cafe dario

the dario treat. a rather dull and industrial-looking location hides an unexpected and interesting little gem of a restaurant, staked out in a former residence.cafedario is an intriguing dining experience, because of its uncommon idea of a new menu, set weekly. dinner patrons pay a flat fee of $35.00 for a 5 course meal consisting of an appetizer, soup, salad, entree, and dessert. you can choose your ap and entree among options, but the chef makes one soup, salad and dessert for all.

dietary considerations are addressed if you call ahead. this vegetarian decided to spend the night vegan for the sake of simplicity, and enjoyed the adventure of being surprised, mostly pleasantly, by each course.

it was an exciting experience, having a room full of people all served at once. (you must reserve, as the room was at capacity.) the timing of such meal preparation is an art in itself. arrive hungry. you get a lot!

everything was presented so beautifully, and with great attention to detail. my appetizer had a dipping sauce with a tasty bite, but was not a meal favourite. soup was coconut carrot ginger, which could have been more flavourful. the salad was exceptional in its simplicity and taste, with fancy lettuce so fresh, that it could have just been clipped from the garden. greens were wrapped in a ribbon of cucumber, and complemented by a delicious dressing.

the vegan main course consisted of a filling fabulous epinada--excuse spelling ;-) packed with roasted vegetables, while the artfully garnished sides included sliced carrots, and a tasty beet puree.

my alternative vegan dessert was a refreshing watermellon sorbet served in a martini glass. the chef's dessert was a beautifully presented square of mouth-watering rich mint brownie, reminiscent of laura secord's delicious french mint chocolate bar. decorated with a dollop of whipped cream and a strawberry, it was heaven!

it appears from other reviews that the lunch menu is priced much lower. the set dinner cost is however more than reasonable considering that the number of courses you get would be much more expensive ordered separately elsewhere, and also the sheer amount of food you receive.

cafe dario in quaint and cozy. there is little separation between rooms and tables, so it can get a bit noisy, but it is a real dining experience that is definitely worth it.

never again. we all agreed later we should have listened to our initial "gut reactions", and left the cafe.

these reactions occurred as we were issued an order from the kitchen to get seated! we hadn't yet finished perusing the lunch offerings on the board located at the entrance (no menues were to be offered at the table).

once seated, one of our chairs was quite wobbly, and we chose to switch it for a more comfortable one located at an empty table. from the kitchen came a very audible criticism about the exchange!

i was informed by the waitress my order would come as a wrap. the soup was very, very good. no wrap...the food item that arrived was such that i could have made at home with a slice of meat and an unexceptional bun. i refused to accept the offering, and became vocal about it.

the chef came out of the kitchen and following a very unpleasant exchange, i was told to leave the premises. another dissatisfied patron in our group left, as well. on the way out, i informed folks with questioning expressions on their faces what the problem was.

i imagine the few remaining patrons were left in a tense atmosphere, as were the other women in our group who wanted to finish their good lunches.

when friends and acquaintances talk with me about thiscafeincident, their reactions are quite interesting, and i think it is important folks know about the range of experiences that do occur at an establishment.

after much anticipation i finally visitedcafedario friday evening. it was everything i’d hoped it would be. my husband and i went with another couple and we all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. each course was delicious and beautifully presented. the atmosphere was relaxed and cozy - we were able to all have a conversation at the table and not have to shout to be heard. our server was so friendly and attentive (and also celebrating his birthday), and just added to our overall experience.
it was a fantastic place - we all agreed we would return and recommend in the future.

highly recommend dining atcafedario. fine dining quality food in a casual and relaxed atmosphere. 5 course meal for $44 is great value for money. good choices of appetizer and entree. i had the escargots with thai basil. saucy and spicy. it was fabulous. red pepper and tomato soup was good. caesar salad dressing was extra garlicky and spicy. grilled duck was fantastic too. desert was only average. only the soup and desert which were average. prevented a score of 5.

omg!!! amazing ... seriously amazing.
took my wife for our anniversary dinner tocafedario and this place shocked me.
a+ for food
a+ for flavour
a+ for presentation(not that this matters too much to a simpleton like me)
a+ for service
wow!!!

first time atcafedario, and enjoyed it very much. was seated at the front where it was very dim but also had a view of the kitchen which was exciting. food is very flavourful, and cooked to perfection. staff is very friendly, atmosphere is relaxed and the decor keeps you entertained. when you first get in, it is a little space and seems small, but when sitting at your table you have a comfortable space. the only thing i wish was different were the portions. portions are smaller and because i eat a lot and enjoyed the food very much i wish there was more on my plate. haha. thank youcafedario, i will for sure be back for some more fantastic food. :)

our second new years eve with dario and once again they delivered an exceptional meal. it was packed as expected and noisy as a result but it's nye after all.
i had the lobster corn dog appy which was great. shitake mushroom chocolate soup which blew us away. entrée was pastry wrapped bison filet with liver pate and it was just phenomenal. chocolate mousse for dessert capped off a perfect meal. service was the usual high standard.cafedario is our favorite special spot.

i went here for my birthday last month and had a great experience. the food was wonderful, the portions were perfect, the service was wonderful.
i would highly recommend going tocafedario for a delicious dinner, great atmosphere and all around excellent dining experience.

excellent place to get a great dinner. i was at café dario last night and was seated in the back room. if you go, ask for that room. it is decorated with many tribal masks from all around the world (see photo of one of the masks). they have a special on sunday, monday, and tuesday where you get two, five course dinners plus a bottle of one of their house wines for $95.

my cousin ordered the "surprise" appetizer which consisted of rabbit, bison, and garlic. all were wonderful. i had the bean and shredded chicken chili which was excellent but very filling for an appetizer. we then had the clam chowder soup. i have never had clam chowder because i thought i would not like it, but boy was i wrong. it is now one of my favourite soups (at least at café dario).

for the main course i selected the 6oz beef tenderloin steak cooked to your liking and drizzled with caper chimichurri sauce. i highly recommend this as a main course. it was bursting with flavor and had some very unique flavours thanks to the chimichuri sauce which i loved. my cousin had the elk and he said he would definitely order it again.

presentation was so interesting and the service was top notch. all in all we thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend this restaurant. it does not look like much from the outside, but never judge a book by its cover, the same goes for restaurants. you will not regret going here.

will be back!. four of us chosecafedario for our dine out 2015 choice. i was excited as a chef friend of mine says it's his fave and i'd been meaning to go for years. it was saturday night and the place was full to capacity . we were seated immediately and our server, lauren was perfect. the timing of the courses was just right and all food was piping hot and beautifully plated. each of us ordered something different and all of us agreed we couldn't wait to come back. my lamb osso bucco was the envy of the table; a far more generous serving than i've had at three other restaurants. thick, rich , winey gravy withtender, melting lamb on a fab garlic mash had everyone drooling, more so after i shared. even though diners were waiting to be seated we were never rushed, offered more coffee and extra chocolates and the bill was prompt. a lovely time.

go here!. was in for lunch last friday. food was superb and the service was excellent. there were two excellent servers who made sure we didn't wait for anything. prices more than reasonable. do yourself a favor and check it out.


-----05 jan, 2015-----

delicious!!!. i visitedcafedario on new year's eve, we were a party of 2. we were seated fairly promptly given how busy the place was and we're greeted right away. our server, lauren introduced herself and was very friendly, kind and seemed genuinely happy to be serving us. when we asked her recommendations she was quick to offer a couple options for both appetizers and entrees. we went with what she said to, the souffle and the lamb chop pop. wow!! the mushroom souffle was rich and tasty , the lamb chop juicy and so good. we had steak and lobster instead of the wild boar our server hinted at. the presentation was immaculate, the taste, unbelievable! steak was cooked to perfection and the lobster was served with the right amount of butter. everything paired nicely with the wine the server recommended, we were extremely happy with everything. coffee and dessert was good as well. we will return and will tell our friends to as well. the service, food and atmosphere is an a+.

last time i went tocafedario i had a terrible experience: it took 3 hours and a half to go through dinner! the service was really slow and we had issues woth extra drinks changed on the bill.

new years eve winner. party for 2 at 8:30. seated right away.cafewas busy and noisy and we were okay with both. steak and lobster(we both had) entree was killer. lamb chop pop and brie plate appies were both to die for. service was great. we made a point of stopping by the kitchen on our way out to show chef dario and chef matthew our appreciation for their craft. they were both pleased we did. we lovecafedario and share this gem with all our friends. always leave satisfied. thanks chef. doug and tina


-----07 jun, 2014-----

nailed it out of the park!. dario's delivers once again. i like the fixed price menu. everything was delicious and amazing as usual. the thing is that when we go to dario's we remember what we ate. i can't say that from the chain restaurants. flavorful, colorful, tasty and enough food with 5 courses. (i am a big guy) chef matthew is amazing and the service is always good. i have been to dario's as a couple and in a party of 30. 5 stars each of the six times i have had lunch or dinner there. a restaurant that creates lasting positive memories. i don't mind paying a premium for a premium experience.


-----21 apr, 2013-----

an amazing dining experience. five courses that defy description. shrimp and bison appetizer, callamari, mushroom soup, delicate salad, trout, beef tenderloin, and an amazing dessert.food quality, taste and the service were all 5 stars. it's a bithday dinner we both won't forget. we sampled off each others plate and agree that everything was exquisite. definitely on the return to list. i read all the reviews and visited the website andcafedario exceeded all expectations that were high.

chef dario is a grouch!. went to café dario for my 3rd time. the first two visits were great. excellent servers, i like the different tastes on the menu and the set up of the menu as well. the place is a quite small but a nice ambience. the food has always been pleasing, not the best i have had but the overall experience has been something that made me come back. this last time was for my aunts 50th birthday. we had a table of 13, we were all finished our meals and having a coffee waiting for the bills to come out. there was another group that was seated right behind us while we were waiting, they had 5 at their table and had to add a chair to the outside so everyone could fit. chef dario came out and wanted to get in between the two tables. he made the comment to one the men at our table " i know you are a big guy but i need to get by here". i thought that was a little odd but also thought maybe he was just being funny. then my cousin went to the bathroom and overheard chef dario saying that it was a fire hazard the way the tables were set up and said he sounded pretty upset. a few at our table went out for a cigarette and chef dario came out and grouchily asked an aunty to move to the other side of the table. he then leaned over to the girl at the table behind us and said "there you go now you can move your chair out". it was like it was our fault that the tables were set up that way. every time he walked by our table he had a grouchy look on his face. i won't be returning again because of the attitude of chef dario. also we asked one of the waiters if the chef was upset with us and he said "i'm not going to lie yes he was unhappy". um okay, sorry we came with a large group to your restaurant and don't worry it won't happen again....

15/11/2014: chef dario even if you hadn't said anything the expression on your face made everyone at our table feel like you were upset with us. nobody in our group had any reason to make up anything, we are all good people with good intentions and loyal customers. i suggest to you that you try and gain control of your temper when your out and about in the dining room. as other reviewers have stated you have a temper. that being said i understand that no one is perfect and tempers can rise but it would have been nice for you to have corrected the situation by letting us know why you were upset. a simple apology right there would have sufficed. i don't think it is the responsibility of the guest to correct the situation when they haven't done anything to cause it.

swizzlestyx. our group had lunch here today and we were all happy with our meals as always at café dario. the beef and lentil soup was hot and delicious and our mains were salmon, pork tenderloin, osso buco and venison hot dog. all of the plates were wonderful...excellent presentation and done to perfection with loads of interesting tastes. the waiter was friendly and extremely helpful with wine and beer pairings, and the chef came out to speak to us as well, which is such a nice touch. we've eaten here many times and will continue to return!

sept 2016 - we dined here again and had chef dario choose everything for us, even the wine, and what a fabulous job he did!! everything was perfect!

sept 2017 - the swizzle styx dined here again and chef dario did his magic yet again.

sept 2018 - the swizzle styx were back here again and as always it was probably the best meal of the year!