Cafe Diplomatico

We love Café Diplomatico. We’ve been there a few times. The service has always been great and so is their pizza.
Pizza — Thin crust. Decent amount of cheese and toppings. Well done but never burnt. If you’re looking for NY style or Chicago style pizza this place is not for you.
Pasta — It is usually done well, not overcooked like at many other places. The sauce however depends on your liking. Some people find it bland some okay. The quantity is huge.
Mains — We like their whole grilled Rainbow Trout. It comes with Pasta or Salad. Good sized portion.
Coffee — is meh. We expected more as its a famous café.
Didn’t try the desserts as we usually either have churros at Pancho’s or Tiramisu/​Canoli at Riviera bakery or Ice cream at Sicilian Ice creams after.

Food: ³⁄₅
Price per person including drink: 30
Environment: ⁴⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Summary: a nice place to hang out with friends, however, the food is just an OK.
I came to this place with a meetup group. There were 7 of us, and we had variety of food.
Pizza: OK
Pasta: OK
Calamari: Good, but sauce was bad
This place is not cheap and it is in the middle of little Italy. I thought we are going to have the best Italian food, but it turns out that it was just OK. Pizza is just slightly better than Pizza Pizza. Pasta was small portion and taste so so. I like the Calamari, but not the sauce.
Recommend: not really

was not good as I remembered it to be. the fish use to be the best thing but they changed it and not for the better. will not be returning to this restaurant.

I went there today with my wife. She had a great fettuccine with tomato sauce the last time she went, so she was very enthusiastic about bringing me here.
Service was very whatever. Nothing outstanding. I don’t want to say the service was bad, as the server was friendly. but the table we sat at wasn’t wiped down, they didn’t offer us water, and for some reason every other table got bread but ours didn’t. Our cutlery and plates were also visibly dirty (not just water stains, but left over red gunk on our plates). No harm, no foul.
My wife had the fettuccine with bolognese sauce. The fettuccine was way over cooked and bolognese sauce was pretty bland. Keep in mind too, she was really looking forward to this, so it was a massive disappointment for her.
I had the fried panzerotti, with just cheese and pepperoni. It was alright. It’s hard to mess up fried bread with cheese and pepperoni.
At the end of the day, Café Diplomatico is the kind of place that will stay in business solely due to it’s location and the heavy foot traffic. Food was decent enough, service was mediocre, and the atmosphere wasn’t anything to write home about.

I went today and I really liked the patio. This was my second time in this place and I would like to come back. The staff is very nice and the service is very good.

We chose to stop there with a Hot Docs film playing next door at the Royal being very convenient. We ordered the Uncle Paul’s Antipasto which included:
grilled portobello mushrooms,
grilled eggplant,
grilled artichokes,
bocconcino cheese,
sliced tomatoes
& olives.
$ 16
The tomatoes were tasteless. The grilled eggplant was in a form that I have never seen before, looked like it was pickled, and was tasteless. Everything else was out of a jar. Extremely strong on the pickled juices. Horrible.
In fairness we did not stay to try the pasta dishes.

Being from out of town, I wanted a good experience so I took a risk and bought a
coupon. It was super convenient location-​wise. Plus, the décor was cute for the winter-​time. Quaint, but not your fanciest restaurant so DON’T expect that romantic setting. Then again, with that you don’t get the extra cost of the fancy dishes and napkins which leaves you with a full belly, tasty beer/​wine, and a great night!
Decent selection of craft beer too for me! That’s a beautiful thing, to me.
Attentive service. It was so individualized and entertaining! I would come here again for the home-​y service. I can’t wait to see this during the summer time too.

…I am picky…
I dont like eating out, and I am picky with my food.
I went to Café Diplomatico on the night of April 4 2016, around 11 PM (!)
Nothing was open around the area mostly. I was hungry for pizza. I expected a decent pie with flaws at this time of night.
I walked into CD and knew of their slice but was nervous about CD’s pies.
It is very rare for me to eat out and when I order a pizza pie, I always find at least one flaw about the pie…
Asked if they offer pies at this time of night, got a yes, ordered my pie and sat on the table using their fast and free wifi. Waited about 15 minutes and got my pie in a white box to go.
Wow! I had the most flawless pizza pie I have ever had in years!
I ordered a medium double cheese with bocconcini and basil and it was flawless!
No black /​charred areas on either side!
Barely-​their crust, with perfect level of crispness and moistness!
Perfect dough; not to thin and not overly bready!
The cheese was thick and chewy and stretchy and almost covered the edge.
I finished the pie about 15 minutes after purchase. All of it!
I never do reviews like this or care to share reviews outside of friends but I just had to let the world know that I hope to be back and recommend to friends and coworkers.

This the THE spot in Little Italy. Been around so long it should be celebrated even more. Great food, wonderful atmosphere. Needless to say, I’m a fan. Tourists and residents alike have kept it going for decades.

This has got to be the most amazing spot in Toronto to go to for breakfast. I’ve personally been going to café dip with my boyfriend for 5 days in a row now because there’s literally no where that can top their amazing menu or pricing. It’s super affordable, the staff are amazing and friendlier than most cafes and it really makes you want to keep on going back for more the next day. 6 dollars for breakfast before 11!!! Check out this place and give Lina a huge tip for being so awesome! :D

Was so disappointed with the service, the server had one job to ring the food out to everyone at once and that seemed to be a challenge.
The management was unapologetic and good little ownership dying the entire process. Food was great if you don’t mind eating alone after everyone else is finished.

For a three star place, I really enjoy coming here. They have a fantastic patio in the summer. It’s usually full so come early!
The drink menu is standard, but the have a decent beer variety also.
The reason I’m writing a review now is because yesterday I ordered delivery for the first time. It was okay. The chicken parmigiana was slightly drier than usual, but still good.
The panini: sad face. The panini had brown lettuce! Brown! I know usually lettuce doesn’t hold up well to heat, but maybe send it separately. The chicken was cooked well.
The bun: sad face number 2! It wasn’t really an appropriate bun for a panini and it wasn’t ‘grilled’ like usual panini’s. Truthfully it felt like a microwaved bun with bad lettuce.
I will probably never order from here again, but will continue to visit all summer! Great patio!

When you’re drunk — 5 stars.
If you’re sober — 2 stars.
Always use the 10% Unilocal discount.
Prices are amazing. Portions are legit. Food tastes meh unless you’re inebriated.

Since I’ve been visiting on college I love coming here to have a great espresso and a beautiful plate of pasta!!! Lina, Rocco, Uncle Paul, Silvio and Tina treated me like family my first experience and I will always come back! Grazie (Thank You) for being amazing!

This place’s exterior will catch your eye and make you feel like they have the most authentic Italian dishes ever made. Not too mention their Patio that seems to fill up during the summer. However, low and behold people do not be fooled! I came here and will never ever ever in my life return. Me and my sister both ordered two panzerottis and what came on a plate was a Panzerotti gushing in half a litre of Oil. We took three bites and could not even fathom finishing the rest of it. Our server came back to us and even asked us if we wanted to take it home and we declined. He didn’t care to ask why 90% of it was still left on the plate!
This place is a no-​no. If you want Italian Food keep it moving down college street and you will find places a lot more decent than here.
In the words of an Italian Nonna «Non Buono!»

On Dec 27^th, four of us went there at 5:30, three had chicken parmigiana and one pasta.
After 2 hours three of us started feeling sick, diaria and throwing up. I dont know if it was chicken or cheese on top of it, but when we called the res manager and asked for an asnwer she said she had the same food today and she is fine!
Although the taste was okay but something is wrong with this restaurants food quality especially chicken parm.
I took three of my friedns who were visiting from Boston and this ruined their trip.

Great atmosphere, and the staff was extremely pleasant. Food was pretty good. Definitely would recommend it.

Skip the lineups and go to Dominos Pizza or East Side Mario’s. Mediocre food and terrible service here. I guess they are trading on their old reputation and prime location. I can’t say enough bad things about this place.

I truly enjoy coming here. Food is good. Pizza is incredible. Always busy with good atmosphere. Simple layout and presentation in the restaurant, but being on a College St. patio is worth something for sure.
Great place. Will always come when in the area.

After sitting on the patio for over 10 minutes waiting to be greeted, I was not happy. Nevertheless, I had a glance at the menu and I was less than impressed. They are trying to do everything here — pizza, pasta, meat, salad, appetizers… too much stuff, none of which looked that great.
The greatest disappointment is the selection of beer — bud, bud light, molson, coors, etc. Some thinking outside the box would go a long way in this neighbourhood.

Brad and I came here for brunch twice while on our Toronto trip. We liked it that much!
Saturday, we both ordered the Yukattack. It was so much food! I loved how different it was and tastey!
Sunday, Brad got the Yuckattack again and I just got the french toast. Again, very good!
I thought the service was good too. And on Sunday, it seemed like this was the only place open at 9 AM.

Watered down pitchers. Basic looking chicks. Overall meh out of 10. The pizza was good and calamari was over priced. And of course the locals walking and snearing by as well, assuming their roles as the friendly neighbourhood douchebags. This place is on college street a high traffic area, people flock to be seen, sometimes lingering around smoking and looking oh so cool.

Bleh — we were desperate for some post-​dinner dessert and the nearby ice cream shop was closing up.
I’ve always walked by Diplomatico and could tell the place sucked. Just look at that huge patio on Little Italy –and the clientele. It didn’t shout ‘quality’… more like ‘why are we so lazy and we ended up at this last resort?’.
Anyways — the cannoli was tough and the crème brûlée top was chewy. Ugh.
I can understand the appeal — quasi-​Italian in a diner setting in middle of Little Italy. Definitely looks like a prime patio spot — but pass on this one if you looking for edible food.

It has a patio.
The end.

Got a Groupon deal for this place and I still feel like I’ve been robbed. Don’t get me wrong, I know this place and love the patio in the summer, so I know better to expect a 5 start meal, but I did expect better than what we received… the food was just so bad. The buns tasted like spongy cardboard bread that was kept in the fridge for 5 weeks. The risotto balls were still cold in the middle and the chicken parm was burnt to a crisp. The desserts were also half frozen and even the espresso was burnt.
The pizza at the table over looked pretty good but I doubt I’ll go back (sober) to find out.

We went there for Sunday night dinner. The place was bit empty but to our surprise the food was delicious.
Our serevers name was Farabi. The first time I understood that how are important the service is is to your overall dining experience. This guy was awesome. Food was great but the service was even better.
Will definetly come back here someday.

The Dip isn’t going to blow your mind, as far as Italian food goes — but what it does offer is friendly and fast service, tasty food, and a certain je né sais quoi that just makes it feel really comfortable as a place to go get a meal. They also have amazing cannoli for after your feed.
Daily specials are usually worth a look. And I seem to always forget when I go that their arrabbiata sauce is really, really hot — the whole jalapeño pepper chopped up in it should be a clue.

Average is the best word I can describe this place with. After an unsuccessful attempt to find parking at a karaōke bar in little Italy, we decided to park at a paid public parking by Clinton St. and stroll around College street. Quite frankly, their Xmas lights and the high number of customers on top of their ad referring to «DineTo» dragged us here. I happily asked them to make the pizza shown in their menu. Unfortunately, what they brought to our table looked nothing like their advertised pizza picture and they didn’t even bother putting spinach despite discussing it beforehand. They didn’t bother telling us that they don’t have spinach! The pizza is the kind you find at pretty much anywhere else in Toronto with even cheaper price.
Almost forgot to mention: they squeezed the enormous pizza slices in a tiny doggie bag! When I opened it at home I saw a smashed stack of pizza with no layering paper. Way to go for a super professional to go packing!

It’s extremely tough to get a server’s attention. We sat, were given menus, and then had to wait 12 minutes before a drink order was taken. Make no mistake, after the first 5 minutes we tried to flag down ANYONE who would serve us, including the person behind the counter (who told us our server would be right with us…7 minutes later). The place was DEAD. The food here is bland. I don’t know what part of Italy they are trying to represent here because as a full blooded Italian myself, i have never tasted anything this bad. Garlic fixes most things. I barely tasted garlic. The meatballs taste like they are made with sawdust. The sauce is watery, almost like they opened a jar of pasata and added NOTHING TO IT.
My recommendation? Keep walking… don’t bother

When the weather was warmer awhile back (oh how long ago that was!), my friend and I wanted to find a nice patio to eat out on. We trekked along College St. to see if there were anything that tickled our fancy. We saw Café Diplomatico and their patio looked pretty decent. I wanted to simply check out the menu to see if there was anything that I would like to try. When we went in to pick up the menu, the owner (or at least I think he was), started ushering us in. He assured us that the food was going to be fantastic and there was no reason to hesitate. My friend and I were walking for quite some time now and the food seemed decent. So in we went!
I wasn’t craving pizza, so I tried out their Tuna Melt sandwich. It was pretty tasty. My friend enjoyed his medium pizza and beer. He said that the beer was cheaper than in most restaurants. A pitcher of Bone Shaker was only $ 20, comparatively to $ 22 – 23 at most restaurants.
Overall, I had a pleasant time at Café Diplomatico. It was full by the time we were all settled in, probably because of the interaction the owner had with everyone passing by on the street! Would I come back? I think once is enough for me, but it’s a nice patio along College if you are looking for one.

Great patio, excellent coffee (americano), cheap prices.
Atmosphere: definitely not upscale, by any means. A very casual and down-​to-​earth feel, with mediocre deco, and really no ambiance at all.
Service: Excellent, superb, unbeatable. Very friendly staff, including the kitchen staff and the manager. They talk to you as if they are talking to an old friend, and they are all always smiling and willing to chat if they have a free moment. I was there for approximately 3 hours, with the first hour spent waiting for a friend, and the waitress continued to check up on me anyway and even offered suggestions on what I could have with my coffee while waiting for the friend. Extremely fast food service, also.
Food: There’s definitely better food around. I had the daily special ($ 11), which was a chicken parmigiana, with pasta. Chicken was too salty, and only lukewarm. The spaghetti was slightly overcooked, and both the noodle and sauce lacked flavour. I had a chocolate biscotti ($ 2.50) which was also mediocre. However, I was able to dunk the biscotti into a delicious, addictive coffee. Their coffee is so deep and fruity, that I was tempted to order a second one were I not crazily reactive to caffeine. We ordered a sangria, which was just halfway decent. It tasted like fruit punch.
Overall: 1 star for the coffee (only the coffee; there are better food places anywhere else), but an extra star for the service. I really wouldn’t mind just chatting with them over a beer! Regardless, future visits will only constitute of a coffee on the lovely patio.
Fun fact: «Chloe» was filmed here (starring Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried).

Food is typical Italo-​pub fare, which is to say, somewhat uninspired. Drinks are pricey, though no more so than comparable places on College. I went here during a World Cup game, and it was hopping. A passable place to go if you’re walking down College and want a bite to eat, but there are better places nearby. Café Liberatto is just a jaunt down the street, and offers far better (albeit pricier) pizza.

Great patio hence two star… but I’ve been siting here and no one has served me at 20 mins now. Others are asking to be a served because they have to leave…
Servers are questioning where the replacement for bar tender is…
Server is taking one plate at a time to «clean»
Just wondering how long it’s going to take… god I wish sidecar opened a little earlier I wouldn’t have to sit through this ridiculousness…
I’m turning it into a game…:how many times can a server pass by stare at my table realize I have no food no drinks and still walk by
Got a server after asking another server for my server I waited total of 24 mins!!! Let’s see how long the beer takes… oh boy –_​-​‘
Beer came very quickly actually and it’s nice and cold… There’s a guy walking asking who ordered a Johnny walkers… he’s walked up and down three times now. I’m dying a little inside!!!

C’est la plus belle terrasse de Little Italy, les pizza basiques né sont pas désagréables, du moins pas autant que certaines des serveuses. Le café et la bière y sont comparativement chers pour le quartier, le reste du menu est passable au mieux. Éviter les pâtes, c’est pas leur fort. Malgré tout cela, j’y retourne régulièrement car c’est facile d’accès, bien exposé au soleil et un lieu que tout le monde connaît.