Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Alma

    3.9 (35 reviews)
    Open 10:30 am - 2:30 pm, 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

    Alma Photos

    Business Info

    ALMA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Alma

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    View from table
    Kathleene S.

    Visited on a Thursday, ~5:30PM with a family member. It was empty, only one other table seated. We reserved through OpenTable, but for some reason the system didn't have availability from 6-8:30, but it wasn't busy, and it seemed many visitors were doing walk-ins... It's cozy and dimly-lit inside, with 2-person tables lined up along each wall and high seating at & beside their little bar. Perfect for dates & dining alone. The staff were very friendly and helpful, offering recommendations of dishes and helped us figure out how much might be a good amount to order. We ordered: 1. Parmesan Tapioca Fritters $9: literally seems to be boiled tapioca mixed with melted parmesan into a ball/cube, breaded, and fried. My mind was blown and I definitely will be trying to make this. It was just a teensy bit too salty though. It might've been the parmesan's fault. 2. Bao with stracciatella cheese & eggplant fenugreek dip $17: I thought it'd have a filling, and was slightly disappointed to see it didn't but then I took that back immediately. It reminded me of a freshly made soft pretzel (the outer of the bun is lightly toasted and sprinkled with salt), with creamy dips on the side. SO GOOD. It only came with 2 though...I could've and would've eaten a whole basket if that was a thing. 3. Radish cake, plum, garlic chive $15: the flavour & texture reminded me of boiled plantains. It was slightly sweet. 4. Potato dumplings, maitake mushroom, truffle oil $27: i love potato infused food so this was a must try, and the way it was so soft and melty in my mouth was a dream come true. 5. Char Siu pork steak, turnips, caramelized rice wine kasu $36: this does not taste like a traditional char Siu. Actually, it reminded me of Filipino ham for the flavour (Filipino ham is one of my favourite holiday foods to eat) but the texture - it was so tender and juicy, and you could really tell a lot of time and attention is put into the preparation of this. 6. Coconut flan, wild blueberries $12: I really liked that it wasn't too sweet, because most flans tend to be that way. 7. Clementine sorbet, kosho $12: the clementine flavour was very strong, maybe a little took much...but the candied peel & kosho were a great touch to balance out the texture and flavour. The server mentioned that all plates are meant for sharing, with some plates being considered "small" and "large". Between 2 people, she mentioned we could get by with 1 small & 1 large per person. Based on my experience, it might be best, especially if hungry, to get an extra small/large to get a filling meal, or order some drinks on the side, as the portions are on the smaller size. Overall, I would highly recommend others check this place out. You can really taste the dedication & passion that goes into the cooking.

    pork wonton + noodles
    Alanna R.

    Amazing food, service and atmosphere. Everything was delicious and good portions. The pork wonton and noodles and cheesecake is a must. My only complaint is that there's no cocktail menu and very limited wine options by the glass.

    Squid fried rice & braised beef cheeks
    Faiza K.

    Been meaning to try this place out for awhile and finally got the chance. Went with a few friends so we ordered a bunch of dishes to try. - Baos with spreads (cheese, eggplant & fenugreek spread) - fried chicken wings - soy glazed - braised beef cheek with cabbage - squid fried rice - smoked trout There were 2 pork dishes ordered for the table but as I don't eat pork I won't comment on those. The baos were warm and fluffy and so delicious. I also enjoyed the smoke trout as it was done to perfection. It's about 5-6 pieces so depending on how many people in your group you may want to order 2 (** this was a special so may not be available all the time) My favourites were the beef cheeks...so tender and sliced through like buttah baby! The sauce did not overwhelm the beef and it was succulent. I also enjoyed the fried chicken wings. I felt that the sauce contained some citrus as it had that brightness to it. I could eat a plate of those! We also ordered desserts, clementine chilies sorbet and cheesecake. The sorbet was too citrusy for me but the cheesecake was pretty good. Not overly creamy that is typical of cheesecakes. The service was lovely, our server made recommendations and answered our questions This is a really tiny spot so definitely make reservations!

    Char Siu and cod
    Reyaz H.

    Honestly, this restaurant is not amazing. They do have fast service and they're very friendly. The drinks look great but in the end, I think the food is barely elevated for the format of restaurant and the flavour and preparations are quite lacking. I do recommend the tuna tartare and cod but I do not recommend the char Siu.

    Just your usual wok fried choy
    Ve T.

    Alma has been on my list to try for quite some time now, ever since it was mentioned that they do a twist on Chinese food. Decided to come here for my birthday! The restaurant is small but cozy, the server was attentive and knowledgeable and even suggested us a beer with fermented plum. Ordered it and thought it was interesting and quite tart! My partner and I ordered the bao with stratcchiatella and eggplant dip. At first I was hesitant on ordering this dish because it seemed too simple, but I'm glad we did. The eggplant dip had notes of ginseng, and herbs similar to what you'd find in a Chinese herbal soup, and the bao was the softest I've ever had. We then moved to mains and ordered the charred trout and lamb belly. The charred trout was delicious. The trout was cooked perfectly and the sauce on it made me want to lick the plate clean! The lamb belly was tender and amazing with the szechuan spices, was not spicy to me at all. The Chinese olives was a nice touch, and the tomato at the bottom was interesting. For dessert we ordered the banoffee pie pudding and coconut flan. The coconut flan was a bit overpowering with the bitterness, it felt like the sugar was overcooked. The banoffee pie was good! The miso dulche de leche added a nice touch. Overall it was a great experience at Alma, I'd highly recommend people to come here if they want a fancy meal!

    Brenda T.

    I came here for New Years Eve and had a preset menu. While the service was good, the food itself was such a huge disappointment that I felt the need to share this review. I'm giving this restaurant a 1 star because of how underwhelming my experience was. The preset menu only had 5 items and they were all really small portions. I've added photos to show everything we had (for 2 people). The price for all of this was $320, so $160 per person. This was so crazy to me - It was all EXTREMELY overpriced for what we got and I just can't understand how these prices can be justified. None of these dishes stood out to me at all. The only one that I enjoyed was the miso cod dish. Everything else either tasted bad or felt low quality/below average. I think I would have had a better experience at Congee Wong or something...

    Michelle M.

    Alma, you were such a great experience and I wish I had more of the tapioca fritters! We initially booked for patio but we got lucky that Ontario went into Stage 3 the day of our reservation. We got moved inside and I felt comfortable of the surroundings. Between 2 people, we shared 4 small plates and 1 large plate. Perfect amount of food. Loved the Vins D'Alsace rose! Servers were so friendly. Will return to Alma for their next seasonal menu.

    Angela Y.

    This was on my list for a while because well...Asian fusion . Their menu consists of small, tapas style plates and priced accordingly ($15-30). Our reservation was 30+ mins late, so they gave us 1 item on the house which was nice We had almost everything on the menu: Parmesan tapioca fritters: this was pretty good! Crispy, cheesy and the tapioca had some bounciness (complementary) Radish cake: one of my favorite dim sum items, they tried to make it different with the garlic chive sauce but it didn't really add flavour IMO Scallion bread: I appreciate they tried to do something different and reimagine it as a bread, but plain old scallion pancakes are just better: they're crispy and fragrant (everything this bread was not) Fried chicken: the flavours of this were actually however the chicken was dry af which was disappointing Marinated cucumbers: honestly these were meh; I feel like I make it better at home lol Pork wontons: the wontons plus some noodles were $27 the wonton skin was too thick and starchy, I prefer them thinner. The noodles did not have a lot of flavour or any sauce Fish: I forgot what fish this was but it was ATROCIOUS, it was literally unseasoned fish with oyster sauce drizzle? And served on a bed of blanched bean sprouts?!? WTF is that??? Short rib: the short rib was actually fall-apart tender and had a lot of flavour, this would be my top contender for the night. Note: they don't have a cocktail menu and only serve wine, which I felt, didn't not complement the dishes. Overall I was HUGELY disappointed in the entire experience, and wouldn't come back

    squid fried rice
    Xander G.

    Went here with some friends for a casual dinner. The reservation process was very straightforward and the staff were super welcoming when we arrived slightly early. The space has an understated elegance. It's not too loud, but maintains a social buzz. We ordered a bunch of plates to share and none of them disappointed. The fried chicken started us off on a high note- perfectly crispy with a rich sweetness to the glaze. The radish cakes didn't jump off the menu at first glance, but I'd certainly recommend em. They've got the texture of a rosti with small garnishes of rhubarb and garlic sauce for each bite. The squid fried rice was another hit, with some mixed rice grains of varying textures and a healthy amount of grilled squid. We ended up ordering both dessert options as well and were glad to have had both! The airy sorbet paired nicely with the richer and more savoury cheesecake. It's a bit a steep price for the size of the plates (we ordered 7 for the 4 of us), but it's well worth it for this unique culinary experience.

    Marie N.

    Part of a longer review... "The fried cauliflower, curry, fermented pepper, honey ($10) was the perfect marriage of Asian and Indian flavours. Notre première selection from the small section of the menu, it made a good first impression. Crispy morsels of fried cauliflower sat on top of a pool of bright yellow curry, which doubled as a creative plate presentation and dipping sauce. While this dish didn't demonstrate technical brilliance or boldness, per se, it was divine in its simplicity. My guest and I both sopped everything up, and agreed that the honey and fermented pepper were the appropriate accents without overpowering the vegetable centerpiece. Similar sentiments continued for the artichoke, ajo blanco ($12). A staple cold soup in Spanish cuisine, ajo blanco is a delicious combination of bread, crushed almonds, garlic, water, olive oil, salt and sometimes vinegar. While it is usually served with grapes or melon, Chen placed delicate artichoke hearts on top and drizzled the whole dish with olive oil. I had an issue with the temperature inconsistency of the dish. The ajo blanco was chilled, and the artichokes were warm and didn't impress with flavour. This was one of the more elaborate dishes in presentation, but it seemed indecisive in its identity -- was it hot or cold? Chen has flexed her pasta-making muscle for years at high-end establishments such as Buca Yorkville. The duck sugo and pappardelle ($22) was reminiscent of mon plat préféré at Buca Yorkville: the duck ragu. One bite led me to conclude that Chen's version had room for improvement. The salt balance was off (did she forget to add salt to the boiling water?) and the meat was dry. A sugo is a patiently-simmered sauce that should burst with flavour. Think: Grandmère's tomato sauce that's been simmering on the stove all day long. Chen's sugo, however, had clearly been prepared in haste..."

    Violet O.

    Creative and unusual taste. Love cleanliness and friendly service. I would recommend for small adventure

    Robyn H.

    Alma is a small and cute restaurant. The chef did a pop up at Famiglia Baldassarre before this restaurant opened up so I got chance to sample her flavours beforehand. I am not really a fan of fusion or nouveau Asian food even though I go to the restaurants all the time still. I am just never impressed by small portions seemingly amped up with sauces and presentation. For me, this dinner was okay. I liked the atmosphere, the friendliness of the server, but the food didn't really connect for me. While I could see conceptual creativity, the flavours didn't really come through, and once again, I am never a fan of dishes where three small dumplings could possibly constitute a dish. Probably my favourite dish was the cucumber.

    Loved the design of the menu. Cocktails were also delicious, though I can't recall the names - sorry!

    See all

    6 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Faiza K.
    180
    1099
    1234

    3 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Marc O.
    45
    19
    0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Gracia S.
    116
    46
    224

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jan V.
    1
    23
    2

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of H M.
    0
    8
    0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jen C.
    0
    15
    0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dr L.
    0
    75
    0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of V M.
    1
    44
    3

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Tasty food.. Very small portions.. Over priced for the quantity. Very nice wait staff!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Desserts 3,897 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Grape Witches

    Grape Witches

    5.0(1 review)
    3.4 km

    Grape Witches located inside the Waterworks Food Hall is their second location in the city (their…read morefirst location is located along Dundas St. W.!). This bottle shop has a unique variety of natural, organic, and biodynamic wines that may rotate depending on the season. The space also has a wine bar where you can try different wines by the glass or treat yourself in a wine flight or a whole bottle. The by the glass menu changes weekly where you get to have a chance to try new and exciting wines from different regions. I've been to Grape Witches several times but I was able to sit down at their wine bar this time and enjoy a wine flight (three 1oz pours featuring wines from Germany) and a glass of wine. Having the wine flight, I was able to find a new rose that I really enjoyed that I ended up getting a glass of it afterwards. Staff are extremely friendly, personable, and knowledgeable about wine where they can give you suggestions based on your preferences without being pretentious. You are also able to taste any wines you're interested in on the menu to see if you like them as well. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Grape Witches enjoying the delicious selections where I even found new favourites. Overall, a great new wine shop and bar at Waterworks Food Hall. If you love all things wine this is the place to go. They have unique bottles you can purchase and friendly staff to help you with selecting your wines. Will definitely be back to try other glasses of wine in the future!

    Photos
    Grape Witches
    Grape Witches
    Grape Witches

    See all

    Boxcar Social

    Boxcar Social

    4.1(165 reviews)
    4.5 kmSummer Hill
    $

    This place is my absolute favourite. So coffee costs 6$ but isnt it the same at starbucks? They…read moremake the coffeeeee SO good here, and until recently and now when you ask they will do shaken iced coffees and therefore you dont have chunks of ice taking over the whole cup. Its divine. This almond crossiant cost like 7$ which was especially expensive, was it worth it? Absolutely not. But not everything can be a 5/5. However the service is good, they also have a bar to spicd things up. They have cookies and other treats. Theres a cute patio, and many sitting areas upstairs and downstairs and lots of privacy. I think its worth checking out!

    Last Saturday a friend and I decided to visit this venue. We'd both previously been to their…read moreFinancial District location and I'd also visited their Harbourfront venue a couple of times as I live close by. We arrived around 3:30 pm when it was fairly occupied; they feature 'Happy Sour Hour' from 4 to 7 pm, during which all of their sour beers are reduced in price to $7.00. We ordered and shared two beers, the first a lager, the second a sour beer in order to take advantage of the discounted price. The venue is long and narrow, with two floors and a distinctive looking back patio. Our service was fairly prompt and they are located in a quite convenient location, literally across the street from the subway and the historic, flagship LCBO location. So I can recommend a visit if you're in the area and desire a drink and/or snack.

    Photos
    Boxcar Social
    Boxcar Social - Upstairs work space

    Upstairs work space

    Boxcar Social

    See all

    Ladybug Wine Bar

    Ladybug Wine Bar

    4.8(19 reviews)
    6.5 kmCorktown

    This must be the place!…read more Our first trip to Toronto and boy did we have fun. From delicious food to sipping wine, and everything in between, Toronto was a city to explore. Ladybug Wine Bar is a cute but also sophisticated wine bar located on King Street, steps away from shopping and restaurants. We stopped in here on a snowy Sunday before our flight home. They also serve Sunday Brunch. We grabbed a few open seats at the comfy bar. They do not offer wine flights, which made this experience pretty darn expensive but SOOOO worth it. We had such a fun time and the people working were so nice, we honeslty did not want to leave. They were willing to help with our selections. We actually ordered all their Reds by the glass. I know, but there were only about 6 and we had to try them all. I like to say "go big or go home" LOL! We loved almost all except for maybe a few. We ended up also ordering a charcuterie while we sip. And of course I brought a bottle home with me. If you are ever in Toronto, please check out Ladybug wine bar, it is fantastic, you won't want to leave. Cheers!

    A Hidden Gem for Brunch!!…read more I came here with 3 of my girlies that love brunch. Everything we ordered was fresh, light, and absolutely delicious. We started with some drinks which were super affordable compared to other brunch places. The espresso martinis weren't too sweet and had the perfect balance. As for the dishes the standout for me was the smoked salmon toast. The combination of the eggs, fresh dill, and sliced salmon on top of toast was so yummy. Service was nice and the place was cozy/bright. Highly recommend this spot for a girls' brunch or casual date.

    Photos
    Ladybug Wine Bar
    Ladybug Wine Bar - BLT on brioche

    BLT on brioche

    Ladybug Wine Bar

    See all

    Piccolo Caffe E Vino - Frittata

    Piccolo Caffe E Vino

    4.3(19 reviews)
    4.1 kmEntertainment District, Downtown Core
    $$

    Went here for dinner on a Saturday night / great location and cute spot! I love the branding and…read morethe inside + feels very trendy. This is a wine bar - the house lager was bad (maybe my own bad decision) and the red I got was fine ... nothing to write home about. However place fell apart with the food - the shrimp came with 5 medium sized shrimp with the tails, legs and shells on and were under seasoned. The artichokes were mediocre (loved the sauce they came with). Worst of all was the "Ontario peaches" with the burrata were totally canned peaches - could've even been dole brand! This place has amazing potential with the location and vibe - but the food just was not it. Small portions and the price didn't match what was served. The service was friendly but nothing too crazy. Go here for the drinks, but maybe not for the dinner!

    Went with a friend on a Saturday night and it was pretty easy to get a seat, but they do take…read morereservations. Our server was great at helping us pick our wine, he mentioned that their wines are all on the dry side which is perfect for me, I'm not one for sweet wines. We also had two of their small plates the mussels and the burrata. The mussels tasted great with the sauce, a little garlicky which I prefer. The combination of the peach and mint went really well with the burrata. Light and easy to eat. The patio at night is one of the highlights. The only small complaint was it did take a while to get our wine after we ordered it and a little while to get our check. Otherwise cute spot.

    Photos
    Piccolo Caffe E Vino
    Piccolo Caffe E Vino - Smoked salmon bagel

    Smoked salmon bagel

    Piccolo Caffe E Vino - Fried Artichoke, shrimp and peach burrata

    See all

    Fried Artichoke, shrimp and peach burrata

    Tommy’s Wine Bar

    Tommy’s Wine Bar

    5.0(2 reviews)
    1.1 kmRoncesvalles

    Cool neighbourhood spot. 15 dollar cocktails, good menu, paper planes, negroni's, old fashions,…read moreespresso martinis, all the core ones every good cocktail bar should have. I think it's also a cafe during the day. They had a live DJ playing some Berlin type music not too loud which was a nice touch. There is some seating space in front of the patio, and next to the building to hang out. Tall beer cans and cocktails are 7-8 bucks which is a good deal. They have some non-alcoholic beers too which is nice. Inside has that cool vintage hipster Berlin feel to it. No cover, no lineups, just a nice local neighbourhood bar near the bridge and a bunch of other autoshops. Was walking back from an art gallery and we just literally stumbled upon it and sat down for a catch up drink. I feel like Toronto needs more places like this. Quiet neighborhood bars with a nice selection of music, quality cocktails, not too expensive, no lines ups. Nice slightly mature place for people to catch up and have a drink without having to venture heavily into the Dundas West bar scene where it's way more hectic. Probably fits like 20 people so it's nice and intimate. Kind of reminds me of some of the bottle shops in Montreal where you can either drink it there and vibe or take it to the park right next to it. Place has some character to it. Would like to see it have a good solid run in Toronto's independent bar scene and be supported by the neighborhood. Next time I'm back I'll try out the cocktail menu and see if that's fire too. Can selection was interesting. I got a fruit punch vodka seltzer with 2 grams of sugar which was good. LBGTQ+ friendly but open to anybody really. Still has that cool Dundas West OG grunge premium dive bar feel all the hipsters like me enjoy. Keep up the great work Tommy!

    We were walking past it and decided to take a look. Turns out it was wine bar with some unique…read morecollections not available in LCBO. We tried a cocktail and white wine. I asked for something on the sweeter side and the server was very helpful in recommending an option. We both enjoyed our drinks sitting on bench outside while taking a break during our evening stroll. Cute, chill place - a hidden gem.

    Photos
    Tommy’s Wine Bar
    Tommy’s Wine Bar
    Tommy’s Wine Bar

    See all

    Alma - desserts - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...