Boccaccio Ristorante Italiano in North York

Great restaurant with delicious food and a cozy atmosphere. Special thanks to David for his attentive and professional service. Will definitely come back!

We recently celebrated a 65th anniversary and Giovanni and the rest of the staff made it an enjoyable evening from the great service to the delicious food and the warm ambiance. This is a restaurant I would highly recommend!

If you want true Italian hospitality with authentic Italian cuisine, Boccaccio Ristorante is definately a place you must try. Compliments to Chef Luciano and his amazing staff

The food was delicious. The staff is very courteous. It was a pleasure meeting Giovanni, who will be assisting us with my daughters bridal shower.

Incredible service and top notch food. Absolutely delicious!

Great mushroom risotto and asparagus risotto. Pleasant staff.

I decided to try this restaurant during summerlicious and was extremely disappointed. We were supposed to have a choice of appetizers, main and dessert. There was only 1 choice for the appetizers instead of 3 and we were given calamari which was overdone and not edible. The main was chicken which was ok but nothing special. We wanted the tiramisu for dessert and was informed that they had run it but offered chocolate cake instead, which again was nothing special and dry. We were charged $5 for a bottle of water which is ridiculous. People should have the choice of having a glass of tap water. I expected more from this restaurant and was looking forward to a great experience, and to find a good place to share with family and friends, but unfortunately that was not the case.

I already posted a review on another site and the response from the owner was condescending and rude! He feels that I am not familiar in dining at fine dining Italian restaurants. I would like to inform you that I have travelled extensively including many regions of Italy where I was served fine Italian dining and all were spectacular! stop making excuses and trying to put your lack of knowledge and experience in running a successful fine dining restaurant back on the customer! Shame on you!

Our dinner party enjoyed authentic Italian cuisine.

For Summerlicious we visited Boccaccio Authentic Italian Restaurant in the Columbus Centre. Since we had enjoyed dining at Boccaccio (as it was previously called) at the same location, we expected to be served its well known genuine, traditional Italian fare. Its new managements pleasantly renovated interior, white table cloths and cutlery, exude an inviting ambience. The antipasto, despite announcing its abundant & varied ingredients, was limited in quantity and missing fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomato slices, prosciutto, etc., as it is customary of other Italian restaurants. The tagliatelle dish, bland in their taste, were cold in some areas within. The meatballs - one single meatball! - was dry, very chewy, didnt have any spices in them, hence was tasteless. The lamb shanks piece consisted of a large bone and scanty meat covered with sauce. The salad with only iceberg lettuce and cabbage strips - not radicchio! - oozed oil - was not Italian style. The affogato al caffè was nice, but the tiramisu was too creamy and heavy, it tasted like cream cheese and had no mascarpone, which has a light texture. We had requested TAP water, however they charged us $5! Expensive and certainly lacking the Italian flavour it promotes.

$27 for Summerlicious Lunch Great Food, Great Service, Great Atmosphete Thank You David for your pleasant service ! We will come again for Winterlicious ! Food

This is a hidden gem deserves wide recognition. Our server David was extremely nice and helpful. The food was excellent as well.

Nice clean place with table cloths and decent atmosphere, however food tastes bland, and portions are small and expensive. The chef owner thinks very highly of the food his restaurant serves, but when we complained about the food we were served at a 60 guest banquet we hosted recently, where most people couldnt eat the garbage we were served, all we got were denials and excuses that the food was as we ordered it. We are left ripped-off and very disappointed with this restaurant.

A little gem of a spot inside the Colombus Centre! Who wouldve thought? I worked here for over 6 years and didnt know this place existed next door! Came here with 60 people to celebrate the retirement of 2 special colleagues. It was the perfect venue. The experience from booking and negotiating terms for the party, to the moment we left the restaurant on the evening of the event, was seamless. Giovanni made everything as easy as possible and helped us create an evening that suited everyones taste and budget. Everyone at the party mentioned how lovely the event space was and noted it was a perfect spot for an intimate gathering. The Orechiette was the biggest hit. I didnt personally see the chicken dish but heard it was good. We omitted the potatoes purposely and just had the chicken with the broccolini in order to keep the cost down for guests. We figured since bread was included there would be enough starch :). The gnocchi was soft and pillowy. Couldve added more sauce b/c it dried out a bit with the oven baking process but I still finished every bite! We heard the tiramisu was delicious but we brought our own cake and sweets to celebrate. This also helped to keep it budget friendly. The head chef came out and served the cake for us without extra charge. The staff, though a couple were fairly new to the space, was eager to help and made us feel welcome, even though we overstayed our welcome at least an hour after their closing hours. We were able to play our own music through the night, and they had a wireless mic for us to use during speeches that wasnt always necessary if you had a loud voice. Their speakers arent loud enough for dancing, so if you plan to do that, bring your own... we had a small portable JBL and it worked perfectly. This restaurant is accessible!!! This was a huge plus as we had members of our group who could not do stairs. Bathrooms and restaurant were easy to access. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the careers of these two lovely people and I thought it was perfect. Thank you Giovanni, Luciano and your team!!!

TERRIBLE FOOD!!! IT S NOT A ITALIAN RESTAURANT!!! GARBAGE!!!

Fabulous food and service, definitely will be back !

This place is not worth it. The food was pretty much offensively bland. None of the mains come with vegetables and you have to order them separately for $8 only to get overcooked broccolini. They charge for tap water, not bottled or sparkling but for tap water. And to round it all off the server we had didnt actually know the proper names of each dessert. A fancy looking ristorante with no actual substance.

We threw a bridal shower here a few weeks ago for my daughter and came away incredibly happy, satisfied and grateful for the experience. The venue is beautiful and the atmosphere was relaxing and bright. The food was delicious, everything exactly as we discussed and agreed upon. Giovanni was amazing and very accommodating, the day went off without a hitch. Wonderful, helpful staff. Thanks again Giovanni, we will definitely be back! Elisa

The dining experience was disappointing overall. The antipasto was particularly subpar, with old, mushy seafood, salad, and salami. Additionally, the food was overly salty and drenched in butter, though the chicken and salmon were decent. Despite being presented with a wine menu, our order was never taken, leaving us to settle for room temperature water. Service was abysmal, as we had to request water three times. In regards to my daughters severe allergy, despite reaching out in advance, the restaurant couldnt assure us of nut-free options. Consequently, she opted not to eat. Additionally, the desserts all contained nuts. The owners handling of the situation was extremely disappointing, refusing to reimburse her plate and causing a scene to avoid a $45 charge. Based on this experience, I wouldnt recommend returning to this restaurant due to its poor service and food quality. Update - your disrespectful, malicious and inaccurate response further solidifies my review. Reservation was for three adults and two children of which only one child did not eat and we requested not to be charged for. You did not suggest any special provisions for my child and instead did make recommendations for things may eat. My son, in fact, enjoyed his meal. Additionally for your information I made the reservation for Mother s Day for my mother. You are misinformed, sir, of this as well. It is unfortunate to see you grasping here, sir I requesting that we do not attend your restaurant again. Please be rest assured that my family, our friends, and anyone else that cares to listen of this interaction will refrain from visiting your establishment in the future. All the best to you Dietary restrictions: The owner was unwilling to accommodate my daughter s allergy to peanuts and treat nuts.

Amazing food amazing service

Thoroughly enjoy the Family Sunday Lunch! Highly recommend. The food was simply quality and delicious! brought back memories of how Sunday lunch used to be but better did not have to cook it!

Delicious food with excellent service. The zuppa di pesce is always one of my favourites!

Great chef, polite and hardworking team, nice and clean restaurant. Beautiful piece of Italy in Toronto.

Our experience hosting my daughters first communion party at this restaurant was nothing short of exceptional. Giovanni gave us a warm welcome right from the start. The staff was very helpful in ensuring our celebration was memorable. The ambiance was perfect for the occasion, and the food was delicious, pleasing both kids and adults alike. It was truly a joyous and unforgettable day, and were grateful to have chosen such a wonderful venue for this special milestone. Highly recommended!

Our server Charles was excellent, very attentive and exceeded our expectations!

The new updated decor at Boccaccio is beautiful! We were accommodated in a glassed in private room, eliminating noise from other patrons, as we were a group of twelve Our server Charles was polite, professional, went over and above making sure our requests were fulfilled! We will definitely be going back. Thanks to the chefs who replicated Sunday family lunch! The food was delicious!

Not recommended, overpriced and the chef is a huge show off lol

Could not wait to try this restaurant. Staff is not well versed in their menu and could not answer simple questions. Asked for a dirty martini dry with 3 olives and the bar was not equipped to make it as we were told they only had sweet vermouth. Asked them to make with lemon instead and it still came out wrong. Can of coke was room temperature and flat. Veal scallopini was nervy and could not taste any marsala. Branzino was dry and when we asked for 4 additional pieces of lemon for it we were brought lemon slices. Enjoyed the veal chop, lamb shank, rapini and Italian salad. When the bill came the veal chop was priced differently than what it was listed on the menu. When we asked the waitstaff they could not answer why this was. We were one of four tables on a Saturday night. Will not be coming back.

The food is amazing and comforting, the staff and atmosphere is very welcoming! 10/10 would recommend if you re looking for great quality Italian food.

I really love Boccaccio, one of the best Italian restaurants Ive been to in Toronto. The Braised Lamb and the fried calamari are to die for. If you want to eat Italian because you miss Italy. THIS IS THE PLACE.

We celebrated our parents 90th birthday and as Ristorante Boccaccio has been in the family for years it made the most sense to celebrate there. It didnt disappoint Giovanna, Luciano Alexander Sofia etc took care of us from the start to end. Food was also delicious and made our special night amazing. Thanks to all and I know I missed thanking people but there were so many!!!

I recently visited this restaurant for a birthday dinner that I organized and was absolutely blown away by the entire dining experience! The food was nothing short of exceptional every dish was expertly prepared, beautifully presented, and bursting with flavour. And they have an expansive cocktail and wine menu. But what truly set this restaurant apart was the amazing staff. From the moment I walked in the door, I was greeted with warm welcomes and friendly smiles. The wait staff was attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and genuinely passionate about ensuring that our experience was top-notch. Chef Luciano took the time to come out and check on us, making sure that we were enjoying the food and that everything was cooked to perfection. Overall, I cant recommend this restaurant highly enough. Whether youre looking for a romantic dinner for two or a night out with friends, this place is sure to impress with its exceptional food and stellar service. I cant wait to come back and try even more of the delicious dishes on offer!

Went for the Sunday brunch. Food was just as good as I remembered. Would recommend having other pasta sauce options.

One of the worst seafood experienses. Grilled squid with shrimps was very bad.

The calamari fritti, risotto with funghi, scalloppini with mushrooms, mousse al Cafe and espresso were all delicious! Included delicious rolls and all reasonably priced! Staff payed well--no tipping expected!

What an Italian experience! Boccaccio is back and better than ever. The interior has been transformed and the food was spectacular. I opted for a Negroni and Chef Luciano s Burrata to start - the portion was massive and the spicy calabrese honey was a nice touch to bring the dish together. I then selected the Scaloppine ai Funghi with Patate Arrosto - everything was fresh, tasty, and vibrant - leaving me wanting more! You can clearly tell that they want everyone to have a good time - Luciano even came out to introduce himself and offered some samples of delightful formaggi. All in all - 10/10 - will definitely be coming back!

Im shocked! For the first time in my life, I found a cockroach in my plate ... Thank you bocacho for ruining the evening

Very good Italian food for a reasonable price Keep up the great service Food

Incredible food and experience - the lamb fell right off the bone

One of the best Italian Restaurants, i visited in my neighbourhood. Must visit .Recommend

The food was excellent, exceeding our expectations. The burrata was amazing. The ricotta gnocchi melted in your mouth. The lamb was the best we have ever eaten!! The veal scallopini was so tender. Overall the menu was impressive. The atmosphere was bright and enjoyable. The servers were pleasant and attentive.

A friend of mine recommended this restaurant to me, and the meal was well worth it. I went for lunch, had the mozzarella appetizer, followed by the seafood pasta, washed down with red wine. The waitress (April was her name, a delightful girl) recommended a brand, and it was perfect. I highly recommend this place.

Great food, courteous staff and good value

A wonderful place to eat authentic Italian food! Chef Luciano and staff went above and beyond with their delicious food and service. I felt we were in Italy with the taste and style of food. Thank you Luciano for a memorable and delicious experience!! Congratulations!

My husband and I were looking for a traditional but modern looking italian restaurant for our daughter baptism and came across boccaccio. Immediately contacted and booked as the space was perfect and intitmate. Working with Giovanni and team made everything easy and smooth with no worry of how the day would go. The food was spectacular! All our guest talked how amazing the food was and how full they were! Definitely look forward to continue doing events there again!

Celebrated my Moms 90th Birthday and we were happy with both the food and the service. From the very start we were able to communicate by phone or email and Giovanni responded quickly and he was present the whole time during our event to help us with any last minute requests. The staff was lovely to work with which made the event stress free for us.

I made an on-line reservation on October 8, 2023 for brunch on October 22, 2023 to celebrate my mothers 88th birthday. I received confirmation the booking was confirmed. When I arrived at the restaurant, I was told it was closed due to a private event that was taking place. The gentleman at the bar mentioned someone tried to call me the morning of to advise me it was cancelled; I did not receive a voice mail. I should of been notified at least one week prior. My email address and phone number was listed on the reservation booking!!! This establishment clearly lacks in communication, does not pay attention to detail. Such a disappointment considering we were celebrating a birthday. I would not recommend this place to anyone. NEVER.

Most Italian restaurants can t make a proper plate of pasta, so much so to the point where I refuse to eat pasta at any restaurant. A friend had recommended the Spaghetti Carbonara from Boccaccio and to be quite honest, it was the best Carbonara I ve ever had (including better than my trip to Italy). Not only was the food outstanding but the staff were a pleasure to deal with and the ambience was great. If you re in the mood for Italian food, you definitely need to go to Boccaccio.

Where to start... Right, food: disaster. Braised off thr bone lamb shank is not off the bone. I cooked for my family more than 10 years, I am confident to say its cooked days before and unfrozen. Pasta is moshy and too much olive oil. No ketchup and Mayo for my fries. Is this a restaurant or cafeteria and I have to bring my own? Lol ive heard of BYOW, but BYOK/M (bring your own ketchup/mayo)... The only positive side: no food poison yet and its funny BYOK/M Service: the server is very nice, but he doesnt know much about the menu/food, and even after asking the kitchen about cheese, he misinformed me by saying pecorino is soft cheese. Atmosphere: lol our group was the only client on a Friday night. What atmosphere?

I came with my friends on tuesday for a quick lunch loved the food specially the veal chop, the only thing that bothered me was that they charged for water but overall the service was amazing and the recommendations that were put forward by the server was great. Will be back again.

Parking: Easy accessible parking Food

Went there for dinner... Food tastes great, staff were friendly however the head chef needs some anger management courses.

Excellent quality Italian - especially for the price! We will be back to try the rack of lamb!

good appetizers and bar area. Food is very good. Finally noisy environment has been addressed

Went for Winterlicious, nice ambiance, very friendly staff (ciao Roberto!), and EXCELLENT food! Great look, great taste!

Winterlicious menu was okay but it could be better. Nothing stood out to me here.

Great food, good pricing, Nice service. Really Italian . Definitely will come back.

One star for the chef, he is very nice and kind. second star for the food which is really good. The -3 stars is for the service. The general service is good. However, one of the waiter he takes our appetizers to the table behind us and ask if they ordered it, then he asked the table beside us make sure they didn t order it, then he take the food back to kitchen without even bother to ask us. He did that again with our soup as well. I know it s Valentine s Day must be busy, but when it comes to our main courses, the table beside us did actually ordered the same food, so he gave it to them. I mean three times, come on. He never clean our table(it was done by the chef) or refilled our glass.

Great atmosphere,amazing food quite spot for a great meal. Staff was friendly and made sure our meal was excellent. Definitely will return.

Suppa di pesce the best I ve had!

Was there for taste testing for my daughters upcoming wedding in February food was awesome service was great the host was even better.

My husband and I had not been to this restaurant for many years, and the homemade pasta and gnocci we had for dinner were excellent, plus the prices/ portions were very good. The restaurant is elegant, but it was lacking in some service/ ambiance. Our water glasses were filled once, and not refilled during dinner. The waiter brought me pepper when I requested it, but took it away before asking my husband if he would like any as well. My husband prefers butter over olive oil for his bread, and the butter came on a little plate, in tiny plastic tubs on a plate on top of a doily. Good bread should be served in an upscale restaurant with good quality butter, not cheap little tubs, Swiss Chalet style, with a doily. The coffee cream/ milk, also was not served in porcelain servers, but little cheap tiny plastic tubs too, like you would get at a gas station. The menus were a little stained, and there was no background music on either. The lights could have been dimmed, and there were no candles. While we were eating, the waiter was busy taking table cloths off of tables, and resetting them, he was the only waiter there, he should have been paying more attention, he was a little preoccupied. Because of the holidays, they were low on dessert items. We had our coffees, and thought some biscotti might have been nice... The restaurant is very nicely decorated, and the food/ prices are very good. I would have liked to give this restaurant more stars, but a night out should be more then just about the food, and serving it, it should be memorable and fun too.

Classic Italian cousine in a beautiful environment

We went for Winterlicious. The food was okay, small servings though. Service was way less than awesome. We had to chase servers down for refills. It is doubtful that we will return

Most servers who interacted with us were quite friendly. We celebrated a special event and received a pleasant surprise. Tried the winterlicious menu...most tasted fair. Ambiance is nice.

Great meal and service in an unlikely place. Great find.

A cozy, open environment with friendly and timely service. The quality of the food is good, nothing spectacular,but well worth the price. A good selection of wines enhanced our experience.

Food was outstanding, service less so. Their booking software failed and they begrudgingly seated us while complaining about us in Italian. I image they service is better when there isnt a booking issue.

The food is ok at best but the service is really bad

Excellent food! One of my favorite places.

Great sevice

Excellent food and service

Went here for summerlicious on a Friday evening and it was surprisingly busy. There were only 3 servers which was a bit surprising and disappointing considering the amount of guests there. We were seated quite quickly but everything following this took some time. To simply get water took a little while and the glasses at the table where we were seated were dirty so I had to ask to have them replaced which they did immediately and apologized. The bread we were served at the beginning was tasty and I especially enjoyed it because of the thyme and olive oil. For the appetizers we both had the mussels which tasted good but the broth seemed a bit too salty the more you continued to eat it. They brought us a second plate of bread which we were able to enjoy with the broth left from the mussels which was nice. For the entrees we were extremely disappointed as the salmon had no taste whatsoever and the pork loin wrapped in the prosciutto was way too salty and there was an off putting pool of oil under it. It was a struggle for us to finish our entrees to be honest. For dessert we both had the mousse and it was way way way too sweet to even finish. It possibly could of been a little easier if we had ordered coffee but at this point we just wanted to leave. I saw another couple order the steak and pasta and from afar it looked good. Im open to going back to try the other items on the menu although my hope is that they are better staffed if I do go back.

Came for winterlicious...food was ok, expected more based on the upscale pictures. The steak was a little hard, the pork loin was disappointing and dessert was not good. Mussels were decent. Service was meh, waiter threw our receipt onto the table after seeing a smaller tip than expected. Restaurant is in a community centre of some sort, seemed a bit odd. Wouldn t come again.

Gorgeous venue, and friendly staff

Calamari was rubbery. The pizza was ok at best. Pasta was OK at best. Food in general was ok but service was good. Would be a good place if there was no competition in Toronto.

I didnt think the waiters were especially courteous.

Something changed not sure if its the chef or the owner the service and the quality of food very poor

This place surprised me I can t wait to go back

Great Italian food

Quiet little spot on a community center. The presentation and service was great....just needed a bit more flavor in the food

Excellent cuisine and friendly, competent staff. I recommend it.

Not too bad hidden gem in an unusual spot. Its a good place for business lunch

Thank you Vittorio. The food and service was excellent. We had a great time.

Good food. Good vibes.

REAL ITALIAN

A hidden gem at the Columbus centre..100% authentic Italian cusine with friendly and conscientious service

Best restaurant ever, need some time to write my review, they are definitely not racist btw, we black and Indian and there were other ethnic couples there

Still good after all these years

High quality food and great service.

Amazing food at this fine dining restaurant! We shared the artichoke salad, and for our main had the seafood paella. So yummy! One of our better dinners in Nice!

Was there for a set party menu and food was fabulous. Would definitely go back.

The environment and service was amazing. But the menu is a little lacking.

Was there for a private meeting. Service was good. A little noisy from other customers.

These guys put on a nice dinner for 30 of us. Old school recipes, even though dated, tasted as they should. Wine selection was adequate. Very decent service. Our big group enjoyed ourselves. Parking is tight and costs a couple dollars.

Went here recently for a business lunch and it was very good. Mark Furmans review is on point. Wine list was adequate and the food was cooked as it should be. The price point was also decent. I had the Mushroom Risotto and it was quite tasty. As Mark mentioned parking in the Columbus Centre can be challenging and it would be nice it were free for restaurant guests. Anyway small price to pay. I would recommend this place and I will return.

I have been coming 4 times and was told different excuses about why they cant serve us. 4 times! They are rasists im sure now. Please lets stop this guys.

Had dinner at Boccaccio the other night with a friend. It was my first time at this restaurant and I chose it based on web reviews and the fact it was conveniently located for both my friend and I. While it was ok overall, I was hoping for a better experience. Firstly, the restaurant was virtually empty despite it being around 7pm. There was no soft background music either so it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Too quiet actually. The menus were a bit stained and worn looking. That would not have bothered me if it was a low-end restaurant, but given Boccaccios price point, this should not have been the case. We shared the fried artichokes and they were very good, although I was expecting fresh artichokes vs canned. Nonetheless, they were tasty and we enjoyed them. I had the gnocchi and while the gnocchi themselves were soft and light (definitely homemade), the tomato sauce was a bit acidic. Almost like it was under-cooked. My friend had the daily fish special. It was cooked perfectly and she said it was delicious. I had the creme brullee for dessert. It was ok. The service was good. Wait staff was very professional and attentive. They knew exactly when to come and fill water glasses and ask if we needed anything. So overall it was ok but I will not be coming back as I have other Italian restaurants in the city that I enjoy more both for ambiance and food.

The dining room was white linen and very somber. The maitre d was quite brusque and impatient in explaining the menu. The other staff were more friendly. My friend and I shared the artichokes which were very nice although canned. I had the gnocchi which was so so and the sauce very acidic and needed salt. I had to ask for for more water. Overall mediocre.