El Catrin, one of the most popular restaurants in the City of Toronto by delivering on both traditional and modern Mexican cuisine in a fun, lively, well-serviced atmosphere in the Distillery District.
Boasting a sharing-style menu and one of Canada's largest mescal and tequila menus, we offer a unique experience and an incredible atmosphere that is just plain fun. The El Catrin menu, created by one of Mexico City's top chefs, is designed so that you can taste a little bit of everything.
On the inside, the decor features a breathtaking mural that took over 100 days to complete. On the outside, El Catrin boasts one of the best patios in the city that is not only enormous but open nearly year-round.
A little cold by the door even though they have a curtain up but overall amazing place, must try! Loved the Hibiscus and Tequila tea!
Awesome place and great service. I hosted a client event and everyone was very happy and really loved the place. Thanks for making this easy on me :)
I think it was just bad luck but we're usually very happy with everything. Yesterday the restaurant was full but not crushed, and yet we had to chase bus staff to find a waiter for everything - drink order, mains, follow up, an the bill. basic lunch took us almost 100m. Hoping it was just a tough day for our server.
Really delicious! Our server was outstanding and we really enjoyed all the food. Margaritas were great. We went during the Christmas Market and were impressed at the level of service during a busy time. We would definitely go back.
Food was absolutely delicious, served quickly and our waiter was fantastic (and patient.) The portions were small for price paid, however. But I will definitely come back. Best fish tacos I have ever had
Excellent all around, great Margaritas! Great service and fantastic food, two thumbs up!
Fantastic meal! The ceviche and tacos were exceptional! Try the Mayan margarita!
Been to this place many times, but I think they were short staffed for a very busy time of year . It took more then 15 minutes after we were seated before server came to the table to greet us.
Came here for a bite to eat before walking around the Christmas market. I think it’s ridiculous that they told me I had to come at 4:45 for dinner and there was No other available reservations but the place was dead. And I had to leave work early just to try this place. Unless your rich don’t come expecting the world. This place is overpriced. I’m happy with my margarita but it was over $14. I had shrimp tacos which tasted great but it was just an appetizer I still made dinner when I went home.
Funky atmosphere, amazing margaritas and delicious tacos ... what more can you ask for?
Won’t be coming back. The price for 2 tacos and a small bowl of guacamole is ridiculous. Good service but left still feeling hungry.
The food was amazing!
Atmosphere, perfection!
But, I'm so sad to say the service was worse then bad.
It took forever to be greeted, our drinks ran empty until we had to flag for a new one, which she never delivered. We saw them at the bar for about 20 mins. Finally asked a very nice busser to bring them. He apologized and cleared the table. The server never checked on us, took forever to bring the bill. We kept seeing her in the back chatting with other servers.
Super disappointing as I loved everything else.
This is the second time I’ve been. After the first with a friend, I couldn’t wait to bring the family. The was fantastic and our server, Dylan, was great. We enjoyed our evening completely! The guacamole made table side is a star attraction for sure! I’ve been telling everyone to go when they are in Toronto.
Loved the food, the tequila, the ambiance and our server. Recommend the short rib mole.
Outstand Location, tasty food and good tap lager. Small portions - so order enough.
A great place for good casual food!!
Really disappointed with how crammed they try to seat people in between tables - especially along by the big wall mural. The back leg of my chair was kicked six times by waiters trying to serve patrons nearby.
I asked to move to another table with more space in between tables - only to be told the table was reserved for another party. Eventually got moved to the bar side area where my chair stool was kicked only once.
I think the bright spot of El Catrin was the young waiter that served us. He did a great job considering it was his first day. He was young and inexperienced but he left a lasting impression, said and did all the right things in a new role.
But the biggest fail was that the food is overpriced and served in small portions. Extremely disappointed if you are coming in to dine here on an empty stomach. Ended up going to Hy's and dropped $150 there no lie.
Avoid this place if you can. Nice ambience though.
It was a dinner date and requested a seat where the two of us could sit beside each other instead of facing each other. Not sure if my request was missed or it was just not possible. I wish i could have gotten an explanation
Had a reservation and no table available.
Too crowded. Table too close. Can not get in and out with coat on.
Food very good.
Prices reasonable.
Great food and drinks. Ambience was wonderful
The food and atmosphere was amazing! A little pricey but not too bad. Loved it and would definitely come again!
Did my anniversary here, loved it!
We went for lunch prior to a play. We allotted 1.5 hours. We were delighted to be in and out within 45 minutes which gave us a chance to browse the distillery. The margarita drinks were very tasty and the food was delicious. We had guacamole to start which was made fresh at our table . I had the best burrito made with lots of beef hardly any filler. My partner had pork tacos also delicious lots of flavour. Very enjoyable
Our table was freezing and our sever was non-existent. My primary concern is that we were seated right next to a curtain which was "blocking" cold air from coming in. It was terrible and we were freezing. If you make a reservation I would recommend you specifically ask not to be seated next to this "table with a protective curtain", it's very silly and as we are in Canada El Catrin should be prepared for cold weather instead of putting a curtain.
My next concern is that over the course of 2 hours we had 3 servers. Our primary server actually came up, pointed to our empty table and said "how are the tacos?", when we had nothing in front of us. Later in the evening we had to flag another server after 30 mins to get our bill. Our main server was very inattentive, distracted, and used to saying prepared lines which made no sense in the actual context of the moment. We were not surprised he forgot our table entirely as he probably didn't even bother to look "behind the curtain" in our freezing section.
Love the ambience!! However, there could have been more vegetarian options to accommodate.
Far too loud!!!!
Went before a play at Soulpepper. First seated us upstairs where it was oppressively hot but then found a nicer table downstairs. Great food, fast and pleasant service. Very loud.
we came for dinner before theatre at 6 pm. We made reservation weeks in advance. Assigned table in a corner which was fine except no light, not even over the table. Too Noisy!!!!! food was thrown at us and we ate 6 dishes and out in 40 minutes. We have eaten before outside which was very pleasant. Not returning or recommending it unless one wants a fast bite.
One of my favorite restaurants in Toronto. This elevated Latin cuisine is impeccable with attention to detail and service to match. Reservations are a must!
Fantastic food and service - a delightful experience and would definitely come back.
Thank goodness that Mexican cuisine has made its way north to Toronto! I love the modern take on kitchy Mexican decor. Try the Spicy Margarita - with serrano peppers! It's amazing.
Another wonderful experience- fantastic food and service. Our waitress even remembered us and details of our last visit.
This was a wonderful experience it was very noisy but I expected this by the time we left it was as quieter. We had Pamela as our server and she made the experience what it was fantastic. She was helpful and adapted to our needs ie hearing etc. We were looking for value because we had some students with us. She was amazing.
The food was great, the server was well mannered and attended to our every need. Highly recommend this place
Fantastic place to celebrate my birthday! Our new family favourite! Will definitely be going back!
Love the guacamole. Huevos brunch dish waa ok, too many soggy tortillas
Great vibe, service, and food! Definitely for a younger crowd who doesn’t mind loud music. Fair prices.
It was a 40th birthday party. The food and drinks were great. The service was decent. The server disappeared towards the end of the meal even though it seemed like the manager (I assume) was eying the table to see when we would finish up. The bill was around $500 for 7 people. Not bad. We had a good time and enjoyed the atmosphere.
Great evening, thought it took some time to get some attention
Guacamole was very good but overpriced for portion. Fish tacos were tasty.