Menu is delicious, selections are wide. The waiter did a great job recommending us dishes that we wouldn't have ventured or considered. The cocktails and drinks were on the pricey side. Expect the evening to cost about $100+ per head if you are there for drinks and tapas. Portions are not generous.
Excellent service, good Spanish food! Need to improve Bravas sauce...
I definitely enjoyed the flavour combinations in their dishes. Not necessarily something exceptional but overall satisfying! I enjoy how dim the lighting is. It provides a very calm aura. If you wear glasses for reading purposes, I d suggest bringing them with you. Overall a nice experience in a cute hipster restaurant.
I love this place! Service last time was sub par but that was hopefully a one off. Bring an empty stomach & a full wallet.
The best <3 We had the tasting menu for 2 - everything was really great and so filling! I think they charged us extra at the end by accident though - the server charged us $53 / person for the tasting menu at the end, despite saying it was $50 the whole time - only realized afterwards. But otherwise 5 stars.
Our dining experience at Bar Isabel tonight was outstanding! The service provided by everyone from the host to the bartenders and the servers was courteous and welcoming. The food was perfect; we especially loved the Grilled Mushrooms & Celeriac and the Roast Bone Marrow! The 40 Day Dry Aged 18 Oz Ribeye with Foie Gras was absolutely perfect. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for the best Toronto has to offer!
Food and wine menus are very good, love the varieties of Spanish wines. The chorizo rojo was incredible! It was definitely on the loud side though..
Upscale place for a romantic night or an impirtant meeting. Very classy in my experience
One of my most favorite restaurants with an eclectic cocktail list, extremely knowledgeable mixologists, friendly staff and a menu that will leave you craving many items. Must haves include the Soprasato Fois Gras, Ribeye and Basque Cake Desert.
Coming here to just leave a review about the bone dry sherry - definitely try it! Food is superb and makes up for the sometimes distracted service
Always amazing service. Best octopus... probably in the city. Delish cocktails.
Food was bomb. Fois Gras was amazing. Cerviche, bone marrow, steak, octopus were all good.
Super cute little bar with delicious small dishes to share.
Great place for tapas and sherry. A little expensive but great place to try some new flavours.
Fantastic food, great service! However, like most restaurants in Toronto today they need to work on dampening the noise. It's darned near impossible to have a conversation over dinner!
Excellent experience, but price point is high for the quantity of food served.
Simply amazing. Warm, comfortable atmosphere. Professional, friendly staff. Superb food and wine. Would absolutely go back.
For scenesters only Overrated and expensive for what it is. Traditional Spanish fare is done well, but anyone can open a can of olives and slice the chorizo and cheese. Good wine list.
Over rated and over priced... they were very accommodating when we came in on a busy night however! Had about 7 plates? 3 were great other 4 were very mediocre. Also I wasnt impressed with the fact I got my first plate before I got asked what drink I wanted
Dark and intimate.
Octopus was amazing. Haven t had octopus done right since I was in Portugal.
Shrimps were simple, juicy, and delicious.
Great beer selection.
I personally prefer bar seating for dates.
Food horribly over priced. Additionally, the food tasted bad. No flavour. Have been there twice, and the meat and cheese board (charcuterie), and the basque cake are the only things worth trying on the menu.
Service was decent.
It was for my birthday and I was sick like a dog the day before. I was barely well enough to get out on that day but boy was I glad that I did. The food was ... different. Some dishes like the Sea Bream Ceviche certainly takes some courage and I am a sashimi eater.
What a delicious meal. Such a treat. One of my favourite meals in town.
Acoustics are a nightmare! Don t go there if you want to have any sort of conversation. Shocking.
Went for a birthday party, it was packed and very delicious. It's a bit dark but it adds to the ambience.
Just came home after first time visit. Food was excellent. I have never had better ceviche and everything else we ate had a great combination of spices and tastes. Service was impeccable and very helpful. A little loud and dark makes it hard for conversation and to read the menu. Minor quibbles. Will definitely return.
Love this place. The steak with the chimichurri is absolutely amazing. Make sure to leave some space for the basque cake as dessert.
In one word: phenomenal! From the food, to the service and even the ambience, it was absolutely great. You'd expect much higher prices given the quality and taste of the dishes, and hands down the most attentive service I've ever received in a restaurant. If your goal is to impress a party or a date, Bar Isabel has you covered!
Excellent food and service. We didn't know what to order since we never really have spanish food before. The food and wine they recommemded is amazing. Definitely will be back again!
It was a surprise to find out how busy this place was on a Tuesday evening.
Food was good and service was nice but..too loud...
I was supporting a friend's art show across the street at Mod Club and decided to pop into Bar Isabel afterwards. We did not have a reservation and the place was full, but they were able to accommodate us as long as we left in an hour for a reservation . My friend had been before & highly recommended the octopus (can be ordered by the 1/4, 1/2 or full). We also ordered the chorizo, bread&tomato, papas bravas and croquettes. Do yourself a favour and get the octopus with the bread and potatoes because you'll want something to dip into the extra sauce the octopus is cooked in, it's so delicious. It was a lemony sauce (I heard it used to be something else). But make sure you eat everything separately too to savor the delicious flavours. "Who orders bread and tomato" you say? Don't be fooled. You've never eaten bread and tomato this delicious before. It's served on their homemade sourdough bread. The croquettes spill out into a yummy melted cheese goodness. The chorizo, while appetizing in it's own right, was more salami like. My friend had a spicy cocktail garnished with a jalapeno. I had a tart cherry/flemish apple beer. Different but enjoyable!
Love this place. Food is amazing. Great service as well.
My favourite restaurant. It s always special when I eat here
Great atmosphere. Food and drinks are very tasty. Staff are friendly and attentive and service is very good overall.
A bit pricey but worth a try if you're looking for a place to have a nice dinner.
The name says it: it is a bar, not a restaurant. Don't go there if your are in a culinar state of mind. The drinks are really good though!!
Delicious food and amazing service. One of my favourite meals I ve ever had in Toronto. Will definitely be returning!
Such a great restaurant. Usually I am disappointed with a well reviewed place, but not this time. I read a food critic review that said to get the "Sobrasada and froi gras" and then ended the sentence with "your welcome". All I can say to that reviewer is thank you. We ordered it both as an appetizer and our dessert. We also had the steak, a pea something salad and the octopus - all great. The service and wine reccomendations were also amazing. We will definitely go back and order a bunch of other stuff. Thank you Bar Isabel for a wonderful night.
Aside from small portions and high prices it was great good great service great setting!
Excellent service, very attentive and ways checking in with us. The octopus is a must and all the items we ordered were delicious. Definitely come back again.
One of the most attentive services I have ever seen, the food was incredible. I highly recommend letting the services choose the food for you. One of the best meals I've had, the octopus was amazing.
Yes excellent in all regards but prices are really over the top which never stops people from going. It discourages me though. I have spent lots of time in Spain and I know food.
Rude waiter. I asked for clarification for a word on the menu I had looked up on google translate as the menu is in Spanish and I don't speak the language. The waiter said, "Do you always trust everything you read on the internet?" I replied, "I don't speak the language and wanted clarification." He said, "Was anything I just said unclear to you?" then proceeded to repeat everything about the item that he just said in a condescending and patronizing tone. This isn't the way to speak to customers, and make them feel welcome. I felt very uncomfortable. No one should be made to feel uneducated and illiterate when asking questions regarding what they are eating and words that are unfamiliar to them. We just left without ordering.
Food was delicious. Kinda steep in price for just tapas but worth it due to flavor explosion in each bite. You have to get their BASQUE CAKE! Best cake ive ever had. If I had to explain what it tastes like, think of a warm biscuit/cake texture that's been absorbed in a sweet buttery rich flavor with a semi hard crust that's also smothered with a delicious warm creamy cherry liqueur. We ordered 2 cakes, plus I took one to go. It's that good!
I know this place receives a lot of praise, but I unfortunately have to say that I was disappointed and am left to think that Bar Isabel may be overrated. The restaurant itself is dark and damp feeling. Maybe it s not so bad in the winter, maybe it s cozy even when it s cold outside, but in the summer it felt like we were in a wet, cold, humid basement. It also got incredibly loud throughout the evening - and maybe we re getting old, but I really could barely hear my husband across the table. The service was off - our waitress was incredibly soft spoken and made no effort to speak up, so after saying we couldn t hear her a few times we did the awkward nod along and smile just to not have her repeat it a third time. She also was not attentive - it took a long time to place drink orders and then food orders, she didn t check on us except when bringing us our orders, and just didn t seem to care l that much about what she was doing. We ordered the shishito peppers for example and another waiter brought them to us and said I know your server already told you this, but today our shishito peppers are all incredibly hot so approach with caution - nope, we weren t told that in advance and he wasn t lying when he said approach with caution. Then the rest of the food was mediocre, with the exception of the olive oil that came with the bread - that might have been the best olive oil I ve ever had, but everything else was fine but certainly not impressive. Presentation was beautiful but the food did not stand up. Overall, disappointed by what is such a raved about Toronto heavy-hitter; maybe we went on an off night but I won t be back.
Was just in town for a few days - this place was excellent! Thank you - great service and the food was a pleasure. Thank you Bar Isabel!
So hard to reserve a spot at this place... but bone marrow and octopus are both delicious, worth the wait.
The food was excellent and the service was superb. I never had to actively get the attention of a waiter/waitress and they took notice of our note on our online reservation without any reminders that it was a special occasion.
Wish I could say I've tried the whole menu, but I always just get the octopus. Yum! The fried chicken is pretty delicious as well.
I just loved this place for the food and the wait staff expertise. Brilliant selection of uncommon Spanish wines, including some really special unusual dessert wines. Plates were great Spanish fare of exceptional quality, best shared by the table. Best octopus I've had in Toronto. Bit noisy for me. But I will be back.
The bone marrow was so good! And love the spanish wine collection they have
Moderately clear menu. Quality products and very good service but was it worth the price?
A genuine disappointment.
We had high expectations of Bar Isabel, having been recommended by friends. Whilst the food was good and the pork belly was delicious, the Serrano Ham tasted like supermarket prosciutto. Also we were charged $12 for bread! Really though, the overall experience was ruined by the rude & patronising service from the tone of the person answering my call to reserve the table up to the moment we paid the bill. The waitress made a joke about how who was covering the bill? Not funny, as we re married and celebrating an anniversary that night to boot! We had heard a lot of good things, but were let down by the overall experience. Work on more personable staff. Also we saw the woman behind the bar poring a glass of wine back into the bottle- gross!
One of the best meals I've ever had. Try the octopus and beef tongue.
Some plates are a miss but some are amazzzing! Cool atmosphere. Prices have been steadly increasing since I began to go there
Really nice food, very helpful service. The atmosphere on the top floor is very cozy and it's easy to have a very engaging conversation.
Delicious food in a hipster joint. Love the scene though can get a bit too loud at times. Would def go back. Worth a visit if you haven't been!
Love this place for food and interior! Their food and wine list is impressive. Really great place for Saturday night. Had a wonderful time with my guests.
Getting a reservation is hard and for good reason. Staff was very informed and helpful. We had the brie, eggplant and artichokes, razor clams and beef cheeks. All the dishes made you want to lick the plates afterwards. Great place for any occasion, but book well in advance. Cocktails were also top notch.
Amazing! You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu.
Wonderful atmosphere that transports you to Spain. Very friendly service, surprisingly efficient at keeping your water glass full!
The whole seabream ceviche was a delicious balance of brightness from lime, creaminess from avocado, and salty fishiness from the seabream with nice texture from the fried bones and alfalfa
The milk apple and honey dessert was a yummy deconstructed apple crumble.
Good service and food.. Try the tasting menu.. It's worth it
Amazing service and well curated wine list. Do the tasting menu!
Went for the tasting option with a group of 6 and it didn't disappoint, very recommended
Wonderful service! Great place to eat and hang out and have a few drinks. Love this please would recommend people to come
Third time here and it gets better every time. Food is absolutely exquisite. Well orchestrated tapas, cured meats and cheeses. Wine list with a heavy Spanish influence which suits the food perfectly. One of the absolute best locations in the city for cocktails. Recommend this restaurant a hundred times over. Be sure to reserve as they do fill quickly.
Popped in around 10 and tried a few of of the iberico dishes with some well made cocktails and had an amazing experience. Old fashioned was perfect
The food was delish! It is a small place and its very busy but the host was able to accommodate us fairly quick...this place is pricey but I think that their food is worth paying extra
Delicious tapas and exceptional service. Can't wait to go back for the ceviche and that amazing lime-pistachio-olive-oil-cake!
Went on a Friday night. Place is packed all night. Ambiance is cool, lots of effort put into creating the vibe. Ceviche is incredible. Prices are out of control though - $20 for a glass of wine? You won't be disappointed but the price tag is a bit high even though food is good.
Felt very safe while dining here during the pandemic. Very spaced out tables in the front of the establishment. Walked up with no reservation and was seated instantly. The staff are very friendly, and extremely knowledgeable. Didn't get the chance to try much on the food menu but the drinks were delicious, especially the bishop's brew which is one of their hot seasonal beverages. Will definitely be back, and advise stopping here during lockdown for takeout beverages, food or small charcuterie/accoutrement items.
The best restaurant in the city maybe? The fois gras rib eye was incredible. Great intimate atmosphere, great bar, and cocktails. will definitely be back.
Amazing food. We got the chef's menu and were surprisingly pleased. A bit on the pricey side, but was worth it.
Wow. Such amazing food. Mind blowing taste . But expensive
One of the best in Toronto. Food was excellent and the cocktails made by George were on point.
Been twice now, a favourite spot of friends. Food is good I will say. But service is... Erratic. And prices are very high. Look, you get what you pay for, I get it. And again the food is good. But when the bill comes you'll find yourself wondering, "were those mushrooms really platinum gilded?", or "was that actually the last great auk egg I just ate?" when you try and justify the bill. If, like me you enjoy good food you'll have a good time during dinner but your soul will be left feeling a bit empty afterwards when you think of the many better ways you could have probably spent the money.
Amazing food. It is noisy when it's busy --not ideal if you're looking for a quiet place
Went here on our anniversary. Worth every penny. One of the best meals I've had in a few years.
-from a Montrealer who lives in the food capital of Canada
Great food, super friendly staff! Will dine here again!
It's always a great experience at Bar Isabel. The servers are perfect, food is always delicious and ambiance is great. Prices vary also so it can be good for a fancy splurge night out or some casual tapas. Highly recommend.
barisabel.com
