In 2014, my dinner at Bar Isabel was one of my favourite eats of the year. Since then, Chef Grant van Gameren has opened another restaurant, Bar Raval that I’ve fallen equally head over heels for, this time drawing inspiration from Barcelona. Bar Raval features a stunning mahogany bar that winds around the restaurant, turning the space into a cozy wooden grotto. Just walking into the space, I felt like I was in no longer in Toronto, and this was before the food had even arrived.

Atmosphere: After an afternoon walking the One of a Kind show and sampling artisan fudge, The Hubby and I had worked up an appetite but wasn’t starving. This was the best state for visiting Bar Raval, known for their no reservation policy and notorious wait list. We left our names with the restaurant and crossed the street to sip coffees at Aroma until a table was free. After about 30 minutes, my phone rang.

Walking into the restaurant, we were directed to an open spot at the bar. Bar stools were first come first serve and most of the diners were leaning on the expansive bar or around barrels that served as cocktail tables. Hooks for jackets and purses were available at intervals under the bar. The restaurant was packed with bodies, and every time I turned, I hit someone with a limb. With music playing and plenty of chatter, the noise level inside was pretty loud. You had to get close to each or yell a little to be heard. Being an “it” restaurant, Bar Raval’s crowd was ideal for people watching.

Service: Even though the space was more casual and bar like, we had a dedicated server to show us the menu, take our order and check in on us throughout the night. Each dish was served with a detailed explanation. We ordered drinks directly from the bartender, who was impressively efficient at multi-tasking. I felt like I could really improve my time management skills by watching him work.

Food: For drinks, The Hubby and I each ordered a cocktail. Both had a long list of ingredients, took several minutes to concoct and most importantly, boozy. We started with a half order of clams ($20) from Bar Raval’s collection of canned specialties, which range from $15 to $68. At first, I was skeptical, but after eating the first sweet, succulent clam I was sold. Fished along the Galician coast and hand-packed, these clams were worth every penny, and more.

Other cold dishes were tried were the olives, fresh and fragrant, and serrano ham, salty but sweet. For hot dishes, we had the Hot Octopus, Chicken Gizzards and Chorizo Sausage with Quail Eggs. Served in olive oil, the grilled octopus and potato were well seasoned, tender and a great pairing for alcohol. The chicken gizzards were also incredibly tender, charred, skewered, served on a slice of toasted bread and under a blanket of spicy sauce. The couple next to us eyed our chicken gizzards and promptly ordered a plate for themselves. Our last, and most substantial plate of the night was the chorizo sausage. I thought the mini quail eggs were cute but I would’ve loved more yolk. The sausage itself was spicy, flavourful and criss-crossed with grill marks. I finished off every piece of fried potato with the mayo like sauce. Delicious.

In general, I would say all of the dishes at Bar Raval were great accompaniments to a drink, the best kind of tapas. On my next visit, I have my eyes set on the canned seafood and marinated in house specialties.

In 2009, I started work at my first real job and immediately budgeted a portion of each paycheque to eating out. Blackhoof was one of the first Toronto restaurants that I “splurged at” back in 2010, the start of all my restaurant adventures. The fiance, just a friend then, was also there 5 years ago and while he’s eaten there since, this was my first return visit. There was still a queue outside before the restaurant opened, but much more reasonable than the hour or two wait when they first opened in 2008.

Atmosphere: Before dinner, The Fiance and I were running errands in the neighbourhood and walked by Blackhoof around 5:15pm, there were already already a few diners lingering outside. Luckily, when we came back at 5:45pm, there were only 3 parties ahead of us. By the time the doors opened at 6pm, there were 4 more couples behind us. The restaurant was relaxed with a mix of diners from older couples to 20 somethings with big groups. Tables were cozy, and it was a tight fit to walk by. The food menu was hand-written on a large chalkboard at the back of the restaurant and beer and cocktails were listed on another by the bar. My trio was seated in a corner table that was private and great for conversation. I always prefer the background noise at a restaurant to be from conversation rather than loud music.

Service: Once we sat down, a server was by quick to get our drink order and fill water glasses. After rambling off the dishes we wanted to try, he recommended we add bread and pickles as they don’t come with the charcuterie board. Each dish arrived quickly and the charcuterie board was accompanied with a detailed explanation of each meat (which I promptly forgot).

Food: Between the three of us, we ordered 5 dishes (plus bread and pickles). Our friend was very concerned we were ordering too much food, but the tapas-style portions were just right, especially as we ordered the Horse Tartare and I had a feeling I’d be eating the lion’s share.

We started with a Charcuterie board that came with 8 types of cured meat, a intense grainy mustard and a salted butter. The variety of the board was great with savoury pieces, milder ones, one with walnut, a spicy one, a pate, and a delicious duck breast. My favourite was the strong, spicy salami and the bacon wrapped pate while The Fiance loved the duck breast and butter. The side of bread provided a nice base for the meat. While I enjoyed the pickled vegetables and liked the variety of ingredients used (including beans, carrots, beet), I didn’t need the palate cleanser in between bites.

Next up was the Horse Tartare with a raw yolk and lots of horse radish. I quite enjoyed the dish. There was lots of meaty flavour and I liked the coarse chop. The Fiance doesn’t like steak tartare unless it’s heavily spiced and the horse variant at Blackhoof had a lot of natural flavour. Our friend tried it but she’s not a huge fan of raw protein. This all just meant more deliciousness for me. I found the meat flavour milder than steak tartare and the texture was slightly more chewy.

The Roasted Bone Marrow, served with sea salt and chimichurri sauce, was on point. I described this to my friend like meat flavoured jell-o, but the fatty, creamy spread was more like concentrated meat butter. The surprise star of the night was our next dish, the Pig’s Ear Slaw. Cold pig ear salad is one of my favourite Chinese dishes so the ingredient wasn’t foreign to me, I was not expecting the creamy sesame dressing and crispy shallots topping. The slaw was crunchy, generously dressed and a great Asian fusion flavours. I would’ve loved a few more slices of crunchy pig ear.

Dinner ended with Pork Jowl and Clams. The fatty slab of pork jowl was fried to a crispy and reminiscent of thick cut bacon, aka amazing. The clams added an umami flavour to the dish and the black garlic reduction gave each bite an earthy kick.

Blackhoof is still one of my favourite restaurants in the city and it’s easy to see the rest of Toronto agrees.

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.

One of my friends has recently joined the consulting world, which means she’s usually travelling. We took advantage of a Friday when she was in town to catch up over cocktails at East Thirty Six. The downtown location, tapas style menu and after work drink specials was a perfect combination.

Atmosphere: My last visit to the space was over 5 years ago when Lucien was still operating. The restaurant has been refreshed with slick tiled walls, dark tables and modern pendant lights. A long bar was the main focus of the dining area and most tables were filled with suits. Our dinner lasted a good 2-3 hours and as we were leaving, parties were arriving for after dinner drinks.

Service: Our original reservation was for 7pm. Plans changed through the day and we were able to make it for 6:30pm. I was hoping to take advantage of their $5 cocktails from 5pm to 7pm. We were seated at around 6:45pm and hurried to get our drink orders in. It was only our server’s second week and there was some miscommunication. We asked if we could order two drinks each to get the special pricing and it seemed to be ok. However when our bill came, all four drinks were charged at the normal price and we were informed that the special only applied to simple cocktails, not the listed menu ones. Both of my cocktails were delicious, but had we known this, we would’ve opted for wine instead. I would’ve loved some clarification before hand.

Otherwise, service was standard and friendly. Each dishes arrived promptly on a pretty plate.

Food: The menu at East Thirty Six was described by the server as tapas style and the dishes are designed for sharing. Lots of restaurants have been moving towards this trend and while I love to share plates, prices and portion sizes aren’t always reasonable. At East Thirty Six I found the portion sizes varied widely, I would recommend double checking with the server before ordering..

For appetizers, we ordered the Salmon Tartare and Scallop Crudo. Between the two dishes, I preferred the acidity and sweetness of the crudo but the tartare won on portion size. The scallops slices were very thin and a little hard to find on the white plate. The flavours of the salmon tartare were strong and the fish fresh, but there was no raw egg yolk.

With two light seafood appetizers we opted to split two heavier mains, the Short Rib and Berkshire Pork Belly. For me, the Berkshire Pork Belly won for both portion size and taste. I loved the fried egg served on top the tender, fatty meat and the chewy gnocchi. The dish was rich, had great textures and variety of flavours. The short rib was also a solid dish with a bit of spice. The sweet corn and chimichurri sauce really complimented the meat.

We ended our evening with a caramelized peach dessert. To be honest, by this point the delicious cocktails had kicked in and I don’t recall specifics about the dish (a sign of a good night). It was delicious though, a great balance between sour and sweet.

Since opening in 2013, Bar Isabel has been featured in many “top restaurant” lists compiled by newspapers, magazines and blogs. I tried to make reservations in January for a friend’s birthday, two weeks in advance, and the only table available for a party of 3 was their 11:30pm seating. Sadly, we decided to choose a different venue for that dinner. I heard that Bar Isabel only reserves half their tables and leaves the other half open for walk-ins. So I figured the best bet to snag a seat was to show up with a small party, at an off hour and have all our fingers and toes crossed. The Fiance and I visited on a Friday night, at 8:30pm and grabbed seats at the bar with no wait. Amazing.

Atmosphere: The space was cozy and the atmosphere relaxed. Lighting was dim, making photos difficult, but creating an intimate and warm feeling. Background music was loud enough for conversations at other tables to blend into the background without drowning out the person next to you. Bar Isabel is the kind of restaurant I would take friends from out of town to. It feels just a bit hipster and can be as fancy or dressed down as you’d like.

Service: Sitting at the bar, we were served in part by the busy bartender. I was amazed at how efficient he was. Each cocktail had at least 10 steps (such complicated drinks) and used two or three tools/glassware, yet he had the time to wash everything in between mixing concoctions, clear our plates and make friendly small talk with diners. Each dish arrived with a detailed description and the server made sure there was room on the narrow bar before setting down the plate. Both the Fiance and I were ogling the giant ice cubes being used in drinks. When I asked the bartender about them, he took the time to write down the name and address of where I could find the trays.

Food: Menu items are encouraged to be shared and designed as such. Pursuing the menu, The Fiance and I decided that our strategy was to try as many dishes as possible. This meant we ordered 4 appetizers, skipped the “meat” section all together and I had to make the difficult choice between ordering the Octopus or Whole Sea Bream Ceviche. While I love octopus, the protein isn’t super exotic for me, so the Sea Bream won out. I do love ceviche.

We started with a plate of charcuterie featuring 3 cured meats and house pickles; a solid board with a variety of flavours and saltiness. Next up was a plate of Patates Bravas, crispy fried potatoes with blood sausage, covered in a spicy tomato sauce, garlic aioli and topped with pickled jalapeno. The potatoes were crispy, not too oily and the toppings provided lots of spicy, garlicky flavour. This dish was a great accompaniment to my glass of wine. Our third small plate was Sobrassada with Honey Montadito and Shaved Foie Gras. I loved this dish. When we ordered it, I wasn’t sure what to expect and what I ate, had my taste buds dancing. The dish consisted of a toasted slice of bread, spread with sobrassada, honey and topped with foie gras shavings. As soon at the shavings touched my lips, they melted into fatty goodness. I wanted to lick the plate. The sweetness of the honey perfectly complimented the richness of the foie gras. Order this dish.

Our last “appetizer” was Roasted Bone Marrow. Two generous, cut, bones were plated with toasted crostini, a plate of chimichurri sauce and a side of sea salt. The bone marrow was rich, indulgent and everything I could ask for, like meat flavoured butter. It’s one of my favourite dishes to order and Bar Isabel did not disappoint. Our only real entree dish was the Whole Sea Bream ceviche. The ceviche itself was in bite size pieces, mixed with avocado, topped with crispy green onion shreds, and served on the deep fried body of the fish. Being Chinese, 90% of the time when I eat fish, it’s whole so I appreciated the presentation and picked at parts of the head (can’t let those cheeks go to waste!). The chunks of avocado added a creaminess to the dish and helped cut the sourness of the ceviche. From all of the delicious plates that night, the sea bream was my second favourite.

I was stuffed by this point but we wanted to try dessert and decided to split the Leche Frita and Salted Dulce de Leche. I did not expect the serving to be so generous, four timbit sized orbs of thickened condensed milk. This was the one dish I wasn’t in love with. It was a solid dessert, but a little too rich and heavy for me with a strong milk flavour.

A family friend recently moved back to Toronto and is living in Liberty Village. Our catch up date was the perfect opportunity to check out Porzia, which has been on my restaurant wishlist for over a year now. I always need a lot of motivation to make the trek to Parkdale but so far, every trip has been worth it.

Atmosphere: I stopped by Porzia on a Monday night to take advantage of their fixed price menu and ½ priced bottles of wine. The restaurant was softly lit and buzzed with conversation providing a cozy feel. Since it was a Monday night, the pace was relaxed and it was the perfect atmosphere for a long conversation over great food. We lingered for a good two hours with our wine. Bar stools are lined along the bar. A long bench runs along the opposite wall and tables are well spaced out.

Service: As is often the case, I was running late. Walking into Porzia, the hostess directed me to the table where my friend was already patiently waiting. Our server gave us plenty of time to peruse the menu and explained how the fixed price menu worked. Based on our order and tastes, she offered a great wine recommendation that we both enjoyed. The service was very friendly and professional.

Food: The Monday night deal is a total steal. For $33 you get an appetizer, a pasta and a main course. For two people ordering, the pasta is a larger shared portion. I’m sure I’ve already mentioned the ½ priced bottles of wine, all bottles of wine. Between the two of us, we shared the Artichoke Fritti ($10), Horse Carpaccio ($16), Cavatelli ($13 x2), Bone Marrow ($18) and Octopus ($23). The meal would have been $93 a la cart vs. $66.

To start, the portions were small. Each dish was beautifully plated on gorgeous floral tableware but if you’re seriously hungry, you’ll need to order quite a few dishes to fill up. I was happily full at the end of our meal but I feel like The Fiance would’ve still been peckish.

Our two starters set a great tone for the meal. The artichoke hearts was lightly battered, fried, sprinkled with salt and pepper and served with a basil aioli. Biting into each piece, every layer was crispy. With the horse carpaccio, the flavour was more gamey than beef but I wouldn’t have known a difference if I wasn’t told. The slices were thin and had been lightly seared on the outside. Served with fried slices of salsify and a flakey tuna added layers of texture to the dish, colour to the plating and mild flavours to balance the boldness of the horse.

The cavatelli with fresh spring peas and pancetta was one of my favourites of the night. The peas were plump and fresh, the pancetta was juicy and the whole dish was buttery goodness. The pasta itself was a touch too al dente for my taste but still delicious. I wouldn’t be able to pick a favourite between the octopus and bone marrow. Both dishes were amazing. The octopus was tender, perfectly seasoned and I loved the apple slaw. I savoured each spoonful of buttery bone marrow. Our server also brought a refill of crostini that we easily finished up. Assembled on the crostini, the snails added a nice chewiness to each bite and the cotechino provided an acidity to balance the richness of the bone marrow.

Every dish I had at Porzia was thought out, excellently executed and beautifully presented.

My friend and I have been talking about going out for tapas for a good two months. Finally for a girl’s night I started to research our options in Toronto. After reading blogs and reviews, I chose Patria as the top contender and made the reservation.

Atmosphere: After walking through Patria’s front gates at King St, we found the hidden front entrance. The dining space is gorgeous with high ceilings, contrasting colours and walls of windows. I loved the visibility of the ham slicing station at the bar. We started our evening early and were seated by 6pm before the space filled up, which it quickly did by the time we got our bill around 9pm. When making the reservation, I was advised of a seating limit of two hours and they only had time slots at 6:15 or 9pm. Patria would be a great dinner stop on a night out with it’s prime location next to nightlife.

Service: During our meal we were well tended with water being refilled, dishes cleared quickly and easily ordering additional drinks. With the arrival of each dish was a different server who diligently described the dish in detail. I have to admit though I only understood about 10% of each description. Every server had an accent and with the noise level in the restaurant I ended up smiling and nodding a lot. By 9pm as the standing area around the bar filled up the hosts did start to rush our table to wrap up. Our table was checked on a few times while we chatted instead of settling the bill. I understand the need to maintain reservations, a little more subtlety would’ve been appreciated.

Food: For drinks we ordered a couple of pitchers of the white sangria, which was fruity but not overly sweet. One pitcher is a good portion for 4-5 glasses. Between the five of us, we ordered a fair number of dishes and in general had a great meal. The presentation on each dish was beautiful and the portions just right for a bite.

The menu listed each dish in Spanish with an English description underneath, this meant we ordered some dishes with very little understanding of how the components would be put together. It was a lot of fun to have the dish arrive and be surprised.

We started with the Croquetas de Jamon (traditional ham croquettes & aioli sauce), which had crispy exterior, not oily and soft ham filling. Next was the Pulpo a la gallega (octopus on top of potato slice) off their special menu. I loved the presentation of the dish, the octopus was soft and I liked the light flavours of the olive oil and paprika. We ordered one of their cheeses that’s served with a slice of quince jam and sourdough bread along with the Ensalada Rusa (Spanish potato salad). The dish wasn’t what I expected but I think it’s what we ordered. There wasn’t much potato but I liked the ham and crunchy bread stick things.

The Pimientos Rellenos De Buey (oxtail stuffed picollo peppers) were delicious and the only dish I wish had a bigger serving. With the Pimientos De Padrón (blistered peppers and sea salt) our server warned us that some of the peppers might be very spicy and it would be hit or miss. We only got two spicy ones out of the whole plate and they were delicious. I loved the charred flavour of the peppers. A lot of mayonnaise was involved with the Patatas Bravas Con Huevos Fritos (potatoes and fried egg). The Jamon Serrano (24 month cured salted serrano) was a good drink downer.

We felt the need for some more greens and ordered the Ensalada De Aguacate (avocado salad with butter lettuce). The avocado was perfectly ripe and sliced very thin. My favourite dish of the night was the Paella De Carne Mixta (paella with confit duck leg, braised lamb rib, quince and fresh beans). The rice was infused with all the flavours in the dish, the savoury of the duck and the sweetness of the quince. The lamb was a little lost for me and I couldn’t pick it out. I was scraping the burnt rice off the pan, making sure I didn’t leave a single tasty grain.