Grazie Ristorante

Enjoyed a quick but cute Valentine’s Day dinner (I say quick because I wanted to catch the all-​star game. so I wanted to eat, get back into sweats, and watch the game!!!
Waited for 20 mins to get a table no problem grabbed a drink by the bar and we chatted with the friendly bartender.
When we sat down, our waiter came over and offered to read the specials of the night. we both ordered the special soup– potato, brie and bacon soup and it was sooo good.
I ordered the Penza pasta added chicken and it was flavourful and creamy. My bf had the pizza and it looked really good, he said the crust was perfect and the toppings were very flavourful.
knocking off 1 point because of the music… it was a little loud and too euro. it would have been nice to listen to some smooth jazz or something a little soft.

Loved Grazie!
I don’t like how they don’t take ressos during the week days but I quickly got past that. I visited this restaurant on a Thursday night with some work friends. Combined, we ordered a bottle of Malbec, two salads, two pasta dishes and bruschetta. I can’t recall one complaint being said about the meal or the service. Not one!
Our server was really friendly and gave us some distance at the end of our meal for chatting while we finished our bottle of vino. She didn’t over crowd us or give the hairy eyeball to leave when it started to busy-​up. I really liked that.
The food was incredible. I ordered the baked goat cheese salad and the Penza pasta. Mmm. Simply Mmm. The goat cheese salad was wrapped with phyllo and had grilled eggplant and peppers inside. It was delightful! The Penza was loaded with pancetta pieces and the green onions really enhanced the flavours. I didn’t find my meal too heavy at all which is rare for a creamy pasta dish.
My friend ordered the Tasca pasta dish and thoroughly enjoyed it, too. It came as a surprise when it arrived in a package. Literally arrived in a small, cute, bundled up pasta package. Visually appealing. Another girlfriend has a prosciutto salad with added chicken which looked tasty.
I honestly can’t wait to return to Grazie.

We went for Lunch after my son’s hockey game at a nearby arena.
I can strongly recommend the following pasta dishes:
Bologna — Rigatoni in a hearty meat sauce
Gnocchi — Gnocchi in a tomato sauce topped with ricotta
Prato — Fettuccine with grilled chicken & green onions
Amalia — Spinach filled ravioli with prosciutto (cured ham), green onions & asparagus
The whole experience was a treat.

The food was very good in general which is the most important thing for me in Italian Restaurant and thats why its a 4 stars.
If you like soft crust in pizza you should request ‘not well done’ because their default is a well done crunchy crust.
The drinks had too much ice in them but where pretty good in general.
The service was solid except the fact you had to ask for water refills instead of them paying attention.

Mediocre all around
Mediocre food and subpar service
We were a party of 20 coming in for a birthday, from the get go we were treated as though we were in convenicing them because we happened to be waiting in their narrow bar area waiting for a table to be ready
Finally when the tables freed up we were seated and told they couldnt do separate tabs but would do it by table… hmmm ok even Moxies and Jack Astors can manage separate tabs but sure lets go with it
We order a Caesar salad to start and the trapani and teramo pasta dishes.
The server brought out 2 baskets of crusty bread with one tiny saucer of oil/​vinegar for a table setting 12 people. Basically one side of the table got to use the oil/​vinegar and the other side went without and had to try and track the server down in order to request some for the others, which in of itself took 20 mins. The bread with rock hard, everyone was commenting how it was so crusty that it felt like it was cutting your gums and the roof of your mouth
After the server initially brought us water, it never occurred to him or the other assistants they had to replenish the water or offer refills… even though they walked by and constantly glanced at our tables10 to 15 times.
When the mains came out, again one side the the table was offered parm and black pepper and the other side was forgotten until one of us managed to flag someone down
The food itself was ok. It wasn’t bad and it wasn’t something to come home about. To be perfectly honest, its not anything you couldn’t make at home.
When it came down to the bill I guess the server had a change of heart and decided all of a sudden he could split the tabs, except since he decided he would do this at the end he managed to have everyones tabs differently. When I asked him if he could correct the bill his words are he couldn’t handle the corrections and he couldn’t handle splitting it it according to what it needed to be split. No offense buddy, but when you’re automatically making 18% gratuity I don’t think clicking on a screen here and there is too much work. Nor do I think making sure we have water, bread, oil, vinegar should be considered too much to handle. He had about 5 other servers helping him and he or Grazie in general was acting like they were hosting a wedding reception because they were managing 2 tables.
You would think knowing getting 18% would ensure good, courteous and prompt service. But the service at Grazie was geared towards small tables were I guess for them hoping for 15% is their target. Doesn’t make any sense to me and based on that and theyre mediocre food none of us will be coming back. Ciao Grazie Arrivederci!

Was recommended this place by a couple of friends, who also joined me — have been craving some authentic Italian all holiday season.
ATMOSPHERE:
The way the tables were structured made the place feel a bit cramped, but it also allowed more seating for what is clearly a pretty popular place. We were lucky to get a table in the corner, and the servers were able enough to get to us when they needed to. The dining area had a nice buzz going on, but still quiet enough to have some dinner conversation.
SERVICE:
Our food was fairly quick, and our waiter came to us when we needed. It seems as though most of the server’s here are actually Italian — our waiter was at least, as he clearly demonstrated when «showing me up» with the proper pronunciation of «Bruschetta» lol.
FOOD:
Started out with the Bruschetta, which was fair. The bread could have been a bit crustier, though there was a decent amount of seasoned tomatoes on top.
Although this place had a decent selection of pizzas, I went with the «Penza,» which is a Rigatoni with vodka, pancetta, green onions and chili pepper. The ingredients were fresh, the pasta was cooked well, and the pancetta really brought out the flavour of the dish. The creamy tomato sauce was among the best I’ve had.
VERDICT:
I’ll be back to try some of the other pastas. Place has a decent drink selection as well.

This place has good Italian food and the bonus is that trey deliver. I ordered a pizza with bocconcini and ham and it was good other than the fact the pizza arrived cold. It was good after I warmed it up. Will order again but will ensure the don’t take too long for delivery!

Whenever I’m craving Italian food, I always go to Grazie Ristorante because not only are they nearby, they have so many different kinds of fresh pastas and pizzas to choose from. I like this location because there’s always space and I never have to wait for a seat.
Once seated, they start you off with a basket of bread (pretty hard so be careful) and a side of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The only pizza I’ve tried from their menu is ‘Giovanni’ which contains tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, spicy sausage, red onion and hot peppers ($ 16). The pizza comes out very fresh and I really like the thinness of their crust. One pizza can be shared among 2 – 3 people if you’re also getting a pasta.
For their pastas, I highly recommend ‘Penza’, rigatoni with vodka, spicy pancetta, green onions & chili pepper ($ 16.50); ‘Catrina’, spinach linguine with grilled chicken, spicy pancetta, diced onions & black peppercorn ($ 16.50); and ‘Capri’, linguine with shrimp, clams & diced tomatoes ($ 17). All the pastas I’ve tried are very delicious but the only thing I would adjust is the amount of salt they put in the sauce, especially for the dishes that contain pancetta since that itself is salty. But aside from the saltiness, I do recommend Grazie because their dishes are fairly priced and you will definitely fulfill your pasta cravings.

Been here a bunch of times and the food has been consistently good! nice ambiance and service was always good as well.

If I could give 0 stars I would…
The food was good… The customer service was HORRIBLE!!! The manager is such an asshole. I am a vegetarian and I ordered a pasta without chicken and he refused to adjust my bill. When he came to my table… He had the balls to tell me that if he customized it and did everything separate it would cost more. How does a pasta without chicken cost more? This is the first time ever that a manager has not adjusted my bill. And it says right at the bottom of their menu that they accommodate. I will never go back!

If you enjoy Whiting fish which is known as the fish of the poor… You gotta try their Merluzzo salad. It’s incredibe! Their pasta is made to order therefore it comes to your table piping hot and fresh! They have an excellent staff, great wine selections, and decadent desserts.

I feel so sick!!! I had a pizza with mushrooms, mozzarella, and it was suppose to be pepperoni, but it was gross pepperoni that I think has now made me sick.
I hope to feel better soon. But it’s already been 2 hours since I ate and it’s just getting worse. I don’t know it is was the canned flavoured non-​Italian sauce or the weird pepperoni?

Have passed by Grazie a million times, and was never interested in going inside. My neighbour recommended that I give it a try, so I did. The lovely interior does not match the exterior, and I am glad that I gave it a try. We ordered a lovely Malbec to share, while we enjoyed the complimentary bread which was delicious! To dip they provided both the oil & vinegar as well as a spicy oil mixed with Parmesan cheese. I wasn’t feeling too hungry so I ordered the soup of the day which was kale with Italian sausage. It was just the right amount of spice. For dessert we shared the Tiramisu which is definitely a share plate as it is quite a lot. It was nice and light and was a nice end to a delicious dinner. I plan to go back to try the pizza and some pasta.

I’ve been here twice and both were for family functions. The food is decent at best but I’m not really a fan of their pizza. I don’t know how they make it but the crust seems far too thick and tough (overdone?) to be anywhere near authentic Neapolitan.
Their pasta is just OK as well. The flavor and presentation are ok but the serving size was sort of small and it wasn’t anything that blew me away. They did have some other good items like the baked goat cheese inside of a phyllo pastry with red peppers and eggplant and an arugula salad.
We had a couple antipasto platters to start and they had a nice mix of some items like pear with Gorgonzola, parmigiana cheese, olives, soppressata, and prosciutto. Also they were overly generous with the bread that seemed to keep coming which is good to soak up the sauces but they also offered us olive oil as a dipper too.
My wife and I had a pizza each. Hers was called a Romana «Potatoes, fresh rosemary, pancetta (cured bacon), diced tomatoes, mozzarella & parmigiano cheese». I had a quattro formaggi «Gorgonzola, ricotta, crotonese and fior di latte». To me the pizza seemed dry and overcooked perhaps. The crust seemed harder than my liking or what I’m more used to which is wood oven type crust which is chewier and softer.
For my main I had the breaded veal which was in a red wine sauce with rapini and roasted potatoes. The veal was good and the portion size was actually large. Between the pizza, bread, antipasto, and pasta I was pretty full but we ended up taking home the leftovers.
While I thought the service was very good, the food here is just OK. The dining area is nice but as far as Italian food goes this is by no means the best there out there but it’s not bad. The prices ok, the service is very good and the ambiance is nice. We had 2 tables of ten for our large party so they are equipped to handle large parties.

Went with my friend as he said he wanted pasta, and we were in the area. Upon entering, I really enjoyed the décor and ambiance. With a rustic, Tuscan villa look, it gave a wonderful, Italian feel!
One of the best parts of Italian restaurants are the bread they give you. The crust was crispy and the insides were soft, but the bread itself was a bit cold. Always better to get your bread freshly out of the oven, but a good pairing with the olive oil and vinegar.
The pasta options were very diverse, but one the slightly pricier side. With $ 15.00 being the lowest ticketed pasta, it was pretty good. I got the Avellino and my friend got the Penza. Quite the contrast between the two, but both had their own delights. The Avellino was light and flavourful without being too oily, since it was with an extra virgin olive oil and garlic sauce. With beautiful prosciutto and spinach, it paired well with the al dente fettucini.
The Penza was nicely creamy without being heavy. The pancetta created a nice contrast in texture to the rigatoni that was cooked perfectly.
Service was quite good overall, as we got a second round of bread for our table and constant topping of water without having to ask. Could have given us more olive oil and vinegar for the bread, but our pastas had come so it wasn’t a big deal.
Overall a nice experience. Would love to sit on the patio if I ever come again, but with pastas slightly pricier than I usually have, I probably won’t plan a visit back here. May just stumble in like this visit!

No no no no no NO.
I’ve heard great things about grazie and about the amazing ‘authentic italian food’, and excitedly brought my friends here. well actually, I got in their car and made them bring me. BIG MISTAKE!
We got seated immediately and it was a nice environment. No other asian spotting in the restaurant though. It was all white families enjoying their meals– a good sign, I thought. The waiter comes and gets our order and we proceed to wait half a century for our meals… ok, you make each order as you receive it, but it shouldn’t be 40 minutes before anything comes. Oh wait, I lied. the bread appetizer came. but it was literally like chewing on rocks. So hard and it could’ve broken off my tooth. We also didn’t get olive oil to dip it, like all the other tables did? Is it because we don’t belong? Anyway, after I’ve aged to 80, the food finally came and it was delicious. Great texture of fettucine and nice sauce. The waiter was never to be seen again, not even when our waters were empty and we were dying of thirst. Then he came back with our seperate bills and as my first friend paid with her credit card, I handed him a $ 20 for a $ 16 bill. He snatched it rudely and fast out of my hand with two fingers (my friend is a eye witness of this ridiculousness) and then he slammed it on the table as my other friend proceeded to pay his bill with his card… No ‘thank you’ or ‘do you want change for this’. he finishes the transactions and rushes away with a ‘have a good night’ … does that mean I don’t get change? Dude, I was going to barely tip you the 10−15% but apparently you decided to keep 20% for yourself without asking!!! I’m pretty sure many restaurants train you to ask if the customer wants change even if they gave you barely over the price they have to pay… WTF? Ridiculous. So, thank you STEVEN, who works on sunday night for your awesome behaviour! I will NEVER return to this location again.

The food here was pretty decent other than their complimentary bread service –the bread was rock hard, not warm, and just hard to digest.
The service was pretty bad here. Our water cups were always empty and we always had to ask for them to get refilled. We never saw our server but rather he was at other tables that weren’t even in his section chatting them up.
And personally, I don’t like it when they hand you the bill before they even ask if we are ready for it, or before we even ask for it as it comes off as if you’re rushing us out of your restaurant especially when it’s not even busy.
Definitely not going back to this location. The one on Yonge and Eglinton is better in terms of service and food quality.

We arrived one cold December evening for a gathering of friends for our annual Christmas dinner.
We had made prior reservations for party of 14 and were told that we need half of the party there by our reserved time to claim our table. We all arrived on time to a restaurant that was barely full than half. I guess reservations were not totally necessary after all?
I am by no means an expert on Italian food. My knowledge of Italian food doesn’t go beyond spaghetti and pizza! I’ve been to Grazie’s Yonge & Eglinton location previously and I enjoyed the freshly made pasta I had that evening. I was expecting the same here.
Our waiter was very friendly and inviting, he promptly took our drink orders and was able to answer all the questions we had about the specials that evening.
I actually ended up ordering one of the specials, a seafood pasta made with spicy tomato sauce. When it arrived, I noticed there were a lot of mussels, squid rings, shrimp and clams swimming in tomato sauce. It looked delish.
Taste though, was not what I expected. The sauce was great, seasoned perfectly with a balance between hot and sweet. However, not all of the ingredients were fresh. The squid, mussels and shrimps tasted dry. Like it was re-​heated from the day before. The squid rings reminded me of the ones you get that are frozen from the market. The pasta was a bit overcooked. The sauce was the only redeeming quality.
Then it struck me, specials are often left over ingredients that the restaurant couldn’t clear for whatever reason. It would explain why despite having a positive experience with the food at their Yonge & Eglinton location, that I am having an average plate of seafood pasta right now at this location.
Needless to say, I didn’t finish my food.
However, I would advise future diners to stay away from their specials, and hopefully, their main food offerings would be better cooked. I would revisit Grazie, just not at this location for now.

3.5÷5, +.5 for service
We want to Grazie for our company Christmas lunch after a recommendation from one of my colleagues. I’m not too familiar with Italian food, but I do love me pizza and pasta!
I won’t comment on what my coworkers ordered as they all seemed to enjoy their food regardless. For me, I ordered the Napoletena, which was linguine with tomato sauce, shrimp, and clams.
The linguine was cooked perfectly and I found the shrimp to be very good. The clams, however, had minor sand in them. The tomato sauce was also quite well done, although it felt a little watery at the bottom. The parmesan cheese added to the food was a wonderful attention; gotta love cheese in general!
Service was excellent. We had to wait a good 30 minutes for the full party to show up, but the server was very appreciative and told us to take as long as we need. The restaurant in general was also very accommodating of the fact we had a wheelchair coworker with us.
I was told after there were a lot of great Italian restaurants around the Vaughan Mills area… should come back here more often!

i LOVE this place! Their pastas are all amazinggg. I had the Trapini (Spaghetti with grilled eggplant, fresh peppers & zucchini). Super fresh, yummy tomato sauce, good portion, just GREAT. But the highlight for me is the pasta my friend had. Tasca (pasta filled with ricotta, spinach, mushrooms & brie baked in a creamy tomato porcini sauce). my.goddddd. I had a bite and legit wanted to steal her entire plate. The mix of everything together is perfect! Fair warning though if you don’t like mushrooms you will prob hate this dish because the mushroom flavour is overwhelmingly good. I have been thinking about it non stop and I’m going back this week to eat it again :)
They give you free bread to start, but its pretty hard and nothing exciting. We also got the appetizer special that day which was octopus. Pretty fresh and it came with some cold veggies with feta and mash on the bottom. The mash was a little sour which I didn’t really like but that’s not the highlight of the dish anyways.
I want to come back n eat all the pastas haha. This place is a MUST try!