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Watusi
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
110 Ossington AveToronto, ON M6J
Neighbourhoods: Ossington Strip, Trinity Bellwoods, Beaconsfield Village
(416) 533-1800
- 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
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
19 reviews for Watusi
19 reviews in English
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Review from Tee Jay R.
Toronto, ON
11/24/2011
We wandered in here on Friday night somewhat randomly and had a great time, unexpectedly staying on past last call because the music was so good and the sofa was so comfy. Tasty (potent!) mojitos, mod décor (restrained kitsch, more Mad Men than Pan Am), varied tuneage, young good looking crowd. I was especially amused by the ebullient bartender's backless leopard-print top -- one of the more perfect pieces of retro apparel I think I've seen in a long time, and it reminded me that it's the small details (including how the staff dress) that keep an homage to a particular era from veering towards the ersatz. I've talked this place up with a few friends and will definitely be back. Not cheap enough to make it into my regular rotation, but for a final late night destination I think it's worth another visit. Did not try and therefore cannot comment upon the food, but I rarely eat snacks late night.
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Review from Linda M.
12/2/2011
Best spinach I've ever had. Honestly, I'd never really thought about it too much because I usually think of spinach as an ingredient in a dish, not the dish itself. But in this case, we ordered two meat dishes so I thought we should order something green as well (I hesitate to say healthy since the dish is called "butter spinach"). It really was like butter - it melted in my mouth. And it had great flavour too!
We were here with a group of people, to back up to the beginning, on a Friday night around 10 because Pizzeria Libretto didn't have room for us. When we showed up, it was mostly empty - which seemed odd given the time, but it worked well for us. We got a booth and were immediately greeted by our server who took our drink orders. They have some interesting drinks - one called the "Attitude Adjuster". I stuck with the house red, and it was just what I wanted at the time.
My partner and I ordered the pulled pork with wonton chips and the sweet n sour chicken drummettes, in addition to the spinach. I also tried the fries that someone had ordered. They were very tasty but so skinny that they were somewhat difficult to eat. The pulled pork was great, more tangy than sweet, which I prefer (I hate sweet meat!). It was a little difficult to eat them with the wontons, but taste-wise they were bang on. The chicken was disappointing - very dry. I can't even comment on the taste because I found them so dry.
By the time we left around 1, the place was packed, so I guess it's more of a bar scene than a restaurant on a Friday and we were technically the early birds.
All in all, I'd definitely go again for the pork and the spinach, and I'd probably get the fries again - but will most certainly not get the chicken. -
Review from KL M.
Toronto, ON
11/20/2011
I've only been here once and only for drinks, but their sparkling mojitos are something to Yelp about!
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Review from Vivian C.
Toronto, ON
10/23/2010
Watusi has always intrigued me from the street. With its colourful semi-transparent windows and fun, whimsical logo, it was a place I had noted to return to when I had the chance. I finally had that chance this last week.
The first thing we realized is that Watusi is a tapas bar/restaurant. You can tell it's a bar/restaurant when you walk in by the lay-out of the space and the furnishings, but for us, we didn't realize it was a tapas restaurant until we went over the menu a few times. I would say that if you're looking for a typical, full, traditional, sit-down meal, this may not be the place for you. Not that you can't sit - you absolutely can, and they have plenty of seating, but it's bar/lounge style with rather small circular tables.
The food itself was suprisingly good. We had one of the thin-crust pizzas (served in a flat-bread style), grilled shrimp, beef tenderloin steak, and a side of potatoes. The grilled shrimp only came with 3 shrimps - it was also $14. A little much for 3 stacked shrimps. It was delicious, but for the price, I don't think I'd get it again. The beef tenderloin, however, was amazing. The jus was done perfectly, as were the small quartered grilled onion that came with the dish. Again, for the price ($24), it felt overpriced. For the same price, or just a few dollars more, you can get a decent steak dinner with an assortment of sides, rather than just the meat alone. For dessert, we had the molten chocolate cake. That was melt-in-your-mouth divine.
As a whole, I'd recommend Watusi for an evening of drinks with food to share. For a more formal dinner, I'd go to another one of the many other fabulous places down Ossington for that. -
Review from Steeven L.
Etobicoke, ON
Watusi offers tapas style dishes and a large list of Martinis, mojitos and cocktails.
Our dinner for two consisted of: A couple of mojitos, a pint of Big Wheel Deluxe Amber, Wine Marinated Pork Empanadas, Chickpea fries with jalapeño dip, Alberta buffalo short ribs, coconut chicken, and a molten chocolate devine.
It was all AMAZING! I recommend this place to anyone for an amazing dinner.
Combined with quick and excellent service, this place deserves a 5 star rating.Listed in: A five star tour...
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Review from Sam C.
4/25/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Clean and Refreshing!!!
Those are the two words that come to mind when I was dining at this establishment. It took me a while to give this place a try as my usual spot on the Ossington strip is Golden Turtle and that was packed on the night I went so we decided to give Watusi a try.
When we walked in it felt you were transported back to the 60s, the place would be how I imagine a 60s upscale lounge would be like back the day. The crowd was very mixed, there were some 40 somethings having drinks at the bar, a birthday party entailing some twenty somethings, and a lot of young couples you can tell were on dates. We arrived fairly early on this night but saw as the night rolled on the place definitely got a lot busier with people waiting for tables.
Drinks: We tried the Classic Martini and the Classic Mojito. Both were great with the Mojito standing out to be one of the best I've had in the city and there are not a lot of spots I would give that sort of credit. The do use fresh mint leaves which many bars usually don't.
Food: It is tapas style which can allow you to try several different things. We sorta ate before but we did end up getting a few dishes to try:
Spinach Salad: Excellent with fresh spinach leaves and avocado.
Grilled Calamari: Very original, where they grill with pineapple and bamboo shoots. It comes out in a very simple but crafty presentation style.
Alberta Beef Short Ribs: Abundant amount of braised ribs that are just fall off the bone goodness.
Molten Chocolate Cake: This maybe the only dish I wasn't to impressed with but it tasted like it was flourless and it's just drenched in choc. syrup on top. Maybe just personal preference but I like the richness of the choc. cake with the choc. syrup hot and bubbly inside of it. But this isn't going to stop me from giving the spot top reviews in my book.
It has been a while since I visited a restaurant that excited me and would highly recommend this spot for just about anything. -
Review from Stephanie C.
Toronto, ON
Their mojitos are killer and their fries are to die for!
I've been to Watusi a few times and I have to admit that it is a nice little resto-bar on the famous Ossington strip. The type of dining style is tapas, which is ideal for hosting a birthday or get together. Be sure to reserve, especially if gathering on weekends, it happens to get very busy.
My group and I were able to sample at least half of the items on the menu. It's no lie that the grub here is absolutely delicious. What I would recommend is the pan seared butter spinach and chard with sesame, their flat-bread pizzas (all three varieties) and their Hickory-style fries. We loved, loved, loved the latter that we ordered at least three more servings of them. Delish! -
Review from Johnny L.
Toronto, ON
7/16/2010
We came here for a friend's birthday. The decor is uninspired. There are amateurish pop art pieces on the walls that just don't seem to do it for me.
I was excited about the pork ribs but they were dry and boring. This could just have been my problem as the birthday boy had one or two on his plate that he claimed were moist. I think he was drunk. My green beans were cooked well, giving up a nice crunch. I finished with a pineapple crumble that I could have ignored.
I'd pass on this place. It's as boring as this review. -
Review from Marie F.
8/22/2010 1 Check-in Here
Two words: AMAZING TAPAS!
Apparently it is Havana Cultura weekend in Toronto (Aug 19-22) and restaurants along the Ossington strip including Watusi have created specials to celebrate Cuban culture.
Special Menu: I am hoping these items return because they we AMAZING!
*Wine Marinated Pork Empanadas: These puppies were served with a home made salsa meets bruschetta mix and tasted like little fried pieces of heaven.
*Coconut Chicken: I am a self-proclaimed chicken snob and as a result I usually do not like ordering it because it tends to be dry; add the word coconut and I may just take the plunge. I am glad i ventured into the unknown with this one because it ended up being some of the best chicken I have ever tasted. The coconut glaze was delicious without being to sweet or overpowering and the grilled pineapples were a perfect match.
Regular Menu:
*Chickpea Fries with Jalapeño Dip: I am actually not sure how I felt about these. They were definitely tasty but there was something odd about it. I would bet that after having the pineapple chicken with coconut, my palette was too distracted to appreciate this dish for all its greatness.
*Alberta Buffalo Short Ribs: So tender and juicy they simply fell off the bone.
*Molten Chocolate Devine: This is a ridiculously rich and moist flowerless cake served warm. It tasted like a brownie taken out of the oven early and eaten warm. MMMMMMMMM
*Mojitos: DELICIOUS!
Besides the incredible food our service was quick and our waitress was a delight. Reservations are recommended especially late a night. -
Review from Noel D.
9/27/2009 4 Check-ins Here
I've been to this place a couple of times but recently I had my first chance to try the menu... Me and my friend shared a simple salad and some fries and I have to say both were delicious! The salad undersold itself on the menu as just being spinach and avacado, butt there were all sorts of other ingredients in there that made it so tasty and fresh. The fries looked and tasted like Hickory Sticks, which was good for the first half but got increasingly more salty near the end.
The service was good. We got there at 10pm with only an hour left and the place was filling up, but our waitress was on point and checked up on us often. We interacted with about three of the four waitresses working that night and all of them were very sweet -- and very good looking. Damn, the girls at Watusi are like super models.
The decor and layout aren't so hot though. Being on Ossington it's another one of those narrow venues. They have the bar in the middle which creates these strange pockets. The DJ rig is hidden which creates a disconnection between the crowd and music, even if there's no room to dance anyway. They seem to be going for some swinging 60s mod vibe here but it sort of just comes off as tacky and thrown together in my opinion. The bench seat we sat on though was really plush and comfortable though.
I'm intrigued with the snacks I had that one night. I am looking to go back and try the rest of their menu, but I'm not exactly in any rush either. -
Review from Melinda M.
Toronto, ON
12/13/2009 3 Check-ins Here
-1 star for the hangover. Ohmigod. Those dirty vodka martinis are so good I had to have another. Yikes.
Nice bartenders, good dj, cool ambience, and the crowd is a little bit older and more respectful than in some of the other spots on Ossington, great cocktails. I didn't eat there this time, but I have before and enjoyed the ribs.
Watusi. I like it too much for my health.Listed in: Ossington Village (Dundas and…, MEAT
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Review from Danielle N.
Toronto, ON
7/25/2010
Get it? Wat-u-si. I have no idea if that's how it's pronounced or if that was intended, but it works and I'm going with it unless I hear otherwise. If only I had this epiphany when the restaurant was initially recommended by one of my girlfriends. I could not remember the name of the restaurant for the life of me. So I just drove up and down Ossington until I saw something that sounded vaguely familiar.
Like most places on Ossington, its facade is quite narrow. Don't blink or you might miss it.
There's something for everyone on this menu. I know it's cliché but it's true. Most items fall between $6 and $10, with a few outliers in the $12 to $25 range. They describe their menu quite succinctly as the "classics with a modern edge". Chickpea fries are a great example of this.
The staple for hummus and falafel has found a new home at Watusi. You're probably looking at the photo thinking, "Gee, you don't get many fries" or "Damn, those are honkin' fries!". It's the latter. These were massive, minimum of 5-bites required. As you can imagine, we were all intrigued by this merging of food worlds on a plate and had to give them a go. Worst case - they end up being terrible and we'd be out $6. After cautiously biting into these massive morsels the smiles started to appear around the table. We were content with the final product. The girls were more so than I, because the jalapeno dip (which was off bounds for me) was the perfect pairing. -
Review from Zack S.
Toronto, ON
4/3/2009
Attended the Watusi 'Opening Party'. Free Food and Free Drink. I think the only good thing about it was the free part. It's another skinny bar on Ossington, and has mixed personality disorder.
The invite cited, "Basically you're walking into a scene straight out of Mad Men. "
however when I arrived, I was welcomed by the usual Toronto Hipster scene and decor that mimicked Austin Powers 60's stylings vs. Mad men.
I cannot really speak to the affordability of this place, but the food was not anything too special, at least not special enough to make me want to go back there and pay for it.
If you explore it good luck. Otherwise you are not missing anything in life by not going. -
Review from sarah l.
9/20/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Meh.
Sarah T & I ended up eating here on a Friday night after an ill advised walk from a closed Ted's Collision landed us on Ossington. What were we thinking... And what is it about Ossington that I hate so much... I don't know.
Actually, I do know, it's the faux-cool-people who make me feel like I don't belong here. (exemptions include the bar the Ossington, and the Dakota.) Watusi is full of cooler-than-me-but-not-really pretension. Anyways, they had tonnes of seats without a reservation on a Friday night but it was still half full, so that's a good indicator how good it is to eat here. It's about half as good as somewhere really good.
What I had:
- Beer (they didn't know which Wellington beer they had, but gave me a tumbler sized sample before pulling my pint, so all is forgiven). This is the best thing I had here.
- Pulled Pork and Wonton Chips - this was the favourite dish by far. The home made wonton chips are great and the pulled pork was really nicely done but the sauce was way too sweet and un-BBQy. I give it a 2.5, ST gives it a 3. I would eat this again and be reasonably happy.
- Glazed green beans - beans were mushy/overcooked so this was not successful. And Moxy's (yes, that chain Moxy's) has a better version of this. Moxy's actually has the best version of this, period. We both give this a 1.5 to 2.
- Pork ribs with some kind of Asian influenced glaze. These were okay, I sort of liked them but Sarah T did not. They reminded me of the pork spare ribs from the Mandarin with a slightly improved sauce. I would get these again. I give this a 3, ST gives it a 2.5.
- Chicken Drumsticks - also okay. Sauce was kind of wimpy but if I had liked the other food better I wouldn't have cared about this. 2 to 2.5.
- It wasn't that expensive, but it wasn't that cheap. Our bill was about $80 for 4 small plates and 2 drinks, including tax and tip. Definitely paying for the location/ambiance and not quality of ingredients going into most of the dishes.
Need to mention, that the people who work here are beautiful and pretty laid back and cool. +1 star on this 2 star food experience.
Will I go back here? No. But I didn't have a terrible time. -
Review from Anna H.
Toronto, ON
2/11/2011
Good cocktails. Very good. Sushi was really bland. No wasabi! no chopsticks. Pretty waitresses and good service. The other people are all dolled up, but not very beautiful -- more the sort who wants to hang out with beautiful people (I guess this is why they have the waitresses there). Nice ambiente. 3 stars.
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Review from Brian S.
Toronto, ON
9/30/2010
This is one of my local favourites. Just down the street, with good enough food for dinner, and good enough drinks and a great atmosphere for hanging out and getting drunk on the cocktails. The music is good too, although at times it can get loud pretty early.
Listed in: Ossington Village
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Review from Tom G.
Toronto, ON
5/26/2009
Watusi has lots going for it but ultimately doesn't seem to be that compelling.
We went after work on Tuesday night, and the cocktail menu is varied and interesting. I had a couple of Cosmopolitans and a couple of Manhattans. Both lovely and reasonably priced.
For food we tried the pulled pork with wonton chips and the shrimp braised with orange juice, coffee beans and ... something ... lol.
Anyway, the food was quite well done. Pulled pork is definitely up there. Lots of places serve dry shredded crap for pulled pork. Watusi's pulled pork is soft, moist, and sweet. The wonton chips don't really seem to add much to it... why not just corn chips?
The shrimp are beautifully cooked. Not overdone or granular and chewy. They are barely cooked and with a beautiful flavour. The sauce is a bit sweet. Still, it's interesting.
Service was fast and friendly. Now... it was pretty sparse when we arrived at 7... but ultimately filled in to make a nice buzzing space by about 9.
I think what grated me about Watusi was the decor and music. It's supposed to be somewhat 60's retro... but it doesn't quite work. Too much blue and some sort of grid-like panelling. By 10pm it all looks a bit battleship grey. That's not fair at some level, because this is clearly designed and well thought out, but it kinda overwhelms you.
The music is 60's retro on tap. That's fine. Why not try something more sophisticated for the retro... how about some Burt Bacharach or Heny Mancini. Does 60's retro have to be the Monkeys and Beach Boys?
My feeling is, Watusi is trying hard and doing it well. It wasn't my taste. And I think the 60's retro thing needs to be tackled with a little more imagination. -
Review from Earl D.
Toronto, ON
9/5/2010
This is a good casual tapas style dining spot in the west end. I really enjoyed all the dishes that I've had there. It's a great late night dinner option as it's dark and feels like a lounge. The food has been consistently solid every time I've been there. The restaurant is kind of small so if you have a big group you might want to call ahead and make resos.
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Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
4/2/2009
My boyfriend and I went to Watusi for our 3rd anniversary. We rarely find a mutual restaurant as I'm a vegetarian and he's a meatetarian.
At only 3 weeks new, the place was comfortably busy. We got a table right away but with the popularity of Ossington street lately, this may not last. The decor is NYC hip with art by Joey Dammit! on the walls and lounge music. Our tall, leggy, blonde server was welcoming and personable. The menu was to die for. One of the specials was fried wonton with jalapeno and cheese. We skipped it but only because it's a bit too over the top fattening. The food is meant to be shared so we ordered a few meat and veggie options. We started with Asian glazed green beans with garlic and a touch of chili followed by Yukon garlic mash and ribs. My main dishes consisted of an amazing avocado spinach salad, veggie sushi with nuts and spinach and a to die for onion, blue cheese and pear pizza.
Apparently they will be starting brunch soon. I will definitely go back!
