Restaurant Ricky+Olivia — Restaurant in Toronto

From the moment my husband and I walked in, we had a good feeling about the evening ahead. The decor is eclectic, whimsical, and cool: a cozy, narrow space adorned with macrame plant-covered wine bottles and leg lamps with fishnet stockings that look like they’re straight off a vintage movie set. Add to that a playful French disco soundtrack (which we loved—though we wouldn’t have minded it a touch quieter so we could hear each other more easily).

We were lucky to be served by Olivia, who was everything you could hope for in a server: warm, attentive, and intuitive. She struck the perfect balance between being available without hovering. To boot, the pacing of the meal was spot-on. Having both worked in food service ourselves, we especially appreciated this and know it’s no easy feat to get right.

The menu is compact but imaginative, filled with inventive dishes that make you want to try everything. We started with their take on a Caesar salad, featuring a beet tahini dressing and hickory sticks instead of croutons. The smoky crunch from the hickory sticks and fried capers were fantastic touches, though we found it a bit overly salty and thought a crisper lettuce like romaine might have worked better with the heaviness of the dressing.

The steak tartare—described as “dressed like a Big Mac”—is served with a cheddar dipping sauce, shredded lettuce, and pickles. It’s fun and playful, and it comes with the most addictive deep-fried, herb-coated saltines. Honestly, we’d come back just for the crackers—they were that good. A splash of acid would have brought even more balance to the dish, but it was still a standout.

The turnip cakes with marinated tofu, mushrooms (both roasted and raw), and chili crisp oil delivered serious umami. If you’re a mushroom fan, this dish is for you. We found the raw mushrooms on top a bit distracting, and the seasoning could use a bit more precision, but it was an interesting and satisfying plate overall.

Our last dish was the pickerel, which was cooked to perfection—crispy on the outside, flaky and moist on the inside. It came with warm spices, tahini, and a salsa with onion, cilantro, and peanuts. Each component was great on its own, but together, the combination felt slightly at odds. With a bit of editing, this dish could really shine.

All in all, this is a restaurant that’s clearly on the rise. The creativity, hospitality, talent, and passion are all there, and it’s obvious they’re not afraid to take risks and try new things. While a few dishes could use refinement, I have no doubt they’re on their way to becoming one of the best dining...

Came here for my partner’s surprise birthday dinner and it was truly incredible! First off, the reservation manager was a star, making sure our party could be accommodated and that the prix fixe menu met a few dietary restrictions with carve-outs.

The vibe of the place is really nice! We had a great table in the back for our party of 11, so it made for a cozy experience.

The tall male server we had was attentive, funny, and really kept up with the table. Which is no easy task.

Very good selection of drinks and wine! I really enjoyed the Mr. Christie Old Fashioned, but the Saltini was universally disliked by the table. I don’t know if the ratio of sesame oil was wrong, but it was way too potent and left a mouth taste that altered the taste of my next drinks / bites. This specific cocktail should be banished.

Now for the food. We had the opportunity to do a large prix fixe menu, so we tried almost everything on the menu. AND IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. The tartare, the chicken liver mousse, and chicken+duck were my favourites. That chicken liver mousse really played with your palate beyond what you can imagine.

I think some mods that might make more sense with the dishes/theme would be to replace the chicken mousse Bundt cakes with saltine crackers, as that plays into the PB&J with crackers snack. You also want that texture contrast between the crackers and mousse. And serve the chocolate mousse with cinnamon sugar Bundt cake, as that would go really well together! Minor note is that the turnip cake has a big hit of black pepper, which catches you by surprise and slightly unpleasant.

Lastly, it would add to the experience to explain the theme/concept/dishes to the table, as it wasn’t until I asked at the end that everything made more sense (eg all the...

We came to eat a late night dinner...walked into a vast establishment, passing a library of wine, the heart of the kitchen and were welcomed into the spacious yet cosy patio.

At 9pm, we found the restaurant vibing yet relaxing.

We started with a great recommendation of a flowery and light beer (Lovebird by Good Things).

We ended up with the following items:

Radish salad, adobo cheese curds, 1/2 chicken, the fun burger and a side of fries.

All of the dishes were delicious and adventurous yet calculated. We felt a balance of flavors that we didn't expect. Our appetizers primed us for the mains (the proteins) appropriately with sour, spicy, sweet, and refreshing flavour profiles.

An advisory, the radish may initially taste bitter to some, but for my dining companion and I, it was a dish that got better and more familiar with each "slice".  The stars of the menu were definitely the proteins and the fries.

We were delighted with the sweet aroma from the burger (buns). The chicken had a hint of spice, a touch of sour, a light richness and an uber one premium account that delivered flavour into my mouth.

I could describe it more but we highly recommend you decide (and experience) for yourself. Everything was superbly cooked to perfection and the flavours, as I've said... exquisite.

The service was impeccably timed, appropriately warm, knowledgeable, and honest.

We enjoyed how creative and thoughtful all the dishes felt. If Ricky and Olivia's were a student in school... it would be the gifted yet popular student in school who grew up to be exactly what everyone expected them to be, a smashing success.

We'll be back to try the rest of the restaurant...