la capricciosa — Restaurant in Toronto

La Capricciosa. The successor to a restaurant that was formerly a crowning jewel for Polish cuisine in Toronto.

For those that frequented Amber in the past, but have yet to visit La Capricciosa, you may feel a sense of nostalgia upon first walking it. The interior remains the same, as does the layout of the restaurant. The atmosphere has seamlessly transferred over as well. That said, from a branding perspective, I am interested as to how La Capricciosa will move forward regarding an interior redesign.

The menu is surprisingly extensive and features a variety of traditional Italian dishes. Although I only had the Calamari alla Grillia, I got the feeling that the seafood dishes at La Capricciosa are the highlights of their menu. The attentiveness to the flavours, composition and quality of the Calamari was unlike any other calamari dish I’ve had in the past. It’s truly something I would recommend everyone to try. I came here with my family, and for our mains we had two veal dishes and one pasta. The two veal dishes were alright, but nothing particularly stood out to me. The pasta on the other hand, which was a Gnocchi Quattro Formaggi, fell short of my expectations. The gnocchi themselves were not equally cooked through, resulting in some rather hard pieces and others being a little too soft. The sauce had hard chunks of what I presumed to be either parmesan or gorgonzola that failed to properly emulsify during the creation of the sauce.

Prior to receiving the dishes that we had ordered, we also received individual bruschetta as a way to make up for the extra lengthy wait time. Just like the Calamari, the bruschetta was phenomenal. A lot of restaurants, whether they’re Italian or not, tend to struggle when it comes to making good bruschetta. La Capricciosa does not. At the end of our meal, we were given a serving of tiramisu. For my parents, it’s been difficult for them to find a restaurant that serves a delicious and accurate tiramisu as many restaurants omit ingredients, add some that shouldn’t be there, or just mess up the creation of it. However, upon trying the tiramisu at La Capricciosa, they felt as if they had just taken a bite into the best slice of tiramisu they have had in 2 decades. Personally, my knowledge on tiramisu isn’t that extensive, however it absolutely lives up to the praise that it receives at this restaurant.

The service at La Capricciosa was very refreshing. As it is a family owned restaurant, everyone that can work was doing so. We had the opportunity to meet with the owner and head chef, Marco. We were able to learn about the origins of the restaurant and how it operated.

Overall, La Capricciosa fills the void left by an Etobicoke Classic while also going above and beyond to bring forth a new Italian experience. Although they are relatively new, they have made a strong debut, and with some work, they will definitely not only become a staple in Bloor West Village, but also throughout the rest...

If you are in Toronto and are craving authentic Italian cuisine from the regions of Sicily and other regional influences that comprise Italy then you have to treat yourself to La Capricciosa! Appetizers and entrees that remanence the heavenly taste and aroma of homestyle Italian cooking (be sure to pair with their quality beverages) and importantly: do not forget to make room for the array of delicious desserts ranging from penna cotta to refreshing gelato.

Aside from the quality of taste, La Capricciosa's quality of experience stems from its staff: the best in terms of hospitality and compassion. The chefs not only deliver great food but also share the history of the food and its respective region to those willing to learn more. Familiar with the Italian language? Strike a conversation with staff like Marco who will not treat you like a customer but rather as a friend and local of the area. The conversations and vibes shared amongst staff and patrons are nothing short of wholesome (I recall after attending a recent dinner service: my family and I made several new acquaintances who were dining nearby who we shared our history, culture, life, and relative experiences within the company of the staff). No other dining experience was able to capture both the incredible taste of the food and the connection from its people like La Capricciosa has done. Truely an experience you have to witness.

It was said once by Anthony Bourdain: "eat at a local restaurant tonight..." the experience at La Capricciosa is why you should eat at a local restaurant tonight.

"Grazie Marco and the rest of your team for the excellent dining experience! We will be back for the lamb shanks, when ready." -...

We ordered food after waiting 5 minutes to be greeted. We were eager to order a bottle of wine. After ordering a bottle of Merlot, the server opened the bottle and poured two glasses without showing us the bottle. He recommended we get the Chianti like our neighbouring table. We decided not to. We placed our food order. The waiter turned the label of the bottle away from us and positioned it next to the wall. Before tasting our wine the colour looked off. I looked at the label and politely informed the server the bottle was not a Merlot, the $42.99 bottle they priced. Instead he brought a cheap blended wine. We asked him for the original Merlot and he stated because the bottle was open he wouldn’t change it, despite us not tasting the wine. Therefore, we cancelled our food order and he yelled at us while we exited the restaurant. I’ve attached a photo of the bottle they served us. Our neighbouring table was also scammed and not served a real Chianti sadly. Check your wine before ordering. They charge $50-$150 per bottle but serve you $10 cheap blended wine. Very sad and embarrassing for this restaurant. In front of a room full of customers the server yelled and insisted we pay for the wrong wine and food order that was placed 30 seconds prior.

I’ll let our neighbours on Bloor W know they swap the wine with cheap bottles and not...