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URSA
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New)
924 Queen Street WToronto, ON M6J
Neighbourhoods: Niagara, West Queen West, Trinity Bellwoods
(416) 536-8963
- 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:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
14 reviews for URSA
14 reviews in English
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Review from Emily H.
5/14/2012
I have not been to a restaurant with which I've been so satisfied since I started my yelp quest. I would not have heard about Ursa if it weren't for my culinary friend - it really is a well kept secret. We made a reservation but if you are going with just two people, you could easily grab a couple of seats at the bar without much of a wait.
Got greeted by Clayton at the bar when we walked in... this man has the charm of a top-notch bartender. Heard amazing things about his mixology from my friend so we started off with some drinks. We ordered the tofu to start and white fish for me, and the pork loin and belly for my date.
The tofu plate was refreshing. I can imagine it may be a little bland for people who are not used to eating raw tofu, but having grown up with a Japanese-style diet, I really appreciated the textures of the different tofu selection. My white fish.... (insert shudder of sheer joy here) was perfect, in every way - portion, flavour, ingredients - there was no bullshit in this dish. Every component was selected because it enhanced the overall dish. No excess of anything to subtract from the most carefully crafted entree my palate has ever enjoyed. The pork was on the sweet side, which was also perfect to my date's liking (too sweet for me). Pats on our backs for each choosing a dish that made us so happy.
We kept joking around that we felt so chic, so cool to be sititng at Ursa. I have to admit I did feel a little sad when I walked out the door to return to my average plain Jane lifestyle. In a perfect world where my wallet requires no budgeting on upscale meals, I would make Ursa my go-to restaurant ;)
Atmosphere - 5/5
Service - 5/5
Food - 5/5
Price - 2/5 (expeez but worth the splurge!) -
Review from Alicia V.
Toronto, ON
4/17/2012
great service, great food and amazing presentation! We went back 2 weeks after the first time because we loved it so much.
The only complaint is that they can't do any substitutions. (I asked for them to not give me one item listed and they couldn't do it) -
Review from Carolina M.
Montréal, QC
4/13/2012
Loved everything about this place. Went there on a Saturday night to catch up with an old friend. We didn't have reservations and got a table right away. It wasn't too loud so it was perfect for a chat.. perfect lighting, good for a date or just casually with friends.
We ordered the winter root salad which was totally yumms. It was a mixture of root veggies, some i had never heard of. Some pickled, some dehydrated.. ugh.. loved it.
Also had the tartare with foie gras.. it was succulent. One of the best foie gras i've ever had.
My friend ordered the chicken and quinoa polenta.. i tried it and it seriously melted in your mouth.
As a main dish I had porc loin but only ordered it because it came with porc belly, which i die for. It was good, not as good as my friends' meal but good.
Definitely hitting this spot again on my next trip to Toronto. Maybe a larger group this time? -
Review from Jeff H.
Toronto, ON
5/26/2012
Excellent on all fronts -- decor, service, food and drinks. Interesting and tasty cocktails -- the kind where you can detect all kinds of nuances in the flavours. Same goes with the food -- I had the garden greens with the lamb and then shared a dessert, all had sophisticated taste and texture combinations and were perfectly cooked. It does not get much better than this...
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Review from Mia C.
Toronto, ON
5/18/2012
I went to URSA last night and can honestly say that it was the best meal I have ever had in Toronto. The service and atmosphere were great and the food was unbelievably good.
We started with the raw spotted prawn salad which was a perfect blend of flavors and textures.
For my main I had the whit fish and my boyfriend had the water buffalo. I had a late lunch yesterday and leading into the main I was worried that I would not even come close to finishing as I wasn't that hungry but I literally scraped every last bit of food off of that plate - it was beyond delicious! My boyfriend could not get over the flavors of the water buffalo and the sides and sauces that filled his plate.
I will definitely be returning and highly recommenced anyone give this place a try! -
Review from Melanie W.
Toronto, ON
3/27/2012
Quite simply the best meal I've had in ages. Everything from front to back was incredible and unique. The kale, pomegranate, hazelnut salad with pumpkin apple glass was beautifully presented and superbly balanced the bitter and sweet tastes.
I had the northern whitefish with salsa verte, white bean puree and cauliflower topped with a compressed mustard leaf... Ursa is famous for compressing their greens instead of blanching them to preserve the nutritional value held therein. And my party and I shared the milk & honey dessert: house made (right then, just for us) ricotta and bottled whey, pear relish, pomegranate and current compote with honey comb. The service was prompt, friendly and knowledgeable. Will be returning without a doubt! -
Review from Ben S.
4/2/2012
We had a very lovely night at URSA. We walked in a little bit before 9:50 and were able to get a table without an real hastle in about 10 minutes. We also could have sat at the bar. I'd say about 10:30 the mood of the bar changed from somewhat quiet to pretty loud. On the way out we noticed a dj, so I'm guessing this is when he started. Anyway, the restaurant was a little on the loud side, without stiffling conversation. The food was interesting, well presented and yummie. We started with a couple of cocktails. I had the Big Bear Old Fashioned which was kind of uninspired (mostly tasted like watered down bourbon), but my partner had a better choice.
For food we wanted to start with the winter salad but someone snagged the last one right before we did, so we got the mixed greeen salad. Presentation was spectacular, though eating it was definitely hard to do. For my main I had the pork loin with the pork belly which also had lentils and kale. The pork loin was really the only thing that was disappointing, it was on the dry side. For dessert we had the ricotta plate which was sort of interesting. It came with a small ricotta cheese topped with honey, dried grapes that were sort of between grapes and raisins, pomegranate that was still attached to the pith, two slices of bread, and a honeycomb. It was definitely different and a nice way to end the meal, though the pomegranate was hard to deal with.
We definitely had a good time and enjoyed our meal, though the portions are on the small size. Check came to about $130 after tip for two appetizers, an entree, and a cocktail each. -
Review from Michael M.
Toronto, ON
5/7/2012
This was a truly amazing dinner.
I had the mushroom broth, spring salad and the vegetarian dinner option, but I can't remember what it was called.
The food is difficult for me to describe because it is so complex. The mushrooms in the broth were various (enoki, sorrel, oyster and others I couldn't identify). They were served alongside teeny-tiny agnolotti with an extremely dark mushroom kombucha broth which is poured from a Staub cast iron kettle right in front of you.
The spring salad was a mixture of greens, most I could not identify, but it wasn't anything like your standard grocery store mix. Topped with spicy mushrooms and blooming broccolini and tiny flower petals, it was perfectly dressed with a light vinaigrette made from desert wine.
The main was composed of green and white asparagus, spiced chickpeas, smoky, delicious mushrooms, beets that looked like a work of art on my plate. The flavours worked so well together and each bite was different.
Desert was "Milk and Honey" which was also an interesting adventure. Although the preparation of the desert seemed minimal, the deconstruction of the ingredients was what made this desert so much fun to eat.
I was tempted to take a star off for the amazing sounding house made tofu not being vegetarian, which seemed weird to me (It had Uni aka sea urchin, on it). But everything else was so incredible that it would be inaccurate to give this any less than a full five stars.
I also had a spaghetti western cocktail and while I didn't find it to be amazing, it should be noted that I'm not a huge whiskey fan. It was good though, which is not how I ususally feel about whiskey.
It didn't come cheap, but it's definitely worth checking out. This might be taking Woodlot's place as my favourite restaurant in Toronto. We'll see if it holds up when I go back to take a friend there. -
Review from Jennifer L.
Toronto, ON
2/11/2012
Amazing. Possibly the best meal experience I have had in a long time. The complexity in the preparation of each dish with the combination of fresh, seasonal and unique ingredients boasts creativity. Each dish was beautifully plated. I felt extreme satisfaction after each bite of food that entered my mouth, and had that urgency as my dining companions and myself sopped up the every last bit of liquid and last crumb of food with Ursa's warm bread that was made in-house.
The dining room is mid-size. The ambiance isn't loud. Service is attentive, friendly and easy-going. The room is dark and the ceilings are sprinkled with dangling light bulbs, giving it that basement interior.
I hope that this restaurant continues on like this and this dining experience wasn't just about that I haven't eaten food of this caliber in a while, because WOW! I'll be back! -
Review from Melanie H.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 3/3/2012
I went back to Ursa last night, and because I had such a good experience the first time, my expectations were really high. Everything was still really great. Once again I got the root vegetable salad, but I also got the kale salad, and then as a main I got the vegetarian option, which was very well prepared, good balance of flavours, creative, and satisfying.
I would definitely say that vegetables are their forte, and proteins are their weakness. The desserts are pretty good, they taste better than they sound actually, I recommend they yuzu curd one.
excellent service. the walls are really ugly, but who cares.Listed in: My favourite places to eat
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/15/2012
thanks you ursa. thank you so much. finally a place where my carnivore boyfriend, myself and my raw… Read more »
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Review from Tom G.
Toronto, ON
1/27/2012
Heading out to a favourite Ossington spot we spy that the former Bar_One space is once again open, with an appealing glow.
The space has been transformed and modernized in a really cool way. If you were a fan of Bar_One (and I was), let it go. The marble is gone and along with it the beautiful dropped panels and the lighting. Instead it's a kind of start black paint on raw cinderblock & brick. And what looks like charred planks (painted gloss black) along one section of the wall near the front. Beautiful lighting, very original, and apparently it's all LED ...
The menu is short and simple. We didn't take in the appetizers but went straight for the mains.
I had the chicken so let me describe this. It's a kind of combo locally sourced/100 mile/macrobiotic approach to cuisine except that the results are more appealing than I expect. Ever been to an earnest 100 mile kinda place or vegan/natural food place, the plate comes and the food looks good and you dig in and then you get a mouthful of wtf?
That's not what this is.
The chicken is cooked perfectly (which means barely). It sits with the polenta and the greens and beans/sprouts of a kind and a fibrous smoked mushroom. It has the right balance of flavours, savoury, sweet, and salt. The polenta alone is worth mentioning ... beautiful viscous texture and taste.
We ordered a Rioja wine, this one is "un-oaked" (did I get that right). A young Rioja aged in, basically, concrete vats. Very soft. Great choice.
To get a real sense of the concept in the menu, order the "Milk and Honey" dessert. The ricotta is boiled upon order, served with things like real bee pollen, honeycomb, pomegranate, dried raisins, it's both sweet like a dessert should be ... but it's light, nutritious, and natural.
We also order the chocolate mousse and pumpkin. There is no dairy in the chocolate and just enough sweet. But with the pumpkin and other purees on the plate, it is as decadent and satisfying as any mousse you've had.
On it's second day of being open, the place looks like it has been running for a while. No timing problems. No gaffes.
One of the owners personally brings our desserts which is great. When you meet someone who really loves what he's created and what he's doing it's uplifting.
A great find on this Friday night. -
Review from Emily C.
2/28/2012
We were here for a friend's birthday. I would've given 4 stars, but decided to round down.
And yes, they do make a ceremony of reciting everything to you about what's actually on your dish. I know that it demonstrates knowledge and then you get to appreciate what you're putting in your mouth, blah blah, but hey ... what do i know about fine dining?
It was also a little strange that there's actually not a lot of items on the menu ... i can't remember the exact amount? But it's a few items (5?) on the appys and then like, 4 for the mains. Around $16-17 for appys and $25-30 to mains. I can't really speak for the seasonal vegetable dish (but it looked like a few scattered veggies and had sauce smeared on top). But I ordered the venison tartare and foie gras, and it was actually really good. Obviously it's tiny, but from my meager memory of tartare and foie gras, it was yummy.
And then the bill came ... there were 7 of us and of course, the bill came in one ... long ... list. It's always awkward at the very end when you're trying to split it up between 7 people evenly, and then it turns out you're short $80. (great, who short changed it this time?) ANYWAYS, all awkwardness aside, it turns out they added 4 extra drinks "by accident". Really?
So I took off a star for shadiness. Gave an extra for the foie gras. Probably won't come back again. -
Review from Kat T.
3/20/2012
At the midpoint of my own personal weeklong tour of Toronto's "Top New Restaurants"
Step One- Making a reservation. They don't answer the phone all that well and when we left a message, we never got a call back. So, we finally made a reservation for a Sunday night. It appears they have more than just the designated two seatings, as people kept coming in all night.
Arrival- the space formerly occupied by Bar One (best brunch ever!) has been transformed into a more industrial space. I felt it was a bit too raw- grey, cinder block walls and bare lightbulbs dangling from cords tied all over the ceiling. The tables were nice, but my seat had a hard spring that made it odd to sit on (with a short skirt).
Bar/Drinks- Good wine list. Cocktails are decent, but we all had the feeling that something was missing. I was missing the candied ginger in the Ginger indie, and the Green Tea Gin needed a bit more acid.
Food- Interesting presentation of the salad, which others have raved about. The menu will change, but the root vegetables were raw? The pickled ginger (homemade) was awesome. The fish had that blood line that makes this pescatarian a little quesy. The mains were quite good. Interesting accessories- a crispy kale leaf, puree of sunchokes, quinoa- yum!
Service- the waitstaff are total hipsters, tight jeans and plaid shirts abound. These are not professional waiters that I have seen at other places this week. We had a huge mishap at our table when two waitstaff ran into each othere. Our main waiter just didn't know how to respond, and kind of ran away. But one of the other guys came through with a Tide stick and comped our original bottle of wine and the replacement (too bad we ordered a bottle of RED wine).
Is this enough to make up for making our dinner high anxiety/stressful? I think I have justified my rating, and barring everyone else getting splashed with food and wine, I think 3 stars is fair. -
Review from So A.
Toronto, ON
2/29/2012
We wandered in on a Tuesday evening without reservations, it was quite busy but we managed to grab a table. The decor is simple/trendy and the food is fantastic. We found the food to be inventive, natural, dynamic and great quality. Its a place you walk away from feeling both healthy and clean while having a sumptuous experience! Would definately recommend.
