Reviews Woods

We were visiting Toronto and was looking for nice place for a lunch. This place was a greats suppruse! Food and services were amazing. A bit pricey for lunch but still worth every $$$.

Excellent food and phenomenal service!!!! My sister in law’s bachelorette party ate dinner here and we were treated amazingly well. Thanks so much!

Another amazing dinner. This is truly a Toronto gem! Thanks to Ivan, Matt and the rest of the staff for making our evening so special!

Phenomenal food and even better service. I highly suggest the elk carpaccio!

We have been twice. Excellent food and service. Very enjoyable.

Perfect night, perfect service

I say I don't do this often and have left two reviews today and both excellent. I went to Woods before a show the other evening. Not knowing anything about the establishment and was pleasantly surprised. Top notch service, really. Best dirty martini, chicken cordon blue was done in a way that made it more than a comfort food, but still left me satisfied yet knowing I still had a fine dining experience. Location, ambiance, service, food. Just exceptional. The halibut ceviche was devine!

Despite the restaurant’s Canadian theme, exciting elements of Italian, Filipino and French cuisine weave their way through the dishes at Woods, turning classic dishes into new and exciting meals. The restaurant specializes in pastas and braised meats, with the most popular menu item being Woods’ Braised Bison Short Rib. Woods gets its meat from a few special providers.

Read more: jamiesarner.com/toronto-life/2016/12/best-farm-to-table-restaurants-in-toronto

The Effort Shows. We loved the space. Distinctive from its former incarnation. On a sticky summer night, it had the right combination of natural light and subdued lighting. A good start.

I knew of the former dust up between Amy Pataki, the Star's food critic who often should just stay in bed, and chef/owner Bruce Woods. So I wanted to see for myself and follow up on her fair review (which took into account her history with Woods).

This is the real deal and a terrific dining experience. First, the food. The carrot soup as an appetizer was very nicely done and beautifully presented. Not overly sweet, but a nice consistency with a smooth finish. The sauces presented with the oysters were excellent, with one seriously hot which added fun and flavour.

The mains were equally consistent. Three cheese stuffed meatballs with a plate of nicely cooked spaghetti were bang on. Even though the serving looks small, it's deceiving and leads to a full and satiated stomach. The chicken cordon bleu had good flavour and a different presentation Not a bad bite in the lot.

The desert menu was interesting and varied. We chose the pecan tart and the sugar donuts (with a chocolate dipping sauce) which were seriously good and better than most restos which throw greasy balls of dough to satisfy the sweet tooth. These were a notch above.

As for the service, we found it attentive, knowledgeable and fun. Our main server had an excellent sense of humour, was playful and chimed in when needed. There were no long delays, nor did we feel rushed. They hit the mark.

Both Woods and Robin Singh (owner) were on hand and visited the table. I know many chefs/owners do this both to make the meal memorable and stroke the diners sense of importance (don't all diners like to say "yeah, I talked to the owner/chef) but we got the sense that they were sincere about wanting to make a good impression. And it showed.

Bottom line, we had a great time. Nice space, good food, attentive service. Really, what else can you ask for.

Tuscan

Even a weeknight dinner requires a cocktail and Woods menu has a limited but good offering of them. The sparkling ginger ($10) sounded interesting with a mix of whisky, ginger and prosecco. This is a great cocktail for someone who doesn’t like them too sweet or too strong, the whisky is toned down by the dry prosecco and without simple syrup. Fresh cubes of ginger sit at the bottom of the flute so that every bubbly sip is filled with an aromatic and flavourful hit.

Our experience is complete and as Chef Woods chats with us about his food we sense the passion he has for fine dining and gourmet cuisine. With a repertoire that includes five star hot spots like Brassaii, Centro, and Modus this solo project is ambitious, as well as a testament to his growth in the culinary world. What makes this restaurant an easy top pick is its seamless combination of a winning menu, stellar ambience, and friendly service. That’s no easy task, but where other venues fail to see the forest for the trees, Woods comes through with the whole package – and it’s magical.

Have been meaning to come to Woods Restaurant ( @woodstoronto ) since AKS event here and I had change our reservation several time due to our schedule. We finally made it there the day before Ben's birthday this past Friday. Somehow they have been following me on twitter and learn about his bday, Chef Bruce Woods (formally Brasaii, Centro & Modus) kindly greeted us with Sparkling Wine as we sat down. Brasaii and Centro  With a quick one-month renovation from the former Colborne Lane space, the high ceiling, exposed brick with wooden theme throughout the space. The space was very inviting especially with the large windows that bring in some natural light. Very elegant and yet has an organic feel to it Since leaving his place at the Bay St. staple Modus Restaurant about 6 months ago, I had been following Woods (also formally of Brasaii and Centro) to find out what he’d get into next. Now, back when I heard that Colborne Lane (one of Toronto’s only long-standing attempts at molecular gast

Have been meaning to come to Woods Restaurant since AKS event here and I had change our reservation several time due to our schedule. We finally made it there the day before Ben's birthday this past Friday. Somehow they have been following me on twitter and learn about his bday, Chef Bruce Woods (formally Brasaii, Centro & Modus) kindly greeted us with Sparkling Wine as we sat down.

With a quick one-month renovation from the former Colborne Lane space, the high ceiling, exposed brick with wooden theme throughout the space. The space was very inviting especially with the large windows that bring in some natural light. Very elegant and yet has an organic feel to it

The wine list range from local to imports and are all very reasonably priced form $10-15 a glass and most bottles from $40-75 while some pricier ones like a $380 Tuscan Red is also available. While the beer list are mostly local Canadian microbrews.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Crew (Ontario) $65
We originally wanted to go with a safe one from Tawse that we had before but our server suggested this one saying that it's one of his favorite. I am surprise that he notice that we wanted something local and suggest an Ontario wine to us.

Never heard of this winery before but love the strong robust flavor of this wine with a rather chewy tannis finish. Loved it so much that we are tempted to go to the winery one day. Yes, I know it's a boring picture of a piece of bread but I just wanted to mention that they made their this sour dough bread in house and it was so good that I think I had at least 3 slices.

Seared Quebec Foie Gras $19
~ Purple potato puree, lobster mushrooms, bacon crispy confit, Saskatoon Compote
 I can never resist ordering foie gras each time I see it on the menu and this was no exception. Not only was it cook perfectly but doesn't it look so pretty with the purple potato puree, the greens on the blank white plate... it's like a piece of art work.

Venison Carpaccio $16
~ Black Trumpets, Wild Leek, Corn Nuts, Seedlings
 We were pleasantly surprise at how tender this venison can be, it was perfectly seasoned with the right amount of gaminess to it which was further complimented by the trumpets and the crunchiness of the corn nuts. Ben is having a really tough time forgetting this =P 

The most delicious Mini Hot Dog you can ever have.... perfect crispy casing, perfect flavor, perfect sweet relish and a perfect toasted soft pillowy roll. Thanks Chef for this amazing fun amuse.

Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast $28
~ Tatsoi, shallot, sourdough croutons, crispy confit, dried cherries, duck egg béarnaise
 This was cook so perfect, just how I like it since I do find it overcook and chewy in a lot of places. The duck itself was very lightly seasoned which work here so that I can taste the natural duck flavor which was further complimented by the tart cherries and slight mustard-y kick from the tatsoi.

Chicken Cordon Blue $26
~ Prosciutto cotto, monforte paradiso, chicken jus, Jerusalem artichoke, roasted pepper & black olive saladBen was so tempted to order the steak and chose this one instead since chicken tends to take more skills to cook than steak. This was no disappointment, although being all white chick breast meat it was tender and juicy with a thin crispy outer layer. It was perfect with the intense chicken jus and the olives salad on the side.

Buckthorn Pavlova $11
~ Buckthorn curd, milk chocolate ganache, black sesame ice cream
What a cute presentation and thanks for doing this even though I didn't requested it (^_^)

Even though it was so pretty and we weren't sure if we should dig in, we eventually did after admiring it for a minute and everything on this dish (except for the candle) was so delicious.

Raspberry Macaronnade $11
~ Mascarpone mousse, basil ice cream, macaroon, raspberry tuile, texture of raspberry, salted pine nuts
The smooth and light mousse was interlace with raspberry coulis was just a beauty in the Manson jar with all the raspberry seeds peeking through. I also love how the use the jar lid to hold the ice cream but presentation aside, the basil ice cream can easily hold it's own ground and need I say extra bonus point from me since I love basil (yes, I love it so much that I can munch on it).

This is the perfect summer dessert, light and not overly sweet with a fresh outdoor airy feel to it.

Verdict :

Haven't had such a fantastic meal from start to finish for a long time.
Great friendly, attentive and knowledgeable service
Great tasting and Great presentations
Great spacious settings, def no listening to next table conversation.
I already miss this place and hopefully I will go back soon.

Tasty hidden gem! Great drinks, amazing dishes. Very good sized portions, so you can enjoy the menu from appetizer to dessert, and they are all worth it. Loved the intimate, yet lively atmosphere. Very good, fast service as well. Just make a reservation in advance, as tables as limited. When they are fully booked, they accept walk-ins at the bar as well. We appreciated the drinks on the house and coat service as well. Will be back.

What an amazing dining experience! Our waiter Tommy was super helpful at offering recommendations that did not disappoint one bit. The ambiance is wonderful and the food choices were all amazing (minus the scallop Duo which was not quite what we were expecting). Would definitely go back to try out the new amazing menu options and to see how the restaurant has changed their interior decorations.

BEST EXPERIENCE EVER!! These are the nicest people I have ever met along with the most amazing food I’ve ever tasted!! Couldn’t get enough!! We were treated like royalty, would go back a million more times! Big shoutout to Derek and Robin as well, we are so grateful for the unforgettable dining experience!!

I had such a great experience at this restaurant. The food was delicious and the servers made us feel so welcome and were so happy to chat about the food and restaurant in general. I got the duck which was so delicious and I also got to try the elk ragu which was amazing. I highly highly recommend the kale as a side, even the people in my family who don’t usually like kale really loved it! Overall such a perfect dinner, I will definitely be going back!