Vizavi Restaurant — Restaurant in Vaughan

Before giving my 2 cents on Vizavi, I would like to explain (for the uninitiated) how the vast majority of Russian restaurants in Toronto function.

Most are open for lunch and dinner and will have a menu from which you can order a meal. However, their primary source of business (and validation from the Russian community) is the "full-cover" option where the patrons order a number of seats paying a set fee (depending on the menu options and the time of day) per seat. With a full-cover, your table will be layered with dozens of dishes, with new ones added in a span of 4-6 hour. Most Russian restaurants have some live music in the evenings along with a dance floor.

Although the full-cover option is available to smaller groups, it is usually utilized by larger parties. It is common for a larger group to book the entire restaurant for a wedding, a birthday party or a work function. To larger groups, the restaurant functions as a banquet hall. Most of these restaraunts serve alcohol but BYOB is a very popular option.

I would recommend three basic rules you will need to follow in order to enjoy your full-cover experience:

There will always be more food on the table than you can enjoy at any point in time;

The best food usually comes later so don't over-eat earlier (see rule number 1); and

If there is music, don't be shy about doing a little dancing between courses (it helps burn calories).

Most of the Russian restaurants offer similar dishes in their full-cover options. They are usually judged by the handful of dishes that is unique to a particular restaurant and by the quality/freshness of the food. With this in mind, here is the review of my full-cover experience at Vizavis. I have been there several times since many members of my Russian-speaking family like to book it for their birthday parties. Overall, my experience as relayed in this review has been consistent.

The restaurant is a comparatively small space. A group of 30-40 people might be enough to book the entire venue. It doesn't have the tacky, over-the-top décor like faux gold high ceilings and giant chandleries (which is either good or bad depending on what you like). You won't get married here but you can have an intimate birthday party with 30 of your close friends and family.

There is a decent-size dance floor and the music is pretty good, with some English and French songs mixed into the usual lineup of Russian restaurant songs.

The staff is good at re-filling drinks, setting tables, replacing dishes and catering to the dozens of minor requests for new cutlery, extra napkins, etc.... With the full-cover option everyone is on the same clock and you don't have to worry about your orders being mixed up.

The food is excellent. Everything is prepared fresh and you don't feel like you are eating yesterday's leftovers (which is more than I can say about some other Russian restaurants I won't name here). The braised veal ribs are fall-of-the bone delicious and the grilled meat platter served towards the end is solid.

The restaurant serves some unique dishes including an avocado-mango salad, potato latkes and the house-specialty varenyky (a type of Ukrainian pierogi stuffed with strawberries). Honestly, I would go back just for the varenyky and would recommend this dish, to anyone just ordering from the menu.

Overall, Vizavis is a...

We went there last weekend and I had the best Eastern European cuisine experience in GTA in over thirty years! Vizavi serves an elevated style home cooking done perfectly.

Highly recommended in 2025 because every dish is authentic and absolutely is exceptional in execution. The taste, aromas, serving temperatures, serving sizes are all combined to deliver a very enjoyable multi-plate meal. The ingredients are fresh, the meats, poultry and fish plates were all consistently perfectly prepared and cooked. The fact that there was nothing mediocre is worthy of the highest praise to the all-female kitchen and serving crew.

It's so good Gordon Ramsay would be hard pressed to find any fault with any of the dishes. I'd not hesitate to return to enjoy their cooking any day of the week.

The seating arrangements, entertainment, and decor are very typical of a classic Easter European immigrant banquet hall (this one is also on a smaller size). More cramped than cozy, table space is classically saved by shorting you of glassware. You choose whether you'll use your glass for wine or water, as getting extra glasses would inconvenience your table neighbours - there's simply not enough free space on your table. All this is not important because the food is...

I recently had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday here and I must say, it was a wonderful experience from start to finish. The ambiance was charming and welcoming, the restaurant was nicely decorated and the staff were incredibly attentive. They went above and beyond to ensure our dining experience and my birthday celebration was perfect, from appetizers to dessert.

The beautifully presented food was a highlight of the night - each dish was bursting with delicious traditional and new flavours. I was impressed with the quantity, quality and variety on offer - there truly was something for everyone. The live music and dance floor really added an extra element of fun and entertainment to the night.

I would highly recommend Vizavi to anyone looking for a top-notch Eastern European dining experience. The food, ambiance, music and exceptional service make for a truly...