El Bodegon

I have been to this restaurant many many times and have NEVER been disappointed. I take my out-of-town guests there and they always want to return on their next visit. Service is very pleasant and the food is very very good. My fav is the fish and plantains. Nice and light and extremely tasty.

Restaurant is a little small but you can't have it all.

This is definitely not a classic Spanish cuisine restaurant and should not be listed under Spanish Food. The food is Central/South American.

The service was abysmal. This non-chalant attitude persisted throughout the entire experience and became very upseting by 'pay the bill' time'.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was one comparable to an indigenous latin american restuarant, which of itself is fine, but this coupled with poor service and poor food; made me incapable of appreciating any folksiness this restaurant possessed.

The food was just poor. The salad was limp and tasteless. The squid was overcooked, heavily breaded and greasy. The paella did not resemble any paella I've ever tasted. It simply was some sort of rice dish, ringed by mussels, with a few shrimp and sliced red pepper as a topping.

Really, extremely disappointing and one restaurant I will never see again.

I visited the restaurant for an early dinner. Food was plentiful and the service was fine, but I got food poisoning after eating here. The fish was obviously not fresh, but it was deep fried and had a sauce on it, so I wouldn't have known this. I would avoid this restaurant at all costs.

My husband and I visit El Bodegon about 3 - 4 times per year. It is one of our favourite restaurants in Toronto! The food is SO good. Food portions are generous. If you want to try a latinamerican restaurant - this one is worth it.

I WAS ACTUALLY THERE EATING A NICE LATE LUNCH EARLY DINNER, WHEN THIS MAN CRAIG E WAS THERE COMPLAINING, IN HIS ENGLISH ACCENT.
WE ALL FOUND IT QUIET FUNNY IN THE RESTURANT THAT HIS PARTY AFTER SEEING HIS DISHES WERE ALL FINISHED. SO WHEN YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT FOOD MAKE SURE YOU COMPLAIN AFTER YOUR FIRST UNSATISFIED BITE, NOT AFTER YOU HAVE CLEANED IT UP.
AS FOR THE CEVICHE, MY BOYFRIEND IS FROM PERU, AND I EAT AT HIS HOUSE VERY OFTEN AND IT TASTES THE SAME, BUT OF COURSE I MUST SAY HIS DADS COOKING IS ALWAYS BEST.

ANOTHER PIECE OF ADVICE TO YOU CRAIG E,JUST SOME MANNERS, THERE IS NO NEED TO SCREAM INSIDE A RESTURANT, UNLESS YOU ARE DYING FROM WHAT THEY GAVE YOU. YOU HAVE A PROBLEM KEEP IT TO YOURSELF, IF YOU HAVE ANY RESPECT FOR OTHERS. IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE RIGHT BE THE BETTER MAN, NO NEED TO BE CHILDISH. THE OWNER WAS CALM WITH YOU AND HAD A RIGHT NOT TO REFUND YOU THE MONEY, MAIN REASON "YOUR PARTY FINISHED ALL THE FOOD" SO IT DOES NOT SHOW A UNHAPPY CUSTOMER, IT JUST SHOWS SOMEONE WHO DOESNT WANT TO PAY THE BILL.
BUT OVERALL, ITS OK, ITS BETTER NOT TO HAVE ONE OF YOU IN THE RESTURANT. BYE BYE CRIEG, ENJOY YOUR TRAVELS.

nice location and authentic decor, service was quick, unfortunately my order of ceviche mixto was very bad, the shrimps(these were the frozen variety small and soggy, also they were sliced in half!!), the mussels tasted off, also the absence of cilantro and lime juice rally made my meal very bland, also I had a 1 1/4 inch piece of corn on the cob, the sweet potato was soggy and frozen in the middle...
I exercised my right to complain, the owner assured me this was prepared the authentic way as in peru, much to his surprise he was unaware I had been to peru last year for several months and my wife is a peruvian national, I offered partial payment, he flatly refused and I wasn't any kind of solution, I waited for the bill and he had charged me for the meal, my wife and I were furious we complained more firmly and they still didnt refund my money, there was shouting more on my part (I have previous resturant exp. in Europe as well as Canada and voiced firmly the presentation and quality of product I was served)

As it happens I actually wanted ceviche corvina, I was told there was no fish left (this was saturday afternoon around 4pm, can you believe this!)

we talked to other friends (they had ordered take-out in the past, they too were unhappy!)

anyway my conclusion the servere was great but the management was lousy and dont relise the concept of return business and negative word of mouth!! can this place really exist and how does it survive!!!

A disgruntled customer

It's a great place to dine, the service is good, the food is tasty, the environment could be better, the proximity of the front door to the tables makes it very uncomfortable in the winter when people are coming and going and you feel the extreme cold.

AMAZING, we went for dinner and the portions are HUGE!! Not to mention absolutely delicious. The atmosphere is very unique and they open the doors so it's like you are sitting outside but really are inside. A totally one of a kind restaurant and I'm dying to go back. Must try the Pisqo Sour or Inca Cola-South American specialties.