We randomly decided to try La Grotta for a dinner out of the house. We ordered the chicken parm and the shrimp alfredo. The dishes were okay overall, but nothing particularly stood out in terms of flavour or presentation. The restaurant was very quiet when we arrived, so we were seated right away, which was nice and convenient. The server was friendly, kind, and attentive throughout our visit. Overall, it was a decent meal in a relaxed setting, but more of an average dining experience for us. read more

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The restaurant is very cozy. You have to go down a set of stairs if you are entering from Main St Unionville. There are coat hooks before you see the hostess stand which was nice to have during the winter. The man serving us was kind and welcoming. He explained some if the popular dishes and gave us time to look over the menu. The food itself was alright, given that it was on the more pricey side. They had a relatively ok portion of meat and seafood in the pasta, but for $32/$39 per plate, I would have expected more colour for the pasta and for it to have more flavour. I tasted only salt in the beef for the Fettuccine Romano, although the meat was quite tender Overall, it was just ok. read more

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We chose La Grotta to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary, expecting a special evening. Unfortunately, it turned into one of the most disappointing restaurant experiences we've had. We waited approximately 45 minutes just to receive a glass of wine and over an hour for our food. During that time, there was very little communication or apology for the delay. When the food finally arrived, the clams were barely warm, almost cold. The rack of lamb was ordered medium rare but arrived medium well and was also barely warm. After waiting so long, receiving food that was not properly prepared was extremely frustrating. The service was even more disappointing. When we politely asked about the status of our food, the waiter appeared annoyed and subsequently stopped serving our table. Another waitress took over, but when we explained our concerns about both the delay and the food quality, there was little interest shown in resolving the situation or making things right. The final disappointment came when I indicated that I did not feel it was appropriate to leave a tip given the service we had received. The attitude from staff immediately became noticeably worse, leaving us feeling unwelcome and uncomfortable. We understand that restaurants can have busy nights and that mistakes happen. What matters is how those situations are handled. Unfortunately, there was no sense of accountability, concern, or effort to recover the experience. A 21st wedding anniversary is a milestone celebration that we can never get back. Sadly, what should have been a memorable evening was completely ruined by poor service, excessive delays, improperly prepared food, and an overall lack of customer care. We will not be returning! read more

I came here with some friends and it was all our first time trying this restaurant. We ordered the beef carpaccio to share as an appetizer and it was pretty good. We were also given warm bread and some accompaniments which we really enjoyed. However for our mains none of us were impressed. I had the seafood linguine. It was not bad, but also not great - just ok. I also had the tiramisu for dessert and it was lacking coffee flavour. The restaurant and service itself is really nice. The interior is very cosy and it was easy for us to have conversation. There's also lots of parking at the back. I probably wouldn't go back for the food though. read more

La Grotta On Main - Seafood linguine - Italian Near Me - Unionville, Ontario

Service was friendly and warm. Wonderful waitress and sommelier we had that recommended us some great wines. My water glass was a little gross which was sad to start. The food was slightly above average. Grilled calamari was yummy, carpaccio was sliced a little thick and the meat had started to darken a lot which led to a little bit of hesitancy when it came to eating it but smelled fine. Penne a la vodka was good. The pasta was cooked a dente which was great. The rose sauce was ok. Cozy little spot downstairs with great decor transported you to a little street in Italy. read more

Sitting at the restaurant enjoying my glass of wine as we speak while writing this review. Wow oh wow what an authentic experience. Sebastian you are incredible, come to find out he is the owner and chef! My sister and I are visiting from Cali and decided to try this hidden gem for lunch and we are so glad we did. 10/10!! Best part they also host private events or family functions. We will make sure to visit again ! read more

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I don't understand the low ratings. Here are all the positives as I saw them. 1. Friendly family oriented service. 2. Specials on wine 3. Many vegetarian options. Overall, 5 stars for me. Come and decide for yourself. Don't know why so many people gave it low ratings on Yelp. Restaurant does very well on Google. read more

Went to this randomly, and had the best salmon ever in my life! Starting from the bread that came with a house made oil chilli dip (couldn't get enough of it). Then comes the most tender and fresh salmon ever with sauce (hints of mustard). When the server(probably Sebastian, sorry can't remember the name) knew it was my birthday, he didn't charge me for the crème brûlée. The decor is so cozy and has a farmhouse feel to it. Even though I live in Toronto, I would totally go all the way to Unionville just for this this Salmon read more

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Very poorly made foods! We could not eat tomato for several days after we had meal there, because all the dishes we had in that place were drown in terrible tomato sauce. read more

Eck, did not enjoy my meal here despite the okay service. I got one of their three course meals and only the appetizer of grilled portabella mushroom was passable. My main Veal Marsala was dry and served with what looked to be grocery pasta tossed in grocery pasta sauce. Even the tiramisu was a let down as it was more like a soggy pudding. The meal hit all the wrong notes with me. My partner reported his sausage pizza was bland, despite having sausages, olives and basil on it. How does a pizza like that taste bland? We even gave it a second chance the next day by heating up the leftovers. Nope, not any better. read more

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I got this place for take out and got the carbo spaghetti and some fried calamari. The calamari was crispy and it was good! However the spaghetti was kinda bland and not flavourful at all. It was quite pricey too! So overall, a mediocre meal and nothing to impressive. read more

La Grotta On Main - Italian Near Me - Unionville, Ontario

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Don't go here. It's that bad. I love Italian but this was just painful to finish. Located on Main St Unionville. Be ware for those that can't do steps, this restaurant is underground! Food wise oh goodness. Where do I start? Carbonara was one of the worst that we've tried. A typical carbonara is eggy and cheesy. Well this one was garlicky and herby. "Lasagna" was deconstructed and very watery. The tomato sauce was on the sweet side. Unfortunately it kept on falling apart so it felt like we were eating papardelle not lasagna. Heat doesn't exist in this restaurant either. The service was blah. They didn't care and overall atmosphere was old, run-down. Overall, there's better Italian places. read more

La Grotta On Main - Carbonara very garlicky and 0 cheese 0 egg - Italian Near Me - Unionville, Ontario

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This authentic Italian restaurant nestled quietly on the picturesque Unionville Main Street. The building was a bit old. There is a staircase leading to the main dining hall and patio. Today is Labour Day long weekend and it's quite hot but due to no air conditioning inside, we sat on patio. The patio was full but with only two servers, we waited a bit for everything, but no worries just relax on holidays. We ordered two set meals and were served with bread, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mild chilli in oil. The appetiser were meatball soup and garden salad, the soup was delicious and the salad was really fresh and tasty. The main dishes was veal parmigiana and spaghetti vongole, they were both nicely done and the spaghetti was cooked al dente and garlicky. The closing of the meal were with mango sorbet and homemade tiramisu. We enjoyed the good ambience but not mosquito bites on patio. There were only 2 servers including Sebastian who is the owner, he apologised on the slow service as he said some customers did not make reservations and just walked in so they were not fully prepared for a full patio. Nonetheless we enjoyed the meal and will make our way back in future. read more

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It was pretty easy to book a reservation. We just called a day ahead of time after learning other restaurants nearby were fully booked. I went in to the washroom before order and both stalls were out of toilet paper. The used paper towels were over flowing from the garbage bin. The washrooms were really dirty. We ordered a pizza and some appetizers. Everything was very one note and bland. Nothing special about the food. I couldn't recommend anything I had here. I will not return but I still wish this place all the best and hopefully they can turn things around. One thing I do want to point out is that the servers were trying to be attentive. read more

Went for lunch on a Tuesday. Was pretty dead but we had made a reservation not really knowing what to expect. Started with the wine which was a lovely cool Pinot Grigio. Ordered the grilled calamari which I loved. Calamari can tend to be a bit tough if not cooked properly but this was perfect in a lemony basil sauce. Ok, the accolades stop there. I ordered the smoked salmon pizza that is described as smoked salmon with red pepper, feta, and onions. It didn't mention on the menu that it was COVERED in tomatoes and tomato sauce! Who puts tomatoes on a smoke salmon pizza?! So so wrong. Friend had the agnolotti della grotta. Should have been agnolotti della grossa. She actually thought the filling was some kind of crab, but it was a 3 cheese filling. She said the pasta itself was gummy and the mushroom rose sauce was sweet like strawberry jam. She couldn't eat it. I'm gagging just thinking about that pizza. Then we ordered the creme brûlée for dessert. The sugar topping was burnt and the custard itself tasted a little like it had just missed the best before date. Venue was cozy. Service was brutal. We were the only ones there yet we had to keep getting up to look for the server. I don't think I can give this another try. read more

Enjoyed a wonderful meal on the covered patio on a chilly evening on the last week of October 2020. Covid restrictions were well followed, tables spaced out nicely with individual open flame patio heaters beside each table providing excellent warmth and ambiance. Printed menus are available, but also QR code online menu and ordering if you choose. Sebastian the host is wonderful and welcomes you like coming home. He can accurately describe each dish and its texture in even more detail than the menu and really knows his craft. Food was fantastic, beef tenderloin tips with mushrooms in a light olive oil and garlic sauce and mixed well with the rich au jus from the tenderloin. Such a flavourful dish. The veal picatta was so tender and authentic like I had in Milan. And the home made bread is fantastic and unique texture that is also very authentic to northern italy and is used for their pizza dough. A must try when you're in Unvionville. Great takeout specials as well. read more

La Grotta On Main - Outdoor patio is cozy and warm and covered and walled with openings for Covid requirements - Italian Near Me - Unionville, Ontario

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Delicious Italian food and great service. Sebastian, the manager is very friendly and waiting time was not quite long. We had a great time with my family! Highly recommend this place: read more

La Grotta On Main - a plate of pasta and bread - Italian Near Me - Unionville, Ontario

Celebrated a milestone birthday and everything that we ordered was great! The service was timely and always with a smile. All the guests were pleased and commented on how friendly the staff was. Would highly recommend for any occasion. Great food, music and ambiance. read more

I have never had such a ripped off meal in my life growing up in the Markham community. After Covid and supporting small businesses, I was appalled and very disappointed with my meal after grabbing dinner at the La Grotta. I had ordered a glass of wine and a ceasar salad with shrimp. Out came this small, bare, unfinished ceasar salad with 2 small pieces of shrimp. I spoke with 3 members of staff asking for croutons, and FINALLY someone took my plate back and returned with 3 small croutons. The owner charged me $18 for my glass of wine and the salad was about 35, and with tax , and tip (which I did NOT want to give, but the server was peering over my shoulder)the whole meal was $60! Absolutely outrageous and very disappointing, this really put a damper on my night after working hard for my pay check on Friday. I will not be returning to this restaurant. read more

The servers were nice, but the food and drinks were not up to par with the pricing. I ordered a long island iced tea and they use a generic drink mix to make it rather than the advertised ingredients. The pizza was recommended by the host but was quite bland and the dough was thick and odd textured read more

We should have never come here. I was foolish to have not read the reviews. And they are all so right - the ones who have the 1 stars (or less if they could have). Can we pay based on quality? Unfortunately not, so, like the others, I won't return even if I'm a not paying guest. It has dawned upon me that, if the restaurant truly cares about its reputation and food quality, they would have read all the horrible reviews, and something would have been done. Since nothing has been done to improve, it's a testament to their indifference. Management must own the property, and pretending to have a legitimate business is a good enough of a show. read more

If I could I wouldn't even give this place 1 star. First of all, the two staff here did not wear their mask properly, it was either below the nose or the chin. That is very frightening as they kept on talking over the table and people's heads. Second, when staff was refilling water the water jug touched the mouth of our own personal cup. The table cloths were re used from table to table and the bread containers were leather so I am also not sure how it can be properly sanitized. As for the food, we got the lamb rack and beef tenderloin and both were cooked well done when it was for medium. As for the picture I have attached, I am mind blown that this is the carbonara. It not only didn't match the picture on the menu but it didn't not taste good at all. We had ordered online for this to be split for two for an additional charge and our waiter was confused when we had asked her where the second one was. We had even received a confirmation for our order that it was for two. She said whether we had confirmed with our waiter that it was for two ... but we ordered through our phone and when the waiter had come to confirm all orders it was mentioned. Will never be returning and would not recommend to anyone unless you are ready to wait a long time for your food. read more

La Grotta On Main - Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Unionville, Ontario

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This is by far the worst meal I've ever had in my entire life. I actually ate here a month ago, but I still get so upset thinking about it I had to come on here to tell everyone to STAY AWAY. Stay far far away. First of all, we were seated at a table with dirt on the tablecloth, dust in one of the wine glasses, and a nice layer of grime covering the other. This was the first red flag. For appetizers, we ordered the calamari which was cold and bland. They tasted worse than the frozen kind you buy at the grocery store. Mind you, this took ages to come out. The restaurant was not busy so they truly have no excuse to bring out cold bland food and call it a day, especially at this price point. Unfortunately, this wasn't even the worst part. We waited over an HOUR for our main courses to come out. Now, if this was the best meal I've ever had in my life I wouldn't mind. In fact, I wouldn't even mind if it was the most mediocre meal I've ever had because I was grumpy, starving, and could not wait to eat and get my butt home. We honestly should've just left at this point but we were in too deep. IT'S COLD! THEY SERVED ME COLD PASTA AND POURED ROOM TEMPERATURE CANNED PASTA SAUCE ON TOP! THE AUDACITY. AFTER A FULL HOUR+ LONG WAIT. The sauce had that distinct overtly sweet flavour you get from a can. The pasta was cold and tasted stale. I know for a fact they did not make this bad boy from scratch. And if they did, and they truly took over an hour to get this plate from the kitchen to me then wow. Really. Just wow. If you want a more authentic Italian experience go to East Side Mario's or buy a can of Chef Boyardee. But really though, save your money and take it elsewhere for a nice night out, whether it's with your S/O, your family, your friends, or your side chick. Yes, this restaurant is not even side chick worthy. There are lots of other places to eat at in this neighbourhood. 0/5 read more

La Grotta On Main - Italian Near Me - Unionville, Ontario

The location of this restaurant is perfect in Unionville, parking lot available. The dining area is a bit tight and could be better. The Bruschetta was very good, fresh bread and tomatoes. The lasagna was mediocre. read more

La Grotta On Main - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Unionville, Ontario

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I have been going to La Grotta on Main for years. Service is a hit and miss, especially on Saturday nights.. which I really suggest you to avoid. My most recent visit was on a Sunday when there were only 2 tables including us and with 1 waiter and we received excellent and friendly services. They do have dinner special set menu for either $30 or $40 person which includes an appetitizer/main/dessert. Unfortunately, since I am using one of those deals, so I have to order from the regular menu. Seafood Pasta always excellent and the mussels were meaty and fresh!! Veal Parimigiana was nice and tender and moist! Nice waiter more than happy to cut up a mega piece of Tiramisu for us to serve.. However, the roast for the Cafe Latte is just a little weak for my taste. The deco is nice and pleasing... but one might feel catastrophic because the ceiling is quite low and not too many windows... but it does feel cozy though! Accept all credit cards!! read more

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Honestly, I cannot rate this restaurant for its food because I didn't give it a chance! We walked in through the back and literally sat down, looked at each other and walked out! Tables were not set, it didn't look clean, the patio was disgusting and I'm surprised it's been there as long as it has been. If the dining area looked as old and unkept, I cannot imagine the kitchen. read more

This place is a throw back to the 1980s in terms of decor and ambiance. It appears it hasn't seen a renovation or a coat of paint on the walls since it was built (1080s?). The waiter was friendly (ie avg service for a relatively expensive restaurant w/$29 pizzas). Food quality was poor (ingredients out of a can). The kicker is when they presented the bill and wrote two prices (debit vs credit), wtf? Plenty of fast food in the area that is better than this at 1/4 the price...AND they don't charge extra for credit card payments! read more

The most delicious Chilean Sea bass ever!!! Cooked to perfection! Juicy, buttery tasting fish that surprisingly didn't have any butter in it at all. Perfectly complemented with a lemony-herbal vinaigrette with a side of roasted potatoes and greens. I've had Chilean sea bass from Diana's seafood twice and sadly, it was not as good as I had hoped and the portion was smaller than La Grotta. Definitely coming back here for more! Hubby had a seafood risotto which was really tasty too! Service was great. We sat outside in the back in a lovely shaded patio with just the right amount of sun on a gorgeous afternoon. Couldn't have asked for a better anniversary lunch with my hubby! So glad we decided to come here. read more

Feb 4 2017 Four of us had a very nice dinner at La Grotta in Unionville last night. The chef, Frank and his son were very good hosts. The restaurant was about half full for dinner on a cold Saturday night. The décor may be called chitzy Italian, but it added to the charm. All of us were impressed by the food. 2 had veal and 2 had fish. All were cooked to perfection. The roasted vegetables stood out as among the best roasted vegetables any of us had had. Perhaps the price point was a touch high, but it is in the trendy town of Unionville. I would recommend a visit. read more

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My wife and I went there 3 weekends ago to celebrate my birthday. The food was awful. The so called seabass is actually basa fish which is camouflaged with flour . I am actually in the fish and meat business. My wife had veal which is actually pork because the meat was white and veal is supposed to be pink. We left without having anything else. We went back home disappointed. This restaurant needs to be shut down. read more

Avoid this place. By far the WORST meal I have ever eaten. Service was slow. All the tables were dirty on the patio and hygiene was lacking. Had to ask repeatedly for water, bread basket, etc. Waiter didn't know the meal and seemed confused when asked about what pizza toppings are available except to tell me they are homemade. They didn't see homemade. The kids pizza had literally no cheese. It was entirely sauce that looked like ketchup and a few specks of cheese. The caesar salad had no dressing and the portobello mushrooms had zero flavor and were covered with what felt like sand. The spaghetti was missing the mushrooms. Switched the kids pizza to kids pasta with butter and it came out hard and stuck together in some sort of pink water. I didn't make my kid eat it. We wanted to leave as fast as possible. We left most of or meal unfinished. Fellow diners looked equally disgusted as us. I felt like I was on candid camera or something. Take y advice and stay away. I dont know what happened to this place but when you can get a better salad at East Side marios, you know you are in trouble. This restaurant is an embarrassment to the area, it is THAT bad. Not sure how it is even still open. DO NOT GO HERE. Owners should be ashamed to put that type of food on tables. read more

Overall 1.5/5. The table we were seated at was visibly dusty/dirty along with the inside of our water glasses which was sticky. For our appetizers, we ordered fried calamari which was disappointingly store-bought and bruschetta which was okay as far as bread and diced tomatoes go. For our entrées, we ordered a Pasta Pescatore (seafood pasta) and Agnolotti Della Grotta (three-cheese ravioli). The pasta was below average overall - I wish the shrimp had been de-shelled. The mussels were cooked correctly. However, the ravioli arrived stone cold and had to be reheated as per our request. Flavour-wise it was bland and rather disappointing. It was essentially eating cold pasta in a warm "vodka rosé" sauce. In terms of service, the staff were friendly but our entrées took about 40 minutes to arrive on a not-so-busy evening. Overall the experience was subpar for an "Italian" restaurant. read more

La Grotta On Main - Italian Near Me - Unionville, Ontario

We started with the bruschetta with feta. It was an average size portion and was very tasty. I ordered the chicken parm with extra spice and it was excellent. The server even brought a dish of oil peppers and spices to the table so I could add more if wanted. My date had the linguini and meatballs. She said it was well done and tasted good. The restaurant was very empty for a Friday night at 630 as we were the only ones there. The server was very good and very polite. I would recommend checking this place out on Main Street Unionville. There is free parking behind the restaurant and easy access to the door and patio at the back of the restaurant. read more

La Grotta On Main - Nice tables - Italian Near Me - Unionville, Ontario

We came here for dinner last night and we had a very enjoyable evening. Although the decor was dated, the service was excellent. We used the entertainment book electronic coupon which looked like the code would expire before we paid our bill but the server told us not to worry about it and without any reminder, he reduced the bill. That is real good service! I had the Prix Fixe $29.95 menu choosing the veal pizzaiola as the main and it was delicious but the portion was a bit small. My husband and daughter ordered the veal parmigiana and seafood pasta and they really enjoyed it. Overall we had a great time and will definitely be back. read more

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My husband and I went there on our Anniversary July 23rd (12 years) We sat at the back patio which was nice because it was shaded. Table cloths really need an update it felt as if they did not put much attention into the patio. Bread with oil and vinegar was served and it was warm and delish!!!! I ordered the Chicken Marcella and My husband ordered the penne with sausage. He loved his dish and I found the chicken was dry and did not really enjoy it. We ordered drinks. I had a sangria and did not love it. It was in a glass that they only filled half way and it was not pleasing to look at as most sangria drinks that are served in a restaurant as beautiful! My husband ordered 2 beers. When he almost finished his last beer he saw something at the bottom of the glass stuck in the bottom. Looked like food that never got cleaned out from the dishwasher. "ack"!!!! We mentioned this to the waiter who was also not impressed with this who then took it to the manager. The manager came back to our table and said I am very sorry as we don't know what is stuck to the bottom of this glass... he then went on to say "for your anniversary we are going to comp this beer". Wait, what???? is what i am thinking... You need to comp it because there was food stuck to the bottom!!!! He never offered us a desert for our anniversary or even to do anything for the beer "with the we don't know what stuck at the bottom" of his glass.... So when we left we said to each other we will not be returning to this restaurant. SO many nice restaurants in Unionville BUT not this one!. read more

Outdated and out of touch. WAY over priced for what you are getting. I have heard from many people over the years to not go here and now I finally know why. I could go on about how the spacing between apps and mains were completely ridiculous, or the fact the servers kept taking things off the table as people were still picking at them but I won't. Just don't bother going here! Take your money somewhere else. read more

Sebastian catered my son's wedding who said the lamb was amazing and still talked about it a month later. Seafood platter is a must try and the Playboy cocktail is wonderful. Freshly baked bread tops the list. Sea bass and tilapia wonderful. Can't miss menu. read more

we have decided to try something new...i was not blown away but it wasn't terrible. food i didn't feel comfortable in the seating area. it felt very old fashion, i don't know if it's traditional but not a place i will be revisiting unfortunately... read more

La Grotta On Main - risotto di fungi - Italian Near Me - Unionville, Ontario

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My aunt had a birthday party here and everyone was amazing!! Owner was so great--highly recommend!

delicious foods nice environment perfect service , definitely worth the visit