Enoteca Sociale

I went here with my dad and my boyfriend, people kept recommending it to me, everyone seems to love this place. I got the gnocchi, so good. They have lots of different pastas to choose from. Our server was really nice and really attentive and she kept making sure I had wine. The atmosphere is really nice, good lighting, good table spacing, lovely décor. It was bustling in there but not too loud for us to enjoy our conversation at all. It is inexpensive for the quality of food. Think the same prices as Terroni but at a better restaurant with better food.

Fantastic restaurant, through and through. Simple recipes of delicious authentic Italian food. I highly recommend the panzanella to start– it’s unbelievable. The burratta in that salad is unrivaled. I ordered the Cacio e Pepe and would go back a million times over to get it again. So creamy, so simple, and perfectly al dente. Just delicious. I also tried the Bucatini Al Amatriciana which was great, but just a bit salty for my taste. Loved the spice in it though.
I would definitely recommend the Cacio e Pepe, not only because it is creamy heavenly decadence, but because the restaurant also matches every single order of that dish with a donation to MealShare. So you’re ordering one for yourself and one for someone who really needs it. It’s a win-​win situation.
Side note– the fresh bread is insane. Just believe me.

Excellent food (pasta!!), service and atmosphere. My only wish is that the portion sizes were a bit larger.
There are too many Italian restaurants with mediocre food. This is not one of those places.
This place also has a great side patio.
Nothing more to say.

The good: I am not a big Italian food fan. But my buddy insisted on coming here (shout out to Sam), and boy was it a good recommendation. This place not only blew my mind, I rank it in my own foodie list as one of the top two places in Toronto to go to. For appetizers, I had the arancini (mozzarella balls), chicken liver mousse (sounds bad but it was my favourite dish because mixing the apple butter with the liver and the grilled bread is like a match make in heaven), and beef crudo. For the pasta I personally had the gnocchi, while the rest of my group had the linguini, bucatini, and I believe the triangoli. Their pastas were all good but that gnocchi was the best I have ever tried. It was soft with great great sauce. And finally, for the dessert, we had the sticky toffee pudding… Mind you we were all full already, but we just had to open our stomachs more because that dessert was amazing!
The bad: nothing bad to note imo
The ugly: nothing ugly too :)
Neutral: great for dates, groups. Book in advanced because seating on weekdays can be packed too.

I attended a private party here a few months ago. I waited to post a review so as not to upset the organizer of the party.
I have a number of dietary restrictions due to chronic conditions and allergies. I am not accustomed to having these restrictions met, and I don’t expect them to be met either. If a restaurant can’t accomodate me, that’s cool; I just don’t eat there. I don’t like to make a big fuss or cause problems for the kitchen staff, so I always call ahead to see what’s possible before visiting a new restaurant. I would like to emphasize again that I understand the risks of dining out with allergies, and I also appreciate that I take a risk every time I do. I would also like to emphasize that I understand that I am probably a huge pain in the ass to cook for, so I don’t expect that every restaurant will be able to do so. But I always call ahead and check, so as not to cause undue stress or inconvenience for the kitchen staff or for my fellow diners. And I would never go to a resaturant if they said that I couldn’t be accomodated expecting accomodations.
Because this was a private function, I contacted the organizer with my concerns, who contacted the staff at Enoteca Sociale a few weeks in advance. The organizer told me that the staff assured her that it would be fine.
When we arrived and were seated, the waiter asked who had the dietary restrictions. He then went over the information that I had emailed, double checking that they had everything correct. I felt pretty optimistic that he was so on top of it. He then assured me «Don’t worry, you’re gonna have lots to eat».
«Lots to eat» turned out to be a teeny salad, a small plate of very basic pasta with tomatoes and garlic (the kind I make at home when I am drunk), and a shot glass of grape sorbet. Keep in mind that the other members of the party were enjoying a 3-​hour, 10 course meal. I paid the same price as they did, and got 3 miserable courses.
I don’t understand why, for example, the kitchen could not have put aside a pile of greens for me before dumping a pile of chicken legs on top for the rest of the party. Or why it wasn’t possible to put some of the olives and preserves from the appetizer tray on another plate that wasn’t covered in nuts.
Again, I would like to emphasize that I didn’t show up and tell the kitchen my concerns the night of, they knew weeks in advance. And if it was impossible to accomodate, they should have been upfront about that, and I would have just met up with my friends before or after for drinks instead, no harm done. I don’t expect to be accomodated everywhere, but if you say you can do it, do it properly.
I didn’t make a stink the night of, because it wasn’t my party, and I didn’t want to ruin the evening. The company and conversation were really lovely, so the evening wasn’t a bust.
Enoteca Sociale needs to be upfront about what they can and can’t do. This was terrible customer service. I won’t be going back, or recommending this restaurant to others.

Amazing. The salami was so delicious, the cheese was incredibly flavorful, the pastas (tried four) were just what I wanted, and the rest (I’m getting full of thinking about our meal) was also on-​point.
Great service to boot. Absolutely worth coming here.

We went to celebrate a birthday. We’d heard how good the food is, and it did not disappoint. The warm homemade bread that is brought to the table as soon as you arrive is to die for, especially the rosemary one.
We ordered deep fried risotto balls, sous vide tuna and a salad for the appetizers. Everyone had pasta for their main. The gnocchi melts in your mouth and the sauce is amazing. The spiced ricotta is a great touch. One of the best pastas I’ve ever had. For dessert highly recommend the sticky toffee pudding. It was an instant hit with everyone.
Wines are also very good. Most are not available at the LCBO, so try several. Not a huge restaurant so make sure you make a reservation, and enjoy.

Service Food Dolce
I went with my girlfriends, we had the raw tuna, mushroom bruschetta, bucatini, caramel dessert and chocolate dessert. Every bite from start to finish was perfect. Even the bread was amazing, light, fluffy and airy, dipped in a soft, smooth, light olive oil, brought feelings of sleeping in my bed, so comfortable and familiar. My girlfriends are not raw anything type of girls, but I pushed them to try it, the looks on their face with their first bites were priceless; you could see their brains working with the taste receptors, «I know I don’t like raw food, but hello, where did you come from?» The tuna was fresh, meaty, melted in your mouth with the freshness of the mint and taste of the sea, taking me back to my days in Rapallo where I ate copious amount of fresh fish. The mushroom bruschetta, overflowing with mushrooms (yes!). The first bite, toasted bread with beautiful silky butter melted deep inside, coupled with the smooth and strong mushrooms made me put my elbow on the table, close my eyes and just… enjoy. The pasta, fresh, handmade, a perfect al dente, with a simple tomato sauce and pork that tasted like nice thick cut bacon that has been fried to a crispy perfection, was light and made just how Italians actually eat pasta, fresh, simple with minimal ingredients. Lastly, the dessert (sticky toffee pudding and chocolate), you need to share with friends and try both. The explosion in my mouth was something that hasn’t existed with a dessert in some time. So rich, so sweet, so creamy, so loving.
Next time I will be trying the Cacio e Pepe. It is a must try from what my foodie friends have told me. It is a typical dish of Rome and we are lucky to have it in our city.
Thank you Enoteca, bravo ragazzi, bravo!

Salty, pricey and just not good enough for supposedly being one of the best Italian places in Toronto. I want my money back.
Go to Terroni’s. it’s a lot better.

I have been to this restaurant twice. The first time around was a blast. The food was amazing and I loved the charcuterie board. Because of my first experience I decided to go back a second time (this time for a special occasion) expecting the same level of quality. Unfortunately, I was very underwhelmed. The menu has changed and it did not change for the better. Nothing on the menu was attractive and was rather simple ingredients. The menu was on the heavy side for the pallet. It was oily and salty.
The service was mediocre. Nothing special. It is a little perplexing that I can have such a difference in opinion from my first to second visit. It just tells me that they are not consistent with the quality. I’ll most likely pick another restaurant over this.

blah. my overall feeling after dining here for my birthday dinner last week.
Maybe it was because I heard such good reviews of the place, maybe it was because I had pretty high expectations, and maybe because it was a celebration dinner, but I left the restaurant that night feeling very underwhelmed.
Booked a table for 2 Sunday evening (mentioned in the booking it as for a bday). When we arrived the place was empty minus another couple. We were seated in a corner near a window with a huge draft. In an almost empty restaurant it would have been nice it they placed us in a more cozy area.
Server was meh. Not rude, but didn’t seem excited to be there or go out of her way to offer us any suggestions.
I wanted to order some of the dishes I had seen posted on Unilocal (smoked spaghetti was calling me!) but the menu changed and we had to wing it. We worked with what we had (tbh the current menu is pretty unexciting) and without the help of our unhelpful server, we decided on:
Complimentary — house made bread and olive oil. Both were to die for. Both were the best part of our meal.
Starter — mushroom bruschetta. Essentially a pile of meaty mushrooms on a thin slice of toasted bread, smeared with a very mild ricotta cheese. It was very good, but really it was just a plate of mushrooms.
Pasta — spaghetti with sheeps milk cheese and pepper. The portion small, the pepper super overpowering, and the dish incredibly salty. We were chugging water for the rest of the night. The taste was so overbearing and salty and peppery that we could barely finish the tiny portion.
Whole rainbow trout — fish was super tender, but thats about it. Very very tasteless fish, and since the fish is so mild they could have added some other tastes to the dish. But it doesn’t come with sides, so it was just a big slab of tasteless (albeit very moist) fish.
Overall nothing special and definitely not the best choice for a special occasion meal. It says something when the free bread is the best part of the meal.

This place is delicious ! I went here with my boyfriend for my birthday and we started off with some wine and a cheese platter. The cheese was so good and the presentation was on point.
I had the yellow beet ravioli. really good and my boyfriend had the gnocchi also very good.
For desert we had the sticky toffee and it was delicious
Pleasant experience and our waiter was very friendly and helpful
Will be returning

En visite express à Toronto, nous cherchions un restaurant parmi la multitude de nouvelles adresses qui ont ouvert dans la métropole au cours des dernières années. Nous avons eu le plaisir de tomber sur Enoteca Sociale.
Le service est excellent. To be honest, je pense que c’est le meilleur service que j’ai eu à un restaurant de toute mon entière vie. Quand même pas rien. Ici, les serveurs connaissent bien leurs menus, sont chaleureux et ont de l’humour: on a envie de devenir leurs amis. J’ai gouté aux arancinis, à une brushetta aux champignons et au ricotta et aux rigatonis avec ragout de porc braisé. Tout est frais: pâtes, pains et mozzarella sont faits à même le restaurant. Mention spéciale à la viande qui fond dans la bouche et aux pâtes qui sont cuites à la perfection.
En plus, c’est un resto super cute avec une belle ambiance. Pour finir, il est situé à proximité du centre-​ville: une balade en street car vous y amènera facilement. Un must à Toronto.

Simple, freshly prepared, and well executed. Basically the experience I’ve come to expect when dining here. The customer service is always on point, and their knowledge of the menu is fantastic.
I’ve been here a handful of times now, mostly with clients. Very recently, I decided to take my sisters, and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Pastas are all freshly made in house, with a focus on quality ingredients. Portions are a little on the smaller side, but exceptional nevertheless.
Cheese and charcuterie plates were average, but do appreciate the use of local products throughout the offerings. One small thing I’d like to see is a change up in variety — it’s been the same options each time I’ve ordered.
If dessert is your thing, sticky toffee or Tiramisu is very good!
Pro Tip#981: For larger groups, try booking their private room downstairs in the cellar for a more intimate experience.

Food: 9.5÷10
Atmosphere: ⁸⁄₁₀
Service: ⁸⁄₁₀
Overall experience: 8.5÷10
As you’ve probably read in most of the other reviews, the food here is top notch. Seriously excellent Italian grub, and the kind of menu where you could order anything and almost be guaranteed to like it.
We sat on the patio when we came, which was really nice. I admit that the inside is a bit dark for my liking (get your phone light ready to read the menu), but it definitely is atmospheric.
Service is good. The staff are polite and friendly.
ORDERING TIP: my two recos would be the arancini (risotto balls) and charcuterie board (pâté is to-​die for).
THE BOTTOM LINE: incredible Italian food that will keep you coming back.

This is my second time to Enoteca Social, the last time it was for my birthday and this time it was for my birthday as well. Only reason why I came back was the first time was amazing, the waitress was awesome and the menu choices were exceptional.
This review is based on yesterday’s dinner on October 8^th.
The menu did change and it was my fault that I didn’t check it before I made reservations. However the food wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t anything to say «WOW! I want to come back again!!» Based on yesterday’s dinner.
What we ordered and the total:
Appetizers
1. Pear & Walnut salad
2. Mushroom bruschetta
Entrées
1. Smoked Spaghetti (class, fennel sausage, chili)
2. 9oz Chuck Flat Steak
2x glasses of wine
With tax and tip $ 150ish
What would have been nice, they could have offered a small dessert for my birthday, I was full so might not have even eaten it but they should have offered. (If the waitress knows how to be a waitress I would have doubled her tip, if you’re in the service industry then you should know. Especially when I mentioned it was a birthday)
I’m located at Bay and Bloor so, for someone to come out to Dundas West it wasn’t worth it. Much better restaurants that are more central.

First and foremost, I want to thank blogTO for suggesting this restaurant. It was on top of the list to go for birthday dinners. And thats just what we did, we went to celebrate my friends bday here.
The place is really cozy and cute. The lighting is soothing and it definitely has the feel of a more private and friendly place. Our waiter Patrick was amazing and even though the menu looks super confusing (we dint know all the fancy italian names), he was super patient in explaining to us what all the ingredients meant.
I had called before to tell them its my friends bday so they promised me a candle with my dessert to wish her, which was super sweet of them.
Here’s what we had:
They served us complimentary Foccacia and Rosemary freshly baked bread and honestly it was the softest bread we had. We helped ourselves to two servings (one of the few restaurants that were more than willing to offer us another serving of complimentary bread without scowling)
For starters we all had arancini, so its a ball of risotto and mozarella. Its like a burst of flavour in your mouth especially with the tomato sauce base.
For entre, I had the smoked spagetti, the pasta was definitely freshly made and there was homemade freshness and flavor to it.
My friends ordered the Bucatini and rigatoni but I would say that the quantities weren’t that great.
However everyone was happy with what they ordered and thanks to the bread we were quite satisfied.
Their sticky toffee pudding reminded how delectable this dessert can be when made properly.
The place felt like it belonged in Toronto’s Little Italy. Not for the touristy aspect of it but more for the look and feel of the restaurant as well as the mixture of Italian language
Overall, Enoteca Sociale is a great restaurant. (though difficult to pronounce)
Fun fact of the day– Enoteca sociale means a wine bar. Just for people who were wondering: p

Really delicious Italian place. It was one of my friend’s birthday and we had reserved a table downstairs in the winery. I loved how private and unique it was! (Please see pictures below)
I have to say I was impressed by both the place and the food. Every dish was unique and very authentic. At times during the meal, I wished I was raised by an Italian family. Their charcuterie board was quite nice with a variety of cheeses and meats. I thoroughly enjoyed their freshly made pasta and the home made sauce was just unbelievably good. The atmosphere was just simply perfect.
Really enjoyed the experience! A bit expensive, but would definitely recommend people to come if they want to enjoy good and authentic Italian food in Toronto.

4 ½ stars.
7 years ago I met Ofelia in Beijing. We were in the city during the Paralympic games of 2008 and I had a blast hanging out with her all around the parks; 8 km of the Great Wall (Simatai Area); the Temple of Heaven; the Summer Palace, etc… I felted as if I met her before…
She came to Toronto to be a volunteer at the PanAm games and I couldn’t wait to meet her; but the occasion demanded a special spot, so I researched about the best italian restaurants in Toronto, and the name Enoteca Sociale appeared within the first 10 names. After reading some favourable reviews of trusworthy fellow Unilocalers, I had no doubt that the place was the perfect fit.
I made a reservation for Thusday at 7, and that was a good move because the place got crowded quickly. The staff was really friendly, trendy, good looking, effective, and fast. The ambiance is great. The decoration is modern, eclectic, and I want some of those cool bulbs they display in their lamps.
We ordered a Rosso Cornero (62 dls) that we all considered was delightful; a most try for every wine enthusiast. The perfect match for that enchanting potion was the trio of the most succulent cheeses I’ve ever tried. The quality of all the ingredients that accompanied those cheeses from Mars did matched the circumstances; the bread is sinful and I have kinky dreams with those nuts.
While waiting for the pastas I looked inside the kitchen, and it was amazing to see the energy that such a small spot had. More than 4 people running around, moving really quick, looking like in a master chef competition.
From the 3 pastas we ordered, the spaghetti won the more compliments, followed by the gnochi.
We ended up with a perfect expresso with grapa.
When I picked the place, I went inside the web page and I liked a lot the pictures, the concept, and life story of the chef. Everything satisficed the expectations.

I wish Enoteca Sociale was right on the subway line. Although the steady stream of oncoming diners can attest that this place is doing just fine, despite the necessary streetcar trek.
A modestly sized Italian resto, it’s got that dim interior that’s cool yet has booth seating and friendly service that’s also welcoming to families. The service was really nice and polite, winning points with my mom and dad.
After attending my brother’s convocation, my family and our significant others were looking for an early dinner with reasonably accessible parking, little to no wait time (best to call ahead and ask if a table is available before you go), comfortable seating, and a midrange price for a group of 6.
The menu, though relatively small, was perfect for us. Ordering plates to share, here’s what we got:
— Albacore Tuna Conserva, $ 14 — Taggiasche olives, red onion & mint. This was prepared sous-​vide, only just cooked through, drizzled with plenty of olive oil over pitted olives, thin red onion slivers, and small mint leaves. I dipped my bread in it afterwards.
— Raw beef & bone marrow, $ 15 — Gremolata & grilled sourdough. Two of my much-​loved dishes on one plate? How can this be?! This was a popular one with our group and was demolished the quickest. The beef tartare is cut relatively thick, in case you’re wondering. The bone marrow is half a bone, so I would think that one person could easily polish off one order.
— Grilled Sausage, $ 15 — Grilled ramps, shallot salsa, herbed ricotta & honey. A hit for my carnivorous dad, he enjoyed the shallot salsa combo.
— Bucatini All’Amatriciana, $ 13 — Guanciale, tomato & chili. If you have yet to try bucatini, I would describe this as a slightly thicker, hollowed-​out spaghetti. The guanciale is cut into small bits. The tomato sauce is mostly absorbed into the pasta, creating a red-​hued noodle.
— Rigatoni, 16 — Braised rabbit, pine nuts & currants. The rabbit meat is shredded into chicken-​like pieces and had no real discernible game taste. A safe and inoffensive segueway into game meats if you’ve never tried it before.
— Smoked Spaghetti, $ 17 — Manila clams, fennel sausage, chili & parsley. I hope this wasn’t the spaghetti Eminem was talking about, because that would be a pretty big waste («There’s vomit on his sweater already/Mom’s spaghetti»)! Another hit of the night. The fair portion of plump clams nicely filled their shells, which I think helped to justify the price. After eating the first round of it, we actually immediately ordered a second!
8OZ 45 Day Dry-​Aged Ontario Striploin, $ 34 — Arugula, salsa verde & lemon. I found this one actually a bit overpriced, but hey, the cost of meat isn’t cheap, especially for quality.
12oz Heritage Pork Chop, $ 28 — Braised dandelion greens & cipollini agridolce. Best eaten with an appropriate dab of cipollini on top.
Rapini, $ 7 — Lemon, chili & pecorino. It’s listed as a side dish, but it’s actually a pretty large serving presented on its own separate plate. If you haven’t tried rapini before, you should probably be warned that it’s a bit on the bitter side. Yikes, autocorrect tried to write «If you’ve never tried raping before…»!!
Rest assured, no rapists on the menu — just rustic, comfort fare that will leave you warm and satisfied.

My new go to Italian restaurant in Toronto.
Went on a Saturday night with a reservation for 6:00. By 6:30 the place was full even with the frigid temperature. Bread came to start. Two kinds, red flaked sourdough and I forget the other. They were both delicious and they refilled the bowl multiple times. The waitress mentioned they sell the bread Saturday afternoons FYI.
We both got a salad to start. Escarole and Apple with Bacon, Old Cheddar, and Pine Nut Dressing. And Pear and Fennel with Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and Celery. The escarole salad is bigger so if you are afraid of not feeling full get that. The dressing was also fabulous. The pear and fennel is more unique. It was fairly acidic to match the richness of the blue cheese. But each bite with the blue cheese was delish.
At this point in the meal I thought the restaurant was a solid 4 stars and I was pretty happy. But then we had our pasta dishes and they were absolutely perfect. They were cooked al dente and had a lot of flavour. What was most surprising was the nice amount of acidity in each dish despite there not being any tomato sauce. My girlfriend had the Agnolitti with Butternut Squash, Brown Butter, Hazelnuts and Parmigiano. I had the Tagliatelle with Shrimp, Treviso and Cream Crumbs. Rarely do I eat pasta at a restaurant and want to come back and try the other pasta dishes, but I felt that way here.
Some of the reviews said the food was too salty or they left feeling hungry. This was not the case for me. I would suggest you share an app, or get your own though. The service was also excellent. It’s the kind of place that changes cutlery between courses. Go here if you want a fine Italian meal.