The best Greek food I ever had! I got recommended by a Greek friend. All of the dishes I ordered were amazing!! Food: 5/5 Best Greek food I ever had!! Octopus is super tender and flavourful. They used a lot of different herbs. The lamb is perfect. I was not a fan of lamb because of the smell. I donk know how they did it but there were no strong lamb smell but very flavourful. The beef short rib is good. All of the sauces they have are amazing. Service: 5/5 The server was very nice and attentive. Price: 4.5/5 For the quality of food for the price: a must try!!! read more

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It's pricy, but for the service and food - I thought it was well worth my money! Fair price if you're splitting with a friend, but fairly pricy if you're footing the bill for a date - but overall, I'd come back again :) Spanakopita - HOLY FASHIZZLE. It's one of those crumbly pastries where it just hits the spot when you're feeling ravenous. The exterior was a buttery, flaky crust and the inside was practically stuffed to the brim with spinach and feta(?) - 10/10 would recommend Lamb chops - Pretty popular dish and with good reason. Tender lamb chops on smear of tabouleh and tzatziki sauce. I recommend skipping the house dip order of tzatziki if you're getting this - 10/10 would recommend Octopus - This dish kind of paled in comparison to the previous two, but still delicious. It's a pretty small dish, so don't expect this to act as a main. Fairly tender, but could've used a bit more sauce - 7.5/10 would recommend Overall, it's a cute place and I highly recommend reservations (OpenTable), unless you don't mind sitting at the bar near the entrance (but not optimal for winter). The food came out extremely quick and the servers were fairly attentive! Would go back to check out the fish and baklava :)! read more

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My initial assumption about this place is that the food was going to be fancier souvalaki-like dishes drenched in tzatziki sauce. Boy am I wrong. This place really sets themselves apart from the flavours and nice sophisticated ambiance without the uptight feel. This is Family-style so you can share the dishes and try a bit of each. The waitress is knowledgeable but I felt like we were a little rushed to get out as they cleared the plates when there was still a little bit of food left. The must try: Paidakia (lambchops) and halloumi (appetizer with corn peaches pistachio and cheese). The house dips are are also good. I like the eggplant based and also the spicy dip one. Not as good: Chicken was a little on the dry side. Fish was just steamed fish not that special Octopus has an interesting sauce, good to try but it wasn't cooked that perfectly. read more

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Came for my parents anniversary and had a fabulous time! Food 4/5: Four of us shared atherina, house dips, spanakopita, psari, oktapodi, roasted brussel sprouts and lamb chops! Everything was fresh and declious. In particular I loved the smelts and dips. The pitas were warm and drizzled with olive oil however you only get 2 per dip which isn't nearly enough. The lost star is because the portions were disappointingly small. Service 5/5: Our sever was fantastic! My parents aren't familiar with Greek food and had tons of questions but he was super patient and friendly. The food came out at a good pace and our table was constantly cleared and reset. Atmosphere 4/5: Very pretty and romantic but the tables are a bit too close together. I could hear the entire conversation of the group next to us. read more

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Came for Mother's Day dinner. We had a late reservation but the restaurant was still very busy. Our server was amazing. She was very friendly and very helpful with the menu. The recommendation was to order about 7-8 dishes to share family style with a mixture of appetizers and main courses. We ordered 2 house dips- Melizanosalata (eggplant) and Kopanisti (roasted red pepper), lamb tartare, Horiatiki Kotopita (chicken in phyllo pastry), grilled octopus, filled lamb chops and kotopoulo (brined chicken and roasted cabbage and cremini mushrooms). The dips were excellent and came with warm pita bread. The lamb tartare was quite good and did not taste gamey at all. I am not a lamb fan and I ate quite a bit of if. It was seasoned quite well. The chicken in phyllo pastry was good and very flaky. The grilled octopus was good but nothing special. The brined chicken was amazing. It was so tender and juicy and well seasoned. The lamb chops was good but nothing special and a bit too charred for our liking. The special Mother's Day dessert was very good. We ordered too many dishes and would reduce our order by a couple of dishes. read more

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Surprisingly overpriced, Any restaurant on the Danforth would be disappointed with both the quantity and quality.

Mamakas is a beautiful Greek restaurant on Ossington that is always bumping. Overall I'd rate them 4-4.5/5. We came here for the first time on a busy Friday night for a late reservation at 9:30 and it was still super packed - I highly recommend making a reservation beforehand We shared the eggplant dip + pita, octopus, the famed lamb chops, broccolini, and a baklava. Okay starting with the highlights: THE OCTOPUS. This is the best octopus I've ever had. Hands down. Not at all chewy, perfectly cooked, and paired so well with the dip, onions, and lemon on the plate. I will definitely be coming back for that dish. The lamb chops were super good but we found that each was cooked slightly different and some were over charred. The last lamb chop was the best piece as it was truly medium rare while the others were a bit too overdone. The highlight of the lamb chop dish was truly the tzatziki though - that dip is addictive. It is SO GOOD. We also greatly enjoyed the broccolini - very flavourful, not at all bitter, perfectly tender. Things I would skip in the future would be the eggplant dip - I will definitely order the tzatziki next time given how delicious it was with the lamb. The pita was good and fluffy but mine was slightly too charred. I would also skip the baklava next time - good but would have been better warm to pair with the delicious milk and honey ice cream. On top of our meal we also ordered the negroni and Northern Almond - both super good and worth the $15. All in all, delicious meal and drinks, loved the ambiance, but given the price (approximately $80-90 each) I am a bit more picky and critical with my rating and give it 4-4.5/5. I wanted to be blown away by each dish and felt that some just fell short of my higher expectations. That being said I definitely plan on coming back to try more things on their menu! read more

This place brings a much-needed Greek gem to the otherwise deprived Toronto area (outside of Danforth, of course!) What I loved - it's very fancy food served in an environment that is anything but. The prices are "fine dining" but the atmosphere is fun, cozy and casual all at once. The atmosphere is lively - strikingly so. Loved the strings of lights that hung from the walls as they made you feel at home. That's exactly how I envision Greek fare - homely and unpretentious. Our table of eight fit comfortably despite the venue's fairly small size. The food did not disappoint - in particular, the bread and dips we had as an appetizer (there were four of the latter which were so delicious, especially the babaganoush and an orange-coloured one that was full of cheese). You must try them! The rest of the meal (we opted for the fixed menu - $65 per person) was very nice. A loooooot of food (in fact I might suggest you come with your friends and share a few plates in lieu of a fixed menu set - we had 15 boxes of packed food at the end!). Highlights were the tender lamb chops and a resplendent spinach and cheese-filled phyllo pastry. I'm not much of a fish eater but the fish at our table must have been great as it disappeared quickly! Dessert was also wonderful - a selection of ice creams (with such unique flavours - cardamom, honey, something reminiscent of gingerbread, etc.) as well as some sort of pastry which I didn't try (too full by that point) but heard was great. The only misses - there was a half-hour gap between serving our penultimate and last dish (dessert!) which wasn't ideal (but once dessert cake we gobbled it up fast). There were also a few dishes that weren't as memorable (eg a pepper covered in olive (?) oil). Overall I'm happy to forgive - a dinner I really enjoyed! read more

Mamakas Taverna - These dips are so good - especially the babaganoush in the middle and the cheesy one on the right(orange). Totally recommend! - Greek Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Date of visit: November 7, 2021 Three of us dined in the covered sidewalk dining area. It was chilly out, but they have numerous heaters, so we were absolutely warm. C and I ordered cocktails to start with. I had an old fashioned and C ordered the Aphrodite, which I tasted. Both drinks were just what the doctor ordered. I ordered the lamb chops; C ordered the Kolokithakia (i.e. vege platter) and Julia had the grilled octopus. Everyone was very pleased with their meal. Nice presentation and tasty dishes. The ambiance inside looked inviting and bustling. Our server was very efficient, but not particularly warm. I felt rushed. Nevertheless we enjoyed our time at Mamakas. Ambiance: 4+ stars Service: 4 stars Cuisine: 4+ stars read more

On a last minute change reservation they were able to accommodate us, a group of four. Attentive wait persons even though the place was very busy. The appetizers came quickly and were SO tasty. I have aLways had a hankering for octopus when I see it on a menu. Most times I am disappointed . Not so here. Probably the most well prepared and tasty I have had in years. Maybe only the second place in Toronto that knows how to do octopus. AT LAST! Other guests had chicken, chops, and salad. Everybody was impressed. All world travelers who know Mediterranean and Greek cuisine well. Sorry Danforth, you have been outdone. This is our new favourite. read more

I've been hearing about Mamakas for about a year now, mainly from a friend who couldn't stop singing its praises. I finally had an opportunity to check it out and I have to say I wasn't let down at all. We arrive and are seated immediately, even though we haven't had any reservations. I would recommend making reservations though, they filled up pretty quickly on the Monday night. Our server was lovely, and informative. I mentioned it was my first time here and she made suggestions on what and how many of each course to order. She also recommended a Metaxa Mule as I like cocktails that aren't too sweet. As per the norm, we ordered waaay too much for just two people and all the food arrived promptly - in fact the only complaint I really have is that the food arrived pretty much all at the same time and we felt a bit rushed to eat it all (I know, it's tragic), but our server did apologize a couple times. The food here is meant to be shared, so order a few dishes and family style it. Must order: Lamb - Perfectly cooked, if you enjoy lamb rare to mid-rare, melts in your mouth, and sits on a bed of tzaiki and bulgar. Octopus - tender pieces of tentacle served with pickled onions and capers. My fav octopus in the city thus far. Dips - I only tried two of the four listed - the Taramousalata, fish based dip that has the texture of mousse, it was very light and tasty, and the Kopanisti which is feta with roasted red pepper. It's a little coarser than the first dip but just as good. It's served with the most amazing, freshly baked pita bread. I could sit there and eat bread and dip all day. The only dish I didn't enjoy as much was the eggplant dish. I found a bit under seasoned for my tastes. Thoroughly enjoyable experience from start to finish (their desserts are divine!) and would return in a heartbeat. read more

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0 stars if I could. Mamakas was a restaurant that I've been dying to try because of all the good reviews. So earlier tonight I came here with my two colleagues. We arrived at 5:28pm, I opened the door and it was locked. Mind you, there were already staff working inside and the hostess was right at the front. So she saw me trying to open the door. Instead of opening the door to let us know that they were open at 5:30 and to perhaps wait in the meantime, she just looked at us. Fine. We ended up standing outside in the freezing cold waiting for about 5 minutes and at this time should've been opened! And they saw us standing outside. After waiting for 5 minutes, we left to go to another restaurant who warmly welcomed us. Very unprofessional of them. And if the website says they open at 5:30 then please open the damn place on time! Seriously! read more

One of the best Greek taverna in Toronto. The food at Mamakas is elevated rustic Aegean cuisine at its finest. My favourite dishes were the fish (I think it was a seabass) and the lamb - although, all of the dishes were excellent. I would recommend going with a few friends so that you can share a few dishes to get the full experience at Mamakas. Save room for dessert! Mamakas is always busy so I would highly recommend getting a reservation. read more

Mamakas Taverna - Dinner at Mamakas! - Greek Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Personally I though the food was overrated and overpriced. I had head so many great reviews which and was looking forward to trying this restaurant however I felt the food was very average. I got the fish of the day which didn't taste like anything special and the chicken I would not order again. The service was good and the there was definitely a good vibe in terms of ambiance, however it was an expensive meal for food that I wouldn't order again. read more

I don't have much experience with Greek cuisine outside of fast food like souvlaki and gyros, so I decided to go with the modern-Greek route for an introduction. Mamakas is on the hipster Ossington strip, where creativity is never lacking. The menu at Mamakas appeared to consist of dishes using a Greek foundation, then altered with up-to-date cooking techniques and seasonal local ingredients. I started off with what the owner highly recommended, the xifias, to contrast the rich flavors of the meaty main dishes. The xifias is unlike most of the appetizers, in that it's a cold dish, consisting of thin swordfish sashimi sprinkled with fennel, dill, radish, chili, and a few pieces of sea asparagus. The fish was sheet-thin but still had a meaty flesh, it tasted generally mild but easily soaked up the bright lemon sauce and herbally dill. I have heard of a Greek swordfish steak before, but never seen swordfish served the way Mamakas hprepared it. This truly demonstrates the theme of Mamakas reinventing dishes using the Greek recipe core and local vegetables. For the main course, I ordered the rabbit stifado. This dish was the reason I came to Mamakas, after seeing it highlighted in a travel magazine that I read at my hotel. The stifado not quite served as a stew in a pot as you might imagine, the Mamakas version is an individual portion and served on big plate. It contained a succulent rabbit leg braised in wine, sweet chopped vegetables, and peppercorns, then placed over a creamy puree of artichokes. The rabbit meat was accompanied with roasted onions, which had the best caramelized flavor I had ever experienced. Service was exceptional from the moment I stepped through the door. The owner was genuine, energetic, and friendly, he definitely knows hospitality and how to entertain guests. The prices were somewhat higher than expected, but justified due to the use of local fresh ingredients in a very unique and creative way. After a great meal at Mamakas, I definitely want to return the next time I'm in town, and also try a traditional Greek restaurant on Danforth to see the difference. read more

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It would have been a perfect experience if we got better value for the price. Mamakas serves up delicious Greek food in the hip Ossington neighbourhood. Although the decor is trendy and appealing, the entrance and spacing between tables were a bit tight specially on busy nights. Our group ordered the cheese sgnaski, goat tartare and smelt to start, all were quite tasty. For the main, I had the lamb chops, the Mr. had the grilled calamari and my friend ordered the Moussaka. Truth be told, I didn't think the price justified the small portions served even tho the food were delicious. For example, the calamari cost $21 but it only came in 2 tiny tentacles, I was served 4 small pieces of lamb chops for $36 while my friend's moussaka was barely big enough for everyone to take a bite. On top of that, none of the entrees came with sides so we had to order side dishes. A side order of broccolini costed $6 and came with 2 stems while the tomato feta cheese salad cost $18! Delicious food but not at that price. read more

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Wow from start to finish! This food was INCREDIBLE! Honestly, the roasted chicken may have been some of the juiciest well flavored chicken I've ever had. Usually chicken can be a safe dish that doesn't always standout next to the likes of lamb, beef or whole roasted fish, but this dish came to play! It was scrumptious. The wines are all from Greece and the server helped us pick a lovely bottle based on what I usually go for with wine. The spanikopita was not that run of mill kind, it was a full blown artsy pastry made with so much care and technique. The meze style dips were well flavored. Definite shout outs to the eggplant and roasted red pepper ones. Those really stood out. And OMFG the pita bread that's made in house is a carb lovers dream! Holy moly this was unreal! Honestly it was a superb meal and I would love to dine here again! read more

Mamakas Taverna - Greek Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Don't look for a big sign with the words Mamakas Taverna, all you will see is a glass door with blue Greek lettering on it. If you see a pile of pitas through the glass front, you are at the right place. We hopscotched around the menu with our knowledgeable server as our guide. Starting with the Taramosalata, a caviar and potato whipped mousse with hot pita bread. The Taramosalata I've had in the past have been too fishy, but this one is nicely balances with plenty of lemon so it's bright and almost light. The pita bread is divine, it comes piping hot, charred on the outside but so soft inside. Something simple but done correctly made the whole meal for me. The Xifias was next, a thin slice of cured swordfish liberally doused with lemon and dill. The dish is refreshing but isn't too substantial and quickly leaves you wanting more. The grilled octopus consists of two long tentacles charred at the tips but tender in the thicker parts. By this time we were craving more of the pita, so ordered the Melitzanosalata which was good but who were we kidding.....we were really after the pita. The last dish of the meal was the lamb chops as recommended by our patient waiter after observing our sporadic navigation of the menu. It wrapped up the meal perfectly, four lamb chops cooked to a rare and beautifully tender. The meal was like a quick vacation to the Greek Islands for the night, definitely worth the trip!! read more

Opa! I've been scheming a nice new restaurant to try for a special occasion, and Mamakas was at the top of my list. I've never come across high-end Greek food in Toronto, so I was pretty excited. I love Greek food, I love fancy things, win win. The restaurant itself is sparkling white with bright murals and large windows for Ossington people watching, one of my favourite sports. While sitting in this bustling yet pristine setting, we enjoyed their tequila negroni, the tzaziki and pita, the spanikopita, the lamb and the octopus. It was all delicious, especially the tzaziki and lamb. The octopus is huge and means business, so if you're like Neil Patrick Harris* and are into octopus and scrabble, this is probably your dish. The owner sent over a small bottle of ouzo, which really added a kick to our night, and was very appreciated. PEPPER'S PISSED: Huh. Haven't been pissed in a while, but I need to sound off. What is with this new airplane-sized bathroom trend, Tarana? I'd rather wait for a couple of minutes than be squished into a 2x2 room that houses a sink, toilet, mirror and garbage. *I just saw Gone Girl. read more

Mamakas Taverna - Greek Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Word on the street was that Ossington had a popping new Greek joint with good food. Read the Yelp reviews and was pretty conflicted by the ratings; the ratings were either 5 stars or 1. What I noticed was that all the 5 stars reviews were for the food, and the 1 star reviews were for the price of the food. My review will be about the overall experience. All dishes are meant to be shared, similar to tapas but larger in size. What we ate: Imam Baildi - Eggplant, Tomato confit, caramelized onion, fresh thyme $12 (6/10) - This olive oil braised eggplant was served with a slice of bread. The eggplant was well cooked and booming with onion and thyme flavor. The only disappointment was that the bread served with the dish was vividly burnt. The burnt side of the bread was flipped over and it made me wonder whether the chef knew it was burnt and served it anyway. Horta - Baby organic dandelion salad $12 (6/10) - The description is a bit deceiving. It's not the yellow dandelion you imagine on your lawn. Also it's not so much of a cold salad, rather a sautéed green vegetable dish with garlic. In all honestly, this was identical to a Chinese wok fried choy dish. Tasty, just wasn't what we expected after reading the description. Psari - Whole grilled fish-catch of the day $55 (5/10) - The catch of the day was a yellow sword fish. Grilled, doused in olive oil, and de-boned. A little disappointed at this dish, especially if the fish is valued at $55 I expect to be writing home about it. It was a basic white fish. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely didn't taste like it was fresh and it wasn't entirely deboned. Padiakia - Ontario lamb chops $24 (5/10) -Medium rare grilled lamb chops. The meat needed more seasoning, tenderizing and a bit more game (freshness of the meat is questionable). Tasted like any meat. Rating Summary: Food: 5/10 - average for the items noted above. The food wasn't terrible, but also nothing spectacular for what you expect to experience with the amount of money you're spending on each dish. Atmosphere: 8/10 - Packed house on a Tuesday night, good Greek music, homely and modern interior design. Only caveat, the exposed kitchen will leave you smelling like your dinner for the next week. Service: 7/10 - Water service needed improvement and food service was generally slow. It was just over an hour from the time of ordering to when all four dishes came out . Overall, food was decent (neither terrible nor spectacular). However, I would agree with the other reviewers and note the price you're paying for the food isn't worth it. I'd come back for the scene and drinks, but not the food. P.S - there is a charge for water, yes, includes still tap water. read more

Mamakas Taverna - Lamb chops - Greek Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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We came here after hearing so many good reviews from friends. All I have to say is...WOW! The place is small but quaint, feels very homey and the service was good. The food was delicious! It wasn't too heavy....depending on what dish you order of course. The grill whole fish was the star of the night! Salt and pepper drizzled with olive oil and sliced lemon on the side. Simple but delicious! The house dip was good as well. The salad exceeded our expectations. My husband doesn't like olive and he ate the salad. The brown/purple olive paste wasn't too overwhelming. It blended perfectly with the feta cheese, tomatoes and purple onion. The fries were surprisingly good. I didn't expect to have feta cheese and tzatziki dip with my fries. Left the restaurant full and happy. We didn't feel heavy and overstuffed. It was a bit pricey for some items, but given that the food was delicious, and service was good, I don't mind paying for it. We would definitely come back again. read more

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Easily one my my favourite restaurants in Toronto. Not only does Mamakas serve upscale flavourful greek dishes, they match it with a bustling and energetic environment. Mamakas executed simple dishes with flair and finesse. The simplistic spanokopita was brought alive with sweetness from the glazed honey which complemented perfectly with the acidity from the underlying yogurt spread. The lamb chops were possibly the best lamb chops that I've had. The spread of tzatziki underneath the lamb chops was so good that it could probably be a dish on its own! I would definitely come back once, twice, and possibly many more times for the spanokopita and the lamb chops! read more

Mamakas Taverna - Spanakopita - Greek Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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First time I went to Mamakas, my boyfriend and I were absolutely blown away by the food. It was the best Greek in Toronto thus far. We had 4 apps and the chicken and Market fish- a Porgy. Both divine and so, so we'll done.... As cheesy as it may sound I really felt this was cooked with love and pride by the chef. As well as two desserts we found absolutely fabulous. The service on the other hand was pretty bad. Our server didn't initially approach us until about 15 minutes in. When she did it was quite rushed (it was busy, to be fair). Her menu knowledge was barely there and knowledge of the restaurants liquor was zero. We were super interested in a tequila and she went on telling us it was a tequila we knew. After our meal, we again, could not locate our missing server so we had to order our tequilas with the owner who told us that what we were ordering was absolutely wrong, and he was confused why we thought so.... Kinda funny. The food was worth it though. So we made a reservation for a week from that day for 6 to bring our family to this wonderful resto. We came back a week later to find the service was a bit better and friendlier (more existent) but the food was an absolute disappointment. Which was very upsetting at we dragged our family out, singing Mamaka's praises. Our lamb chops came out before most of our apps and the rest trickled in the next 15 minutes. We ordered two orders of chicken that came 30 minutes later than everyone else's dishes. We were warned of the delay of food coming out (and were pretty easy). Once our chicken came it looked gorgeous but undercooked :( bad enough for either of us not to really touch it and when our server came over and saw the full dishes in front of us she offered to just pack it up. I don't think we'll be returning because inconsistency is the worst. read more

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We have a winner on our hand here folks. I have seen this place crop up without much fan fare then I started to see the crowds gather and was more intrigued how the food was here. This was an unplanned visit as was in the area. We had time to kill so came in and looked at the menu and decided to visit this spot after looking at the menu (should have checked what's available as well more on than later) I enjoy Greek cuisine and was thinking to try out the classics to get a better idea on where they stand. My DC wanted to have chicken and found out later that was it wasn't being sold that day. Anyway here is what we ordered Haloomi: Hit it out of park just gorgeous presentation and with a nice balance of citrus and carrot puree. Fried just right and was quite fresh too I think as its unlike the store bought version I am used too. Spanakopita : Done very well again. Very rich as expected and I recommend it sharing among 3-4 people if having mains. Octopus: I use this as a yardstick for Greek food along with the lavraki to asses the kitchen skills on seafood. Hmm this was OK not great. While charred nicely it was a bit more chewy than I would expect at a place that does other dishes so well. Moussaka (vegetarian): Oh boy this is the highlight of the dishes I tried on this visit. Just gorgeous as it is just so hard to elevate a vegetable dish let alone make it stand out this way over a cuisine which is mainly known for their meats. This is the best Moussaka I have ever had. Gorgeous perfectly cooked vegetables cut paper thin and layer upon layer of flavor. Bechamel topping the dish was also done just right. I will be back just to try this out. Potatos side was forgetful. Wine list as expected is mainly Greek wines and are reasonably priced with good options by the glass. The place gets crowded real fast as seemed like many of them were regulars so I would recommend making a reservations even on weekdays. I think this by far one of the best Greek food spots in Toronto! I will be back to try out the other classics 4.5 stars! read more

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Pandemic. Quarantine. Isolation. Not tonight! Tonight we were in Greece! Mamakas is my daughter's favourite restaurant so for her birthday, we ordered the dinner for 4. We set the backyard with candles and flowers, Greek music, Greek wine, and we served the most delicious, abundant dinner. My daughter said it was the best birthday she's ever had! A special thank you to Thanos, the owner, for personally delivering the meal at precisely 7pm, allowing us to create the most beautiful surprise. We've been missing the restaurant, but tonight we got a taste... Can't wait to come back!! read more

Mamakas Taverna - Mamakas delivery - family dinner for 4 - amazing! - Greek Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Oh Mamakas, how quickly you captured my heart! I dedicate my 100th review to your lovely charm, friendly wait staff and delectable food. You are my favourite of 2015. I remember walking into this cosy resto on a wintry night in December and wow! What a vibrant atmosphere. This Greek taverna was the only Ossington establishment packed on Tuesday night and with a waitlist at that. Picture warm chatter, polished white decor, stucco walls lit by incandescent patio lights... it's as if you've been transported to your Greek grandmother's house. I've been here a few times and absolutely love the halloumi, the grilled lamb chops as well as the grilled fish of the day. Dessert cannot be passed up if you've a sweet tooth. Finally, make reservations if you intend to drop by as this space only seats 85. Looking forward to the next visit! read more

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Food ****1/2 Service *** Ambience **** These folks have it going on! I've walked past here a hundred times and thought it was a cafe. I'm glad I found this spot. As we were a larger group, we ordered a number of dishes including lamb, chicken, Greek salad, Octopus, Greek Salad and a few others. The standouts were the Greek salad and (surprisingly) the chicken. Both were exceptional. The Greek salad olives (paste) were so flavourful - I'm glad some folks at the table didn't like olives and I got to go to town on it! The group and 3 bottles of wine and a few cocktails. Bill came to under $100 including an t&t (18% grat), which was reasonable in my opinion for that much food and a good helping of alcohol. Service was good at the start, however towards the end when I finished my drink and was looking to get another, our server was nowhere to be found. read more

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Beautiful restaurant interior. Food is good. Super expensive so I expected perfection. Not blown away by anything but everything was tasty. Knowledgeable patient service as the menu can be confusing if you don't know Greek food or language. Highest market price on fish I've ever heard. $77? read more

Let bed this place...authentic tavern in Ossington...I gave these guys 4 stars although it's a casual place, because of the food and service not the ambiance. We had 3 or 4 Mezes plus the village salad and I can honestly say everything tasted delicious. For the main course I ordered the lamb chubs and it was heavenly. One thing for sure I am going back. read more

We went to Mamakas on Monday and the place was packed, but that didn't discourage the service which was amazing. We had studied the menu before going to the restaurant so we pretty much knew what to order except for the cocktails that were very well made (if you like mastiha, go for the mastiha cocktail) Trying to get a taste of as much as possible, we order a lot of sides & starters and one main dish. (we got the seasonal pie, shrimp saganaki, keftedes, prasini, mushrooms, fries and the grilled octapus) My favourite one was the pie - it was amazing, better than whatever I have ever had. Second best was the keftedes which was served with feta mousse. The octapus main dish was also super good. Apart from everything tasting absolutely delicious, we also got some home-baked bread (like the one that you can rarely get in Toronto), all the dishes also looked nice and nothing was late - so if you're one of those visiting famous places only during weekdays fear not, you'll probably get good service any day. We also got the Milo Galatopita as a dessert which was also amazing! Next time we're visiting, we're probably trying the rest of the sides & starters & more cocktails! read more

We have been here several times and enjoyed each occasion. However , this time we were sat at the bar where they are preparing the food, rather than a table. On the whole, I would recommend the table. Although watching them prepare food was fun . The noise level is still high no matter where you sit. They have some really lovely Greek white wines, in particular those from Santorini. The service, as always, was lovely and friendly and efficient. We had the taramasalata which is a rich and with a strong garlic/onion flavour. We also had the yellowtail 'tenos'. This is a cold dish of cucumber, fennel, yoghurt and blood orange - a really good combination with the raw fish. We shared the sea bream which was plentiful and succulent - interestingly they take a blowtorch to singe it and finish it off before being carried to the table! Finally, we hand the lamb chops with french fries and brussels sprouts all of which were excellent. read more

I came here alone on a Monday night around 8:30 (with a reservation). I ate at the bar. Everyone was super friendly. I ordered some pita and the lamb chops with tzatziki sauce. Everything was a tiny bit on the salty side but it was really delicious. The lamb was perfectly cooked, the pita was warm, light, and airy, and the tzatziki was the best I've ever had. I would definitely be back! read more

Food is okay. For a Greek restaurant I felt that favor was missing. The menu is nice but the taste is nothing special. I would still say it was an overall good experience. read more

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Best Greek food in the city! Fun restaurant with a cool vibe and it is always busy. Can't go wrong with anything you order. The lamb chops are exquisite. Fresh fish and seafood options are great too. My go to spot for amazing Greek food. read more

This super cool spot is the closest experience to Santorini without hopping on a plane. The food and ambience are both authentic enough to leave out the funny "opa" references and blue & white flags. I really enjoyed my time here. I even perched myself at the bar ordering as much as possible to observe it all being prepared before my eyes. Delicious, savoury, clean and trendy. Go here. read more

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Came here on the first day of my Toronto visit. Bf is Greek so it was obvious choice. The place has a small cozy feel. Initial impression was great, since we were constantly asked if someone had helped us ( we were waiting for a table). We ordered the zucchini flowers, the lamb chops, and the grilled fish of the day. The zucchini flowers were ok but for for the price charged for cheese stuffed flowers(only 4 pieces) was a bit much. I would order again. The lamb chops were delicious especially with the tzatziki and bulgar. We have had plenty of different types of tzatziki at Greek places and this was our fave. The fish was decent, cooked well. Bf said he has had much more flavorful fish. Great experience until the waitress refused to separate the liquor and the food as two different checks. We had asked her about three times and she kept refusing. She didn't even ask the manager. So Bf ended up having to go up to another staff by the register and the staff immediately accepted the request without hesitation. We received our separate checks and placed the cards out to pay. The waitress took longer to process the cards in fact we had to point it out to her. Overall good dinner and Food is worth trying. Service can be better. Servers shouldn't take away plates so fast and shouldn't inconvenience customers. read more

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Mediocre food+Sexist service? Methinks not. I came here to chill on a Sunday night by myself and got seated at the inner bar. I asked about the menu on the chalk board because it's written in greek. The server didn't offer me the Daily Fish (Seabass) special. He claimed that he never offered it to anybody because of its $38 price. But he offered it to a single middle age man right beside me? Sexist much? I guess since I'm woman, I will never have enough money to buy a $38 fish. He also didn't offer me dessert. I guess since I'm a woman, I will never eat any sugary treats either (I found out that this place serves dessert later on when a friend pointed it out) The 'Tiganites Patates - Handcut Potatoes+Kefalotyri+Garlic Sauce' is a $8 fries(good fries, but definitely not worth the price), not those Lemon Greek Potatoes that people has in mind. The menu is tricky. Make sure you have your 'Man' to ask the server if you're not sure. I inquire the server about this, but he just said, "Oh yeah, I know what you're talking about. Nah, it's just fries." So, it seems that I'm not the first and only person who got ripped off by their tricky menu. I only ate 3 pieces of fries. There was no regret from the server even though I barely touched the plate. In other restaurants, when a server saw that the plate is barely touched, they would have taken it off the bill. But I guess, since I have no 'Man' with me, I don't deserve such treatment. Just in case anyone is wondering. I ordered the $8Kopanisti, $16Goat Tartare, $16Halloumi, $15Roasted Cauliflower, $8Fries, $14Angostura Sour. With tips+tax, I ended up spending $100++ for this Sexist Service. This is my second time here, so hopefully this is just a one time thing. I will definitely bring a man next time though. read more

Really, I don't even know why I am reviewing this place because it has been written up so often! I'm not sure you really need my opinion, but I have a tradition of giving it anyway. The short answer is yes. Yes, the service is great. Yes, the ambiance is great. Yes, the food is absolutely amazing! I've been a few times now and it never fails to disappoint. The plates are a testament to what care and simple ingredients can produce. The only real risk is having your eyes be bigger than your stomach when ordering! Enjoy. read more

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Cool atmosphere and friendly staff. I would advise coming here with a group of friends so can try most of the items on the menu. We had the chicken, octopus, saganaki (surprisingly small given the price), veal sweetbread, a salad as a side and baklava (which was my favourite item on the menu). read more

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The lamb chops is at one of the best price points. Great flavour, well cooked and juicy. I dream about it. read more

Mamakas Taverna - Lamb - to die for. - Greek Near Me - Toronto, Ontario