Fantastic family friendly Italian restaurant in the Kingsway! Pizza, pasta, dessert, it's all…read moregreat. Good size portions as well. Excellent spot for a family birthday. Very accommodating and friendly service too. Been here time and again.

I chose The Veranda Osteria after reading a number of very positive reviews about the food, so I…read morearrived with fairly high expectations. Unfortunately, our experience did not live up to them. My lady and I sat on the patio, and from the beginning the service seemed disorganized. Our table was not properly set, with the cutlery out of place and no cloth napkin provided--I eventually had to get one myself. I also noticed that bread was brought to other tables shortly after guests were seated, but none was offered to us. Had I known bread was normally served, I probably would not have ordered bruschetta, especially since I had mentioned to our waitress that I was extremely hungry. We ordered water and a ginger ale initially, and later my companion ordered a glass of wine. The bruschetta took quite some time to arrive. During the wait, another server brought us meals that we had not ordered. We explained that they belonged to another table, the plates were taken back, and then another server brought those same plates to the correct customers. That added to the impression that the service was not well coordinated. When ordering my main course, I specifically asked whether I could have gnocchi with a vodka-style sauce, as I knew this was not necessarily a standard menu combination. I was told that it was absolutely possible. However, when my meal arrived, it was not what I believed I had ordered. The sauce contained meat. When I questioned this, I was told that this was how their sauce was prepared and that I should have specified that I did not want meat. This surprised me. In my experience dining at many Italian restaurants, if a sauce contains meat--particularly when a customer has specifically requested a particular sauce--I would expect that to either be clear on the menu or explained when the order is taken. A simple clarification at the time of ordering would have prevented the issue entirely. The manager later came to speak with us, and unfortunately the discussion did not improve the situation. Rather than simply acknowledging that there had been a misunderstanding in taking the order, I again felt that the responsibility was being placed on me for not specifying "no meat." I found that disappointing, especially considering the other service problems we had already experienced. Meanwhile, the glass of wine my companion ordered before our meals arrived still had not been served even when we were approximately halfway through eating. As for the gnocchi themselves, they were okay, but not exceptional. They did not seem homemade to me and had more of a mass-produced texture. I had already eaten part of the meal, and I do not believe in wasting food simply because something is not exactly as expected, so I continued eating it. My concern was never about trying to get a free meal--it was about receiving what I ordered and receiving the level of service I expected from this type of restaurant. The most disappointing part was that none of these issues individually would have ruined the evening. A missed glass of wine, forgotten bread, an improperly set table, a delayed appetizer, or even a misunderstood order can happen at any restaurant. But when several things go wrong during the same meal, what matters is how they are handled. Based on the reviews I had read, I expected a much more polished dining experience from The Veranda Osteria. Unfortunately, on this particular visit, the service was disorganized and the handling of our concerns left us disappointed. I hope management takes this as constructive feedback, because the restaurant has a lovely setting and clearly has the potential to provide a much better experience than the one we received.

Had a delicious meal here with my friend and her family!…read more As soon as we walked in I smelled garlic and Italian flavors. Great start to the evening! We had reservations and we were seated promptly. We shared the bruschetta. The tomatoes were very fresh and the focaccia bread was wonderful! For my entree I had capellini sardi, but I substituted penne for the capellini. The flavors in this pasta dish were wonderful! Everyone else enjoyed their dishes as well. Service was great. Drinks refilled as needed and we were checked on.

Nice ambiance but lacking in flavour…read more Atmosphere: The restaurant has both an indoor space and a covered patio space, which is especially nice over the summer when the weather is warm. Went on a weekday for a work social and people were dressed casual to smart casual. Food: The food was a little disappointing, and was more of a modern interpretation of classic Italian food. The bruschetta had a bit too much tomato, and it was diced very finely and was on the watery side rather than the sweet or acidic side. The grilled calamari was interesting with the char, but the red bell pepper on the side tasted on the acidic/sour side, and could use more sweetness. The linguini was cooked well but didn't have the al dente texture of freshly made pasta and again, the tomato sauce tasted too watery and lacked the sweetness and tartness and there was no white wine taste. Service: The server was friendly and generally out of the way, but had trouble understanding us at times. There were a couple of us who were vegetarian and he had trouble hearing, and suggested pizzas with meat on them to the vegetarians, and so we had to repeat ourselves several times for him to understand. The food also came out quite slowly, especially the mains, and felt like we were sitting for a long time. They did clean the table off between courses, which was appreciated. Okay option if you're in the area, but had better food elsewhere.

Had dinner here Saturday night at 7:30. Main floor was nice, bistro-like, bustling in a good way…read more Lively but not hectic. There's a downstairs too which looked good. Nice ambiance over all. We're not strict veg, we just like to lean that way most nights so we thought we'd check Bellona out. A lot of their menu has a choice between tapas size and full size so we tried a few things. Loved everything. The sliders were addictive. Attached is our bill. $99 including a bottle of wine and we were stuffed (and I'm 6'4" and have an appetite). Desserts looked good too but we were too full. The very nice owner chatted with us at the end and told us about the origin of the place (and that our great server was her daughter). Definitely very happy with this restaurant.

I was visiting out of town & had made reservations at Bellona through a recommendation. It was…read moreraining and lots of traffic due to all the concerts going on in Toronto. Unfortunately, we were 20-25mins late. I knew they only allowed a 15min window. We arrived and I did tell them if they still couldn't fit us in, then I understood. Long story short, they told us to wait 5-10mins and if the next reservation didn't show up, they could seat us. Luckily, we got seated. The staff was nice, the place is cozy and had good vibes. The food was good. The chocolate red wine cake for dessert was really good. I recommend this place.

An absolutely amazing restaurant nestled in the Sherway Gardens area. From the outside, you would…read morenever imagine what the inside magnificent is. From the time we seated, everything was absolutely phenomenal. Our server was extremely patient and explained all the different questions and food preparations that we had. We shared appetizers and then for the main I had the lobster and my friend had the lamb chop. Definitely a beautiful venue that I would return to especially when I'm celebrating something

My second time visiting Via Allegro Ristorante and their fine-dining atmosphere is top notch. The…read moreservice was pleasant and the food we had was deliciously served with high quality. We had the Truffled Mushroom Risotto (5/5) and the Prime Striploin (5/5), as well as tiramisu and creme brulee for dessert. Truffled Musshroom Risotto had shavings of the wild mushrooms. The dish had the rich aroma of the truffles which we delightfully indulged ourselves with. I highly recommend ordering this dish because no other place makes it quite like Via Allegro. Prime Striploin was cooked to perfection. It was so tender and juicy. We liked how they didn't have it with any gravy, letting their culinary technique with the steak speaks for itself. The potatoes were nice and crispy on the outside, yet smooth on the inside. The vegetables were cooked nicely. The desserts were satisfying, a great way to finish off our meals. I would come back again. Highly recommend this place for celebrating special occasions and/or to satisfy your cravings for Italian dishes. PS If you're into wine, they have the most extensive collection of wine which they won numerous awards for.

Review for ROMI's Restaurant Posted by Julia (Former Staff…read moreMember) I'm writing this review not as a disgruntled employee, but as someone who was deeply dedicated to my job and to the customers who came to know me as "Julia the server." I worked at ROMI's with full heart--often running the entire front of house alone: hosting, bartending, bussing, and serving. Many customers recognized me by name, and I loved making people feel welcome. Unfortunately, my experience behind the scenes was very different. * During the hiring process, I was told staff meals would be free. In reality, I was charged or made to feel guilty for requesting food. * My tips were collected before I could count them. I was often pressured into giving 50% of my earnings to other staff members--despite being told they were compensated through takeout tips. * I was promised a portion of tips from takeout orders I processed--yet never received them. * I was regularly spoken to in demeaning ways, including being called "crazy" in front of others. These practices created a toxic and manipulative work environment. It deeply affected my mental and physical wellbeing. I've since moved on, but I feel it's important to share this in hopes that ROMI's leadership re-evaluates how they treat staff who give their all. I'm proud of the service I gave, and I'm grateful to the customers who saw that. If you remember me--thank you for your kindness. --Julia

We grabbed a quick dinner here on Saturday night. It wasn't too busy, but it could be because it's…read morethe summer (it was also extremely humid outside so people may have just been staying home). There's something for every palette here, including pizza, salads, and pastas. I had a vegetable soup (tomato broth) that had generous portions of vegetables like potato, zucchini, beans, and carrots. The soup was sprinkled with chilli pepper flakes. As my main, I had the Caprese Salad. My boyfriend ordered the Veal Parmigiana with spaghetti and tomato sauce. We found our food to be 3.5 Yelp stars; however, this review is a 4 star because the service was easily a 5 star. Our server was attentive by coming around often to see how we were doing. If I return, I would like to try their pizzas as their menu mentions that the dough is made in house. Good for: Italian

Food was great, ambiance is chill and service was great thanks to Alberto. I recommend this place…read morefor people who know the great taste

I haven't add much authentic Italian food so I didn't know what to expect when I came in. I saw the…read moremenu and saw many options and had a very difficult time deciding but I eventually ended up on the butchers pizza and I believe i made a wise choice. The food did take a bit to come out but that was okay because I was catching up with family I don't normally see but in a different scenario where you don't want to wait long it could get annoying. Once the pizza came out it looked great they didn't cut it and had these cool pizza cutters shears hybrid that where great I thought (my little brother didn't agree he hated them said it was too hard). Once I had bites of the pizza I can confidently say the 2nd best pizza I have ever eaten only in comparison to a pizza in Sweden made by Italians. The restaurant its self was beautiful and nice. I always love being able to see the kitchen but finding the bathroom was a turkey trail! I loved it and the food was heavenly I hope to go back soon

Lovely little cafe and good sized patio on the side. Close…read moreto Runnymede TTC. Green P parking also nearby. Reasonable luncheon specials - mostly sandwiches with or without salad. Menu has a great selection of pastas and mains if you prefer. Staff were attentive without hovering. At our table we had the eggplant Parmesan sandwich and meatball ones with the Caesar salad (generously topped with bacon and anchovy).

September 21/2024: Dinner with Slipp…read more This was good to very good. The food taste was superb. Mine was the Fettuccine Mushroom Truffle in a cream sauce with added Chicken ($38.00). The restaurant was small but was busy as well. The service was good & the seemed efficient. Here's the issue...the portion size was so very small! I felt like it was more like an appetizer versus a main. For $38.00 it should have been a much healthier size. Not sure I'd go again based on simply the size of the serving.

Food is not good and service is worse. Not recommended in any way. I ordered 2 veal on a bun the…read moreveal must have been a day or two since it was cooked. The veal seemed to be reheated in a deep frier. Old worn out furnishings in the dining area are ugly.

Our favorite restaurant! The portions are huge and loads of shrimp and scallops in with dish…read more Every time we go, we are celebrating anniversary or bday and they always give us free of charge dessert. Servers are lovely . I highly recommend.

It was cozy and warm inside, both the vibes and the staff. The mussels in white wine sauce were…read morepure bliss with their aromatic broth and tender texture. The risotto with butternut squash and sausage filled my senses with a velvety blend of sweet and savoury. It was a perfect place to celebrate my brother's belated birthday party.

Overall, I'd rate this place 3.5 stars, based on the fact I got to sample a variety of dishes and…read morefound that they were quite hit or miss. Calamari Alla Griglia (4/5) - the grilled calamari was well-cooked, the sauce was quite tasty, but the portion was quite small. Rucola E Funghi Portobella (3/5) - The salad dressing is yummy, but the price is steep for what it is. While each ingredient in isolation was good, the mushroom didn't feel like it complemented the dressing. Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese (4/5) - Surprisingly one of the better dishes, ordered based on recommendation from the server. I didn't think I'd order a bolognese (arguably the most boring sounding item on the menu), but the noodles and sauce were overall tasty and well executed. Portions were reasonable, but not as "huge" as other reviews made it seem. I had no problem finishing the dish. Gnocchi Al Gorgonzola (3/5) - I think whether you like this dish will really depend on whether you like "stinky" cheeses. The Gorgonzola flavour is STRONG and can be tasty/unique at first, but overpowering 5+ bites in, when all there is to the dish is straight cheese. The gnocchi is soft/pillowy. Tortelli Di Magro (3/5) - The ravioli was pretty good and well-cooked, but the sage sauce just didn't really cut it for me. The dish sounded better than it tasted, and didn't feel cohesive. I think it came with 7-8 large ish pieces of ravioli, but it still isn't very filling on its own. Margherita pizza (4/5) - A classic take on a thin-crust, wood-fire Margherita pizza, nothing particularly spectacular or unique, but it was very good! I heard from others in my party that the dessert and other dishes were generally so-so. The service was friendly but extremely slow. Maybe it's because we came with a very large group and it's a very small restaurant, but it took us nearly an hour to receive our entrees. Overall, for the price point of this restaurant, I was a little disappointed in the flavour, portion sizes, and experience.