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Spuntini Restaurant & Bar
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
116 Ave RdToronto, ON M5R 2H4
Neighbourhood: The Annex
(416) 962-1110
- Hours:
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:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
37 reviews for Spuntini Restaurant & Bar
Review Highlights
"Dulce de leche cheesecake: All 4 of us split this."
(in 3 reviews)
"...amazing -- I had Penne Alla Vodka and Chocolate Raspberry..."
(in 3 reviews)
"One of my favourite restaurants in the city."
(in 6 reviews)
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37 reviews in English
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Review from Reynold P.
Toronto, ON
9/26/2011
I made sure to make reservations for Spuntini. I made them 2 weeks in advance and arrived right on time. Was this necessary? Well, by the reviews on here, I didn't want to take the chance.
Upon arrival, the birthday girl loved the cuteness of the exterior... i didn't know what that meant but I assumed because it was smallish, semi-detach-esque and homey. When we entered, the first wall was covered in framed photos of celebrities that have been to the restaurant before. That made the restaurant credible, according to the special girl.
The server brought us right over to our table and we were soon greeted by our server "Frank". His name wasn't actually "Frank", but I called him that the whole night and he seemed to like the joke... at least I hope. Very kind Italian man that I enjoyed to speak with throughout our stay.
Anyways, enough about Frank. Our table was small and the interior was intimate. Dim, candle lit and tables placed close together. The dining room was bustling, many different conversations going on at the same time. The majority of the customers were business oriented, young and old. I liked the ambiance and so did the birthday girl, so the coziness was a plus for us.
We started with the Octopus on bean and green salad. The octopus was a bit tough, however, still flavourful and went well with the beans.
For the main, I had the Seafood Fettuccine with shrimps, clams, mussels and squid. Other than the shrimp tails being left on, it was the perfect dish. The birthday girl ordered the Seafood Risotto which was a bit more but tasted really good. Again, same seafood with the addition of crab and scallops. One of the most flavourful risottos I've had.
Overall, we loved the place. The food was good and reasonably priced. More expensive than your average restaurant but the quality and service speaks for itself. It's a great place to celebrate a special occasion or just for a relaxing evening with a significant other. I will remember my visit to Spuntini as the night I met Frank.Listed in: The Best Of Toronto...
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Review from Su B.
11/7/2011
Spuntini is another Yorkville restaurant that doesn't meet expectations. It's located right next to SOTTO SOTTO. A friend had arranged a dinner for eight of us on a weeknight. Thankfully we were seated right away but that's when the ordeal began. It took the waiter 45 mins to take our orders and bring some bread to the table and this trend continued all evening. We were there for 3.5 hours and not because we lingered over our meals or wine.
The food is not bad - I ordered the seafood for two and split it with my DH. The portion was pretty good and the seafood was cooked well although I wouldn't say it was the freshest seafood I have had. My main was the mushroom risotto and the rice was perfectly cooked but the mushrooms used were very underwhelming. I don't think they used any porcini at all.
The dessert was the only highlight of my meal. We shared the Dulce de Leche cheesecake and it was really great. But not sure if it is good enough for a second visit. -
Review from c k.
10/5/2011
Just up the stairs from Sotto Sotto is Spuntini. If Sotto Sotto is so so, then Spuntini is just bad bad.
It took three people several bites to realize that they made two wrong pizzas, the flavors were so overpoweringly muddled. Yes, I know, oxymoron. The waiter said that he clearly told the chef what we ordered, but "if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself" and with that, he disappeared into the kitchen. Round two...I am assuming that he did actually make those pizzas because no "chef" could make a pizza that bad. -
Review from mirz b.
Toronto, ON
9/23/2011
I've been to Spuntini several times - for multiple occasions - over the course of let's say.. oh... 4 years?
When i went for my birthday (first time) it was AMAZING! The food tasted good and everything was fine. Service was good. Ambiance was just right.
I went another time for more of a romantic dinner. The service was good, but the food was not as good as I remembered.
I went the following year with friends again. I'm not sure if the cook changed but seriously their pasta was not as good as I remembered.
I probably won't return again if i had a choice. I don't hate the place, but it's nothing special. Rather spend my moola somewhere else. -
Review from John I.
Toronto, ON
6/21/2011
Spuntini Restaurant & Bar is a solid Italian eatery with dim lightening and tight layout. Service is reasonable and knowledgeable. Wines by the glass and half bottle are below average, but our waiter made suggestions that complimented the dishes served. That night we dined on a nicely braised veal chop. The chop was tender and not stringy. Good flavors and respective sauces. Breads were fair.
A sold 3-star establishment. -
Review from Precilla C.
Scarborough, ON
Spuntini at Yorkville was such a lovely place to celebrate a special occasion- my birthday! The inside was dimly lit and elegant, but we hardly had enough room to seat ourselves. Upon arrival, we were chastised by the staff for not calling in to tell them that we were going to be 15 minutes late. I know that we shouldn't be late, but really, do you have to give us attitude for that? I wasn't impressed at all, but thankfully, the service didn't have any other problems for the rest of the evening.
We went with a pasta feast and ordered many different kinds. I tried some of everyone's order and it was all delicious:
Linguine di mare- linguine tossed with sautéed mussels, calamari, shrimp and baby clams in a white wine and fresh garlic sauce with green onion & cherry tomatoes.
Daily special: butternut squash ravioli with goat cheese. I usually detest goat cheese. However, this pasta turned out to be surprisingly good, and I couldn't taste the goat cheese at all. Too bad I won't get a chance to order this again.
Rigatoni Portabello: Rigatoni tossed with red onions, sun dried tomatoes in a Portobello mushroom pesto cream sauce. The sauce tasted like cream of mushroom soup, but in a very good way. I couldn't get enough of the creamy, scrumptious sauce and I love the bite of the rigatoni. An overall winner!
Penne alla vodka: penne tossed with Italian cured bacon in a tomato cream sauce and a splash of vodka. The bacon bits were delicious, and this sauce is more intense than the other pasta dishes. I would've liked more heat to it, but all in all, I enjoyed it a lot.
Risotto Funghi: Arborio rice with porcini mushrooms in natural broth topped with a truffle essence and grated fresh Parmigiano Regiano. I love the chewy texture of risotto, and the mushroom sauce was quite aromatic. However, I thought that the Rigatoni Portabello had a better mushroom sauce, so with that comparison, it made the dish less desirable.
Desserts were all delicious. We sampled the tiramisu, crème brûlée with mango sorbet, and dulce de leche cheesecake. My personal favourite was the cheesecake, a really decadent treat! The rich dulce de leche and the creamy cheesecake were a match made in heaven! I will definitely reorder this in the future. -
Review from David M.
Toronto, ON
6/15/2011
Celebrated a special event here with my lovely wife. Our food was very good. The service was excellent.
Why one star? Chilean Sea Bass was offered as one of the specials. If a restaurant is going to flagrantly ignore ethical considerations when choosing their menus, they get one star from me.
(I know, people order it and enjoy it, controversy or not. Let those people give multiple stars.) -
Review from Susu H.
Toronto, ON
4/5/2011
This is seriously one of my most favorite restaurants. Ever. It's up there with Nobu, and I LOVE Nobu.
Why do I love Spuntini's? The food is incredibly flavorful, fresh, and perfect. The atmosphere (depending on where you sit and when you go) can be either great for a fun night out, a date night, a birthday, whatever you need it to be.
I have been there three times and have never had any issue with the food or the waitstaff. The waitstaff is incredibly helpful and prompt, the food comes out in an orderly fashion. And, another GREAT thing about Spuntini's is the quality you get for the money. It is EXCELLENT.
I strongly recommend the mussels marinara for an appetizer, the lobster ravioli in crab, lobster, and shallot bisque, and the mango creme brulee. Absolutely wonderful.
My one and only complaint is the lack of parking. I had to do street parking the last time I was there, and because I did not read the sign carefully (it was freezing out!), I got left a lovely little parking ticket. -
Review from Joe P.
Toronto, ON
5/11/2011
This restaurant is really reasonably priced for the area, and they have an excellent and extensive wine menu. The wait staff are pretty helpful, although we did get a couple heaping scoops of Parmesan in our pasta rather than some nice sprinkles!!
Table of 4 (with reservations):
- The complementary bread was mediocre - two types were served, one type was pretty bad, and one was just okay. It came with a small amount of hummus (very bland), and we had to specifically ask for oil, balsamic, salt and pepper, and butter so that we could enhance the bread experience. anyways enough about that. bread is bread. (unless it's olive bread!! my fav).
- We had the "Bianca" white pizza as a starter to share. Toppings were really good, but the crust was slightly burnt and not that flavorful.
- Ravioli di soraia (lobster Ravioli): The ravioli to lobster ratio was heavy on the pasta side and could have used more lobster filling. Sauce was excellent
- Penne alla vodka: Tasty, although I wasn't a huge fan of the bacon in it. would of like this more if it had spicy sausage.
- Linguine Frutti Di Mare: I'd only suggest this if you really like seafood (I do), as it's heavy on the seafood taste.
- Dulce de leche cheesecake: All 4 of us split this. (It's quite large and easy to share). We couldn't finish it because we were pretty stuffed and it just wasn't that great. The top of the cake reminded me of the Kraft caramel candies you get in little cubes during halloween. Basically, if you don't like condensed milk, or haven't tried condensed milk stay far far away from this dessert! Also, since we had someone with a food allergy in our group, we found out it's not made in-house, as they couldn't confirm what was in it. Wish we had tried the tiramisu instead. -
Review from Leona L.
Toronto, ON
3/13/2011
I really wanted to like this place - I really did but I just couldn't.
I came here for my birthday with a group of my lovely friends and I had high hopes after reading the fab reviews on Yelp but this place, from the minute I stepped in to the minute I left, was a great big disappointment.
First, when I arrived, it took over 15 mins to receive the bottle of wine we ordered. Then when our waiter came back, he listed off the specials, and before we could even tell him we were ready to order, he disappeared for 30 minutes. So from the time we sat down to the time he took our orders, it was a 45 min ordeal AND we were told when we reserved our table that we only had 2 hours to dine.
The food itself wasn't bad but eating in a place where service was terrible and constantly being pushed by the waiters due to the tight space compromised the dining experience.
I was extremely disappointed by the overall experience especially after reading Yelp reviews. I will not be going back.
*Side note, we tipped the way we were served... which was pretty badly. That somewhat helped make an extremely awful experience to just awful (nixed the extreme!) -
Review from Irina M.
North York, ON
6/22/2011
Simply amazing!!!!. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, beautiful place, and anything you order is marvelous. Will be coming back soon:)
Thank you!!!!! -
Review from Anni L.
11/2/2010
This is one of the best restaurants for Italian food. Although it is located in Yorkville, the menu offers a variety of pasta, pizza, and entre selections for various price ranges that borders on affordable to high end. I've been there three times for dinner for business and the place has great ambiance and service.
I recommend making reservations if you plan to have dinner. Also, if you are going to order wine, be prepared to pay the price.
We typically get the seafood and grilled vegetable platter as apetizer. Their breads are fresh and very tasty.
The first time I ordered the lobster tail, the second and third time I ordered the lamb. The lamb came with a side of funghi rizotto. The food doesn't disappoint.
Overall, I think its a high end place which doesn't have the high end formal feel and the big price tage. But since the waiters are paid by tips, they are much happier the more you order.
For a fine dining, this is probably my first choice over all the others I have tried. I highly recommend it! -
Review from Heather M.
11/13/2010
Yorkville places usually give me the heebie jeebies, however this place is neither bad nor great. Not too expensive for where it is, the staff are nice and responsive, and the food is not bad but not great - I actually found it a little bit bland, but they seem to have options for all price ranges. To start we had an appetizer platter that had prosciutto, bocconcini, grilled vegetables, calamari salad, grilled tiger shrimp, that was great. The tomatoes though, were underripe and had no taste to them.
For my main I had some angel hair pasta with mushrooms, spinach and sundried tomatoes - but again, bland. Throwing on some parmesan cheese didn't seem to help either, although the presentation was nice.
So an underwhelming but nice looking meal. Nice if you want a romantic-ish place but beware as this place is squishy. You're better off going to Terroni's. -
Review from Tracy T.
1/20/2011
Overall it's very good food, with ambiance and service to make it a nice full-package experience.
The service is excellent with just the right attention to detail without being overbearing. The menu is moderately pricey, but it was all worth the price. This is not a quick meal - plan for Spuntini when you have time for the ambiance, the wine list and good conversation. Nice private areas for larger groups as well as small romantic tables. Have tried the grilled octopus app (tender and tasty), had bites of a couple of the salads (not swimming in dressing which is my biggest peeve), tried a few bites of several pasta dishes (all cooked perfectly and sauces were divine), and a sea bass that was cooked and flavored to perfection. You also can't beat the sardines if you crave salty and interesting. And the thin pizzas are not wimpy thin - nice heft without being too soggy.
I'd definitely go back with a large or small group. -
Review from Julia H.
East York, ON
3/31/2010
Atmosphere for this restaurant is nice but service, not so much.
Came here for a friend's birthday. Although, we made reservations and checked in a few minutes early, we still had to wait a good 45 minutes before sitting down at our table. When we made the reservations, we were informed we would have to leave a certain time - which we didn't think they would enforce, considering we did not get our table in time. However, they did, and we were not impressed.
The space in the restaurant is also very tight, my boyfriend got hit in the head a few times while sitting at the table.
I had ordered a seafood pasta dish, which was kind of bland (not much flavour). My boyfriend had ordered one of the specials of the night - filet mignon, which also was not up to par.
Overall, I've had better pasta. I'm not sure if it was just the two dishes I had that wasn't up to par, as my other friends did enjoy theirs. -
Review from Melissa G.
North York, ON
3/15/2009
Spuntini has always been one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto! It remains in my top fave places to eat at because of its high quality food that always makes my mouth water, its superb service and its warm and romantic Italian atmosphere!
I was just there again last night for my dad's birthday dinner and it was absolutely delicious!
There are a few things that make this place one of the best Italian restaurants in the city (and trust me, I am picky about my Italian food!)...
Spuntini's menu is a combination of high quality food that is not only delicious but it comes in a good sized portion, so you are never cut short in that sense.
As well, the restaurant itself is classy but the prices are very reasonable, which allows many people to enjoy a night out of sophisticated dining but not at a great expense.
And lastly, the staff are so friendly and helpful! I have tried many things from their menu and I can say that at least half of them are suggestions made by wait staff.
Some food dishes I recommend there after I had the personal experience of devouring it:
- The Gnocchi! (I am obsessed with this pasta dish)
- Giant Tiger Shrimp (Entree version)
- Gamberoni and Shrimp on linguini (great for seafood lovers)
- Rigatoni Portobello
Some other helpful hints about Spuntini:
- MAKE RESERVATIONS! Spuntini takes reservations throughout the week and it's a good thing they do! It is always packed so this is key if you don't want to wait an hour for a table
- If you are not a wine expert, never fear! The staff are knowledgeable in pairing wine with your dinner and are able to also pair you with a wine that fits the size of your wallet.
Overall, this place is a taste of Italian heaven!Listed in: A little taste of Italy in…
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Review from Melanie J.
11/23/2009
I found this restaurant through Google searched and Yelp and I am soooo glad I did! I came here during my trip to Toronto with my fiance and we had dinner here to celebrate our engagement. The hotel made a reservation for us for 8pm and we got there about 10 minutes early to find a PACKED lobby/bar area. We checked in with the host, and were told we would have to wait about 20 min for our table. This was not a huge deal, but slightly annoying since we had a reservation and were really hungry from the long drive. At least we had all the celebrity pics on the wall to keep us entertained. We were seated after waiting about 45 minutes.
We got a good spot in the corner and the ambiance was really cute and romantic. Our waiter was great and pretty attentive. The menu was pretty extensive and every dish sounded amazing; it was tough to pick what to order. I decided on a wild mushroom risotto (I have been on a major risotto kick lately) and my fiance ordered a lamb dish. We were served some delicious bread with a white bean hummus that was really tasty. It was tough to stop eating that bread, but I knew I didn't want to be full before the risotto came!
Our entrees came out steaming hot and were soooo delicious. My fiance's lamb was cooked perfectly and so was my risotto. Everything was great and we were very pleased. The portions were pretty big, so I didn't even come close to finishing mine, but I sure tried! -
Review from Lord G.
6/7/2009
I'm visiting Toronto on business. I checked out the Yelp reviews for this swank Italian establishment and they did not disappoint. When you step inside, you will notice photos adorning one of the walls showcasing hollywood stars who've eaten here. Well, there's a reason for it. The food is damn good! Started with charbroiled octopus, nearly a foot long! Tasted divine! Firm but tender, olive oil, garlic, tomatoes added a succulent touch. Main course was lobser tails, salmon, squid and scallops all cooked to perfection! Yes, if you are salivating because you are a shellfish maven like me, you will be satisfied. Finished it off with a tiramisu, drenched in marscapone and marsala wine. Yum!!!
Yes, the place is pricy so be prepared NOT to come in with a wallet short on bread. But it's worth every penny. Strangely enough, the waiter didn't tell me about the specials for that evening. Another waiter had come by whom I asked about the specials. It did not even occur for my actual waiter to even tell me about the specials. Didn't matter too much as I actually asked him what was the best thing on the menu. He listed several items including the shellfish extravaganza.
If you want to take your client to or your love for some great Italian food, this is the place in Toronto! -
Review from Jason K.
Toronto, ON
1/19/2010
This is where a lot of celebrities dine when they are in T.O. so if you want to treat yourself (or someone special) to a memorable Italian fine-dining experience, look no further than this Yorkville hotspot.
It's kind of fun to overhear snippets of conversation about riding cubs and indoor pool troubles at home.
Best value is the penne in vodka cream sauce for $13. Bravo! Go early ( before 6pm) or make a reservation. -
Review from helen y.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 1/31/2011
octopus was amazing... perfect!!!
i think my pasta was called something amore spaghetti..?? anyhow, it was delish!!!!!! left over was even better the next day!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/29/2010
was good service..
i felt that the service was the best part of my night here at Spuntini.
i had… Read more »
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Review from Kevin D.
Toronto, ON
1/8/2009
My new favourite Italian Ristorante in Toronto!
Let me rave about you Spuntini:
Your service is superb! Our gentleman waiter was extraordinary- he was always there to top-up the wine and recommend menu items for our table. I love that the dining room is basically the wine cellar, with wall-to-wall vino on all sides!
What an extensive Barolo list you have! Does the turista bureau d'Italia have a direct line to your menu?..
Your food is delicious and not too filling. I had a Cesare salad, followed by the Penne a la Vodka and still had energy to party all night long.
And you took our coats on the house!
Move over Sotto Sotto, Spuntini is the Italian King of Yorkville on Avenue Road!
Gracie! -
Review from Krystal F.
Toronto, ON
1/3/2011
My favourite Italian restaurant. Warm hospitality, impeccable service and delectable dishes. Not to be overlooked.
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Review from Kobe L.
North York, ON
2/11/2011
Wished my meal was as exciting as some of the reviews or even as exciting as the waiter made it out to be. I ordered the Ravioli and had to switch with a friend. While the food was okay, it wasn't crazy awesome. The place is tight. Service was really good though.
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Review from Mark S.
12/21/2010
Went to this place based on Yelp reviews and it was excellent. They have a nice selection on the menu. I went with a seafood linguine and it was so good. They didn't skimp on the seafood either. The owner was very friendly and gracious.
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Review from Peter R.
Richmond Hill, ON
8/25/2010 1 Check-in Here
Have never found a better waiter. This guy really knows hoe to handle his customers. To top it off the food is excellent.
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Review from Chris R.
Toronto, ON
5/5/2010
This is hands down the best itialian restaurant in the city. I'm from Toronto, and if you are here on a visit, make sure you dine here.
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Review from T.H. J.
7/12/2010
Thanks, Yelp, for putting me onto this. All that was advertised and more. Great, I mean exceptional pasta and meat, fish dishes. I would not hesitate to go here again.
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Review from Angela N.
Toronto, ON
10/20/2009
One of my favourite restaurants in the city. Now, I might be biased since this is where my husband proposed, but we have been back many times since and it has never, ever disappointed. There is no Yorkville attitude here (despite the lineup of limos during TIFF) and the staff are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Frankly, you just can't go wrong here.
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Review from Ktimene G.
1/23/2009
The grilled squid is a Yorkville must. No Yorkville attitude. We were squeezed in on a Friday night, and got a great table in the front room overlooking Yorkville next to the window. The room was completely full, which gave a nice lively buzz. Cozy, warm atmosphere and savory Italian food. Completely satisfying. Service was debonaire.
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Review from Kurt G.
ON
12/2/2008
Great food, quaint atmosphere, very social staff.
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Review from Michael C.
Toronto, ON
7/24/2009
Just above super expensive Sotto Sotto this restaurant is a gem. Great ambience, amazing staff and truly spectacular food.
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Review from Peter D.
Toronto, ON
4/10/2010 2 Check-ins Here
The best Italian restaurant in Toronto. I've been coming for 18 years and the experience is always incredible. The staff are truly friendly and make you feel like you're part of the family.
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Review from Brianna W.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2011
LOVE this restaurant. It's been consistently good for many years, and they always remember our names. Love the food, LOVE the staff.
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Review from G L.
8/30/2010
My best friend was coming to Toronto to visit and we wanted to find somewhere in the area where we could sit, relax, and have some food. My boyfriend found Spuntini's online and we decided to check it out after taking a quick look at their menu. My friend had insisted that she probably wasn't going to eat much since she maxed out on Italian food over the weekend but upon arrival, she immediately wanted to try everything on the menu! The atmosphere at Spuntini's is great! The decor is cosy and elegant making you feel like you're right at home. The food was amazing and the service was unbelievable! Our waiter was so excited about the food on the menu and described each item on the specials perfectly. This friendly and professional demeanor was not limited to him alone as the dessert chef came out to discuss different options he would recommend for our desserts and became extremely excited and happy to see us enjoy his plates! We've been there a few times since then and have always recommended it to friends and family. By the way, their osso bucco is amazing!
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Review from cat m.
7/19/2010
Great experience. Food is excellent, staff is really friendly (especially important for us, since we we're not from Toronto) and prices are reasonable, bordering on cheap for pasta and pizzas. Plus, probably the most impressive wall of celebrity pictures (taken in the restaurant) I've ever seen. Definitely go to Spuntini if you're in Toronto.
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Review from sal a.
9/3/2009
Wonderful restaurant with tasty dishes and a very attentive staff (Mauricio). Well worth the coin we dropped. I only wish we had more places like this in Boston. RUN to Spuntini!
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Review from Danielle S.
Toronto, ON
7/30/2009
One of my new favourite restaurants. The food was amazing -- I had Penne Alla Vodka and Chocolate Raspberry cake, and the service was equally amazing. I don't recall what my friends chose to eat but everything was spectacular.
