Nella Cucina — Attraction in Toronto

Great store, but prices are all over the place..

Drove in from Scarborough looking for malt powder. I saw was a available online and got help from an employee. I noticed the prices online were listed differently than in-store. He told me they would always honor the online prices and claimed because they have a bunch of ongoing promotions that they don't change the stickers on their in-store products. He also invited me to join the customer list and get an additional 20% off my purchase. All sounded great that I picked up a few additional things. I told him I did stop by the Scarborough location thinking they were all the same store and he then started jokingly tell me the company dislikes between the Scarborough store and sounded salty because they didn't give up their company logo and likeness.

I was looking at American Metalcraft (HCDS108) Pan, sticker price was at around $50 but was listed on a display stand for around $60 and when asked the same employee helping me from before he said he would sell it for $44 which made it more confusing. I then decided to grab a pan that was listed online for $22.

At cash, The employee told me I couldn't sign up for the customer list because I wasn't a business. She said because of the miscommunication that she will still honor it and give us the discount which was nice but the pan I had picked up for $22 it was rung at $28. I asked the cashier why the online price wasn't honored she said I got a better deal at 20% off. Which I felt confused and a bit insulted.

What bothered me the most was that a different employee had promised that online prices would be honored, so the conflicting information left me feeling misleading. The whole situation gave the store inconsistent feel.

On top of that the cashier began to rush through where I didn't have an opportunity to ask more questions and kept on dismissing me because her attention went to a customer who was picking up an item and brought her dog in. Other employees came up telling the owner that dogs aren't allowed in the store because they have food items which was causing the dog to bark. This only added to the discomfort of the experience. Cashier was kinda brushing of my questions about the price of the pan in store vs online pricing.

Cool store, but the confusing pricing and the overall vibe at checkout left me disappointed. The inconsistency made the experience feel frustrating rather than enjoyable. The prices just felt like a dice roll and if I walked in at a different time I feel the prices would be again different.

The store seems more suited for businesses man then home person looking for items looking through other reviews seems others may have had the same "dice roll" experience as me on the prices.

Honestly if this wasn't the only store in the GTA I know selling malt powder I'd be shopping...

I am a frequent customer at this store as it is walking distance from my home and I do a lot of cooking.

Great store with huge selection at very good prices. Nella's every day price on Le Creuset and Staub is usually better than Amazon or the 25% off sale price at The Bay and elsewhere. Not everything is cheap though (example: consumer-level Kitchen Aid machines) so do your research.

I do find that some staff can be haughty and unhelpful, although I have had excellent and helpful staff interactions too. I take away one star for the uneven customer service experience.

I took one cooking classes that was quite enjoyable, but not hands-on. Best for people who enjoy demonstration classes where you watch (and drink!) but do not cook yourself.

The Nella brand knives are really good value. These are the knives used in most restaurant kitchens in Toronto. The handles are no-nonsense non-slip plastic, so the money you spend is all going into the blade.

The knife sharpening service is good and I use it regularly. Caveat: my serrated bread knife got pretty mangled once. Nella also sharpens knives for most restaurants in the city, so perhaps finesse was sacrificed a little for speed on...

Nella Cucina is probably one of the best kept secrets for kitchen/restaurant/cooking events in Toronto.

The store is densely packed to the rafters with almost everything that you would need for both amateur cooks and business owners.

They may not be as eclectic as Tap Phuong, but what they lack in variety they more than make up for in quality and service.

They also host cooking courses throughout the year, as well as provide knife sharpening and other services. They arguably have the cheapest restaurant grade (Nella) knives for sale to the general public.

The location is directly outside of Bathurst Station. Don't forget to mention if you work in the restaurant industry, as there...