We went and found there was nothing vegan-friendly on the menu other than the miso eggplant. However, the chef was able to make us an assortment of veggie sushi. We were offered miso soup with fish but then they caught their mistake. I will say, though, everything was delicious. I still think about the eggplant. But I felt like we were inconveniencing them with requests for off-menu items.
Updated from previous review on 2026-01-30
John Schorn
Really good quality sushi! Great staff, good atmosphere. I'm happy to see the business continue to be here. It's an odd nook of the city
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melonlover
The interior decor of this store, with its pure wooden style, is very simple and attractive. The tableware used is all from Staub, which is very cute.
We visited the store at late lunch time, and we just ordered whatever was available. If you want to try sashimi don, you can come in either earlier or later.
Salmon/Bluefin Tuna Nori Canapé: The salmon and bluefin tuna are made into a taco. The taste is average, but the seasoning is light on the rice. The seasoning is primarily on the fish. However, the seaweed tempura wrapped inside is crispy and very creative. Overall, it was a bit plain.
The green salad was quite refreshing and delicious.
Salmon Pressed Sushi was okay.
Scallop Special Sushi was specially made. The base is fried rice balls, which was also very unique.
Maru Duo Sliders should have soft-shell crab tempura inside, which was also special and tasty.
Tempura Squid was very tender, and the flour part was light. It was above average.
Overall, everything shows some thoughtfulness and innovation, without being too obtrusive. The flavours are just a bit bland.
The service is very good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Bee
Omg. First time coming to this restaurant and was blown away in every way. The atmosphere as you enter is welcoming and has a calm, yet homely vibe. The menu isn’t overly complicated and their drink selection is subtly detailed which I loved. Their house cold sake was delicious but we asked for it hot and it was so tasty. Their spinach gomaae salad from the otoshi selection was phenomenal. You know the place is legit when you can’t fault anything from the starters selection. By this point we were so excited for the mains. The salmon bluefin tuna don was pretty and tasty. The pork was cooked so well. The shrimp korokke is a must to order! If you want to impress your boss, family or your mouth buds, go and make a reservation!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Faith Jeon
This is the second time coming to this restaurant and it was just as amazing as the first time. The ambience of the restaurant is cozy and warm, we ordered a variety of dishes and each one was carefully curated and bursting with flavour. I brought some guests and they also loved it and said they would come again each time they visited Toronto. The staff were welcoming, nothing to fault.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin Hall
Had a great birthday experience at Maru. The warm sake was very good. The blue fin tuna on crispy rice was incredible and our favourite of the night. The sashimi set was very tasty including scallops, hamachi, seared tuna, and salmon. All with interesting flavour twists like dill and hoisin etc. pork belly was also good. Everything was extremely fresh and a small menu but I believe it is always changing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daria Krinitskaya
MARU is one of my favorite Japanese restaurant in Toronto. Very laconic card (menu), fresh and testy food, minimalistic design and jazz as a background music. All elements together are a perfect match!
Celia Luu
I’ve been wanting to try this restaurant for so many times as my boyfriend highly recommended it and finally we came here today for a little lunch date. The experience was amazing. Maru is an absolute gem, everything from the atmosphere to the service feels thoughtfully crafted. The food is exceptional, with beautifully presented dishes that are bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors especially the pork belly and chirashi don. The sweet owner also welcomes us with 2 cocktails that she made by herself and it was super delicious, one of it is the matcha yuzu and it’s definitely the best cocktail I’ve ever had. On top of that, the service is truly top-notch, the staff is warm, attentive, and clearly passionate about what they do. It’s the kind of place that makes you excited to come back again and again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Al D.
Lovely solo dining experience. The staff took the time to make me feel welcome and comfortable. The dining space, decor, cutlery and dinnerware were all beautiful. The food was excellent. The snow crab nori canapé was creative, refreshing, and savoury. The ebi katsu was delicious and perfect for the cold snowy day. Overall, I enjoyed the freshness and combination of the ingredients across the different dishes. Thank you and I can't wait to be back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
TorontoTheGood
No vibes, but excellent food with VERY SLOW service.
This is perhaps my new fave Japanese restaurant in Toronto. If my rating was not enough, the food was impeccable. The staff friendly and engaging. The environment calm, peaceful - perfect to enjoy your company and the bounty of tastes. HIGHLY recommend. Thank you, Maru!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mona
I’ve tried so many sushi spots in downtown Toronto, but I’ve never found a place with quality this good for the price. The fish here is incredibly fresh and flavorful. The atmosphere is calm and welcoming, making it perfect for both hanging out with friends and going on a date. I especially love their chirashidon and canapes. So good 😊 I always recommend this place to my friends, because I honestly think it’s the best spot in Toronto to enjoy truly delicious, high-quality fish. Highly, highly recommend! 💕
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex Xu
A wonderful Japanese fusion restaurant with thoughtful decorations and culinary. The dishes tastes great, the ingredients are fresh, the service is attentive. Will defiantly come back again to try more.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kay Greenstar
Minimalist decor will immediately help you relax in this restaurant. The greentea was excellent and is a precursor to beautifully prepared and delicious dishes that will follow. Im not always in the mood for raw salmon but Maru's salmon donburi was so fresh it was melt in your mouth yummy. My husband ordered the sashimi set...it was also very fresh, very pretty and delicious.
Apparently though, they just started opening for lunch and was swamped and short staffed so the wait time for food was really long. They finally apologized and gave us extra food. For this reason, we recommend making a reservation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Monique Shaw
Salmon Nori Canape is a must have ! Such a delicious 🤤 dish. See the other reviews for a photo. Really high quality sushi. 🍣
Hojicha ice cream is delicious! I insist you order it after a meal.
We went and found there was nothing vegan-friendly on the menu other than the miso eggplant. However, the chef was able to make us an assortment of veggie sushi. We were offered miso soup with fish but then they caught their mistake. I will say, though, everything was delicious. I still think about the eggplant. But I felt like we were inconveniencing them with requests for off-menu items. Updated from previous review on 2026-01-30
Really good quality sushi! Great staff, good atmosphere. I'm happy to see the business continue to be here. It's an odd nook of the city
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The interior decor of this store, with its pure wooden style, is very simple and attractive. The tableware used is all from Staub, which is very cute.
We visited the store at late lunch time, and we just ordered whatever was available. If you want to try sashimi don, you can come in either earlier or later.
Salmon/Bluefin Tuna Nori Canapé: The salmon and bluefin tuna are made into a taco. The taste is average, but the seasoning is light on the rice. The seasoning is primarily on the fish. However, the seaweed tempura wrapped inside is crispy and very creative. Overall, it was a bit plain.
The green salad was quite refreshing and delicious.
Salmon Pressed Sushi was okay.
Scallop Special Sushi was specially made. The base is fried rice balls, which was also very unique.
Maru Duo Sliders should have soft-shell crab tempura inside, which was also special and tasty.
Tempura Squid was very tender, and the flour part was light. It was above average.
Overall, everything shows some thoughtfulness and innovation, without being too obtrusive. The flavours are just a bit bland.
The service is very good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Omg. First time coming to this restaurant and was blown away in every way. The atmosphere as you enter is welcoming and has a calm, yet homely vibe. The menu isn’t overly complicated and their drink selection is subtly detailed which I loved. Their house cold sake was delicious but we asked for it hot and it was so tasty. Their spinach gomaae salad from the otoshi selection was phenomenal. You know the place is legit when you can’t fault anything from the starters selection. By this point we were so excited for the mains. The salmon bluefin tuna don was pretty and tasty. The pork was cooked so well. The shrimp korokke is a must to order! If you want to impress your boss, family or your mouth buds, go and make a reservation!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is the second time coming to this restaurant and it was just as amazing as the first time. The ambience of the restaurant is cozy and warm, we ordered a variety of dishes and each one was carefully curated and bursting with flavour. I brought some guests and they also loved it and said they would come again each time they visited Toronto. The staff were welcoming, nothing to fault.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had a great birthday experience at Maru. The warm sake was very good. The blue fin tuna on crispy rice was incredible and our favourite of the night. The sashimi set was very tasty including scallops, hamachi, seared tuna, and salmon. All with interesting flavour twists like dill and hoisin etc. pork belly was also good. Everything was extremely fresh and a small menu but I believe it is always changing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
MARU is one of my favorite Japanese restaurant in Toronto. Very laconic card (menu), fresh and testy food, minimalistic design and jazz as a background music. All elements together are a perfect match!
I’ve been wanting to try this restaurant for so many times as my boyfriend highly recommended it and finally we came here today for a little lunch date. The experience was amazing. Maru is an absolute gem, everything from the atmosphere to the service feels thoughtfully crafted. The food is exceptional, with beautifully presented dishes that are bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors especially the pork belly and chirashi don. The sweet owner also welcomes us with 2 cocktails that she made by herself and it was super delicious, one of it is the matcha yuzu and it’s definitely the best cocktail I’ve ever had. On top of that, the service is truly top-notch, the staff is warm, attentive, and clearly passionate about what they do. It’s the kind of place that makes you excited to come back again and again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lovely solo dining experience. The staff took the time to make me feel welcome and comfortable. The dining space, decor, cutlery and dinnerware were all beautiful. The food was excellent. The snow crab nori canapé was creative, refreshing, and savoury. The ebi katsu was delicious and perfect for the cold snowy day. Overall, I enjoyed the freshness and combination of the ingredients across the different dishes. Thank you and I can't wait to be back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
No vibes, but excellent food with VERY SLOW service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
This is perhaps my new fave Japanese restaurant in Toronto. If my rating was not enough, the food was impeccable. The staff friendly and engaging. The environment calm, peaceful - perfect to enjoy your company and the bounty of tastes. HIGHLY recommend. Thank you, Maru!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve tried so many sushi spots in downtown Toronto, but I’ve never found a place with quality this good for the price. The fish here is incredibly fresh and flavorful. The atmosphere is calm and welcoming, making it perfect for both hanging out with friends and going on a date.
I especially love their chirashidon and canapes. So good 😊
I always recommend this place to my friends, because I honestly think it’s the best spot in Toronto to enjoy truly delicious, high-quality fish. Highly, highly recommend! 💕
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A wonderful Japanese fusion restaurant with thoughtful decorations and culinary. The dishes tastes great, the ingredients are fresh, the service is attentive. Will defiantly come back again to try more.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Minimalist decor will immediately help you relax in this restaurant. The greentea was excellent and is a precursor to beautifully prepared and delicious dishes that will follow. Im not always in the mood for raw salmon but Maru's salmon donburi was so fresh it was melt in your mouth yummy. My husband ordered the sashimi set...it was also very fresh, very pretty and delicious.
Apparently though, they just started opening for lunch and was swamped and short staffed so the wait time for food was really long. They finally apologized and gave us extra food. For this reason, we recommend making a reservation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Salmon Nori Canape is a must have ! Such a delicious 🤤 dish. See the other reviews for a photo. Really high quality sushi. 🍣
Hojicha ice cream is delicious! I insist you order it after a meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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