Rivoli Toronto — Restaurant in Toronto

We were in the area on a Wednesday night, and it seems like almost nothing is open past 22:00. Luckily, Rivoli was open until 23:00. We weren’t really expecting much; the assumption was that it was just some place that caters to drunk people at night. That was far from the case! Service was fantastic! They had us seated, got our food, and bill quickly. They were attentive and friendly as well! The food is another high point. We got the Braised Beef Poutine, The Cesar Salad (w/Chicken), and the Signature House Greens (w/ Steak). For ‘appetizers’, the portion size for all 3 items was generous and appreciated! I’ll start with the Cesar, as it was my friend’s choice. She said it was good, and I agree that the chicken, lettuce, and dressing were good. I thought the croutons were a little too hard, but that might be normal (I don’t eat croutons very often). The House Greens with Steak: I can’t believe the steak was just a side item. It was a nice cut of meat! Well seasoned, and cooked perfectly! Delicious! The salad itself was wonderful as well. I’m normally not a fan of sweet ingredients with my steak, but the delicate balance achieved here was flawless. The salad had greens, but it also had walnuts, raisins, amongst other things. It was such a nice addition to the steak! Finally, the Braised Beef Poutine; WOW! It was INCREDIBLE! I kept commenting on how difficult it must be for the chef who has to pull that braised meat afters its slow cook without eating it. It smelled and tasted so good! The rest of the poutine was also fantastic; generous portions of curds, a nice gravy, and well cooked fries.

Overall, I would highly recommend this place if you’re in the area! They have several braised beef dishes. They’re a must; their braised...

The Rivoli, located on Queen West, has been around since 1982, hosting a variety of shows, including musical acts, comedy shows, and private events. Their upper level is home to a pool hall and entertainment space. Their restaurant serves up some great tasting food at reasonable prices, whether you're looking for a light bite before catching a show, or something more substantial.

I recently had an opportunity to try items from their updated menu, as well as some fan favourites.

Their Wookie Balls are a longtime crowd favourite, featuring deep fried rice balls coated with sesame seeds and served with a sweet chili sauce. They were actually quite good!

The Parmesan Truffle Fries had a very enchanting aroma that made them hard to resist, especially when dipped in their house aioli. Yummy!

Danish Meatballs, aka Frikadeller, were certainly meaty and delicious! Everything was really good, and nicely presented in a manner that made it easy to eat, especially if catching a live show or shooting pool.

We enjoyed their hefty and delicious Blackened Burger, their popular Pad Thai, Fried Chicken Sandwich, Pesto Linguini, a variety of Flatbreads, and their D'Oh Balls for dessert. Everything tasted great!

There are two full service bars offering a variety of wines, beer, and cocktails to quench your thirst. The second floor is also home to a very spacious pool hall and additional entertainment space.

The Rivoli has hosted many musicians since opening in 1982. Popular acts include Adele, Arcade Fire, Beck, Blue Rodeo, Iggy Pop, Tegan and Sara, Jully Black, and many more!

The Rivoli has a lot to offer. Check them out the next time you're downtown, near Queen...

Have you ever been Ghosted by a venue when planning a special event?

I have enjoyed the Rivoli restaurant over the years but recently had something happen while helping a friend plan a music event that confuses me as haven't seen anything like it in 30 years as an event planner. I see the owner responds to the reviews so perhaps will get a response here as has been over a week since I first called the owner to get clarity re an event booking my friend started the process in july. ( I suspect this is a digital marketing agency commenting on google reviews behalf of the owner, maybe not and I will get a response)

After a tour mid July were told the event was available and there was the usual back and forth between the booking manager, chef and owner to confirm what could be done at the venue for the event. The booking manager went slient after our last meeting mid August and thought was due to holidays. At no time was staffing issues mentioned as a factor here.

We then began to wonder after labour day why still didnt have the details for the event as we wanted to get invitations out. We spent the next 3 weeks following up with the venue and still no response re the booking. Not knowing what to do, I finally tracked down the owner to see if could have someone confirm the booking and they were gong to check.

This was over a week ago and after a few more followups looks like we have been ghosted.

From me and behalf of the 150 people that were really looking forward to a fun band night this fall and now disappointed. It was unfortunate no one took ownership of the situation or had the courtesy to at least respond.

Deb...