Armonia Pasta Bar — Restaurant in Toronto

We had made a reservation on Valentine’s Day for 7:45. When we got to the restaurant it was very clear Chris, one of the only two front of house staff members, wasn’t paying attention to reservations. He was seating anyone that came in the door and never asked for a name or if we had a reservation in general. There was a couple in front of us that got there first but he happened to choose us and said “yeah yeah it’s ok just sit” when we pointed at the couple that was waiting.

To say they were very clearly overwhelmed and understaffed would be an understatement. There were 28 open menus (literally the whole restaurant in the dining area), with not a single person eating anything other than the bread they drop off. Most people hadn’t even gotten a drink yet. We waited 20 minutes until the other guy who told us he was supposed to just bus table and help seat people started to take our order. When we asked about wines or a drink menu he said “oh I’m not sure what we have, it’s all Italian stuff. I’ll just open a bottle for you and pour a glass”. Honestly he was way more friendly than Chris and was clearly trying to help in a situation he had no experience in, so I don’t fault him at all.

We were hearing other tables groaning about not getting their food after a hour+ and some tables that were there before us still hadn’t even gotten their orders taken. One gentleman went to look for Chris to ask for an update on his food and Chris yelled “YES, everyone’s waiting on their food so just sit down!”. CRAZY to lose your cool like that on a customer in front of a packed dining room, especially when they’re just looking for an explanation. I have years of restaurant experiences and that was a first for me, especially at a finer dining restaurant.

We did get our appetizer which felt like a stroke of luck as a table that had walked out ordered the same thing as us so it happened to come to us literally 30 seconds after we ordered. We got the arancini which was VERY good. But that’s about the extent of anything that was good.

We ended up waiting for a total of 2 hours for our meals until I finally asked for the bill. I told Chris how long it’s been and we weren’t willing to wait anymore. (They hadn’t checked on us for an hour and a half after we got the arancini). He said sorry and gave us a bill for $20, which is fine. We weren’t the first table to walk out, and there were definitely a few that were getting ready to leave after.

In short, go when it’s slow and Chris isn’t there if you want good service. The food did look tasty - it’s a shame they were so unprepared and couldn’t keep there cool.

PUT THE DOOR ON A WAIT IF YOURE OVERWHELMED, STOP SEATING PEOPLE WHEN YOU...

Armonia Pasta Bar

My Fiancé booked a reservation for Valentine’s Day at Armonia. The server welcomed us and guided us for the special day. The focaccia with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste was fresh and abundant and definitely increased out appetite in anticipation of what was to come. For our starters, the arancini were light, crispy and had a beautiful cheese pull. The sugo was refreshing and well-balanced setting a high expectation for the main course. The antipasto was a palate cleanser from the depths of the sundried tomatoes to the creamy lightness of the fresh ricotta and crispy taralle. The Linguini with shrimp with the homemade pomodoro sauce brought nostalgia, just as Nonna made. The smokiness of the grilled shrimp added another layer to this dish as it elevated the flavour profile. The texture of fresh pasta became addictive, keeping the palette of taste wanting more. The rigatoni bolognese hit the spot in all the right ways. What really stands out is the attention to detail and the time and care put into each dish…these are no regular pasta dishes and are the reason Armonia is so specialized. It is like eating pasta again for the first time. There is always something special about fresh pasta, but Armonia takes this to a new level. The pasta texture, chew, and mouth feel are out of this world and unlike anything ever experienced before.

The atmosphere was cozy, comfortable, quiet enough that couples could spend intimate time for their special day. The interaction within staffs created welcoming and family-like feeling making customers smile. Thank you Armonia for making our Valentine’s Day dinner...

I was looking forward to trying this restaurant on Valentine's Day and had made a reservation in advance. Unfortunately when we arrived there was a line up of several groups, all of whom had reservations, but the tables were not ready. We waited for half an hour before giving up and going elsewhere (which wasn't exactly a given, that we could find anywhere to eat so last minute on Valentine's Day). We gave up once we'd learned that a group of three in front of us had been waiting for well over an hour for their reserved table - it was 9pm and their reservation was for 7:45pm. The person working there kept vaguely stating that there were 'tables for everyone,' but didn't ask for our names or the times of our reservations, and didn't take the time to say sorry or to give any update on how long it might potentially take. In that situation, transparent communication and an acknowledgment that the situation is not ideal can go a long way. Overall, it it seemed like they were unprepared for such a busy night, which is too bad. I'm sure the food is good, but if a restaurant expects people to arrive within 15 minutes of a reserved time (as they should), they should also be able to seat you within that time. Waiting 30 minutes to an hour - or more - for a reserved table isn't really acceptable. We had the impression that once seated, it would have also taken a long time to get served. I don't think I would try...