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Lil' Baci
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Pizza Italian, Pizza [Edit]
892 Queen St EToronto, ON M4M 1J3
Neighbourhood: Riverdale
(416) 465-4888
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
35 reviews for Lil' Baci
Review Highlights
-
"the truffle oil was awesome." In 3 reviews -
"...just the right amount of fresh basil, sauce, and Parmigiano." In 2 reviews -
"...my bf had baked eggs with basil, cheese, and tomato sauce." In 4 reviews
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35 reviews in English
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Review from Sarah B.
Toronto, ON
1/8/2012
Amazing food every time.
Whether you are going to brunch, lunch or dinner Lil Baci never disappoints. Always amazing food, great service and reasonable prices. This is our go-to place whenever we want a great meal. -
Review from Jenny C.
Toronto, ON
4/22/2012
I had high hopes for brunch here but was not overly impressed. The 3 of us ordered eggs bene and had to order a side of hollandaise to share because there was hardly any on our meals. I found the side salad to be dry and bitter. The eggs were also served with roast potatoes that were really delicious (they were the highlight for me along with my latte).
Also on the plus side, the service was efficient and friendly and I like the atmosphere. -
Review from Jane T.
Toronto, ON
1/7/2012
What happened to L'il Bacci? Doesn't seem very long ago that it was a brand new addition to the Leslieville strip, and trying effortlessly to please. Last weeks lunch though, didn't please at all. The pizza was mediocre, service was spotty, and the music was obnoxious. To be fair, the soup was excellent, but didn't make up for the rest of the meal.
A dinner in the summer was equally uneven. We sat on the patio and were attended to by a friendly server. While the arugula salad was delightfully satisfying, the spaghetti al limone (at $17) was not. Overpriced, and under flavoured, it was a dry and disappointing execution of a simple dish that could have been delicious on a warm evening.
Too bad, because from the outside, it's so pretty. -
Review from Gurpreet B.
Toronto, ON
5/26/2012
Fun spot. Small portions but good food and quick service.
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Review from Evelyn W.
11/5/2011
I had brunch here recently, and it was delicious and but not without some kinks.
It was a really busy sunny Sunday in Leslieville, so the place was packed and we ended up sitting at the bar, which was not so bad.
I had a caesar (nothing special, missing celery) and truffled eggs. The eggs were amazing but my toast was burnt, and they put the eggs on the toast... so it's like they purposefully hid their mistake. My cousin and buddy Rob was kind enough to switch with me, as he is okay with crispy toast. Or, just felt bad for me. Anyway, with the toast done properly the food was delicious. Can't go wrong with truffles!
There is also a brunch manager or owner woman who is kind of bossy and rude to the employees but phoney kind with patrons. This aways annoys me, and any customer sitting at the bar would have noticed. Be kind to your servers who are working their butts off, it's not their fault you're miserable.
I do want to return for the breakfast pizza. Dipping a nice crust in fried eggs? Sounds good! -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
8/17/2011 2 photos
Lil' Baci is another random places that I followed a group of Yelpers here during our A night of drinking in Riverdale drinking crawl.
I really want to sit at Lil's Baci back patio!! But it was packed.........and ended up have to sit near the washroom...........boo......
The interior is nicely decorated with dim lighting and a rustic feel. A little too dark for good looking food photos though.
Pizza Pizza and more Pizza........ If you like eating pizza, you will find it A-OK. But if you not into pizza, you better go to other restaurants in the area..
The 4 pizzas that I tried none of them were outstanding. I have to agreed with my fellow dinner mates that the thick and doughy crust was really disappointing! I like the Pizza Margherita the best... simple, tasty and saucy...
I don't mind coming to Lil' Baci to share some pizza with friends if I am in the area... or have the lunch specials... but definitely not going to make a special trip to eat here!Listed in: Italian Restaurants I visited…, A Day in Riverdale!
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Review from Aaron C.
Victoria, BC
7/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
I went here for the first time recently a little hesitant after reading some mixed reviews of the place. Fortunately, I came out with a rather favourable opinion of the place.
When we walked in the door, I was immediately impressed by the cool and spacious interiors of the place, something I definitely did not expect from the outside. We were led through the restaurant to this great back patio that had some tree coverage and felt very cool despite the summer heat.
The service from beginning to end was excellent. Our server was friendly and engaging but not to the point of being overly involved in our dinner. He offered good suggestions while we browsed the menu, all which proved to be very beneficial in the end. Something I definitely appreciated was his candor when we asked about certain dishes; I always like when people are honest when something on the menu isn't the best.
The only thing keeping this place from 5 stars was the food itself. We ordered the Nonna and Marcos pizzas to share. While both were tasty, the toppings were a little sparse and one of the two was a little too burnt for our liking. Despite that, we left satisfied, and would consider coming back another time to give it a second go.
While not as good as the higher end pizza places popping up in the neighborhood, Lil' Baci is a decent restaurant with a great atmosphere. -
Review from Ana M.
Toronto, ON
11/5/2011
Papardelle with roasted duck, pork ,and cabbage. Enough said. Apparently they are known for their pizza here but I opted for pasta and it was good (although lacking a little something I can't put my finger on...some kind of spice?). Despite that, the overall experience was great. Our waiter was funny and polite, though he could have been slightly more attentive. The ambiance is very inviting - dimly lit, conversational but not too loud....and decent selection of bars in the hood for an after dinner night cap. Oh and a fantastic selection of reasonably priced wines.
I would like to see a little more "jazz" in the menu? I don't know, a little kick goes a long way. I've had better Italian elsewhere. Otherwise, OK spot for an OK dinner! Good date spot too. -
Review from Stephen B.
Toronto, ON
10/30/2011
Went here for lunch on a Sunday when my favourite spot, Toast, was closed.
Lil' Baci was not as busy as Lady Marmalade and we got a seat right away. The truffled eggs were very good. Down side was the poor service and dirty cutlery.
I'll try it again and hopefully the service this time was an anomaly. -
Review from Lauren M.
7/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Even though I really liked the interior and they apparently have a kick ass back patio (which sadly, was full when we arrived), the food here at Lil' Baci was really completely 3 star.
The menu is small-ish and consists of 5-6 pastas, 10 or so pizzas, a few salads and some typical Italian appetizers. They also have a chalk board wall with daily specials.
We tried 4 different pizzas. The pizzas came with paper-thin crust in the middle but the outer edge of crust was thicker and quite dry. The Nonna was probably the nicest one (eggplant, basil and goats cheese topping). The daily special was a white pizza (that means no tomato sauce) with pork belly and some other odd sounding ingredients. It was OK. The tomato sauce, basil and sausage pizza was not very good.
Pizzas were priced from $12-$17.
Service got off to a slow start but once our server appeared he was friendly and speedy. They were awesome at bringing water to the table a zillion times and we never had to ask.
Overall, nice place inside - great interior - but food was really 3 star so I don't think I'd go back. -
Review from Christine E.
Toronto, ON
9/1/2011
Overpriced, bland, outdated food with mean portions. Came here with a group of friends on a weekend evening and the atmosphere was cute enough. Our server was very friendly and gregarious, although another server who occasionally cleared our table and kept our drinks stocked was unbelievably rude. Food took over an hour to arrive at the table and was hardly worth the wait.
A communal order of meatballs yielded six meatballs (two pork, rabbit, and lamb - each pair in a different sauce). The meatballs were about the size of large gumballs, so we each got a few crumbs of meat. The sauce in which the meatballs were served, however, was delicious - particularly the lamb.
A charcuterie platter yielded a few slices of meat and cheese and some side dishes, and - like the meatballs - it was way overpriced for what arrived.
A friend's tomato and mozzarella salad was an embarrassment: a whole, small tomato cut into three or four slices, between which were shoved a few paltry morsels of cheese. $10 for that, folks.
The dandelion salad came Yelp recommended so I gave it a shot. A bunch of soggy, hideous leaves appeared in a bowl. I could see how the salad might've been nice but it was drenched in vinaigrette. Every forkful was dripping with it, and it killed the flavour of the dandelion itself, as well as the anchovies and the garlic.
The pizzas were a nice size and attractive, but my mushroom, gorgonzola, and truffle oil pizza tasted like something I'd make in my countertop mini-oven when I was hungover. It was just "something to eat", but it had no particular flavour. A pizza with those toppings should taste light but decadent. This tasted light but stingy and boring.
With the exception of the pizzas, which are quite large, the portion sizes are too small for what is offered and how it's presented. When I get teensy blobs of food, it had better offer complex tastes that demand contemplation rather than gorging. It should also be presented attractively, and call attention to its artfulness rather than just let you know that it's there and that you can eat it. Given the lack of care that went into my food and the food ordered by my friends, Lil' Baci should be serving up mountains of its boring, outdated, ugly food. Giving people a trendy handful of bland, lukewarm stuff isn't going to fool them into thinking that they're eating haute cuisine.
Definitely won't be coming back, although judging how rammed the place was, they won't be hurting from my absence. The high attendance makes me wonder what kind of Italian food all those patrons are used to eating. -
Review from C L.
Toronto, ON
12/11/2011
Over-rated and overpriced. This place should shut down.
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Review from Tiffany G.
Toronto, ON
4/18/2011
Until recently I had never tried truffle oil - or anything made with it. And I can now say it is officially amazing - and what is even more amazing is that Lil Baci which I accidentally stumbled upon had several brunch dishes made with truffle oil. It is OMG amazingness. I know, I have now said amazing 3 times...but really that's how wonderful this little brunch gem is!!! I was actually intending on going to Lady Marmalade's next door but the line was way too long and I was suddenly caught in a snow/rain storm on my way there pushing me into Lil Baci's.
It was one of those happy accidents! Though, totally meant to be cause I have been searching high and low for a Brunch place that caters to foodie's!
Thankfully, I was able to sample a bit of everything when I was there - living my own 'Top Chef' experience...usually it only happens in my head.
I tried a DELECTABLE bit of truffled oil induced scrambled eggs....just drooling thinking about it!
I personally had the Eggs Beneditto....which was a poached egg served on top of crispy layer of pancetta and crusted bread doused with a creamy lemony truffle hollandaise sauce...yummm
And my bf had baked eggs with basil, cheese, and tomato sauce....equally yummy.
Anyways - i know Lady Marmalade seems to be the 'it' brunch local in the Leslieville neighborhood...but really...I think Lil Baci might be just the ticket to brunch heaven that I have been dying to find!!!
Check it out...no lines - and DELICIOUS FOOD! -
Review from Lee O.
Toronto, ON
12/7/2011
Had brunch on a Sunday. The tables were wiped with a dirty cloth and I could smell the bacteria on the table. Tap water was served in nice wine bottles.
The brunch food was good quality with good presentation but the toast was paper thin and too well done.
The service was very good and the waiter was cheery.
The price was standard for brunch. -
Review from d r.
Toronto, ON
12/10/2011
All hype and no homestyle.
Nice atmosphere but hectic and loud when crowded. Good service, nice staff.
It's the food that sent my review plummeting. The pizza is just ok. I find the crust has an unpleasant bitter aftertaste but the toppings are decently apportioned.
The pasta is pretty terrible. For instance, a dish of rigatoni with pork belly and tomate... Was shocked. Don't charge me $16 at lunch for pasta out of the box. And if the pasta on top of the plate is almost too al dente and that at the bottom is pablum-soft, that dish has been sitting in the window for WAY too long; should have been re-fired. The pork belly was quite tough(!!) and tasteless.
Head chef is not paying enough attention and kitchen staff are not doing a good job. -
Review from Danielle N.
Toronto, ON
5/20/2011
THE MENU:
90% pizza, 5% pasta, 5% salads (Note: This is a rough weighting. Just in case someone decides to validate my math). Lil' Baci is a pizza place through and through. Oddly enough, there was only one pizza that caught my eye out of fifteen or so (it was the Nonna). Just personal preference as I like my pizza the western way...loaded with toppings. These were limited to just a few items, which might be your thang. I also love the eclectic feel of chalkboards that double as menus in restaurants like this. I dig it even more when the menu items they feature on those chalkboards are accurate.
After scanning the "Antipasti" menu board, I had my heart set on 2 items: rapini and squash. That's when the waitress unapologetically stated, "Those are wrong". [Um...I don't think Lil' Baci got the memo that chalkboards are meant to be erased and updated.] She then looked irritated when I requested the real options and ignored those at the end of the table when they asked her to repeat them.
OUR ORDER:
There were 8 entrees and 7 apps ordered, mostly duplicates. So I'll cover the ones that were closest to me. Note: not everything you see here is Paleo but I'm using the "It's my birthday and I can eat whatever I want" card.
*Beet Salad - Oh how I love the sweetness of roasted beets paired with salty, smooth goat cheese (my first bite of cheese since the 30-day Paleo challenge ended). It was all served on a bed of arugula. You know how I feel about arugula! This salad hit the spot. But Keith's basic salad was just that. Basic. Dressing wasn't that flavourful and there was nothing more than a pile of lettuce leaves on a plate for $7 or so.
*Chicken Leg Special - I was in a restaurant that clearly specialized in pizza, but I decided to go gluten-free and get their only non-pizza or pasta dish - the roasted chicken-leg special with grilled dandelions and lentils. What an idiotic and amateur move for a foodie. The chicken dish wasn't even on their printed menu so it likely wasn't something they make everyday nor had perfected. That was clear when it arrived at the table. I would use these words to describe my meal...dry, blah and blah.
*Polpettina Pizza - According to Keith, his order was a dud. Sparse toppings, low-profile flavour. BUT the crust was perfectly crusty. Not so thin that the dough gets soggy.
*Nonna Pizza - If I wasn't trying to be "good" I would have been all over this - eggplant, onions, goat cheese and a mound of my new favourite leaf, arugula. Instead, I convinced my father that this was the pizza for him. I knew he would share the love (being the generous, selfless father that he is) if my dish was a flop. Based on the above review, I took advantage of his offer with a couple bites. Then, when he was full and distracted, I snuck a few more nibbles (enough to devour a whole slice). I learned later that those extra slices were intentional, and were supposed to be his lunch. Oops.
*Tiramisu - Aah, Tiramisu. The Italian go-to dessert that CAN go wrong. This version had just the right amount of mascarpone (if you love mascarpone) vs coffee-drenched biscuits (if you dislike coffee). It also turned out to be the only dessert menu item (out of 3 featured) that was available. Again...they didn't get the memo about the chalkboards. Although, nice of them to serve it with candles while my family embarrased me singing Happy Birthday. As good as the Tiramisu was, it didn't fit the bill as a "birthday cake". So I ordered another dessert (the only other option).
*Ricotta Cake - We all jumped to conclusions when we heard ricotta. Our minds went like this... Ricotta = cheese. Therefore Ricotta Cake = Cheesecake. Wrong. This was way more cake than it was cheesecake. It had a few sparse blueberries tucked inside and was covered in whipped cream. This was not worth the calories, insulin spike and Paleo-cheat. No one seemed to be eating it so I kept picking away mindlessly. At one point, I realized there were just a few bites left and stated "I don't even like this, so why am I eating it all". I kept picking until it was gone.
This is getting long so if you want more on Lil' Baci, just check out my blog:) -
Review from Zandra M.
Toronto, ON
11/8/2010
This review is specifically for Sunday Brunch.
Walking along Queen Street this past weekend, my date and I decided to pick a brunch place as we went. The crowd outside Lady Marmalade was as insanely long as usual, which we stopped to look at - although had no intention of getting in. While pondering who waits that long for breakfast, I noticed that Lil' Baci had people inside, no line, open tables and a delicious looking brunch menu.
Seated immediately, we ordered a french press to share - which yielded delicious rich coffee. The servers were prompt and brought us our coffee quickly and were back for our orders despite our delinquency several times at getting our orders in.
I had trouble deciding between the french toast served with lemon ricotta and rosemary strawberries and the marscapone pancakes. I had pancakes, which were served with a side of blueberry compote, maple syrup and some delicious rosemary new potatoes on the side. The pancakes were truly Delicious - fluffy and flavourful and they absorbed the syrup in a good way (evenly and not too much). My date had there "Benedetto" which was eggs benedict of sorts, served on top of a crispy polenta with a salad and potatoes as a side. I don't eat eggs, so I couldn't try it - but he assured me it was rather delicious. Prices were reasonable with most items between $11-14.
The crowd was varied - from a family with toddlers, to a large group of women having a baby shower, to young couples to older groups of friends. Lines formed at times, but in general people didn't seem to have to wait too long to get a table. I'd definitely recommend skipping the line a few doors down and give here a try. I'll be going back to try the french toast. -
Review from Rafi N.
Toronto, ON
7/12/2011 3 photos
Lil' Baci is a nice looking restaurant on Queen St. E. The food and service could use improvement. The pricing is a bit too high.
*** FOOD ***
I've only ever had American style pizza and I love it. At Lil' Baci, I tried 3 different pizzas. The pizzas are all thin crust, but the crust on the outer edge is pretty big. They use a lot of olive oil on the pizza such that it drips. There isn't a lot of sauce, cheese or other ingredients on the pizza. The pizzas didn't have as much flavor as I'm used to. Each pizza has 4 slices and it's quite small. I'm not sure if this would be considered authentic Italian pizza.
*** ATMOSPHERE ***
The restaurant is well decorated and clean. There are bottles of wine adorning the walls as well as some artistic pictures. The bar at the front has a cool looking contraption which may have been an espresso machine. There is a nice looking patio at the back of the restaurant, which was full. The inside was relatively empty. There is a narrow corridor from the main dining area to the patio and this is where the washrooms are located. Waiting in this area can be a tight squeeze.
*** SERVICE ***
Service could have been better. When we entered, we were greeted and seated promptly. After that, it took a while before our orders were placed. Once the orders were placed, the food took long to come. Small pizzas shouldn't take long to make. Our server was very friendly and our water was replaced very quickly.
*** PRICE ***
Pricing is a little on the expensive side. The pizza prices ranged from $12-$17. I think I could have gotten more for less.
*** END ***
Lil' Baci is a restaurant with a lot of potential. They have a lot of patrons but their pizza and service is not as good as it could be. I would be reluctant to return to try their other offerings. -
Review from Cathy H.
Toronto, ON
11/17/2011
My husband and I recently had the pleasure of eating at Lil Baci for brunch and could not have been happier with the food and in particular the service.
I had the truffled eggs and they were absolutely heavenly!! I would HIGHLY recommend them!!
I have to say I am very surprised at the negative reviews I have read about the food and service at Lil Baci on Yelp and in particular a recent review indicating that the manager was rude and bossy to staff and phony to patrons. Perhaps the manager or possibly the yelp reviewer, were having a bad day but our experience was completely the opposite. My husband and I are new to the Leslieville area and have been searching for great restaurants that can accommodate our needs for the last couple of months. My husband has a serious food allergy that unfortunately makes us extremely nervous when we choose to dine out. We choose to play it safe and always call new restaurants to establish a comfort level and ensure they can accommodate his needs. I called Lil Baci prior to coming in for brunch and was immediately directed to the manager. She was a very friendly, knowledgeable woman who really took the time to listen to me even though the restaurant was busy. She assured me Lil Baci could accommodate my husband's allergies asked our names and said she looked forward to meeting us. We arrived at the restaurant about an hour later. After a short wait we were greeted by a woman who turned out to be the manager. When we introduced ourselves, she seated us and really took the time to go over the menu and ensure that we were comfortable with our order. We could not have been happier with the personal touch we received from the manager. She ensured that we will be back!
The food was fantastic and we couldn't have been happier! We haven't been there for dinner yet but we are definitely looking forward to checking it out and we will definitely be back for brunch! -
Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
8/28/2010
I was really disappointed. The website said they had Spelt Crust available for an extra charge on their pizza's. It took me almost an hour to look for a restuarant that is tasty fits with my diet restrictions. We specially picked this one because of the spelt option. When we got there, it wasn't on the menu, and the guy tells me , sorry the website needs to be changed.
What kind of crap is this?
Also, the service was terrible. We were in the beautiful patio at the back, but only one server, he rarely came to the back. I had to go get him a few times. We were there for 20 mins with the menu without ordering.
The food was quite good. $10 for lunch, soup/salad + pizza/panini good portions and quite tasty. I had to settle for a wheat crust pizza. I am not allergic, but I really wanted to not have wheat today.
We would have gone somewhere else.
I would like to come back to try their paninis.Listed in: Thanks Yelp!
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Review from Rachel N.
Toronto, ON
11/11/2011
Great food, portions were a little small though. Very cute restaurant.
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Review from Kat F.
10/28/2009
Lil' Baci is decidedly Italian, from the perfect pronunciation of the menu items to the beverage choices (Brio, Orangina, San Pellegrino). FYI they do not offer iced tea.
Our server, Justin, was cheerful and outgoing, bordering on overbearing at times. I suppose it's a nice change of pace from the snobbery one endures at other Italian restaurants in the city, but I couldn't but think that such a gregarious person might be better suited working in a children's restaurant, say Chuck E Cheese. He was so chatty he practically sat down with us and joined in on our meal. ***
I ordered the Quatro Formaggio pizza ($13.95) with gorgonzola, mozzarella, provolone, parmagiano and fresh basil. In the "true Italian style" your pizza does not come pre-sliced. You have to "ask for help" (am I a kid??) but luckily Justin was happy to oblige. I'm sure he would have hand-fed it to me had I asked.
Skip the spinach and lemon gnocchi.
After dinner we had to indulge in two BabyCake cupcakes - Thumper's Odyssey (carrot cake w/ cream cheese frosting) and PB&B (peanut butter and banana). Both very tasty - cupcakes are made on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays so keep that in mind if you want the best selection and also the freshest batch.
$45 for two people.
*** Ironically when we wanted the bill he was nowhere to be found. -
Review from Camille K.
North York, ON
Was trying to go Fare Bistro but found out that they were closed due to some water main issue (no clue). So we wandered down to Lil' Baci. Boy was that a great decision or what. Had really great food and fantastic service.
Menu is relatively simple at only one page in length. There's plenty of wines and also a selection of Ontario microbreweries on tap. We selected the mezzo e mezzo (half cheese half smoke meat) and caprese salad to start. Then we had the pasta del giorno and one other pasta that was on the menu (name currently escapes me right now). The pastas were the good old fashioned kind, nothing crazy. Simple ingredients just like they do it Italy. The gelato's were eye-catching but we were already stuffed to the gills before the main courses arrived.
The service was friendly and attentive. They all seemed to be quite cheerful as they were constantly humming along to the music that was playing over the music system. They also had a sense of humor and seemed to actually enjoy working together.
I've been to Mercatto, Terroni, and Lil' Baci and right now I have to say that this one reigns supreme. -
Review from Faye C.
8/24/2011
I was here last night for dinner - scored a great seat on the back patio (yay!). The pizza was tasty - I like that the pizza is super thin...even though the crust is thicker (I don't like eating crust anyway). I ordered the Nonna - Delish! I was surprisingly full, even though it didn't look big, it felt it! I love this place for the atmosphere, the patio, it's a great neighbourhood joint, that has good food, and serves beer
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Review from Su B.
5/17/2010
Met up with friends here as a last minute alternative since we couldn't get reservations for a saturday evening anywhere in the city. I am so glad my friend suggested this place - we loved it. It wasn't too difficult to get a table and the waitstaff was super attentive. My SO and I split the gnocchi and the fiama pizza. LOVED the pizza and the gnocchi was pretty good too. The dessert we had was dark chocolate mousse that was fantastic, whipped and airy. Great wine list as well - loved the reisling.
Great food - great service. Just wish they had a few more pasta dishes but I am also a firm believer that if you do something well you don't need to do everything.And they do make great pizzas. Will definitely return. -
Review from Barb G.
Toronto, ON
7/25/2011
This is one of those places that I really want to enjoy but always disappoints. It is literally a 2 minute walk from my house so I have gone 3 times even though I cannot say Ive enjoyed my meal once. The pasta is always bland and the pizza is mearly mediocre. It has a cool look and the servers are nice but they just cant seem to get their food together. Ive heard they opened a back patio so Ill probably give it one more chance but Im not going in with high hopes.
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Review from Joseph A.
11/7/2009
Pretty good pizza....better than the usual chain joints like Mamma's, Pizza Pizza. A small cut above Pizza Nova. Kind of like Pizzaiola.
But not good enough to invade your daydreams.
Libretto is much much better. -
Review from Andre M.
Toronto, ON
4/4/2011
Lil' Baci is a wonderful Leslieville spot. We walked in and it was busy and when we left it was twice as busy. Not sure if they take reservations but there always seemed to be a line...and we were there on a Thursday night. The waiter was brilliant in our opinion, but others could find him overbearing. We enjoyed his playful banter. The food was perfect...litterally. I shared the gnocci and a pizza (veg), an appetizers of white bean bread thingys and a delicious beet salad. We are going back as soon as possible. Personally, I love the wine in the stubby glasses rather than "traditional" wine glasses...and these people do it right.
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Review from John M.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2011
Decent pizza, good atmosphere and a great butternut squash salad. Our server was proactive about a mistake and quickly offered up an apology and a free dessert.
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Review from TOFoodReviews n.
Toronto, ON
12/1/2010
I'm a sucker for top-notch pizza. By top-notch, I mean pizza that is served sizzling and fresh and made with high-quality ingredients. Pizza like that is true craftsmanship; pizza like that I could eat every day. In my continuing effort to find superior pizza, I looked to Lil' Baci in Leslieville. My visit didn't disappoint me.
Lil' Baci's dining room is a decent-sized dining space, but the tables are packed pretty tight, so don't expect too much privacy. You'll likely hear everything that the table next to you is talking about. If you need to escape your neighbour table, in the warmer months you may want to check out the cute backyard patio. Comfortable, busy, and social, it's the place to be when the sun is out.
When I'm eating Italian food, I like to start off with a glass of red vino or cold Italian beer. Lil' Baci's wine list is small but thorough and their beer list offers some nice Italian choices; Moretti and Perroni are my personal favourites.
Lil' Baci has a seriously amazing dandelion greens salad. If you've never had dandelions as food before, this would be the one to expose yourself to it. The greens are slightly bitter, but the bitterness works well topped with shaved Parmigiano, cracked black pepper, and freshly squeezed lemon. Perfect starter.
And the pizza, they do it right. Lil' Baci has a savoury and seasoned tomato sauce base that expertly compliments the four cheeses that are layered on their Quattro Fromagi; my personal favorite. They've got some other really outstanding pizzas to choose from like the Margherita (with tomato, basil, and mozza), the Lil' Baci (with pecorino, sausage, and fennel pollen), and the Gorgonzola Dolce (with gorgonzola, Yukon gold potatoes, and caramelized onions). All of their pizzas are served on signature thin crust dough that is seared and blistered perfectly.
Lil Baci has got a really small pasta menu. Ridiculously small. There's only three items. But still, these 3 items are done perfectly. They're all made with quality ingredients and use that great tomato sauce that's on the pizza. My favorite is just the plain ole' Spaghetti and meatballs. It's got just the right amount of fresh basil, sauce, and Parmigiano. The portion size isn't huge, but with that dandelion salad and something from their Insalata menu, it's more than enough.
Lil' Baci also has a Panino menu, which surprisingly is different from their pizza menu. I love the Panino Tonnato. Packed with Italian tuna, caper aioli, sun-dried tomatoes and arugula, it's perfectly pressed into an amazing bite.
The dessert menu has a few options, but when I was there I had a lemon prosecco tart. The crust was buttery, but a tad on the dry side. The custard-like lemon filling had a refreshing prosecco flavour, which balanced the acidity nicely.
I head to Lil' Baci when I want some decently priced Italian food and some amazing pizza. Lunch or dinner, what you end up with is a steal anywhere in the city! -
Review from Jimi S.
ON
1/10/2009
im kinda pissed.
45 minutes before its arrival: i said, "okay, now, we have to (i have to) take pictures of these pizzas before we bite into them...for yelp".
25 minutes before arrival: pangs have begun; me want food.
10 minutes before arrival: house guest arrives, gab session starts.
time of arrival: clear the kitchen table, willy nilly, open three pizza boxes, couple salad containers, grab plates, forks, knives and a little wine.
GORGE.
45 minutes after time of arrival: dammit. forgot to take pictures.
so folks, no pictures of three pretty good pizzas we ordered. we got one pizza that was called the margherita americana which was mozzarella, basil, tomato sauce. the next was called the polpettino which was small meatballs the size of small gobstoppers or maltesers, some basil, mozzarella and tomato sauce. finally, there was the funghi with crimini mushrooms, taleggio, sage and truffle oil.
they were all very thin dough with great consistency which i love and simple. the truffle oil was awesome. the tomato sauce was quite tangy, the basil refreshing AND WE HAVE LEFTOVERS. (nothing better than pizza for leftovers.)
the two salads we got were a caprese and an arugala with beets and goat cheese. those were AWESOME, especially the bufala mozzarella in the caprese, so soft and fluffy.
overall i thought the food was quite tasty, but not necessarily worth spending the seventy dollars we spent on it. at the same time, i was sated so perhaps the crux of it there and it was worth it.
so then hugs and little bacis to you lil' and thanks for the good ol italian home grub. -
Review from Evangeline P.
Toronto, ON
7/5/2011
DH and I have been here twice now and plan to make it a regular event. Finding a hip place in the neighbourhood that serves great food, has great service and isn't too stuck up to give all that to a couple with an infant is difficult, but L'il Baci YOU ROCK!
-
Review from Rahim M.
Toronto, ON
5/2/2009 ROTD 5/10/2009
Leslieville is no longer off the beaten path, but Lil' Bacci's is a place that offers a refreshing change for the Terroni or Grazie diehard and remains true to the neighbourhood feel. If you're looking for a simple menu, a good selection of drink (they have Ontario hand crafted beers on tap) and excellent one to one service for a large group or for two, this is the right place.
Upon entry, the aroma of freshly baked bread and basil infused the air. It inspired me to conjure mouthwatering ideas of what to order before even reading the specials.
The easy menu consists of Salad, Pizza and Pasta. All meals come with warm, freshly baked hard crust Italian bread that goes best with dipping in the light yet wonderfully flavoured Olive oil.
Small and large portion sizes are more than fair in size. If you have an appetite, you'll surely be filled up no matter how great your hunger is.
The Spaghetti Bolognese I ordered was perfectly cooked with the right balance of el-dente and optimum amount of garlic, parsley and fresh ripened tomatoes. Of course, for extra kick, ask for the hot red Italian peppers and don't be fooled. They're flavourful, but after a few you get the heat!
The pizza is served with an abundance of fresh toppings. Whole garlic is also an option, and when baked to perfection atop the thin crust, it comes out roasted and caramelized, yet sweet and mild on the senses.
Next time, we'll save room for their assorted cupcakes as an after dinner dessert :-) -
Review from sarah l.
6/23/2009
I was not crazy about Lil' Bacci when the patio club I participate in met there on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
The good:
1. They have an excellent value-priced lunch combo here for $10. For that ten dollars, you get your choice of soup or salad and your choice of a small (which is HUGE) personal pizza, a calzone or a pasta dish. That is AWESOME value.
2. They have good draught beers (which are not that cheap)
3. Their patio looks really cool but I haven't enjoyed any beverages out there yet.
4. Staff was good
The bad:
1. I didn't like my food. I am torn between 2 or 3 stars here... because the lunch combo for $10 is SO good on paper.
2. I had a salad, which was mostly dandelion leaves. It SAID dandelion in the menu, but I thought that that meant there would be a FEW yellow flowers in the salad, but really, it was a BIG plate (did I mention they have very generous portions?) of dandelion LEAVES, with olive oil and sea salt. Sondra had soup instead of salad, and it looked REALLY good, and I should have had that.
3. Pizza - the pizza does not come cut into slices. This was a huge WTF to me and it really pissed me off. They had el-cheapo steak knives at the table which we all struggled to use to cut our pizzas. My pizza was also pretty weak. It was skimpy on the toppings and the prosciutto was in huge, whole piece slabs, that further frustrated my attempts at slicing the dang thing up. Again, Sondra had gnocci and it looked stellar so maybe I just got the wrong thing.
Overall, I would go here on a sunny day and check out the patio for beers, but I probably wouldn't get food (even though at lunch it's very affordable). -
Review from Ryan F.
Toronto, ON
4/18/2009 1 photo
Terroni of the east, but without the wait time. Great pizzas, ambiance and staff. Even some excellent craft beers.
