Bricco Wine Bar

I brought my mom here for her 52^nd birthday. It was absolutely the perfect atmosphere, classy with a bit of character to keep things interesting. The service was great– just attentive enough. The menu is a on the more expensive side but totally worth it. Delicious food, and we got a bottle of (really good) wine for about 140 $. If you have the cash and hadn’t just had something to eat like me) I’d definitely recommend going full three courses though. It was also a little echo-​y and loud because of a large group on the lower level so if you’re looking for a quieter space, you should request the upper level.

The place was recommended to my boyfriend by a friend, our reservation was pretty late therefore is was fairly quiet but at no point did we feel rushed. The food was unbelievable, I had a pasta special with butter and shaved truffle. It was the best pasta dish I have had in a long time, maybe ever.
Highly recommend this place and we will be returning.

Love that there are so many great spots in the neighbourhood. Our food was fantastic. However the service was downright awful. 4.5 hours for our meal, we had to beg for water, with 2 servers handling the entire restaurant. They had a full house… and reservations were hard to come by so they knew they’d have a full house. They need to get their service equation figured out. Not inexpensive, I had much higher expectations on the level of service.

Food was OK.
Waited an hour to get a drink, the bar pretty much ignored us while we waited for our table be ready.

Excellent food and service. We were back last night for the fourth or fifth time. Our only criticism is that it’s too noisy. Every surface is hard and the sound just bounces everywhere. We couldn’t hear the music, just the boom from all the voices.
I’m not sure what they can do about it and I’m sure we’ll go back but I do think the noise level is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Love this place! We come here about 2 – 4 times a month since they opened and it NEVER disappoints. The food is always fresh and amazing. The chef changes the menu with the seasons, always enticing our taste buds. The service is always friendly, professional and exceptional. The owner is very knowledgable with wine as he is a sommelier and the wine list is great! We celebrate all our birthdays and events here as well. Love this place and I would recommend it to everyone!

AWFUL! I planned my 30TH there because the ambiance and décor felt perfect for the type of evening I was going for and the look of the place/​bulk of comments strongly suggested the food would be top quality. I made resos in advance, talked to the planner about a prix fix menu through email and over the phone and everything seemed like it was going well. Fast forward to the night– I was instantly disappointed and not one redeeming event proceeded. Firstly they didn’t say HELLO to any of us– not a single acknowledgment and there were 2 people coming and going from the table, filling water etc. for a good 30 mins. After 30 minutes of us feeling like we were invisible, a girl took our drink orders. 20 minutes later we got them. 20 minutes later she started taking our app orders, 20 – 30 minutes later they arrive sporadically and many guests had to watch people eat while they waited. The apps were BLAND. Everything was BLAND! The rapini was crap, the potatoes sucked, the kale salad had a tsp of dressing. Never mind no passion in their cooking, there wasn’t even an effort. The mains that arrived a while after were just as unimpressive, except one pasta dish (I’ll give them that). We didn’t get out of there until 3.5 hrs later and it wasn’t because we were enjoying ourselves and conversing because we wanted the F out. It was because they didn’t get any orders going until an hour+ into or arrival. By the time it was over everyone was bitter and our plan to visit a bar afterwards was out of the question. I was sooooooo bummed at the outcome of that bday and the thing that irked me the most was that they didn’t greet ANY OF US. How do you not say hello? How do you shuffle around a group of people for 30 mins and act as though they’re not there? I hate this place so much!

A stunning room — great mid-​century furniture and perfect lighting. Server was attentive and very knowledgeable (especially with respect to the wine). We had an octopus appetizer that was lovely. It was the «Gnocchi-​licious Week», so we tried 2 versions, one with rabbit, and the fried gnocchi. In both instances the pasta was super light and tender, however, some added salt (rabbit) and heat (fried) would’ve been preferable. That being said, I would definitely go back and try other items.

I’ll be back– said Dave while eating his meal…
This restaurant is a real gem. It is beautifully decorated with brick walls and wooden tables, chandeliers and carnations in ceramic mugs; all contributed to a very romantic setting.
I called at 8:30 on Friday night and the manager took our reservation. We arrived at 9 and it was 75% at capacity with a few empty tables so I had a choice and took the table overlooking Dundas.
Our waitress was Emma. She was very helpful and friendly. She explained the specials, one of which was a spring onion gnocchi. As I was craving gnocchi and my reason for picking this restaurant over the others was to try the braised rabbit gnocchi; I was torn now. She actually didn’t help that situation as the way she described both made it all sounds amazing and said herself, its hard to choose. Little did I know, Dave was listening to us intently and at the last minute changes his order go braised rabbit gnocchi and so I can try the special! She’s good!
My spring onion gnocchi was delicious. It had a very mild hint of flavor similar to green onions. It was actually green. The sauce was creamy and cheese and mixed with mushrooms. I wish there was more mushrooms in the dish as it needed something to break up the creaminess of the dish. I couldn’t finish it as it was so rich. But still very delicious!
I enjoyed Dave’s gnocchi and I think I’ll order that next time. The rabbit meat was very tender. The sauce had a sweetness to it and made the dish different from the usual standard gnocchi dishes. Both gnocchi dishes were delicious. The gnocchi itself was light, almost like biting into clouds. Not dense like others I’ve tried.
I also tried a cocktail that I don’t remember the name but it was made with a lemon/​pepper gin, raspberry jam, soda (I think)… It was delicious! Perfect for a summer evening.
All in all… I will be back. It was a last minute gem I stumbled upon for a quick dinner before heading out.
PS– parking is free on Dundas after 6 pm. The area is quiet and far enough from the city core to avoid crowds and ample street parking available. There is also a green P about a block away.

Very trendy, Italian atmosphere. Staff was very welcoming, but restaurant seemed dead as a whole given it was a saturday evening. Extensive wine list with options for most wallets. We did not order food, as it was a bit overpriced, but menu appeared creative. We would like to come back for a celebratory occasion.

I really wanted to like this place, but was disappointed and probably won’t go back.
FOOD:
I had the boar sausage and he had the risotto. We also had salads to start. First off, the salads were hard to eat as the stems of the leaves had not been removed and they impeded the enjoyment of the starter. Also, it was rather bland. The main courses were over-​salted. My boar sausage was disappointingly lack-​luster when it came to flavour. The risotto was over-​cooked, but other than the salt, it wasn’t bad.
ATMOSPHERE:
Yes, this restaurant is pretty.
SERVICE:
They accommodated us even though we did not have a reservation. It seemed like they just tucked us in and hoped the reserved party would come in late. It worked perfectly for us as we finished up quickly.
VALUE:
Since we were disappointed with our meal, the restaurant was over-​priced for what we experienced.

Bricco is a local Junction restaurant that I truly would like to support. .but it confuses me. There is a meticulous attention to detail about restaurant décor. However in a couple of visits with friends, one of four in the group wasn’t happy with what they selected… while the other three were thrilled. Is the Chef inconsistent or just trying too hard to be creative?
I am always drawn to a menu with wine pairings. On new year last though, Bricco had a menu that didn’t flow well and some of the wine pairings just didn’t make sense to the point of requesting (and thankfully receiving) a replacement wine. I would have lost hope except the main was a cut of beef with an Italian pairing that was to die for!
Lets hope for more consistency and the locals will fill the room.

Valentine’s Day? Party of 12? They accommodated us, and we had four kids!
Not a thing to complain about here. This is not your typical Toronto establishment. They obviously care about the food and the wine (fabulous!!), but unlike so many other places they OBVIOUSLY care about their guests. The reservation via phone, the greeting, the attention at the table, all ¹⁰⁄₁₀ easily. Not the cheesy attention, but classic, proper, refined, yet genuine, approachable and easy-​going.
I’m going back next week, alone, just to take it all in free of distraction! Perfect marks.

Possibly the best wine bar I’ve been to in this city.
Great tight knit Ital-​centric wine list with some interesting discoveries off the typical beaten bath of Italian wines, great for discovering, and a few quality local bottles were available as well.
The food is simply outstanding, some of the best Italian I’ve had in downtown Toronto, inventive, fresh, modern with a balanced definite old world feel and flavour.
Service is fantastic, Eric gives personal attention to everything and he’s awesome guy to boot, and the other servers are always busy making you happy.
Big open space with a great atmosphere, I always look forward to going back!

We had an absolutely amazing evening here. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a wine bar in New York’s Meat Packing District, which is to say über-​trendy. We both tried one of each course and had a hard time deciding which dish we enjoyed the most. I must say the braised lamb leg I had was absolutely amazing (narrowly beat out their cured meat & cheese starter plate) and my wife especially liked her grilled octopus appetizer. As expected, their wine list was extensive and varied enough to support most budgets and tastes. What made the night perfect was the staff… at every step each person we encountered truly helped enrich our experience and leave us wanting to come back.
I whole heartedly recommend this restaurant.

I love that this fine dining establishment is so close to me, and a perfect place to bring parents for a special occasion. They were very accomodating and the service was impeccable, but I can’t say the same about the food.
For apps, we got the trout crostini (yum), and the octopus (was good too).
It’s Italian, but they have lots of options on the menu. I got the squid ink pasta, i expected the pasta to have squid ink as the sauce for some reason, but it was pasta made out of squid ink, with shrimp and clams. It was really bland. I never put salt in my food, but I had to.
The Lamb Saddle was also a little bland too. But my parents loved the Sea Bream and their Pork. It seems hit and miss, and depends on what you order.
I love the décor in the place, it was old school minimalistic classic, without being pretentious. I’d would give it another try one day.

Simply fantastic. I almost don’t want to review this place because I don’t want anyone else to know about it.
Try the scallops.
Great furniture too!
Eric — keep up the good work. You’re killing it.

I really enjoy Bricco. I believe it is the best restaurant in The Junction, with potential to be one of the best restaurants in Toronto. I believe this to the point of revising my review (from 5 stars) to three stars and rewriting my review.
The scallops app, salads, pork, beef dishes, and lamb I have eaten were all delicious. The flavours are unique without ever being too salty or bland, which is a frequent fault of lesser places.
On a visit last week, I sat at the bar for the first time, where I had wine and a meal. This is where I encountered real disappointment.
It is a tough thing to have a bar in a restaurant. While many of my comments could apply to other places (such as The Passenger), I make them here because Bricco has real potential to set a standard.
When I sat at the bar, the restaurant was full, but the bar was not. The staff behind the bar was extremely busy washing dishes, running tickets, talking to each other, and doing everything but running the «wine bar» side of this place. Once all the dishes were washed and the counter wiped down, the staff went out into the restaurant, leaving the bar temporarily vacant. Customers were served, but not really as if they really mattered. Like many places in Toronto, if the food is good, the service need not be. This is sad, but lots of places are like this.
Ok. I am glad they wash the glasses, and no one was particularly rude or grossly inattentive. However, it would be nice if there was someone (at the bar in a wine bar) engaging customers, explaining wines, having wine conversations, making suggestions based on some knowledge, and presenting the wine with a bit of style. (Someone else can wash and bus).
With real effort the wine bar side here could be a destination for people who enjoy wine and who may spend serious money on wine. It might also be a place for (egads!) actual repeat and regular customers who help establish the reputation and success of the place beyond Unilocal or other such sites.
I do not doubt that Bricco can be busy. The food is excellent, and I will be back. My hope is that the wine bar can do its part to make the place, not just another good spot, but an iconic place that leaves a significant mark on Toronto.

I’m sure everyone in The Junction has been looking into these windows for awhile now wondering what this was going to be and when it is finally going to open.
Well worth the wait! I have been twice now. Each time it’s been packed but we made reservations so we got a table. Wine was amazing. We got a bottle of the Spanish 2005 for $ 50 and it was such a great find. Food was delicious. Scallops were my favourite. We have tried the Chicken, Lamb and Cod so far. We saw the short rib come out and now I have to go back and have it.
I LOVE the ambience. High ceilings, brick walls and SPACE between tables. I had dessert once. The espresso cake. YUMMY!!!
Thank you BRICCO for bringing THE JUNCTION to a whole new level.

My wife brought me here for a wonderful bday dinner last night.
This is a great new place in the Junction serving rustic italian that lets the flavours of the ingredients speak for themselves. Nothing is over sauced, spiced, salted, or peppered. Once you get your palate set, it is quite enjoyable.
The space is definitely well done. A tad sparse, but enjoyable.
Service was the best in The Junction. Not speedy, but done right. This is a place you should just relax and enjoy.
We started with cocktails and the charcuterie tray, followed by sharing two appetizers, and then sharing a pasta followed by a main. I would eat the same way again as it allows you to have multiple flavours.
Price was about right for quality food, wine, and service.