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Tutti Matti Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
364 Adelaide St WToronto, ON M5V 1R7
Neighbourhoods: Entertainment District, Downtown Core
(416) 597-8839
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
16 reviews for Tutti Matti Restaurant
16 reviews in English
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Review from Michael P.
4/10/2012
The porchetta di maremma appetizer and the boar special were awesome! I would definitely go back next time I'm in T.O.
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Review from Tara A.
12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
My fellow co-workers and I went to Tutti Matti for a holiday lunch. I have worked beside this place for 5 years and have never stepped in. Walking into the tutti Matti is like walking into a beautiful Tuscan inspired gem. The atmosphere is open yet quaint with no shortage of charm.
I found the service to be helpful but not too over bearing. The one real complaint on this front would have to be with the salad that the server suggested I have as a starter as it was that days special. I'm not shy of a good suggestion so I gave it a whirl. It had grapefruit, pomegranate, bufala mozzarella and a few other tasty items. What the server FAILED to mention was the price of this appetizer salad. $22!!!! Other than that I had the Pappardelle and it was very tasty.
Other people didn't have as good of a food experience as me. They found the fish to be very over cooked and the grains that accompanied it to be bland.
I would go back there again but probably not with a big crowd. I feel like that could have played a role in some of the mediocre meals. -
Review from Eric M.
8/10/2011
Tutti Matti is a hidden gem. This is a small traditional Tuscan style restaurant. The food is fresh, seasonal and beautifully presented.
This is a busy spot at lunch and not the kind of place to go if you don't have time to relax and enjoy your meal. At night it's rather quiet when they start serving dinner but generally picks up nicely swelling with a wonderful atmosphere by the end of the evening.
While I love the fact that they do summerlicious and winterlicious I'm not surprised that many of their negative reviews seem to stem from these customers. Do not eat here if you're expecting East Side Marios or some other terrible "Italian" restaurant. Your pasta will be al dente. Your food will be seasoned with things other than just salt, pepper and ancient dry flavourless chili flakes. You will have to pay a reasonable price for your meal and might even be forced to enjoy yourself. It's terrible I know but quality should cost more than a Big Mac and take more time to prepare.
Their dining room is large enough to accommodate large parties but call well enough in advance so they can set up. Jockeying seats around can be a bit of an issue once tables start to fill up.
I have never had anything but wonderful experiences with the staff. They are incredibly polite, knowledgeable and sweet.
Long story made longer;
-Great food.
-Great staff.
-Reasonably priced.
-Simply amazing.Listed in: All Stars
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Review from Viviana M.
Toronto, ON
5/15/2011 3 photos
Dining Experience: Lunch
Specialty: Italian Tuscan cuisine
Menu items: Fagottini, Duck Pappardelle & Warm Bacio and Banana Lava Cake
I'm matti about Tutti Matti and everybody's crazy about it too. A cute and somewhat hidden Tuscan inspired restaurant located in the Fashion district, has created a name for itself by offering some unique and exquisite Tuscan dishes. In addition to having a rather unique name, that as you may have already caught onto translates to English as "Everybody's Crazy", it welcomes the downtown crowds with fresh home-made pastas, breads and daily dessert menus that will make you go matti.
Fagottini is the dish we decided on to kick-off our work week lunch.
Traditionally, Fagottini is an Italian pasta shaped in squares and filled with vegetables, steamed carrots, green beans, ricotta, onion and olive oil. However, Tutti Matti decided to spin this tradition by making a phyllo style pastry using chickpea flower and stuffing it with apples, pears, leeks, three kinds of cheese, hazelnuts, radicchio and truffle honey. Although Tutti Matti deviated from the traditional way of making Fagottini, they did stick to the region's use of truffles making this dish a delicacy and a must. Tuscany is know for growing unique truffles that are used in most pasta and risotto dishes.
Skipping primi and going straight into secondi, we ventured off with the Duck Pappardelle. Pappardelle is a flat homemade noodle that is often served with rich sauces such as hare, wild boar or duck and can be found on most menus in the Tuscan region. The Duck Pappardelle was a daily special that we just had to try and it did not disappoint. The fact that Tutti Matti makes its pasta right on the premises speaks volumes, not only of the restaurant, but also of the taste of the pasta itself. It was fresh, eggy, full of taste and al dente, just how I like my pasta. The rest were just toppings. Ok, the duck was good too, but I am sticking to the noodles on this review. My absolute favourite.
My dolci does not need an intro. All I have to say its that you have to try Tutti Matti's daily dessert offerings. I had their warm Bacio Chocolate and Banana Lava Cake, topped with glazed bananas and accompanied by a home-made banana ice-cream. The perfect way to end my meal.
And if that was not enough, a spoon into the cake had me drooling yet again. The interior was not only soft, warm and sweet, but it also had little pieces of banana that made it ooey-gooey delicious.
Until next time Foodies!
Buen Provecho,
Viviana. -
Review from Karen G.
11/5/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I just retunned from lunch at Tutti Matti. It is true what other reviewers say - the service could be better. We were served relatively quickly but only because we told our waitress we were in a hurry and she was clearly displeased with that. Having said that, the atmosphere and food more than make up for the spotty service.
I started with the carpaccio. It was just ok. I did not find the beef to be overly flavourfull. The best part of this dish was the mound of shaved shaved parmigiano reggiano that came with it.
My dining companion had the insalate dei matti with arugula, tuna, sautéed red onions, endive, cucumber and lemon and it was excellent (I had a little taste). I would recommend this over the carpaccio any day.
After reading the reviews, I decided on the pappardelle with with pulled brisket, tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs. It was delicious. The portion size was quite fair but not huge. Perfectly sized for lunch.
We ended up sharing the lemon tart and it was spectacular. Simply perfect. Not too tart and not too sweet. It was quite large and more than enough for three of us to share. I would highly recommend trying this dessert.
I will be back. -
Review from Jennifer N.
Toronto, ON
8/7/2008
After living in the neighbourhood and walking by it for over two years, I finally ventured into Tutti Matti.
We took advantage of the $15 Prix Fixe lunch. We got there 10 minutes shy of lunch opening. The straight-to-the-point staff said we could sit while they finish up lunch prep. For the $15, we had 3 courses - starter (choice of 2 salads, soup of the day, bruschetta), main (choice of 2 pastas, meat dish, fish dish), dessert (no choice).
I had a salad (baby spinach with red grapes, shaved grana padano
and walnuts in a fruit vinaigrette), pasta (pasta with meat sauce - freshly made on site pasta), and dessert was a chilled pear and chocolate tart. The food was great despite the low price. I would've easily paid much more. The service was attentive though a bit brusque.
All in all, I really liked Tutti Matti. I wish it didn't take me two years to eat there. Now that I've experienced it, I shall be back. -
Review from Sergey S.
2/18/2011
Oh, Tutti Matti was bad! Like bad-bad-bad, a huge fail on my part to check it out.
I've been in a company of my South American colleague, so we've opted to try an "Italian" place close to the office.
The service was... No, I won't hold it - the service was kwap. Slow, untidy and cocky. This dude was looking at us like we owed him money. So funny! And not like it was his bad day, atmosphere of the place was supporting such attitude.
The food was ordinary. Well, maybe baaarely above a completely mediocre level, but not by a serious margin. Taking in account the bill, it was way beyond overpriced.
The place itself was uncomfortable, it looked cheap and keeping in mind the bill - could be pronounced miserable.
For me, Tutti Matti was a huge waste of time and noticeable waste of money. Never more. -
Review from Casey T.
Toronto, ON
11/30/2010
The four of us took in a pre-theater dinner here last week and found it a mixed bag.
First of all, we had no problems with the service, which was friendly, prompt and generally unobtrusive. The room has a nice atmosphere.
We started with a cheese plate, which was tasty and went well with our wine.
Two of us had a fagottini, which is a chipea flour crepe with apples, pears, leaks, three cheeses, hazelnuts, raddichio and truffle honey. Sounded great, but I could hardly taste the various ingredients. The dominant taste was of onion (I'm guessing it was likely caramized apple and pear). Could not taste cheese at all. A bit disappointing but not a disaster.
Unfortunately, my friend had it worse with the pheasant ravioli. Bones. And the pasta was not tender, which is a complaint I've read in other reviews. Maybe it's the house style?
For my main, I had a delicious, tender beef cheek on a root veg puree. This would have been great were it not for the mounds of peppercorns that killed the flavor and texture. I scraped off most of it, but I don't think any amount served the dish at all, tastewise.
The shortribs were succulent and our other diner had halibut, which he liked a lot.
So Tutti Matti fell short of our expectations for a $80-$100/person restaurant because too many plates that had promise fell short on execution, in our opinion.
But to their credit, the staff not only comped the ravioli but also the replacement meal, which was very smart and fell in line with our customer service experience there. -
Review from Liz P.
Toronto, ON
10/24/2009
Now. When you dine in a large group, you can pretty much expect the wait staff to be grumpy. I don't plan large dinner groups, but if I'm part of one, I make a point of being *extra* polite to the wait staff, knowing they're stressed. Despite that, I didn't appreciate the waitress sighing and telling me the *proper* way to order a drink. The food is delicious - I had a simple pasta dish with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and mozzarella and my friend had a hand-made pasta dish with thick noodles and ground sausage. Food's excellent. Pricey, and small portions. One waiter was very good - grace under fire - and I tossed in an extra tip for him when he spent a lot of time figuring out our bill.
But I wouldn't go back - while it's a nice date spot in a tucked-away location, I prefer one of those "character" places where the prices are more do-able and the portions bigger, where the vibe is casual and the wait staff make a group booking festive. -
Review from Adam P.
Toronto, ON
8/22/2009 2 photos
In doing some research prior to coming here, I noticed that this place is only open from 6-10:30 Monday-Saturday, which I found a little odd. I got there at 6 and so the place was empty, a few minutes later another couple came in but we were the only 2 couples in there. There were a bunch of reserved tables but nobody else came while we were there. There are more tables in this restaurant than I expected (looks small from the outside) and they have a nice front part where the doors can open up and let a nice breeze through the place.
I wasn't sure what Tuscan cuisine was (I thought Italian was Italian), so I was looking for a nice place of pasta and tomato sauce. Turns out they don't have that there. Tuscan cuisine is more stews and sauces that have nothing to do with alfredo or tomato sauce. I was mildly disappointed but it turns out I thoroughly enjoyed this place anyways.
My wife had the antipasti special with some random stuff on it but it was really good. There was some cheese that you eat with tomatoes and basil (like bocconoci or however you spell it) but it was much more flavourful. I had the carpaccio drizzled with olive oil and some leafy greens. Very good.
For dinner it was also very good. We both had a pasta dish, my wife with had some tortelli stuffed with cheese and asparagus in a butter sage sauce, and I had some pasta with beef brisket. The noodles were home made and man were they delicious. They don't taste like anything you get out of the grocery store.
For desert my wife had this banana gelato with a lava cake and some bananas creme bruleed. Again, really good.
Of course, the only complaint I have about this place is that I think it is a tad expensive and maybe the portions could be a little bigger. But all the foods I believe taste this good with this kind of quality and flavour cost about this much, so maybe I should stop complaining about it because I'm not going to find cheaper. I appreciate the fact that the place uses in season local ingredients to make their foods.
I had no problem with the service as well. The guy was very polite, attentive and made you felt appreciated that you were there. If people want to try some not so stereotypical Italian food, give this place a try.Listed in: VIVA ITALIA!
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Review from Neil T.
Toronto, ON
8/19/2008
This is one of my favorite spots in Toronto for real Italian food. The dining room is small with a cute open kitchen in the middle of the room. The staff is very knowledgeable and easy-going.
I treat myself to this place maybe once every few months. The lunch menu is reasonable and there is even a fixed lunch for $14 or $15 dollars, which is silly cheap for the quality of food. Dinner can get a little expensive with wine (in the $60-80 per person range).
The weakest part of their menu is their appetizers. The salads are pretty uninspired. You are better off with a carpaccio of some sort. Pay attention to the specials though, I did have an amazing venison tartare starter once, but it was a seasonal item.
You can't go wrong with any of their homemade pastas. My favorites are the wild mushroom with truffle oil or the tomato and beef brisket. The venison steak is also excellent (a tad more expensive than the pastas). An appetizer and pasta dish is plenty for one person. You will want to save room for LEMON TART (see below).
Here are some quirks I found out about this restaurant:
1) They don't serve chicken. Apparently in Tuscany (this restaurant is Tuscan), people don't eat chicken when they go out to a restaurant. You won't even know its missing.
2) The chef was trained in Italy and her and some of her staff visit Italy annually. Though she is blond, she speaks fluent Italian.
3) The lemon tart with pine nuts is probably the best food I have ever tasted, weird considering I am not a huge fan of lemon or tarts. Huh. This is a must for all visitors.
4) They are ridiculously unapologetic in the food they serve. They don't win awards for being one of the most authentic Italian restaurants anywhere by serving you butter with your bread or a chicken ceasar salad. Alice Fazooli's is down the road.
I bumped this up from 4.5 stars to 5 because I don't think the bad reviews are warranted! The food speaks for itself. -
Review from Kim L.
Toronto, ON
3/17/2010
Hands down, favourite Italian in the city.
Stand-out dishes:
Pappardelle con stracotto
(hand cut pappardelle with pulled brisket, tomatoes, garlic, fresh herbs)
Tortelli di asparagi
(tortelli: ricotta and mascarpone cheese, pumpkin, mint with butter & sage)
Tagliatelle con cinghiale
(hand cut pasta, wild boar stew, porcini mushrooms) -
Review from Deanna W.
11/8/2008
Tutti Matti is a great place for comforting tuscan italian food. I usually dine alone and sit at the bar here where the bartender provides helpful, gracious service to make me feel at comfortable and at ease. This is a plus as dinning alone can be a awkward experience at times met with frowns but this is not the case here.
Prices are above average-expect about $15 average for apps, pastas run from $18-21 and entrees $25-30 range.
Their pastas are excellent, all of it homemade and paired with hearty type sauces. My favourites are the pinci (hand rolled tube like pasta) with sausage or the Tagliatelle with wild boar-though last time I had this it was a touch salty. The brisket with Papardelle is very good too, nice tender strands of brisket paired with cherry tomato and fresh basil.
For dessert, I usually end with the cheese plate. All italian cheeses and you usually get at least 5-6 selections which is good variety!
All in all, this is a comforting solid place for tuscan italian food. -
Review from Eric M.
9/16/2009
I travel to Toronto every September for the Film Festival. A few years ago, after years of searching for good food in the Queen West area, we finally stumbled into Tutti Matti. It instantly became my mecca in what I consider a sea of mediocrity in that part of Toronto.
I just returned there two nights ago and was greeted by truly pleasant staff with whom, after we ordered, we chatted amiably. We were served promptly and -- as per usual in my experience -- were given some of the finest Italian food I've tasted anywhere (including Italy!). Their homemade pastas are unsurpassed in texture, taste and quality.
Yes, the menu is a bit on the pricey side and the portions are not gigantic, but fundamentally the restaurant is priced exactly as it should be for food of this quality. The chef and staff take their food very seriously so much so that they make annual trips to New York and Italy as a team to taste and learn from other masters of the trade.
The wine list is also on the pricey side, but don't hesitate to pick from the lower-priced wines on their list as they are excellent.
I will be back next time I'm in Toronto. -
Review from Malgosia G.
Toronto, ON
7/18/2009
I ate here last night and tried the summerlicious menu. It was completely overpriced for what you got. The fish was too salty and had too much lemon. The dessert was too sweet.
The worst part was the service. I don't go out to be served by some surly waiter who looks like he rather be anywhere else but serving us. When I ask questions I am not looking for unhelpful one-word answers and an attitude. The best part was the bill. He automatically added a tip to the bill (there were 3 of us...not a typical thing to do) and didn't bother to mention it. Of course we paid another tip on top of it and only noticed this morning. What a rip off!
The food on other occasions I've eaten here (I work across the street) was reasonable, but after dealing with this unpleasant waiter once again I will never return. -
Review from John G.
East York, ON
8/28/2009
A great Tuscan-Italian place. Yes, it can be quiet at the beginning of the evening, but it soon fills up. Yes, it can be a little expensive, but I have no complaints about the quantity or quality of the food. All pasta is hand-made. As far as service was concerned the young waiter was attentive but unobtrusive, therefore no complaints here either. It is a little off the beaten track (just east of Spadina) but thats what makes it a cool and relaxing place to go to dine.
