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Paganelli's
Categories: Restaurants Pizza Restaurants Italian Pizza, Italian [Edit]
106 Front St EToronto, ON M5A 1E1
Neighbourhoods: Corktown, St. Lawrence
(416) 363-8370
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 12 pm - 2:30 pm
Mon-Sat 5 pm - 11 pm
Sun 9 am - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
19 reviews for Paganelli's
19 reviews in English
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Review from Winnie C.
Toronto, ON
4/17/2012
If you are looking for authentic Italian meal from Emilia Romagna region (gastronomic capital of Italy), Paganelli's is your answer!
My frd took us there 2 Sat ago, the restaurant was packed. They estimated a wait time of 45 min. As it was highly recommended by my frd (apparently all the pasta were made in house), we decided to stay put. Though I have to say, the waiter wasn't the nicest....
Among the 4 of us, we ordered a LOT of food:
Started with Pizze: Salsiccia e Pancetta (pizza was quite well done in my opinion. It's comparable to Libretto's and Terroni's, it's slightly different style, the crust is a bit thicker compare to the Neapolitan pizza. We, also, ordered Gran Fritto dell Adriatico con Verdure Crocanti. It's a great appetizer to share, can't really go wrong with deep fried dish....
For mains:
Spaghetti Carbonara - It definitely reminded me of the carbonara's I have had in italy, nicely done.
Maltagliati del Pescatore (with the house made black squid ink noodles instead) - I love squid ink pasta, and it's VERY difficult to find it, let alone good squid ink pasta!!!
Risotto con Fagiano e Tartufo - this is the winner of the golden spoon-best risotto in Canada 2001- it was sooooo good, if you love truffle and cheese, this is for you!
For dessert:
Mimosa al Limone e Frutti di Bosco - this was a nice surprised, it was light and just what we need after a heavy meal
Tiramisu - I was slightly disappointed with the tiramisu, too much whipped cream on top for my taste, it's still tasty, but I expected more from such authentic restaurant.
Overall, I enjoyed the food here and would definitely come back to try other stuff on the menu. I have to say, the food here is relatively strong in flavor. This is not a place for a light dinner for sure....unless you are onl gonna have a salad. -
Review from Johnny W.
North York, ON
4/8/2012
I used my GroupOn on Saturday April 7, 2012 (2 Apps, 2 Mains and a dessert)
Everything I ate had this crunchy salt particle taste to it. The food here are extremely salty. The only good thing was the lamb, if you don't dip it in the sauce. And I'm really a sauce guy.
Besides the food, the waiters were sort of weird. My girlfriend was looking through the drinks menu while the waiter took our order. He did not ask if we wanted drinks and we had to flag another waiter down.
Best part of the night was Dessert. I chose the chocolate lava cake because it was the sweetest thing on the menu. After you ate a couple blocks of salt, trust me you're gonna need this.
I don't recommend this restaurant because it's WAY too salty. Or perhaps that's the treatment you get for using GroupOn with this resto. -
Review from Esther P.
Toronto, ON
2/28/2012 1 photo
This is what I had to start: Fagioli all'Uccelletto (Stewed cannellini beans with tomato sauce and sage). You must have this when you go! It's served with some sort of flat bread, it looked like something I would serve the kids, but don't let the simplicity of presentation fool you, this starter is divine.
This is what I had in-between: Pizze Pomodoro - Parma. It's the first time I used a pair of scissors to cut my pizza into slices, besides that the thin crust pizza was to my liking.
This is what I had to finish: Panna Cotta con Fichi e Mandorle al Caramello (A light, silky custard served with caramelized figs and almonds). I am a big Panna Cotta fan hence my choice. The figs were an interesting twist to this desert.
The place was packed, the food and service was good, highly recommended. -
Review from Claudia M.
Toronto, ON
3/31/2012
One of the best restaurants I've been in Toronto to so far. The Tagliere di Salumi Misti (appetizer for 2, with prosciutto, salami, pancetta) was divine! I had the Risotto ai Funghi Misti e Tartufo which was also pretty good, and the Tiramissu... OMG!
Highly recommended! -
Review from Catherine L.
Toronto, ON
12/19/2011
I actually visited this place a while ago on a friend's recommendation and really liked it when it was still called Romagna Mia. So I wanted to check it out when I heard it had undergone a renovation and name change, but still had the same owners.
I came on a Saturday night and there were 4 of us. I called at 6:30pm for a table at 7:30pm and they were able to accommodate us easily. What we had:
- Caesar Salad
- Soup of the day, which was broccoli and potato
- "Strangle the Priest" pasta
- Spaghetti Carbonara
- Risotto con Fagiano e Tartufo
As usual, everything was very solid italian food. It's not fancy (like Buca or any of those trendy King St W restos), but it was good italian food and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Service was good, portion sizes were fair and decor was comfortable rustic italian style.
For some reason I remembered the food being a bit better. While it was good, it wasn't amazing in any sense.
So good choice for italian food if you're in the area, but not necessarily worth the travel there. -
Review from Vince B.
Toronto, ON
10/26/2011
****3.5 Stars****
The only reason Paganelli's (Romagna Mia) gets 3.5 stars is that the interior of the place could use a facelift in my opinion, very traditional Italian atmosphere.
The place has been at the corner of Front and George (in heart of St. Lawrence) for 15 years, so it's a little dated for me but not offensive, but hey - the price is reasonable and the quality is top notch and I can walk there.
This place is on my regular rotation (more than twice a year).
Service has always been decent and met my expectations - they also know how to serve wine, which is always a tell tale sign of either a professional wait staff or a professional waiter.
As for food, AMAZING PIZZA, a great wine selection (especially Italian selections) and risotto prepared at your table in a parmesan cheese wheel - nuff said.
You won't be disappointed. -
Review from Vivek S.
10/27/2010 2 photos
Meh. My date and I strolled in famished on Saturday night. Pasta was a reasonable choice -- we both had marathons to run the next morning -- and I was excited to see what Romagna had to offer. The space is interesting: lots of exposed brick, ample seating, a cool bar and probably the worst terra cotta floor tile I've ever seen. You can't win 'em all.
One major negatory: we were seated by a table within arm's reach of the kitchen (I was even tempted to lean over and do some prep). This particularly stung considering the many alternative free tables -- including an empty four-top adjacent to us -- any of which would have been infinitely better.
I am mixed about the food. I ordered the "Spaghetti alla Carbonara - Vera!" meaning no sauce, onions, or garlic. I liked the concept. The dish was well-made and the pasta was fresh, but I must say QUITE SALTY. Ditto my date's Strozzapreti alla Romagnola ("Strangle the Priest" pasta). The sausage ragout was good, but everything had 1000% of my daily intake of sodium. I felt like I was going to induce hypertension just sitting there.
Obligatory Title Pun: More like, Romagna Mia IMPOSTERIA.
Menu Readability: Quite lovely actually.
Need to mention: There are cured meats in a fridge by the door.
What this place teaches me about myself: I may be a salty character, but that doesn't mean my pasta has to be.Listed in: That's Amore!, Pizza Party
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Review from Guillermo A.
3/31/2011
Cons:
* soup was salty
* lasagna had ground meat that tasted packaged instead of hand made
* staff was inattentive, had to ask for water twice.
* appetizer bread was extremely oily
* food was EXTREMELY hot, like it had been microwaved.
Pros:
* nice ambiance
* great neighborhood to people watch in Toronto -
Review from Velshin C.
9/1/2010
Delicious! Top notch risotto. Good pasta. Nice environment. Easily among the best Italian restaurants in Toronto.
We had:
Penne all'arrabbiata - the chef can do simple things well! Very nice tomato sauce. Pasta perfectly al dente.
Risotto con Fagiano e Tartufo - pheasant ragout, truffle pate. Brilliant savory flavor explosion.
$32 excluding wine, tax, and tip. -
Review from Em L.
Toronto, ON
5/4/2009
Romagna Mia is one of my favourite Italian restos in Toronto. So much so, I celebrated my big 3-0 there. (crap - there i go showing my age again...)
Their homemade pasta is the draw here. It is definitely not for anyone following a low carb diet.
I admit: I'm a creature of habit. When I find something I love, I stick to it and I walk away with a happy tummy. They used to have something called 'strobaferba' (i'm sure i slaughtered the spelling) a seafood pasta dish - HEAVEN. It's been replaced by Maltagliati del Pescatore ($18) which is a very worthy replacement. The Pasta e Fagioli (with shrimp and calamari - $9) is also fantastic.
Top it off with the AMAZING Panna Cotta with candied figs ($8) and it's my idea of a perfect Italian meal.
The look and feel of the space is a bit old-school... definitely not one of the trendier restaurants in the city. But if you're looking for comforting pasta and some good old-fashioned carbs, Romagna Mia is a good place to turn. -
Review from Robyn T.
7/6/2009
What a great find! I stumbled upon the gem of a restaurant featuring the cuisine of one of my favorite regions in Italy - Emilia Romagna. What's more is that they had been voted to have the best risotto back in 2001. Any claim like that is one that I really must try...
Risotto con Fagiano e Tartufo is a generous portion of rich risotto with small bits of pheasant complete with shavings of black truffles on top. I thought I would eat the entire dish...the risotto was so divinely rich I could sadly only eat half, but I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to experience some divine risotto! I was equally impressed with the antipasti including a few varieties of meats and some sharp pecorino cheese.
This restaurant looks like one you'd actually find in Italy too...not some made up story-book version of what you think you'd like to find, but what you do actually find. One that is modern and comfortable without too many bells and whistles. Service was ok, but nothing spectacular. There is patio dining as well. -
Review from Lan T.
Toronto, ON
6/8/2009
I love Italian food, love risotto, love homemade pasta, and therefore I love this restaurant.
My husband likes the lasagna which is made with a white sauce.
The place has a warm atmosphere and I vaguely recall someone playing an accordian. Just call ahead to make sure they are open because I've shown up a few times to find that they aren't open during certain hours and certain days. -
Review from Ian C.
Toronto, ON
4/9/2011
Weirdly for a place with pizza in its name, pizza was not available when we went. Risotto was nice but didn't seem award winning to me, as they proudly mention. Salami appetizer with pistachios and honey was the highlight.
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Review from ness y.
Toronto, ON
1/15/2009
Romagna Mia is famous for risotto, so I order seafood and an arugula salad.
ooooh rebel without a cause!
nah, three of my dining companions ordered risotto, one ordered lamb, and we each did a fork-full sampling of the meals. the menu's origins are from italy's emilia-romagna region.
personally, i really enjoyed the seafood and i'm glad i passed on the risotto. perhaps because it was a slow night (during the toronto freeze warning) and the stocks used to make the risotto was just too concentrated... to the point of being too salty.
the service was awesome! friendly, knowledgeable, and patient (some of us *cough* were an hour late for our reservation). -
Review from David H.
Vancouver, BC
5/24/2010
Great food great service. There were four of us dining appetizers entrees and 3 beer were about $105
Although the portions were not huge they were a satisfying size.
There were only 3 vegetarian options none of which were pizza. All in all a good restaurant. -
Review from Tatiana D.
Toronto, ON
10/31/2010
Good homemade pasta. I had it for brunch and it was very flavorful without being heavy. I can't wait to come back for dinner. Good service. The panini are small but tasty and come w salad.
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Review from Max L.
Toronto, ON
5/23/2011
Wow this was disappointing. after reading prior reviews I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was going to a show at Kool Haus and wanted to have a nice dinner beforehand. Maybe this place would be good for families, but as a date it was subpar for sure. The meal started off well with a nice beef carpaccio but quickly went downhill from there. Other than when we ordered our food, the waiter only came by to deliver the cheque. My glass of water was empty for the entire meal, which might have been acceptable had the food not been insanely salty... I ordered the "award-winning" Risotto set in a pheasant ragout with black truffle pate and could not even finish it. My date's carbonara pasta was just as salty. I'm normally a person who can handle high levels of salt but this was truly unreasonable. In addition the ambiance is far from romantic and the food is not cheap. Maybe had I ordered other dishes my experience would have been better, but I'll never find out though - there's plenty of other Italian places in Toronto.
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Review from Secyw W.
Richmond Hill, ON
11/20/2010 1 photo
This was for a friend's dinner. The service was very good, perhaps because my friend goes there all the time for Sunday brunch. I went for dinner and their menus were a bit different. For appetizer, we had the Mozzarella di Bufala in Camicia di Prosciutto Originale di Parma and it was awesome. The mozzarella wrapped in Parma prosciutto was very good along with various meats. As this restaurant for their Risott, I got the Risotto al Ragu di Quaglia col Suo Petto and I finished the entire dish. Very good but I found the price a bit pricey for a causal based restaurant, but very good environment. And huge selections of wine if your interested. There is parking and located near the subway line (10 minute walk).
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Review from J B.
7/21/2010
What a delightful experience. Excellent service from our friendly waitress, plus some of the best risotto I've ever had, and some excellent linguini with mushrooms. A very fair value for the money. As others have said, this place is a gem!
