Wynona Toronto — Restaurant in Toronto

Where do I begin? This place was a huge disappointment and waste of money! I would rate it the second worst restaurant experience I've ever had in Toronto. I left feeling frustrated, disappointed, hungry and robbed. My partner and I took my parents here in January as a belated Christmas present, and we couldn't help but feel embarrassed for bringing them here. The food quality was amateur and the prices exorbitant!

Maybe the downfall was that it was the Winterlicious menu? In any case, I am not forgiving of this fact. If you are a serious restaurant, you make a Winterlicious menu to entice people to come back. You give them a taste of how great you are so they leave wanting more.

To start, 2/4 of us had the carpaccio. I must say, flavour-wise, it was decent. My mom had the hummus (I'm not sure how this is even a dish...it's a dip! I guess it's her fault for ordering it). My dad ordered the sardines. The plate arrived with 3-4 half sardines, cut open with vinegar. My best guess is that it was from a can, imported from Portugal. It took him a bite and half to finish.

For the mains, 2/4 of us ordered the sweet potato agnolotti. Here's the one piece of praise I have: the flavour was unique and delicious. The downfall? I believe we were served 8-10 each (and each were smaller than a quarter). How is that a main dish!?! It was more like an appetizer. My partner ordered the fish, and thought it was too salty. My dad ordered the other pasta dish on the menu. Again, the portion was tiny, and it basically looked like they opened a can of tomato paste and mixed it in with some little pastas. He also thought it was too salty--too salty to even eat. He took one bite and left it. (Chefs, you should taste your food before you serve it to people!)

For dessert, I can't even remember what most of us ordered--that's how unmemorable it was. The one that I do remember is my dad'd order, which was a deconstructed canele. It arrived on what looked like a platter! It was like eating at the Cat in the Hat restaurant where everything is backward or topsy-turvy! Seriously, his dessert was 5-10 times the volume of my little agnolotti pastas. It was ridiculous!

The wine was good, but about $100 for the bottle.

The thing is, I don't mind paying good money for quality food and a memorable experience. There are some restaurants in this city I would happily give my money to, but this place just made me feel bitter. I wish I could go back in time and not go there.

Tips if someone from Wynona ever reads this: Figure out your portions! A starter should be larger than an amuse-bouche, but should be small enough to still leave you hungry (let's say it does about 20% of the job). A main should leave you pretty full (bringing you to maybe 80-90%. That way if someone wants dessert, they still have room!). And then the desert brings you to the full 100%. (The dessert should not be larger than the main dish!!!) Better management and customer service! When my dad complained about his dish being too salty to eat, they did absolutely nothing. They didn't seem to care at all. When you have a group dropping $400 on a dinner, care about their experience!!! Not everyone going to your restaurant is made of money. For some people, this is a rare treat, and you just ruined a very special evening out for them. Have empathy for your customers. They're coming to you hoping for something great - make it a priority to deliver that. Don't serve something you're not proud of. That dish my dad had could have been made by a 5-year old. Seriously, anyone with a kettle and a can opener could have thrown that together. I am honestly embarrassed for the chef who made it and the person who decided to include it...

I've long considered Wynona one of my top recommendations in Toronto, so it was with great enthusiasm that I brought my family there last night, eager to showcase its culinary delights. Previously, I admired their high food standards and the warm, inviting atmosphere created by their open kitchen. However, our recent experience with the new menu was profoundly disappointing.

We sampled nearly every dish on the new menu, and sadly, it fell short of expectations. The baked carrot was particularly underwhelming—hard and served with a topping that completely overwhelmed its natural flavors. It seemed they used a type of carrot better suited for broth than roasting, missing the sweetness of thinner varieties. The yellowtail crudo was disappointingly chunky and had a fishy taste, lacking both flavor and visual appeal. This was a stark contrast to the scallop crudo from the old menu, which had always been a favorite of mine.

The clam pasta was the night's sole highlight, boasting handmade, perfectly textured pasta, though even this dish had minor flaws like sandy clams, which I didn't mind much given the overall quality. Conversely, the grilled meat topped with pickled mushrooms did not impress, and both the bread and grilled sea bass were overcooked to the point of bitterness, with the char lines turning an unappetizing matte black.

I was particularly let down because I knew how excellent their previous offerings were, and I had hoped to impress my family with this hidden gem. The kitchen, usually fragrant with delicious aromas, was noticeably devoid of any appealing food scents. It seems the new menu might be more cost-effective, but at the expense of quality, which felt almost deceitful.

I regret to write such a critical review, as Wynona had always held a special place in my dining preferences. It's rare for me to leave negative feedback, but I felt embarrassed having recommended what turned out to be a...

Nice casual evening sharing delicious food with wonderful friends. Hostess and servers were friendly and offered great suggestions. We were a table of 5, dining on a Wednesday night. Judging from how busy the place was, reservations are a must.

• Grilled focaccia - delicious but wish it was a larger portion. Only 3 slices per order. • Burrata, white wine poached Asian pear, green grape, pine nuts, and fennel pollen - lovely combination of flavours. However the Burrata was served too cold and didn't melt when we cut into it. • Salad of little gem, Ontario sweet peas, green goddess dressing, feta, and pumpernickel dill breadcrumb - we all loved the sprinkle of the pumpernickel dill breadcrumbs. Added a nice flavour and texture to the salad. • Beet honey agnolotti, poppy seed butter, sherry vinegar gastrique, currants, red kale, and ricotta salata - at first we thought it wasn't going to be enough but these little pockets of yummy goodness were richer than we expected. Portion size was perfect for us. • Cuttlefish ink tonnarelli, octopus ragu, baresane olives, paprika oil, dandelion - surprisingly tasty and quite filling. The octopus was well cooked (not rubbery) and the flavours all worked really nicely together. • Branzino, brown butter, cerignola olives, capers, oregano, and lemon - always nice to have a whole fish. Wish it was a slightly larger portion. • Grilled Ontario pork chop, purple mizuna, shaved almond, and apple mostarda - pork chop was cooked perfectly. Tender and juicy. The apple mostarda went so well with the pork chop. • Olive oil cake, Ontario strawberries, pastry cream, and chantilly - think deconstructed strawberry shortcake with a little twist. The fresh strawberries were great as they were in season. • Crème caramel - exactly what we expected it to be. Silky and smooth.

If we were in the area again, we would...