Tesoro Restaurant — Restaurant in Collingwood

It pains me to write this review because I have frequented this restaurant many times and most times have been satisfactory. Their curried mussels are delicious. Our experience tonight for our anniversary dinner was awful.

It started with our waiter….. the unprofessionalism was astounding. He asked my boyfriend if he had a lighter handy to light the candle at our table. Weird. I ordered a bottle of wine. He had no idea what I was talking about and I had to point to the wine on the menu. Traditional wine service says the person who orders the wine does the tasting but he insisted my boyfriend taste. It was strange. From that point on he offered subtle condensing remarks like “you really want the mussels AND the Calamari to start?” Surprised that two people wanted two appetizers? Weird, Don’t you want to sell more food ? At this point we started feeling awkward because our table was also located next to the the dishwasher drop off as well as where the servers punch their food in so instead of a romantic ambiance we were Graced with this waiter as well as the dishwasher constantly hanging around.

At one point at the table next to us the waiter actually spilled a glass of wine on two patrons next to us.

The food. Apps were delicious though the menu states the mussels are served with “toasted crostinis” when I asked the waiter he said “no” and motioned to our bread we received prior to our meals. I wanted the mushroom raviolis but they were sold out so I ordered the rack of lamb. My boyfriend ordered Veal Masala. HUGE disappointment. My lamb was way over done (asked for medium rare) it came with the fat not rendered so this piece of fat surrounded by grey meat on this beet purée that looked like a murder scene and completely overpowered the flavour of the dish. And what’s with the soggy vegetables in the cabbage that looks like a brain - terrible. The Veal was not much better. Over- Cooked grey Slab of meat with the oil separating from the sauce.

The waiter didn’t ask us how our food was but asked us how the wine was at the end of the meal. I wanted to say the wine was the only good part of this entire experience. Once I finished he asked how my lamb was (didn’t ask my boyfriend about the veal). I told him it was pretty bad and a far cry from medium rare to which he didn’t say anything and slapped us with the 200$ bill.

The food was bad. But this server - the worst experience I’ve ever had. I’ve been here many times but will probably...

Our recent visit to Tesoro was unfortunately far from the pleasant dining experience we had hoped for. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that the service was going to be a major letdown. We were not welcomed upon arrival and had to wander through the restaurant until Alex, who would later become our waiter, finally noticed us. His initial reaction was one of confusion, as if he was surprised that guests actually wanted to dine there.

The service continued to disappoint throughout the afternoon. We asked for bread, which had not been mentioned or offered by Alex. When we did inquire about it, he informed us that it wasn’t on the menu but could be made available for an additional cost. This revelation came after we had already been waiting for our pizzas, and instead of apologizing for the oversight, he implied it was our fault for not asking sooner, stating, "normally people ask." It’s baffling that a waiter would expect guests to know about off-menu items without any guidance.

Things only got worse when we pointed out that ordering bread at that point, as our pizzas were arriving, was too late. Instead of understanding, Alex sarcastically repeated my response. It’s basic hospitality for wait staff to offer complete information to guests, not to expect them to navigate the menu on their own.

When Alex finally returned to check on us, he made no effort to offer a refill for my soda, even though my glass was empty. After trying to get his attention for a refill, he simply walked away, leaving us unattended.

The final straw was the end of our meal. After requesting the bill, Alex did not bring the payment machine, forcing us to wait even longer than needed. We eventually had to approach him inside to settle the bill. He offered the excuse that they were "so busy," yet the restaurant was far from full, with only four tables occupied by the time we left. Upon realizing we did not tip, due to the subpar service, Alex stormed past us in a visibly unprofessional manner, indicating he was unhappy with our decision.

On a positive note, Susan at the Mercato next door was a delight. She helped us pick out carrot cupcakes, which were divine. Gustoso! 5 star service!!

While the pizzas we ordered were delicious, our overall experience at Tesoro was a major disappointment and left us feeling extremely uncomfortable. The lack of basic hospitality and inattentive service from our waiter Alex made this an experience we won’t be...

We live about 40 minutes from Collingwood and for over 9 years have enjoyed the homemade fired pizza at Tesoro and it was one of our favourite patio places to bring family and friends. We enjoyed the fresh bread with oil and vinegar brought out while waiting for our meal, and would enjoy a little until our antipasto misto would come and then we could enjoy the bread with the appetizer while waiting for the pizza. However, our recent visit two weeks ago has changed all that. It was the most disappointing meal we have ever had anywhere! First of all there was no bread/oil & vinegar brought out. Then I ordered the zuppa which the server said would be very flavourful. It was not, (I make a better soup at home) and was the blandest soup I've had at a restaurant plus it was just warm not "soup:" temperature.

Second, the two pizzas we ordered were TERRIBLE!!! these appeared and tasted like frozen pizzas, and not even a good frozen pizza, especially the crust. What happened to the homemade wood fired pizza crust????? Did they think we would not notice the difference? Did covid cause all this? or are there new owners who do not have the same passion as the owners from years ago?

Thirdly, perhaps this is a result of covid but the price of our meal for three was $200 and that was with water and two coffees no wine, oralcoholic drinks! This disappointing and horrible meal was only emphasized more when we had a chance later that week to eat at "The Artisan House" in Huntsville. On that website it states "crafted with love and served with passion". It was cheaper and amazing! Everything from appetizer to dessert was flavourful, delicious, AND WORTH THE DRIVE. It is worth the money to head to Huntsville where you will not be disappointed.

Tesoro will never...