Eclectic, to say the least.
Just cannot describe the interior? A hotch potch of everything. I mean it's a dump, well it just wouldn't work anywhere else. Here it has created a restaurant that buzzes, has unique character and a great atmosphere, Love it!!! 80's music, knew all the words. This is just a great dining experience. Tiny kitchen that produces consistent, enjoyable food every time from a limited menu that does not encourage subs. Great dinner, we'll be back.
My favorite restaurant in Toronto! Food is great (best involtinis ever!), service is great and music/atmosphere is great! I strongly recommend it.
Visited with a large group and the server recommended doing a prix fixed menu for convenience. The amount of food that we got for $45 per person was incredible. All of it was excellent. The restaurant has a laid back and noisy atmosphere in a sort of ramshackle decor. Will definitely go back for more.
A really good Italian restaurant with a great ambience.
The quality is usually excellent, although not quite as good the last time we went. I think this was in part due to how busy it was.
My only problem is the fact that it was very noisy, but that is just a personal thing. Many people have no problem with noisy restaurants.
The prices are about what you would expect, kind of middling I guess.
Pity they don't make their pasta in house, but that's my only gripe.
A bit favourite in the Leslieville neighbourhood.
Love it. A fantastic joint that will forever be one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto. Anyone who doesn't have a good time at the Nose is incapable of feeling real joy.
Love affair. I've been dining here about 1-2 times per year since it opened. Can't get enough. Involtini. Brussel sprouts. Servers. Marry me! Love the music, the atmosphere, the volume. If you are old or stuffy - you will find it loud. If you like to bully waiters/waitresses, you will not like the staff (who are all lovely, in my opinion, but they don't take any crap). If you only go once, you'll find yourself telling people about this place.
Great food. Loads of flavourful options
Love the Nose. Simply the most perfect restaurant.
This Oakville snob LOVES the place and EVERYTHING about it. Read some negative reviews and I can understand their point. "No" if you want to be in and out in an hour it won't happen, "Yes" it can be very noisy and "Yes" some of the staff have what I like to call "a personality". It took me a long time to find a decent restaurant that offered something a bit different. As an Oakville native I was horrified to move into "Scarberia" but thank God for the beaches and quirky, wonderful places like "The Nose". I feel transported to New York City to an amazing "find" hidden like a jewel in the pylons (don't let the construction deter you). So to all the "prigs" I say, "stay away" go to some stiff, quiet, tight assed restaurant and leave me and my fellow bohemians alone. Thank you! LOL :)
Oh my God amazing. One of the finest meals I had in 2013.
LOVE the food AND staff! We went in late where they could have said kitchen was closed but Ian took VERY good care of us. #customerservicewin
Loved it. Took my mom there for dinner last night, we shared the caprese salad and the gnocchi (was a house special) both were incredible. reasonably priced too. very happy and will definitely be back.
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I've been here twice. Once for a birthday and the second time for dinner with my family.
Both experiences were fabulous! First off, customer service was fantastic. The waitress/server was polite and professional. She described all the specials, gave her recommendations and was constantly checking up on us to see if everything was good.
Food and drink options were great. Time between drinks and each meal was also spot on. I recommend ordering a little bit of everything on the menu and sharing it "family style", so everyone could try all the great food.
In terms of price, I found it a little pricey, however, every time I think of what I are, I just can't really complain. The quality and preparation of the foods are top notch.
My only cons to the restaurant? Location. It's on Queen East, and at an intersection where I couldn't find decent parking. Secondly, the disturbing paintings they had throughout the restaurant. Those are just little nitpicks I have, but overall a great place and experience.
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A neighbourhood favourite. We've been to Gio's a few times now and have had good experiences every time. As others have mentioned, the food is fantastic. The meatball is amazing, the brussel sprout salad, the pulled meat wrapped in more meat (name??) is all to die for. The service has been prompt, warm and helpful each time, and the wine selection is decent. Oh, and the prices are amazing. Nowhere else can you get such amazing food for such low prices. I have two gripes, and I'm throwing them out there because I find these items endemic to Italian restaurants, I can't figure out why. 1- They don't make all their pasta in-house. The difference is so huge, I really wish italian restos would step up and only serve house-made pasta. 2- The cocktail selection is awful. They're about the calibre you might expect on $3 drink night at a university bar. Very sweet, brightly coloured, all bar mix. Yuck. They could take a cue from other places in the 'hood and start making some decent drinks; I think that would earn them the last star, in my books anyway ;) That said, we'll keep going back, because the food is really really amazing! I'll just stick to wine.
Stephanie Fung Wolfe
+4.5
Never been disappointed. Awesome food, cool vibe, great service. It's my go to place if I want to impress guests.
Excellent!. Great food, very consistent. Love the giant meatball and all pastas, but no dish is an afterthought, all extremely well executed. Funky decor, lively crowd, friendly servers and well priced to boot. Two thumbs way up - GO!!
Didn't disappoint. I took my mom here for dinner recently and we weren't disappointed. we got there at 6 but the place started to fill up as we were finishing up. everything we ordered was super tasty (calamari, osso buco, stuffed chicken, roasted beets, asparagus) and the service was really laid back and friendly. Will come back for sure
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A Salute To The Nose!. My girlfriend wanted me to surprise her with something for her birthday. After reading so many positive reviews, this was the place I chose (first visit for both of us). I called to make reservations for a Wednesday @ 7:30pm. They said they don't take reservations for groups under 6, but being a Wednesday, we shouldn't have a problem. As things go, we arrived just before 9pm. Though very busy, we did not have to wait for a table. A nice start, and made good on their promise.
As another commenter mentioned, "they have their s**t together".... my gf even said, "they are SO on-the-ball here!". Our Server, Emily, was extremely pleasant and patient. We said it was our first time, so she explained in detail the menu, the structure, and answered all of our questions. We ordered the Risotto and Gnocchi, Roast Tenderloin and Involtini (pulled pork/ribeye/goat cheese), with Fingerling Potatoes and Sweet Potato Mash.
The Risotto came first. When finished that, the Gnocchi came. This sequence was perfect, as even though we didn't specify it, Emily knew we were sharing the appetizers. The Tenderloin and Involtini came after as our mains, along with our Fingerlings and Mashed. The Fingerlings and Mashed were at each end of one long, canoe shaped dish, which was placed between us. A very romantic touch!
The meal was incredible (the Involtini made my eyes roll back in my head), the service was outstanding, and the price was worth it!
PS. yes you can say that it's a bit "noisy", but that's because everyone is having A GOOD TIME!
Cheers.
"Really really good" restaurant. Been here a couple times already and it's quickly becoming one of my new favourite restaurants in Toronto. Casual vibe and feel. Service is exceptional and the food is delicious. My only criticism would be that the portions are a bit small for the price but the free tasty bread makes up for it. Love the tiramisu cake and fritto calamari.
Interesting Fun eclectic decor. Tasty, well priced dishes. Everything we had from appetizers to mains, sides and dessert was delicious. The roast pork was very tender and a stand out! We'll go back for sure.
Great good at very decent prices. The Osso bucco was exceptionally good a were the lamb fillets. Busy.
Great. Delicious flavourful food, good presentation, excellent environment! portion sizes are quite small so make sure you don't go completely hungry like i did lol.
The food was great. Reasonably priced and the service was perfect.
Good place to go with friends. A bustling, loud, restaurant. Pretty good eats--best enjoyed with friends. Being vegetarian, I never had the Gio's meatball, but those who did raved about it.
No sign on the door .. Just a Super Size Nose. Talk about taking what is there and turning it into a jem. I think its an old bank that was stripped clean and replaced with artwork on the walls and small tables. Just try the invotinni and you will know why everyone loves the place.
Great. Been here a few times and have always had a great dinner. Food is very good. I find the place a bit dumpy though. Could use a few $$ towards a re-fresh.
Excellent!. They serve great food and the service is very good. But this place gets extremely busy on Friday and Saturday nights. It was busy when we went (two couples) that we had to shout at each others. But it was worth it!
Had a great dinner. The two of us went for dinner on a Thursday night and really enjoyed the food, service and environment that Gio's has to offer.
We sat in a nook at the front window (next to the old safe) which allowed us a nice intimate dinner.
We ordered a lobster and linguini special which was done up in nothing more than garlic and olive oil. Delicious.
Sadly, the side of rapini could have used some more salt.
The steak-wrapped pulled pork was delicious but portion size was tiny.
The side of gorgonzola asparagus was tasty.
Can't wait to try some more items on the menu!
Review in haiku:
Chef's special menu
Chianti and rapini,
Yummy and so good.
Andrew Xavier LeBlanc
+4.5
Awesome food and atmosphere, I regularly go here and have never had a bad experiance. I you live in Toronto it's a must
AMAZING!. Now this place has their SH** Together, Amazing food, Amazing service and atmosphere. It's my 3rd time dining there and knock on wood all times whether with party of 10 7 or 4 , they know how provide you with your moneys worth and it's always nice to tip more when the service they provide surpasses expectations.
It's ACTUALLY really really nice, go figure. Have the Involtini.
Love it!. My husband and I went to Gio Rana's for the first time last night. We got there at about 6:30 on a Saturday night and were seated immediately. Our waitress was very friendly and had great suggestions. We started with the Calamari appetizer, which was excellent. The calamari was perfectly tender. Then I ordered the Parmesan Risotto with Spicy Sausage, and my husband ordered the Potato Gnocchi with Tomato Gorgonzola Sauce. Both were excellent. We were starting to get full so we skipped the second course and went right to dessert. Our waitress suggested the Chocolate Brownie. The brownie was a bit crumbly and dry but had excellent flavor. The caramel and chocolate drizzled on top was delicious. Our final bill was quite reasonable, especially since we each had two drinks. If you like fruity drinks, try the Astro Pop or Bollywood Nights.
Excellent food, cute waiters and close to my house... Can't get better
Good place for a birthday celebration. There were six of us and we had a great time. Even though the place was packed, service was fast and responsive. Great for ordering one of everything and sharing. The food was tasty. I particularly liked the Involtini. The wine was good too, and when I checked later on the LCBO website to buy some for home, it was not listed so they have a good consignment program in place. The music was fun but you might have to be over 30 to really appreciate "Spirit in the Sky".....
Awesome!. I love Gio Rana's - the food and atmosphere are great. The staff and owners are top notch!
We call it "NOSE" you'll see why when you go. This is our favorite, favorite restaurant...high end gout for cheap. You'll be bopping in your seat to the music while you chew....staff is very friendly. Try the osso bucco and the brussel sprouts with asiago side dish. The chocolate cake is to die for.
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Friendly, fast, and a good place. The nose sticks out over the doorway in lieu of a sign, but it doesn't matter, members of the public beat a path to Gio Rana's door. The menu is set up to allow for multiple courses in the Italian style. Among the appetizer: the large, lovely meat ball is always good, so is the beef carpaccio. The pasta section has several happy choices, although I seldom stray from the butternet squash ravioli in sage butter. For mains, the osso buco is very good - there are daily specials, always including fresh fish, but I am seldom tempted away from my favourites. It is hard so say why some restaurants become favourites where you go when you are feeling tired and out of sorts, and other restaurants, equally nice, just never quite make the cut. For me Gio Rana's has always been a place where I feel welcome, eat good food, and chose from their selection of good wines available by the glass. Desserts are not their strongest point, but you probably won't have room to eat dessert anyway. Good prices. Street parking.
...Gio Rana’s certainly does not lack for style or character! …And, of course, “The Nose” certainly knows good food!
Wherethelocalsgotoronto
+4.5
The decor has a thrift-store-chic feeling; all of the chairs are mismatched as are the plates. It's best to go here with a group of people so that you can share lots of the small bite plates.
The food is "Mamma's Italian," and is a relatively cheap eat.
The nose knows, you know. That’s the only marker you will have that you have arrived at my favourite Italian restaurant. I confess I was reluctant to share this one. There are only a handful of restaurants, including Gio’s, that I hold close to my heart.
What started in midtown Toronto in the early 2000s has made its home in Leslieville. Gio's (aka 'The Nose') was a long standing staple of Yonge Street until it moved south. Now, in an old bank building, the trendy irony continues with their very loud and casual dining room, open concept kitchen and tempting Italian meals.
The prices have gone up, but the quality remains and the whole evening is a very memorable dining experience for visitors to Toronto as well as the faithful locals - some of whom have followed the restaurant from midtown to Queen Street.
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