Sambucas On Church in Toronto

Outdated decor. The lamb shank is really good. The waiter with the piercings was amazing. There was another waiter that was rude but we didn t deal with him often.

Love it. Great food and services.

Delicious food! Attentive and courteous service

Went here tonight for first time in a couple of years while visiting my son. Loved the unrushed atmosphere, a little space between tables, excellent server and delicious meals. The three of us shared one appetizer, 3 mains, two desserts, a glass of wine and two non alcoholic drinks for $130 plus tip. Good sized portions too.

Service a little slow. Food very good. Room was noisy with table behind us

I had Natasha eggs here for brunch. Fruits were not fresh and the smoked salmon was super smelly and old. I do not recommend this place! Food

Lovely place. Food was nice and service was friendly. Would go again.

The food is very delicious and the desserts are wonderful, my daughter liked her spaghetti dish, the service 1000/10

Always awesome!

Recently went here with a bunch of friends for a birthday. Food and service were great. Everyone had a wonderful time and experience. Would come back anytime

Always like to drop in for dinner at Sambuccas when we are in Toronto. We brought our precious new baby girl Florence Teresa with us this time. The food and service is always great, and they were wonderfully accommodating of our baby girl on our last visit. . Also met an interesting elderly gentleman, Michael, with whom we had extremely interesting conversation about arts, entertainment, the history of the gay social scene in Toronto and New York, as well as world travel and our family experiences.

Best mango salad ever

Good Italian option in Toronto. We also had a lava cake for dessert and it was really nice!

First time at Sambuccas and Id return. My friend and I stopped in shortly after 5pm on a Tuesday. We both ordered the prix fixe menu for $40, which came with soup or salad, entree and dessert. We both ordered the wild mushroom soup and it was fantastic. I ordered the mushroom risotto, which was superb, and my friend said his veal parmesan was also great. I ordered the creme brulee for dessert and he ordered the chocolate raspberry tartufo. I ended up not being able to finish my dessert, and gave it to my friend to finish. Often its harder to find delicious vegetarian meals, (or for that fact, good risotto) but Sambuccs nailed it. Our server was very kind and efficient, and the atmosphere is homey and cozy. Id definitely return here. (I even forgot to take photos, it was so good. Oops.)

Great prix fix menu selections. Top notch service. We will be back in October to sample some other menu options.

We have been here so many times, Only Frank, Richard and Vic give us good service, others are not that good, other waiters just take the food order and give you the bill, we are very disappointed with other servers who work here, I would have given one star for the service but Frank, Richard and Vic make the difference. Btw our server Joe gave us mediocre service and he expected a good tips and when he didn t get one, he made a comment and threw the bill at my friend that is UNACCEPTABLE, if he wants a good tips then do a better job.

Great date spot, most memorable meal and experience my girlfriend and I have had dining out in a while!

I ve been ordering from Sambucas through Hunger Hub app for a while now. Their PENNE PORCINI are simply divine. Unfortunately, they keep delivering them in the aluminum trays with paper lid, which are not intended for liquid food. Every time I get the package, it s spilled and soggy and the pasta is with no more than half of the cream sauce left in it. I love your food, but please, address this issue.

Very large selection of food. Good value for money, very nice staff. The steak wrap had an incredible amount of delicious steak meat inside! The penne with cream mushroom sauce was excellent. The Cesars Salad was nice and crunchy. Nice place, very clean. Unfortunately no patio. We are already looking forward to our next visit here!

Courtesy, attention and professionalism!

Lovely food and excellent service.

Ordered the 3 course meal. Garden salad was sub par at best but, the main course I got (Salmon, rice, veges) was very good, and the lava cake was also great. Price was fair as well. Would recommend this place.

Went there today Sunday 30th off June , the place was busy . I ordered a steak , found a black hair , told the server . They offered to change out the plate . The manager didn t even come over to talk to me . And they charged me the full price not even a free coffee . Not a good experience and the waiter was terrible , maybe an off day for him , waited nearly twenty minutes to get his attention for the bill

Amazing food!

Always a good time at Sambucas.

It s one of my favourite places to eat. The food is delicious and the service is great.

Nice Italian choices Kid-friendliness: No... its on the gay village. Food : 4/5 |

Very good tast and very friendly staff

Great food

A hidden gem on church. Amazing food, great service, reasonable prices.

Super nice experience absolutely I recommend this place

Wonderful food and atmosphere, staff was wonderful, had a great time!

Generic slop. Good service. Food

Food is fair but the price is good. Staff are nice and I like the vibe here. Good place for large group gathering.

The service was good

Dinner there late yesterday. I was greeted at the door with - the kitchen closes in 5 minutes. I gave a verbal. On finishing the meal I requested coffee and was told the pots were finished or something to that effect. Good thing I didnt order dessert. Food is usually quite good, too bad about the service. Ross G. Ball.

The food was terrific, and the tall handsome bearded Irish waiter was simply amazing dealing with our large group flawlessly.

Service was fantastic & food was delish! Portions were also impressive !!! So many great options - will have to go back!

The waiter approached me and assumed I didnt have the wherewithal to be able to buy a beer. I wanted to smack him. I wouldnt waste my time with such shoddy wait staff

Huge menu and excellent service. Turkey avocado club was on of the best Ive ever had! Food

If there was background music it would be better

Go regularly. Very good menu. Keep your eye on the specials. Nice place. Welcoming. Always a good experience for us. Our usual place to celebrate birthdays and events. Tonight we had 20 people in our party and they did an amazing experience. Food

Excellent atmosphere, service and food. I recommend.

Had dinner with friends. Was tasty and would come back. Had the pesto chicken pasta and hope to try more dishes.

Great service, grate food, beautiful atmosphere

Picked up takeout from here which was delicious. The ambience was lovely inside and the staff were very nice

The food was great and reasonably priced! Our waiter Mike exceeded our expectations! He was super friendly, courteous, and was even topping up our drinks after he got cut and had to head home for the night! Will absolutely return.

I found this place by the reviews and I enjoyed a lot. It was not very busy on saturday afternoon and service was very good. we tried pasta pesto. It was really delicous. we also CHICKEN PARMIGIANA. But I liked pasta pesto more.

Slow service

A hidden gem! I always come here when I m in the area! Service is fantastic and the food is absolutely delicious!

The perfect friendly neighborhood laid back and chill Italian diner. The wait staff were so kind and friendly and chatting with us. Enjoyed our time there thoroughly. Vegetarian options: The restaurant was easily able to sub-out meats and substitute with veggies in all dishes.

Very nice restaurant in the village. The service was excellent and the food tasty. I highly recommend for couples or families.

good standard weekend brunch. prices are great, service is good.

No doubt I will return...great service, wide variety of healthy food choices.

Was here on the first week of January 2024. Great food and service!

Consistently good food, and good service. Ive been coming here for years and I always enjoy my time at Sambucas. The menu is quite extensive, with lots of choice, and the service is very good, too. Highly recommended.

This restaurant never fails me. Food, the service always forward and never falls behind. Thanks for the many years of service and great food..

The staff are so welcoming and the food is incredible!

FUSILI ROSE PASTA WITH HALF SALAD/ HALF FRIES This is my go-to lunch order every time! One of the best lunch stops in the area! Food

My husband birthday

I enjoyed my prix fixe menu Very nice service

Amazing place to eat. Price fix menu is a great deal. Theres something for everyone here.

My favorite place to dine - a white linen service & food quality at a very affordable price! & the best part is that its just around the corner from where I live

Well, this was a delightful find. Frank was a great host. We had chicken Parmigiana and a lamb shank. The girls had Shirley Temples with their chicken, and I had a delightful Mill Street Tankhouse Amber Ale. They finished off with a Creme Brule and Carrot Cake. I had some more Tankhouse. We left happy.

Great experience. Been twice now and weve enjoyed the service and food twice. Both times we did the $40 prix fixe menu. Good variety of options, steak, veal/chicken Parmigiano, seafood Alfredo were all good. Food

We had a late brunch (2:30pm) on New Year s Day! Our server Mike? was very accommodating and friendly! This may be our new go to brunch place in Toronto!

Very friendly and accommodating staff and nice atmosphere. I had the risotto and didnt enjoy it. Hoping to try another dish next time

I had the worst dining experience at this restaurant, and will not be returning again. I had ordered my favourite Pasta dish, and it came out very quickly after my order was placed. The consistency with their pasta dishes is apparent - sometimes the sauce is great, sometimes it is not, the same can be said with their meat portions. I don t recall the name of the server who tended to my needs, but what I can say is: he s clean shaven, muscular, and has an almost modern-Mohawk haircut. I was unhappy with my dish suffice to say, and although I didn t tip (because it s the customers choice if they want to or not), I wished the server a good night twice and although he heard me, he ignored me twice and acted quite unprofessionally. Furthemore, he made a snarky comment saying, it s not my fault you didn t like the pasta, I m just the server, it s the chef s fault . So not only did he pass the blame, he was very rude. There are way better Italian restaurants in Toronto besides this one. You also won t be disappointed with the service or entrees if you dine elsewhere.

Always a go to when I am in the Toronto village. Great food excellent service and Frank always stops by to make sure I am welcome and that I have had a great experience.

Amazing service

Amazing selection and great tasting food. The steak and eggs were excellent. Great servers as well and very hospitable.

Excellent breakfast. Possibly the best French toast Ive ever had!

A gem of a restaurant in the city! We eat in or order from here regularly! Brunch and dinner are fantastic! Excellent quality food, great prices and incredible service! Mike is the best!

Fast service, quite nice stake

Just tried the most terrible mushroom risotto and paella of my life. No taste at all, cheap ingredients and they have no idea what a risotto or a paella should taste like. Never ordering from this place again

Had the mushroom risotto and a close 2nd to my mothers or my wife s risotto! Great atmosphere, service and like I said great food!

I visited Sambucas for dinner with my girlfriend and was extremely impressed with the quality of food and attentive service. We opted for the Prix Fix dinner menu which was amazing value. The appetizers we ended up getting were the mussels in curry cream sauce and the soup of the day (mushroom). Choosing a main course was hard because everything looked so good but we ended up on the Lamb Shank which was perfect comfort food for the cold weather and the Seafood Paella. To finish off the meal we ended with the Tiramisu and Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream. Overall it was a warm, inviting and enjoyable dining experience. We will definitely be back to try some other main course items.

This restaurant is full of surprises

Very good and traditional Italian food with friendly staff and a wide array of menu items to choose from. Located on Church street with lots of shopping around. The food is amazing and the staff attentive. I suggest you give this place a try and you will not be dissatisfied.

Food and service were good.

Last night I went to Sambucas for the first time for dinner with my friend he had recommended it, so I said lets try it out. I had a wonderful experience great service, delicious food and a cozy atmosphere. Our waiter Michael was polite, friendly, and easy on the eyes too. I would definitely go back and highly recommend you try out this restaurant.

An awesome dining experience. Consistent with top notch wait staff... Kudos to the Kitchen staff as well.

Really fresh and tasty food. Service was great. With wine and tip for 2 it came to $150. Not cheap, but its Toronto.

The monday rib steak special is sooo good and a really good deal. Great service

I had the Chicken Supreme. It was pretty good. The restraunts decor is dated, but homey (check out the track lighting :) ). The staff are nice and attentive. I plan to return and try some of their pasta dishes.

Service is great. Bread is cold. Pasta is below average in my opinion. But other reviews all say food is tasty. So maybe it s just my personal preference.

I enjoyed it, great service good food.

Awesome experience, and the food was plentiful. Great pricing and terrific atmosphere, and on top of that, the staff were so generous. Dietary restrictions: Pastas had a gluten free option Kid-friendliness: Nice homey atmosphere for children

Cute spot! I loved that they customized my dinner option...I asked for a mushroom risotto with seafood on top. They accommodated my ask and didnt charge a killer price, so thank you. Also, got creme brulee for dessert..so yum!

Simply excellent! I usually come here once a month and get the steak and eggs. Never been disappointed. Soooo good!

Great vibe, great food, great service!!

Delicious food, great selection of drinks, super-attentive staff, and good value for money. A little gem! Highly recommended! Food : 5/5

Server Richard was amazing; food was better than expected. Drinks could be better.

My uncles took my daughter and I to Sambucas a couple years ago and we absolutely loved it. The staff is very friendly and the food is delicious.

went there to celebrate my birthday. mike was our waiter and the only server in the restaurant but he did an amazing job of seating and serving several tables at the sametime and kept a smile on his face . the food was fantastic the 12 oz t bone was done perfectly. the fixe prix menu is fantastic value for the money. portions were great. an overall super great experience. mike was an outstanding credit to the restaurant.

This is a traditional place at Church Street. The pre-fixed menu is a great deal with delicious and huge portions. We had mussels, lamb and lava cake. It serves two people.

I was blown away by the taste and portions of their food!! Couldn t believe we had such fantastic dishes with insanely generous portions at their affordable price. Will definitely go back when we get the chance!

Frank, our waiter was fantastic! He was very attentive and friendly! The food was terrific! The place was packed, so that speaks volumes to the quality of the food and did not cost too much either! Would highly recommend it to all! Parking: Located on church street, excellent to walk too from nearby hotels.

Delicious food served fast Euro style decor & layout Friendly staff

Today I had wonderful Chicken Marsala for lunch. It was very well presented and everything was cooked as should be. Warm and crisp vegetables with smooth lightly buttered mashed potatoes with moist chicken breast coated and surrounded by a delicate Marsalal sauce. Memorable!!

The food was very good. Highly recommended.

Outstanding food service

They literally have everything you can think of in an international cuisine restaurant- and they bring it out fast and super hot - and it s just such an underrated restaurant- with excellent food, price, value, in the center of downtown Toronto - this place is really a gem and definitely a must come back or must visit if you r in the area. The steaks is cooked to perfection and the pastas I have had before is just sumptuous. Used to be super gay but now it s mostly straight patrons.

Always a good place to eat, but went for dinner Saturday evening not empressed, food was dry and not enough lighting to see the menu!

We have never had a bad experience here and the price is right! Caters to a very diverse clientele and is LGBTQAI2 friendly. Check them out!

Went for brunch and had the French Toast. It was so tasty, service was prompt and checking that we enjoyed our meal. Very friendly atmosphere. Id definitely go back.

Always consistent. Been there many times. Food is good. Staff is friendly. We had a group of 20. They were able to accommodate. So that was nice. 3 course Prix fix under $40.

Good spot for some Italian food, tried the pepperoni pizza and tiramisu which were delicious. Service was friendly too, would recommend.

AMAZING!! Didnt try the cocktails though. Pasta Asiago was 20/10 !!! I got the gluten free pasta and was soooo delicious. The seafood risotto was... meh... the calamari and creme brulèe were super good. The wine was ok. 1 appetizer, 2 dishes, 500 ml of white wine and 1 desert: CAD 130. Service was really good.

Ordered Porcini Pasta and a carrot cake for takeout. Carrot cake was decent. But the pasta was one of the most disappointing meals I ve had in a long time. The pasta was cooked ok. The sauce is too watery/thin (you can see a pool of it in the corners) and somehow gritty (maybe unwashed mushrooms?), and the flavor is very bland. It came with a tiny container of that cheap Parmesan powder, and a few slices of bread + butter. Quality of ingredients, and everything else, is disappointing all around. Small portion, really bad texture and flavor, and even worse value for the money. Maybe other dishes are better, but I d never order pasta here.

Best restaurant. We keep coming back. Truly a gem!

Walked by this place hundreds of times but never been inside before. It doesnt look like much from the outside, but omg, everything was absolutely amazing! Great food, great service, great atmosphere, and great prices. Will definitely be back again! Highly recommend if you are looking for a good Italian restaurant.

Excellent service and delicious food.

The food is excellent and consistent. The service is top notch and friendly. Prices are very reasonable.

Highly enjoyed this restaurant for the first time. I got their seafood pasta and for the first time in a while I can say I was not shorted on the mussels and shrimp! The pasta sauce was delightful and next time I am in Toronto will come again!

The best place to enjoy your brunch. Massive portion and sumptuous meal on plate. Steak and Pescatore are to die for.

Great food with great selections and fair prices

Excellent Italian food. Great service.

We have been going here since the early 90 s when it was PJ Melons. I ve been here with friends and family maybe 60-80 times as Sambuca s, it is way past time to leave a review (my first time leaving a restaurant review). Never once have we had a meal that has been less than great. Not once. The waiters are always really friendly & efficient. Prices are good. It can get busy on weekends, because it s great and something of a neighbourhood secret! You could probably walk in but consider reservations just to be safe or if there are more than 4 people in your group. My only criticism is the interior hasn t changed in 30 years, a refresh is due. It s nice, but a little dated. Otherwise you cannot go wrong here. Food and service are consistently great here and the portions are good.

De lo cious

Great food, good staff, great area. Not a single complaint Food

Absolutely delicious!! And the price was really good for quality dishes. I got the lamb shank that was super tender and flavorful, and it was a big portion size. For dessert, I shared the lava cake with my friend, and the chocolate flavor was very rich and it was the perfect way to end the meal. Our waiter was also very friendly and attentive, and the overall atmosphere was relaxed. Highly recommend!

Delicious!! At a good price and excellent service

My friend was there last night and had the worst experience ever - being told that washroom is for customers only while he was dinning there - horrible experience

Just one option of tequila, no St Germain, etc. Didnt like it

Nice place a good food. I like atmosphere inside as it is calm compared to busy streets outside. Service was good and quick. I had a grilled chicken sandwich with a house salad.

great restaurant, food was very good. Only issue was that a dish came wrong, I had dinner first and my wife later.

Excellent food. Fast service with fresh tasting fish and good seasoning. A bit on the pricy side but still worth a visit.

A nice restaurant to go and enjoy your meal with friends and family. Staff are nice. I ordered pizza, it was salty and bread was a bit burnt.

Delighted with our meals, ages 9 to 72 give this a

If you find yourself in downtown Toronto, you must give this restaurant a try. The prices are very reasonable and portions are significant. In a time when other restaurants are jacking up their prices (like all the big chains), this Italian style casual dining establishment has respected their patrons wallets. And more importantly, their food is very good. The homemade Caesar dressing was perfect on my salad. I truly enjoyed the huge bowl of penne with Spicy Italian sausage, red peppers and spicy tomato sauce known as the Calabria. My wife enjoyed the Black Angus striploin with mashed potatoes and veggies cooked perfectly. We were too full for dessert this time around. Did not expect such large portions. However, we certainly enjoyed a shot of Sambuca to finish off our meal. Kudos to the owner for having good beer on tap. With only 2 drafts to select from, they had Mill Street Tankhouse Ale and Alexander Keiths. We will absolutely eat here again next time we are downtown.

Awesome food, awesome service, 110% recommended

We often visit Sambucas for dinner. We find the food consistent and tasty. Today we had lunch with a few friends at Sambucas. It s the first time we have had lunch there. Everyone was impressed with the food. My Ruben sandwich was delicious as was my banana chocolate cake. I would recommend Sambucas for lunch or dinner.

Wow! From the service to the food, it was amazing! Joe recommended an excellent bottle of wine and chatted with us about his experience in Chile and Chilean wine. We started with a delicious caeser salad and then had the penne porcini, tetrazzini and Calabria and we all raved about our meals. Highly recommend. If I could give it more stars I would.

This place was not good at all. The only redeeming quality was the service and the crème brûlée at the end. I had the mussels as the appetizer from the prix fixe menu and they were ok but the sauce they were in was incredibly watery. I did finish them as they weren t terrible. However, I think this might be where I went wrong as I woke up this morning with intense stomach pain and threw up quite a lot. Definitely a touch of food poisoning. My friend s stomach was not well either. The seafood paella was also not great at all. I didn t even take home my leftovers. I m normally not a picky eater but it was just not good. The service was really good as well as the crème brûlée. everything else was a really really big miss. Very unfortunate as $40 for a 3 course meal is great! However, i was feeling quite regretful spending $50+ dollars on everything.

The pizzas are top notch!! Friendly service. Highly recommend. $$

Nice place with good food. Menu has a lot of options: main courses, salads, pasta, pizza. Service is slower during rich hours, but not too long.

One of my favorite brunch places in the city of Toronto

Great food at a great price! The lamb shank is a must!

Good food, our regular go-to place.

The food was delicious the atmosphere was stale dry the waiter not welcoming sarcastic doesn t look like he likes his job too bad not very communicating just snobby waiter goes out hugs people long time to serve Not recommended Food

Good quality food, good quality service

Everything was above average, as usual, until the espressos came. Not a drop of crema and so bitter I could have made Manhattans. Grand Marnier didnt help. Took two beers and a Tequila shot to cleanse my palate. Unfortunately my memory is not that short.

First time ever in Canada. Found this hidden gem in Toronto. So many different things to choose from. I ended up getting the Calabria pasta with shrimp! If Im ever back in Toronto I will visit this restaurant again!

Love the place

Perfect salmon and a decent wine list, also have the mushroom soup if available

Mike was a great server. Delicious food. Needs a renovation. Especially the bathrooms.

We were there twice in a row with my husband. Discovered by chance because we had the hotel there. First time pizza and second time angus. Impeccable, attentive service. Perfect

Great food, big menu, reasonable prices. Fixed price meal and a la carte. Well be back.

Visiting Toronto for the weekend and found Sambucas on a google search . We were very impressed with our entire visit. All the staff were welcoming and engaging. Our waiter Joseph was very knowledgeable of the menu and made excellent suggestions. Our meal was over the top amazing with so much flavour. My husband had the fillet mignon and joked that he didn t even need teeth to eat it because it was cooked perfectly. We would definitely recommend a visit.

amazing food, amazing service!! their crème brûlée was to die for !!

Had a wonderful time. Staff and service was great.

Thoughtfully prepared food and expert service. Well definitely be back!

Had dinner on Friday night. Food was excellent, was piping hot and service was excellent. Highly recommend this restaurant!

Consistently well prepared meals, along with friendly service.

Great place for a quiet intimate dining.

Pizza and pasta are really good!

Attended here for dinner after having drinks with friends. Had a great time in the service was awesome. The service was fast and efficient...I would definitely eat here again.

a longstanding Village favourite that is consistenly an excellent dining experience, varied menu (competitively priced, great value) that never disappoints, friendly attentive service. had lunch with friends here and opted for the prix-fixe that offered generous portions: green salad, salmon and hazelnut tartufo, every course was on point. highly recommend

Consistently great food.

Had a great steak.. .delicious

Good brunch. Fast service. Value for the money.

Good food just a few minutes walk from downtown Holiday inn. Reasonable prices. Nice menu with something for everyone. I recommend this place.

The head waiter was hopping!! Did a great job of connecting with each table and service was really good. Food (Chicken Parmesan and Lava Cake) was very tasty.

I and my brother just dined here last night. Impeccable service, food and atmosphere. If I could give these guys 10 stars I would. An absolute gem of a restaurant. Best in the village if not the whole damn city. And the prices are still pretty reasonable for the amount of food and service you get. If you havent visited what the hell are you waiting for???

The place has a great vibe and the staff are awesome! Great food and awesome people! Im going again and you should too!

This place was amazing! Food was delicious and service was fast and friendly. We had our office holiday lunch here and the restaraunt was busy. The server was efficient and got everyones orders right. I got the Picannte and the portion size was good and it had a good spice to it. We got bruschetta for the table which was also goof and tasted very fresh. Would definitely recommend if youre looking for delicious Italian food!

While in Toronto for an appointment. Sambucas was highly recommended to us..so glad we went...service was OUTSTANDING..thank you Frank..you rock! Never missed a beat during the lunch hour all by himself..youre amazing..looking forward to more yummies at Sambucas

Awsome awsome food here. Relaxing environment and people. Service doesnt keep you waiting like most places

I had the strawberry red wine chicken, it was great, but a little too much strawberry flavour.