Upon arrival, I was immediately charmed by the ambiance of rustic decor and candlelit tables. The kitchen is out by the front as you walk in and you can see the bubbling pasta sauce ready to be tossed in a bowl of fresh cavatelli pasta. This isn't a typical pasta/pizzeria joint (not to knock pasta/pizzeria joints). The menu changes periodically and everything is made fresh and geared towards sharing (family-style), just like what you would have in a typical home in Italy.We met some of my coworkers there, 8 of us at our table. Our waiter was helpful in explaining the theme of the restaurant and made some fine wine recommendations. My wife and I decided to share one of each of the antipasti, primi, secondi and contorni. There was enough food to satisfy both of us and needless to say they all were absolutely delicious. The grilled shrimp with spicy pea puree - how do they get so much flavour in the shrimp?? And pea puree with shrimp? I know, but it works! We had a cavatelli pasta bowl with cheese grated over top (forgot the type of cheese). Simple yet magnificent. My wife had dreams about it that night. We also got a side of grilled asparagus (yum) and the osso bucco as the main, where the meat was cut up and bathed in a luscious, sort of stew-like tomato based sauce. We finished it off with an apple crumble, which was just ok and the only thing we ate that was less of exceptional. It would have been better warmed up. And the surprise ending was that the owner, Rosa, came by our table and was so welcoming and friendly that we had to take pictures with her. So our entire table pretty much had individual pictures taken with her. In summary, if you want a great dinner and evening out with friends or with that special person in your life, or even just alone, go to 7 Numbers, Eglinton and you will be blown away! read more

Simple and authentic -- my favourite Italian restaurant in the city. For those that know real Italian food, it's the homemade tomato sauce that sets this place apart. It literally brings me back to my childhood. The atmosphere is intimate, but casual. On busy nights, it can get a bit noisy and a little crowded, but that's part of the experience. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of ingredients, but if I had to list a complaint, I'd like to see larger portion sizes. That said, I was fed by an Italian grandmother as a child, so take that for what you will. Service is always friendly and warm; it's the perfect neighbourhood restaurant. read more

GREAT CHANCE FOR A DELICIOUS MEAL, AND A CHANCE TO HELP THE PEOPLE WHO INVENTED WHAT YOU'RE ENJOYING We came here because they're one of three Italian restaurants in Toronto doing something to help the people of Amatrice, who are still getting over an earthquake. They donate the proceeds from a dish founded in Amatrice, and named after it: called "alla matriciana." Because the earthquake made it impossible for the people in Amatrice to produce and export their prized dish, the restaurant didn't have the pig cheeks needed to make the dish the way it was invented. So they made do with prosciutto, cut by the restaurant staff to imitate the real thing. They did a fantastic job. Now I'm really looking forward to the real thing. One reason why Italian has spread around the world so easily is that the ingredients are relatively affordable, thanks to the fact that Italians learned to cook for kings on a pauper's budget. Like pork cheeks and pasta -- what could be cheaper, or more delicious? From Rome south to Sicily and north to Turin and Milan, they all have a city specialty. What a country!! read more

Homemade italian fare oozing with passion and love. If its in the revolving menu that evening, do get the veal sausage. Its wonderful, juicy, and very tasty. Make sure to try the veal meatballs, the eggplant parmigiana, and the almighty Lasagna! Basically, you cannot go wrong. And ask for the hot peppers on the side. I wish they sold these!!! Ambiance is casual/romantic. Very good food without the pretension. 10000 stars if I could. read more

Specialty: Southern Italian Location: 516 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario Menu items: Caprese salad, Pepper with Arugula and Goat Cheese, Grilled Calamari, Shrimp Linguini, Fish of the Day and Sexy Duck Leg What do all restaurants have in common on a Monday night? They are all closed! Except for 7 Numbers Restaurant, where Mama Rosa (aka Rosa Marinuzzi) uses the quiet, low-traffic day of the week (once a month) to teach foodies, cooks and food aficionados the Italian way of cooking. For $85 per person, Chef Rosa teaches you the way to Italian cooking with a hands-on lesson, a 3 course meal, all the wine you want and even a few lessons in Italian. Each class is unique and intimate with a limit of about twenty people per class thus giving everyone an opportunity to get their hands dirty. With Rosa's effervescent personality and way of cooking, one is bound to have a great time while tasting, cooking and chopping alongside her. She is a force to be reckon with and her passion for cooking simple, yet delicious dishes shines through with her food. The ambiance is lively and the flowing glasses of wine definitely liven up any Monday night! Starting with the salads, Chef Rosa is of the mind that simple and minimalistic is always better, and that generosity in the use of salt and olive oil is a must. From the Caprese salad, to the Grilled Calamari with fricassee, and the Pepper and Arugula Coat Cheese salad, Rosa teaches us how much fun one can have with a salad, and how much flavour one can get out of those leafy greens. Rosa's pastas are four-dimensional in taste. They are addictive, comforting and extremely tasty. While making the Shrimp Linguini pasta I noticed that the chef uses her secret home-made sauce - Giardiniera - also called "sotto aceti", which means "under vinegar", a common term for pickled foods. The Italian version includes onions, celery, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, olive oil, pimentos and hot peppers. The pickled vegetables are in white wine vinegar. Bringing all the flavours together in the pasta dish, from the meat, to the tomato and even the garlic. A must have when you visit the Mama. In tune with the pasta, 7 Numbers also applies the traditional tomato sauce, with the Giardiniera of course, to the fish of the day. The night's dish consisted of arctic char that was tossed in a fine layer of seasoned flour and then cooked in less than 4 minutes in the infamous tomato sauce. The end result? A buttery fish that absorbed all the flavours, exploding with a punch in one's mouth. Who would've thought fish could even do that? Simply brilliant. As the night went on and we got to spend more time with Rosa, we discovered that she has a sultry side. She believes that food should be sexy, and well, fun. So she created the Sexy Duck Leg, a tasty piece of leg (duck) cooked in white wine and baked golden with rosemary branches. A juicy fall-of-the-bone decadence. A big thanks for the Mama herself and her staff for making Mondays the new Fridays with their smile, love for cooking and great food. Buen Provecho, Viviana. read more

If you want great honest home style Italian food you will do no better than seven numbers. The lasagna as noted by others is the best in the city. Everything Rosa does is done with love and the key to success is the simplicity. Calamari is light crisp and the best you will eat, the sexy duck is like a happy duck who just can't wait to be eaten. We eat here quite frequently and it is always a fan favourite when we bring in guests from out of town. Let Momma Rosa and the fantastic staff at seven numbers take care of you for a night you won't forget. read more

The atmosphere was warm and campy with candles in old wine bottles, and the wine served in table glasses. The staff is all visible because the kitchen is at the front, so all their antics are on display. I actually had tip money thrown at me inadvertently, which was all part of the fun. The french cut pork chop was awesome, topped with caramelized onions. Grilled rapini was excellent, as was the shrimp with spicy pea puree. As a gluten intolerant person, my options were limited. I prefer their other restaurant, 5 Doors North. read more

Didn't know what to expect coming here, but gotta say I left very full and very happy. We ordered to share: - Calamari (delicious! loved it) - Grilled shrimp with spicy pea purée (meh, would pass on this next time) - Burrata (delicious as well and good to share) For my main, I ordered the fish of the day, which was a well-cooked, simple yet very tasty sea bass. My fellow diners ordered the meatballs (heavenly! really they are great and taste like meatballs I've never had before), the veal lasagna (he said it was great) and lamb chops (also good feedback). We ordered the flourless chocolate cake for dessert which was nice. Overall, very simple preparations but clearly the way it's cooked really makes each dish shine. Would come back again for sure! Also major points for the service - our waiter was very friendly and fun. read more

I went to the Danforth location last night. I was told that this restaurant had the best lasagne in the city. For some reason, they like to serve luke-warm water to their guests. I asked the server twice for ice, but she did not bring it. The restaurant only had one other table for two in it. The restaurant was not busy at all. The caprese salad was good. I liked the mozzarella and the basil was very fresh. The olive oil and bread was...okay. I expected better quality. The lasagne came, and I was really excited. Unfortunately, the lasagne was very greasy, and I could not finish it. The meat and noodles were under seasoned. I don't know if I would come back to this restaurant because there are soooo many restaurants in the city. I felt that I had purchased better frozen lasagnes in the past. I don't consider myself a great cook. However, I know that I can make better lasagne myself. Very disappointed. read more

Our favourite local Italian restaurant. We come here about once a month with the family. Everything has that home made yum to it! We can't resist the pesce del giorno with puttanesca sauce. And the lamb shank...fall off the bone delish. Wide variety of starters and contorni,nothing too fancy. Hubby tried the meatballs for the first time tonight and gave them 2 thumbs up. The pasta is done perfectly- al dente of course. Even the vegan amongst us tonight left feeling very satisfied. Don't expect to find any pizza here, that's not the vibe. read more

Have been going to 7 Numbers and enjoying it for years. Home cooked style food with flare and happy service. Wow! were the girls and I disappointed when patio service reopened. The service - we would have understood had it been a bit rough given the rush to staff up on short notice - was excellent, warm and at the same time professional. But the food - a pale shadow of the past. Everything tasted slapdash-cum-Chef Boyardee. The lasagna that used to be delicious was pasta heavy and covered with glop. A friend at the next table (we were all double vaccinated) asked me to try her chicken parmegiano which was like that you might see at a roadhouse or diner. Instead of having a crisp breading with a bit of vibrant tomato sauce and some well broiled cheese on top, cheese that has a taste, there were two thick tranches of chicken with NO crispy breading, the same awful sauce as my lasagna piled on and absolutely tasteless cheese ---- awful! I could go on. The quality of this place has simply disappeared. It will be a long time before we every go back, and that is sad, as the owners I've met in the past are great people...but something is seriously amiss in the kitchen. I have NO pretentions to being a chef or even much of a home cook, and alas no Italian blood - but I can produce better main courses. Sad sad sad.... read more

I made plans with a group of 6 last Friday for a Saturday night dinner in midtown--not exactly the best timing. Thanks to Yelp I discovered 7 Numbers Restaurant. Luckily they take reservations of 6 or more, so they had a table for us. (It's not easy booking a large reservation the day before). 7 Numbers seems to be a family business. There's an open kitchen at the front and you can peer in through the window from the street which is a pretty cool idea. They have an ever-changing menu displayed on a chalk board. The space is small, but they did a good job of spacing out the tables and the noise level was fine despite it being full. I'm happy we were a large group because there was a lineup almost out the door last Saturday at 8pm. I suggest you get here early or eat with a group of 6 if you come here. The service was very good once our group arrived. The wine list by the glass was small and I had a chianti which I wouldn't recommend. We had: Barretta - 2/5 skip this, I have had much better Baretta. It was cold and bland. I like the pickled vegetables it came with. Beet salad - 4/5 if you like beets go for it! It was beets, gorgonzola cheese and almonds. Caprese salad - 1/5 It looked dismal. Small balls of cheese with pale slices of tomato. Veal meatballs - 5/5 everyone loved these Veal lasagna - 3/5 2 people ordered this. One person loved it, one person though it was Okay. Fish of the day 5/5- it was a Branzino and it was AMAZING. There were some bones in it, but it didn't even matter it was so tasty. Somebody had the linguini I didn't try it but she loved it. I can not give it a rating. Also, the Osso Buco was sold out by 8:30 when we placed our order, so it must be really good. Desert: apple cheese cake 2/5 Flourless chocolate cake 2/5 Both desserts were bland and a bit on the dry side. The bill came to $200 with the tip. VERY REASONABLE. If you're looking for a casual, no fuss, home-cooked Italian meal 7 Numbers is the place for you. If you want something a bit fancier with more complex favours, it may not be the best choice. read more

Part of my new foodie escapades, my friends and I were contemplating which Italian restaurant to try out. I suggested few locations, not including 7 Numbers, however my friend told me that it is a great place, and it is definitely worth it, particularly the family share meal. I took his word for it and we all went. Finding the restaurant is not a problem, and as for parking goes, one can park on the side streets behind the restaurant. You either have street parking or paid parking. When we entered the restaurant, it was busy - normal for 7:45PM and we were immediately greeted and seated down. The ambiance is very rustic, hip and the lighting was semi dim. The noise level was average, and this place is definitely for a date, as I think one cannot hear another. That being said, we decided to go for the family share menu, which consists of 3 dishes from the antipasti, all three pastas from the primi, and one main from the secondi. The price for this is $34 per person, not including gratuities of course. We told the server that I am vegetarian, and he assured me that there is no need to worry, as most of the dishes are vegetarian. To start we had the calamari, of course I didn't touch this, the Pepperoni (no not meat - Roasted red peppers with arugula and goat cheese) and the Caprese. It did not take long for this to come, and my taste buds sure had a memorable feeling. I guess you really can't mess up the above, either way, it was tasty. Onto the Primi which consisted lasagne, orechiette and the linguine. The lasagne, I did not have, as it was made with ground veal. However the other two pasta dishes were perfect. The texture, flavours and overall taste were fantastic. I have never had pasta like this before in my life, and I can definitely vouch for it. Last but not least, the Secondi. Being a vegetarian, my choices were limited as it is, and that being said, there was only one option to choose from. This was the palmugiane.(Pan-fried eggplant baked in tomato sauce). It looked like the traditional eggplant parmigiana, but it was not. The portion size was perfect and the sauce was great. However, it had a huge aftertaste of egg. I could definitely taste it, and it was on the high side. You know the taste when cookies, pasta have a lot of egg in it? Well this was like that. Would I order this again? Definitely not. Now you wonder why I docked a star? Well, one primarily being the fact that their secondi menu has only 1 vegetarian item, and the other being the palmugiane having a lot of egg in it, 1 star was docked off. If someone who is reading this does not like the aftertaste of egg in their mouth, or rather noticing the huge taste, this dish is definitely not for you. Heck, even the pasta you couldn't taste the egg flavour to it. Overall, I'd definitely visit this place with my friends again and highly recommend it, regardless whether you are vegetarian or not. Foodies, definitely check out this place! read more

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I've been coming here for many years and i have to say, the place is always a hit for me. It's just one of those restaurants i know i can rely on for a good meal and a nice night out. The menu is great - the food is heart felt - the service is personal - rossa is always there. On the first monday of every month, she even does a cooking class. Compared to the danforth location that her sons run, this location is less 'party' and more family. read more

I'd always been curious about this place and finally went last night. Atmosphere was fantastic; cozy & comforting, eclectic but not overly so furniture and decor. Workable for a romantic date, or a more casual dinner-with-friends, with dripping candles in wine bottles, sitting on crate paper and burlap tablecloths. Nightly menu full of I-can't-possibly-decide options up on chalkboards. Everything is very simply prepared and presented on a collection of mismatched dinnerware. Looks, feels, tastes, pretty much is, delicious homemade food. Table bread was surprisingly lackluster, but whatever Calamari was great Osso Bucco was good but a little overdone Lamb shank was very good Homemade butter tart I will be dreaming about for days Next time will definitely have to try some pasta dishes. read more

Ordered the Braised Lamb Shank cooked with peas and onions. First off, I'm not a fan of peas in particular... But that day I decoded to try things for a change and also ordered the asparagus as a side. (never tried asparagus in my entire life!) As the order came, it all smelt simply delicious and the flavour unimaginable as compared to anything I've ever tasted. I actually liked the asparagus! Truly worth the visit. Can't wait to come back. read more

I stopped here one evening with a few friends and was glad to be greeted with amicable and friendly service. The restaurant itself is tiny, so don't bring a huge group. As a herbivore, my choices were not entirely limited and the staff was willing to make accomodations. The boccaccini was delicious and the fried artichokes were good enough for seconds (which were promptly devoured). The only problem I had was that not all of the dishes came out piping hot. Hopefully, once I have a job I can afford to taste the rest of the menu. read more

My girlfriends and I came here on a Sunday night and surprisingly it was decently busy. The restaurant don't take reservations for parties under 6 so we were lucky to get a table since the place isn't too big. I have been to the Danforth location and the menu items looked the same. We decided to order 2 apps and an entree for each of us. The items we ordered: Spicy grilled shrimp with this avocado salsa Gorgonzola, strawberry and walnut spinach salad Veal meatballs with a side of linguine Orechiette pasta Linguine with a rich tomato sauce and rapini All the dishes were delicious and satisfying. The portions are actually really good for sharing. The flavours of each dish were well thought out and super tasty. I would say its Italian comfort food if there are such terms :) The service was awesome and the servers are very attentive and knowledgeable. It was a really enjoyable evening with great food and atmosphere! I definitely recommend this Italian restaurant and will be back again in the near future. read more

Came here a few times in the past year and am finally getting the chance to review it. The restaurant, to me, is perfect. The ambiance and food go hand in hand. Food is delicious, I always get the lasagna and it always blows my mind. The appetizers are all delicious and I always have a hard time deciding what main to get because they all sound amazing. Location is great, right in eglinton with street parking and cheap green p paid parking all available. Rosa in the front is always welcoming. Will keep on returning so long as the food is this good. read more

I came here because of all the amazing reviews and was excited to try authentic italian food. Walking by the restaurant, from the outside you can see the chef (the mama) and the sous chefs cooking. So the kitchen is at the front for the public to see and the seating is in the back. We go in, the "mom" aka the owner, greets you, very sweet! And we're seated. IT.IS.SMALL in that place! Tables aren't even an arms length away. If i were to hold out my arms and spin i would have hit like 6 other people sitting near me, that's how tight it is. Anyways the server hands you an ipad as a wine menu and the regular menu is on a chalkboard on 2 walls of the restaurant. Everything you order is whatever is on the menu, so for instances, if you ordered steak you'll get strickly steak and you'll have to order what you want on the side as another dish. It's pretty cheap for the pasti, but everything else is a bit $$ for the portion size. Tried the shrimp, which was $8.50 for 5. They were delicious!! Was going to order more but couldn't justify paying $17 for 10 shrimps. We got the calamari, that was just alright. Was kinda dissapointed because there was so much hype over it, maybe its just me though, i thought it was going to be CRISPY but it was soft crispy (if that makes sense) Both my boyfriend and i got lasagne and that was good. Kinda dissapointing the server didnt offer us pepper or fresh cheese... :/ This place gets crowded fast, loud music playing, VERY dim, candle light dinner. If i were in the neighbourhood i'd come back. upon leaving the place, the mom thanked us. very sweet service 3.5 food 4.5 price 3 atmosphere 4 read more

for some strange reason this place gets good reviews. ate there this week, i asked for bread and i got 2 cheap dryed out rolls with olive oil and balsamic.i have eaten here once before ordered an entre and it didnt come with any sides, so i had to verify that my order came with a side. i ordered the fish with asparagus. there was some kind of tomatoe sauce on the bottom with the asparagus lined up and the fish place over these two items. when i was talking to my waiter i specifically told him i didnt like tomatoe sauce....lol. the dish was ok but not great, i've had better. he also asked me what kind of water i wanted tap or sparkling. i said sparkling and he brought a large bottle of san Benedetto. the fish was $24.00 it was not worth it, and lo and behold he charged me $5.00 for the water. i have eaten in restaurants all over the world and never been charged $5.00 for a bloody bottle of water. his patronizing answer was 'there isnt a restaurant anywhere that wouldn't charge you for a bottle of sparking water'. i will never go back this place has bad food and lousey service. read more

Terrible experience here, the fat dude with glasses was very rude, we went out for a dinner with family for a birthday but this was a terrible choose, food was ok, and the family meal plan is the worst rip off ever. Usually in other restaurants when you pay 38$ for a meal everyone gets it's own portion, here we had 3 family member buy it only sharing 2 small plates, what a rip off 20$ extra just for that, comes with 60$ for 2 small plate dishes ? TERRIBLE read more

My neighbour's Nonna used to spoil us for lunches. Freshly sauteed rapini with thinly sliced garlic, hearty thick hunter's ragu on top of freshly made linguine... these were my lunches for nearly 3 years and though they were home style and simple, they were decadent and made with love. As I grew up, I often missed those type of simple Italian meals but lovingly prepared. Great thing is that I don't have to miss those meals anymore... I can find them here at 7 Numbers! The spot is a small cozy but loud and warm Osteria type of eating establishment. Meals are simple but very well executed. The owners are part of wonderful warm Italian family and you really feel the love when you walk in. Warm big smiles and loud voices are everywhere. It's a fun and joyful atmosphere. I had the antipasti of grilled shrimp to start. Wow, it was great. They were perfectly seared and still tender. No rubbery or mushiness here. The flavour was wonderful because it was well seasoned and it came with a spicy roasted red pepper sauce. For my main, I had the duck leg and it was so succulent. It was nicely seasoned with rosemary and they had the right balance so it didn't overpower the duck flavour. I also had grilled rapini and zucchini. This sent me back to my childhood days of my neighbour's Nonna cooking. Oh it was wonderful.... nicely cooked so it still had some crunch but they took the bitterness out with some citrus (I think). The prices are so affordable... nothing over $20 and that included the mains! Overall, it was a great meal. The service was fast and effortless. It was clear from looking at the servers that they had some repeat customers. Those individuals had a lot more personable attention but I didn't feel left out being a first time customer. Lots of love to go around. It can get packed quite quickly so try to arrive before 7 pm when it's packed full of people. read more

We tried 7 numbers for the first time one Wednesday night. No reservation, we got a table around 7pm and the place soon filled. We shared the calamari to start and found it a good size for one and very fresh and tasty. For mains we ordered the 'sexy' duck leg and the lasagne. Both where homely and delicious and good size portions. We also shared sides of two tomato salad and grilled zucchini. For desert we shared the strawberry cheesecake which was great. Service was quick, friendly and attentive and the cosy ambience was enjoyable. The meal cost was very reasonable. Recommended highly. Especially when Mama is cooking here herself! ;) read more

Lovely atmosphere and environment. Always grest food, very flavourful. I just wish the portion sizes were bigger, because the lasagna and veal meatball are amazing. Good value as well. read more

Very solid homemade Italian food. Limited menu. Restaurant is pretty cramped. Service sucked.

Ok guys. I ate at the 7 numbers again, just yesterday. What an amazing place... we were 4 people and we ate and ate... and the bill was 130$ for all (including 3 course.. and drinks). most of the plates are about 10$, they arent too big but very tasty. the hospitality is amazing. i would give them 5 stars.. but we needed to stand in line, although we had a reservation. on thing to remember: those guys has 2 restaurats. one on the Danforth and one on Eglinton/Avenue (very near to their first location which was closed few years ago). enjoy read more

One of my oldest memories is standing in line at the massively popular 7 Numbers original location waiting for a table. It was pure chaos, people waiting in line for hours to sit at a small wooden table just to eat cooking that reminds you of home. The chaos of the line was nothing in comparison to that of the kitchen, cooks moving each and every direction just to meet the needs of the hungry customers. However, one woman stood out through all the hustle and bustle of the kitchen, mama. Her tenacity and enthusiasm for the delicious food she created at her establishment was unmatched. She would greet our family outside and give us all hugs and kisses as if we were actually family. I am a big proponent of looking purely at the food when visiting a gastronomic establishment, however at 7 Numbers it was different. The atmosphere was not that of The French Laundry or Joel Rubochon in Paris, but it truly felt like home. Somewhere you are not afraid to have an extra glass of wine, eat your entire basket of bread or order more than one pasta. I will admit that I do have a bias because I have always and will always go to this restaurant as long as I am living in Toronto. Going back recently was an amazing experience because I no longer have to wait in line for hours to eat her delicious food. You sit down at small wooden table, accompanied by an unpretentious menu at a very fair price. My favorites on the menu happen to be the lamb shank which is fall off the bone tender as well as the orecchiette and linguine which have a pasta sauce that is unrivaled by any. Mama will not be an individual who will in a James Beard award, but instead she focuses on food that seems almost philanthropic in a way. Mama simply wants to put amazing food on a plate, in an unpretentious environment, at a fair price. What else could you really ask for from a chef? Mama, I would like to tip my hat to you for building an institution in the neighborhood and always staying true to your Italian roots, I will see you soon. read more

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My first visit was dated in 2013 when I just moved here and I was desperate in finding a good Italian place to eat without breaking my bank. I was super happy to discover 7 and mama rosa. The food here reminds me of Italian home cooking, a little bit messy and a little bit go-with-mood, but it certainly satisfies my stomach. I kept on coming back and brought many of my friends to try this place. Why I like about this place? 1. Quality of food, everything you order is delicious 2. Great value /good price for what you get 3. A chill and chic dating spot too! In the summer, definitely go back to the patio! read more

I loved the Vibe of this restaurant. The Chalk Board Menu and service - amazing. The Wine, not great. The food was delicious - it really was - I'm not the biggest fan of Italian restaurants only because meat and cheese and pasta together, tend to work :) I did get fish at this visit. Like I said, VIBE - excellent. I would recommend. read more

No need to be so unfriendly (!) on the phone when people call to see if you have room! You are in the service industry after all in case you have forgotten. read more

Love, love, love this place!!! Best homemade Italian food in town. They never disappoint, no matter how many times I come back. Great, warm friendly service and so endearing to see Mama at the front cooking. read more

So a German, an Indian and a Chicagoan walk into an Italian restaurant ... no joke, true story. business trip to Toronto, Yelp to the rescue. I am a huge fan of authentic Italian (hard to find in North America). This place offers traditional dishes in traditional portions, made to eat thru the courses (antipasti, primi, secundi) as intended. Everything about this restaurant is charming: the kitchen is in the front and you can actually peek in thru the huge glass front. When you walk in, you're greeted by the small staff. Very rustic interior, the menu written on the white board (only the wine menu on the iPad is a bit anachronistic). We went with the family style dinner: salad, pasta & main for 29$ (you share the first courses but pick your main). Great selection. The goat cheese with the salad was fantastic. The calamari were such a nice break from the usual fried & breaded version. Then the pasta selection was really diverse. Hidden gem: the homemade pickled peppers. Not only spice things up but extremely flavorful. We ended up throwing peppers into the leftover pasta sauce and scooped it up with bread. Good times. By the time our mains arrive, we're already calling this a winner. I chose the osso buco ... fall-of-the-bone goodness, no knife needed. The server alone (wish I could remember his name) deserves 5 stars, super attentive, witty and extremely knowledge about the dishes and their ingredients. I actually returned a month later with 2 different coworkers (form 2 different countries) and he remembered every detail about our conversation. Wikipedia should show his picture under perfect host. read more

Horrible experience. The one star comes from the food (I'll give it to them, it's tasty). However, the service was so incredibly poor -- but when gratuity is automatically built in I suppose there's no urgency with a larger party. read more

Went there yesterday for dinner with a group of friends. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was very nice too. The reason I gave them only 3 stars is because first, my friend was being rushed by a waiter to give him back the iPad menu before she had the chance to decide because he needed to take it to another table. Off to a bad start. I was also disappointed that a proper Italian restaurant does not offer beef or salmon carpaccio - usually a staple in a good Italian restaurant. Then we asked for tiramisu and the waitress said that this location does not have it but their other location on Danforth does. We all looked at one another not quite sure what to do with this information??? The food we did get was fresh and delicious. One of the best osso bucos I've had (And I've had many all over the world including in Italy) Overall not bad but definitely room for improvement... Prices are very reasonable. read more

Came here for Summerlicious with 2 friends. Ordered the veal lasagna with the fried cauliflower as a side. I can honestly say that this meal was horrendous.The veal lasagna was swimming in grease and the noodles were so overcooked that they were like mush. Furthermore it was totally tasteless. I can't even find words for how awful the cauliflower was. It was certainly not fried. It was boiled, overcooked, sitting in water, and totally devoid of taste. I would not serve this to a senior in a hospital. Just returned from 10 days in the US, where I ate fabulous food everywhere - fresh ingredients bursting with flavor. We ate at a cool bistro in suburban Detroit that had the most delicious brussels sprouts ( locally grown) I've ever eaten made with agave nectar and sharazi. How can this be compared with the awful cauliflower of last night! Toronto needs to learn a few lessons in good cuisine- don't know how Joanne Kates can think that this is even palatable food- it was gross and this morning I even feel ill from all that grease. Wake up Toronto. read more

Great homemade pasta, so chewy! Price is really good, decent portion and love the decor/atmosphere. The menu changes every few days. Service is excellent. read more

This spot is not bad. The room is ok but nothing exceptional nor disappointing. The food is decent but again neither exceptional nor disappointing. Meatballs were excellent but lasagna was served almost mashed in a bowl and just ok. The wine list is mediocre. Service was nice and friendly. P read more

This restaurant is absolutely amazing. The amount of food options and if you are lucky enough to be able to go when grandma is cooking it really has a homey vibe and amazing food and dining experience. Me and my bf went for our anniversary and it was a great romantic spot to go to have an intimate dinner experience. read more

Been here 3 times, first to celebrate my birthday and 2 family dinners. I find the level of service to be acceptable for a place that gets really busy. I've had good service one time, and felt rushed the other times. The food is good and I find it to be reasonably priced. Family favorites are the calamari, veal meatball, and orrechiette pasta. Little things prevent me from giving it a 4 star rating such as wines are served warmish in plasticky glasses and when we asked our server for some parmesan cheese, he said 'what for?' read more