Leña Restaurante — Restaurant in Toronto

(Visit Dec 7, 2024) Went for a dinner with my friend. There was issues with transit and we thought we were going to be late. We called ahead and they were good to move forward our reservation 30 mins. We arrived faster than expected, were seated in the requested area (upper platform) and then no one spoke to us for about 15 mins. No waiter approached us, no one got us menus or offered us waters.

When waitstaff finally came, we placed our appetizer and entree order all at once, each ordered an alcoholic drink, and then ordered dessert after that. I had a deal with my credit card where I would be reimbursed for up to $200 worth of spending on our meal, so we weren't conservative in our ordering. We got 3 appetizers, 3 entrees, and two desserts between the two of us.

The food was ok. The steak was the real heavy lifter in the meal. It was incredible! Juicy and tender. Everything was good but not legendary. The prices seemed decent, although for being one of the top 100 restaurants in Canada, I think we had higher hopes for the food.

Our experience with the waitstaff was the real issue we encountered. We arrived at 7pm, so the restaurant was busy but not crazy. There was an event going on downstairs (no idea if that would have made a difference). But, several times throughout our meal, we had to stop staff and ask for things (new napkin, more water, dessert menu) because we staff were not stopping at our table. The real issue came at the end of our meal when I asked for the leftovers to be placed in a take home container. The waiter left with my food and then never came back. The bill was provided and I asked about my food. Finally the waiter reappeared and apologized that the food had been thrown out and they were remaking both entrees fully and would repackage then for me, which they did after some time. Along with the inattentive waitstaff and the delays this caused, it made for a lackluster time. Staff were kind and nice but my friend, and I appreciate them doing right by me in remaking the entrees they tossed, but my friend and I probably wont go...

Oh, dear. I chose to go here despite all of the bad Yelp reviews and not so great Google reviews. My own fault.

Full disclosure, I did come for Winterlicious '18 but I don't think that excuses the absolutely terrible meal that I had.

For starters, their tables are incredibly small, and the group of 4 I was with were squeezed into what seemed like a table designed to fit one chess board, constantly maneuvering our cutlery, water glasses and wine glasses to try and make room. This, despite the tiny little plates that our tiny little dinner portions were served on.

My appetizer was the jamón blanco. Everything about it tasted weird and off. The ham tastes like deli meat. The golden raisins felt like they didn't belong on the plate. The goat cheese cream did not taste good, and I couldn't figure out what the smoked eggplant was for awhile but it looked like old dirty tripe. 0/5

My main was the cappellacci, which contained three measly pieces of undercooked pasta with chicken and guanciale ragu (which at least was cooked fine). There was nothing at all special about this dish and despite being a small eater, I finished this quickly and wondered why there wasn't more. 2.5/5

Finally, I chose the orange and almond cake for dessert. How could that go wrong? The cake wasn't dry at least, as I had read in some other reviews. However, the crème fraîche that it came with tasted like a bland dollop of sour cream that completely clashed and drowned out the sweetness of the cake. I quickly scraped it off and discarded it to the side. 3/5

The wine that was recommended to us was also not good. Despite everything, the service was nice and attentive, and perhaps that was the only redeeming quality about the place. Oh, the negroni was pretty good but who can mess that drink up?

I definitely won't be coming back here. Heavily disappointed given the O&B pedigree of this place, but it seems all the talent was spent on decorating this place and making it look aesthetically beautiful inside rather than any focus on the quality...

When I made a reservation at Lena, I mentioned in the booking that my father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and that he was determined to start living life to the fullest. The first thing he wanted to do was revisit Lena, a restaurant he cherished from years ago. While I didn't have any specific requests, I mentioned that great service would mean a lot to us.

From the moment we arrived, the team at Lena went above and beyond to make our experience special. They seated us in the best booth in the restaurant. The staff's warmth and attentiveness were immediately apparent, making us feel welcomed.

One of the highlights was when they allowed my father to order a meal intended for two, Aurora’s chicken, just for himself, while I chose the noqui. This thoughtful gesture made him feel special and allowed him to enjoy his favorite meal.

Our server was incredibly attentive, ensuring we had everything we needed throughout our visit. In a particularly touching moment, she even remade his coffee because he was in the restroom when it had cooled down. I was so moved by the kindness of the staff that I found myself tearing up as I thanked her for making our time so special. I felt a bit embarrassed for crying, but she was so compassionate.

As for the food, it was nothing short of amazing. Each dish was beautifully presented and delicious. To top it all off, the chef came out to say hello, which was such a lovely gesture.

Overall, our experience at Lena was wonderful and memorable. The combination of exceptional service, delicious food, and a warm atmosphere made it a perfect outing for my father. I am incredibly grateful to the staff for making this meal special during such a challenging time. I highly recommend Lena to anyone looking for a fantastic dining experience. Thank you, Lena, for creating a beautiful...