AZARIA’S RESTAURANT

Etobicoke is not my neighbourhood, but it was the compromise between Toronto and Mississauga where I met up with friends from high school to catch up. I chose Azaria’s Restaurant based on positive reviews online and their menu, which had great variety.

Atmosphere: Our group stopped by on a Monday night around 8pm, not exactly peak hours but quite a few tables were occupied. Tables were well lit and black and white photos decorated the walls. Speaking to the owner later, we found out that many of the pictures were of her dad (where Azaria comes from) and friends. We were seated comfortably in a booth that provided privacy and lots of elbow room. The restaurant was elegant and intimate with dark furniture and bif leather booths.

Service: Being a quiet night, our table ended up being the last to clear after two bottles of wine and dessert. The owner was friendly and welcoming, ensuring we should take our time and not feel rushed as we neared their closing time. Our server was efficient, equally friendly and dishes were served quickly. With Azaria’s tapas style menu, our server let us know we could increase portions from 4 to 5 right off the bat.

Food: 99% of the menu was priced from $8-$12 and were a good portion size. Between the 5 of us, we ordered 10 items and barely had room for dessert. Not all of the dishes are pictured below. While waiting for everyone to arrive, I started with an order of fries that came were crispy and came with a delicious spicy mayo.

We then ordered both the Fish Taco, special of the day and Spicy Shrimp Taco. Both had thin shells and lots of flavour. I liked the fish taco better, which had a big chunk of meat while the shrimp was heavier on the batter. For vegetables, we tried the Brussels Sprouts, Sauteed Collard Greens and Cauliflower and Leek Smash. While I found the cauliflower smash interesting, it was a little too reminiscent of baby food for me. My favourite was the roasted brussels sprouts, topped with cheese and bacon bits.

After the fish taco, my second favourite dish of the night was the Montreal Smoked Meat Sliders. The flavours were authentic and the slices of meat were piled high was globs of yellow mustard. We also had the Risotto and Beef Tenderloin (not pictured), which were both well done. I couldn’t help but order a Tiramisu, one of my favourite desserts and a great way to end a meal.

Overall, the tapas menu at Azaria’s was solid with lots of highs, a handful of okays and only a few lows.