First time here. Nice little local Italian restaurant. Took my buddy who was visiting from BC Inside ambiance was nice, warm and inviting. Waiter was friendly and offered some good recommendations. We started with a few apps, and then shared the risotto, Leonardo pizza and the steak. All were delicious. Overall I would definitely return again if I am craving some delicious italian food and am near by. I also do recommend to those who like italian food to definitely check this place out, it's a hidden gem!
PERIPHERY Toronto
From New Year’s Eve,First time there this evening - Very disappointed. For what it’s worth, just a few comments. The tuna was very under seasoned, needed acid, and was tasteless with just a few capers thrown on top.Was that risotto or overblown rice in saffron water? Two people thought it was congee. The saffron was so misused - overwhelming and bitter. Wrong vessel for the turbo. Chasing the turbo around the plate, trying to cut through the rubbery skin, trying to scoop up some of the watery caper sauce…. (Again capers?) Again wrong vessel for the tart. As the server placed them on the table the flowers were falling off and the tarts sliding around. Meant to be picked up? We all chased the tart around the plate with our forks….Overall the food was uninspired and not well cooked or plated.The service was also very odd. We all thought so. Service seem disinterested, unengaged and seemed to have trouble taking our orders. Think you should be doing better. Thanks.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Alex Meers
This was some of the most delicious food I had had in toronto. I was so pleasantly surprised. Incredible service, they do all the small things so well. Cocktails also amazing. Everything here is just so lovely.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Robin St. Jean
Absolutely Outstanding !The BEST of toronto !! Roberto has done it again ....We are longtime foodies eating out 5-6 nites a week. The food , ambience , service ALL over the top .The appetizers were amazing ..try the anchovies and artichoke , the scallops , the pasta with wild boar ragu , the stuffed calamari !! Wow Wow Unbelievable ! We had an amazing bottle of white wine as well. We thought Ardo was great ...and it is but DOVA is unique, so traditional... Sicilian fare .... loved it so much ...we will be back again soon to explore more of the menu. Thank you Roberto...truly TOP SELF !!Robin and Teresa St Jean / Ancaster
Caelen N.
Wonderfully curated menu! Excellent service and staff! ☺️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tartufo Truffle Pasta
Christopher Graham
We had the privilege and pleasure of enjoying the downstairs private dining. Our party of 18 was well attended with no one wanting or waiting for food or libation. The homemade focaccia was airy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The pasta course was fresh and prepared al dente. As fresh and delicious courses appeared at the table I do have to make one comment for the chef. The pasta mushroom dish was quite salty. Also, I have to admit that the chicken while juicy tasted like it lacked any animal protein fibers. It was the MDF equivalent of the dish. It was like chicken that had been frozen, thawed, frozen and cooked, then taken from the freezer to be served. This venue is definitely recommended for those who can eat fresh pasta and can enjoy well seasoned dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burrata, Fried Calamari, Caesar Salad
Rachael Maclellan
Jolene is an absolute gem. She radiates positivity. What a pleasure to be near. Thank you for shining so bright you star!
Shilpa Ramachandran
We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience at Dova. The staff were so kind and hospitable willing to make changes to the menu because of our dietary preferences. The food and drinks were amazing! Highly recommended!Vegetarian options: Several vegetarian options!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burrata, Whipped Ricotta with Bottarga, Tiramisu
Craig Penney
I gave one star because I was freak'n cold at the chef's table. It was mid-December and I wanted to try the chef's table. It felt a little chilly there but I thought that was just me having just come from outside. I felt a cold draft and then noticed a curtain covering the entrance to a service area. The curtain wasn't quite closed so I got up to close it. Food was good but when I can't take off my jacket and my wife had to go put hers on, it kinda ruined the whole experience. The curtain tells me that this is a known problem that I hope they sort out soon. If I were to go again, I'd try by the fire, LOL.
Madison Leitch
We booked a table through Resy in the main dining room and when we arrived they had clearly overbooked the dining room and put us in the basement room with only two other tables. The basement had no vibe, smelled like the washroom nearby and I was sat near the doorway to where the chefs food was stored so kept getting disrupted. Food was OK but for the price we paid the experience was incredibly underwhelming.
The food is incredible. I had the carpaccio and truffle pasta. Do yourself a favour and come to this gem of a restaurant in
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tartufo Truffle Pasta
K S
Delightful Sicilian food. The pastas were all phenomenal, with the Saffron Shrimp pasta being one of the best pastas in Toronto. The steak, while good, is not what I would focus on (and not really what Sicily is known for)— you can get that elsewhere.Some of the best wines (value for dollar) are actually the first couple of Nebbiolo bottles, which is refreshing to see.
Mr Mojo Risin
A few very negative things:- really bad slow service. Appetizers were brought 1 at a time 15-20 minutes apart.Service was painfully slow.- perhaps the worst is that they not only charged $9 for a bottle of water but they kept pushing it and automatically refilling glasses and opening more bottles without telling us. So at the end we spent $36 on water between 6 people.Food was good though but I would not go back because if the experience. There are plenty of good restaurants to try in Toronto.They really need to improve their service and now push expensive overpriced water.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Fried Calamari
nicholasS
One of the worse dinner experiences I have had in Toronto in a very long time. The service was cold and inattentive..the server not asking us how our meals are, did not offer us more cocktails , and general apathy and simply doing his job. no introduction of his name etc etc horribleThe food was hit and miss ...the cauliflower ravioli with lobster for 39 dollars was a joke...three tiny pieces of lobster scaterred on the plate.We were both sick the next day with GI symptoms from something we ate therethe chicken was good but not amazing.the other appetizers were okoverall so many better and deserving Italian restaurants in the city to enjoy a meal with great service and food.IDo not recommend
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Achala Cabral
Had dinner and wine with a friend very recently. Exceptional service and fabulous food !One thing that left a "poor taste" in my mouth was the charge on the bill for hot water. (+2 mint leaves)I asked for a hot water ..yes plain ole cup of hot water with perhaps a slice of lemon. Instead I was served hot water with 2 mint leaves and was charged$ 4.00 and change. I wish I knew that before without this charge suddenly sneaking up on the bill.
First time here. Nice little local Italian restaurant. Took my buddy who was visiting from BC Inside ambiance was nice, warm and inviting. Waiter was friendly and offered some good recommendations. We started with a few apps, and then shared the risotto, Leonardo pizza and the steak. All were delicious. Overall I would definitely return again if I am craving some delicious italian food and am near by. I also do recommend to those who like italian food to definitely check this place out, it's a hidden gem!
From New Year’s Eve,First time there this evening - Very disappointed. For what it’s worth, just a few comments. The tuna was very under seasoned, needed acid, and was tasteless with just a few capers thrown on top.Was that risotto or overblown rice in saffron water? Two people thought it was congee. The saffron was so misused - overwhelming and bitter. Wrong vessel for the turbo. Chasing the turbo around the plate, trying to cut through the rubbery skin, trying to scoop up some of the watery caper sauce…. (Again capers?) Again wrong vessel for the tart. As the server placed them on the table the flowers were falling off and the tarts sliding around. Meant to be picked up? We all chased the tart around the plate with our forks….Overall the food was uninspired and not well cooked or plated.The service was also very odd. We all thought so. Service seem disinterested, unengaged and seemed to have trouble taking our orders. Think you should be doing better. Thanks.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
This was some of the most delicious food I had had in toronto. I was so pleasantly surprised. Incredible service, they do all the small things so well. Cocktails also amazing. Everything here is just so lovely.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely Outstanding !The BEST of toronto !! Roberto has done it again ....We are longtime foodies eating out 5-6 nites a week. The food , ambience , service ALL over the top .The appetizers were amazing ..try the anchovies and artichoke , the scallops , the pasta with wild boar ragu , the stuffed calamari !! Wow Wow Unbelievable ! We had an amazing bottle of white wine as well. We thought Ardo was great ...and it is but DOVA is unique, so traditional... Sicilian fare .... loved it so much ...we will be back again soon to explore more of the menu. Thank you Roberto...truly TOP SELF !!Robin and Teresa St Jean / Ancaster
Wonderfully curated menu! Excellent service and staff! ☺️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tartufo Truffle Pasta
We had the privilege and pleasure of enjoying the downstairs private dining. Our party of 18 was well attended with no one wanting or waiting for food or libation. The homemade focaccia was airy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The pasta course was fresh and prepared al dente. As fresh and delicious courses appeared at the table I do have to make one comment for the chef. The pasta mushroom dish was quite salty. Also, I have to admit that the chicken while juicy tasted like it lacked any animal protein fibers. It was the MDF equivalent of the dish. It was like chicken that had been frozen, thawed, frozen and cooked, then taken from the freezer to be served. This venue is definitely recommended for those who can eat fresh pasta and can enjoy well seasoned dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burrata, Fried Calamari, Caesar Salad
Jolene is an absolute gem. She radiates positivity. What a pleasure to be near. Thank you for shining so bright you star!
We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience at Dova. The staff were so kind and hospitable willing to make changes to the menu because of our dietary preferences. The food and drinks were amazing! Highly recommended!Vegetarian options: Several vegetarian options!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burrata, Whipped Ricotta with Bottarga, Tiramisu
I gave one star because I was freak'n cold at the chef's table. It was mid-December and I wanted to try the chef's table. It felt a little chilly there but I thought that was just me having just come from outside. I felt a cold draft and then noticed a curtain covering the entrance to a service area. The curtain wasn't quite closed so I got up to close it. Food was good but when I can't take off my jacket and my wife had to go put hers on, it kinda ruined the whole experience. The curtain tells me that this is a known problem that I hope they sort out soon. If I were to go again, I'd try by the fire, LOL.
We booked a table through Resy in the main dining room and when we arrived they had clearly overbooked the dining room and put us in the basement room with only two other tables. The basement had no vibe, smelled like the washroom nearby and I was sat near the doorway to where the chefs food was stored so kept getting disrupted. Food was OK but for the price we paid the experience was incredibly underwhelming.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
The food is incredible. I had the carpaccio and truffle pasta. Do yourself a favour and come to this gem of a restaurant in
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tartufo Truffle Pasta
Delightful Sicilian food. The pastas were all phenomenal, with the Saffron Shrimp pasta being one of the best pastas in Toronto. The steak, while good, is not what I would focus on (and not really what Sicily is known for)— you can get that elsewhere.Some of the best wines (value for dollar) are actually the first couple of Nebbiolo bottles, which is refreshing to see.
A few very negative things:- really bad slow service. Appetizers were brought 1 at a time 15-20 minutes apart.Service was painfully slow.- perhaps the worst is that they not only charged $9 for a bottle of water but they kept pushing it and automatically refilling glasses and opening more bottles without telling us. So at the end we spent $36 on water between 6 people.Food was good though but I would not go back because if the experience. There are plenty of good restaurants to try in Toronto.They really need to improve their service and now push expensive overpriced water.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Fried Calamari
One of the worse dinner experiences I have had in Toronto in a very long time. The service was cold and inattentive..the server not asking us how our meals are, did not offer us more cocktails , and general apathy and simply doing his job. no introduction of his name etc etc horribleThe food was hit and miss ...the cauliflower ravioli with lobster for 39 dollars was a joke...three tiny pieces of lobster scaterred on the plate.We were both sick the next day with GI symptoms from something we ate therethe chicken was good but not amazing.the other appetizers were okoverall so many better and deserving Italian restaurants in the city to enjoy a meal with great service and food.IDo not recommend
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Had dinner and wine with a friend very recently. Exceptional service and fabulous food !One thing that left a "poor taste" in my mouth was the charge on the bill for hot water. (+2 mint leaves)I asked for a hot water ..yes plain ole cup of hot water with perhaps a slice of lemon. Instead I was served hot water with 2 mint leaves and was charged$ 4.00 and change. I wish I knew that before without this charge suddenly sneaking up on the bill.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4