Il Ponte

By far, one of my finest dining experiences. The flavours will resonate in my dreams! Such wonderful combinations that make for incredible dishes. Staff is welcoming, attentive, but not overbearing. Roomy and tastefully decorated, with a trendy vibe. Everything carefully selected- from the fresh ingredients and comfortable seating, to the lovely bud vases with fresh orchids, made for a highly enjoyable evening! Thanks and accolades to all!

The food is good and the wine list is expansive. The noise level is moderate (fine to carry on a conversation) and each time I've been, the place has not been too busy. I thought I'd finally found a neighbourhood spot to take friends and clients having dropped by at least once a week for a month now - always with a guest or two. We always order a full meal with wine and leave a decent tip. However, it astonishes me that never once have I heard a "nice to see you again" or even "ah you're back" from staff/servers. The service is often little more than perfunctorily polite. Yet if I'm spending this much time at an establishment, it would be nice to not be treated as a complete stranger. I'm not suggesting sycophantic attention or even a conversation, but a friendly greeting makes guests/clients feel welcome. And when that warmth is lacking, it diminishes its appeal and its Italian authenticity since Italian hospitality goes hand in hand with the cuisine. It makes me wonder if they don't even care that we keep returning to try their dishes which are very good. And if that's the case, it makes me also wonder why I'd care about a place that doesn't seem to value its regular customers.

Summerlicious menu had amazing choices our group of 4 tried different appetizers ,mains and desserts and they were all excellent and very authentically Italian. Will return for dinner soon. Service was also excellent. Thank you

Food was very tasty but lacking in creative presentation.

Ordered the pricey $33 Scoglio pasta; taste of the food was decent, but lacked the al dente texture I would have expected from “fresh homemade” pasta, and sadly texture was akin to mushy udon. When the point was raised to the staff, I was challenged and was given the “maybe it’s just you” off the cuff comment which was not appreciated. Unfortunately for the server, our table shared plates for tasting, and I was not the only one that felt the same about the texture for my plate. The other dishes my table ordered was nice and al dente (albeit different pastas) to which I extended praise but the server was unwilling to listen to the customer and insisted that “it is probably you... maybe the pasta is not right for you.” When my table provided supportive comments, the server resorted to blaming the “newbie chef in training”. The disappointment from the food couple with the attitude and remarks were not only unprofessional, but unacceptable. Would not recommend.

Our new favourite restaurant!!!

Food was fantastic! We had the zucchini pasta and it was so fresh and light. Waiter was great as well. Unfortunately we couldn't sit on the patio because of the weather. Wine selection was very good, the waiter actually suggested a comparable, cheaper option for us.

We keep coming back to Il Ponte. For celebrations, with friends or just a quiet evening out as a couple. It feels like a family restaurant with all the modern touches and spaciousness. And delicious, delicious food of course, with excellent options for those of us who have a gluten allergy.

Love it there. The owner is fantastic and the food might be even better :-)

The food was ok, nothing special. The service was absolutely terrible. We will never return.

Our third visit in about 5 years. Excellent each time.

The service was excellent as we were one of the few people first in the restaurant for Summerlicious. The server (or manager) was great at explaining the menu. Overall a great experience, that's why we try Summerlicious, gives us a chance to try different places. Not sure if we will be back as it didn't make us crave it to come back again.

A hidden gem just across the bridge! The food is lovely - simply prepared with excellent ingredients. Service was very attentive and ambiance was warm and friendly. And the lovely outdoor patio was an added bonus on a gorgeous summer evening. Looking forward to returning soon.

My friends and I had a wonderful birthday dinner at Il Ponte! What impressed us all was how the whole staff worked as a whole team to serve not only us but the whole restaurant. The owners were involved as much as the wait staff. They didn't have to bring us a tiramisu with 2 candles (2 birthdays were being celebrated), but it was delightful! The food was fresh, flavourful, and fantastic! It was such a great experience, we will all be back!

Great food and atmosphere and location. We were always cared for in a timely manner and without interuption

Our server (a lady) was rude and inefficient. I went there hungry but lost my appetite because she’s not so happy serving us, even my young daughter noticed it. Also, she takes a long time to take our orders so we ended up not ordering more because we feel discriminated because we’re Asian and my daughter is mixed with black??that’s how they made us feel. We were celebrating my daughter’s achievements as a Valedictorian and an Academic Award excellence from her Graduation but we were made to feel belittled. That lady server is not happy to serve us while she’s laughing and making conversation with other people inside. And her comments were off and insolent! We were disgusted but we still gave a tip which the servers don’t deserve!

Nice attention via the staff and management... very nice food... no more frying the lamb chops tho!

this place is a diamond in the rough and once discovered, you will always be going back there.
Giancarlo and Mauro and their team are always out to please to ensure that their guests feel at home with their delish dishes.
to die for!!!
the fried calamari, the funghi saltati, polipo, veal marsala, pastas are amazing and my fave is the crostini with the anchovie and pickled tomatoes/onions....OM NOM!!!!!
been going there for 3 years now!

Food was overpriced and the service was not the best. Came to Toronto to visit from Chicago on my birthday and all the servers seemed to be rushed maybe due to understaffing? The food took way too long as well. The server was neither respectful nor polite from the moment we walked in up until the end of the meal. Safe to say, my birthday dinner was a disappointment.

We were received warmly, had the specials explained and told that cocktails were half price, a great start to our evening. Tasty bread arrived and we started with salads, which were both very good. We tried the pasta special, which was excellent along with a spaghetti dish. We did not have any dessert or coffee.
We will be back.

The Liver was superb the vegetables,however, cooked to mush. Asparagus should be crunchier and the sweet potatoes should have bee firm.

Food: The food was very good, although I found a piece of shell (from the de-shelled mussels) in my pasta. That’s a bit of an oversight.

Service: Our server was polite, friendly, and attentive.

Ambience: The decoration was tasteful and the noise level was comfortable.

Value: It’s not cheap, but based on my experience there and prior research, Il Ponte seems like a good value compared to other Italian restaurants in Toronto.

Vibrant atmosphere. We went there on a Sunday late afternoon lunch, and it was rather quiet. However, I guess it’s because we went at odd hours. All of our dishes were delicious, except the lobster linguini in cream white wine sauce which was a little bland (even though it was rather rich). Otherwise, I would have given their food a 5 star too. Overall, the food was very fresh and reasonably priced. Would definitely go there again.

Dinner to celebrate the engagement of our friends :)
Great food.
My husband has Celiac and Il Ponte also has great options for him.
We will def be back.

Great service and food!

FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!
Always see Giancarlo for an outstanding meal everytime I'm in Toronto.
Must eat here!

Outstanding service, personal attention and food top shelf! A gem

Mauro was a terrific waiter...welcoming, friendly and professional. We will return again.
Very good food, nice environment, normal pricing.

It was busier than usual, which I guess is why the service wasn't up to it's usual level. But we had a really good evening, and the food was also good. Giancarlo is a generous and welcoming host.

Food was great. We had the soup of the day and it was fresh and flavourful. Our server gave us the authentic Italian experience and recommended a great wine. I would highly recommend this lunch experience.

The service was excellent and the food was delicious.

We had the Monday Special and the restaurant was very accommodating with dietary restrictions. The 1/2 price cocktails were also a hit. Will go again.

Amazing food and service. My daughter was home for a visit from university and this was her first choice for places to go. The staff make everyone feel special and every dish is exceptional.

A wonderful first visit to Il Ponte. The food was delicious - from perfectly grilled salmon to excellent homemade pasta. All in all an excellent evening.
Only negative comment would be to please skip the straws in the cocktails - such a waste.

My friend had the halibut special and I had the veal with prosciutto. Both dishes had plenty of veggies and were both delicious! The appetizer we shared was the calamari which was so tasty. The olives at this place are amazing!!!

Service was excellent through and through. Cappuccinos were good and the tea selection was impressive. We each had both cappuccino and tea. It was just so nice there, the ambiance and being by the bridge was just such a nice experience.

The decor is also great just like in their pictures.

Thank you!

Our group had a wonderful evening. The food and service were outstanding. I would highly recommend II Ponte.

Birthday dinner. This is my favourite Italian restaurant in the city. The food is always superb. The staff goes above and beyond every meal. They accommodate special dietary needs better than most restaurants. (Celiac and vegetarian in the family both have lots of options). Amazing.

Friendly and accommodating of dietary restrictions and preferences (a friend was gluten free and vegetarian). The restaurant was not too busy when we went (we had an early reservation) so the server was attentive and came often to refill glasses. Food was good and was served quickly; in the time that we waited for food, we were brought bread twice, which was lovely. Very low noise level since there were not many people dining at the time.

Restaurant ambience was nice, service was mixed, not 100% attentive as you arrived, ie getting you sorted with drinks etc. Food was mixed, one dish was fantastic, the other not so much.

Really good food. Will definitely be back. Authentic Italian that would even impress my Nonna!