terroni

our group ordered some appetizers--a selection of italian and local cured meats (tagliere del salumiere). how can anyone go wrong with prosciutto?



we also got some italian cheeses with super delicious homemade jam. the jam was so delectable we asked if they sold it! 

a few of us, on our end of the table, also shared some carpaccio di manzo. the raw beef tenderloin was cut so thinly and drizzled with lemon juice, evoo and topped with parmigiano reggiano shavings, and arugula. delish!  

we also shared a salad (ricchia) of pretty much the same basic ingredients minus the beef plus some mushrooms. 

it was hard to decide since we wanted to try everything! so three of us shared three dishes—pizza, pasta and meats. we got the santo stefano pizza. super thin crust layered with delicious tomato sauce, mozzarella di bufala, fresh arugola, and prosciutto di parma. the flavours were delicate and the toppings blended perfectly together. divine. one of the best pizzas i have had. 

we had to have some meat so we shared tris de carne—a trio of lamb chops, aaa steak and sausage. it was served with polenta and asparagus. nothinggreatreally. the meats were actually on the salty side and i’ve had better steak before. well, what did we expect, right? stick to the pasta and pizza. 

so here comes the fancy (as if the abundance of italicized italian goodies has not been enough)—we got some tonnarelli alla norcina. the fresh tonnarelli (like thick spaghetti) was topped with italian black truffle shavings, homemade spicy sausage, pecorino cheese, and garlic. too delicious! we heard this was one of their specialties. i fully agree. 

 for dessert, we all shared some tiramisu (good enough but nothing to call home about)  and espresso gelato. the gelato was served in a bowl then our server poured espresso on it. heavenly.

terroni is alright. portions are small so you won't really get the value you seek since the food is also mediocre. i enjoyed the calamari and some of the pasta dishes but i would never order the pizza. the flourless cake was amazing though and probably the best part of my meal! i probably would not eat here again unless it were to try the queen west location. the decor and atmosphere isgreatotherwise! 6/10

delicious  extensive menu - wonderful selection. so much still to come back for! had agreattime. restaurant was full, reservations are a must.

it’s good food, but way too overpriced. although the venue is charming (it used to be a courthouse), they miscalculated how many people could sit at a table. our reservation of 10 had 8 seats and we had to find extra chairs and squeeze. not agreatwelcome.

we also were asked to leave before we were ready (still finishing end-of-meal drinks) because there was another group waiting. this isn’t the first time someone in my group was asked to leave before finishing their meal at this restaurant. at the prices they charge, we should not be rushed and forced to chug our drinks! the manager bought the five of us left a round of drinks at the bar to make up for it, but it wasn’t an ideal place to continue our experience as it was awkward to chat and hear everyone when lined up across the bar. (plus, bar stools are not comfortable!)

i also found the service to be lacking: reminding staff about missed items; servers walking away as we were mid-sentence. i asked for one order of an app for the table to share, and they brought two. i thought maybe someone else had the same idea and didn’t think much of it until it showed up on my bill and i confirmed with my group that nobody else ordered it. yes, we ate it and i paid for it, but i only asked for one order.

had a dozen people descend on toronto for birthday celebration and they picked this gem in the st. lawrence district. used to be the old courthouse and is huge spanning 3 floors. it even has the jail cells in the basement!
this place has a genuine italian slant as evidenced by the menu. most of the group ordered specialty white pizzas and none were disappointed. i ordered the salad which was combined with baked salami, grapes and kale with a vinaigrette dressing which was very good. my partner ordered the invernale salad which included radicchio, roasted butternut squash, green onion and dressed with a blueberry vinaigrette. top points for both salads.
my main course was the ravioli porchetta which was stuffed with pork, roasted butternut squash , oyster, button mushrooms and. parmigiana cheese. it was tasty but could have used a sprinkling of parmesan and pepper. for dessert i had the biscotti with a delightful white and chocolate cream sauce. my partner had the tiramisu. both desserts were excellent.
agreatplace to eat. would have no problems returning.

best pizza you could possibly have in downtown toronto, lots of room for paid parking, friendly staff and you will definitely love the decor. it's always best to call ahead because the place is always busy however they will do their best to get you a table. i have gone here about 5 times already (yes i have no life). overallgreatfor dates, with groups and bdays!

went here with a group of 4 on a saturday night. the service was great! our server was very tentative and offered lots of suggestions. i forgot to take pictures but we had started with the tagliere mezzo email mezzo which is an assortment of italian cured meats, cheeses and jams. it's funny but we all ordered the same entree which was the spaghetti in cana a mare which is spaghetti with an assortment of seafood. it was delicious and they were very generous on the seafood. for dessert we had espressos and cappuccino all were served with a mini biscotti. only draw back was that the restaurant was really noisy and the music was too loud so it felt like we had to yell over the noise so we could hear each other. besides that it was agreatplace and would definitely return or even try their other locations.

terroni's is a toronto classic. must stop forgreatambiance andgreatfood.

booked in for dinner on sunday night. restaurant busy but not full; was full when we left. started with the funghi assoluti. mushrooms were perfectly done; greens were fresh and crisp. she who must be obeyed had the lobster spaghetti special. she usually leaves a bit on the plate or in the bowl but not this time. even soaked up the last of the bisque with a piece of the super fresh bread. i had the spinach and ricotta tortelloni. simple and simply delicious. our server recommended agreatwine which we enjoyed very much. split the caramel butterscotch pudding for dessert and i finished with a sambuca-laced esspresso. we had a trulygreatmeal and experience here and will return on our next trip to toronto. thank you terroni.

pros: building is beautiful, history of the building is fascinating, ambience is nice although extremely noisy. food came quickly on a weekday lunch.
cons: if you like bland italian food this place is for you - not my preference. ordered the smoked salmon panini - good flavours but extremely dry. snarky waitstaff, waited over 15 min for menus and water and didn't serve us napkins, salt and pepper until we requested them. forgot our sparkling water order. menu specifies that you can't ask for substitutions. overall service notgreat"do you want anything else now because i'm leaving for a bit". asked that auto gratuity was removed so i could add my own tip (to reflect the service) and given a hard time by both the waiter and the manager although they finally acquiesced. restaurant is not handicap accessible - washrooms are in the basement (as are most in toronto) with no options on the ground floor. all tables are accessed via stairs so not suitable for anyone with mobility issues.

patio was opened,greatatmosphere. inside was nice but music was extremely loud, not a fan of loud music at a restaurant. food was good- burrata was excellent. the only issue is that it's a little over priced. definitely good to try once but in no rush to go back.

pizza night. kind of sad i'm the last review but i went back to terroni last night for pizza so had to share. went to review the pizza here because my mom is doing a work function here.
the c't mang is delicious, i know it sounds intimidating with speck, gorgonzola, walnuts, pear and honey but it was agreatsavory pizza with a hint of sweetness.
the puzza was sooo good and creamy the mascarpone really took it to the next level. i found these pizzas really creative and highly recommend them. the pizza we didn't like was the cicco, which was a pizza crust with arugula, prosciutto and fior di latte cheese, and i t didn't have any flavor despite the ingredients being so good. not enough cheese, prosciutto inside.
all their pizzas looked delicious and i'm a pizza snob because i have tried so many pizzas all over toronto and have been on a hunt for the best for the past few years. highly recommend this place for pizza & pasta,greatambience and service.


-----02 mar, 2015-----

very yummy. went here on saturday for dinner and it was packed! i made reservations in advance so despite the line we got out table after only a 5 minute wait. i loved the ambience and i can't believe how large it was and so many different areas to sit. i got the special, papardelle with duck ragu and smoked ricotta, it was delicious! i wanted to lick the plate, it was so flavorful and fresh. my only criticism is that for the price $22 the portion was quite small and the presentation of the food was not the greatest. i usually post all the places i go to eat to make people aware of the hottest spots in toronto to go to and my picture look quite sad and small and didn't showcase the resto very well so i decided not to show it off.

terroni has to be my favourite italian restaurant in toronto.greatfood, good value,greatservice in a funky atmosphere.

today i had the "bistecca di manzo alla griglia " served with scalloped fennel and potatoes and a fresh spinach salad with mushrooms, walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette. tastes like a home cooked meal.

delicious!

great service, bad reception. our party of 6 dined last night, celebrating our daughter 14th birthday. we had made our 630pm reservation over 3 weeks in advance, and of course a confirmation phone call was received that afternoon.the sweet girl on the phone told us that she would put a table together near the front for us, upon our prompt arrival we were told that a party of 10 had called in, moving us out of the spot noted. where were we to sit? at the top of the stairs, next to a brick wall, completely isolated from the whole restaurant! after refusing the table we were told that if we weren't long we could have a table near the fireplace, set up and ready to go. clearly the hostess has been working there either too long, or not long enough. she had all the arrogance of someone who clearly was large and in charge. before i had even sat down, i felt unwelcome and discounted. on a brighter note, our colourfully tattooed waiter was prompt, professional and all pro! the food wasgreatand the room had a good buzz. i just wish that good buzz fell back onto hostess.

great food and reasonable prices! i thought its a bit too overpacked though and it can feel like a chore leaving/sitting because your seat is right against someone elses.

as for the food: super fresh. i had the ricotta-filled pasta and butterscotch pudding. allgreatoptions. the pasta was light, and well-cooked...neither too soft or too hard. the seasoning was quite spot on as well!

ambience: well you're in an old courthouse so you would definitely get a nice historic vibe...i sti found it intriguing and cool that the jail cells were turned into the washroom area!

very cool spot but definitely make sure you get a table thats not in the overcrowded back area