Excellent food and service. Have been here 4 times and never been disappointed. Try Tuesday’s for half price wine and a buck a shuck. Fantastic value.
Zab H.
Place rating: 4 Cambridge, MA
We went here for babylicious and it was such a great event! The staff was really friendly and accommodating to the baby. It was a price fix for the event and I really liked the food. The salad was delicious and had just the right amount of dressing on it. I had the mushroom ravioli and it was divine. The only thing that was just ok with the steak and frites my husband had. The steak was a little tough, but not bad enough to send back. I would definitely go back here, and would love to sit on their patio some time this summer.
Lily C.
Place rating: 1 North York, Canada
Seriously disappointed on so many levels. We had to return 2 dishes due to a bitter burnt taste on our octopus and steak. I think one of their grills needs cleaning. As participants of the Babylicious program they should know that time is of the essence when it comes to little ones. First we waited 20 minutes for our 3 bowls of puffs for the kids(all they needed to do was scoop it out into the bowls — no cooking required. Then we waited 40+ minutes for the appetizers. And then another 30 minutes after we had finished the appetizers. Considering most of our food was seared and not baked and the restaurant was not full — I don’t see a good reason for the delay. Not having enough cups and cutlery should have been noticed by the waiter. The only thing they did well in terms of service was the water. Our cups were refilled regularly. For the price we paid(we didn’t do the prix fix) I expect a kitchen and front of house staff that runs much more efficiently and effectively. Everyone needs retraining.
Brandi R.
Place rating: 4 Toronto, Canada
Stumbled on this really nice place last night while walking down ossington looking for a restaurant to eat at. The place looked really nice from the outside and caught our eye. We walked in and was greeted by the hostess, luckily it was early enough in the evening to get a table for two. We ordered the warm olives and calamari to start, both where amazing appetizer. For dinner I had the beef cheek and my friend ordered the veal, both fantastic choices, the flavours where amazing and the beef was tender, and for desert the cream brûlée, just amazing. I give this place a 4 out of 5 cause it gets really loud, so you actually start to shout across the table to talk, also this place can be expensive, our bill with wine was 220, not a cheap night. I would go back and try it again only on a special occasion.
Cisi Z.
Place rating: 4 Toronto, Canada
Friday Night, 10:02PM Your loved one has an incredible and spontaneous craving for«steak and soup» and the closest Keg is too far. They’ve had a tough week and you want to rise up to the challenge of making them feel better so, you’re scrolling through the Unilocal app… Enter Boehmer. /end narrative / My family and I shared(* indicates a highly recommended dish): *Bavette Steak **Soup du Jour(Creamy Potato and Leek Soup with Bacon) *Pan-Seared Quebec Fois Gras Prosciutto w/Celtic Blue Cheese Grilled Octopus /Grilled Calamari Every dish had such beautiful plating. We found everything to be DELICIOUS with the exception of the octopus. Upon first tasting, we thought the grilled octopus was extremely bitter to the point of being burnt. When this was brought up with our waiter, she made amends swiftly, swapped our dish and did not charge for the octopus. We chose the Grilled Calamari which was so much better! We really appreciated how Boehmer managed this. Thank you! Note to reader: You’ll need to look presentable to dine at Boehmer otherwise you’ll risk a condescending look here and there from the wait staff. Oh, by presentable, I mean… don’t be like me and show up in joggers, crew neck sweater and beanie. No biggie.
Ellen c.
Place rating: 2 Richmond Hill, Canada
This is in response to the comment from the business owner. First of all, you don’t have to be sarcastic about Unilocal«elite» gracing your space. I am just a restaurant patron that has the right to voice my opinion. Ever heard of ‘freedom of speech’? I’d like to formally thank you for sorting through my Unilocal reviews and singling out Starbucks and Tim Hortons. Since you said I am an’ established ’ Unilocal reviewer, I don’t think I’d need your advice to help my promising career. Last time I checked, being a Unilocal reviewer or an Elite, doesn’t come with a paycheque, so I’m not sure what career you are hinting at. Anyway, let me go along. 1. You don’t even know what transpired on the phone reservation I had with your host. Whether she should have taken my name or not is not an issue. Don’t take it on me if your space has lots of empty tables in comparison to the rest of the Ossington strip restaurants.2. I have had the chance to go to better rated restaurants like The Chase, Jacob’s Steakhouse, Octagon, Terra, and Opus to name a few. I have never had the chance to experience a heavy handed? wine pour. Only in your place. Must be truly a talent that only the privileged few can do. If you are trying to imply that I’d want a taste of different wines, I can go to a wine tasting tour for that, but you failed to mention that there was inaccuracy on the amount of wine poured when your server eyeballed the pour with both hands occupied. 3. If you read my review again(I don’t think you’d like to do that again as I can see you are quite sensitive) I mentioned«they only had 2 chefs as I’ve seen in the open kitchen.» the whole time we were there, it was just the two chefs unless the rest were hiding? Again I thank you for noticing that I have a legion of readers. Appreciate the sarcasm. 4. ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ are both positive yes, but good doesn’t mean I’d enjoy it thoroughly. Excellent would be a different story. 5. Did the salty sauce touch a nerve? You seem to be a bit displeased as you types in all caps. FYI, Unilocal elites do social interactions with business owners, sorry to disappoint you, I don’t write from my bat cave. That is the reason we post our own pictures to show who we are and that we stand by our reviews. 6. The lobster was tiny period. 7. Again with the caps, you don’t have to be defensive about your silverware. I have visited places way better than yours to know it has to be the right steak knife. If I want to learn silverware use 101, I’d go to Martha Stewart for that. 8. So now I know why you reacted like this you were the rude waitstaff I was referring to, sorry I did not know you were the business owner. My bad. Did you forget to respond to my observation about that patron from the bar that you bumped into and you did not even apologize? And I commend your good memory for remembering our empty plates. Last time I remember from my GMRC, it doesn’t hurt to ask ‘may I clear this up for you?’ instead of just clearing the plates without warning. 9. Don’t send out my picture to your peers in Hospitality. I’m sure if they are your kind, I won’t give them my business. But feel free to keep it for yourself for reference. I wanted to go through all your restaurant reviews and mention that this is not the first negative review you had and not the first time you were called rude. —Jen L. 7÷2÷2015, Sonia C. 9÷21÷2014, Suany W. 12/16/2011, Kent P. 3÷19÷2011, Rhino C. 4÷26÷2014, Pinky M. 3÷22÷2014, Julia L 2÷2÷2013, Lea E. 9÷5÷2013, Sara C. 10/19/2012, Dave R. 10/25/2014, Justin B 2÷9÷2013, Lee D 2/5/2012,Alex K, 4/22/2012…and the list goes on. It must be tiring to spew sarcasm and antagonism every time you receive a negative review. A good business owner would take notes and take it as a constructive criticism and work on the issues to make sure it never happens again, than to defensively reply to a Unilocal elite with a not so promising career. One advice — if you are faint of heart, uninstall the Unilocal app from your smartphone so you don’t get to read the reviews you don’t like. You seem to mock Unilocal elites anyways, so if this doesn’t have an effect on your business, as we are just typing away from our bat cave, then there is no reason for you to get jumpy. Chill.
Gavin M.
Place rating: 3 Venice, CA
Very hip but has concrete floors and no sound baffling so it can be loud. WHAT?! YES, LOUD! We had dinner for 4 on a Tuesday at 730. The restaurant was half full. Service was average –we had to wave down our waitress a few times to ask for drinks and extra condiments. Wait staff have a very long walk from the kitchen if you have one of the tables up front so any extra condiments or changes can take some time to arrive. I was half finished my steak before my Dijon mustard arrived. Food was just okay sadly. However, chicken soup special was fantastic and served piping hot. I also had sirloin steak. Asked for it medium rare and arrived medium well. My wife had cod and she said it was good. Potions are small. Cocktails are very expensive for what you get. I had the Bohemer vodka cocktail which was okay but the glass stem was covered in the drink when it arrived which was sticky and required a wet towel to rectify. Sacrilege: no coasters for drinks so your table is wet and gross after a couple of drinks and they do not have ketchup(homemade or otherwise) on the premises. Did not ask about if they had secret menu. Rating: won’t be back Note to reader: we are Canadians in our 40s who live in LA but are in Toronto every 6 to 8 weeks for work.
Nicole G.
Place rating: 4 Toronto, Canada
I visited Boehmer on a Tuesday evening for the buck-a-shuck and $ 22 lobster special. We had a great experience. The space is airy and inviting, polished yet rustic. Standout dishes were: — The oysters, of course! Served plump and juicy with a delicious mignonette — Pommes Frites(Tossed in Parmesan and Herbs) with garlic aioli… just the best fries I’ve ever tasted — Brussels Sprouts with Double Smoked Bacon Lardons, Herbs, Sherry Vinegar… I thought I disliked brussels sprouts, but let me tell you I am their BIGGEST fan now The cocktails were excellent too. I’d suggest the Manhattan(which had a unique earthy undertone and wasn’t overly bitter) or the fresh-flavoured Live True cocktail. The lobster was decent, if a bit chewy, and I wish they had served it with something more flavourful than plain jane clarified butter. Beautiful presentation though. Read a more detailed review here:
Samantha C.
Place rating: 3 Toronto, Canada
Came out with some friends for the buck a shuck and ½ price wine last night. Ended up trying the grilled octopus and it was delicious. However I can only give this place 3 stars due to the service. Our server Jeff was miserable. Took 20 minutes to get me a vodka soda and 25 for a lemon tart. The crust was rock solid. All in all great appetizers and ambiance. Terrible service.
Melissa a.
Place rating: 5 Toronto, Canada
Went here for dinner and the food was outstanding. Our meal consisted of the following: grilled calamari with heirloom tomatoes the beet short rib flat iron steak side order of brussels sprouts The grilled calamari and heirloom tomatoes were so good, love the grill flavour on calamari! The short rib was fall off the bone and super tender, it came with some veggies and purees and everything on the plate was so good. Its sauced in a chorizo sausage flavour and its by far one of the best sauces I have ever tasted. The flat iron steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare and came with some veggies and a few frites. the side order of brussels sprouts was also delicious and a nice add on. I like the rustic, lofty feel of the restaurant. Its simplistic, cozy and rustic all at once. The ambiance is good with a nice crowd and good music. They have an extensive wine and drink menu but get ready to be gauged in this department. They charge significantly more her for a bottle of same caliber elsewhere. I will most definitely be coming back to try the other items on the menu. We could over hear the conversations around us and everyone seemed to love their meal.
Edward M.
Place rating: 5 Toronto, Canada
If you want a fantastic meal with some great drinks in a stellar environment… one word… Boehmer! How we didn’t find this gem sooner… I have no idea. We have been twice since our first visit and it just seems to get better. Their staff are highly knowledgeable in terms of wine paring with their fantastic array of unique dishes. Last visit we invite 7 friends and all left full, happy and eager to return. In short, Boehmer is well worth a visit. See you soon
Pritesh K.
Place rating: 3 Toronto, Canada
Was here for a work dinner so i didn’t pay. Not worth the money in general. Bland main, and the only highlight was desert. Plenty of better places to go to in this ossington strip.
Boki C.
Place rating: 5 Kaunakakai, HI
Tuesdays — ½ price bottles of wine, $ 22 lobsters & yummy one buck shucks! What’s not to like? The oysters were tasty little guys, not those big sea watery snots. The lobster was delicious!!! And of course there garlicky butter with it was the cherry on top! Wine is pretty pricey, but it was fine with the ½ off. Definitely will return on a Tuesday when I’m in town again!
Sepand s.
Place rating: 3 Toronto, Canada
Went there with a group of friends. The decoration was nice, though I wasn’t a fan of the pictures on the wall. The ambience was OK, nothing special. It was a bit empty, but at least unlike some other restaurants, it had a high ceiling and the music was low, meaning we could actually hold conversations and hear one another. Our server was very nice and polite. Price wise, it’s on the up-side: $ 30-$ 50 per entrée, and $ 10-$ 25 for app. To be fair, the portions are rather large. The appetizers took a long while to come, maybe a good 30 – 40 minutes. We ordered a $ 60 wine that was nothing special at all, and even though it was under full-bodied, it was sweet and light. The grilled calamari was delicious though, and my friend raved about the tomato and mozzarella salad. The entrees came pretty quick after the apps. Most of us got the hanger steak. The medium-rare was done to perfection, and the meat tasted really good. But the cut is tough and chewy. I’m not a fan of The Keg, but I’d rather have their $ 30 steak than this. A friend got the chicken… i think it was a chicken leg, and she wasn’t too impressed(her fault for getting chicken… who gets chicken? :P). Another got the cod. It looked good but I don’t remember the feedback. We skipped dessert as we had plans elsewhere. Oh, and they were out of oysters. Overall, very ‘meh’ for $ 75/person, and it would’ve probably been very ‘meh’ overall for $ 90-$ 100 had they had oysters and we had ordered desserts. So pros: * Staff were nice * Grilled calamari was pretty yum * Hanger steak tasted really good and was cooked perfectly Cons: * Ambience was bland * Appetizers took a long while to come * Hanger steak was a really, really tough cut * Our wine was subpar. Overall, not worth the $, I’m afraid, at least with the items we ordered. Perhaps the scallops or something else would be better.
Marianna C.
Place rating: 4 Toronto, Canada
Went last night, and it was amazing. The ambiance was fantastic, and staff was very professional. We spent several hours there, and time just seemed to fly bye. I was quite hungover from the previous night, so I decided to get a caesar, and it had to be one of the best caesars I’ve ever had. The spices in it were amazing, and they also added horseradish, which definitely put it over the top. 5⁄5 We decided to get the lobster mac and cheese to start because we already had the bread, and we knew the mains would be filling, but still wanted to get a taste. It was pretty fantastic. Generous chunks of lobster, and they actually used orzo pasta as opposed to the macaroni, but it worked quite well with the dish. It wasn’t as cheesy as I may have liked, but more cream based sauce. Overall: 4⁄5 I then got the rack of lamb cooked medium rare. Id say it was cooked closer to the rare side, but I was completely fine with it because it was incredibly tender and didn’t have any hint of gamey flavours – not even the fat surrounding it. The barley risotto and the vegetables in the plate were also delicious. Overall: 4.5÷5 My friends got the hanger steak cooked medium rare. Comparing it to my lamb, it seemed a bit tough, but thats quite possibly because my lamb was so darn tender. I wouldn’t suggest getting it cooked any more than medium rare. The fries were cut nice and thick, and the tender skin absorbed the jus nicely. Overall: 4⁄5 We decided to end off the meal with a shared 12oz french press coffee and the«cheesecake, my way». The cheesecake was nice and airy, which was actually kind of a nice surprise after such a filling meal. Overall: 4⁄5 I would most definitely come back, whether it be for a night out with friends, or a romantic evening with a significant other. I would suggest this place to anyone, for any kind of social setting, and for any age range.
Kirk H.
Place rating: 4 Toronto, Canada
I like Boehmer, stopped in on a whim while on the Ossington strip. Luckily they were able to accommodate us without a reservation. We ordered the following and enjoyed each dish(most notably the scallops): — Grilled Calamari, Ontario Hot House Heirloom Tomato, Curried Jalapeño Aïoli, Tomato Concassé Vinaigrette — Pan Seared Scallops, Butter Poached Shrimp, Sautéed Spinach, Yellow Coconut Curry Sauce — Pan Seared B.C. Black Cod, Sauteed Green Kale, Wild Mushrooms, Baby Bokchoy, Bell Peppers with a Shoyu-Mirin Glaze The service was excellent, although we did wait an unusual amount of time for our entrees to arrive. That being said, the staff acknowledge the wait and offered a free glass of wine for the inconvenience — and then all was forgiven… :) They had many things on their menu that looked good, I plan to return to Boehmer and sample the rest of the items they offer…
Nazanin K.
Place rating: 4 Toronto, Canada
Tasteful décor and design! Fries and bread basket on the appetizer menu are quite good, and of decent size for sharing.
Michelle S.
Place rating: 4 Toronto, Canada
I went here on Sat night. I suggest making a reservation as it filled up by 8:30 pm. I love the ambience, and how spacious it is. The service was a bit on the slow side, they seemed understaffed. The food was very good. We had: venison tartar– 4⁄5 a bit gamey, I loved that there were capers in it. House baked bread 2⁄5 it wasn’t warm. Nothing special. Black cod– 5⁄5 this was delicious. Beautifully cooked, with just the right amount of veggies and sauce. Bison ribeye– 4⁄5 this was a huge piece of meat, but it wasn’t the greatest piece of meat. It was extremely fatty. Other than that, it was soft and tender and well seasoned. For desert we had what was called the New York style cheesecake, but it wasn’t a NY cheese cake at all. It tasted like the cheese had been whipped. Our server said they would correct the menu. I hope they did. 2⁄5 I will definitely return to Boehmer. My boyfriend and I both really enjoyed it.
Christina L.
Place rating: 4 San Francisco, CA
I haven’t explored too many restaurants in downtown Toronto, but I was here for work all week, and this was the best restaurant that I visited during the trip. So while I don’t have a huge basis of comparison with other restaurants in Toronto, I do hail from SF and eat out a lot, so you can judge my experience accordingly. My colleagues(8 of us) came here for dinner pretty late, and we got a long wooden table with benches in the middle of the restaurant, so they can definitely accommodate large parties nicely. We ordered a few appetizers to share, and each of us got an entrée. Venison Tartare($ 18) — One of the best tartares I’ve had — I was afraid it might be gamey tasting, but this was delicious and clean tasting. Foie Gras($ 23) — All of this was delicious and decadent — the brioche, sweet bacon & apples and blackcurrant almost made it seem like I was eating a very fatty dessert. I wanted more than just one bite. Grilled Calamari($ 17) — Compared to the size and price of the other appetizers, this was probably the most bang for your buck. This was perfectly grilled, tender, and fresh. Halibut($ 29) — This seemed like one of the lighter options on the menu and came atop rice and with some asparagus. It was fine but nothing to write home — I’ve had better fish dishes at other restaurants. Lobster Mac & Cheese($ 12) — This was really orzo & cheese, not macaroni noodles, but every bit as delicious. I couldn’t stop eating this — cheesy, with a slight hint of lemon, and very indulgent. Comes in a small cast-iron skillet and great shared amongst the table. Brussel Sprouts($ 6) — Just okay — I thought this would be better with the bacon lardo(sounds unhealthy, delicious and oily), but I prefer my brussel sprouts more crispy and roasted. I wouldn’t get these again. All in all, a solid restaurant with really great appetizers and sides. I wasn’t in love with my entrée, but would definitely come back. It’s on the pricey side, with appetizers ranging in around $ 14 – 20, and entrees in the $ 30 – 40 price range. If my company hadn’t been footing the tab, I would’ve been a little disappointed since the portion size is not that large relative to the price.
Karl R.
Place rating: 4 Burlington, Canada
What a delightful find. Casual but elegant dining. This isn’t your Thursday night hang out, that’s for sure. Meals don’t come cheap. This is a once or twice a year splurge place. Also if you’re looking to impress your date, you couldn’t do worse. Order the bread as a side. It’s awesome. I think the menu changes fairly regularly. The eponymous owner is like an über-chef. He doesn’t seem the type to let his menu get dated. Also, love they have a great stout on tap, too. Another restaurant that supports the PayPal app as well. Tap tap tap pay leave.