Buono Ristorante — Restaurant in Toronto

We visited Buono for Mother's Day and it was my family's first time dining here. We had a 6pm reservation and it wasn't busy when we arrived. My family was first to arrive and we had to wait for my parents and my brother and his wife as they were stuck in traffic.

We were greeted with an older waiter who was friendly and accommodating to our 2 year old daughter. Once our entire party arrived, a new waiter tended to our table. He was not very personable and did not seem as friendly. This is when our experience started to go downhill.

When our main courses came out after a pretty long wait (restaurant wasn't too busy at this time) my SIL's meal was the wrong dish. The waiter wasn't very apologetic for inputting the wrong order and made it sound like it was her fault, when we all heard her order the chicken. They brought her a chicken pizza. The waiter then said they were all out of the chicken and she could order something different off the menu and we could keep the pizza on the house. We were not offered re-fills on our waters until we asked, and even then, the server looked annoyed that we had even asked.

The food itself was average. Most of us ordered a pasta dish, my brother had the risotto and my sister in-law ended up getting the salmon. We all agreed that the food was O.K. I had a caesar salad to start and that was pretty bad. The lettuce tasted old and dry.

To end off our poor experience, I believe we were charged for the pizza we didn't order (or it may have been for a salmon appetizer the waiter brought (just dropped it off and walked away) that we never ordered, which he took back). It was my fault for not checking the bill in detail before paying, but our bill ended up being $280 after tax and tip. My mother called and said she felt like we had to pay for the pizza, so I went back on their website to add up our order and I do think we were charged for said pizza.

Under different circumstances (if our experience had been pleasant), I wouldn't mind just eating the cost of the pizza. However, the fact that the evening was subpar, service was bad and food was average, being charged for an item we did not order and were told would be on the house, just stings even more. My family and I will not be returning, and I would not recommend this...

We had dined in on July 24 2024 for my mother in-laws 81st birthday. We have lived in the Yonge & Eglinton for over 60 plus years. And the great thing about this neighbour hood by far is the culture and all the amazing restaurants as well as community.

We had decided to to our homework and research "Fine Italian Dining" in which we came across Buono and decided to book an evening of "fine" dining.

Basically at the end of our meals, we had found hair In 3 of our meals, in which I gathered to show our waiter, in which he apologized, but did not seem too concerned.

There were other customers dining in as well that evening so I truly did not want to make a a scene. So respectfully I had braught it up to the waiters attention and he had offered us 3 shots of of lemoncello for compensation in which we respectfully declined, as we thought this was a poor tactic on his part.

We paid the bill and even left a generous tip. Not our style to throw a business under the table in our neighbourhood. The overall bill was $430.00 and I feel as if the offer from the waiter of Lemoncello shots was a poor tactic, but ulltimately insulting.

Ray from Buono had reached out and we had talked over the phone, but to no resolution. I had suggested a refund of the meals that had that hair in it, which I think is fair and had no response after a few weeks, in which I had decided to pursue this review

I suggest if you are looking for fine Italian dining and don't mind eating around hair, than this is the place

Update : spoke with Saffa who is the owner and still no resolution .. these guys dont care it’s the same excuse every time …. New chef .. on probation..etc read all the past reviews same excuse

Reply to your comment last week :

So basically you are implying that we had placed the hairs there ourselves within your comment.

I challenge you to post a video of our party doing that! You first admitted fault and would have like to have rectified it. BUT had changed your approach and had come up with that response. Things happen, take responsibility (in which you did initially), what we had offered in terms of credit for the 3 meals that had hair in it was more than...

I am half Italian, I make my own pasta and everything Italian, and my husband's fave food is Italian. Such a disappointment this restaurant. We felt we were in a funeral, horrible music, we had to whisper (although it was empty), food was everything BUT NOT Italian. My risotto was dry (more like a rice mixed with mushrooms, and huge pieces), no flavour or creamy at all. The parmeggiano cheese they use is dry and has no flavour at all. Good restaurants do grate the cheese when food is served, never have the cheese already greated. Water was only served when food came, my husband's pasta was thick, huge pieces, no flavour. Wall is all white, not an Italian atmosphere at all. Server was okay, but just like a robot. And nobody there speaks Italian. I guess they have never ever been or.ate autentic Italian food, which is rich in flavour. By the way, he served our food, and asked if we wanted salt and pepper (we did not taste it before he asked, no salt or pepper on the table), and when my husband asked for pepper, the server added what he thought was good. For the kind of food they serve, waaaay overpriced, and we do not mind paying a high price for dinner, if it is in our standarts of quality and flavour. We just wanted to get out of there. That was a first, we stayed in the restaurant 40 mins. And they had Creme Brulet for desert and that is FRENCH. They also had Tiramisu, but we did not want to risk, as the food was horrible. Never going back. If one is not picky with the quality of their food, might like it, but it is not for us.

You ARE NOT having a second chance. Our experience was very traumatizing, food was horrible and no excuses if you want to have an Italian restaurant. I hope to never, ever, have to go there. There are lovely authentic Italian restaurants that we are frequent customers, and we are not changing our way of eating REAL Italian food for an Italian food...