Toro Restaurant Review

This restaurant consistently serves up a wonderful dining experience. Perfect for a date night. Delicious tapas. Some dishes are oversalted to my taste but overall I always come away from a Toro dinner exceptionally happy. Servers are always educated about the menu and extremely helpful. Wine is delicious. Don't miss the bone marrow.

One of those food experiences that stays with you for a long time. Amazing food and atmosphere. Expensive but worth it. Really recommend!!

Good food but a little pricey for the amount you get

I really enjoyed the food and the variety here. The flavors of all the dishes are on point. Everything here is made for sharing so bring a friend. The service was great and all the staff (including kitchen) were helpful.

The paella was inedible. This is far from authentic Spanish food.

Tapas are underrated as bar food. Toro is a great spot for taking yourself out for a good cocktail and something delicious for one.

Can't believe I've worked in this neighborhood for three years and this is the first time I've come here! Service was great, ambience was gorgeous, and food and drinks were awesome. I got three of the dishes- scallops, goat cheese stuffed peppers, and one of the spiced cheeses, and they were insanely good. It's a must-go.

Good food and friendly/helpful servers. Little tight on space but that goes away after a few drinks.

I love this restaurant! The staff are all so friendly, and the food so darn tasty (especially the corn)
If you travel to Boston, try this tapas bar...So good!

They don't check dishes before serving - avocado was black, parts of the corn were old. Dishes are not creative and everything is covered with cheese. Tastes are not refined. It is not authentic - they serve baguette! Not even tortilla. Very disappointed!

People love this place and it is cute, but if you don't get there before 6 it's nearly impossible to get a seat. Good service and tapas.

This is Spanish food like my grandmother used to make. Thank you.

Tapas were great. We really enjoyed the octopus and the dates. So many flavors that went very well with the drinks.

In the evening, we went to eat a red tapa restaurant in Boston, Toro. Tapa can be translated into appetizers and small dishes. A small dish is very small, very delicate, suitable for ordering a small wine, and chatting with friends while eating art.

If you don't like long waits skip coming on Friday or Saturday nights but if you do wait the food is outstanding. Paella is some of the best I've had and the small plates are fun to share and haven't had a bad one yet.

Great lunch spot. The food is always fresh. Very friendly and helpful staff too. I'll return for more!

Food and atmosphere were great. However, very cramped space with very poor acoustics. Expect to yell to maintain a conversation.

Always delicious food. The best value in Boston too for the quality of food, drinks and ambiance.

Tapas... if you loves tapas you need to try this place out. The choices are fantastic, and if you have a lot of people the paella is great to share. Little too dim for my tastes, but great ambiance, and great food. Make sure you try the corn. Seriously? Yes try the corn, flipping amaazzzeee!

DINER BEWARE!!!! This is truly sad for my husband and myself.
I have been coming to Toro since they opened in 2015 , The food was subpar and boring- to add insult to injury I noticed the additional 3% for the staff and the 3% for Covid was made a line item ... as if it was food or alcohol that was consumed and as part of the subtotal...which means I am not only paying the percentage, but I m also being taxed on it , and paying additional tip on top of that percentage.... that s ridiculous!!! It seems like they are getting away with this because when I questioned it , the waiter seemed baffled and after checking with the manager offered to take it off ... I don t mind paying the extra percentage.. I do mind the fraudulent way in which they tax you on top of it and make you pay additional tip ! That s not the way you do it ! Am I the only one calling them out on this ??? - will not be returning! I question the owner s ethics!!!!

Great food and atmosphere, get there early, Always crowded

Amazing food! Love their grilled corn ... it s simply the best. Highly recommend this place.

Huge disappointment. Great name, great buzz, but terrible execution - they are trying to cut corners on the ingredients.

Ordered foie gras from the menu but later discovered it was a duck liver. Is there a reason why you would not disclose this on the menu?

The restaurant is jam packed with tables remind me of a kindergarten classroom.

The service is painfully slow - there were 3 servers (one was an apprentice) for a jam packed restaurant. We waited 20 minutes to order and another 20 minutes for someone to get us the check.

Disappointing. I usually love tapas. The food there was ok but nothing exceptional (and we tried a lot of them). Some dishes, like the pan con tomate, were lacking flavor. Definitely not worth the high price and the hype. Hostesses were not very nice and welcoming, we thought about leaving, but the barmaid was great which convinced us to stay.

Toro doesn't take reservations so it can be a long wait, but if you go in knowing that then you are good to go. By long I mean 2 hours at times. I thought the food was great. I enjoy tapas style eating and would suggest coming with a group so you can get several small plates to share and sample. They have tables outside in the summer.

Be prepared to wait - but have a delicious cocktail at the bar while you wait. Food was very authentic and wine list was fantastic.

Toro only takes reservations for brunch or for their chef's 8 course tasting menu Mon-Thurs (for $100pp). We got there around 5:45 on a Friday evening and there were a few tables left. I've been meaning to try out this restaurant for the past 3 years so maybe it's been hyped up in my mind.
The food was good; some dishes were as good as or better than food in Spain while others were not as great. Loved the bone marrow, so much flavor. The scallops crudo, mushrooms and egg, Iberian pork steak, and patatas bravas were also delicious. The octopus was done well but there was barely one tentacle on the plate. The garlic shrimp was unique with a thicker sauce instead of the traditional garlic oil. The tortilla was okay but came out lukewarm.
It is definitely a popular restaurant. We got seated at a high top table, sitting elbow to elbow to the parties next to us. The music is blaring so everyone is yelling at each other. We were forced to listen to the woman next to us complaining about people in her life. There's no room for your things at your seat so there's a long coat rack in the back. Despite the busy atmosphere the service was very attentive.
We got 8 dishes for 2 people which came out to about $120 before tax/tip. Portions aren't big so you'll need to get several dishes per person. Dishes cost between $10-20. The paella for 2 is about $35. So be prepared to spend a pretty penny here.

Excellent servers and food. Sensual bites for intimate meetings. I love this place

The Paella is over-cooked. The caviar spoon is too salty and overpriced. The service is okay.

Pretty fantatic dining expierence. Very interactive, really great place for dates or friends

Toro was really good, I loved the corn and the paella. There is usually a wait, so get there early to put down your name!

Covid fee? 6%
Ness fee? 3%
Lol.

The food was really good and not your typical "diner" stuff.

Great food and an awesome vibe. Def worth a trip if you are in Boston or are looking for something different.

We've only been here for brunch/lunch and have never waited in line to get in. The food has always been great. If anything, I wish the bread they provide at the start of the meal was warm.

Comfy atmosphere, good drinks, good food and great service

I've visited here twice. Once for dinner and once for brunch. First visit was fine, second visit not so much. Food was heavy on both visits. My suspicions that the cooks load the food with butter was basically confirmed; they even slather butter on toast without asking (why not put it on the side?). Anywhere can make food taste excellent by loading it with butter and unhealthy crap. It is difficult or perhaps impossible to eat reasonably healthy at Toro, so I don't see anything special about this place and won't return. There are plenty of other places that won't give me health trouble but can still provide tasty food.

On the second visit, we talked to our server twice. The first time she brought us bread and took our order. The second time we talked to her was after we asked the hostess to get our bill after finishing our food and waiting for five minutes after our dishes had been cleared. Other people brought our food and cleared our plates. We had issues with our order but could never get the attention of our waitress, even on what was not a busy morning (no wait time, empty tables). I am quite certain that this was the first time I've left a tip below 15% in the last year.

Fine paella. Of course, the maiz asado is the best tapa and while we were waiting in line, people recommended it. Very attentive service and decent wine selection. Since they don't take reservations, we got there earlier than usual but it was worth it. Food was good not amazing which is why only 4 stars. If you're in the neighborhood, go, but you need not travel out of the way.

One of the best tapas place I've been too. Make sure to order the corn.

The food was exquisite and top notch. Not to mention there was such a wide variety of it. The only issue I had was the placement of the raw seafood. I didn't know whether it was part of the live cooking station and if I could get it cooked.

Arguably the best Tapas in Boston. Always has a line so be prepared. Helpful staff.

Outstanding from bartenders to food. Cant wait for next time

I've loved Toro ever since it opened! It is one of the best tapas places that I have ever been too. Always consistently good. The mini sliders are amazing, the crudo, the mussels, the corn is a must otherwise don't bother going! People love the bone marrow but you need to like salty food. Make sure to get there on the early side for dinner as there can be a normal wait of an hour and up to over two hours!

Menu is very limited, and everything had bizarre ingredients added to it. The 1 item I wanted to eat, from the menu, they did not have. I came hungry, I left hangry. Very loud, couldn't hear my own thoughts. Service was slow. Would not return.

It's worth it. Fantastic food and drinks. Yes, it's hard to get in because they don't take reservations, and it's on the expensive side, but you should definitely go here at least once.

Exceptional food here, make sure to try the corn. The service was good and prices are good, just slightly on the expensive side. Drinks are also good portions.

There is always a long wait with no possibility to make reservation, and the atmosphere is very loud which may be a bonus for some, and very dark (you nearly can't see the menus).

Really good. Nice food. Great staff. Great atmosphere

One of my favorite meals I've had in Boston. I went to Spain for the first time this past April and Toro brought me back.

AMBIANCE: it's a small, dimly-list restaurant but very lively. We arrived at 8 PM and it was bustling with every chair in the restaurant filled. At 9 PM, there is a distinct music genre shift which gives off more of a party vibe. Though you are very close to everyone dining around you, you can easily have intimate conversations without fear of being overheard.

SERVICE: always friendly. Attentive when you want them to be, aloof when it's clear you want to focus on your conversation...everything that you would expect out of a well-regarded place like Toro.

FOOD: I wish I could try everything on the menu but there was only 2 of us so it just warrants another trip back:

Marcona Almonds: oiled up and salted, the perfect snack before a meal

Setas y Huevos: amazing mushrooms in this really rich sauce, topped with an egg yolk that makes it even more rich

Calamar y Caracol: probably my favorite thing we had. Squid and snails in black squid ink. I wish we had bread to sop up all the extra sauce with. Be forewarned that your mouth will turn black but nothing that can't be fixed with a swig of water.

Calabaza a la Parilla: squash with hot chili oil. My least favorite thing they had but still yummy.

Filete a la Plancha: hanger steak with oyster mushrooms and chimichurri. Can't go wrong with those 3 ingredients. I was told it's been on the menu for a long time and it makes sense why!

Paella de Verano: I was dining with a pescatarian so we tried the vegetarian paella which I'm told is even better than the meat paella. It's spiced perfectly and the fall version has squash, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, broccolis, and carrots (the vegetables change with the seasons). The best part is the rice you scrape off the paella pan! It's even better the second day too (if there are any leftovers).

DRINKS: we each got a glass of red wine...the wine by the glass list is small but well-curated (and sourced mostly from Spain).

OVERALL: Toro earned its 5 stars which I don't give out often. I want to come back and try some other things on the menu as well...I could have a completely different meal and be happy.

Do note they do not take reservations typically so you should plan to come put your name in ahead of time (but it's worth the wait).

Food is delicious. Definitely get the corn with aioli and cheese. You must get there early. Gets crowded quickly and it's not unusual to have an hour and a half to two hour wait. But it's worth it!

Can't speak highly enough of this place. Consistently excellent food over the last several years, with a range to excite every corner of the palate. Very popular, as it should be, which means you're going to be standing outside for a while to be seated. Solution? Try it for lunch!

It takes some effort to dine at Toro, but it s worth it. While they don t take reservations and it s first-come-first served and fills up quickly, there are a few exceptions that will give you a chance to experience why people love this place.

They will take reservations on their website for events and special occasions like Valentine s Day, Chef Tasting Menu dinners, or their running of the bulls event so consider these. It s almost impossible to call during the day to make reservations since they don t open for lunch, so website is the best route.

The tapas really are magnificent, imaginative and exquisite. The Chef Tasting Menu dinners includes paired sherry and/or wine with each course, and was a wonderful experience for us (photo of Chef Tasting Menu included).

Spanish/tapas restaurant. Always a favorite: best tapas in Boston, fantastic, knowledgeable staff, energetic dining area and bar with seasonal outdoor seating. Get a porron, it's a lot of fun

Yesterday came with my wife. We really liked the food and the staff! Be sure to come again!

The Paella is unmatched. Great place for dinner with anyone.

The food was so delicious! Me and my family enjoyed it. It filled our empty stomachs. We'll visit again this place next time!

Great place with amazing tapas. Beer selection could've been better, but great place overall.

Arrived at 5:30 PM with a party of four and were seated right away. No reservations so make sure you get there early. The food and sangria is excellent.

Small space, and have to sit closely with other parties, but worth it for the delicious food. My favorite was the tuna tartare. It was made to perfection and every bite was heavenly! The street corn was also very good, although would prefer if they served it with sticks, and provided wet naps to wipe my hands.

this place service good and staff very nine and friendly .

Great wine, liked the tapas. Excellent service. Will come back again!

This place really reminded me of the time I went to Spain , and it was magnificent! Oh yeah, the food is delicious too!

What you've heard is right reservations are non-existent, so be prepared to either head there super early for dinner, or wait in line. But the line's worth it, if only for the Mexican corn (which, here's a secret: you can ask to have scraped off the cob and served in a bowl) and braised short rib. Expect maginative dishes like "peanut butter and jelly" foie gras on toast with peanut brittle, or opt for more classic, but still flavorful Spanish tapas, like the duck drumettes (divine!). Dessert options are few, but just enough; dare you to have enough room to even order any.

Best Paella I've ever had. Be prepared to share because you'll want one of everything if you are an adventurous eater.

Excellent food and extremely friendly treatment, I love the place.