savoury types of people so we couldn't resist and ordered the salty white anchovies which was served on sourdough crostinis. Three of them came out presented very cleanly on a bed fruity gremolata. They were very fresh and salty while the gremolata provided a good balance of sweetness and the crostini was a perfect crunchy texture.
The calamari was breaded with panko and came out hot and flaky and served with a sriracha aioli which was a nice touch of heat!
I was interested in trying the tuna sashimi as you don't really see sashimi preparation outside of a Japanese restaurant and it was done nicely and clean.
Finally off the mains on the menu, we had the butter poached scallops. The portion size was a bit disappointing as only 3 of them were on the plate and they weren't too big. However the french fries were nice and crunchy and salty which was an important element to us. -
Review from Tammy Y.
10/11/2011 1 photo
There are things I love about Fishbar, and things I also really, really don't love.
To love:
Atmosphere (great neighbourhood, buzzy busy-ness, boozey lighting) AND Fried Ocean Smelts (tasty and worth the bucks)
Not to Love So Much:
The Seafood "Platter". This is a rip-off. At $22, the description gives you the feeling that you'll be getting at least a decent amount of food, but what you really get are 3 each of shrimp, mini crab claws, and oysters. Interestingly, they chose to fill all the empty space with the tops of oysters (more tops than actual oysters). Perhaps consider re-naming this the Seafood Taster? Sampler? Nibblies?
Reservations are definitely recommended for this place - and while food and the flavours are a bit underwhelming considering the price, nice to see a joint serving up some sustainable seafood options. -
Review from Brian T.
1/20/2012 2 photos
Excellent seafood, a stimulating menu, and skillful, friendly service. The ceviche is wonderful, and the oysters nicely shucked and presented. A concept that actually delivers.
-
Review from Melinda M.
Toronto, ON
6/12/2011 4 Check-ins Here
If you like seafood at all, get yourself to Fishbar. They are constantly shucking several different types of oysters, the sashimi is fresh and tender, and the fried calamari is the best you'll ever taste!
We have met the oyster shucker (from Rodney's) and the sommelier and they are both friendly and professional. The wine list is varied and reasonably priced. The food is so good I want to go back tonight and try more dishes. Don't leave without trying a dessert either! We had a rhubarb and shortbread dessert last night that was so good I wanted to lick the bowl. I didn't. I swear.
If you love fish and know someone who doesn't, take them anyway. They have steak and veggies and fries on the menu for your friends. But you? Try the sashimi! And don't feel bad about eating this fish. They are very serious about purchasing sustainable, ocean wise seafood and have labelled the dishes accordingly.
They've only been open a few weeks for dinner, but eventually they will open for lunch too. Enjoy, -
Review from pat a.
Toronto, ON
10/3/2011 1 photo
Very loud, very busy.
Very very good.
And I like to buy sustainable seafood. Much of theirs is sourced from Hooked, Inc., located at 888 Queen St. East.
I went for a friend's birthday on Sept 24, and the three of us enjoyed ourselves greatly. Seating times were a bit strange: I made reservations a couple of weeks in advance, and was only able to get a 6:45 seating time for a Saturday night. It's a busy place, so book in advance.
First, walking into the place was wonderful. The fresh ocean smell was great, and got us salivating immediately. We were seated promptly, and our waiter came to get our cocktail orders: one octopussy martini, one caesar, one prosecco with (hmm... was it elderberries or wild blueberries? Something that bobbed up and down cheerily on the bubbles in the glass.
We started with the seafood platter, which contained 3 each of two types of oysters (one PEI, one west coast, if I recall); 6 crab claws; 6 shrimp. It was good. The Pacific oysters were quite salty -- I think we preferred the PEI ones. Crab claws were tasty, the shrimp had some flavour (unusual these days -- so many of them just seem to be an excuse for seafood sauce).
Cocktails and appetizers done, we ordered wine: Alvarinho Deu La Deu, recommended by our awesome waiter, who used to work up in Yorkville somewhere. He was impeccable.
From there, we moved on.. we had their ceviche. I'm not sure what the white fish was that was used in it, but it was sweet, tender, delicious. We also had both freshwater and saltwater smelts. The freshwater ones are to die for: a very light crispy batter, hardly there, on small eat-the-whole-thing sweet little fish. To heck with french fries! I want these all the time. The saltwater smelts were larger, had more of that coldwater oil fish taste, like mackerel, but were also delicious.
Next, a Pacific sardine. I filleted it, and we ate. Similar to the saltwater smelt, but much larger -- I'd say it was about 8" long. Fresh and delicious, cooked perfectly so it could be removed from the bone and yet was still juicy and tender.
The fried squid was tender and delicious. Crispy batter gave way to soft tender flesh. The beer-battered fish and chips were everything the best fish and chips should be, with moist haddock in a batter shell and Belgian-style frites. The diver bay scallops were sweet and carmelized perfectly, juicy and tender, and served on humita, which complemented them perfectly. And the other dish I have forgotten: it was good, too. We went through 10 dishes, and we'll be back. Maybe on a weekday when it won't be as noisy: hard surfaces and a long narrow space had the sound bouncing around.
We passed on dessert: it was quite full and loud by this time, and we went over to Soma and got some ridiculous ice cream and sorbet to eat for dessert. -
Review from Coy W.
9/6/2011
We did a walk down the Oss stretch and narrowed down our night of dining to Libretto and Fishbar. It was a tough choice but when we found out it was an hour wait for Libretto it was an easy decision.
The staff are really friendly and sat is quickly. We had a good look through the menu and decided to get sashimi, grilled octopus, scallops, fried smelt and fries. Everything sounded amazing and that's were amazing stopped.
We were started with the sashimi and it wasn't bad at all. It wasn't the best sashimi I've had but it wasn't bad.
The fried smelts came...but I wish they were in the fryer just slightly longer as they were almost golden crispy but not there. They were still my favourite seafood dish as I love fried smelts, especially when they are golden brown or just crispy.
The scallops on corn was absolutely fantastic, wait actually it was just the corn. I'm not sure what was in it but it was damn good. The scallops were good but the corn was that much better and really took over the dish as the scallops were slightly overcooked.
The octopus really deflated this review. There was no flavour to the octopus except for whatever the grill tasted like. It was not a nice flavour is all I can say.
Unfortunately for us, the items we ordered on the menu ranged from bad to great. The second unfortunate thing was the item that was great, wasn't something the restaurant should be good at and that is seafood! The corn overshadowed the whole meal which sucks as I do love seafood.
I'll probably give this place one more try but at the rate they charge it's hard to keep trying until you find great items...shouldn't every item be great for the price range the restaurant has set for itself? -
Review from Brett V.
Oakville, ON
1/19/2012
When I went to this place for a friend's birthday, I knew NOTHING about it. I didn't even know where I was in the city (until I looked at the map on my phone). It was a nice surprise to see a such a trendy place in a not-so-trendy neighbourhood. I waited for my friend's for about 10 minutes and was approached by three, very polite, servers.
I also had no idea how expensive this place! Luckily, we were looking for a classy restaurant, and it was tapas style. The beer list was lacking and the wine list was a bit pricey, but had some very good wines. We bypassed any alcohol and just went straight for the food. Between the six of us, we ordered about 8 or 9 dishes, and each was brought out as we were just finishing up the previous dish. The favourite in our group, by far, was the fried lake smelts. They were done perfectly and came with some delicious sauces.
Service was excellent and very accomodating. The waitress was also very knowledgeable about the food, so we learned a bit too. Overall, a fantastic experience, and would definitely go again if I could afford more often!
WORD OF ADVICE: If you are looking for a filling meal, plan a second meal. Tapas style, especially here, means you are going for quality; and it is definitely quality! -
Review from Jamie B.
Toronto, ON
8/31/2011
Had a great meal at Fishbar on Saturday night.
Three of us went and split the following dishes:
Oysters - 12
Frites
Ceviche
Shrimp Cocktail
Olives
Grilled Calamari
Scallops
Broccoli
Lemon Tart
All of the dishes were pretty perfect. We were pretty full after the meal, but not overly so, I would probably say about 2-3 dishes per person would be the recommend.
We also had a great waiter who was attentive and helpful when it came to ordering our food.
