- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Obikà Mozzarella Bar
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
Brookfield Place Mall181 Bay Street
Toronto, ON M5J 2T3
Neighbourhood: Downtown Core
(416) 546-1062
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 7 am - 11 pm
Fri 7 am - 12 am
Sat 11 am - 12 am
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
19 reviews for Obikà Mozzarella Bar
19 reviews in English
-
Review from Ben M.
Toronto, ON
3/15/2012
Top notch in every respect. Fresh and wonderfully textured mozzarellas (3 styles), great roasted veggies, unbelievably kick-ass pizzas, nice wine selection (loved the cabernet), chic and airy vibe!!! Pizza doe was uniquely light. No question, this place is a serious contender for top pizza in the city.
Though the address is 181 Bay Street, the restaurant is really at the corner of Yonge and Wellington (next to Marche).
Definitely a cool place to sit back and indulge. Will be back real soon!!! -
Review from Charlotte S.
Toronto, ON
2/14/2012
When I heard this place had opened in Brookfield Place, I was excited because, well, I love cheese. The thought of an all-cheese restaurant may sound equal parts simple, ridiculous and stomach-achey. But, alas, it is pretty damn good.
I went with a fellow cheeseloving co-worker for a little dinner out. We had a platter of smoked mozzarella (which actually tasted like what I assume wood tastes like, but cheesy), a really soft buffalo mozzarella and a couple of other things I don't remember now, because I was kind of cheese-drunk.
The provide you with an array of sauces (marinara, etc.) which you can use to jazz your cheese up a bit. To their credit, Obika offers a diverse menu of salads and pastas, but if you're going there, you're going for cheese.
Here's the one (or two) little thing(s) that keeps this place from getting a higher score:
1) The atmosphere. I was distracted by the lineup of theatregoers checking out Marche (every time I see people lining up there, I feel like yelling "the food isn't free!" or "do you know you have to WALK around and get your own food???!! (and then pay $40 for dinner???!!!) but I don't because that's not cool.
2) The waiter who kept calling it "moozarell". First of all, it has one "o" and there is an "a" on the end of the word. While I'm not Italian or a cheeseologist, I can read and it would appear he was mispronouncing it all night. Someone should tell him.
3) The price! $78 for appetizers for two people and no alcohol! That is a problem, as far as I'm concerned. I know cheese is expensive, especially when you elect to fly it to your resto from halfway across the Earth, despite the fact that Canada has no shortage of dairy farms (this is the angry eco-me talking), but it seems that they cannot do well when their pricing is so inaccessible.
In sum, if you feel like spending $80 on 4 pieces of cheese, this is the most delicious place to do it! Moozarell! -
Review from Lindsay G.
Harbourfront, Toronto, ON
2/6/2012
Lasagna fail. My boyfriend's lasagna came out ice cold in the middle... $34 for a plate of 3 cheeses? they were OK and $12 for like 6 pieces of cold cuts?
Eggplant with Mozzarella and tomato sauce is good, great cappuccinos and nice wine selection...
Go to experience the interesting cheese, I'd recommend this place for a snack and a drink/coffee but not dinner. -
Review from Shinji I.
Woodbridge, ON
4/19/2012
This is one of the worst restaurants i have gone to, if you decide to go here you will see what I'm talking about. Sure the environment looks good the waiters always try and tell you that they just got a shipment of fresh food from italy totally bull. The waiters will not help you find something good on the menu they will just try to rip you of like they get commission or something i have eaten a lot of bufala cheese before and this is nothing special you could go to your local grocery store find way better for way cheaper. if three defrosted bufala cheese a stella beer and a small glass of house cost you $70 there is a problem. this place does not deserve to be in business total rip off. they also charge tip automatically in the bill as well.
-
Review from Brittany A.
York, ON
1/22/2012
I went here with my boyfriend recently and I have to be honest, I was so excited to go here, I was really let down.
There were literally no other diners in the place when we went and we still experienced slow service. Our waiter was super attentive, just the food was very slow to come out of the kitchen, kinda surprising given the fact we were the only two patrons there.
The mozzarella were ordered I enjoyed but my boyfriend likened it to lumpy sour cream (which I have to concede was a fairly accurate statement).
We ordered a salad with artichokes and parmesan next which was over dressed.
Finally we tried our luck and split a home made rigatoni, which came out tough and too lightly sauced.
I was very sad it ended up that way as I really wanted to love this place but we will for sure not be going back. -
Review from Alek L.
12/23/2011
My first 4 stars review! I think Toronto (and all other cities) need more of a 4 star places. Not disappointing but nothing to die for. Just good food.
I'm a fan of the location of the Obika mozarrella bar, especially in winter. During Christmas time it feels like you're on some big square, with decorations, fountains and the rest.
On to the food - mozzarella is real good genuine stuff and all that. Add the real San Danielle prosciutto on top of that, and for 20$ you have a meal that can possibly compare to the one you would have in Rome (although I haven't gone yet to Obika in Rome to compare.) Ravioli is surprisingly tasty (reminds me of Italy as well, ravioli as a very boring food takes the new meaning there), and a special lasagna of the day with ragu and fresh mozzarella on top. I'll take it any day.
Service is satisfying, nothing super-fast but not disappointing. -
Review from Soniya U.
Mississauga, ON
3/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Falanghina - delish
-
Review from Mary D.
9/12/2011
I've bought lunch here twice now - both time taking it away rather than eating there.
It isn't immediately obvious from looking at the place that they do have take-away sandwiches, but after we asked a few questions, we were led in that direction.
Both times I've had the Pesto sandwich. Good quality sandwich, tasty, and satisfying. Unfortunately, the second time, I found a produce sticker on the tomato in the sandwich, which sort of turned me off. I went back afterwards, just to let them know. They assured me that the tomato still would have been washed... but who can be sure? They asked me if I wanted them to call for the manager, but I felt that was a bit extreme. So I told them I really just wanted to let them know so they could be more careful in the future, and then I left.
Either way, it's a sign to me that there is a level of care missing. Although I'm sure that could happen anywhere.
The sandwiches are also on the pricier side, and on the higher end of my lunch budget. Won't necessarily be rushing back, but it's a decent downtown lunch option nonetheless. -
Review from Courtney C.
4/5/2012
Really a top of the line restaurant. The special on Thursday early evenings is amazing. A selection of their wonderful appetizers and desserts with a drink, wine or otherwise for $18. Beautifully creamy pannicotta, delicious tiramisu, caprese salad skewers, everything was delicious.
-
Review from Amanda N.
Scarborough, ON
5/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place has a really interesting concept! They have an open seating area in the atrium of BCE Place, and a more intimate inside dining area. The bar features their three types of cheese, floating in transparent containers. Their menu revolves around their three feature handmade mozzarellas. A harder Bufala Campana DOP, a smokey Stracciatella di Burrata and the softest Ricotta di Bufala. The cheese are handmade in Italy, and use bulls milk, except for the latter cheese that uses cows milk.
When we were seated, we were asked if we wanted sparkling or flat water. Being on a budget, we hesitantly said flat water.....and were given a ($6.50!) bottle of water. Beware!
We were served a complementary appetizer of a skewer of their smoked soft cheese, with a basil leaf and cherry tomato. The cheese was very good and has a delicious smokey flavour.
For our appetizer, we tried the Fried Breaded Mozzarella. ($8). I expected these to be kind of like mozza sticks. It wasnt. It was a rectangle piece of cheese that literally had been deep fried, served with a delicious spicy sauce and a bed of greens. It was good! This was my favourite thing of the evening.
For dinner, I opted to have a pizza that had basil, Bufala Campana and tomatoes. ($14) I was disappointed! I realize that this is Italian pizza, and I have been to other authentic italian places, I didn't enjoy this. It was drizzled with olive oil instead of sauce, and the cheese was cold and sparsely placed. I guess I assumed that it would be a warm pizza, but it wasn't. The crust was ok. I wouldn't really order this again. My boyfriend had eggplant pizza, and he had the smoky cheese, which was warm and soft. (lucky him!)
In conclusion, this restaurant has a unique concept, knowledgeable staff and interesting food, but I'm not sure if I would go back! It was priciy and I didn't enjoy my pizza. -
Review from Vanessa G.
Toronto, ON
6/1/2011
The quick and dirty...
Mozzarella from Italy just tastes better, unfortunately it also tastes better with a glass of wine. Sadly the restaurant did not have a liquor license as of last Friday so my dreams were crushed. Service was chaotic, our salad arrived w/ only oil (tasteless) and due to an error with the computer systems our order got lost in the shuffle so we ended up waiting over an hour for our mains. The good news, the mozzarella was divine and my Schiaffoni di Gragnano could have been filed under "Om nom nom" so not all was lost. Was it as good as say Local or Enotoca Sociale? No, but it is a welcome option when you don't feel like fighting w/ pretentious Terroni waiters over balsamic consumption. -
Review from Kathy D.
11/15/2011
My husband and I were looking at the menu when a waiter approached us and talked us into coming in. Since we only had 45 minutes, the fried calzone with ricotta and mozzarella cheese topped with a very fresh tasting tomato and basil sauce was a perfect choice,fast, hot and YUMMY!!.He suggested a wonderful Italian red wine which was very nice and we sat under a beautiful olive tree (it was artificial but looked so real!) Everyone around us had such delicious looking plates that we have to go back to try them too & we will have a lot more time to enjoy it!!
-
Review from Scott F.
9/18/2011
Came here with a friend to try this interesting concept out . The cheese is flown in from Italy twice a week . So we started with the Mozzarella trio . I will admit the cheese was awesome , the smoked was great (Afumicato) and the creamy one in a milky type broth , well was a bit skeptical but it was really good thats one I never tryed before . The trouble we had was with our mains , the Risotto was actually pretty bad they had burned shallots on top that were just bitter and my rigatoni were ok . However for some wine and a tasting sample of Mozzarella and antipasto I would highly recommend it . The cheese is the reason I gave it 3 stars , hopefully they will work on the mains a little .
-
Review from melissa n.
Toronto, ON
5/18/2011
I found all the ingredients top quality, however the menu pricing seemed a bit off. I expected a kind of tapas menu where one could order and taste many dishes. Instead if you want to taste one of the three featured mozzarella's you need to dish out at least $15 to get mozzarella and tomatoes. I attributed my initial disappointment to expectation gap and moved on.
I had the tomato, basil, mozzarella pizza. It was basically melted cheese on bread with a cold tomato mozzarella salad on top. I found even the parts that were supposed to be hot, cold. Also they were rather light on the mozzarella.
My friend had the ricotta and spinach ravioli in sage butter sauce, which was delicious but would have been even better stuffed with spinach as intended and not served cold,
When we shared our comments with the staff, we were asked if 1) all the raviolis were spinach-less, 2) that the cold food was probably due to the cold Brookfield atrium (sounds like it may be a permanent issue) and 3) that it was day two since the opening. Sorry no sympathy as unfortunately we were not offered a day-two trial and error price-list. -
Review from Prachi P.
11/20/2011
Really authentic and delicious! I suggest trying one of the tasting platters of the different mozzarella. My favorite was the Burrata - so creamy and went perfectly with the accompanying pesto and tapenade. The service was fantastic. We loved one of the breads so much, we asked if we could purchase a loaf. The manager/owner came over personally and told us it was difficult to sell since they could run out, but told us if we came back later that night, he could just give us a couple loafs. He even offered to have it delivered to our Hotel, if we were staying in the city. Too bad for us we weren't!
-
Review from Vivian S.
Toronto, ON
6/4/2011
The open air, bright atmosphere at BCE is certainly a plus for Obika. Here's the rundown:
*Burrata deliciously creamy with Bresaola di Manzo
The mozzarella was delectably fresh. It's certainly one of the best mozzarella I've had. The cured beef was also very tasty and less salty than a proscioutto. The bread was disappointing though. It's not at par with the rest of the dish.
*Carpaccio
Beef was succulent. Generous serving of parmesian.
*Mozzarella di Bufala e Pomodoro Fresco
One of the best pizzas I've had. With crispy crust topped with rich, thick sauce.
*Degustazione di Dolci
Unfortunately, they were out of Crema di Ricotta so we had 2 servings of choc/almond cake + tiramisu which turned out to be good as well.
Certainly would go back to Obika again but probably not order too much beef as it gets quite pricey. -
Review from Hugh P.
11/5/2011
Fabulous food. The mozzarella as you might expect was excellent with our appetizer of tomatoes, pesto, basil and rustic bread. The basic tomato, basil and buffalo mozzarella was perfect.
-
Review from Judy M.
Toronto, ON
8/7/2011
I have been curious about this space while it was under construction. Was open when I walked by this week and my friends were interested in trying it out. Overall it was an enjoyable experience. We ordered the sampling of three cheeses with prosciutto, an appetizer of caponata, mixed green salad and the tomato, basil and mozzarella pizza to share between 3 people.
The caponata was divine. I will definitely return for this and to sample other eggplant dishes on the menu. All 3 cheeses were fresh (flown in that day) but my favourite was the smokey burrata. They were served with olives and cherry tomatoes and a very nice bread basket selection. The prosciutto platter was fine and the salad was acceptable. Pizza, unlike previous reviews, was served hot but was nothing special.
Service was friendly and an excellent pino grigio was available by the glass. Obika is well worth the visit for the cheese and eggplant. -
Review from Anastasia S.
Toronto, ON
5/26/2011
I was very curious to try the new Obika Mozzarella Bar at BCE place. I like mozzarella so I thought it would be a fun experience. Well when my friend and I got there, the waitress informed us that they don't have a liquor license yet. That was disappointing because we were looking forward to having a glass of wine after work. But we decided to stay anyway and share an appetizer and then go across to Marche for dinner and a drink. The waiter explained how the menu works and my friend and I decided to share a mozzarella platter which included 3 different kinds of mozzarella and we also ordered roasted vegetables and asked for some bread. The bread arrived salty and stale. It had olives in it and because of that it was way too salty, but I figured that since mozzarella is usually pretty tasteless it would be fine. The mozzarella platter arrived and it looked good. The portion was big! Actually too big for 2 people. It hard to eat so much cheese! The disappointing factor was that I found both smoked and regular mozzarella balls to be salty too! I was very surprised since if you buy real mozzarella in grocery stores, they are not salty at all! The last one (a creamy mozzarella) was nice, but because the bread was so stale, I had to put a lot of it on a little piece of bread. Grilled veggies were fine. We didn't try anything else as we were pretty full from eating all that cheese. The best part of this dining experience was the dessert. I wanted something sweet to mask all the salty flavours of the dinner, so my friend and I decided to split a flourless dark chocolate almond cake which came with vanilla gelato. The cake was really, really good! The service was good, and they wanted to make sure we were having a good time and the food was good. However, when my friend and I was about to order the dessert, our waiter brought our bill to us saying that he had to go because his shift was over (meaning so we would hurry up and order the dessert if we wanted to). We ordered and he took our bill away and then brought it again with the dessert saying that he really needed to go!!! Why couldn't they just replace him with another waiter and not make us hurry? My friend and I still took our time to finish the dessert. However, I noticed he was doing that all throughout our meal. He would come back every 5 min asking if we were finished with our mozzarella. Strange! I would probably not come back there again, although the atmosphere was good and the staff was friendly, but the food was disappointing, except for the chocolate cake.
