Café ZUZU Pizzeria — Restaurant in Toronto

Went to dine in on a Sunday during lunch hour with a friend, I made a reservation prior to it. As soon as I stepped in, I saw only three other tables being served on the dining room side however even with multiple eye contacts with three of their waiters nobody came to the front to greet me until a couple minutes later. The female waitress took me to the dining room side and seated me right near two other occupied tables. I’m not sure why she had to squeeze us between other people when there were multiple seatings available across the whole dining space (I assumed this was because the section belonged to that particular waitress?). I proceeded to wait for my friend who was running a few minutes behind. The waitress comes back and asks if I want to order any drinks, I asked what their non-alcoholic menu looks like and she starts going off a list of coffee based drinks at the top of her head which I honestly could not hear half of what she even said. Maybe if you had an actual cafe drink menu offered to customers on the dining room side it will help a lot. I ended up ordering an iced vanilla latte which was way too sweet for my liking. A couple minutes later, a group of 8-10 people comes in to sit right in front of our table (again, not spread out at all and it just felt like they were trying to squeeze everyone in one section like sardines). I finally asked the waitress if she can move us either to another table which I saw plenty of or to the patio if it’s available and we were moved to the patio which had enough shade for us to not get overheated outside. My friend arrived, and the waitress came to take our orders. My friend asked her recommendation for a good non-alcoholic beverage and she suggested a mixed iced latte type of drink that incorporated mango puree with matcha honestly sounded pretty odd and wasn’t surprised when my friend said it wasn’t her favourite. Don’t know if this was a new drink menu that she was told to recommend to customers but definitely should work on suggesting a less acquired tasting type of beverage. Food came, my friend’s sandwich and salad plate looked pretty average/taste was also average as she mentioned. My rigatoni was decent but the noodles were undercooked and the waitress didn’t even bother to ask if I needed Parmesan and rushed away as soon as she dropped the dishes at our table. Finally, when it was time for the bill after paying the waitress asked both of us if we wanted a copy of our receipt we both said yes and she gave us a slight annoyed remark as she told us that “receipts need to be printed from the back so I’ll have to bring it to the table. Give me a minute” Don’t understand why you’d need to even make such a comment, receipts are not something new to any business or a paying customer if they ask for it. Overall, the place looks clean and food is average but it’s most likely something you can get at any other cafe/brunch place downtown. Price is above what you’d expect from such a mediocre menu but you are paying the price for a place located at downtown Toronto. Service was below average and needs to improve (I’m not usually the type to make service based comments but was quite...

I was looking forward into trying this restaurant, but unfortunately it was an awful experience. From the moment we sat down, our waiter whose name I believe is Kelvin (according to our receipt) was awful.

He was NOT friendly, nor welcoming at all & made it seem as he is doing us a favour. He seemed aggravated when we told him that we are ready to order right away. After our 2 mains we told him to please bring out the pancakes, it took a good 20 minutes to get them to our table after informing him. The pancakes came super cold & not what I expected at all. He came by & I believe realized that we didn’t enjoy them as we left 3/4 of it & asked is everything okay with the pancakes? I informed him that they are super cold & in my belief they have been ready for a good 15 minutes & that’s why. His response was “they are cold because there is ice cream in the middle” in a very rude / argumentative way as I am stupid. I’ve only had possibly over 500 pancakes in my life with ice cream down the middle & they are always hot with the ice cream melting as well.

I asked for the bill please which he brought & just left at the edge of the table in a rude way. It was extremely uncomfortable & just wanted to get out of the restaurant ASAP.

I am open for the manager or owner to contact me & discuss further in depth of my experience. This is not the right type of guy you want working the floor of your establishment as he truly made the experience awful from the minute we sat down. He can damage your business & scare away lots of potential business & money.

Lastly, you should not judge a book by its cover & can loose LOTS of business & future casual lunches, business lunches with 20 + people or even private events etc.

I run a extremely well established business known VERY well across Canada, so I can tell you first hand, you MUST treat every customer with respect, care & positivity if you want to grow as a person & also...

Tonight, my wife, daughter, and I had the pleasure of dining at Cafe Zuzu, and I am ecstatic to report that our experience was nothing short of outstanding. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by the warm and charming atmosphere, setting the perfect tone for a delightful Italian feast.

Cafe Zuzu's interior is adorned with rustic accents and cozy lighting, creating an ambiance that transports you to a quaint Italian village. The staff, led by the attentive and personable manager, Lindsay, was exceptionally hospitable, making sure we felt welcome and well taken care of throughout our meal.

The menu at Cafe Zuzu showcases an impressive range of Italian dishes, and after much consideration, we finally made our selections. My wife chose the succulent Sea Bream, while my daughter and I opted for the Baked Ziti and Arancini, respectively. Each dish was not only visually stunning but also expertly prepared. The sea bream was cooked to perfection with a delicate, flaky texture and a beautiful blend of herbs and spices. The baked ziti boasted a harmonious mix of pasta, cheese, and tomato sauce, while the arancini was a true revelation, with its crispy exterior giving way to a creamy and flavorful risotto center.

For dessert, we decided to share the delightful Torta Caprese. This traditional chocolate and almond cake from Capri offered a rich and moist treat that left us all in a state of bliss.

Cafe Zuzu, under the watchful eye of manager Lindsay, has truly mastered the art of delivering an authentic and unforgettable Italian dining experience. I wholeheartedly recommend this enchanting restaurant to anyone who appreciates exquisite food, attentive service, and an alluring atmosphere. We are already looking forward to our next visit to Cafe Zuzu, and the delightful culinary journey that...