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Toca
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel181 Wellington Street W
Toronto, ON M5J 2H5
Neighbourhoods: Entertainment District, Downtown Core
(416) 572-8008
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
10 reviews for Toca
10 reviews in English
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Review from Lauren M.
11/30/2011
Wandered into Toca for some absolutely delicious cocktails.
I started off with a "Eve's Evening" - Vodka, roasted pineapple liquor, bitters, cherry Heering and nutmeg. Very refreshing and not too sweet. Beautifully presented.
My date tried one called "Good Date" (hyuk hyuk) which was Canadian club, date and black pepper liquor with orange zest. Definitely a man drink but he seemed to enjoy it!
At Toca you can try some "mini bites", "bigger bites" or shared plates if you sit by the bar, rather than have a full meal. We sampled some risotto balls and the braised lamb shank. I'm such a sucker for lamb shank (try saying that 5 times fast!) and the lamb here did not disappoint.
I would definitely like to wander back to Toca for a complete meal, because the menu looks ridiculous (in a good way!)
Service was fantastic and our server knew his stuff! -
Review from Tara L.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 10/1/2011
Webt back to Toca last night for the most enjoyable of evenings. There was a great energy about the place and a big group of women gave a real happy vibe to the restaurant.
My meal was simply fantastic. I had a tenderloin which I ordered well done because that's the way I like it and it was the juiciest steak I've ever had. I truly love Toca - by far my favourite in Toronto. From the serving dishes. to the elegant and spotless restrooms my entire time spent here has always been 100% enjoyable.
On to more serious matters - had the Walnut Souffle for dessert - just incredible. Was one bite in when I wondered should I order a second one but I just about controlled myself, If you have not tried the Souffle - I feel for you!!!!!
Can't wait to return - a very, very happy customer!2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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7/18/2011
Congrats to Moses for his very flattering mention in the Toronto Life - best cocktails in town and… Read more »
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Review from Cindy C.
Toronto, ON
11/8/2011
What a treat! We had the best experience at Toca!
It is an expensive treat but delicately fuzed together delicious flavors from executive chef Tom Brodi. Well worth it, it's fine dining people, so expect the price!
We started with the FANCY FISH AND CHIPS... Ummm breaded lobster!??! With a side of breaded avocado. It came with a sick tartar sauce... Yum. I don't usually like deep fried stuff but I ate this lightly battered delicious fish dish.
I had the MAPLE SEA BASS which was awesome, it melted in your mouth like butter. I have never had fish like this, it was cooked to perfection!
After getting a special visit from Chef Tom Brodi, it was a treat when he escorted us to the cheese cave, and popped open a bogle of ice wine! He selected a perfect blend of cheeses for us to sample! It was quite treat! We got a sneak peak of the chef table too, it was quite a special occasion!
We had some delicious champagne and great service. Reading the last posting, I think we had Mary too and she was perfect - she recommended and listened. They had a pro for everything a wine Connoisseur, a cheese pro (affineur).
Great experience, one of the best I've had! Looking for a fancy treat, go to the ritz! -
Review from Bill C.
10/10/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Mary Mary (sorry didn't get a last name) gave us the best service and also a tip on how to brew a better cup of T. When using delicate green tea leaves, toss in a cube or two of ice to prevent possible burn and bitterness.
Good food, we went with several starters due to time constraints, salad, roasted roots tubers etc, shrimp. Zowie, I just remembered, she was very generous with her time and made us feel special for our wedding anniversary celebration. Tops to her for that. Hope to make it back someday! Please visit this place often and keep it in business for us, thanks. Enjoy! -
Review from John I.
Toronto, ON
6/20/2011
The Ritz and Toca management have done an excellent job at planning this fresh, innovative new Toronto restaurant. The layout is modern, but not overly trendy. The menu is distinctly Canadian, but not in your face ingredient wise. Service is very "grassroots" but knowledgeable and appears to truly enjoy their work. Servers have a range of knowledge, including expert knowledge regarding their unique cheese room and corresponding selection. The Sommelier had a strong background, but I would recommend a change in his clothing attire. A cheap suit doesn't convey class and management should point this out. That being said, he selected a beautiful wine for the evening and I think the wine list has potential.
The menu consisted of a divine bone marrow infused crab meat starter. Although not as rich as I would have thought, it was nicely presented and flavorful. The main was the lamb saddle, which was elegantly presented and full of succulent flavors. Highly recommended. A cheese selection was selected for the final course and really presented a tantalizing treat by the end of the meal. I suggest you have a guided tour through the cheese room prior to tasting.
The restaurant is not stuffy and the dress code could be considered business casual.
Good luck and enjoy Toca! -
Review from Soumeya B.
12/30/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Very unremarkable in every way except for the service which deserves five stars. We had an amazing waitress who made the other waited look like dodos.
For their fish and chips they had fried avocados instead of fries...made me think Paula dean was manning that kitchen,,,could have been fried butter wedges for all the flavor and density it had! -
Review from Yvonne T.
Doctor Dopey took me to Toca by Tom Brodi at the Ritz-Carlton for my birthday. The menu looked so intriguing - how could I resist?
We arrive around 5:45PM to a relatively empty restaurant - it was still early and they had just opened at 5:30PM. We were seated promptly, and offered water (still or sparkling). Then our drink orders were promptly taken. I ordered the Chili-Lychee Collins and Doctor D ordered a Grey Goose & Tonic. The lychee cocktail was quite refreshing and rather interesting as it contained maple-glazed chili peppers, lime leaves, and a pomegranate-poached lotus root. It was refreshing and not too sweet.
The bread basket was brought with some butter. A nice, crusty bread - and it was warm too!
For starters I ordered Foie Gras - if there is foie gras on the menu I almost always order it. Doctor D ordered the Fancy Fish and Chips made with Lobster instead of fish. I was thoroughly disappointed with my foie gras. What a waste of a duck's life to have it so ill-prepared. I would expect a dining establishment such as Toca to at least know how to cook a foie gras properly. The outside was not seared right, and the inside, while still soft and creamy was not a melt-in-your-mouth. It was served with poached rhubarb and housemade cotton candy. I don't discourage culinary creativity - but this combination just seemed crazy weird to me! This was a "trying too hard" dish. The Fancy Fish & Chips were amazing - we substituted the frites with the Kennebec Frites (w/ Thunder Oak Gouda) . This was definitely a redemption for my ill-prepared appetizer. The lobster just melted in your mouth with a light batter and served with a tartar sauce. The fries were delicious and sprinkled with gouda cheese flakes.
For mains I ordered the Lamb Saddle. The moment it arrived at my table I could smell the gamey-ness of the lamb. However, when I actually ate it, it was surprisingly not gamey - though Doctor D begged to differ. It was not what I would call tender, though it was not overcooked. The gnocchi was a little overcooked (e.g. mushier than al dente), but I loved the spiced carrots.
However, once again, Doctor D prevails in menu selection as his Pan-Seared East Coast Scallops were absolutely amazing! I was blown away just by the sheer size of the scallops. I had never seen such big ones in my life (that's what she said!). They were seared perfectly, and served with a fava bean purée and sour cream w/ abitibi caviar. I felt the scallops were best consumed on their own, net of the accompaniments to truly taste the flavour stemming from the natural juices of the scallops.
Verdict:
The crowd is definitely older. Mostly form the "old boys club" of financial district workers. Definitely not a hip nor trendy place to go. The service was great - they had ample wait staff, and everyone was polite. The bill came to $196 w/ tax and tip so it ain't cheap. For that price point I expected more. The foie gras was a real disappointment for me. I would probably come back to Toca again sometime in the future for a special occasion but it definitely fell short of my expectations. -
Review from Sally C.
8/23/2011
For the price, my overall experience at TOCA was not what I expected. I ordered my $69 dry-aged bone-in tenderloin steak to be cooked medium. It came out medium well to well. My husband advised that I send it back. I didn't bother because I was sharing it with my nine-year-old son, who was quite hungry and seemed to enjoy it as is, and I didn't want to make a fuss. I did inform the server toward the end of the meal so that she could let the folks in the kitchen know. Honestly though, when I go to a high end restaurant, I expect that they know what they are doing in the back and that I don't have to send anything back. The flavor of the steak was good.
Their version of fish and chips, which was made with lobster, was a yummy starter.
Their heirloom tomato salad was pretty good. I did find a few of the tomatoes to be a bit mushy, and this was a little disappointing. A number of items that were on the menu, e.g. the raw bar, were not actually available. Our server explained that this was because the restaurant was not busy enough to maintain the high turnover rate needed to keep those items fresh. The lower than expected volume of customers could explain why some of the tomatoes were a bit past their prime.
I personally did not care too much for the sauteed mushrooms as some of them were a bit tough.
I did enjoy the squash side dish that was the Chef's Spring Harvest at this time.
The service was good and helped to make up for where the food fell short. The kids' menu comes on an ipod touch that was loaded with five games. This was a very nice touch.
Thinking back on the steak, maybe there's a difference between how Americans and Canadians define the degrees to which a steak is cooked. My husband the cynic asked for his steak to be cooked rare although he enjoys it medium rare, and his steak ended up being medium rare. I wish I had asked for my steak to be medium rare. From now on, I'll just have to explain that I want my steak to be hot and pink inside and let the staff call it what they wish. -
Review from The Vong Choice I.
Toronto, ON
6/22/2011
In the newly opened Ritz Carlton is Toca by Tom Brody, notably from Canoe and North 44 who has also mentored under the great Tom Colicchio. It's a simple elegant restaurant with a huge wine cellar and a cheese cave for you and your party to discover. I was out with some fabulous ladies to chatter away and celebrate life, and when we walked in, we had the best table in the house at the center of the restaurant. Maybe it was just me, but I was expecting some design elements to stick out or an ambiance dripping with luxury or mystere. We were at the Ritz ... so it was disappointing. The stench from the cheese cave also ruined the atmosphere for us.
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Review from Michael U.
8/13/2011
We stayed at the ritz and drop pen in late for dessert. Our group shared the molten choc cake, peach cobbler and toffee pudding all were fantastic Will definitely come back for dinner
