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La Veranda Osteria
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
946 Royal York RdToronto, ON M8X
Neighbourhood: Etobicoke
(416) 231-3800
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
7 reviews for La Veranda Osteria
7 reviews in English
-
Review from Mary D.
9/24/2011
Tried La Veranda for the first time last night, after hearing raving reviews from friends that also live nearby.
The place was bustling when we arrived, but we got a table for 2 with no problem. But it was nice to see how busy it was! I also noticed quite a few large groups of people, so it was nice to see that they accommodate large groups well. The restaurant itself is quite big, which allows them to reconfigure tables as is necessary.
The servers were VERY attentive, if maybe *too* attentive. Two separate waiters came to take our drink orders, and 3 separate waiters/waitresses came to take our dinner order - to which we had to keep replying "we need a few more minutes please". It was nice to have them being attentive, but they maybe should communicate with each other before asking us the same question multiple times. The menu is HUGE (as others have stated too), and it didn't feel as though they were giving us adequate time to review it - we were feeling a bit rushed.
The meal was great - I had a spaghetti with meat sauce and meatballs, my husband had a pizza (he asked them to add chillies and banana peppers to the pizza he wanted, and they did with no problems).
When we were done, TWO waiters came to hurriedly clear our table.
The meal was very good, the decor was nice and the restaurant felt clean. It was nice to be in a busy restaurant on a Friday night. The experience was worth about 3.75 stars, but I'm giving it 4, because I think a decent place like this in the area deserves some attention. -
Review from Fern H.
7/12/2011
We choose La Veranda Osteria for a be-lated birthday get together. I had eyed this place a few times because of its lovely flower filled front patio. I had also eaten at this restaurant when it was called Cru but had not been back since it became La Veranda.
Came in around 7pm on a Monday night. Restaurant was pretty busy...a good sign. We had made reservations via Open Table but it probably wasn't necessary. We were assigned a table for two inside in the corner that backed onto a circular booth. It was fine but the table beside us remained empty throughout our entire meal so for the sake of personal space, I would have preferred to sit there than to be so close to the booth next to us. It's like being on the TTC, having empty seats all around and the next person who gets on needs to sit immediately right beside you. Grrr.
The menu at Le Veranda is thick...so thick in fact that it comes in a hardcover bound book. There are so many menu choices that I could literally hear Gordon Ramsey screaming on Kitchen Nightmares about the dangers of having of a massive menu. Nevertheless, a few pages of the menu book was dedicated to a gluten-free section, which was fantastic for my friend with a gluten allergy.
We ordered the grilled calamari to start ($12.95), mains - grilled salmon salad (gluten free - $21.95) and tagliatelle ala veranda ($18.95) and a half litre of white wine ($18.95).
The wine list had a few red/white choices with bottles priced between $29-$40 which I thought was quite fair but being that it was a school night, we decided to take it easy and go with the half litre. There was also a secondary wine list on the table that had many selections stroked off using a metallic marker so not sure if that list was the most recent.
Our server was an older gentleman...neither friendly or surly - just present. He brought us over a bread basket that contained 2 white rolls and a whole wheat one, but no gluten-free bread. You would think it would just make sense to bring gluten-free bread for someone that just ordered from the gluten-free menu.
The calamari came next...generous portion of grilled squid topped with rosemary and I think an exotic spice called salt.
Next came the mains. The salmon a top my friend's salad looked like it had been hacked to bits with a knife. It was not in a filet form...just hunks of salmon on top of a bed of spinach (dressing on the side but no other veggies in the salad). My pasta was quite good. The tagliatelle came with pieces of roasted red pepper, asparagus and cherry tomatoes tossed in olive oil and garlic.
We decided to skip on dessert since we were both pretty stuffed. When paying the bill, they put my credit card into one of those machines but the part for tipping was not clear. I hit okay and it processed the final amount and I didn't have a chance to type in the tip so I left cash.
Le Veranda is a decent pasta joint, would have liked service to be a little more lively.
Just a word of warning, the meal lasted close to 2 hrs. There is fine print in the menu that says the pastas can take up to 50 min. to prepare so not a place for those look for a quickie out-the-door meal. -
Review from Tom M.
Toronto, ON
9/5/2011
Sunday night, Labour Day weekend, 2011. we were headed down to Little Italy after an afternoon movie but the traffic was bad. My wife had often seen the ouside of this place with its very welcoming gardenlike patio, so we figured "what the heck"? The patio was closed due to inclement weather. No worries, we went inside.
It has a very nice warm, welcoming atmosphere. It was very busy with families, a good sign! The wait staff was very fast and attentive.
The menu was a bit daunting, in that it is a book of pictures of Italy and menu items. There seemed to be WAY too many choices. They really should limit it a bit.
We ordered some drinks. Kudos for having something for kids. Our daughter is 13 and we always order a chocolate milk, which they had. My wife ordered the Ministroni soup, My daughter had the Child's menu pizza ( the child's menu is for kids up to only 10 years of age! The waitress asked her age and I said 10. My daughter is 13 going on 15. The waitress laughed and said OK. I'm not trying to be cheap, but my daughter doesn't even finish the kids meal at ANY restaurant. Plus, 10 does seem a tad young for a Kid's meal cut-off age. .) I ordered the Pasta Carbonara.
My wife's Ministroni was a bit of an over-boiled, gloupy mess. Once the celery turns grey, it's time to make a fresh batch! I'm glad it was only an appetizer. My pasta was overly rich. There was way more sauce than pasta, which with a carbonara, is NOT a good thing. Very salty as well. Sorry to be nit-picky, but the carbonara should be creamy...i.e, not scrambled eggs and cream and cheese. If i am going to pay 19 bucks for a pasta I can make at home for a couple of bucks, I would think it would be made properly. My Daughter's pizza was OK. Very thin crust. A tad skimpy on the sauce but plenty of cheese, which kids like. Kudos, once again for them only charging us for the kid's meal pizza....liar that I am. :-P
The atmosphere is very friendly and family oriented, which is what I like. The staff is very attentive as well. Nice ambience, although, since it's a family friendly place, a tad loud.
My main beef with this place is that it is over-priced for what you are getting. I would give it 3 stars if the mains were 7- 10 bucks cheaper. It's just not worth the money for the linen napkins and tablecloths. This is what you are paying for. If you want a good, decent family Italian restaurant for half the price in the area, try Vesuvios on Dundas West or go all the way to little Italy and try Cafe Diplimatico or Gato Nero on College St.
Bottom line:They are very nice but the fine linen isn't worth the extra 20+ bucks on the bill. -
Review from Jill H.
9/14/2011
When you first go into this restaurant, you will notice that it is rather strange....there are a ton of signs on the walls that have various messages telling you that it is a family run restaurant...not to ask for things...be a nice customer...etc etc.........which seems rather rude. But, when you get to know the wait staff, you realize that it is a lovely venue with really nice people who run the joint!!!
The menu is HUGE....they have a really good selection of italian food. Their home-made pastas (egg noodles) are some of the best that I have tasted in Toronto -- which is amazing for such a random place in Etobicoke.
Try the lunch menu -- value for money, it is excellent!!!!! The salad is large and the main course is also very big!!! It is served quickly and piping hot!!!! In the summertime, the patio is beautiful, with a ton of flowers outside that create a very private atmosphere (even though you are eating on Royal York Rd!).
Make sure to indulge in a glass of wine. For a restaurant in Etobicoke, La Veranda Osteria has a great wine list! We were very impressed with the selection of non-Ontario wines!!!!!!!
All in all, good food, good prices, good service!!!!! -
Review from Mike F.
Toronto, ON
4/6/2011
We dropped in for dinner on a Wednesday night. It was busier than expected and there was a few families in the restaurant. I was impressed by the decor of the restaurant and that this restaurant is run by a family!
The menu is well done except for the fact that any corrections are written in with a sharpie. The problems started after we were seated. We had about 5 different servers. I know that one was a bus boy but we had 4 waiters/waitresses.
When our food arrived it was sub par. I had the lemon chicken with veg. My veg was a giant pile of mushy crap. The chicken was okay but nothing to pay $20 for. My Fiancee ordered Agnolotti and it was okay. It had a store bought quality to it and something we could of made at home.
Once we finished eating we waited 15 mins for our bill and this was after we asked for it from one of our four servers. A fifth server came with the credit card machine.
As we were leaving my Fiancee mentioned that she felt like we were in one of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and that about summed up our experience. I don't think we'll be heading back anytime soon. -
Review from Katherine V.
Etobicoke, ON
5/15/2011
Went to La Veranda last night finally for the first time. I have heard so many great reviews from people and was dying to check it out myself.
It was very good. The Vegetable Antipasto was amazing and the wine selection is fantastic. Everyone in our party had a pasta dish. The gnocchi was as good as any other italian place I've been. The agnolotti was great, the texture of the egg pasta firm and delicious.
Beautiful bathrooms and decor.
The only down side I found was that we felt as though they were trying to get us out asap and the servers sort of hovered. Of course that could be chalked up to it being a Saturday night.
This will be a go to spot for us. -
Review from Dexter T.
Toronto, ON
12/23/2010
Lunch: Unbelievable value. Even more so than what I heard the dinner already is. About 30% less than the usual prices for same dishes elsewhere ....and the atmosphere, location and service is still very good!
How do they do it?
Also totally family friendly as we had lunch of 15ish people with 3 kids. Ample room all-around for all and your things.
My mom wants to return here for dinner to meet my new girlfriend! We shall see about that.....and this is the only caveat I have: it's still very new. It feels "new" - not yet known for its coziness or warmth like Kalendar's or Spuntini's yet.
NB: This was recommended to me by my elder at my church. Hard-pressed to get a better recommend than that!
