Good ambience for friends to get together . There is outdoor patio. Service is good. We order prixe for $98 with multiple tappas. I like half of them only. Hence I only give it 4 stars. read more

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This was a fun place! It's a little tight in there, I won't lie, but once I was seated things were fine. I'll add that I wasn't in the best mood when I came in but this place changed it. We ordered the avocado flatbread (which I didn't try but my friend said was very good), the chicken lettuce wraps, chorizo croquetta, spinach croquetta, and something else I can't remember. But honestly, it was all good. Very good flavors! Our waiter then brought over some sort of digestif that tasted like cherry to me, also good and unexpected! There are such unique tapas and pairings, I would love to come back and try more! read more

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Great quality Spanish spot in the distillery district... friendly service, lively atmosphere with a great mixed crowd. read more

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Upscale Tapas that feels like you're in Spain (where I was 3 days before my visit). Lively place. Table for 4. Their tapas menu is extensive but we were lazy and had the chefs tasting menu. Great choice, a work of art. Loved every bite. Favorites watermelon gazpacho, steak tartar cone & eggplant and Zucchini chips. squid ink paella good. I should note that this is not traditional tapas. The chefs creative interpretation is however outstanding. We shared a pitcher of red Sangria. Perhaps too fruity but enjoyable. Could have done without the chip on the pitcher - it's been a while since our visit and it doesn't seem like anyone ingested glass. Was our servers first night so I'll give him credit for the effort. Madrina is expensive but not overpriced. read more

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Vibrant, cute place! Creative, tapas and cocktails. Unique presentations the service was very good. read more

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Wonderful experience. Tapas was exceptional- and service top notch. Love the interior. Highly recommend. read more

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While the outdoor seating can experience the vibes of Distillery District, indoor seating has AC and a view of a gorgeous dining room. I loved the table tops looking like the tiled buildings. We had a group of 5 people, making reservations on OpenTable was EZPZ. Also with a large group, we cannot agree upon for the pre fixe, we can semi agree on various tapas though. Most of the tapas were in quantities of 2, so we either had to order 3 orders or someone has to forgo certain items. We ordered a whole galore: truffled egg yolk, iberico steak, steak tartare, patatas bravas, 2 types of toasts, 2 types of oysters. If you're adventurous enough, they have this flight of 3 cocktails, made on the whim via vibes by the bartender. You don't know what you'll get, and it won't be the same day to day. My favorite dishes would be the Iberico steak and the patatas bravas. Well made and got that Spanish flair as you would expect at a tapas place. Food was so good, we forgot to really chat. Depending on what you order, some dishes do feel overpriced and more like an amuse bouche at a cocktail party. If you have a group, definitely make room for 1-2 of their entrees. Worth! read more

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I simply don't like when we throw Michelin in front of restaurants, and things become sloppy. We walked up to the restaurant, because of its gorgeous vibe and outdoor patio. The servers were very kind, the bartender waited on us, and she was extremely pleasant to work with. First slip up, was bringing a Syrah that was probably 15 to 20° colder than it should've been. And while, that may sound pretentious, it was so cold. the glass was showing massive condensation. It is tapas, and we ordered quite a few, but I sadly can say none of them blew us away. The shrimp croquettes were extremely runny inside and didn't seem to have a good flavor overall. The tortilla, which is one of my favorite tapas items, was oddly overcooked with the potatoes, a brown color that they probably should not have been as well as the omelette. Potatoes were fried well, however, they had no flavor. Which is hard for a potato. The paella was too salty, the pork had none. It was such a juxtaposition. The kids meals were impressive to look at on the menu but again lacked quite a bit of flavor. Overall, the price point was not bad for a tapas restaurant, and the vibe was good, but the meal was just so so and we instantly thought we could've gone better for better value. read more

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Very good cocktails, ask for a bartender recommendation. The Jamon is a must try, perfect with the refreshing gin cocktails. read more

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A family member chose this place, so I did not know what to expect. We experienced an array of different tastes and textures. This was my first meal in Toronto and one of my favorites. BB read more

Went here for my anniversary and did the tasting menu with wine pairing. It was amazing, the third course was the best and the dessert was amazing. I ended up buzzed, full and happy. They gifted us some cherry wine and the service was fast and knowledgeable about the food. Only complaint is that they seated us in a high table when I had book for a low one and I was wearing a skirt . The best of all is that the place in in distillery in an old but cute building. read more

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I was pleasantly surprised to have really enjoyed the food here. Usually I haven't liked restaurants in the distillery district too much. Spanish tapas are not that common in Toronto and I'm so happy to found somewhere that serves pintxos! Their crab pintxos was so delicious and packed with crab. I loved their shrimp croquetas too. The only thing that was a bummer was the service was super slow. Even thought it was a Wednesday night, it was pretty packed so that might have been why. read more

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Madrina was amazing. Located in distillery district, the interior is very chic. I was sat at the bar upon arrival. This place is Michelin rated, so the prices are according to that. I ordered light, but everything was really filling! I got a tortilla española and shrimp croquetas. The flavor on both was exquisite. The croquetas were nice and crunchy, while the tortilla was a bit creamy in the middle. Service was great, but it was a little slow maybe because I was solo. I had to flag down my server twice, but I wasn't in a rush so it wasn't a huge deal. read more

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Tiny tiny portions with high high prices. We spent $100 and left starving and had to get burgers somewhere else.

We had a wonderful experience and night here. First of all, the cocktails were outstanding! We particularly enjoyed the Barcelona Gin Sour, La Bonita, Lavender Early Grey Martini and Noche de pason. The cocktails were delicious, balanced and we couldn't get enough! The food choices were so fun- different than your normal menu. We shared 5 different items from the Tapas menu between two of us. Our favorites were the patatas bravas, shrimp croquettes and chicken lettuce wrap. Don't leave without trying the lettuce wraps! Our server was kind and helpful and we sat outside where we enjoyed live music in the square. All in all, great dinner. We'd go back! read more

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I loved this place! Went here early in the week for dinner. Not busy not like the weekend which made for a calm experience. Everything we ordered was delicious! A real must try are the oxtail buns! I could eat a whole platter of those! The tomato bread, Rusa potato salad, the Gilda Madeira skewer was a delicious surprise! Shrimp croquettes were also tasty! What I can say to you in going here is each dish is meant to share! Bite sized tapas! Makes you want to go to Spain! Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by everything. The flavours for each dish really popped! Definitely want to return! The customer service from beginning to end was so good. Positive, patient and so helpful whenever we had a question. Real standouts! read more

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Was happy to get a reservation here rather last minute and experience their tasting menu. The decor in this place is awesome -- clearly a lot of thought went into the pieces here. I thought the loud house music clashed with the vibe, maybe trying a little hard to be hip when the interior is already impressive. From the tasting menu, here's what we had ordered from our favorite to least favorite: - avocado gazpacho - tuna tartare cone - eggplant and zucchini chips - iberico ham croqueta - flan de queso y fresa - coca flatbread with escalivada - arroz negro con pulpo - patatas bravas - gilda se salmon - oysters with salsa aperitivo Many of these dishes could be improved with another hit of salt at the end. I felt a lot of these were under seasoned, especially the squid ink paella, which you'd expect to be bursting with flavor, which was bland. The weakest was definitely the oysters, and coming from an oyster fiend that says a lot. You could barely taste the oyster itself with the salsa and the shoestring bits made it really awkward to eat. Avocado gaspacho on the other hand had us off to a really strong start -- may not have topped that honestly. The first three courses were super strong and it was kind of a bumpy road from there. I'd go again and maybe sit outside on a nice day. As cool as the decor is in there I think I'd prefer it to be a bit less congested and loud during my meal. read more

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My friends and I decided to stop by Madrina to get some quick bites before heading to another restaurant. The place itself was very pretty, with a bar inside and outdoor seating in the heart of the Gooderham & Worts Distillery District. They had an extensive menu with Spanish inspired tapas and platillos. We choose a few items to share including the Rusa Potato Salad with Tuna Tartare, Tortilla de Patatas, and the Eggplant Escabeche. We loved the drinks here! The Lavender Earl Grey Martini was very good. The subtle sweetness of the lavender- earl grey syrup and blackberries paired well with the vodka. It was probably my favorite thing we ordered. As for the food, the tapas were all good.. the only thing I didn't like was the eggplant because it was a bit too sweet for my liking. My friends loved it though. Also there were a lot of bees in the outdoor area due to the plants. I would definitely sit inside next time. Overall, Madrina has great vibes, great food, and great drinks. I recommend to anyone who is in the area. read more

Madrina Bar y Tapas - lavender-earl grey martinis with rusa potato salad tuna tartare - Tapas Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We enjoyed the beautiful dining room, fun music, delicious cocktails, and deep wine list. If we'd been here just for drinks my review would have been 5 stars. The food was also tasty, if insubstantial. Having done a $$ pri fix menu the night before, we decided to take our waitresses suggestion and order 4 dishes to start. As each dish was (not exaggerating) 2-8 bites of food for each of us, we were still hungry. In all, we ordered 9 vegetarian dishes, 3 cocktail, and one glass of wine for $243, which felt outrageous for the amount of food. Perhaps the most egregious example was $26 for two triangles of manchego and one slice of extremely hard toast (cut into 4 strips), with 4 tiny cubes of quince paste. They descriptions on the menu don't really tell you enough to know what you're getting. The "piqillo tart" is peppers stretched over a cracker with a few tiny dollops of goat cheese, for example. Anyway, come for cocktails. Don't come if you're a vegetarian and hungry. read more

Great cocktails, fast and good service, but the food was just good and nothing too special for the price point at an establishment like this. Portions are small so you get to try different things but nothing really amazing about it. read more

I was here to meet few friends. Overall ambiance is very nice, the staff were courteous. There are good options available to try different cocktails. It also has decent vegetarian food options. I will not come again, but worth trying if you're in the area. read more

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Having travelled through Spain we had to try Madrina. Though the food was done well it is the chef's version of Spains food. Having said that it was tasty and done well. Though pricey I would come back to bring me back to the memories of Spain. Our server was from Spain also and we had a great time conversing. See you soon Madrina read more

I love a good tapas bar, although this love feels a bit questionable during Toronto wintertime. But the thing that is great with tapas when you have picky eaters - is that everyone can eat something! I had wanted to go to the Distillery because I wanted to see the jellycat items in person (I had never seen one!) so we ended up scheduling dinner around the Distillery. We did do a walk in for 2 to Madrina around 8:30 PM. Luckily, they had space for two. It was a bit risky coming in without a reservation but we got lucky. But you probably should do your best to rsvp before coming. Madrina would be really good for large groups. Much of the specialty wines were only available by bottle. P and I got the red sangrias. I wasn't sure how much we'd get but oh boy, the glasses we got was definitely worthy of its $19CAD prices. It was a LOT. We ordered the el bulli olives, patatas millefeuille, east coast oysters with bloody mary, paella of shrimp and clams, and steak tartare on roasted marrow bone. I was pretty excited to see the El Bulli style olives. For Madrina to put it on their menu - they meant serious business. Personally, I thought it was such an interesting way to eat olives that had a slight lemon zing at the end. P was not impressed. As for the rest of the meal, we both agreed that the oysters and the steak tartare were the highlight of the meal. Patatas was good but needed more sauce. Otherwise, the compacted and fried potato slices didn't have enough individual seasoning to carry on by itself. Madrina is where you go out for a very nice night and it's tapas menu prices reflect that. I saw a lot of well-dressed groups and couples celebrating while dining in. Personally, I think it's a great place for a nice dinner and wine with a group of friends. One thing - our table had these beautiful Spanish tiles inlaid into the table. Looks beautiful but the tiles were not completely flat on top. I was so anxious about the way I was setting down my glass of sangria, in case it tipped itself over and the wine flood through my table. read more

We were looking for a good Spanish tapas bar in Toronto and happened to stumble upon this spot in the Distillery. The ambiance of this place is cozy and upscale and it was very busy on a weekend night (we were seated at 9:30PM and it was still packed in there). Service was a little slow and we waited a while for our drinks and food to arrive. Our server was friendly and sweet but you can tell that she was a little overwhelmed by the dinner rush. Our water never really filled and we waited over an hour for our "mains" to arrive. Unfortunately, the food just wasn't that great. It was okay, but nothing really stood out. The two of us shared the Ham Croquetas (not bad), Truffled Egg Yolk (really salty), Tortilla (my fav dish of the night - was creamy and flavorful), Octopus (tasted ok but $24 for 5 thin little slices of octopus is insane. It shouldn't even be listed on the mains category), and the Shrimp Paella (biggest disappointmnt of the night). What should have been the highlight of the meal, the paella, took over an hour to arrive and we both laughed at how small the dish was for a main. All in all, this is a tapas bar so don't expect to be very full but there are definitely some other great spots in town for a much better value. It could be a fun spot to hang out with friends but I wouldn't come here for an actual dinner again. read more

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Food: 4.25/5 Madrinas Bar y Tapas offers a 10-course tasting menu for $89, which encompasses a large variety of their most popular dishes on the menu. We opted to order our own plates as there were specific items I came to try. My favourites and must-have dishes from the tapas included: 1) the Tuna Tartare Cones (soo creamy and delicious, flavoured with salmon roe and plankton aioli all served in a crispy cone shell), and 2) the Truffled Egg Yolks (topped with a strong truffled mushroom puree and fresh black truffle). The yolks came on a spoon and were meant to be eaten in one bite which created the most magnificent flavour explosion! I ordered the patatas bravas based all the positive reviews, but unfortunately it fell flat from expectations, with the bravas sauce tasting more like a very tart ketchup and the potato similar to a hash brown. More aioli would have been great to balance out the ketchup ratio. From the pintxos category, which are essentially small open-faced sandwiches, we had the crab (very yummy) and escalivada (roasted veggies, anchovy and truffle butter). The latter was good but not worth the price tag at $9 for two small pieces. As a truffle lover, I also opted for the espuma de patata con trufa (potato foam, low temp egg, black truffle, trout roe), which was as tasty as anything with truffle can be. From the platillos menu (larger version of tapas), we had the oxtail buns and steak tartare with foie gras. The buns were great when dipped in the red wine sauce, but not quite measuring up to the $19 price tag. For the tartare, the foie was shaved on top of the beef which caused the flavours to be lost in the dish. I would have preferred more foie or a small solid piece on top. Drinks: 5/5 Both cocktails we ordered were delicious and hand-crafted with complex ingredients. My partner exclaimed it was something he could drink everyday. The Barcelona Gin Sour (rhubarb & ginger gin, ginger liqueur, pomegranate syrup, lemon juice, egg white) was tangy and slightly spicy due to the ginger. The Noche de Pasion (gin, black currant liqueur, pedro ximinez sherry, lemon juice, fig syrup, vanilla and fig bitters) was sweet and refreshing. Coming from a gin lover and someone who enjoys cocktails on the sweeter side, this was perfect. Atmosphere: 5/5 The interior had a great vibe as the restaurant is located within the distillery district and kept the theme on the inside as well. The decorations, ceilings and walls resembled a distillery and the ambiance was cozy. We made a reservation ahead of time for standard seating which we preferred over the high tops that looked less comfortable. Service: 5/5 The servers were pleasant and both food and drinks arrived in a timely fashion, despite the busy night. We came for a birthday celebration and were given sherry digestif at the end of the meal for dessert, followed by a Madrinas Bar postcard wishing a happy birthday and hand-signed by all the staff. The lovely gesture shows that the restaurant goes above and beyond to make their guests feel appreciated! read more

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A cute cozy bar/restaurant in the heart of the distillery district, serving up Spanish tapas. The copper accents, stone walls, lighting gives it's a nice rustic Spanish feel. It does get busy inside, and without tapestry or sound absorption the restaurant does get noisy. Seleccion de Quesos - A selection of their cheese comes with crispy toast and cubed jam. This is selection has a blend of their 3 cheese from hard to soft. It is perfect to try their selection of cheese which all give off different characteristics. My favourite one by itself is the Idiazabal, savory and smokey flavours. The mahon is also good with the toast and cubed jam. The jam was also very interesting as it was more solid than typical jams, and came in individual cubes perfect to put on the small toasts. Seleccion de Embutidos - Similar to their selection of cheeses is their selection of cured meats. Here we get to try their Iberico ham, Salchinchon and chorizo. The chorizo has exceptional flavor and the spiciness is not overpowering. The Iberico flavor is a bit more subtle, ultimately not my favourite as thinly sliced expensive meats are not more preferred way of enjoying $$$ meats. Steak tartare on a roasted marrow bone - The contrast in this dish is the cooked bone vs the raw tartare. A very interesting combination of textures (oily from marrow and chewy from the steak). Served on a bed of herbs, frankly I wasn't sure what to do with it, seems like a waste to use all that rosemary for decoration (and not have it in the food). Finally served with toast, the same ones that came with the selection of cheeses. This part is a bit disappointing. Bread was crispy, overpowering the other textures. The toast also didn't absorb flavours very well so I think ultimately this addition of the toast subtracted from this dish. I would have preferred a softer white bread to come with this dish. Pulpo con papasa alinas - Octopus on crushed potatoes was my favourite dish of the night! Everything on here was cooked and seasoned beautifully. The soft potatoes carried the savoury flavours while the octopus gave the dish a nice contrast in textures. Manchego cheesecake - The cheese was wrapped in a hard fondant, didnt crack easily as I'd expect with a white chocolate layer. Maybe it had not fully thawed yet... The cake itself was super cheesey, like there was a lot of manchego cheese in it, and did not have enough fruity flavours or sweetness elements to offset the savoury cheese. Would not get again. Tocinillo del cielo - This was a delicately delicious plate. Every on it was so soft, and had such interesting contrast in flavours. On one side was this light custard like cake with yuzu sago and on the other side was the light whipped cream with espresso flavours. Both mixed togeter worked well! Would come back for the octopus, maybe try some of their cocktails as they seem to be very popular. Avoid anything with toast as its just thinly sliced bread turned into toast. read more

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The food was not good for me is really not for kids great for adults but not kids . The service was good . The place was amazing and was really Cool and the outdoor seating was nice. read more

We came here during the holidays and due to a snowstorm, it was not very full on a Friday night. We ordered - Heirloom tomato and quail egg salad - Escalivada montaditos - Seleccion de embutidos - Oxtail buns - Vieira gratinada - Tocinillo del cielo My favourites were the scallop and oxtail buns. Each dish was presented beautifully, but the flavours didn't necessarily blow us away. Solid place for date night in the Distillery District! read more

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Ambiance was phenomenal, good lighting and area is very clean and well put together. Service was quick and good quality was amazing. Tons of flavor and had 0 complaints. A little bit on the price side but definitely recommend trying the croquetas. read more

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Came here for a date night. This restaurant was highly recommended, and definitely with good reason. We loved almost everything that we ordered. The only dishes we felt were average were the chorizo sausage and the paella. My favourite dishes were their smoked octopus and Vieira Gratinada- which was scallop with piquillo pepper sofrito, idiazabal cheese and cava sauce. The service was amazing as well. Our server thoroughly explained the menu to us and was so sweet! It is quite expensive though but definitely worth the money imo read more

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We went trying few different places that night. We were looking for vegetarian and vegan options, they had both. Drinks were good. Couple of appetizers we tried were delicious as well. Ambience and service were good. Will definitely go back again sometime. read more

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Great lively atmosphere & customer service. For a group of 5, we ordered multiple rounds of tapas to share as well as a drink each. The most notable favourites were the tuna tartare cones and oxtail buns! Definitely a treat for a girls night out. read more

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My friend and I were looking for a nice Thursday night dinner that was within walking distance of his flat in Corktown. This place was one of the few options that was open and lively from what we could see. We chose to sit in the patio and we had a nice server the entire time. I think for the price point, we expecting a bit more. My drink was ok, but nothing special. The tapas we were recommended were decent, but we didn't leave with a wow factor. I found the shrimp paella to be horribly overpriced for the quantity of the place. All-in-all, I wouldn't return here if I'm hungry. Between the two of us, we got about 5-6 small tapas plates, plus two cocktails and with the tip, it was over $180. I found that to be very expensive given the food quality wasn't necessarily amazing. I figure you probably pay more at this location given it's at the distillery district, but I left still a little hungry and itching for more. read more

Speaking of the food I had a horrible experience. I ordered the octopus because I read great reviews about it, but it wasn't good. First the portion is very very small (five little pieces for real). Second, the octopus was incredibly chewy (not soft at all) and the mashed potatoes had a very strong taste that bothered me (like onions or something similar). My husband was enough satisfied from his choice (the steak tartare), but the portion isn't worth the price. The restaurant is very cute and the service was friendly, but the food wasn't really good as I expected. read more

Madrina Bar y Tapas - Octopus and steak tartare - Tapas Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Had dinner here with my male partner and experienced blatant racial discrimination. The tall blonde waitress refused to acknowledge my existence throughout the meal. She spoke exclusively to my white male partner, stood only on his side of the table, only smiled at him and avoided making eye contact with me completely. Her passive aggressive behavior made it crystal clear, a woman of color like me was not worthy of basic respect in this restaurant. She assumed my partner would pay, and when I asked for the bill, she acted shocked and pretended not to hear me. After I paid, she received 0 tips, I intended to confront her directly but she immediately disappeared into the kitchen and never returned. I spoke to the receptionist, who was kind and seemed to understand. She notified the manager, who then approached us with a completely dismissive attitude. Instead of acknowledging the racial discrimination I had just experienced, his first response was, "So how was the food?" as if that could erase the harm. As a woman of color, I strongly urge other minorities to avoid this restaurant. The staff dehumanized me, and the management clearly doesn't take racism seriously. Months later, I've heard nothing. No apology. No accountability. A friend of mine also reported being treated poorly here, this is not an isolated incident. read more

Stopped by for snacks to listen to some jazz outside. With the jazz playing outside, it was a great relaxing afternoon with attentive service. Oddly the highlight was the most simple item: the PA AMB TOMÀQUET was just crispy bread with tomato and olive oil but the sharp umami of the tomato really shone through. I was expecting the PATATAS BRAVAS MADRINA LIKE A MILLEFEUILLE to be crispier/more wafer-esque, but it was nevertheless delicious with the sauces. The GRILLED GARROTXA CHEESE packed a punch and was good to try, though it was not mind-blowing in any capacity. SHRIMP CROQUETAS were an interesting attempt at fusion and they were pretty tasty! read more

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For my husband's birthday, I took him to a play at Soul Pepper theater. We popped in to Madrina to have a drink and a tapa before. At 6:30 we sat at a high table and ordered a glass of wine, a cocktail and a tapa. We told the waiter we were going to the theater and must leave by 7:15. Our drinks arrived and the wine was not the size ordered.the cocktail i ordered was incorrect, but we only asked that they fixthe wine order. By 7pm our tapa had not arrived and when the waiter came he asked if we wanted our bill. We said yes, and that considering the time we assumed he forgot our tapa. We paid and left. It was a shame as we had hoped for something special. The Somontano was mediocre, but the cucumber cocktail was excellent. read more

I'm no food critic but I can say our party thoroughly enjoyed their tasting menu!! The torched salmon and tuna tartare were just PERFECTION... Our server was informative and friendly, but the bussers were cold/rude. The overall ambiance is good for a company event or date night, and we enjoyed being able to peek inside the kitchen right from our seats. We will return to try the rest of the menu! read more

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Stumbled upon Madrina's while on an afternoon walk through the Distillery District in Toronto. This bar has a very upscale feel to it: the interior of the restaurant is beautifully decorated, clean, and intimate; the exterior is lively, adorned with string lights and thoughtfully equipped with heat lamps to keep you and your date warm! We were able to snag a table outside without making a reservation. It was so cool to sit next to such a historic building, right in the central square of the Distillery District. We weren't looking to eat a full dinner, just grab a few drinks, people watch, and take in the city. Our waiter highly suggested we try the MANCHEGO, so we ordered it along with one glass of PONIENTE (the drink pictured with the lime slice in it) and one glass of ALHAMBRA (the drink pictured with the foam on top). Both drinks were flavorful and fun, and the little slices of bread and cheese were delicious. Our tab came out to $75CAD which is about $55USD including tip, so this place is pretty fairly priced for an upscale experience. Staff was friendly and helpful. Reservations were not necessary but encouraged-- the hostess does have a waitlist. Cards are accepted. Overall very fun and tasty experience! read more

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Excellent tapas & cocktails! Cool ambiance, decent service, and amazing food & drink! I had the flight of gin & tonics and they were three, quite large g&t's with very interesting flavors (one had beer and one had miso syrup!) and all were great. Everything we got was excellent (truffle manchego, oysters 2 ways, sausage, bread, shrimp croqueta). read more