Antylia — Restaurant in Toronto

I don't usually care about restaurant service that much but I feel that the service was what really shines at this place. The servers come to you with a good amount of knowledge about the cuisine they are serving. They really do tell a story of South American cuisine, bringing out a bowl of different kinds of corn from all over the Americas. They are very charming and make excellent cocktails even if they are batched. The little touches such as giving you a small shot of some very local libation to eat with your tasting menu item are much appreciated. It feels as if you are eating dinner at a friend's house who is passionate about food and wants to share it all with you. On balance I would say the food is very earthy tasting. My palate prefers a bit more balance between, rich, sour, sweet, spicy, earthy and fresh. I think a lot of the dishes could have benefitted from some kind of accent to heighten the flavor or add complexity to the dish. Cherry mole foie gras torchon gorditas and ceviches were the standouts. It's quite worth to go and try those dishes and maybe the cauliflower, but I don't know if the tasting menu is worth it. I found the duck very disappointing. It needed salt or marinade or something. The daikon served on the side was not raw but not cooked, only charred. I felt a pickled daikon would have been a better choice. Daikon aside, even your average Chinatown roast duck tends to be a lot more flavourful. I might have preferred a Yuccatan Turkey dish instead. I would go for a cocktail and a few bites, but for a whole evening, tasting menu with two cocktails and a tiny glass of cava it came to 200$ per person. Tasting menu is not a bad price and lots of dishes, but the wine pour was pretty small at 21$ a glass. Lots of great atmosphere there and excellent service, they just need to add a bit more variety of flavor to the menu to justify the prices and make this a true 5 star experience. Still I do totally respect them for trying to showcase their own cultures. Maybe they are trying to stay true to the flavor profiles of those regions and that's why things lean more...

We stumbled upon this hot, new restaurant as we were exploring the Dufferin and Bloor neighbourhood one Saturday evening. Though one could clearly see the well-designed interior through large windows embracing two corners of the establishment, the lack of a large sign gave the restaurant a sense of mystery and exclusiveness.

When we dropped by the small but well appointed restaurant was full. We were extraordinarily fortunate as one reservation failed to show up within the grace period. We loved the atmosphere and interactions with the head waiter, and that was before we were even seated.

You know you are into something unusual when the patrons in the next table leaned over and suggested the tasting menu to you unprompted. And what a glorious tasting menu that was. Halfway through our meal we leaned over to the patrons next to us and recommended that tasting menu shortly after they were presented with the menus. Paying it forward.

It started with a brief introduction by our waiter, Gabriel, on the theme of the menu, and some of the hard-to-source ingredients used. Then the gastric festivities began. Appetizers and salads occupied the first four courses. They were unique, imaginative, and delightful. Then we were treated to four savoury dishes that ended with an absolute barnstormer of a duck dish!

The cocktails could use some improvements as they were underwhelming. However, every other element that evening worked beautifully. From waiters who really understood their menu and cultures all the way to the little thank-you speech given by the executive chef, everything just worked! It was a treat to have the second executive chef serve us the seviche she crafted and evolved from her Equestrian grandmother's recipe!

Highly recommend. This one will shortly become the hottest restaurant in...

I booked a table at Antylia to celebrate a friend's birthday. The food was delicious, but we were disappointed by the service and portions served.

The five of us each ordered the $115 chef's tasting/degustation. During the first course of olives, cheese, and marinated quails eggs, I noted that there was not enough on the plates for each of us to try at least one of each item. Our server apologized and one additional quail egg and an olive were brought out so the diner who missed them could get a taste.

The portions improved for the next few courses, but then the quesadillas came out. Two small tortillas with cheese to be shared across five people. I found this to be disappointing and noted it to our server again. Some time later, a third quesadilla was brought out along with a condescending explanation of how the restaurant views degustation as shared between two people and they will be serving us as 2.5 people rather than five so that the restaurant "can also make money." I responded that, as I see it, we're paying for five tasting menus so we should each get adequate food.

Ultimately, the rest of the meal was fine and we were served enough to share the final few courses, as well as a round of wine on the house. However, this would not have happened without me needing to intervene twice.

Finally, on the topic of ambiance, the decor and space itself is pretty, but there was a notable sewage odour as soon as we entered the restaurant and there was only one available washroom for all diners so I think there is some room for...