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The Bowery
Category: Restaurants Mediterranean Mediterranean [Edit]
55 Colborne StreetToronto, ON M5E 1C6
Neighbourhoods: St. Lawrence, Downtown Core
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- Yes
13 reviews for The Bowery
13 reviews in English
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Review from Poonam S.
Etobicoke, ON
3/11/2012
I went to The Bowery with a girlfriend for drinks on a Saturday night. Originally I was parked across the street and kept seeing cabs pull up to this place. It seemed quite busy so I was curious. My friend and I went to Pravda first which had a line-up so we decided we'd check out The Bowery instead.
The place was pretty packed and we had to squeeze through people. First we checked out downstairs which was way too hot and crowded; people were hardly moving out of our way and the bar was too crowded. Walked back upstairs and ordered drinks. First had a lychee martini ($9) and later had a vodka bar lime ($7). Both drinks were pretty decent.
The decor is pretty nice but nothing special. The booths are great for seating but seating is limited. Crowd seemed mainly seemed 30-40, with a bit of older folks (41-50). I appreciated the mature crowd. I stuck to upstairs for both of the night. Music was pretty alright (top 40). Overall, I enjoyed the night. I don't know if I'd go again but it wasn't bad. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
Drop by The Bowery for a dessert and after dinner drinks on a Saturday evening.
We were seated at the bar, but the stools can be a little hard and uncomfortable as I trying to keep myself from sliding down... maybe just me? a little tipsy after a drink or 2??
The drinks we ordered The Bowery Buzz ($8) and Mayan Macchiato ($8), I found them both a little disappointed. I cannot taste the elements and ingredients they used for the mix.
For desserts we ordered Red Wine Poached Pear ($9), Lemon & Concord Grape Satin Cream ($9) and Maple Mascarpone Cheesecake ($9). They were all so so aside from the Cheesecake. Just that everything sound tasty and unique when I read the menu, but the finished products were just meh...
Services though is excellent. Our bartender/waitress is cheerful and friendly and she checked on us all through the night. I think the guys like her.... really really likes her.. I wondering why?! -
Review from Andy A.
Toronto, ON
2/15/2012
My overall experience and opinion of this place is quite low
My fiancée and I made a reservation weeks in advance of valentine's day. When we showed up for our dinner the restaurant was nearly empty but we were told only a prix fixe menu was available.
Worse still, the prix fixe was $70 and included only one main to be shared.
Even worse, one main was meat and the other was seafood. Only two options. I'd have gone for either but my fiancée is a vegetarian and allergic to shellfish. So we told the waiter and asked if they could accommodate. He basically said we were SOL. We left. We ain't going back. -
Review from Keeley-Ann H.
Mississauga, ON
3/27/2012
I really like this place. Not only do they have really good wine, but the food is incredible! The best part about it is its not pretentious, even though alot opf the people that eat here are. you can tell right away by the staff. They wear jeans and a t-shirt as there uniform and they are super cool and laid back. Its has a nice vibe to it. Its darker in colours and calm. The menu is not large, but the few items they have they have done really well. The STUFF WITH STUFF is my fave! Its a mish mash of different items (included foie gras) that are soooo good. The lamb pasta is wiicked too and the chef is awesome. The food is market fresh and you cant go wrong with that!
-
Review from Oliver G.
Mississauga, ON
1/30/2012
I went to The Bowery as part of a holiday function. The place has some very nice decoration and is generally set up with a trendy style but definitely not overwhelming. The bar is located in the middle of the place and actually takes up quite a lot of space. The drinks were all great and made with great skill by the very friendly bartenders. The staff was nice and friendly and came around often to check if we needed anything (Often but not too often that you feel like they are part of your conversation). The food was great, although we only had appetizers and some pasta. The atmosphere has a casual-upscale-loungy type of feeling. I would like to give it another shot to see how it is during the weekend. Being located in the downtown district I would think that it is frequented by business people most of the time.
There is no space to dance so don't get any ideas. -
Review from Chris P.
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
So I spent all of 15 minutes here, which may not be a fair assessment, but it's true and accurate.
Met up with some people for drinks. Showing up at midnight on a Friday, the place was empty. There were 3-4 other tables besides us. Now, really this wouldn't be an issue normally as I believe you can have fun with the people you're with and it's not heavily dependent on where you are. Unfortunately, the DJ was crap. He played Justin Timberlake, then Britney Spears, followed by Justin Bieber, and more crap. Even the people I was with who normally listen to these artists couldn't believe the music selection. The DJ seemed to be enjoying himself though as he was ricking out to his playlist.
I'll be back to give this place another shot, but I can't say when. -
Review from The Vong Choice I.
Toronto, ON
9/4/2011
The Design Agency formerly the "Designer guys" are behind the modern New Yorky space. You walk in and it feels trendy but not obnoxiously trendy, it really has good ambience and definitely the potential to make this a good lounge spot as well. As a side note, the "Designer Guys" also did my condo years ago with a New York Asian feel and were the first in their days to do a floor to ceiling wall tattoo (representing subtle asian symbolism of longevity and beauty) and it was my piece de resistance. So they know what mood they were trying to set with this space! Inside you will see an open kitchen with a hugh charcoal grill which I immediately note to myself to dry something grilled on the menu.
We started off with the scotch bonnet egg - this is a must have here! It comes presented on a wood board with the deep fried battered egg cut in half with the yolk oozing on deep fried polenta sticks that were very hard but mixed with the yolk - the texture was perfect!
We also tried the grilled octopus which was incredibly tender served over a bed of soft polenta - it was also delicious.
We had a third starter which was our tuna crude - served sashimi'd with a hint of chilli/lime. I really think we should've ended our meal here but of course my eyes are always bigger than my appetite and we needed to get something from the grill:
We decided on the 24 oz rib eye cooked perfectly medium rare thinly sliced with shaved parmesan flakes over it. The portions were perfect to share and it was juicy and the parmesan added a nice saltiness to the flavour.
We didn't stop there and ordered the brownie dessert though, and glad we did as it was to die for. It came with popcorn drizzled in caramel and who can turn that down really?! -
Review from Jillian W.
Toronto, ON
3/1/2012
Mediocre - at best.
We visited this restaurant on Saturday night and were told that they could "squeeze in" our party of 4 at 8:00pm. Obviously we were surprised when we showed up and the restaurant was only 1/3 full and stayed that way through the night.
The (few) positives - the appetizers were tasty and a good size for sharing. Great decor, which remind me of Bowery area restaurants in New York.
Overall, our experience was one that I will not repeat. Our waitress was perhaps the least attentive wait staff I've ever had and she only came to our table if we flagged her down. Drinks and food were left sitting for long periods of time before being brought to our table. We could have cut her some slack if the restaurant was busy but it primarily seemed that she just disappeared off the dining floor for long stretches of time. Also, her knowledge of the menu was very poor and unhelpful. She actually provided incorrect information about a number of items on the menu and made some errors with our order.
While the appetizers were satisfying, our main meals were surprisingly sparce. I ordered a pizza and it was very, very tiny. The other main dishes ordered were better but still unsatisfying.
Another difficulty is the fact that the wine list is very over-priced and doesn't coincide appropriately with the price of the food. It was hard to find a decent bottle under $100.
Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant and would be surprised if it survives. -
Review from Ashley C.
Milton, ON
8/8/2011
Wow.
I don't even know where to begin. I expected a decent meal, perhaps even an outstanding one from the newly opened Bowery. Instead I wish I'd gone somewhere else for dinner.
The service out of the kitchen was glacial, the fancy $12 cocktails were bland, and the food bordering on atrocious. While the cheese pizza was serviceable, the steak was bare and not particularly fresh (for $32 you can't even toss in a little potato or a handful of mushrooms?).
The worst, though, was the house-made tagliatelle. Tossed with what appeared to be frozen peas and corn, unrecognizable, overcooked slivers of prosciutto, and tiny pieces of clam, it was an unpleasant experience for both the eyes and the palate.
I can say that I was pleased with the octopus starter, which was deliciously roasted and not chewy or gummy like octopus can be. The frites were also yummy. However, the entire menu was overpriced and I left both hungry and unsatisfied. I didn't even bother inquiring about dessert. -
Review from Patricia S.
Toronto, ON
7/15/2011
Oh my god. This food is some of the best I've had.
The Bowery is close to my office, and not too far from where I live, so I've been a few times now.
First, it's nice to get out of trendy King West. Not that I don't love the neighbourhood and restaurants there, but Thursday through Saturday it gets really busy and after 10pm the club crowd kind of takes over. The Bowery is in a quieter and more sophisticated neighbourhood, attracting a slightly older clientelle. But it still has a great buzz and there is a total New York vibe on Colborne Street.
Second, the food is f***ing fantastic! Perfectly cooked octopus with the best polenta I've had. Amazing lamb skewers as an appetizer. The pizza and pasta are ridiculously good. Try the gnocchi (I thought the best gnocchi in the city was at Noce, but The Bowery's is just as good). Also try the Green Pizza. The flavours are full and the crust is perfect.
For mains it doesn't get much better than the pickerel. It's perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The pickerel is sitting on a bed of julienned zuchinni in a saffron broth. It's the best fish dish I've had. The venison was awesome too. They have a hugh charcoal grill that gives the meat and fish a gorgeous flavour you won't find elsewhere in this city.
The desserts were just as good as the mains. Perfectly creamy cheesecake with homemade carrot cake ice cream? Ok!
My only complaint is that our server took quiet a while to bring us the bill and process our payment, but up until that point the service was excellent.
Finally, this place has a lovely ambiance. It's perfect for a night out with friends, family or a date. And the prices are good. Not cheap, but definitely less than I'd expect for food of this quality in this neighbourhood. -
Review from wesley s.
Toronto, ON
9/5/2011
On first glance The Bowery is quite appealing, tucked away on historic Colborne Street's mini restaurant row. Named after the iconic NYC neighborhood of the same name and marketed as a place with a decidingly "farm-punk" vibe, I was expecting to dine to a soundtrack consisting of the likes of the Ramones, Patti Smith, or maybe the Talking Heads, and other CBGB alums. Instead, the music selection was more akin to a sports bar franchise, with the likes of Stone Temple Pilots gracing the dining soundscape at volumes I might add that were loud enough to suggest the proprietors were attempting to make a bold, yet misguided statement.
In addition to the lacklustre musical selection, I found the decor a bit hit -and -miss. There was an overwhelming sense of compartmentalization with a dark loungy area which included an oddly misplaced tv streaming an equally odd choice in a live performance by The Doors (in odd I mean bad). This area was walled off by what appeared to be the more "formal" dining area, which included an open kitchen, which is a really nice touch that added a sense of connectivity with the clientele, in stark contrast to the aforementioned "lounge".
The seemingly schizophrenic theme of the place continued with the food. On my first visit, I had the grilled octopus which was excellent, followed by the venison, cooked medium rare, in a dark cherry based sauce (if i recall correctly). I must admit i am a novice when it comes to venison, but it was delicious, perfectly portioned, and practically melting in your mouth on every bite. We finished off the meal with a tantalizing brownie dessert topped with caramel-covered popcorn which was fabulous.
My second visit was far less impressive. This time I opted for the arctic char, which was quite bland, served on a bed of equally sleep-inducing pureed chard.
Lastly, i should add that the service was excellent, friendly and attentive on both occasions.
All-in-all, a decent place with decent food, just remember to bring your ipod. -
Review from CalamityJane T.
Toronto, ON
3/4/2012
I was tempted to give The Bowery a 2.5* rating but given that we were a party of 30 people, some of whom had little consideration for the kitchen's hours along with the fact that being such a large group, we needed to get our shit together so the staff could do their thing, it's not too much to give the place the full 3* and mainly because the service was so professional and patient.
The birthday boy who chose this spot was raving about it for weeks, though he hadn't been since they opened less than a year ago (?). Apparently the food must have been pretty damn good back then as I noticed a 5* review from July 2011. My friend mentioned they used to be French but have moved on to Italian fare, which is always a safe bet. Given how un-full the place was besides our group of 30, they probably should try whichever route to get people in there.
The space had a bit of an upscale New York diner feel to it, and the music they played seemed fitting for such a place. I'm not sure if that's the norm (Chris P. mentioned the lame music in his review so maybe crappy music IS the norm here) but the night we were there, they were playing Oldies the whole time which was odd for a Saturday night and I can't say I saw anyone over 35-ish there. It was definitely too old for our group.
The menus we got were a condensed version since we were such a large group. I really wish they had the BC cod on it that Denise S. had as it's one of my favourite fish! Nothing on our menu really appealed to me but since we had to make do with what was on offer, I chose the prosciutto and ricotta crostini and the grilled fish whose name I don't recall (it was a white fish and had an Italian name that went something like 'brandiz...ende') which came with asparagus, served on a wooden board that allowed the butter from the dish to drip onto the table and also my pants. The dense bread they serve with olive oil was nothing special, and a little balsamic would have gone a long way. The crostini ($9.95 for three pieces) was served on table bread; it (not the bread) had a nice smoky flavour and contained fresh ingredients. I liked that the prosciutto didn't have that waxiness and was missing the strip of fat on it. The fish was a bit small but was grilled properly, the skin being just crisp enough and it was tasty (contained sprigs of thyme, lemon wedges along with minced garlic and a couple of spices sprinkled in there) at $26.
I didn't bother with dessert as nothing on the menu seemed very tempting. I probably should have though, as I was still hungry (as were others) after my meal and a couple of drinks. I can normally eat quite a bit but after an app and main, I'm usually good, just not at the Bowery. Had I known, I would have ordered a pasta main for an appetizer~!
It could be that my friend had hyped the place up so much that I was expecting to have an orgasm but that didn't happen, and I didn't really even try to fake one. While the food tasted good, for what they charge, I'd expect a little more sophistication from the menu (I've seen the full menu and it's nothing special either), better ingredients, or at least better sized servings. I know upscale restos tend to expect patrons to order multiple courses and servings of each course tend to be small but this place is hardly what I would call "upscale". Nothing I had was anything I couldn't make just as well at home so I was a little disappointed. I overheard a few grumbles from others at our table who ordered pizza (not the usual round pizza, but a smallish rectangular pie) asking where is the pepperoni, and another who ordered the cornish hen demanding ketchup. While this is not a pepperoni and ketchup kind of place, nor is it anything fancy that warrants such prices. It's not that they were outrageous but for what one pays for a meal there, a much better and filling meal can be had elsewhere.
Maybe this place is all about the drinks because when we were leaving in batches between midnight and 1am after the kitchen closed, there were a few cabs pulling up with groups of 2-3 young people coming in. I probably won't be heading back to the Bowery anytime soon but if I do, it won't be in a cab. -
Review from bern l.
Toronto, ON
9/18/2011
Date: Friday evening starting at 9 pm.
Setting: New York flavour, open concept with an open kitchen. The crowd was mostly 25-35 who were probably doing the dinner thing before going out along King West.
Food: Overall, the food was OK. Started with the pate appetizer which was quite nice. Shared the cheese pizza which was very salty. The BC cod was done quite nicely when mixed with the tomato garnish.
Service: Our server Yuri did a great job providing us with great service. We took a particularly long time with our meal and didn't feel pressured by staff to move along; in fact, we were served complimentary port wine to cap off the meal.
Price point: Dinner for two including a drink and espresso was about $110.
Overall: like the environment but not a place to bring a hardcore foodie.
