Review Blu Ristorante - Toronto

Nice fancy environment. Great for a quiet, upscale date night! Service was fast, food was pretty good. Extensive drink list for those who want to drink something fancy. Took a star off because they the picture of the Lamb dish on their website was not what they actually served. (both had the same name labeled on it) They must have mislabeled it or it was an older picture. Either way we enjoyed the lamb! Just was expecting something different.

Went here for dinner for my birthday and the experience was definitely amazing. Fine dining at its best. The waiters were attentive and friendly. The price for the food was more affordable then my guest thought but the food still held a high standard. Definitely willing to go back again.

Love the new location. We often went to Blu when it was right in Yorkville. The new location is amazing, John Campbell who plays the piano on Sunday nights is a very talented musician with a wonderful personality. The staff here is all so very attentive from the manager to the server ( Brian) and right down to the young man that cleared the tables ( Jamal I believe was his name) the boss has assembled a great team . I will say that I did send my steak back because it had more cartilage than edible meat. The server quickly switched it out for a delicious lamb shank that I really enjoyed. The issue was dealt with perfectly and that’s all you can ask for. We will be back often. Michael.

My wife and I came here for our first wedding anniversary. We went for a 730pm reservation on a Sunday, but it was not that busy. Most nights likely no reservation needed unless a Saturday. Street parking wasnt an issue but can see it being hard during the week in the city. The outside is very unassuming. A large outdoor dining patio but we elected to eat inside. The inside is two levels. A gorgeous bar on the main floor with a pianist who plays every Sunday night. He was great! Our server(s) were great. Explained the menu well and let us know about the specials. Cocktails to start were delicious. The basilico bash is recommended! A bit pricey in my opinion but tasted great. We started with the beef carpaccio , as well as some prosciutto and cheese from the antipasti list. It came with pickles and crostini. Our server also brought us some home made focaccia bread with a spicy olive oil. All great! For dinner my wife had the butternut squash ravioli and I had the ribeye. Both were out of this world delicious. We also were tempted by the “side” of sweet potato gnocchi, which is easily the best I have had within the city. For dessert we tried the baked chocolate cake. A very long, drawn out description of a lava cake but it was well prepared, hot and gooey and tasted amazing. Overall this place is a must!

I’ve been to Blu on two separate occasions and both were spectacular! The food is always delicious and if it’s not cooked to perfection, the team is always extremely receptive and do what they can to make things right. Both times, our servers were extremely personable and attentive. It’s become a go-to place amongst my friends and I highly recommend going if you’ve never been! Note, the restaurant is often booked full so make sure you plan ahead and make reservations.

Good food, even better service. We went last summer, when indoor dining just returned. It started to drizzle, so they moved everyone on the patio inside. But this was before vaccines were available, so we were more comfortable dining outside even with the light rain. Thank you to staff for accommodating us, and serving us in the rain.

I really enjoyed my meal here! Everything was carefully presented and the food tasted amazing. We loved the atmosphere and our server, Micheal was excellent! Friendly, welcoming, service. The patio was clean, great shade, and spacious for many to dine. I am not from the city and am so glad we chose this restaurant to dine at during our stay in Toronto. I can't wait to come back in the future.

Came for fathers day dinner and we had a wonderful evening! Food and drink was excellent and our server Brian was wonderful. He was knowledgeable and quite funny, but instinctively knew when to stop by and when to leave us be. The service from all of the staff was wonderful, not intrusive, but timing to remove dishes and glasses was just right. Our party arrived in a couple of waves, but we weren't rushed or forced to order too soon. Service was very much at our pace, which I really appreciated. We started with a series of cocktails, they have a wonderful drink menu with lots of options for everybody. We discussed doing the antipasti and some other appetizers, and upon consulting with Brian, he suggested doing the antipasti but with the Beef Carpaccio instead of the cured meats so we could try both. An excellent suggestion that we thoroughly enjoyed. We had also ordered some olives, but a happy mistake occurred and they brought us the tuna tartare instead. Once it arrived at the table, we all agreed that we were not sending it back, it looked too delicious. It was incredible (and nobody missed the olives!). We tried a variety of mains, there was a lamb shank with the mushroom risotto on special tonight which two of us thoroughly enjoyed. The lamb shank was falling off the bone, served in a beautiful tomato sauce on top of the mushroom risotto, which was also excellent. Although it sounded like a heavy dish, it didn't sit heavy after eating, leaving enough room for dessert! Our table enjoyed a few of the homemade chocolate cakes, which are made to order, and I enjoyed the tiramisu. Probably the only item that had an area for improvement was the tiramisu, it had been over soaked and the lady fingers were a little bit soggy, but it was still quite tasty. The outdoor patio is lovely and while it was breezy this evening, Blu is well prepared with lots of patio heaters and blankets for the extra chilly folks. It was just starting to get dark as we wrapped up our meal, and I almost wished the sun had set sooner because the patio is definitely a VIBE, especially after dark! Overall, an excellent celebratory meal at a true gem in the middle of the city. All of the food was wonderfully flavoured and put together, but not fussy at all. Definitely a must-try!

Nice<br/><br/>Went here as part of the Winterlicious festival. Set menu was nice, had the salmon pate to start. Very nice but would have been nice to have some bread/toast with it. Duck as the main was delicious! Dessert was a pistachio cannoli which I did not enjoy. Overall a nice experience with great wait staff. Unsure if I would return in a hurry.

Blu is an elegant Italian restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere on the ground floor of a Yorkville heritage house opposite the Yorkville library, with a well laid out interior space with a bar at the front leading to the dining areas. I went to try out the Summerlicious 3-course dinner menu &ndash; as pictured &ndash; which was delicious with the Zoodles (Spiralized Zucchini &ldquo;noodles&rdquo;) being the highlight. They have a good selection of wines by the glass in addition to their extensive Wine Menu. Service is attentive and friendly

I love to read the negative reviews first, then the plethora of positive reviews, BLU has it all going on, valet parking, unassuming boutique type building, coat check, lots of tables (make reservations), smart casual dress. This is not your typical Italian restaurant, more upscale with outstanding service. Prices are reasonable and the food outstanding. I started with the tuna tar tar(must have) my wife had the beet salad (really good as well). My main was the wild boar ragou, server told me it was a favourite so I ordered it even though I’m not a gnocchi fan...I loved this dish! My wife had an amazing pistachio crushed rack of lamb, on the side we ordered the truffle mushrooms...omg!!...I’m so full<br/><br/>I’ll take friends and family back to BLU soon

Was so impressed with our first visit we went back the following week. Fantastic menu, the highest quality of foods, fantastic tastes, impressive dishes, very accommodating to allergies, and beyond great service. Wine selection is very good. You will not be disappointed. Can’t say enough about the quality of this restaurant. Enjoy.

Came here for a corporate private dining event a year ago, so my review will be based on that experience. We bought out the entire restaurant for the evening; the space was intimate but still roomy enough. The "foyer" of the resto became a cocktail and hors d'ourves space for us, which open-bar options for our 35 guests. The Grilled Baby Lamb Chops they passed around were some of the best I've ever tasted; so tender and flavourful! Moving deeper into the restaurant, they had set up two long dining tables for us. I ordered the Seafood Trio for first course and Chilean Sea Bass with Butternut Squash Puree for main and they were both yummy . I must say I was a little disappointed by my dessert selection. The Chocolate Molten Cake was hardly molten and the cake was quite dry.

This place is amazing. The food, staff and atmosphere are all 5 star in my books. True italian cuisine totally worth the money. The restaurant is beautiful, elegant and the staff are so accommodating and friendly. Great place for a candlelight dinner or quiet get together

Incredible experience at Blu. Everything from the atmosphere to the meal to the live music and the service was tremendous. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. We will be back for sure next time we visit Toronto.

Excellent.. Look forward to returning for dinner !. Wondering aimlessly in Yorkville and realizing it was lunch I chose to stop in at blu. Was pleasantly surprised when I open the door at the lovely Decore and atmosphere. Instantly greeted by the wonderful female bartender and set myself at the bar. I ordered the beef carpaccio and I had it within 10 minutes... I thoroughly enjoyed it it was fresh and flavorful. Unfortunately it was a quick visit but I look forward to returning again.

Great quality of food.. Expensive but I think it worth the price for the quality of food. we had their chef 5 course tasting menu. every part of the dish is high quality in my standard even the sides are in high rating too. lovely. and also they have bring ur own wine Sunday. that's a bonus!

Perfect for snobs!. This is a snobbish, pretentious, over hyped and overpriced place. Dinner for two will take $200-$300 from your pocket, and you will get fair food and mediocre service. <br/><br/>If you are snob, go to Blu, otherwise look elsewhere..

HOW!?. HOW has this restaurant received great reviews? <br/>There is no way there are THAT many people in this city who have zero taste or respect for food!<br/><br/>Let me first begin by stating, yes this is a gorgeous romantic venue with quick service and fresh focaccia... but that's where it ends.<br/><br/>My boyfriend and I dined here just yesterday for my birthday, he surprised me by not telling me where we were going and upon arrival I was impressed with it's romantic ambience and warmth. Keep in mind we are both BIG foodies and do our research before eating ANYWHERE.<br/><br/>Looking over the menu and hearing the specials everything sounded promising. After ordering wine, the antipasto deli for two and our entrées Duck Confit and Seafood Linguini we received our focaccia (which was fresh so we didn't walk away completely livid) and our water.<br/><br/>Service was fast but upon receiving our antipasto we both noticed (being Italian and extremely anal about our deli) that the Brasaola, Sopprasetta, and Prosciutto were definitely NOT fresh and completely dry. Not only that but the mussels were too fishy (and I adore fresh well-prepared mussels). Looking passed these unfortunate issues there was also balsamic glaze/ cilantro all over the board. #1 balsamic glaze is sweet and does not compliment deli and #2 WHAT THE HELL IS CILANTRO DOING IN THIS DISH? As a person who can not stand the stuff I quickly became nauseous and pushed the board away. My boyfriend insisted I ordered another dish but I refused frightened of what else may be put in front of me. I made sure to ask the server that there was no cilantro in my Linguini because God only knows what they're throwing into their dishes at this place.<br/><br/>Finally our dishes arrived. I must admit my boyfriend's duck was well-prepared and flavourful... while my dish of course was less than satisfactory. I put on a happy face and pretended to enjoy every bite so he didn't feel bad. My scallops were burnt, the calamari was rubber, and of course again the mussels were too fishy. And just a side note I would not have called the pasta linguini. I didn't expect for spaghetti chitarra to be passed off as "linguini".<br/><br/>FINALLY we ordered drinks for dessert I got Alfredo's Coffee, nothing special but at least there was nothing they could really screw up.. my boyfriend ordered bailey's on the rocks, or should I say one rock? Is ice a delicacy here? Are they rationing ice cubes? Anyways I'm being petty, up until this point I couldn't figure out why my boyfriend was becoming upset. Finally he blurted out that he had called TWICE to ensure that I would receive a piece of tiramisu with a candle. Now I became upset, my boyfriend is extremely calm and understanding so for this to bother him I felt bad because I know how hard he must have looked and planned for this evening to be so special. We left unhappy. And I will NEVER return or refer any friends or family to this Italian Ristorante HACK JOB!

Very nice.. Good food, portion and services<br/>definitely recommended.

Recommended by a friend, we were eager the check this place out. Firstly the decor is really warm and contemporary. Staff are super friendly, our server was joking with us all night he was hilarious. Now for the food, I had a spaghetti bolognse (safe I know) and it was delicious, if I'm being picky I would have like a little more. My wife had a seafood pasta which I tried, it was so so tasty!!!! We went on a Thursday and there was a younge singer on called Chris. all I can say is that he made our evening, we asked him to play my wife's favorite song. . He looked the words up on his phone and without any hesitation blasted it out . . Unbelievable warm voice!!!!! couldn't say a bad word about BLU, we'll be returning soon.

AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING. We went to BLU this evening, was out of this world that for the fact they had an unbelievable singer and guitarist on. . . Me and my husband were really taken back and couldn't believe (no offense) was playing in a restaurant. He came over to talk to us and was suprised he had an English accent . . .food was great and our waitress was lovely . . . going again on a Thursday when 'christopher' is playing . . .great night

Summerlicious, delicious!. For $35 a head for 3 well-prepared and adequate portions, you can't beat it! Salmon and veal entrees were both full of flavor and well executed. Service was a team effort and flawless. Would eat here again for sure. While not a great lover of live music as background, the singer/pianist was unobtrusive and fine. Good date place.

Great Night. We ate there on Thursday, food was pretty good and was suprised to see a wicked young guitarist on their small but cool stage . . we asked him to play around 4 songs, he knew every one of em . . only thing I'd say was the food took a while to come out in regards to how many people they had in.

Fabulous!. We've eaten at Blu several times over the last 12 months and I love it each and every time. Never a disappointment and always fabulous food. Would highly recommend the rigatoni, it's outstanding!

Great food. Good ambiance and live piano entertainment was great! Would definitely recommend.

What a night. I've heard quite some time about this restaurant in Yorkville called Blu. I finally came down Saturday to have some wonderful food and listen to some great music. I wasn't disappointed. I'll definitely come back for another visit. I have just one suggestion...I've dined in many cities where there is live music that adds a special touch to your dining experience...perhaps for those of us who come to dine and to hear some incredible music, you should put the larger groups of patrons that are louder in the back and the smaller, quieter groups up front to enjoy dinner while listening to the amazing duo that you had last night.

FABULOUS. I had dinner with some friends on May 22nd. I thought the food and service was outstanding. I especially liked the music which was a bonus....the repetoire was perfect, soothing for the soul. I'll definitely visit again and try out another dish and take in some wonderful music the vocalist and guitarist provided.

Amazing!. Excellent food+service! i really enjoyed my time there and the mon/tues special was amazing at a reasonable price for some quality food!

Good times at Blu. Had a wonderful dinner on Wednesday night (Feb 17th). Vocalist and guitarist were absolutely fabulous with a great repetoire...will definitely be back!

Great Music and food. The place is one the most romantic places that I have ever been. The live music is great, not too loud just the perfect volume. I had the grilled Italian sasauges with polenta, it tasted it like when I was in Italy, the lamb shank melted in my mouth. I would recomend this reestaurant if you have a date.

Ambience was great. Live music over the weekend sets the tone of the restaurant. Service was good. Food was excellent as well at affordable prices. No complaints. 3.5/5

Great service, very nice setting and some of the food was great. Red wine was chilled. Will defo return.

Quiet evening. Not often I can get off with $150 for two, wine and cocktails. We went on a Wednesday evening and it was quiet. Food was very good, rigatoni and my guest had the duck. Antipasto for two was good as well.<br/>Well worth the effort.

Whoa what. Its really intense and i think sexual but im not sure and im not gonna go back cause there was jazz music and i felt like i had gone forward in life <br/>whattttt

Blu is definitely an upmarket restaurant. The décor is nice, and the space is laid out in such a way that most tables have a bit of privacy. We showed up right when they opened at 11:30 am hoping to snag a table for an early lunch. When we walked in, we were greeted by the host who asked us if we had a reservation, despite not having one he checked our coats and seated us right away. I’m not saying that he was rude, but there was definitely an air of pretension about him mixed in with an odd sense of dry humor, but it didn’t really bother us.

The restaurant is very cozy, initimate and charming; the perfect place for a date night. The food, atmosphere and service were amazing. The servers gave us the right attention and the food came quickly so we still had time to enjoy a Friday night out on the town!

Winterlicious has begun in Toronto – so here we go! My first Winterlicious date this year was a $45 dinner on Tuesday evening at Blu Ristorante (17 Yorkville Avenue) with Stella. The restaurant is in Yorkville and just a short walk between either Bloor or Bay station. The exterior of the restaurant is small and quaint, which betrays its actually large and lavish interior. It is dimly lit and romantic...

The place looked great! Romantic, fashionable, and fits perfectly in Yorkville. The interior was lit with dim lights and candles. The mood was enhanced by grey chiffon curtains hung from the high ceiling. It gets better, they had a live band playing jazz and blue all night. I was in heaven, living in the 60s and seeing everything in black and white.

We spent the evening sampling a colorful collection of Italian dishes, many of which have subtle asian influences. Prior to moving to Toronto, Chef Aaron Foster was much lauded in the Bangkok restaurant scene. While his food is Italian at heart it was nice to see a few creative combinations inspired by his tenure in Thailand. We all had a delightful meal, chit chatting about our summers and hopes and dreams for the fall and winter. The cheese centric menu offerings made me smile as I furiously peddled all the way home.

Everything was okay but it wasn’t really that amazing. I found the salad had too much sauce on it and the lamb was too salty for my tastes. I can only say I loved the dessert. But since they probably bought that….its not much of a recommendation. I did get to try a

In a recent blog post about my dining experience at Blu Ristorante (post here), I mentioned how much I enjoyed everything from start to finish – specifically the tartare, duck confit pasta and tiramisu. Of course, a few weeks later after that post, I am back again to check out their new menu.<br/><br/>Blu Ristorante, located steps away from Yonge & Bloor Subway Station in Yorkville, is a modern & intimate restaurant serving authentic Italian food.

When my friend randomly suggested Blu Ristorante  ( @BluRistorante )  for an Italian dinner while we were shopping in the Yorkville area, I was quite excited yet perplexed. Italian food – specifically pasta is something that I always crave for so I never say nooo. Yet, I was feeling perplexed because I usually do all my research before heading to any restaurants – so I guess this was somewhat of a spontaneous visit? =) I admit – the second I walked through the doors – the restaurant did  give off a bit of a pretentious vibe but our waiter made it go away as soon as he came over and walked us through the menu. He was friendly and ensured our dining experience went smoothly. Bread to Start: The spread that came with the toasty warm bread was quite addictive Tuna Tartare ($16.00) Leek Fondant, Fruffle Aioli and Fingerlinging Potato Chips The addition of the fingerlinging potato chips  contrasts wonderfully with the tartare, each alternating bite heightens your awareness of the flavours of

Winterlicious has begun in Toronto – so here we go! My first Winterlicious date this year was a $45 prix-fixe dinner on Tuesday evening at Blu Ristorante (17 Yorkville Avenue) with Stella. The restaurant is in Yorkville and just a short walk between either Bloor or Bay station. The exterior of the restaurant is small and quaint, which betrays its actually large and lavish interior. It is dimly lit and romantic.<br/><br/>We had an early reservation at 6pm so it was still pretty quiet. I immediately noticed how attentive the service was, from the host and the coat check to our main server and food runners. After placing our orders, we were served some freshly baked bread with a chili oil.<br/><br/>We weren’t even finished our bread yet when our first course arrived! Stella opted for the grilled calamari (which we both enjoyed but I found a little too charred for me) while I got the pork and duck terrine below.<br/><br/>01.<br/><br/>PORK & DUCK TERRINE<br/><br/>beet vinaigrette, candied pecans, pumpernickel crumble, root vegetable<br/><br/>I wasn’t quite sure what to expect so this dish was a surprise for me. Terrine is served cold which I normally don’t enjoy in meats, but the flavour was so good in this I didn’t mind! I liked the beet as well. There was a great variety of things in this first course.<br/><br/>02.<br/><br/>RED WINE BRAISED LAMB SHANK <br/><br/>citrus-rosemary gremolata, rutabaga puree, carmelized brussel sprouts, lamb jus<br/><br/>Stella and I both picked the lamb shank for our main. IT WAS THE MOST TENDER LAMB I’VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE, and such a generous portion, too! The rutabaga puree offers a nice contrast to the lamb meat and the brusselsprouts. Between these first two dishes though, I felt like I didn’t have enough vegetables and too much meat and bread, haha.<br/><br/>03.<br/><br/>HAZELNUT SEMMIFREDDO CANNOLI <br/><br/>salted caramel, chocolate sauce<br/><br/>I had the cannoli for dessert which was okay, but honestly didn’t really stand out to me. Stella had the sorbet, the flavours of the evening being pistachio and mango, and was pleased.<br/><br/>I’m really glad I got to experience this place! Service was top-notch: just incredibly helpful and efficient. My first two courses were also well-presented, creative, and incredibly delicious. A strong start to my Winterlicious adventures!