Lots of fun food was great . The mariachi singer was really good. Service was great too.read more

The place to be for Latin music in Toronto! My girl friend and I were staying nearby and had no…read moreidea this inconspicuous Mexican restaurant turned into the hottest Latin club at night! Of course we had to stop by and we ended up getting in pretty early, shortly after 10:30pm. If you plan on coming, try to get here early. It gets really full REALLY fast. There was a line by the time we left. The music is very good. The drinks felt watered down, so that was my only issue with the place.

The space isn't fancy, more diner-like, but the aromas coming from the kitchen are incredible…read more Watching generous plates pass by only made ordering harder. By the time we decided, I was fully hungry and ready to dig in. Luckily, both the drinks and food arrived quickly. The mixed ceviche ($18.95) combines shrimp and fish tossed with peppers, onion, and cilantro, served alongside avocado and plantain chips. The acidity is well balanced, so it's not overly citrusy. That said, I would've liked more fish, as the shrimp dominates the dish. If you're dining with a group, the yucca mixta ($21.50), typically a main, works perfectly as a shared starter. The fried cheese is reminiscent of mozzarella sticks, but better, with a higher cheese-to-batter ratio. The crispy yucca is addictive, especially dipped into the onion sauce, which adds a refreshing tang. Even the avocado salad was a hit and was as a great way to finish off the plantain chips from the ceviche. Ordering a Cajun shrimp stir fry ($25.95) at a Nicaraguan restaurant felt strange, but it worked. The dish blends a lightly spiced teriyaki sauce with creamy avocado, giving it a unique, almost Nikkei-style twist. The shrimp were plump and perfectly cooked, and the rice soaked up the sauce without becoming too salty. There's even a surprising hint of wok hay that could rival some Cantonese spots. The churrasco ($32.95) is ideal for a solo diner. The beef tenderloin tips were grilled to a perfect medium rare. While the meat itself is fairly mild, the thick chimichurri adds plenty of flavour. Paired with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a generous serving of vegetables, it's a well-balanced plate. Whatever you do, don't skip dessert. La Bella's flan Napolitano ($7.95) is fantastic, with a custard that's firm enough to hold its shape yet still smooth and creamy. The caramel is light and fluid, adding sweetness without becoming sticky. Flan fans you better fly over to try this. The three milk cake ($8.50) is equally impressive. It's fully soaked, rich, and indulgent without crossing into overly sweet territory. I genuinely couldn't decide which dessert I preferred. Both are worth ordering. As mentioned, reservations are highly recommended. Despite how busy it gets, the small team runs the dining room with impressive efficiency, making sure guests are well taken care of.

Have you ever found a restaurant that was so good that you were afraid to tell people about it in…read morecase it got so popular you'd never find a table next time you went? This is such a restaurant. But for the greater good, and because it totally deserves to be hyped up, I'm gonna share this gem with you! Granted, I have only been here once and I had never had Nicaraguan food before but everything this restaurant served up from drinks to appetizers to mains to dessert was unbelievable. It may look like nothing special on paper and even look understated on the plate but once it's in your mouth your tastebuds are in for a ride! Let me explain a bit more...the "tacos" look like a sundae collided with a salad on the plate but when you break it up and try it the crunch and the sweet and the sour just works like magic! I ordered the Churrasco but swapped out the mashed potato with rice and beans - how the Nicaraguans eat it I was told - and boy was I glad I listened! I have never downed so much rice and beans so quickly in my life; normally I avoid them so that's testament to how tasty it was. 3 out of all 3 of the desserts were delicious but the standout favourite among my party was surprisingly the cheesecake, so don't knock it till you try it. The atmosphere is lively and colourful, and the service was great too! That's it; I think I've shared enough - you're welcome

They get 2.5 stars…read more Bandeja paisa: steak was decent, crackling was so-so (pretty crispy but not that moist or flavourful). Sausage tasted decent but slightly dry. Egg was a bit overdone & arepa was decent though somewhat crispy  Beans were decent. Plantain was so-so (not crispy or sweet). Pork tenderloin was pretty tasty but tough & dry especially for a tenderloin. Rice was decent, with a slight flavour, but a bit mushy. Plantain was crispy. The restaurant interior was decorated quite nicely but was very warm (in summer) & service was disorganised & some servers didn't speak English well so communication was sometimes difficult. I asked if the pork tenderloin had a sauce; they said no but it came with a tomato & peppers sauce. They also billed me wrongly.

Incredibly delicious food, authentically Colombian, big portions, and amazing value for money. The…read moreseafood dishes are filled with various different kinds of high-quality seafood to the brim (more protein than rice). All the staff are so friendly - from the waitstaff to the chefs / owners and kitchen staff, everyone in the restaurant seems to exhibit the Latin American hospitality and friendliness. The place feels homey, cozy, and festive with the music in the background (from the TV screen on the wall), and big photos depicting different places in Colombia along the wall. Ambience is very laid-back and casual, with amazing food that tastes homemade and authentic. It took a while for the food to cook and come out (about 40 minutes) - mostly because of the Cazuela de Mariscos (seafood soup) that took the longest to cook. It was also during a very busy time on a weekend. They seemed to have a constant flow of incoming catering and take-out orders (a good sign), and the restaurant itself was packed. All / most mains come with coconut rice, salad, and tostones (fried plantains). As for drinks, you can order freshly squeezed juices in either water or milk. We ordered the fresh strawberry & blackberry juice in water, as the one in milk would make it more like a smoothie. Each juice order comes in a jug (whether it be a small or large jug). This came as a surprise to us - really good value for such a large volume of juice ($6 for a whole "small" jug that turned out to be quite big, enough to refill each glass a few times for 2 people). The juice itself tasted fresh, natural, and refreshing. Dishes that we tried: 1) Filete de Tilapia con Camarones (grilled tilapia fish fillet & shrimps with coconut rice, plantain, and salad) - Big pieces of fish and lots of small shrimps, in a very delectable sauce. 2) Arroz Marinero (seafood rice with plantain & salad) - Loved this dish. The rice was a bit soupy which I liked. It was a bit like a soupy paella (including the rice) - very delicious and packed with various kinds of seafood. 3) Cazuela de Mariscos (seafood soup with coconut rice, plantain, and salad) - Very creamy soup, like a chowder. I'm not a big fan of chowders / cream-based soups in general, but others liked it and said this was good. 4) SIDE: Ensalada (House Salad) 5) Arepa de Chocolo con Queso (sweet corn dough with cheese) All of the main dishes were EXCELLENT - loved the mixed seafood (fish fillet, shrimps, octopus, squid, etc.). There was so much seafood in every dish. In most places, you get more carbs / rice compared to the protein. Here, it was the opposite. The coconut rice was a bit dry but it's decent - good to soak up the sauces of the main dishes. The salad is just shredded cabbage and carrot with big sliced tomato. I was a big fan of the salad dressing (some creamy mayo-like dressing), but luckily the dressing was only at the top of the salad (the bottom part of the salad remained fresh and crunchy, which I liked). We ordered the Arepa de Chocolo con Queso for to go. It was different than the Venezuelan arepa that I'm used to. The Colombian arepa seemed to be sweeter and more buttery. It probably would've been better if it was eaten right after it was freshly made, and while it was still warm. There was a lot of cheese in the arepa, giving it a nice salty and savoury contrast to the sweet corn dough. After you're done the meal, you go up to the counter to pay (instead of having the bill brought to your table). Great food overall - I would not hesitate to come back.

Family-owned, great value, vegan and carnivore friendly, terrific location, easy to find parking…read morenearby? YES! Located at Dundas-Bathurst near Old School and Almond Butterfly, Real Empanada is a MUST visit for fans of Colombian empanadas! We met the owner's amazing mama, who was super friendly and so enthusiastic about her son's shop (on the business card, he is the "CEO and Head of Research and Deliciousness" -- aww!) Since we'd never tried the Impossible meat before, she recommended that we try the vegan empanadas. We took them home frozen, and she gave us a piece of paper with the cooking instructions printed on it. Crispy shell, gluten-free, and so recommended. Next time, I'll come in and try them fresh for sure!

Real Empanada is located near Bathurst/Dundas in a small shop. The eatery prides itself on making…read morefresh Colombian empanadas where the shell of the empanada is made out of corn meal, something that is uniquely different. The empanadas are from a family recipe, served with salsa, where there are 3 options available (chicken, beef and beyond meat). The interior of the restaurant is small where oftentimes, customers take their empanadas to go. However, there are about 8 stools to enjoy your empanadas if you can't wait. I dropped by Real Empanada on a Wed evening. To my surprise, once I walked in, there was no menu available. The owner, who sensed my confusion, asked if it was my first time here. I nodded and he began explaining how there were 3 empanada options available where you get a free empanada with your first order. He explained how Colombian empanadas were different from the other empanadas you can find in the city and what ingredients were inside each of them. I opted to try all three empanadas and ate them hours after I bought them. All the flavours were delicious where the complimentary salsa complemented the empanada well. The beyond meat empanada was a nice surprise as it was delicious as well. Overall, great new addition to the Bathurst/Dundas area, super friendly owner, and definitely a unique variation of an empanada that I have never had before! Would definitely recommend trying this place!

. After a very long wait, the newly opened TTC Line 5 was finally there. I just wanted to hop on…read morethe Line 5 train and see where it could take us. Rincón Paisa already had many positive reviews on major platforms. Plus, I had never had Colombian food . On the storefront, a worker happened to see me taking photos outside and kindly welcomed me to take more. My family and I went into the restaurant. There were many signs showing it is an authentic one: 1. The indoor decoration has a strong Latin American vibe -- wooden furniture, flowers, Latin music, etc. 2. Couldn't understand anything on the menu 3. All customers and workers spoke in Spanish We were there to have brunch. I don't recall exactly which dishes we ordered that day; however, we were super full! The portions of their meals are huge. All the things on the plate were tasty. There were many different ingredients on the plate: plantain, eggs, chorizo, fried pork belly, ground beef, avocado, rice, beans, etc. A very good deal. We might have seemed too unfamiliar with the food, because I didn't even know how to eat Empanadas. After I ordered an Empanada and let the servers in the restaurant watch me eat it awkwardly, a server who I guessed might be the owner treated us to two pastries -- one looked like a ball, and the other was flat bread. I looked them up by AI, and they should be Buñuelo and Almojábana, two cheese pastries from Colombia. I hope it's appropriate, but Buñuelo may be the most delicious cheese bread I've ever had -- it's tastier than the main dishes . I think it's a beautiful local business. If you're curious and haven't had Colombian food before, definitely give it a shot .

HIDDEN GEM ALERT!!! Was walking around the block to kill some time before an appointment and…read moredecided to pop in because I've never had Colombian food before. I ended up grabbing some empanadas and holy shit these are tasty. They were so fresh and crispy, I got one chicken and potato empanada and one cheese. The chicken one was wrapped in a corn dough and the cheese one was flour I think but both were really, really good-- and cheap! $2.50 per any flavor. They have tamales here too, I'd like to come back to try them. The interior is also very clean and the decor is so cute. Guy with the tattoos and stretched ears at the front was also really nice. I wish I had more time to try a dish!! I saw other peoples' food and it looked so tasty. Great portions and beautiful dinnerware as well. Will definitely be back and highly recommend for a quick bite :)

We went here for a 40th birthday…read more The ambiance was great and the bunny walking around didn't suit the vibe which I thought was hilarious. Huge hit that bunny lol Fantastic service and great food all around. The sushi rolls and apps they had were delicious. The only thing I would give slight points off is the truffle risotto. One thing I learned from chef shows is to never use truffle oil. Now I happen to like the taste but it can be really overpowering if you use a lot. And it was. Other than that everything tasted amazing and the cocktails, minus the matcha ube one, were great. The dessert they brought out for the birthday girl was absolutely top notch. Soo..moist. Yup I used that word. Now the dancing part. They really put on a show which is awesome. But the DJ they had used played the same beat over and over with not much variation. I love rock tunes so this isn't really my scene overall but if they did at least music that was recognizable it would have been better. Or at least more variety to the beat with more of a melody. Overall a fantastic night out and definitely recommend.

My friend took me here for my birthday on a Thursday, and it was an incredible experience! FYI:…read moreThere is street parking, but it's limited. From the moment we walked through the outdoor entrance, this place felt like a hidden gem. I loved that it was quiet since it was a weekday, making for a more intimate and relaxed atmosphere. The staff were beyond welcoming, and they even offered a complimentary coat check. They seated us in a booth near the DJ, and as soon as we stepped inside, we completely forgot we were in the heart of downtown Toronto. The food was delicious! The eggplant and cauliflower were packed with flavor and surprisingly filling. I wasn't a huge fan of the ceviche, but that's just personal preference--it was well-prepared, and my friend absolutely loved it. She ordered the sushi tacos, while I went with the tenderloin, which was cooked to perfection. The sauce was unique, flavorful, and unforgettable. I also ordered a side of broccolini, which was a little underwhelming--wish I had gone for the mushrooms instead. Now, onto the drinks--wow! We started with the Flower Child, and I savored every sip because it was that good. We also ordered one with passion fruit and a salted rim (I can't remember the name), but holy smokes--it was absolutely delicious! I later had a mojito, which was a bit underwhelming, but only because the first two drinks were phenomenal. The service and special touches truly made my night. Someone from the staff brought us birthday shots, which was such a generous gesture. Then, they surprised me with a tres leches cake, complete with a wooden pick engraved with my name--such a thoughtful detail! Every aspect of the experience was carefully curated to make my birthday memorable and spectacular. I would definitely return--whether for a celebration or just because!

When in Kensington, there's so many places to try that it can be easy to miss this small vendor on…read morethe side of La Chilaca Taqueria. I tried the chicken and cheese empanada. Unfortunately they were out of mostly every flavour. The pastry was hot and crispy. The filling was decent...lots of onion and gooey cheese. I thought it was too salty, but a good balance if you had enough crust in a bite. At $5 each, it's a nice snack!

We made a reservation for a Thursday night and enjoyed the beautiful decorations, food and drinks…read more The menu features Mexican appetizers, mains and desserts. The drinks menu also includes famous Mexican drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). We ordered "Guacamole + Chips", "Quesadilla" and "Roast Chimichicken" and enjoyed our meal. The service is fast and efficient.

Amazing food and ambiance. The Christmas decorations were gorgeous!…read more Their pasta was delicious and the tacos weee decent too. The servers were friendly and it made for a perfect date night spot

Tried their signature beef and chicken empanadas, as well as the cheese one. They were all very…read moretasty, and I especially liked the melted cheese filling. The place is quite small, but it's a convenient spot for a quick and casual meal.

Delicious empanadas and the salsa is top tier. The staff is very nice too. I opted to eat there and…read moreit took about 4 minutes to warm up and it was fantastic.

I've now been to two of the Chotto Matte's that exist and I couldn't be any more happy with the…read moreexperience and most importantly -- the food! Staff are always around for questions you may have or menu suggestions and were always very kind to us. The vibe was great and we can't wait to go back!

I am always a bit skeptical when it comes to fusion spots. Typically, in my experience, usually the…read morecuisine leans more towards one side not necessarily fusing the two flavors well together. Similarly while I would not consider this quite a fusion restaurant, the food was indeed delicious! Most of the rice sides, had furikake sprinkled on top which always enhances the flavor. The sushi selection was good! The top items for me were the cod and lobster/shrimp udon. Again neither were quite executed as fusion (IMO) but nonetheless it was delicious! The steak was also good, but steak is more readily available on most menus elsewhere. The potato and egg salad as an app also made the top list. It was super creamy and paired nicely with the crunchy chips! The endless drink menu/option is also excellent, except I am not sure how much alcohol was actually in there because within the group of 13 people, most of us did not feel even slightly tipsy. The ambiance is beautiful and really embraces a jungle with vibrant colors intertwined into the interior. the bathroom however, is a different story as it is at the end of a very dark hallway. Not sure if they turn the lights on at night, but for someone with poor vision, it was hard to see as the light reflected off the walls. The servers were friendly and with a large group like ours, we did have some dishes that just never made it out so we did need to flag someone down for them about an hour or so in.