After waiting about a month for our reservation we were excited to visit Bar Isabel during the Canada Day long weekend. This restaurant is very dark and loud and you really cannot hear the person sitting across from you speak. Service was just ok, nothing special...it was strange to see our waiter smiling and excited explaining the menu to the guests at the next table, but ignoring us...we were wondering if we did something wrong. We were looking for Spanish restaurant experience and were hoping to have a sangria and some Spanish beer but unfortunately they didn't carry any, so we picked red wine which was very good.Patatas Bravas were very good, whole fish ceviche was good, olives were tiny...
I've been a few times and know that the only thing I have to have each time I go is the Basque cake. It's hard to describe how this cake is better than whatever cake you are use to and it might not be better, but it's so good and so different there is no denying it. Going just for the cake seems a little extreme so unless you are in the area, I would suggest supplementing your cake with the tasting menu. Unlike other restaurants, this isn't a set menu. The waiters and waitresses will ask you what you like and tailor the menu to your tastes! Therefore, the tasting menu can change every time you visit based on what you are feeling. Personally, each tasting menu experience has been slightly dif...
Our only regret was we hadn't eaten here sooner....three years in and this small cozy space is still packed every night. Front of house is impeccable, well informed, providing warm and gracious service that's always on point. And there's the accomplished kitchen: the pan con tomate, chorizo verde, grilled octopus, and camarones a la plancha were spectacular. Tip - get some extra slices of the house baked bread to sop up the garlicky buttery sauce that the massive shrimp are bathed in - you'll thank me for heeding my advice. Going again this weekend - we to have try the other things on the menu :)
We enjoyed the snow pea leaves dish the most, but it was given a run for its money by the pan con tomate, quite hardy and decadent for its healthy sounding name. We also enjoyed the jamon croquetas and the cod with artichocke hearts quite a lot. The patatas bravas were well flavored, but not cooked optimally. The cheese plate was disappointing with small slices of three ordinary cheeses. My glass of sherry was the smallest I was ever served.In summary, though, I would come back here if I were in Toronto. The place is a lot of fun with a good sized group sharing all these different tastes.
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The Octopus is still great. the place still packed but the food was only OK and fairly salty this time around. are they upping the salt content to get you to drink more or was it just a bad night. ordered the ＄60 per person sharing menu. just ok. the desserts which are normally great, was blah. anyway, i will not be tempted to go back soon. still good, but not top 10 any longer. I discovered Bar Isabel before it hit the critics list and I am hoping this was just a bad night.
It is a creative western Mediterranean food, neither Portuguese nor Spanish. There is no particular theme to the food, as I think it is meant to be like tapas: a piece of meat here, a morsel of fish there. At the end of all of these dishes, one still feels one has just finish with the bar, and wanted a real dinner.The one impression that stays with me was that the place was very dark, uncomfortably so.
good food to feed meat and seafood. grilled otopus was on the spot, and they must try the porosity secreto if they don't get some weight (it's super well trusted me) but the other tapas weren't very surprising for me, they were okay! the paprika were too sharp for us, and the mushrooms were good. the workers were nice and helpful with wein and dessert picking, but not as much as the place was too busy.
I was there for dinner after a long day in Toronto, walking around! You have to keep in mind, this is a bar and restaurant. Therefore, we didn't have a reservation and we sat at the bar. The food is great, the service is great however, it is a bit noisy - you have to speak loud if you want to be understood..it is a bar!
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this was an stellar experience, from beginning to end! bar isabel has never disappointed us and it remains consistently fantastic!
good quality eating compare with other places in toronto. but if they've ever been to Spain, it's just okay.
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