Marusya's Kitchen — Restaurant in Toronto

According to recent reviews, a heavily intoxicated restaurant owner on a Sunday at 1 PM is no longer an exception but a regular occurrence. However, during our previous visits, we had never experienced anything like this.

We came for lunch with our families and children and encountered this firsthand. We went upstairs right away—there was no one else there. No one except the drunken owner. At first, she was friendly, but her behavior suddenly changed. While I was in the restroom with my child, she approached my husband and, without any reason, started yelling at him, demanding that we leave her restaurant and even threatening to kill us. My husband immediately called the police, but as expected, they were unable to do anything. We didn’t even get a chance to place an order and still have no idea what triggered such aggression. I truly feel sorry for the staff, who are doing their best to apologize and salvage the situation. I also feel for the other guests who had to witness this chaos. And I feel sorry for the owner herself if she is struggling with personal issues. But if you are reading this—showing up to work in such a state, even if you own the restaurant, is absolutely unacceptable. It is not only disrespectful to customers and employees but also a direct threat to your business’s reputation. This place is unsafe. We, especially my child, are still deeply shaken by...

I saw the reviews about the drunk owner 2 months ago and thought that surely the issue is taken care of. It is not. A drunk, unwashed, woman was standing by the kitchen and making loud sounds. Is there not a friend or a loved one that can her some help? Is she alone in the world? How can this go on for MONTHS?

The staff was laughing and just said: "Ignore her" This is a tragedy waiting to happen.

The staff is probably Eastern European as we're not as phased my such behaviour, which is sad...

The Food: 🍲it was nothing to write home about. I was excited about solyanka but it lacked flavour and depth. Same with the green borsh that my friend ordered and same with the medovik. 3/5 The Herring in a fur coat was delicious and the salon butter delicious and an original interpretation! 5/5

The Service: overall friendly and pleasant, though we did have to fetch our server a couple of times even though the restaurant wasn't full. 4/5

The Vibe: it's a beautiful, pleasant restaurant but the vibe is ruined by the drunk owner. Please get...

From the outside, this restaurant does not look very attractive, but this changes once you get inside. On the ground floor, the atmosphere is that of an intimate, homey diner—a bit too crowded. But when you reach the second floor, everything changes. Suddenly, you find yourself in a smaller version of Vienna's popular restaurant, with beautiful chandeliers and decorated walls. A vast, floor-to-ceiling window is a winning feature, and several tables are placed along it. There, I ate one of the most delicious chicken paprikash ever in a quiet, pleasant atmosphere. I will certainly go back to try other dishes. The owner is a wonderfully friendly woman who believes in traditional values of good, home-like cuisine. I would like to suggest a better-looking menu, possibly with food photos. It would be easier to order from it. I give this...