Sotto Sotto Italian Restaurant - Toronto (Yorkville): Sotto Sotto is an Italian restaurant located on the upscale Avenue Road in Yorkville, Toronto. This restaurant serves authentic Italian cuisine and is a favourite among celebrities and locals alike. You never know whom you might be rubbing shoulders with while dining here. Reservations are a must as this restaurant is a popular hot spot.

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Located in a basement a few steps below street level, Sotto Sotto was decorated with frescoes and wall-mounted stonework. Low ceilings and candle light gave this Toronto restaurant a romantic cavern like ambience. The wooden tables and chairs had an old world charm about them. However, I felt that the tables were placed a little too close together for comfort.

We were at Sotto Sotto for dinner. This place came highly recommended and there were a lot of good reviews on the internet. Needless to say, we visited this restaurant with high expectations. At the time of our visit, the place was jam packed. Since it was a small restaurant in terms of space, we felt a bit cramped. And the low ceilings just made matters worse.

We were stuck in a corner at the back of the restaurant. Our initial impression of this Toronto restaurant was that it was cramped and dark. We were hoping that the food would make up for these claustrophobic feelings we were starting to have. The extensive Italian menu was categorized into appetizers, soups, salads, pasta, risotto, main courses of seafood and meat, sides and desserts.

I started out with the chef’s soup of the day, a pumpkin soup. Priced at $8.50, this soup was excellent and full of flavor. My dining partner ordered the Spaghetti Scoglio, a seafood mix with spaghetti. The appetizer portion of this dish was priced at $20.95. The pasta was full of seafood and it was evident that it was fresh. The accompanying sauce was superb as well.

For the main course I ordered the grilled rack of lamb while my partner opted for the baked fish. The grilled rack of lamb or the Abbacchio Della Taverna (priced at $41.95) was served with some asparagus and cauliflower. I had ordered this dish medium rare. However, it was served medium to almost medium well. So I sent it back and the staff did this without creating any issue. But it took forever to get a replacement.

My dining partner’s baked fish or the Pesce Del Mondo was dry and dull and definitely not worth the $45.00 market price. Also my replacement didn’t come until my partner was almost done with his fish. It felt like we were just taking turns eating, not exactly how we had planned to spend our evening. When my lamb was served again, it was medium rare and was quite good. Though it was definitely not the best I have had to date, it was still pretty good. Or was it because I was extra hungry after that long wait? I am not sure. Anyway, I pecked away at the sparse vegetables that dotted my plate and did finish my dinner but it was just not impressive.

We ended our dinner with a dry version of the Tiramisu ($9.50). This dessert just sealed the dinner for us, it was average at best. Service was fair, but we did feel neglected on more than one occasion. The wine list was extensive and pricey just like the other items on the menu.

Overall, Sotto Sotto gets only a Almost Bombastic rating from us. I honestly think all the hype surrounding this Toronto restaurant is a bit too much, at least based on my experience. It’s definitely not a place that we would go back to. If you do venture in, my guess is that you would feel a bit over charged and under impressed.

What I liked: The soup and seafood pasta

What I didn’t like: The food just didn’t live up to the hype

Rating: Almost Bombastic

Address and Telephone Number:
Sotto Sotto
116a Avenue Rd
Toronto, ON M5R 2H4
Phone: (416) 962-0011

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