The Wood Owl — Restaurant in Toronto

A really cozy, quaint restaurant with warm vibes. I enjoyed the old school interior that felt like stepping back in time but in the best kind of way. Service was warm and attentive. Our server gave us a lot of great suggestions and knew the menu well.

Every bit of food we had was amazing. We started with the Steak Tatar and the Onion & Okra Bhaji’s. The steak was so unctuous and well seasoned. The bread that came with it was perfectly crisp and tender. The Bhajis really stood out as well. I’m not usually a fan of Okra but it was prepped right in this dish. The sweet chutney underneath was the perfect component to the crispy fritters.

We didn’t take pictures of the mains as we were too eager to dig in. Had the braised beef cheeks that just fell apart and were served in a delicious bordelaise sauce on top of potato purée. With crispy chunks of lardon and a topping of really well seasoned Swiss char. The dish also had crispy, stacked scallop style potatoes that mopped up all that beautiful sauce. We also had a side of roasted squash and radicchio. Perfectly tender & seasoned squash with sage, breadcrumb and crumbled cheese. All the ingredients were piled high forming a mini mountain of flavour. So filling and warming on a cold night.

Everything about the meal was pure comfort. I don’t think you could’ve gone wrong with anything on the menu. The chefs here know what they’re doing and do it with a ton of care and attention.

Finished the night with their dessert as it was a birthday dinner. Had a slice of chocolate cake but the real star was their dessert special, which was a fluffy hibiscus cake, topped with a thin creamy sauce and topped with crispy meringue straws that reminded me of those Popeye candy sticks from my childhood.

Overall such a great meal. One of the better dinner experiences I’ve had in the city as of late. Will for...

No photos were taken because the food was shamelessly devoured by all of us!

The menu is spectacular. We shared most of the appetizers, the carrots were the unanimous standout. The sauce with the scallops and mushrooms were saved to enjoy with our steak frites, porkchops and char. Do not let anything go to waste! More bread with that heavenly whipped butter was ordered. Our table was continuously filled with exceptionally well executed and intentioned dishes.

We had the Basque cheesecake and the chocolate dessert, both celiac friendly and ordered another Basque cheesecake again because it is that good. The texture is so velvety and delicate.

The menu accommodated our celiac friend and we were all so glad that she was able to enjoy almost everything with very minimal substitutions.

Their beverages stood their own with everything we had. Cocktails, wine, amaro and alcohol free.

The service was so warm and friendly, knowledgeable and thorough. Genuine. Hard to find it on that level.

It’s a great room to be in! We were all admiring the décor. You’re lucky to have had every plate returned. 😂

Being in the restaurant industry, it’s hard to find time to enjoy other great restaurants like The Wood Owl. We had all been wanting to come for so long. We were so excited to come tonight to celebrate our Chef’s birthday and they made it so memorable. The Michelin recommendation is well deserved. I’m gushing because it’s rare to have an experience like this. The hard work is much appreciated and so worth the wait. Will come and visit again hopefully sooner than later. Thank you so much to you all for making a special occasion that much...

3.5/5. Of the two appetizers, 1 main, and 1 dessert, the raw fish with orange and Thai basil oil appetizer was the most inventive and unusual - not exactly something I want to eat every day, but interesting enough that we thought it remarkable. The 2nd appetizer - squash/eggplant with ricotta was a bit too heavy and the sweet and sour from the Italian agrodolce sauce wasn't our speed. The main of chanterelle mushrooms and beef cheeks was delicately cooked (the beef especially managed to be both moist and tender while also slightly singed on the outside, perfect) but the flavour again was a bit too heavy. The Basque cheesecake was also too much, the accompanying cherries and sauce both overly sweet and sour. It's clear that the kitchen is talented and technically proficient, but unfortunately the flavours didn't really mesh with what we enjoy. It's a shame - if there was a bit more nuance in balancing flavour profiles, I'd probably give this place a better score.

Service was fine - very surface level interaction, nothing to complain about. Room felt like a pub with lots of wood but imagine if they turned down the kelvin colour temperature to something real low - a very yellow room. Felt kinda 70s. Appreciated the ramp to the washrooms - nice touch. Would visit again to see if the food improves, but I wouldn't purposely go out of my way to come - only if I was in the...