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Luma
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
330 King St WFl 2
Toronto, ON M5V
Neighbourhoods: Entertainment District, Downtown Core
(647) 288-4715
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 3 pm
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
42 reviews for Luma
Review Highlights
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"...you're going for dessert, make sure you try the Opera Cake." In 5 reviews -
"This is O+B's newest addition in the Bell Lightbox building." In 6 reviews -
"...a bowl of caramel popcorn and a side of popcorn ice cream." In 2 reviews
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42 reviews in English
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Review from Jess W.
Toronto, ON
4/19/2012 4 photos
The menu here is on the short side with only a handful of appetizers and entrees to choose from. They do have a great cocktail menu and a nice bar/lounge area... maybe for my next visit.
What I tried:
Tongue + Cheek - braised veal tongue, duck pate and pork head cheese with wild Canadian flavours ($15). The dish arrived on wooden board and I was impressed by its whimsical presentation. Looked like something from a fairy tail! The duck pate was simply wonderful and was incredibly light... my favourite part of the dish. The thinly shaved veal tongue was tasty and the head cheese, while a touch oily for my liking, was still delicious!
Steak Tartare - spiced raw beef with chicken liver parfait, pickles and grilled o&b artisan bread ($15 appetizer/$28 main), which came topped with a quail egg. A big hit! Reminded me a lot of the steak tartare at Auberge du Pommier (one of my favourites!)
Ricotta Gnudi - sautéed mushrooms, parmesan and chives ($15 appetizer/$20 main). Light, fluffy, pillowy gnudi covered in a parmesan foam. Earthy, fragrant... a mushroom lover's dream!
Pappardelle - braised short rib, caramelized onions and horseradish cream ($19). The dish contained pieces of pulled, tender short rib and I loved the caramelized onions that gave the pasta a great flavour. Despite the generous amount of horseradish cream, it wasn't actually too potent.
Chocolate Delice - dark Valrhona chocolate, caramelized bananas, peanut butter ice cream and brownie crumbs ($10). Love. Love. Love. A must order!
A fantastic meal from start to finish... remember to save room for dessert :) -
Review from Johnny H.
Toronto, ON
4/14/2012 5 photos
Since I love going to the movies, I frequently dine here. The food is generally nice throughout. I usually have scallop sashimi or endive salad for appetizer. Very light and yet very intoxicating in its stinging flavor. The ingredients come together to empower the star of the dish. As for entree, I normally have halibut or pork loin. Great texture and rich in its smooth flavor. They will not insult you with one flavor standing out. Everything blends in well to compliment each other. You might be tempted with lamb loin, but it was too tough. The steak frites is nice as well, but I wouldn't say it has the finesse of other dishes. Opera Cake is something you have to try. It comes with caramel-glazed popcorns, ice cream and sponge cake. There are little chocolates (?) under the ice cream, and it pops in your mouth! They used to have butter-poached lobster and beef tenderloin... I wonder why they were taken off the menu.
This restaurant has an airy and spacious feel, something hard to find in restaurant these days. Noise level is a bit high, but it is possible to have conversations in normal tone since tables are spaced out nicely. The view out the patio is really nice. Waiters are attentive and nice. But I have to say the service is slow... Sometimes the consistency isn't up to par - overcooked beef, fishy smell on scallops, etc.
I once had a dinner there alone, and I had to move to the bar to work on some stuff with my laptop. The waiter moved everything for me. And when I had to go out, the waiter watched my stuff. And she kept coming back to see if I needed something. I like the service here because it is not artificially nice, but personably nice.
They take both credit and debit. -
Review from M. C. F.
Toronto, ON
3/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Excellent decor on the second floor of Festival Tower overlooking King St with giant windows that give everyone a view. This place has a lounge look and sound, with an inviting atmosphere that favours groups more than couples.
The entrance bar is a bit too exposed for my liking, providing next to no separation from the main building where all the theatres sit, but this isn't a big drawback.
Service was above average with friendly smiles, professional look, and informed answers to questions about the menu.
Food wise, the sliders were a nice juicy starter with a fine aioli sauce. The organic chicken was tender with a notable jus, and the handmade paperdelle with braised shortrib and horseradish sauce was unique and tasty. Portions were just right too.
The drinks were not free poured but were made with care, resulting in fine balance. That's to be expected at this price. A glass of delicious 2010 Andeluna Malbec cost 13.50.
All in all, a nice place to enjoy an evening's meal. -
Review from Jennie B.
Toronto, ON
4/29/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Fantastic meal - the wait staff was superb - wine list was excellent. Recommend the steak frites - and the Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon was perfectly matched.
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Review from Dishan W.
I came in here with a small group during Winterlicious and while most of the group went with the Winterlicious menu I opted to order off their regular menu (not that there was anything wrong with the winterlicious menu) but I saw a couple of things I found interesting in the menu I wanted to give a try.
They have a small but exciting sounding cocktail menu with many interesting sounding drinks and most of our group went for the same drink which was the Lazy Caprese which came garnished with 2 pieces of bocconcini and was spectacular.
For my starter I went for the "tongue and cheek" appetizer which had spized raw beef and chicken liver parfait, cheese and "wild Canadian flavours" (could anything have been more open for interpretation?!), it's pictured above and it had an interesting dish presentation and ended up being very good, it's also perfect for sharing.
My main was their lingcod dish (never heard of lingcod before) and our server (who by the way was very friendly) suggested that over whatever else I was pondering. And it really was very delicious even with a hint of lobster thrown in there. I was extremely satisfied and both those dishes cost me less than $40 (before tip and tax) which I would say is reasonable for a restaurant of this calibre.
There was also a special event being held at the Lightbox that evening and Luma also had a visiting chef and they were preparing a dish that was identical to one that was served in a particular scene of this movie that was involved with the event. And as a result us diners had the option of ordering a very fancy sounding pancake type dish as an appetizer, I was very tempted but opted for my tongue and cheek instead. But that is a great example of how Luma benefits from being housed in Toronto's "home for the movies" and how us the patrons stand to benefit from this partnership. A big reason why I'm awarding Luma that 5 star rating. I will most definitely be doing repeat visits here with their regular menu changes which I've heard of.Listed in: The tiff Bell Lightbox
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Review from Mary C.
Richmond Hill, ON
2/10/2012 8 photos
I was really excited to try out LUMA since I generally love the family of restaurants under Oliver and Bonacini. So when Winterlicious rolled around, I jumped on getting a dinner reservation. Located on the second floor of the TIFF light box, the location and venue is perfect for a date.
After climbing a flight of stairs, we see a huge LUMA sign to reconfirm that we have gone to the right place. It was a little confusing trying to find the place! We were greeted by a hostess that takes our jackets for coat check, and then to our tables. The venue is cozy and inviting. Lots of tables, sofas, high ceilings, and windows spanning the entire wall. Some tables have an amazing view of the CN tower!
If you're here for just a couple drinks, you can opt to in the Blackberry lounge connected to LUMA. It's brighter and a bit more casual than the LUMA dining room.
"Roasted Beetroot Soup" -blue cheese, walnut and apple:
As a starter I ordered this Roasted Beetroot Soup. I almost never order soup (i'm more of a salad person) but decided to switch things up a bit. Wasn't the best soup I've had, but I don't regret ordering it. It's very simple in flavours, and the beets are pureed to a very viscous but smooth consistency. Could almost pass for a pasta sauce!
"Chicken Liver + Foie Gras Pate"-confit duck heart and braised lentils:
When this appetizer came, I don't think we knew where to start eating this. It didn't look like a million dollars, but it turned out to be a delicious messy pile. There's a lot going on here in this one dish, but once it goes into your mouth it all converges into a creamy thick paste of fois gras. To balance it off there are some crunchy nuts and croutons. It goes great with the bread, so good thing the waitress came by with another basket. For such a rich, heavy, and flavourful dish, I thought the portions are extremely excessive. Even with two people we had lots left over.
"Scallop Sashimi" ($13) - with celery leaves, herbs radish and ginger vinagrette
We ordered the Scallop Sashimi off the regular menu (not the Winterlicious one), and to be honest it was a bit disappointing. This was a very minimalist dish. No sauce pairings, no fancy garnishes, just scallops with a bit of lime, lettuce and ginger. While it does allow you to taste the scallop freshness, the dish lacked inspiration. An unnecessarily gigantic plate carrying only a morsel of scallop sashimi makes me wish they could have done something more with all that white plate space.
"Seared Albacore Tuna" -braised sunchoke and heirloom bean salad, red wine rosemary vinaigrette:
For my main I ordered the Seared Albacore Tuna and was pretty apathetic about it. I thought the tuna was dry and not nearly as raw in the middle as it should be. The bean salad was decent on its own, but with the tuna, I felt it was all the same texture: dry and starchy. The salad definitely could have used something along the lines of diced tomatoes or apples to contrast the heartiness of the fish and beans.
"Grilled Flatiron Steak" -butter whipped potato, oyster mushrooms and truffle creme fraiche
While my tuna was a bit underwhelming, Rob's order of the Grilled Flatiron Steak was much more impressive. In fact, he couldn't stop complimenting how well it was cooked, and on the quality of the meat. I think his exact words were "I've never had a striploin this good before." It was so very tender and lightly seasoned with simple salt. I guess when you have such a good piece of meat you don't need much to make it taste good! I really enjoyed the oyster mushrooms and mashed potatoes too, which soaked up all steak juice goodness.
"Apple + Buttermilk Panna Cotta" - maple granola and apple compote:
I love the taste of plain yoghurt so I really enjoyed this cold Buttermilk Panna Cotta served with warm apples. It was light and refreshing, and not overly sweet.
"Chocolate Bread + Butter Pudding" -butterscotch and shaved white chocolate:
I am a big big chocolate fan so scanning the Winterlicious dessert selection I knew right away I was getting this Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding. It did not disappoint. The bread pudding had a flakey light top layer and a moist decadent center filled with semi-melted dark chocolate ribbons. The white chocolate shavings were nice and creamy and topped off this dessert perfectly. I'm not sure if you're supposed to eat the flowers, but I did anyways.
With the except of desserts, I am sad to say I did not like LUMA as much as I had hoped. There were definitely some excellently executed dishes, but still it lacked that extra dazzle and charm. Perhaps Winterlicious experiences never does a restaurant justice. I would be open to trying LUMA again for their regular menu, but probably only if I was already at TIFF for a movie or something. -
Review from Josephine C.
Markham, ON
3/6/2012
Located at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, this restaurant was fantastic and as romantic as it gets.
First impression was that the decor was elegant, and the service was excellent. The wait staff was extremely polite, friendly, and attentive, couldn't ask for more. The atmosphere was pleasant (not too loud, even on a Saturday evening). They have free coat check at the front.
The menu had a nice movie credits theme to it (fitting since it's located at TIFF).
We ordered the appetizer (octopus) and a main dish of steak. Was pleasantly surprised that they asked if we would like to share it, then brought us the dishes split into two equal portions each. Both were great, but I did not finish my octopus as it was too difficult to rip apart for me (more difficult for me to eat than squid). Still it was an interesting dish to try.
Overall, a great place to bring your date. -
Review from Maheen M.
2/3/2012
***4.5 Stars ***
I was at Luma last night to try their Winterlicious menu. I had heard great reviews and experiences at Luma so it was on the must-try list for Winterlicious. I made reservations online versus call in, the reservation process was a breeze. When they called back to confirm the reservation, they stated that we had 90 minutes to dine because of the Winterlicious menu! I was a bit taken back, but half expected it.
The food was top notch - both my friend and I tried the beetroot soup with blue cheese and walnuts. My friend did not want the blue cheese topping and they were able to accommodate her request. The soup was comforting, loved the sweet and savoury flavour profile.
Now to the mains, I ordered the tuna and my friend ordered the flat iron steak. The tuna was cooked to perfection, seared on the outside and raw in the middle. I really enjoyed the bean mixture it can with. My friend could not stop talking about the steak, it was cooked to her taste - medium rare. Each morsel was divine.
Desserts - we both had the bread pudding - it was delicious. I could have eaten more if there was more. It was the right amount of sweetness to end the meal.
Service was fabulous - our waitress was attentive. My glass of water was never empty. Funny enough they forgot about us at the end when we were trying to pay our bill. We did not feel rushed to leave which contradicted what was mentioned to me at the reservation confirmation time.
I am curious to come back to Luma for a non-Winterlicious time. For $35 for three courses, it was a great deal for a memorable meal.Listed in: Spendy Spendy
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Review from Anita D.
Etobicoke, ON
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
My partner and I went here for the 2012 Winterlicious menu.
I had their root salad with a mustard dressing to start. I enjoyed it. The description mentioned it had bacon, but I didn't see any.
My partner had their chicken liver and fois gras pâté which he said was good
For the main I had their flat iron steak with mushrooms,potatoes and a truffle creme fraiche. This was good as well.
My partner had the seared tuna, which he didn't enjoy as it tasted too much like sushi and he expected it to be cooked more.
The dessert for me was a chocolate bread pudding which would make me come back. But then again I love good bread pudding. My partner ordered the panna cota with an apple compote which was also good. He said it reminded him of a cheesecake and apple pie mashed into a blender.
Overall it was a nice night, but would not go back as the normal prices for their food is beyond my entertaining budget -
Review from Emily C.
2/16/2012
It was the last day of the Winterlicious menu and I saw a sign for $20 lunch. Since they're a part of the Oliver & bonacini group, i figured that the standard should be up to par. And I wasn't wrong! We came really late in the after noon ... but still weren't the only people in the joint.
Food wise? Started with a seared tuna type of appy ... amazing. Partly because i love seared/raw anything. It was great. My main was the potato leek lasagna. A little portion? but just about right because the cheese was so rich. He had the chicken and it was yummy! Dessert was awesome too ... a little cup of buttermilk or something and a bread pudding with little crystalized sugars that pop in your mouth!
3 course meal ... a drink ... tax and tip? Comes to just under $40 per person which is a steal for the quality. Of course, this isnt' a regular thing so make sure you come next time! -
Review from Parv D.
Toronto, ON
4/11/2012
Just gorgeous!
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Review from Joy L.
Scarborough, ON
2/10/2012 1 photo
Perhaps if I had ordered something from their Winterlicious menu, I would be completely content and satisfied. Disappointment is an understatement for my pappardelle. It felt like a greasy spoon from a diner. I would not have finished my plate if my friend did not tell me to.
I would have rated this 1 star if my friend didn't enjoy their meal so much. -
Review from Brian T.
12/16/2011
A high-quality restaurant on the second floor of the TIFF Bell Lighthouse. There is a more casual place downstairs called The Canteen, and Luma is quite pricey. But if you are looking for a more romantic atmosphere and less routine ingredients, this would make a nice option prior (or after) seeing a film.
I enjoyed the Pureed Truffled Soup and an entree of Lingcod with cauliflower puree, capers, and prosciutto. Including bread with an artichoke spread, this was all suitably delicious.
The service was impeccable, and I enjoyed a local Niagara Gewurstaminer which hit the spot. My only complaint would be the prices, which are too high, especially for wine. But, alas, what can be done? -
Review from Susan G.
9/28/2011 1 photo
Luma is basically O&B gold, but doesn't get a five star because of sometimes patchy service.
First off, I want to say that I LOVE the food and atmosphere at Luma! Everything I have ever had there has been super delicious, including (my new favorite appetizer) Burrata, which is basically a pretty blob of mozzarella. I've also had the pressed duck confit (delicious, but slightly too fatty for me), the steak tartar (MMM), scallop sashimi (probably my favorite food, so definitely loved it) and my favorite main there, the seared yellowfin tuna. Hilariously enough, the waiter had to warn me that it was raw, because apparently people don't know that's what seared means and constantly send it back. If you're going for dessert, make sure you try the Opera Cake!!
So, the location of Luma is what really gives it a special place in my heart - nestled into the Tiff Bell Lightbox, complete with cinematic themed cocktails! What's not to love!
So, why this is a four star review and not a five (I guess I could call it a 4.5) is because of the service. When the servers are around, they are absolutely fabulous, but sometimes you can wait for even 10 minutes before they bring you water. And sure, if it was a busy place, I'd let it slide, but it really isn't at all. Usually the seats are less than half full.
To end this review on a positive note, if you tweet about Luma, the head chef will respond to you! Aw. He really cares. -
Review from jocelyn l.
10/2/2011
This review is Only for the Lobster Rolls that LUMA created for Nuit Blanche as part of their late night bites
The rolls were perfect: great consistency, refreshing and light...and very summery. It was a tad salty but i washed it down with a root beer float and it was great. The Chef was very friendly and put together a platter of 10 lobster rolls for our famished group.
Too bad i can't say the same for its pathetic sister restaurant O&B Canteen. Terrible food (see my review for O&B Canteen and keep away until they spruce up service there) -
Review from Leslie W.
BOTTOM LINE: Their slow and inconsistent service leaves little reason to return given the competition in the city. Management should re-examine staffing issues.
One poor experience is sometimes all it takes to ruin a dining experience, but judging from what other Yelpers have written, exceptionally slow service would seem to happen more often than expected (even in the main seating area).
So I arrived late Saturday night with 3 other starving diners. Their main restaurant was full, but was advised that they would be able to accommodate us in the lounge, which was only half full. This was probably the single worst decision of the night as their lounge does not appear to be adequately staffed for diners.
Having read what other Yelpers have written, I was aware that the price to portion ratio was high and wouldn't exactly be described as a good value. That's fine but the portion size does come into play when you're starving and service is virtually non-existent, as I will articulate below. The food IS good, but pretty standard affair at this price point. I'll defer to other Yelpers for descriptions of each of their dishes.
I counted one, maybe two, servers in lounge, and as a result of an understaffing issue, SERVICE WAS UNBEARABLY SLOW AND UNRESPONSIVE:
-We had to wait forever between each step of being attended to, given our menus (had to return twice because we weren't given the full menu the first time), ordering drinks and then our dinner.
-Drinks were often left sitting empty for prolonged periods (only one of my friends managed to order another drink)
-After each finishing an appetizer and a main, we remained hungry and were ready to order more, but after waiting for what seemed like an eternity (and with our server no where to be seen), we decided that it would actually be faster (and more filling) to grab the bill and get some street meat. We even paid in cash because we didn't want to risk waiting another 10-20 minutes for our server to process the credit card.
The level of service was abysmal for a restaurant of this purported calibre. When you understaff your restaurant to this degree, it is truly a disservice to your customers no matter how well-trained each individual server is or how talented your kitchen staff may be. With so many other wonderful places in this neighbourhood, let alone the city, it's difficult to recommend Luma. -
Review from Elle G.
8/24/2011
The review rating is mostly for the food. The service -- well - I'll get to that in a minute.
This is O+B's newest addition in the Bell Lightbox building.
Nice layout and ambiance.
The menu had great choices and the food was great, but the service and some aspects of it were "off". There were periods when we were looking around for our server and they could not be found. Matter of fact we waited quite some time to ask for the check. It was not that busy either, so we found this fascinating.
Also, when they brought the food to the table - the person who brought the food (who btw was not the same as the wait person), proceeded to describe the meal -- uh - yeah -- I picked it off the menu based on the description -- I think I get what I am eating. This was pretentious. O+B if you are reading this - drop this practice. If you are dealing with people that know food -- it is more than a little annoying. Have your staff spend their time instead paying more attention to their diners more frequently.
Anyways, the food was marvellous and we'll probably be back, but their is definitely some fine-tuning that needs to be done on the serving side.
Enjoy!
PS - the picture I chose as my first photo was the dessert I had (Opera Cake)-- but I thought my hubby's dessert was much better (Chocolate ?) -
Review from chris M.
Calgary, AB
12/2/2011
The experience lived up to its recommendation. The staff were very knowledgeable, the wine selection was great; recommend a lazy cabreze. So goooood!
The seabass was a new edition on the menu and did not disappoint.
Had the opportunity to meet the head chef and made us feel right at home. -
Review from Karen G.
Like other reviewers, I wanted to love Luma but the best that I can say is that I liked it. If it were possible to do so, I would have given it 3 1/2 stars but it doesn't quite get to 4 stars for me.
The restaurant is on the second floor of the TIFF building. The modern space and aesthetic was well executed. We sat on the patio overlooking the corner of King and John street with a view of the CN Tower - great view if a little loud with the passing traffic.
I thought that the service was very good, although not superior - it took our waiter a very long time to get back to us when we were not ready to order right away.
We ordered the steak tartare and the Burrata to share as apps ($16 and $17 respectively). Both were excellent but I enjoyed the Burrata the most. It is basically a large blob of mozzarella cheese on a bed of legumes in a fresh lemony/basil dressing. Really delicious. The steak tartare had nice flavour - not bland at all.
For our mains, we ordered the lobster burger which was delivered conveniently cut in half for us to share. It was delicious but looked kind of lonely on the plate all by itself. I noticed later than for $6 more we could have ordered a side soup or mixed greens but for $21, I thought it was kind of cheesy to just present this rather small burger on the plate by itself.
For our second main, we ordered the coconut milk poached red snapper which was a disappointment. The fish was overcooked and dry, although I enjoyed the sauce and vegetables it was served on - they were very tasty. Unfortunately, the waiter never did ask us how our mains were or I would have mentioned the overcooked snapper. I regret that I did not have an opportunity to tell him that this dish was disappointing.
For dessert, on the strength of other reviews, we ordered the opera cake. The presentation was lovely but for $10 I would have expected a larger piece of cake. It was very rich tasting (almost like sweet pure butter - which I liked) but when we split it in half, it was barely two bites worth for each of us. The popcorn which was served with it didn't blow me away but the scoop of popcorn ice cream on a bed of chocolate pop rocks which explode in your mouth made the dessert for me. The sensation of the exploding pop rocks with the cold ice cream was very cool. If I ever go back, I am going to have to see if they would serve just the ice cream with the pop rocks! Loved it.
Overall, I enjoyed lunch but I can't see myself rushing back here. -
Review from Jeff B.
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
I enjoyed the Luma spin on dining. My major complaints are the wine list and service. The wine list is lacking in selection. There's a lot of Canadian wines, but I'm not into Canadian wines. The selection beyond this is lacking severely. We did find a nice French wine finally. The service overall was decent. They didn't finish strong however and we had to wait 20 minutes to get out of the restaurant. Our group was very happy with the meal overall. I had a steak and it was perfect. I think if they improved a couple of minor things, this would be a great place.
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Review from Chris L.
East York, ON
2/12/2012
I'll chime in with the positive reviewers here. My wife and I just had our anniversary dinner at Luma and they treated us very well. Our server made just the right amount of fuss over us and our occasion and was just the right amount of attentive. The design and atmosphere of the space is really inspired. We loved the room. The food was terrific and every dish had a unique aspect. The peanut butter ice cream on top of the chocolate delice was particularly bud tickling. Luma is on of those restaurants that I would like to 'show off' to any visiting friends. It points to how Toronto can be world class when we do it right. We're looking forward to going back.
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Review from Kathy M.
Toronto, ON
7/22/2011 3 photos
We had an excellent experience at Luma during Summerlicious. We booked a table for 7 at the last minute and they were able to accommodate us on the patio in the corner table overlooking King and John St. Fantastic table during the summer with a great view of the CN tower while dining. For a Wednesday night the restaurant was packed.
Everyone at the table ordered from the summerlious menu. I ordered the saigon salad, seared albacore tuna, and summer berry pudding and really enjoyed the meal. Most of the table ordered the grilled flatiron steak as their main and raved about it. We also ordered a few options from their main menu - truffle and parmesan frites, grilled octopus and scallop sashimi. The frites were amazing! I have to also add that the service was excellent.
It was my first time going there and we really enjoyed our night. We will be coming back. -
Review from Shannon F.
Toronto, ON
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
If I had reviewed this restaurant after my first visit about a year ago I probably would have given it 5 stars. I had a wonderful meal with my bf and my mom and her husband. I had tuna tartare which was delicious and a lobster risotto that I absolutely loved.
Unfortunately my second trip was not as wonderful. I still love the space, its warm an inviting despite being a very large restaurant with a lot of tables and high ceilings. The view of downtown is spectacular and the wall to ceiling windows are beautiful - note, I was chilly the first time I sat by the windows.
We made a last minute (day before) New Year's Eve reservation as I guessed such a big space was likely to have a table left and they did. It wasn't even that busy when we were there although we had a 9:30pm reservation so perhaps we missed the rush. I didn't mind, we had good attention from our server and wine guide.
First, the drinks. They made a good martini - our favourite is a dirty, dry martini and they didn't disappoint although the olives were a bit dry - old? The wine however was WONDERFUL - a Niagara-on-the-lake winery that my bf and I have been to before so have a special place in our hearts for it - Lailey - Pinot Noir - 2009 I think? It was delicious.
The food...there was a prefixe that didn't interest either of us so we ordered a la carte. I had the tuna tartare again - it was good, not amazing, I think it was better the first time. We shared the scallop sashimi which was the best thing we ate for sure. It was delicious with a touch of radish and greens which was amazing. My bf had the octopus - not something this vegetarian (obvious occasional fish eater - usually went at a restaurant) eats and my bf said it was overcooked on the outside pieces and he didn't love it.
Our mains were a lingcod for me (I asked the waiter who knew I wasn't a meat eater and was iffy on fish whether the lingcod or yellowfish tuna was better and he said the lingcod) and scallops with beluga lentils for my bf. Mine came out - GASP - with a whack of prosciutto on and around the fish!!!! You would think that's something you'd mention in the description of a fish dish...it wasn't - nor did my server tell me which was odd and he even seemed surprised when I told him we sent it back. The good news is they did bring me a fresh one (not just the previous one with the prosciutto removed) - the server said he grabbed it before it got to that stage - and the dish was pretty fantastic. A creamy sauce with good vegetables and a perfectly cooked piece of whitefish. I was pleased at the end. My bf was not as thrilled with his scallops. He didn't like the beluga lentils which pretty much ruined the dish for him. He should have had a steak...
We didn't stay for dessert this time and were only mostly happy with our meal. I had been really looking forward to going back there and making it one of my favourite Toronto restaurants but was disappointed. We are hard to please, but not that hard. Don't put ham on my lingcod...or at least let me know its coming ;-)
I'd be willing to give it another try sometime - perhaps it was the New Year's menu that threw them off - by the way the lobster risotto I loved so much last time was not offered - so perhaps it will be back if I am. -
Review from Lynn H.
Toronto, ON
8/28/2011 1 photo
Cant say we'll be coming back. First impression was great tho because one of the chefs gave my baby boy a free appetizer. And then he said he felt bad so he made a bigger appy for everyone to share for free too!! It was actually really yummy & off the menu. Can't say the food was bad. It was actually done quite well. They definitely try to go for the unique factor with their upscale dishes like foie gras (did i even spell that right?) and tongue. I was a little weirded out by some of the appetizers' ingredients but maybe i'm just not that big on eating flower petals.
Their dessert menu was a major fail. Their selection of dessert wine & tea was bigger than the actual desserts. I ordered a cake & it was maybe 2 bites with a side of popcorn icecream & some caramel popcorn?!? Okay...guess trying to be different means serving you up some cheesy dessert too...at $10 a pop!!
Take note though, pop refills are not included so u will be charged the $3.50 for another pop (which may take up to an hour to get.) The glass is tiny & it's half ice!!! What the heck!? Ya this place is pretty pricy for what you get serving wise. Their whipped potatoes are really good & probably memorable. Our server was not the brightest. She was quite clumsy & dropped a knife & fork...almost on my baby's head!!! Not impressed with that! And it shouldn't take her an hour to get another drink order in & a little checking up on our table more than once per hour would be nice.
The atmosphere is cool & it's a beautiful restaurant. I only give it 3 stars because for the price, the food & the definitely the service (maybe just from our server) wasn't up to par. I give them props for serving us a free appetizer just for my baby though. That's very sweet & definitely gave an awesome first impression in my eyes.
Oh, and make sure u really lock the washroom door!! It was stuck in between a full turn & i thought it was okay. Was just about to unbutton my jeans & an old man walked in!! OMG!! The washrooms are private but unisex so u have to make sure the deadbolt turns completely!! How embarrassing...but hey, it could've been worse & he could've walked in on me mid stream...LOL!!!
Not coming back tho...there's just way too many other restos across the street that would probably be better & at half the cost. -
Review from Rj P.
5/27/2011
Really, really, really liked Luma. I thought they did a tremendous job in an event we had at the Bell Lightbox.
Food was well prepared, they took into consideration the dietary needs of our guests and the servers were fantastic.
It is great when you can rely on a restaurant to provide fantastic service and comparably thoughtful food and menu design. They really made my event fantastic. -
Review from David S.
Toronto, ON
7/17/2011
I should have read the previous review on menu choices during Summerlicious, but being me, brave and "adventurous", I decided to try my hand at the OTHER stuff.
Yeah, bad call.
Pick everything the previous reviewer mentioned. My wife did and had a very enjoyable meal. Mine? Not so good. The Cucumber Gazpacho - yuck. The seared Tuna - not bad. Ok the dessert was my saving grace. It was a cheesecake-tasting custard with a strawberry and raspberry compote.
We didn't have reservations so we had our food in the "Blackberry Lounge". Seems like some type of RIM-sponsored space where the majority of people seated here watch too much Sex and the City. Their sister-digs, Cantina will be next on our list to try. It's ambiance reminds me of Kate Mantalini's in LA. -
Review from Brian K.
4/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Like others, I really want to love Luma; however, the wide range of reviews here serve to reinforce the inconsistency I've experienced at this restaurant.
Stopping by for a late brunch for two, my gf and I had a great time. Quick efficient service, and a great meal (eggs benny and the croque madame). Though I would have liked some supporting players on the plate (no fruit or potatoes), the fries are great and easy to share.
The space itself is gorgeous, large and airy, and if we could rent it out as a wedding venue we would.
Buoyed by this experience, I thought it an easy choice to bring my family here for a Sunday brunch. Many of them hadn't seen the Lightbox, and I knew this place had large tables to accommodate our party. Unfortunately, we left underwhelmed.
While our server was an absolute gem, the food was coming out at a glacial pace. I'm certainly respectful that for a table of 10 we should expect a bit of a delay, but the restaurant was half-full and other tables were getting equally shoddy treatment. Two people ordered tea at my table, only to be informed later they were out of tea pots. When tea pots became available, they had run out of green tea (and this was early in their brunch service).
After waiting an hour without any food, I asked the manager as to the cause of the delay. Rather than man up and apologize, he felt his energy was better spent investigating when our order had been punched in, and proceeded to explain that it hadn't been that long. First, what the hell? We had been sitting for an hour with nary a breadcrumb. Second, our server (awesome as she was), was clearly stretched thin. Did it not occur to this man that it hadn't been that long since we ordered (in his opinion), because it took forever to place our order? This fellow could have done much better to assuage our issues; he did not.
Graciously, they comped our drinks (coffee/tea is $3.50 each), and thankfully, the food was still good (though I wonder if this is because we were all starving by the time we got it).
A recent interview with Michael Bonacini reveals that he's disappointed with the performance of Luma (http://www.thestar.com...). With the inconsistency I've observed, I am not surprised.
Note: there's parking underneath the Lightbox - flat rate $5 on Sundays. -
Review from Farheen K.
Toronto, ON
11/16/2010
Brunch at Luma is a simple affair.
It involves clean lines, sparkling cutlery and china, no fuss menus and a down to earth humane amount of food. There are no homefries or stringy potatoes falling off your plate, there is no sauce spilling over your white t-shirt and you are not drowning your insides in grease in the process.
I had the eggs benedict served on cloudy croissant-halves made in-house. The croque madame, with stinky overpowering gruyere, was rich and tasty. Both were great choices since the menu is not extravagant in any way.
The cocktail list is extremely inviting and a must-try.Listed in: Farheen K. Brunches Toronto
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Review from Catherine L.
Toronto, ON
12/5/2010
I really wanted to like Luma. I may need to go again for dinner to give this a fair chance as I've only had brunch there and only one dish, but based on my experience I would have to give it a 2/5.
Pros - beautiful space and plating and good service. Waitress was very discreet but our coffees and water glasses were always refilled.
Cons - I can't say I enjoyed my eggs benedict at all. The sauce had a very sharp lemon taste, and when combined with the saltiness of the ham, it was actually hard to eat. This is a tough feat as I actually LOVE eggs benedict, even cheap versions so for me to not like it, it's actually a pretty big deal. I had a bite of my friend's steak and eggs, and while the steak was well prepared - it was tender and perfectly cooked; the meat itself was kind of bland. Kind of like a hamburger. At $10 maybe this would've been ok, but at $21, we expected a bit more. The "fries" that came with it were really thin and crispy and tasted like hickory sticks. Again that was good, but i would've preferred meatier fries. -
Review from M P.
Toronto, ON
10/12/2010 1 photo
If you are looking for a nice little restaurant that goes out of their way to create new dishes while mixing and matching different ingredients, look no more. Stop by at the LUMA of O&B which is on the second floor of the tiff Bell lightbox, right behind the BlackBerry lounge.
Nice contemporary decor, cool private bathrooms, fancy table settings together created a great atmosphere... It is visually enticing. The menu looks simple with less than 15 choices of entrées, but the way I see it, fewer the choices, more effort was put on each dish.
My family and I went there for our Thanksgiving dinner last Sunday. I had the Burrata as a starter.... Wow, it was like a little taste heaven :p My god-daughters ordered the butternut squash soup. Delightful!!
Since it was Thanksgiving, the chef cooked up a glazed ham over mashed potatoes with Brussels sprouts... It was soooo good!!
The service was excellent. I am very pleased. The only problem was at the end, we were offered a thanksgiving dessert. We checked with the Manager and she told us to enjoy it, but then it was charged to our bills.... Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding somewhere, but we didnt bother asking the waiter to remove it since we found out only after we ate it. Oh well!!!
I was beautiful.... Definitely worth trying it out!! -
Review from Amy L.
3/26/2011
Luma is located in the new TIFF Bell Lightbox building by King Street W & John. I've tried O&B Canteen right below it, so I decided to go with Luma for a Sunday brunch. I don't remember which smoothie I ordered, but they brought me the wrong drink. The Ginger Lemonade I found to be ridiculously sour and didn't think it was worth the $6. I chose Eggs Benedict on a croissant ($12) because I'm a huge fan of eggs benedict; gotta love them running eggs! My friend Sue got the Sausages with horseradish sauce ($4) and an Omelette with spinach ($14). Even though the place had an upscale atmosphere, I think their menu is fairly overpriced, especially for the quality that we were getting. I must, however, applaud them for their Sausage sauce since it was very unique and my taste buds exploded, haha.
I definitely won't be back for their brunch since their brunch menu is lacking, but I might consider trying out their dinner menu!Listed in: Brunch Places
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Review from Laura Y.
Toronto, ON
7/9/2011
Went to Luma for summerlicious - and really wasn't disappointed! Sometimes I find with summerlicious the restaurants treat you poorer than if you were paying full price for the regular menu items. Not so here! The waitress really went out of her way to make sure we had a good meal (no shortage of bread! which was steaming hot BTW). The Asian pork salad appetizer was delicious and not too big. But the real star was the steak with mashed potatoes. Sounds pretty standard, but it was delicious! Dessert was also great - again not a huge portion - just enough.
Would definitely go back! -
Review from Joanne W.
1/17/2011
My friends and I went to LUMA for their "Creature Comforts" special that was related to the Tim Burton exhibit. Sadly, they didn't have it for lunch (apparently there was a mix-up ) - the Creature Comforts food specials were only on from Monday to Friday; and on the weekends - there's only brunch in the morning and the special starts at 5.
Nevertheless, we stayed there to eat.
The ambiance was nice and quiet - there wasn't too many people. We had brunch there (I ordered the eggs benedict, which was on the croissant instead). Absolutely delicious. Definite recommend for brunch.
I must say, service was AMAZING! We had the nicest waiter ever and he joked around with us the whole time. Definitely will be going back some time soon. -
Review from Andi B.
Markham, ON
3/9/2011
My fiancée and I love the Oliver and bonancini franchises and so visiting luma was a natural choice. We tried it out for lunch this afternoon and I thought this restaurant has been underestimated.
The atmosphere is lovely and the service is great. We were started off with water and wine, and then we ordered our appetizers. The service is slow, but that is how I like it when I am with good company. Although, for the amount of money we paid for lunch, maybe a touch more professionalism would have been nice. But hey, not a huge deal.
The soup and fish were really yummy. Next came our entree. They weren't served or garnished with the same kind of flourish that other restaurants might have, but the food was honest and had strong flavors.
Dessert was delish. The willy wonka is worth a try for chocolate and peanut butter lovers.
Over all. I'm happy. Smidge expensive. -
Review from Thu N.
Updated - 6/15/2011
This is a few months overdue!! So I returned to Luma for dinner and had one of the most enjoyable dining experience. First off, the set menu is really affordable and jam packed with quality. The truffle oil, wild mushroom lasagna was simply my kryptonite. We shared the Burrata, fresh cheese flown in from Italy...never had it before and also it was heavenly. The Tuna tartar was very different, almost like a ceviche and again so good. Our waiter put up with my friend who's super difficult and allergic to everything. Chef Bangerter also came out to make sure we were having a good time. I think LUMA is a special Toronto gem. Glad to see how much it's grown thru the past few months.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/9/2010
I agree with Catherine L, I really wanted to like Luma but our brunch experience was quite mediocre.… Read more »
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Review from Kat T.
2/19/2011
Dinner at Luma is fantastic! (Although Brunch reviews aren't so fab.)
Pre-theatre dinner reservations were made on Open Table. We arrive just on time to see Massimo Capra, one of Toronto's 'famous' chefs leaving... good sign!
Since I know the drink menu is fantabulous, I ordered my fave, The Adjuster- a strong drink to loosen up the appetite.
I also ordered 'a lot' of tap water, which was the big downfall of the evening. Having just worked out, I was dry, but my water glass was always empty. I asked for a pitcher that I saw on other tables, but perhaps that was not Toronto's finest, but a bottled water in a pitcher???
The other drink I ordered was the Beatlejuiced (Tim Burton special) with gin and cucumber and real pink peppercorns. Well, if you get really creative with the drink menu, there are bound to be a few 'misses'. Peppercorn skins kept get stuck in my mouth and throat and I just gave up and orderd a wine with my main course.
The food was perfect. I started with the special soup- celeriac puree with toasted almonds and then had "The Big Fish" Tim Burton special, which is popular with Yelpers, but one of my top dishes this year so far. Lots of chick peas, full of nutrition, some lettuce, and seared tuna slices. Filling, but not heavy. After this perfect meal, I didn't have room for dessert and headed down the hall for my movie after a quick stop at the unisex washrooms that are cozy and well-lit.
Great location for dinner and a movie and even drinks and dessert afterwards! -
Review from Denise S.
1/2/2011 ROTD 2/25/2011
I came here for dinner on a weeknight. They open at 5pm, but my friend and I arrived just before 5 and they hadn't quite opened yet. The hostess was really nice and let us sit at the bar and look at the menu while we waited for our table. You can also order food and sit at the bar/lounge area, but we decided to sit in the dining room -- which is beautiful, by the way.
Right now, they have some Tim Burton inspired additions to the menu -- "Creature Comforts". There was a 2 course prix fixe ($25 for soup or salad + entree). My friend has the soup of the day (Lobster bisque) and the "Big Fish" aka seared tuna on a bed of vegetables and chickpeas. I went for the roasted cod from the regular menu, which was amazing. Perfect texture, served over wild mushrooms (with some kind of mushroom foam -- first time I've had a main course with foam... it was actually so tasty and an interesting mix of textures), sweetbreads, celery and porcini cream. There were also some pieces of chicken -- I thought it was weird that they didn't mention that in the menu description, but anyways, it was tasty. For dessert, I just had to get the "Willy Wonka" -- dark valrhona chocolate delice with a small piece of caramelized banana, a dollop of peanut butter ice cream, and cocoa nib crisp. Bonus points for stunning presentation (gah! I didn't bring my camera!).
We both tried cocktails from the Tim Burton menu. I had the Alice in Wonderland inspired "Drink Me" -- wiser's and ginger-pear juice. Yum! My friend had the "Sweetie Todd" - absolut rasberri, white cranberry juice, lemon, and bits of crushed raspberries.
So, the food offerings were excellent and went beyond expectations, but this place gets 5 stars because the service was also impeccable. Our server was really professional yet warm and personable, and very attentive without being intrusive. She gave suggestions without seeming pushy, and never hurried us, even though it took us a really long time to decide what to order. She also had all the specials memorized and recited them like poetry. When she set our dishes on the table, she stated/pointed out what the different components were (okay, not always necessary... uhh yeah I can SEE that is the ice cream). It's really an atmosphere where the servers seem to actually care about the food and your enjoyment of it.
The space is perfect for an intimate dinner, special occasion, or a date. Not too noisy (actually, come to think of it, I can't even remember if they were playing music at all?), not too bright nor too dark, tables spaced out enough, elegant, simple decor, and floor to ceiling windows with a nice view of King St. W.
Oh and the far bathroom (there are 3 gender-neutral private bathrooms) is bigger than some downtown bachelor apartments.
Highly recommended! -
Review from Andre D.
Edmonton, AB
12/19/2010
I was given a task to find a place to eat. Usually since I'm the planner, I did the anti-planning thing and was procrastinated until the last minute to find a restaurant before our show.
I knew I read on twitter that there was a restaurant that opened in the new Bell Lightbox which was 2 blocks from the Royal Alex. I also thought I read about another Oliver and Bonacini establishment. I was right and made reservations to Luma. On the Open Table website they had no reservations between 5:45 and 8:30. I put down 5:45 and then had to call to book for 6 PM. I didn't want to deal with the Friday downtown early evening traffic.
Very nice set up on the 2nd floor of the Bell Lightbox. We didn't get the window view but had a nice view of a huge mirror while my gf sat on the comfortable bench side and could people watch.
If you're one to not worry about meal prices then this would be the place for you. They have a small menu with about 10 entree items and 10 appetizers. Just the way I like it. As some who have followed me on Yelp, I tend to not like restaurants who give you pages upon pages of options to choose from. Simple is all I ask when you want to wind down for the evening.
I ordered the lamb sirloin and my gf ordered the chicken. The flavouring was succulent and cooked to perfection. They both come with an array of veggies with the dishes. What's interesting too was that with your dishes, or at least they ones they had, they added shredded pieces of the meat your ordered which made it that more exciting. Mind you the plates were relatively small so you know it's more about the conversation than wolfing down the meal.
For dessert my gf order the choco delice and I ordered the opera cake. The choco delice reminded me a soft version of a hershey dark chocolate bar topped with a strategically places spoonful of very delectable peanut butter ice cream. My opera cake was light with many layers. It came with a bowl of caramel popcorn and a side of popcorn ice cream.
The only negative of this was although we had one main server, I think we had about 5 different people come to our table. But I guess was kind of made up for this was the geriatric couple who sat beside us. They were pretty funny because the men were talking about "dirty sex". I don't remember the context but at the time we couldn't believe what we were hearing from them. A good laugh to end the evening at Luma.Listed in: You just need to experience…
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Review from Vivian S.
Toronto, ON
6/17/2011
Just came from Luma.
The huge interior was sleekly designed but we opted to sit at the glass-balconied patio overlooking the busy streets. Not the best view but al fresco dining from the 2nd floor is a rare treat in Toronto, or anywhere.
The caesar salad was slightly bland, if not for the anchovies and bacon. I'm surprised it came with half a boiled quail egg.
Much to our dismay, the main dishes came one hour later.
Arctic char, with red beans and brussel sprouts, was tasty....soaked in a sort of vinagraitte.
The tenderloin steak, perfectly sized, was also enjoyable.
Fries (with hints of garlic?) were delightfully crunchy.
We were too full to have desserts.
Probably a bit pricey but this is a place to visit from time to time, particularly for the patio in summer. -
Review from Secyw W.
Richmond Hill, ON
11/13/2010 2 photos
The environment is very simple. The waitress are dressed very simple but unique. I really like how each of them had an unique necklace with their uniform. It was a Saturday night last month, and it was not packed. I'm assuming there were no movies at the Lightbox. My friend and I started with a good cocktail, it took a while for the bartender to help us. They had a good lounge area for people to chit-chat however it was located at the outside area facing the public so not so private.
For dinner, I had the Tagliatelle which I found very yummy but I guess it's not worth the price. I could better off get something similar elsewhere. My friend had the steak and it was okay, but the french fries was placed in a small little container which I found very cute. Other friends had their special; which we found okay. For the desserts, we had the Opera Cake and it was good. It was a birthday so birthday candles were on it to celebrate. Good moments.
I would prefer the other O&B as I thought this will be more formal; however it felt just as causal as the others with limited selection. Perhaps, trying Canteen may of been a better route.
