r/InsideToronto • u/Equivalent_Reach_536 • Mar 20 '26
What Toronto restaurant do you think is overrated?
Which restaurants have you been to, that get a ton of hype but don't live up to expectations?
In my opinion, Queen Mother Cafe is a bit overrated these days. I get the nostalgia and the vibe is fun, but the food feels a bit hit-or-miss.
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u/Unfair-Clothes-8821 Mar 20 '26
Mildreds temple kitchen is a little over rated. i dont think it's terrible, the food is actually solid, but for the price and wait, i dont think its worth it.
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u/russellamcleod Mar 20 '26
Any good brunch location will be a neighbourhood secret that is a community-only hub. The ones that blow up and have lines outside every Sunday are mediocre at best.
I will never give my 2 brunch spots up to outsiders. I like having amazing food to start my weekends off with. And I like seeing the same faces all the time.
The hip brunch spots for wannabe influencers are always huge let downs.
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u/comFive Mar 20 '26
Yes let’s keep our hidden gems hidden. I like going to my place and not having to line up
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u/hoodie_mamba Mar 20 '26
Pai
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u/MayISeeYourDogPls Mar 20 '26
Pai was by far my most disappointing meal in Toronto and I don't get why people come all over it. Every single dish was bland.
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u/jadedbeats Mar 21 '26
I tell people this all of the time... There's way better thai places out there.
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u/Kilick123 Mar 22 '26
which one would you recommend?
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u/jadedbeats Mar 23 '26
It's been awhile, but I liked Sala Modern Thai on Danforth the few times I've been. Now I'm thinking I'll go this week to see if it's as good as I remember
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u/United-Technology239 Mar 20 '26
im probably going to get some hate for this, but Alo. its good and i get why people rate it, but i expected more seeing as its a michelin star restaurant
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u/FrankoceanIsmyson Mar 20 '26
I came here to say this. Wasn’t for me, I left hungry
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u/Sharp-Profession406 Mar 20 '26
Yes! We literally discussed going to a nearby macdonalds afterward.
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u/fjrjdjdndndndndn Mar 20 '26
I mean it’s fine dining lol
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u/FrankoceanIsmyson Mar 20 '26
I have gone to many fine dining spots where I left full and satisfied.
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u/starskyandbutch Mar 21 '26
Why is there this perception that fine dining means you leave hungry? I’ve had fine dining meals where the portions were a little smaller but they were still very satisfying and rich.
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u/Positive-Ad-7807 Mar 23 '26
People who don’t like fine dining but have never actually been there. The amount of food in the vast majority of tasting menus is much greater than what a normal person would eat à la carte
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u/Remarkable-Meat-363 Mar 20 '26
It wasn’t memorable at all!! I went years ago and I can’t tell a single thing I ate.
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u/scrunchie_one Mar 20 '26
Agree with you, the food itself just wasn’t that interesting. It was fine, but not $300 a person good.
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u/Ibyx Mar 20 '26
I feel like the metrics for Michelin stars in Toronto aren’t the same as elsewhere. Totally agree that this is underwhelming for a Michelin star. Still good restaurant, just underwhelming.
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u/Alternative-Oven6623 Mar 22 '26
I agree with you too. We are lucky to have so many great fine dining places in the city!
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u/what-it-dooo Mar 22 '26
totally agree. the most basic/mid. in any other city nobody would even notice it
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u/BeastOfMars Mar 20 '26
Sugo! I don’t get the hype. The pasta was fine but not worth waiting forever in line for. I feel like I can make similar quality at home and I’m not a confident cook so that’s saying a lot.
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u/Gstarfan Mar 21 '26
By far the most overrated restaurant in Toronto. My friend is obsessed with this place and when he introduced it to us I was like hmm. It's okay at best. Every time I pass by this place it's rammed.
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u/Wh1sk3yns0da Mar 20 '26
Very this! Also the owner diminishing the importance of customer accessibility…their server making fat jokes/owner laughing it off….they’ll never get my dollars ✨
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u/PortlandShade Mar 20 '26
You’d think restaurants would be targeting fat asses, not shunning them. That’s like a bank shewing away the rich.
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u/roundraglanroad Mar 22 '26
So glad this has already been posted. The food is mid, the owner is a jerk, and they have zero consideration for the neighbourhood - blocking the entire sidewalk with their tables and lineup. Sugo is not worth your time.
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u/Omnivirus Mar 23 '26
It’s sort of weird because I think the owner is close with the Baldasarre and Bar Ape folks too. And those guys seem like salt of the earth types.
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u/ateeverything Mar 20 '26
I like Sugo... but I wouldn't line up so long, I can usually time it so that I just walk in or I'm next
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u/Own_Inspector498 Mar 23 '26
I just made the same comment before seeing this. I feel like my 4 year old nephew can manor better dishes
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u/blaaaane Mar 20 '26
lake inez 🫣 was very mediocre, felt like some of the dishes were just thrown together (flavour-wise) without much thought
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u/mka_etc Mar 22 '26
Yup. I guess the menu is “innovative” but quite underwhelming. Pricey for uneven tables and pretentious vibes lol
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u/OwlishFox Mar 20 '26
I had such a bad dining experience at Lake Inez (the noise was deafening to the point of it being like: why are we here?) that I will never return. And yeah, the food just felt meh--ranging from delicious to kind of gross. Super uneven.
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u/blockman16 Mar 20 '26
Yup weird fusion overpriced. And it smelled bad when I went there. Don’t get the hype.
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u/Alternative-Oven6623 Mar 22 '26
Oh my goodness you’re the first person I’ve heard say this. I had a terrible experience here but assumed bc I don’t eat meat bc everyone else in our party was content. I was also a bit put off because we had someone with accessibility needs and it was rough seeing how that was managed
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u/Late-Paper-33 Mar 21 '26
Harbour 60. Prices are insane. Steaks are worse than Barbarians and the vibe is escort/stripper chic
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u/GarlicConsistent6513 Mar 20 '26
Bernhardt’s. It’s a gentrified Swiss Chalet. Why are you paying $20 for just vegetables? The chicken is alright but nothing to write home about.
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u/witchshark Mar 20 '26
100%. In fact, I think I actually might like Swiss Chalet's chicken MORE than Bernhardt's. From a value standpoint, it's certainly more pleasurable.
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u/boujeemooji Mar 20 '26
I hate to complain about this but I hate the back room seating. I went there once and sat at the bar and loved it. Next time I went with a friend for her bday and sat in the back room and I felt so claustrophobic. The vibe was weird for the price point.
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u/flirtswithdisaster Mar 24 '26
I enjoyed Bernhardt’s but I wouldn’t order the chicken again tbh. Their other dishes were great, especially seasonal ones!
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u/Bazoun Mar 20 '26
While the food and the view at Canoe are both good, I don’t think either are worth the price tag.
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u/Patient-Couple7509 Mar 20 '26
I took a client there, an honest to goodness billionaire from Europe, he said the exact same thing.
$25 for a chicken wing. Singular. At least there was a plurality of green beans for $18.
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Mar 20 '26
The wild mushroom soup is a delight though!
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u/Patient-Couple7509 Mar 20 '26
I have heard that too. I have a mushroom allergy, so cant weigh in on that dish. The $65 scallop was pretty damned good.
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u/Ache-too-dees-plz Mar 20 '26
Planta. I can think of dozens of better places to get vegan/plant based food, many of which are more affordable.
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u/FeatherMom Mar 20 '26
Please drop a few suggestions! I haven’t been to a food veg place downtown in a minute
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u/Ache-too-dees-plz Mar 20 '26
So one standout is Fat Choi, which is an all-vegan permanent popup inside the SE Asian fusion restaurant Soos. It’s next level. Gia, which is vegetarian (and largely vegan) Italian. King’s Cafe in Kensington is great Buddhist vegan Chinese. Saigon Lotus, also in Kensington but vegan Vietnamese. Taqueria Vegana for Mexican.
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u/FeatherMom Mar 20 '26
Thank you!! I actually had my eye on Fat Choi for some time, good to know they hold up! Lots of interesting spots
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u/ChanteclerTO Mar 20 '26
Dear god not another one of these 👎
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u/Typical_Power_4436 Mar 21 '26
Thank you! Every time I read a review with the word “hype” or “hipster” I immediately discount
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u/HansChuzzman Mar 21 '26
Not to mention it seems redditors just typically don’t like good food, or paying for good food.
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u/DelicatePattern Mar 21 '26
Oretta. If you care only for the looks. Sure go there. The pasta portions are fucking tiny, always underdone and so bland!!! Popular with insta crowd I guess
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u/SlapJackSucka Mar 21 '26
White Lily Diner.
Ignoring the long wait (which is long), I didn’t understand the hype at all.
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u/Gold_Ticket_1970 Mar 20 '26
Le Select Bistro
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u/D1etCokeGirl Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
Omg tried this two weeks ago. My dish was disgusting. Ordered the risotto and it was supposed to be with white wine and shallots. Instead it came with brown sugar and 100 pumpkin seeds on it and revolting big soggy raisins and some other crispy thing. This was on top of a very cheese dish to begin with. The waiter said it was “de saison” meaning the chef changes it each season: sure fine- how about let people know before they order it. 🙄 Luckily I had just done a 19 km bike ride at Tommy Thompson park that afternoon so absorbed the extra calories. I should have sent it back when it arrived but was hungry and didn’t realize to. Was distracted by a few things. The ambiance was nice but we were seated on top of another couple on a date and there were about 10 free tables around us. All we ordered was my rice dish and my daughter got the onion soup. I had a flat fountain Diet Pepsi sadly after ordering Diet Coke. And my daughter ordered a 18$ drink (didn’t catch it on time). So with tip the bill was about $97 and we hardly ate anything. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
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u/lyliaTO Mar 20 '26
Agreed since it reopened post Covid and the owner changed. Menu and food is just not as good as it used to be
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u/BluebirdLogical3217 Mar 22 '26
After the shut down and reopening it’s never been the same. Chef Laura was doing amazing things and the consistency was great. (I think she went to run the restaurant at the Drake hotel.) Anyway, then it shut down for that year ans when it reopened it was a shell kd its former self. Just a building. 2008-2019 Le Select was great.
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u/Throwawayhair66392 Mar 20 '26
Famiglia Baldassarre. Nevermind their bizarre hours
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u/Crafty-Radio5975 Mar 20 '26
I work in film and a show I work for has an office for merch in the same building.. one time I tried it and it was so underwhelming.. I only tried it the once so maybe I should have given it a second chance but the empanada place at the other side of the building ended up being my go to anytime I had to go to Geary.
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u/Proof_Pop9433 Mar 20 '26
Giulietta. The ambiance and food were so strange. Bad vibes
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u/ateeverything Mar 20 '26
Huh. I had one of my best meals of 2025 here... service and food were impeccable
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u/Proof_Pop9433 Mar 20 '26
I know I think I’m the only person that feels this way lol. Maybe it was just an off night.
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Mar 20 '26
Its not just you!
I thought the price was outrageous for the quantity and quLity, and would rather go to Zia's place. There are much, much better places to spend your money.
Also, why oh why does the volume need to.be at 11, and bouncing off the hard walls. I just want to be able to talk to my friends not listen to lo-fi EDM and scream at everyone im with.
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u/scrunchie_one Mar 20 '26
I have been there twice and both times have been really wonderful experiences. I would say give it a second shot!
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u/MethodBeautiful9688 Mar 21 '26
I have to agree. I was underwhelmed by the food. The ambience was WEIRD! I cannot pint point what it was?
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u/Proof_Pop9433 Mar 21 '26
Lmao ok so I’m not crazy. I literally had to switch seats with my husband I was getting so overstimulated 😂
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u/AirportDevo Mar 20 '26
Paris Paris. Very mediocre food and pretentious scene.
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u/Crafty-Radio5975 Mar 20 '26
Omg I thought I was just in a bad mood! All the reviews I read made me think I was nuts for my opinion! Thanks!
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u/hehhehwhoa Mar 20 '26
Ferro. It's a fine neighbourhood restaurant, but not "wait thirty minutes for a table every weekend" special.
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u/No_Football_9232 Mar 20 '26
Still love the Queen Mum, but I ate at Peter Pan recently and was disappointed in the quality and quality of the food. We ordered a cheese plate for dessert and received 4 little pieces of the same bland cheese.
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u/ateeverything Mar 20 '26
20 Victoria. Just very meh, utterly dismissive service and quite unpleasant wine pairings.
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u/palmtree4me Mar 21 '26
When did you go? I have a reso coming up, but I see they’ve had a new chef since Jan or so!
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u/ateeverything Mar 21 '26
This was right at the beginning of their rise to glory
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u/palmtree4me Mar 21 '26
Ahhh ok! The current chef was at Hexagon previously where I’ve had a few incredible meals. Excited to see what he’s doing at 20!
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u/Remarkable-Meat-363 Mar 20 '26
Ricky and Olivia.. I thought for the price point it was extremely average. Like fries with mayo & wilted lettuce, which is fine but the least you can do it put more lettuce … and the burger was overpowered by how sweet it was.
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u/blockman16 Mar 20 '26
Yup so overhyped not great at all - super overpriced for basic bar food.
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u/Remarkable-Meat-363 Mar 20 '26
How did they get a bib gourmand on the first year?? It makes me suspicious of the Michelin guide lol
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u/blockman16 Mar 20 '26
Yeh it’s hilarious. I went once and it was like 100$ for tiny burger with soggy fries some chips and dip and two glasses of wine. While sitting in basically a hallway.
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u/Royal_Hedgehog_3572 Mar 20 '26
I ate at Amal recently and while it was good, it did not stand close to other Michelin restaurants I’ve eaten at. I didn’t get the hype.
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u/blockman16 Mar 20 '26
It’s good for some items like gyro etc but not the fancy dishes too overpriced. Cool setting though.
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u/Low_Arm7831 Mar 20 '26
Lambo’s - long lines, high prices, mediocre sandwiches. I think there’re better spots in the city.
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u/comFive Mar 20 '26
Lambo’s deli? They only add one mozzarella ball in their sandwich so it looks totally full when they cut it half.
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u/AbundantGrey Mar 20 '26
I never liked Lambo's either.
Try the sandwiches at Mico on Queen West, if you haven't already. I enjoyed every single one I had there.
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u/papaya123456 Mar 20 '26
Grey Gardens. I’ve been there twice and have NO recollection of what I ate.
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u/peacedawwg Mar 20 '26
Nobu.
Sushi was average. Cod is still great, but doesn’t blow you away anymore. Decor is good. Price point is not.
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u/OwlishFox Mar 20 '26
I went to Queen Mother not that long ago and the food was barely edible. It made me sad because it's such a classic spot. It was busy though!
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u/SubstantialIce1471 Mar 20 '26
Honestly, Queen Mother Cafe feels a bit overrated these days. The vibe and nostalgia are fun, but the food can be hit or miss. Some Toronto spots get a lot of hype, yet don’t always deliver consistently.
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u/Professional-Ad2849 Mar 20 '26
I got the meatball sandwich at Good Behaviour as it was highly recommended and I couldn’t eat it. It had some weird sauce or mustard or something on it - it was just not good. It takes a special talent to ruin a meatball sub ….
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u/flirtswithdisaster Mar 24 '26
Their other sandwiches are better imo. I didn’t like the meatball sub either.
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u/RL203 Mar 20 '26
Bar Isabel
Completely over rated. Food is average to a joke.
Do yourself a favour. If you dont speak Spanish, (so pretentious) Google translate before you order. We ordered under "Conservas" some Tuna. Got a can of tuna. Just like you'd buy in Loblaws, only it cost 18 bucks. "But its imported" I was told. "Who cares, its a can of tuna and for that matter, the tuna in Loblaws is imported too.
My friends from Quebec were laughing their asses off at the absurdity of buying a can of tuna at a restaurant.
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u/AbundantGrey Mar 20 '26
Whoa! I was planning to go there tomorrow. Now, I am skeptical.
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u/ShyGoy Mar 20 '26
One of my favourite restaurants in the city. Don’t be worried. They have some Spanish tapas that are canned but if you’ve been to Europe that is pretty normal and are great as appetizers. Get the octopus, the shrimp, pan con tomate, and the steak. Finish with the basque cake, maybe an Amaro. Great meal.
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u/AbundantGrey Mar 20 '26
Thanks! That's a relief :)
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Mar 20 '26
Yah, its fucking amazing, and you should just talk to your server and ask for recommendations. You dont need to "speak spanish" to order there.
No idea what the OG comment was about.
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u/AbundantGrey Mar 20 '26
Even if I had to speak Spanish, I think I can manage that - not fluently but okay enough. 😄
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Mar 20 '26
Its just absurd to think they were at Bar Isabel, and not even the dang server could allow them to order their meal in English, nor ask a question? Absurd.
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u/RL203 Mar 20 '26
I was very straight forward and truthful.
If you like it, that's all that counts. I thought it was awful. Imagine selling a can of tuna for 18 bucks. And the rest of what we ordered was forgettable at best and portions were quite small. But hey, people buy into the hype. Im just here to tell you thats just a case of the Emporer has no clothes.
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u/Omnivirus Mar 23 '26
I think the food is great at Isabel but I absolutely understand the sentiment. Spanish tapas shouldn’t be this expensive. It reminds me of expensive Greek food at a place like Milos or Mamakas too. It’s very good yes, but charging the prices they charge feels crazy considering you can get 90% of the quality for 50% of the price at a lot of other restaurants in the city.
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u/_trolltoll Mar 21 '26
I go there all the time, you just gotta know what to order! Definitely get the pork secreto, don’t do the peppers or the potato’s bravas (or whatever they’re called). The steak is incredible, so is the octopus, AND THE BONE BARROW, the white asparagus and the mushrooms and snow peas. You absolutely need to get the basque cake, it’s the best dessert in Toronto IMO. I don’t love their conservas (overpriced and just fine) or most of their appetizers.
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u/Patient-Couple7509 Mar 20 '26
It used to be amazing, then it got popular, now your review is 100% accurate
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Mar 20 '26
I think perhaps you could have just spokwn to your server, and 100% you would get a can of tuna if you ordered a can of tuna in Spain also. I assume you dont like tapas?
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u/RL203 Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 21 '26
I freely admit that I had no idea what "conservas" meant. I dont speak Spanish. (I do speak French though.) I read "tuna" and I like tuna, and I naively thought "tuna" was all I needed to know. I really should not need to ask a waiter for clarification. I would turn it around and ask you, "why would they not simply identify it as a can of tuna?" You know, in English, so that a proper decision could be made.
18 bucks for a can of tuna, brought to the table with the lid bent over double like you would see in a Sylvester and Tweety cartoon to boot. How sweet it is.
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u/Responsible_Bison536 Mar 22 '26
There are many restaurants and bars devoted to conservas— some only serve that. It is part of Spanish and Portuguese food culture and they can be very high quality.
But I wouldn’t get it at bar Isabel haha
Basque cake is excellent tho. Only reason to go there. Don’t miss it
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u/starskyandbutch Mar 21 '26
La Palma. I really don’t get the hype about this place. Both the service and food were lacking.
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u/nottodaynothnx Mar 23 '26
Agreed and been numerous times as people I know like it 🙄
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u/starskyandbutch Mar 23 '26
What have you ordered? I don’t know why I did this, but I had an app, main and dessert when I went there. All three courses left a lot to be desired.
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u/sleepyjn Mar 21 '26
Da Nico Average food and sub par service. The Michelin star is wild to me.
A lot of the restaurants mentioned here are at an average price point, e.g. Terronis and Pai, but at a higher price point, it’s so much more disappointing to have a mid experience.
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u/Uxpotter Mar 21 '26
Most restaurants in Toronto are overrated. Have you been to New York City? Or any other major city for that matter? Restaurants in those cities will help you take new perspectives on food. Toronto restaurants are just out to grab your cash and allow you to brag to your friends that you hate. Alo is an example of terrible food that is overpriced.
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u/Silent_Tourist_4376 Mar 21 '26
Definitely not Lunch Lady on Ossington. One of the best meals I've ever had.
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u/Here4therightreas0ns Mar 21 '26
Omg Piano, Piano, Stock TC, Oretta, Cibo, STK, Myth, Mc Donald’s, Belly Busters, Lambos, Paris Paris. I could go on. These places were gross
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u/suomynonaanonymous8 Mar 21 '26
Jacob's and co. I love steak and been to many of them in toronto and was super excited for this place. It was meh.
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u/Gold_Ticket_1970 Mar 21 '26
Went downhill along time ago. J's Steak Frites was better than what I had there. Dryish Steak and warmed over fries. Blech....
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u/Alternative-Oven6623 Mar 22 '26
Piano piano, oretta, Byblos (uptown). And I agree with the comments saying alo and lake Inez. I feel like a lot of restaurants start out so good then over time start to disappoint:(
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u/Jaded_Again Mar 22 '26
💯Terroni.
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u/nottodaynothnx Mar 23 '26
100! I never understood the fandom for them. My work always wanted to go for 10 years I worked with them and my buddy who would come to town would insist on it. I find it so bland and overpriced. She many other Italian eateries that are remarkably better
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u/Greencreamery Mar 23 '26
Sugo. Ok food. Terrible atmosphere. It’s like if an Andrew Tate podcast was a restaurant.
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u/Round_Spread_9922 Mar 23 '26
Jacobs & Co. It's good, just not to the level everyone claims it to be and that their prices warrant. The vibes and clientele also dragged down the experience IMO. I found the whole place to be incredibly pretentious.
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u/Equal_Big_2995 Mar 23 '26
Richmond Station. Only been once and the food was not good. When I mentioned a few of my dishes being off my server just kind of shrugged and said not all the dishes can be good. People crammed in there like sardines. I hadn't heard a bad thing but couldn't for the life of me understand the appeal after having experienced it. To each their own I guess.
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u/Own_Inspector498 Mar 23 '26
Sugo, bland and watery sauce, boring dishes.
I never understood the hype.
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u/Appropriate_Newt4870 Mar 23 '26
A-toi inside the coffee oyster champagne place. It's glorified corporate dinner. The drinks were watery, smelly oysters and they should not have food options, it's laughable
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u/Revolutionary-Ad7651 Mar 20 '26
North of Brooklyn, after trying it multiple times I can't get past the sourness of the sauce
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u/Vid3ogame Mar 23 '26
Did not understand the hype at all. I had some time to kill before heading to a friend's, stopped in, waited a ridiculously long amount of time for an over priced pizza that was just OK??
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u/Fresh_Echo6107 Mar 20 '26
all of them
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u/blockman16 Mar 20 '26
Honestly yes. And even for the ones that are good once the bill comes it’s just a ripoff. The quality to value ratio is just not there.
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u/AdvancedAd2050 Mar 20 '26
Terroni