Archive Wine Bar — Restaurant in Toronto

On a cold January night, this place is perfect. Located on the not-yet-gentrified portion of Dundas street west, this place boasts an endless wine menu and a succinct tapas menu. While it is irrelevant to rate a restaurant based on the wine you ordered, it is fair to say that we were not disappointed by our selection! The food, however, really accentuated our evening. We were not expecting such an array of delicious dishes from a small tapas menu but oh boy we were surprised. We ordered some bread and butter to start and it was fresh and airy. Afterwards we indulged in the salted-cod ceviche which I must say was the best ceviche I've ever had, especially with those perfectly salted plantain chips on the side. Lastly we had the lamb ragu, which unfortunately missed the mark in terms of flavor. It lacked some acidity and the dish had slightly too much oil. However, the quality of the meat was great and it was cooked perfectly. Service is a bit nonchalant which can be irritating at times but I could be placing too much emphasis on the quality of service for a small casual restaurant.

Overall, great restaurant for an upscale yet casual dinner with...

My boyfriend and I used to come to Archive a lot. The last time we were there it was really busy so we were seated at the bar. the waiter ensured us that we are going to be moved to a table when one emptied out. However, once there was a table he gave it to new customers. we ordered a meat and cheese board with two 3oz glasses of wine. when the board came there was a strand of hair on the cheese. We told the waiter and he simply said what do you want me to do?!!! He did'nt even apologized, just had an attitude like it's not his problem and it's not a big of a deal. We cancelled the board and asked for the bill. The still had charged us for the board. We told the other waiter and he brought us a new bill without the board. Once we paid and left we realized they had charged us for the 5oz glasses of wine. I called to talk to the manager and he just told me that he cant hear me and just hung up. Very...

Do you like tables that are not quite a rectangle, but not quite a triangle. Archive has one. It's even in a cozy cubby, surrounded by the exterior windows. But as quirky as that table is, you really want to go for the wine selection. Extensive might not exactly be the word for it. Tonnes of pours by the glass, and waaaay too many to imagine by the bottle. The food was perfect for the place. Man those arancini balls were killer! It's all picky shary and well paired for wine drinking, so be ready to sometimes fight over the last bite. Our server Roland was amazing, elevating the experience. He suggested wisely, and even as we were heading out, he said that he had a wine he'd like us to try, and put down a small pour of a unique wine that was right on point to what we like. This experience was great...and we...