- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
LAB - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants Italian Canadian (New), Italian
651 College StreetToronto, ON M6G 1B7
Neighbourhoods: Little Italy, Bickford Park
(416) 551-5025
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
18 reviews for LAB
18 reviews in English
-
Review from James W.
Toronto, ON
12/3/2011
I had the tasting menu -- the food is accessible to anyone, and there were a couple of big hit dishes for me: the steak tartar and the sous-vide lobster.
The vegetarian I was there with thought the vegetarian dishes were exceptional, which in retrospect is not surprising since I learned the owner is a vegetarian.
Strangely, the server didn't know anything about wine, but the pairings were great. Oh, they also have some of my favourite Ontario beers on tap.
I hope to return. -
Review from Elif K.
Toronto, ON
3/21/2012
I'm so disappointed. I've been non-chalantly trying to plan a birthday dinner for this Saturday...and now that's it's fast approaching, I need to get on it...STAT!
When I came across L.A.B, it sounded great...especially since my best friend is a vegetarian and we wanted to stay in the Little Italy through Ossington Strip area...but I just called to make a reso and they've shut down.
Without having ever experienced you, L.A.B....I bid you adieu.
....now back to my search! (I'm open for any suggestions in the next 2 days if anyone sees this post!) :) Thanks! -
Review from Natalie B.
Toronto, ON
3/20/2012
*3.5 stars*
I was taken here on the day of hearts and although the meal began with a bit of a shakey start (it took the lab folks a while to get us menus + waters), the rest of the meal and experience was a lot of fun. They try really hard here, but it didn't come off as pretentious or annoying because the staff seemed pretty sincere, friendly and passionate about their food. The molecular gastronomy dimension is intriguing, but wasn't always well-executed in my opinion (is this just a bandwagon/trend thing or will this be a lasting approach??) The decor is also a bit gimmicky with the LAB theme, but that being said, I actually really like it. Our bill was served in a test tube.
I ate:
Balsamic Sorbet Salad with Nasturtiums, Fennel, Basil, Olive, and Smoked Tomatoes (yes balsamic sorbet!! so yeah, creative idea, but kind of gross to eat)
Ricotta and Arugula Gnudi with Roquefort Butter, and Vincotto Gelee - very hearty and filling
Olive Oil Cake, Citrus Gelee, Berry Fool, and Triple Sec Glaze (also, special mention to my valentine's dessert: Chocolate Budino 2.0 - Chocolate Pot de Creme, Spiced Cookie Crumble, Tonka Bean Cream, and Pear) Both desserts were outstanding!! I kept on saying repetitively how nice my cake was for at least 5 minutes.
Note: The company of my valentine was 5 stars (of course!)
RIP- the memory of the good time we had there will live on! -
Review from Kent P.
3/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
A very nice and interesting brunch with a limited (but tasty and inexpensive) selection of items with very poor service.
I had green eggs and ham (substituted for veggie sausage) and a rosti for 11$ or so. Rosti was as good as they get and the green scrambled eggs (with parsley, I think) were prepared light and fluffy.
My DC ordered the apple stuffed french toast (which was a baguette). It was rich and heavy - more of a desert type breakfast than anything else.
Very small space- maybe 10 tables...but fortunately doesn't look very busy for brunch yet, so may be a good time to check it out.
Although the server was not busy, she took a very long time to take our orders and didn't check on our food, which isn't great. I think it was because I was wearing my NASCAR jacket.
Note: they only start serving at 11:30 on Saturdays and Sundays. A little late, man. -
Review from Daniel B.
8/7/2011 ROTD 9/23/2011
We walk by here all the time and have never even noticed the place.
Our mistake.
A superb meal, with great service and awesome decor that whifts you away from the douchebaggery that plagues Little Italy on a Friday night.
No one likes eating in a science lab. This is one of the only places that talks about "molecular gastronomy" that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's unquestionably a place to eat and enjoy. Everything we ordered was well presented, perfectly flavored and generously portioned. The veal ravioli was ridiculously good.
A unique wine selection balanced out a perfect evening.
We're definitely going to come back. Strongly recommended. -
Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
10/6/2011 2 photos
I joined some Carbon-based Lifeforms into L.A.B expecting some scientific lab experience. What came was less highschool experimental gaseous explosions and more modern Italian plainness. I guess my encounter with Molecular Gastronomy will have to take place at a later time and most likely outside of the Torontonian airspace.
Although not what I was fully looking forward to, it was a dinner that serves well in the Little Italy neighbourhood with tiny elements of science involve more so than your daily rice and pasta. The 3-course $30.oo Prix Fixe my Friends enjoyed was what I should of went for instead of searching for that almighty Molecular meal that never came to existence.
Long Bean Salad ($10.00)
Eggplant Tapenade($8.00)
Trout with Fagiolli Cannellini and Tomato Caviar($25.00)
Pappardelle alla Bolognese ($18.00)
Carrot Risotto($18.00)
Lamb Shank with Cabernet Sauvignon Powder($25.00)
Chocolate Budino With Salt Caramel Chocolate Mousse($10.00)
Passion Fruit Panna Cotta with Biscotti and Red Wine Raspberries($10.00)
All things meets standards but the niche doesn't exist to attract or differ it from any other Italian restaurants along this stretch of the College street. I would say 1/2 the dishes really fulfilled my appetite and am so glad that I ordered the Lamb Shank otherwise I would be cranky, but as you can see it came with a price-tag to match. 2.5'dListed in: 2.5 **Stars**, Sì Sì Spaghettìnì
-
Review from Lauren M.
L.A.B. was on my short-list of places to try for quite some time and I finally got the chance to check it out this week.
The decor is refreshingly young & hip, especially when compared to the "same-same" type places that flood the rest of the Little Italy strip. There's not a lot of seating (a good thing, in my opinion) and they did have a very small front patio with 2 tables.
The menu is equally inventive. A few too many vegetarian options for my liking (where's the MEAT) but to be fair, it was about 50/50 on the menu so I should not complain. Vegetarians would be pleased to have options for a change.
L.A.B. offers a $30 prix fixe a few nights a week (Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday) but the selections were pretty limited (choice of two apps, two entrees and two desserts).
There were four of us and we managed to order quite a diverse selection. I tried the long bean salad ($10) for my appetizer and was happy with it - portion size was large, some of the other apps weren't. I had the pappardelle bolognese ($18) for my entree - thick fettucine noodles with both pork & veal added to the bolognese and a lot of fresh tomatoes. Again, portion size was was good and it was a tasty dish.
All food was presented very nicely, lots of pretty dishes coming out of the kitchen. The desserts also came out looking quite creative (passion fruit panna cotta and a chocolate pudding with salt caramel mousse). I'm not a big desserts person but didn't think these were especially worth the $10 price tag.
Service was excellent and the chef comes out to explain a little bit about the food before you eat.
I'd go back, top pick for College Street! -
Review from Jess W.
Toronto, ON
The problem with Little Italy is that there are so many restaurants here, yet there are so few that are actually decent. I'm so glad LAB didn't fall into that stereotype.
When I arrived around 6:30 on a Thursday, it was pretty empty. There were probably only two other tables taken. They have a tiny patio which contained maybe 2 two-tops.
After ordering, we were served some warm brown bread. It was a nice dense bread and we all really enjoyed this. We were also given a small bowl of spiced olives. But I'm not a huge fan of olives... my friend said he enjoyed them though.
After the server informed us that her favourite dish here was the Braised veal ravioli with house made ricotta ($19), three of us (out of 4) ended up ordering this. When it came, I felt a pang of regret since it didn't look very appetizing. The colour was quite dark and the ravioli was deconstructed (i.e. not stuffed). The square sheets of pasta just sat on top of the veal/ricotta mixture. Luckily the taste made up for its lack of appearance. The taste of the veal was delicious... extremely flavourful. I just wish it was actually stuffed inside the pasta. Nevertheless... a delicious dish!
My other friend ordered the Papardelle alla Bolognese ($18). The bolognese was made of veal and pork. I was quite impressed - it looked and tasted great. Another hit!
While the dishes we tried were delicious, the portions weren't very big. I don't always have the biggest appetite, but I finished this easily and still had room for dessert. Unfortunately, none of the desserts here caught my eye, so we went elsewhere.
Overall - a good experience. Great tasting pasta! -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
10/10/2011 25 photos
I am not a science person... the last time I was doing any chemistry was in high school. I am little confused?? or I am really confused? I saw on TV about molecular cooking, should I expect something like this at LAB?
I was excited to see the Prix Fixe Menu for $30 offers on Sun, Tue and Wed and it is a great value.
But strangely the choices are mainly vegetarian aside from one of the main: Pappardelle all Bolognese. So I ended up being a vegetarian for this meal
Parmesan Potato Croquettes - A-OK, the tomato chutney was quite good
Carrot Risotto -urgh, I hated this!!
Chocolate Budino with Salt Carmel Choclate - excellent
Luckily I got to try everything else that my dinner mates ordered. Maybe the saying of other people's food always tasted better is true. I like
Long Bean Salad - Excellent, I like how they still kind of crunchy
Warm Frisee Salad - hmmm, not too memorable
Eggplant Tapenade - Meh
Papardelle alla Bolgnese - A-OK, fresh pasta with tons of meat in the sauce
Trout with Fagiolli Cannellini and Tomato Caviar - Good, the tomato caviar is the only neat thing for the whole evening
Lamb Shank - Good, it is kind of smallish for the $25 they charging
Passion Fruit Panna Cotta - Meh
I would have given LAB a 2 star if I came on a day without the Prix Fix Menu. But what I heard they are revamping the menu soon.
Maybe LAB is just refers to the decor and the presentation of little things to make everything a laboratory feel and nothing to do with the food?? I am still confused!! -
Review from Kevin C.
Toronto, ON
12/29/2010 2 photos
I had high expectations coming to this restaurant and I was a little disappointment with my visit unfortunately. They have some interesting dishes, a great atmosphere and the service was top notch, however everything was way too expensive for my liking, which wouldn't be a huge problem if the servings were decent, but you're almost guaranteed to leave feeling hungry.
I was expecting a more veg-friendly restaurant as well. I had seen the chef compete (and win) in the Vegan Iron Chef competition held at the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair prior to my visit so you'd think there would be some decent veggie options. Unfortunately only 1 of the 7 choices for mains were vegan, and only 2 were vegetarian. Granted I wouldn't expect any better from other restaurants, but it was sort of toted (by the chef himself) as a vegetarian restaurant, so you'd think they could add one more veg option to even it up.The menu supposedly changes constantly however so I hope this isn't always the case.
Now maybe I'm cheap, but to give you an example, my appetizer was pretty much just a slice of Romaine Lettuce for like $9. It was quite delicious mind you, but way too pricey for just a piece of Lettuce in my opinion. My main was around $20 and it was a bit of couscous, some mushrooms and some carrots. I mean, come on. Give me something to eat for $30!
I think they've definitely got some interesting stuff and some of it's quite tasty, but until I get an 80% off coupon, I don't think I'll be going back. -
Review from Rafi N.
Toronto, ON
8/22/2011 5 photos
*** HYPOTHESIS ***
LAB has received a lot of praise from past patrons. Based on it's past performance, it should also be good when I dine there.
*** EXPERIMENT/FOOD ***
We each had a 3 course meal and we shared dessert.
* Eggplant Tapenade | $8 *
The tapenade was a nice snack. The eggplant is cooked but served cold. It's sweet and could have used something sour or salty. It comes with a few pieces of crostini (small pieces of toast) but you will have to ask for more.
* Trout with Fagiolli Cannellini and Tomato Caviar | $25 *
This dish was quite bland. The trout was fresh and well cooked but wasn't seasoned. The skin was fried and crispy. The dish only has 3 pieces of fish but the beans are quite filling. The fagioli was pure Cannellini beans and no pasta. The white sauce was also bland. The tomato caviar was interesting. They made it look like caviar, small round and shiny. However, like caviar, it was sparse.
* Chocolate Budino With Salt Caramel Chocolate Mousse | $10 *
This was the best dessert I had at LAB. The chocolate mousse is rich and creamy. The salt caramel was a great contrast to the sweetness of the chocolate.
* Passion Fruit Panna Cotta with Biscotti and Red Wine Raspberries | $10 *
This dessert was a bit bland. The panna cotta didn't have much flavor but it had a smooth and rich texture. The fruit sauce gives a tangy flavor.
*** METHOD/SERVICE ***
Service was great! Our server gave suggestions for food and drinks and was sociable. She was very attentive and she noticed us taking pictures. She told us at the end of the night about their Facebook and Twitter. Water was replenished quickly and the food didn't take long to arrive. When the food arrived another server explained all the meals in detail. All the servers were friendly and informative. They are true professionals.
*** OBSERVATION/ATMOSPHERE ***
LAB is beautifully decorated. There is bright lighting which dims in the evening and they put candles on the table, all which adds to intimacy. They have large water cooler jugs as light bulbs in front of the kitchen. The chair I sat in was white with a black seat cushion. The look of the chair would be best described as "70s futuristic". To go along with the name, the red brick wall has molecules written in chalk and the bill comes in a test tube in a round-bottom flask filled with sand. The look and feel is one that can easily accommodate casual or formal dining.
*** EXPERIMENT [CONT'D]/PRICE ***
A plot of the Price vs Mass of each dish, reveals an increasing trend, whereas it should be decreasing. Prices should come down a bit.
* Eggplant Tapenade | $8 *
* Trout with Fagiolli Cannellini and Tomato Caviar | $25 *
* Chocolate Budino With Salt Caramel Chocolate Mousse | $10 *
* Passion Fruit Panna Cotta with Biscotti and Red Wine Raspberries | $10 *
*** CONCLUSION/EXPERIENCE ***
A great atmosphere and superb service is on the menu at LAB. The food however, is not as good. The human palate is not a precise tool for measuring taste. It varies between different individuals. This experiment yielded mostly bland food with a couple pleasurable and sweet dishes. The pricing is best if you order from the prix-fixe menu. The hypothesis was incorrect as it applies to food but I'm willing to try the experiment again. -
Review from jenna m.
11/8/2011
I had the privy of dining at L.A.B. for my birthday jubilation this year. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted with this restaurant. The interior is very sophisticated and contemporary without being ostentatious. The interior is comprised of exposed brick walls, interesting industrial light fixtures and stools, and a simple chic bar. The menu is creative and complex. I sampled the parmesan potato croquettes for an appetizer. The texture was well balanced and the parmesan was not too overwhelming, allowing the potato is shine. For dessert I tried the chocolate budino with salt caramel mousse. This caused me to have a little foodgasm. It was such a wonderful mélange of sweet and salty goodness. The chef came out and inquired how we enjoyed our meal and spent some time speaking with us. This was a lovely finish to our already fantastic experience. Service was lovely and they were attentive to our needs throughout the course of our supper. Prices are reasonable for the quality of food. They offer a $30 prix fixe on certain evenings.
I look forward to my next dining experience at L.A.B. -
Review from N K.
Toronto, ON
3/6/2012
I am motivated to write a review based on the exceptional experience my boyfriend and I had on Valentine's Day. We arrived for our dinner reservations at 9 p.m. and were completely blown away by our experience. The restaurant is small and intimate. We were served by a main server, and two other staff members who came by from time to time to make sure we had everything we needed. The food was interesting and very delicious, and our main server, on her own, took the liberty of explaining every single thing that was on our plates (including the sauces). What stood out most about L.A.B. was the graciousness of the staff. I've had many times at restaurants where the staff either feels like they are being fakely nice or doesn't quite care to go the extra mile. The staff at L.A.B. took the time to answer all of our questions, suggest (and modify) great drinks, and make sure we had a fantastic Valentine's Day. Everything was done with a smile.
The price was $40 each for our 3 course (+ intermezzo) dinners, plus drinks, tip, etc. We would have gladly paid more. Can't wait to go back and try the $30 prix fixe! -
Review from Melinda M.
Toronto, ON
11/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
If you are in Toronto and hungry, go to LAB!
This place is amazing - and it doesn't matter if you are a vegetarian or a meat-atarian, you'll love it.
Went last night for an anniversary dinner, and weren't we lucky? We had the place to ourselves. Seriously, though, there is something wrong with a city that has line-ups for Terroni, and a place like LAB is empty.
The decor is really great. Lively art on the walls, and a fun theme of a mad scientist's lair.
The server last night also seemed to be one of the owners. He was super nice, funny, and good at his job. He mentioned that he's a vegetarian and his co-owner is a meat eater and they wanted to create a place where both of them would feel equally happy. I think they've pulled it off.
Last night we had apps of corn spaetzle and a grilled romaine salad. They were both well executed and flavorful, and every ingredient added something to the whole dish. We followed with rabbit sous-vide on noodles with tomato sauce, and a veal shoulder entree. Everything was delicious! Capped it off with a shared portion of grilled pear with tequila saboyan ( a sorbet).
Entrees ranged from $18 for the vegetarian to $25 for the meat. I thought it was well worth it. The quality of cooking and preparation was among the best I've had.
YUM! It was so good! I ate too much because I had to eat everything. Seriously. GO!!! NOW! Stop reading this and book a reservation! -
Review from Madison A.
Toronto, ON
12/12/2010
Wow! My boyfriend and I had dinner at LAB last night and had a great experience overall. The place is so small that you feel like you're part of some exclusive food club but it still manages not to come across as snobby in any way. Totally comfortable vibe despite the incredible stuff coming out of the kitchen. We arrived around 8pm and it was very quiet, and because of the size of it I felt like everyone could hear my conversation, but it soon filled up and I got so distracted by my meal I didn't care.
I had the grilled romaine appetizer and my boyfriend had the corn spaetzle. Both were SO good! I couldn't believe how delicious grilled lettuce could be. For our main course we had the lamb meatball and the bibimbap a la French. We asked for wine suggestions to pair with our meal and they were spot on. The service was totally personal and attentive, the presentation of the dishes was beautiful and each one tasted as good as it looked. I would totally recommend this place for a date or dinner with a foodie friend. -
Review from Zab H.
11/24/2011
We ended up going to L.A.B without planning it but I was pleasantly surprised. The ambiance is lovely and the service is wonderful.
The beet salad was good but nothing special. I really like beets so was happy.
The lamb meal is good and everyone who ordered it really liked it. It is cooked at a low temperature so it was not very hot when it came out but that is a part of the meal (still very good).
My favorite meal of the night was the short ribs. They were delicious and flavorful and everything and the plate was amazing.
The VERY best part was the Chocolate Budino With Salt Caramel Chocolate Mousse. It is delicious and the salty sweetness is wonderful. If you don't like salted caramel though you may not love it, but it was a hit at our table.
The manager was very friendly and attentive as were the servers. I will definitely go back. -
Review from Karyn B.
Vaughan, ON
11/9/2010
This place was GREAT!
so so different and wonderful!
I honestly cannot write enough good things
First, the food is so different and tasty
We had the smoked tomato and mozzerela salad with the pliable oil and it was delicious! Great to share and local Ontario produce! Does it get much better?
I had the steak and my boyfriend had the lamb meatballs. Again, so tasty and different. Full of flavour and I love the use of different Ontario produce.
The desserts were AMAZING! I had the movie snacks and the Twizzler sauce.. WOW!
MY boyfriend had the mock apple pie! This was one of the coolest desserts ever!!
The waiter was great, so personable and really made the evening wonderful
Also, considering the unique food and how different it is, the prices are really quite fair. We had the 2 most expensive entrees and alcohol and the bill was around $100 for two!
I will definitely be returning!! We both loved itListed in: Date Spots
-
Review from j p.
North York, ON
6/24/2011
This place is great. Being a vegetarian, I was super excited when I heard about this place. Unfortunately it's far from where I live, so I hadn't been able to go until recently. I went during their Italian menu (I believe it's still the current menu).
There were so many things for me to choose from, which is a rarity for me in omnivore restaurants. We ordered the potato croquettes and a Caprese salad or something with burrata, which unfortunately they couldn't serve us because the chef wasn't happy with the quality of it (he personally came out to tell us this and offer a free appetizer). I also got the carrot risotto and my brother got the veal ravioli. Everything was amazing, even the bread haha
The chef and waiter were very attentive (we were there very early, so we were the only ones in the restaurant until desert) and explained the dishes to us when we were served.
We ordered the panna cotta for desert, which was fantastic (and actually vegetarian).
Overall, this place is amazing, and I'm surprised it isn't packed. Perhaps people think a reservation is necessary since the place is so small? That's also another reason why we hadn't gone earlier. I would definitely frequent this place if I lived closer.
