Donna’s — Restaurant in Toronto

Totally not worth it the hype!

I went there after seeing so many chefs recommending the place in a very popular Instagram page, but it turns out this is probably and most unfortunately one of the worst places for food I’ve ever been in Toronto. Cheers to the servers and customer service, for they’re incredibly kind and helpful- and surely the place has its own vibe with thrifted items all over, a nostalgic aesthetic and background music that transports you to a different place in time (although the first couple songs were upbeat electro and I got myself confused before settling for a 80s-90s playlist).

However, I found during my culinary experience that they are heavy-handed when it comes to adding acidity to their meals. Totally and completely not balanced. My goat cheese toast would be great, for the sourdough was freshly baked and tasty- can’t say the same about the artichokes! Way too sour and covered in vinegar, or whatever acids they use to season it. It looked like a soup and it didn’t taste good. Also, the lasagna is allegedly “shareable” but I found two sheets of lasagna topped with CHUNKS (!) of cheese completely nonsense, and definitely not enough portion to make one person satisfied- but very tasty nonetheless! Wasn’t it for the cheese chunks, it would’ve been a 10/10 for me. So yeah, I went ahead and ordered a side of salad, only to get myself disappointed with… guess what? Yeah, more vinegar/acid. The green beans in the salad tasted like over salted olives or something pickled like… pickles, yet not green beans. Yeah let’s just put it like that. And finally, the lemon pie. It was SO BAD I couldn’t finish it and brought it home with me, only to hear from my partner “wow that’s way too lemony eh? Very sour”.

So yeah, it was meant to be a lovely and sweet experience, but it turned out to be extremely sour, as ironic as it may sound- would love to have my money back if that was a thing (over $100 with two drinks just for one person), but hey! Don’t believe me if you don’t want to. Just go there aware that your expectations should be set right, so you don’t get to be as disappointed and upset as I was by the end of my experience. Just be ready to not make faces while eating...

Donna’s is delightful.

The restaurant décor is simple, disorientingly decadeless vintage, but so comforting. It felt somewhere between a mom-and-pop diner and your childhood best friend’s home kitchen. We arrived on a Saturday night and were seated within fifteen minutes (I expect longer waits in the near future).

The menu has a large drink list including cocktails, wine and beer, in widely varying price ranges. It is divided between before (apps) and after (mains) 6pm dishes. There are some good vegetarian/vegan options.

We ordered:

The cold roast pork, endive and tarragon – well liked (I didn’t try this one).

Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese and carrot chutney – the sweetness of the carrot chutney combined with the cheese was beautiful and the small toasts were served warm. I wasn’t a huge fan of the cream crackers on the plate (although I normally like them) and would have preferred more toasts.

Sole with red butter, hazelnuts and a side of Brussel sprouts – The red butter sauce was warm and spicy and the hazelnuts added a nice nutty crunch. The Brussel sprouts were the best I have ever tasted. What a combination! The dish was perfectly sized for two people.

The staff suggested the (locally made) bread and butter to go with the pork, which rounded out the meal nicely.

Everything was flavourful and well thought out. The quality of the food experience reminded me of those I've had at Black Hoof and Liverpool House.

The service was friendly and professional.

I would like to come back to try their lunch menu! Well...

Can confirm, Donna's is a fabulous neighbourhood restaurant, with excellent yet unpretentious service and a solid wine list. Immaculate vibes. Unfussy but well thought-out menu. Standout was the leafy green salad. I don't even care if it's boring to love a salad, because it is imo, the best way to start a meal. Like, I loved this salad. I want it again right now. My mouth is watering thinking about it. Made the mistake of ordering two rich dishes to follow: the lamb liver toast and the roast duck breast. Back to back, those dishes were too much for moi, and that's just bad ordering on my part. However - the lamb liver was well balanced with a pickled shallot to cut through the rich liver. The roast duck breast is def for 2, as the menu suggests, and unfortunately was just the slightest bit overdone, at least imo, so the texture didn't feel quite right. The flavours were on point though (that pop of clementine sweetness!) and I didn't not enjoy it, but after the rich lamb liver, it didn't stand out. If you order the roast duck for 2, strongly suggest getting two veggie starters instead of another protein. The table next to us had the carrots, and they looked delish. The service was also excellent - attentive, but not intrusive. Friendly but not extra. Just really good staff which usually reflects good management and a cohesive vision. Exactly what you want in a neighbourhood resto. 2 apps + 1 large main + 1 glass of wine + 1 non-alc drink = about...