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Kalyvia on the Danforth
Category: Restaurants Greek Greek [Edit]
420 Danforth AveToronto, ON M4K 1P3
Neighbourhoods: The Danforth, Greektown
(416) 463-3333
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 1 am
Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
24 reviews for Kalyvia on the Danforth
Review Highlights
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"I second the awesome reviews of the tzatziki." In 9 reviews -
"The lamb was very tender and not dry at all." In 3 reviews -
"We shared a bottle of white house wine." In 2 reviews
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23 reviews in English
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Review from BURB G.
Newmarket, ON
3/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
We decided to try something different today. The last time we found we were not impressed with the Greek food we at at Astoria so thought we would give this place a whirl.
We started with saganki it was quite good. It had a nice bit of crunch and a good size.
Like everyone else says the tzakiki is delish and the garlic bread tasted like the good old garlic bread we had before.
My husband had the chicken breast dinner the chicken was good a little too much Dijon spice flavoring for my liking but it was good.
I had the beef souvlaki and it was good.
Definitely worth going back. -
Review from Mark B.
3/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
As the waiting line was so long at the Messini I decided to try my luck at Kalyvia based on Yelp reviews. I guess this restaurant could be good in other conditions.
- Based on a tuesday night we were unlucky enough to have a table next to us with very noisy customers laughing off like they were alone in the restaurant.
- The wait was quite long even if we were five to have ordered simple sandwiches. Almost 30 minutes to get served is a good reason to leave no tips.
- One positive point in all that : the food was quite good, the meat was tasty and the french fries very good.
- Note to the owners : try to give like detailed bills with the name of the dishes next to the prices, it will be much easier for the customers.
-Finally : the staff is overwhelmed, you know what to do...... -
Review from Lauren M.
11/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Kalyvia is an OK pick on the Danforth, it has some Greek dishes that are tricky to find elsewhere nearby. (sigh)
I suggest ordering off the appetizers/mezes menu and sharing. The food is much more interesting than the boring mains (souvlaki and rice, really people? Stop it, just stop...)
We tried a combo platter which was a bargain for $16.95, just enough to feed two of us for lunch. It came with keftedekia (greek meatballs), marinated octopus slices, dolmades (vineleaves stuffed with rice and beef), 2 mini spanokopitas, 2 mini tiropitas (cheese pies), and greek sausage. The dolmades still tasted quite briny (grrr!) but everything else was A-OK.
Service was good, prompt but not overly friendly.
Decor isn't as exciting or nice and some of the other places on the Danforth (Ouzeri or Pan) but Kalyvia has a more functional family dining type feel.Listed in: Lauren M's BIG FAT GREEK LIST
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Review from David D.
Markham, ON
11/19/2011
First time coming here with a group of co-workers for lunch. This place strikes me as a casual and family-friendly restaurant . The owner was the only one available to seat the customers and serve the dishes, but there were only several tables full anyways. The owner was friendly, though you can tell he is very proud of his restaurant, and he must be as the food really stood out.
Ordered the chicken souvlaki dinner option (I know, I should have been more adventurous to try something different). Served with garlic bread, Greek salad, roasted potatoes and tzatziki. The Greek salad was outstanding and came in such a large portion. They certainly didn't hold back on the feta cheese and it complimented well with the dressing. Delicious. The entree itself was less inspiring though. Roasted potato tasted bland. The chicken souvalki was juicy and flavourful, but nothing special.
Though I do have to compliment the other dishes, as they all looked so much more appetizing than mine. The home-made gyros is a large portion and my co-worker couldn't get enough of it, quoting it to be one of the best she's ever had. The beef special came in a small stew pot, complimented with cheese and tomotoes. I watched as he wolfed it all down.
I would definitely come back and try something new next time. And it's right next to Dolce Gelato!Listed in: 30-Day Yelp Challenge:…
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Review from Madelaine D.
Toronto, ON
7/3/2011 4 photos
Our experience at Kalyvia was a lovely one. Beautiful evening weather, seats at one of the three tables on their cozy patio, yummy food, lots of white wine and a waiter keen to please and entertain.
We arrived just as one of only three tables on the patio was leaving so managed to snag ourselves a seat at this prime real estate. It was perfect for watching the hustle and bustle of the Danforth rush by and soaking in the beautiful summer weather.
Upon our waiter's recommendation we went with (see pictures):
Spanakopita: Little triangle of spinach and feta wrapped in phyllo pastry. The phyllo was light flaky and delicious. I prefer mine with a little more filling but they were still definitely tasty.
The Pork Special: This was a huge portion, very tender and very tasty.
Chicken Souvlaki (the small size): One skewer of chicken, tzatziki, roasted potatoes, and rice. It was tasty, tender and flavourful without being greasy. No veggies served with this dish.
With every meal comes a complimentary salad which according to our waiter came complete with secret recipe house dressing (pretty tasty and they're definitely not skimpy with the feta cheese), and toasted house bread.
Beware the charismatic waiter. He's funny, keen to please, proud as can be of his little restaurant, and ... a bit of a hustler. I'm not entirely sure how it happened but we ended up with a second half litre of wine on our table without asking for it. Huh?
Anyway, stop into this place if you're on the Danforth. They make some great Greek food. -
Review from Ksenja T.
9/12/2011
I'm usually skeptical about Greek restaurants in Greektown just as much as I am skeptical about Italian restaurants in little Italy....just because they're in the area doesn't make them good.
I have been to Kalyvia several times because the food is actually pretty decent. The sizes aren't huge but the food tastes like it does in Greece. I would say Kalyvia is in my top two Greek restaurants on the Danforth, no. 1 being Pantheon.
The service is great, the staff is usually on the ball. The interior of the restaurant is okay, not very fancy looking. I would suggest sitting by the window, because you can at least see whatever is going on outside.
Anyways, I came here this past weekend for a friend's party. They were very friendly and able to accommodate 31 people on a Saturday night, so that was a bonus. I have to complain though about the HEAT. it was BOILING. I know the summer's over, but were they cheaping out on AC? I asked them to turn the AC up and the waiter said he did, however it did not get remotely comfortable until the end of the night, which was 4 hours later. The heat was distracting me from the actual food!
I had the tiropitakita, the cheese fillo pastry puffs and grilled calamari. They were delicious. I also had the small souvlaki dinner with rice and french fries, also good. We got a bottle of santorini white wine, which was okay, not the greatest white wine in the world...guess they're better at making ouzo;) -
Review from Paul M.
7/25/2011
A lovely experience of casual dining and fabulous hospitality. Servers clearly enjoy the food they serve. Nice outdoor seating, and its location next door to a gelateria or ice cream shop of some sort makes it a nice spot to people-watch while you dine.
I was here for a late dinner on a Monday, and it was fairly slow, but I bet this place gets busy on the weekend.
I had a couple decent glasses of red wine, a not-so-decent spirit of some kind, good bread, a flamed ("Opa!") cheese appetizer, and the most delicious pork souvlaki. Spicy baklava and a coffee rounded out the night.
The server says it's the best salad on the Danforth, and the best dressing on the Danforth. Maybe so. It was good. I second the awesome reviews of the tzatziki. Delicious.
The bill (for one) with tip was $68, but that was four courses + 3 drinks. You could spend under $20 for a good meal (entree with salad and bread included). -
Review from Cindy C.
North York, ON
10/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Service was good. Food was good. Just take note that some dishes are big enough to share.
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Review from Monica B.
Toronto, ON
8/30/2010
Kalyvia is my favourite place to dine on the Danforth! My experience has always been comfortable, fun, clean and yummy. The big menu, quality, and portion of the food are very exciting. If you love gyros that is leaner and not dripping of oil everywhere, this is the place for you!
I also love the staff there because they have such big bubbly personalities and care about giving you the best service possible. You can dine inside the restaurant which is very clean and has a beautiful cozy decor, or, you can dine on the patio and enjoy their delicious Greek dishes, all for reasonable prices!Listed in: My Top Rated, Greektown
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Review from Yvonne C.
Markham, ON
8/9/2010
Grabbed their $4 pork souvlaki at Taste of the Danforth this year and the massive line up? Totally worth it.
Couldn't stop raving about the pita - it was so thoroughly heated through, soft, smokey, & yet just slightly crispy on the very outside. Super juicy pork, and lots of flavourful tzatziki to top kept me happy while I hunted down some more food.
Could've had a better balance on the onion to tomato ratio, but still, with quality like this for a busy street festival, I'm curious to see how the rest of their food is! -
Review from Teena D.
11/28/2010 4 photos
We had supper there last night.
We shared a bottle of white house wine ... it was good.
Gord ordered Ortikia (two large size quails mixed with herbs and spices baked in the oven) with rice, potatoes and veggies.
I ordered Chicken Breast Dinner (two generous pieces of char-broiled chicken filet) with rice, potatoes, veggies and tzatziki.
It was delicious!
My only complaint is that the veggies weren't fresh (they were cooked from frozen).
I'd recommend this restaurant ... the food was good and our server was very friendly. -
Review from Lee E.
Scarborough, ON
8/26/2011
I want to love this place. Why don't I? They have a number of vegetarian meals which is great...except they aren't vegetarian. The potatoes and rice are cooked in meat broth. I asked if they had vegetarian potatoes and rice for the vegetarian meals and they said no, then told me I could get fries and mixed veggies instead. That's all well and good but if it's advertised as a vegetarian meal and comes with potatoes and rice cooked in animal broth, it isn't vegetarian. I've also had a couple of waiters say "oh you're a STRICT vegetarian". No, I'm just a vegetarian!
This is false advertising and not only that, it's dangerous to a person that doesn't tolerate meat. They need to be clear on their menus that none of their meals are vegetarian.
Having said all that, the Greek salad is my absolute favourite, the tyropita were fantastic, the various dips (tzatziki, hummus) are excellent. The mixed veggies they serve as an alternative to potatoes/rice are not very good but the fries were terrific.
I will go back again but I'm not happy with them calling their food something it isn't. -
Review from Linds B.
9/4/2011
My favorite greek place on the Danforth! I love the gyros here for lunch, and the variety of dishes available for dinner makes it really hard to decide what to order! I've never been disappointed. :)
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Review from Constantine N.
Toronto, ON
8/11/2010
I found this restaurant to be one of the best on the Danforth.
The atmosphere is very pleasant and relaxing. I found the service to be excellent, and the waiter to have a good personality. Furthermore, the decor is also quite nice.
As far as the food is concerned, everything I had was really good, both in terms of quality and quantity. This place also has an excellent amount of choices on the menu. Moreover, their prices are also great compared to a lot of other Greek restaurants on the Danforth. Overall, Kalyvia is a great restaurant. -
Review from Kelly M.
Scarborough, ON
9/4/2011 4 photos
Our first trip was today ans what a great experience! The venue was a very comfortable old world feel, but not dark as some of the ones along that strip can be. Our waiter was very good, but a tad full of himself and didnt give you a very warm fuzzy feeling with your visit. He was an older gent and has obviously been doing this a lifetime and has lost his capabilities to be warm and friendly, he is now just professional, too bad really.
Our meal was fantastic! we started with the bread basket and greek salad, the bread is awesome!! and salad is really good, loads of feta! Then onto the saginaki! They do flame this at the table for you! I enjoyed this very much, but my husband found it rather salty. The house wine was very good and not acidic. I had the chicken gyro dinner and my husband had the large pork souvlaki and both were awesome. The flavour of my gyros combined with the sauce, chicken, rice and pita was excellent!
So all in all we very much enjoyed our visit, we may try another one of the locations just to test the waters and the serving staff, but I would and already have recommended this restaurant!!!Listed in: kelly
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Review from Adam P.
Toronto, ON
7/22/2009
I still need to expand my Greek food horizons by checking out the plethora of restaurants on the Danforth, but its hard to when you've already found one that you thoroughly enjoy. Kalyvia is one such place.
My review could be biased because I don't ever get anything except for a beef or chicken souvlaki. Usually I find all souvlaki dinners to taste close to the same, except for the tenderness of the meat (is it dried out or not), and so for me, the 'fringe' items are the factors that decide how I review a place.
Now I am not a wine drinker, I wish I liked wine, but I don't so the wine selection I cannot comment on. I found their souvlaki to be very tender and not dried out. It could be the luck of the draw, but so far so good. I didn't have any issues with the service, and if you are one of the lucky ones to eat on their patio on a nice evening, its all the better.
Why Kalyvia stands out for me is the tzatziki sauce, the pre dinner bread, and their salad. The tzatziki sauce was very garlicy, something I enjoy, and they are very liberal with how much they give you. I have been to other places that charge for extra, which seems ridiculous to me. Their bread basket was fresh (I really enjoy bread), and I actually enjoyed their salad. I can admit that they put more oil in their salads than other places, but to me it actually made it taste better. The olive oil was rich and left a hint of vinegar taste to be enjoyed by my tastebuds.
I'm not sure of the popularity of this place (some restaurants I see lined up almost out the door), but I'm perfectly fine going to this less hyped place. -
Review from Peter D.
Toronto, ON
8/3/2011
Great food and good service. I ordered the quail entree and my friend ordered the octopus. They come with salad, rice, roast potatoes and sauteed veges. All very good.
Also if you buy the entertainment book it's a buy one entree get one free so that's a big plus. -
Review from Keith C.
11/26/2010
Came here one night with a friend who lived in the area. Hadn't seen him in a while because I live in the States now so we decided to hit up some Greek food before getting downright drunk. Stopped off at a couple Greek restaurants in the area but were told that the wait would be at least 30 minutes so we put our names down but kept looking. Kalyvia seated us in 15 minutes so we stayed there even though they were completely packed. The lamb souvlaki is downright delicious. Have that with some pita bread and it is like taking a bit out of heaven. The lamb was very tender and not dry at all. At other Greek restaurants that I've eaten at, there's the chance that you'll end up getting a hard dry piece of meat that is just disgusting. Well. Not here my friend. There are plenty of good Greek restaurants in the area but Kalyvia is one of the better.
Listed in: Going Greek?
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Review from Hanna K.
Toronto, ON
1/2/2011
One of my all time favorite Greek restaurants!
The food is almost always good. I have been coming to Kalyvia since I was a baby and I still love it!
I would recommend getting Pork, Beef, Lamb or Chicken Souvlaki...it is to die for! It also comes with the most delicious Greek salad and garlic bread.
It is a definite must if you are in the area and want a good bite to eat. -
Review from Suzanne M.
Barrie, ON
10/26/2011
Stopped in for dinner last night before a concert. We were one of 3 tables at the time and had a great meal. Waiter very attentive and accomodating.We started with the spanikopita- it was good, not great.We both ordered the sovlaki plates, a lamb and a pork. Came with salad and bread basket.We tried the greek beer as well. Everything was delicious.My only (very minor) complaint is that the service as almost too fast- dinner delivered while we were still working on our appetizers.
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Review from Erin F.
Toronto, ON
9/21/2009
I've been here a few times, and I've not be disappointed. Decent greek food at a really reasonable price. Their souvlaki is good and so is their saganaki (my fave greek food ever!). Its a nice restuarant overall, a good place to go to when you want to save some $ on the Danforth
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Review from Dianna C.
Toronto, ON
6/14/2010
Like the first reviewer, this is only place I ever go on the Danforth AND I always order the lamb souvlaki. Why wouldn't I? Where else can you get two skewers of tender lamb done the way you like it with delicious tzatziki on a nice warm pita. The thing that puts it over the top is this drizzle of oily dressing they finish it off with. Makes it extra delicious. If I can get someone to split a village salad (no lettuce) with me I'm happy.
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Review from Sandy C.
Scarborough, ON
3/23/2011
We lived in Riverdale for seven years and tried every Greek restaurant on the Dannie in that time. The only one we return to after many years away is Kalyvia. Ambience may not be warm but i go for the food. Nobody does chicken Souvlaki like these guys. Or the lamb or the moussaka or even the Greek salads and tzatziki. Yummm. Need to return again soon...
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