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  5. Little Italy / College St.
Bar Isabel, Toronto, ON

Bar Isabel

4.7
4.7
1012 Reviews
CAN$51 and over
Spanish
Top tags:
Bar Isabel is open and accepts reservations for indoor dining only for parties of up to 6 guests. Takeout & Delivery available is through their website.

Enjoy an intimate dining experience at Bar Isabel -- a cozy restaurant where creative Spanish-inspired small plate dishes are combined with craft beers, cocktails and an extensive wine list. The restaurant's elegant interior boasts an intriguing blend of soft lighting, curved walls and a beautiful mosaic tile floor.

Managed under the guidance of Maitre d'Hotel Alessandro Pietropaolo, Bar Isabel's menu includes a diverse mix of tapas, cheese, seafood and meat dishes. Diners rave about the grilled octopus, the bone marrow and the ceviche. For dessert, the Basque cake and sherry cream is a must-try. Bar Isabel is open 5-11pm Tuesday through Friday, and 12-11pm Saturday and Sunday. Closed Monday

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 42 times today

Additional information

  • Dining style

    Casual Dining

  • Cuisines

    Spanish, Regional Spanish (Basque), Catalan

  • Hours of Operation

    Tue–Fri 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–11:00 pm

  • Phone number

    (416) 532-2222

  • Website

    http://barisabel.com/

  • Payment Options

    AMEX, MasterCard, Visa

  • Dress Code

    Smart Casual

  • Executive Chef

    Grant van Gameren

  • Location

    797 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1C7

  • Neighbourhood

    Little Italy / College St.

  • Cross Street

    Ossington or Shaw

  • Parking Details

    Parking is extremely limited at the moment due to the CafeTO patios.

  • Additional

    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wine

Featured in

What 1,012 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

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Filters

  1. SM

    SoMuchYes

    New York Area

    17 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food and service especially at the bar
  2. JD

    JoyD

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Our server Leo was incredible, he was incredibly knowledgeable and led us through the best tasting menu we've ever had. At the end of the night he even wrote out a list of other places for us to try after we asked him about his favourite spots in the city.
  3. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Toronto

    10 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    overall4food5service5ambience4
    Great food! Restaurant needs renovations
  4. DJ

    DavidJ

    Montreal

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food was magnificent and the service impeccable. A wonderful meal.
  5. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Toronto

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Bar Isabel never disappoints !
  6. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Incredible food. Tasting Menu is a great value and you won’t leave still hungry.
  7. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Northern MI

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall4food4service5ambience5
    Excellent service, ate at the bar. Bartender and sommelier extremely personable and knowledgable.
  8. AB

    AshleyB

    Toronto

    16 reviews

    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Amazing food- every. Single. Dish. Servers were fantastic. Great energy in the place, especially for a Monday night!
  9. AS

    AustinS

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    Extremely friendly service from when we were greeted to when our meal was finished. Had a wonderful experience.
  10. DF

    DominicF

    Calgary

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    Great atmosphere, dark red lighting creates a nice mood. Food was very good, meats and cheese were great, good wine selection. I had scallops (4) and I would have likes the giant type rather than the small ones for that price. Also, the famous Basque cake was heavenly ! Overall, great food experience. Staff was superb, smiling and helpful, always serving wine as soon as needed. Noise level was up there; decent, relaxed conversation was a no-no on a sunday night. But, you have to expect it as this place is filled with 25-45 generations. We had a great experience, really. Vibes from the decor, staff and clients make it a need-to-go venue. Highly recommended.
  11. KG

    KevG

    Las Vegas

    16 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    16 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall4food5service4ambience4
    Returned here after several years. Quality and simplicity of the menu remain its strength. The shrimp dish was fantastic, make sure you get the bread - which was also fantastic - to sop up the sauce at the bottom. The octopus is always a must and didn't disappoint, perfect char and tenderness. Boisterous crowd for a Sunday evening which we really enjoyed. Will not wait so long to go back.
  12. R

    Rene

    New Orleans

    28 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on August 5, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Love this place ! Food, drinks and ambiance are fantastic!
  13. S

    Shmak

    Toronto

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 5, 2022

    overall3food3service3ambience5
    Charged 20% gratuity on 2 people coming for dinner. Not really sure why this was even necessary on a small table. Had no option to pay 15% and the service did not warrant 20%. We where there one hour and it was very much ave service. Thinking returning based on that alone, doesn't sound appealing to me. I've never seen this anywhere on a dinner for 2!
  14. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 1, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food and great ambiance
  15. L

    Loulou

    Montreal

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on August 1, 2022

    overall4food5service5ambience4
    Great tasting menu formula, attentive service
  16. 3

    30030

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 1, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Both times I've dined here have been two of the best meals of my life. I was in yesterday solo for my birthday and I sat at the Bar. Steve gave me such great service which I appreciated as someone who works in the industry. The food was 10/10. My favourite is always the Bone Marrow. Will be back, thank you!
  17. SZ

    SarahZ

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 31, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Amazing food and atmosphere! Went here for my partners birthday, super casual but also felt like a cool rich grown up
  18. NG

    NickG

    Toronto

    4 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on July 30, 2022

    overall4food4service3ambience4
    Bar Isabel has a rep that's hard to live up to. Celebrated for years as one of the top spots in the country, you walk in with high expectations. I'm very pleased to say that the magic is still there. And it's delicious, delicious magic. My friend and I got the tasting menu because we hate making decisions- trust me I can't even pick a movie on Netflix. The tasting menu ranges in price, though I'm not totally sure how it works. Much like Nobu, the server asks about preferences and best dislikes, and seems to curate a bit of an experience. My friend wanted shishitos, and I wanted octopus- sure enough these came out along with many other tasty treats. Highlights include: Jamon croquetas (pillowy and salty); runner beans with hazelnut romesco (nutty and smokey); white asparagus with aioli (holy hell you have to get these); the basque cake (blow your mind good); and the famous octopus (you can't come here and not get this). Other dishes include scallops (sweet and lovely but heavy on cilantro); mussels escabeche (Briney and bright); and cured jamon iberico (yum). The one thing that wasn't amazing was the service. Our server seemed like a nice guy and his passion for food was super clear. That said, it was a little... awkward. It's sort of hard to explain, but there were a lot of check-ins, several at times when we hadn't had a bite yet. We also got a strange warning about the bill- that the taxes are applied to ab auto-gratuity. That's an unusual practice already, but to learn about it as a sort of "warning" that the bill might be "more than you expect"... strange. Bar Isabel isn't going anywhere. Get there quick... if you can get a reso.
  19. GG

    GrantG

    Toronto

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 29, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Just so lovely. Delicious food + Incredible service (friendly and prompt and knowledgeable) — what more could you ask for?
  20. MV

    MikeV

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 28, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Not cheap but absolutely wonderful! Would definitely go again. Would love for them to lower the corkage fee but other than that, its a great place
  21. K

    Krys

    Toronto

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 25, 2022

    overall1food4service1ambience3
    I’ve never experienced such horrible service. There’s an auto gratuity of 20% regardless of your party size so our server spent our whole night rushing us, rolling her eyes at us and being passive aggressive with us. On my birthday, at that. Would not recommend
  22. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Toronto

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 25, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    All the food was fantastic and the service was great
  23. 6

    6course

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 23, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Our bartender/server was extremely friendly and engaging. He took us through a great experience with ease and knowledge of all things food and beverage. It remains no surprise that bar Isabel is always on the top of all lists food in Toronto. Superb all around
  24. EN

    EricN

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 23, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Good overall, expected a bit more from the meat and cheese plate, scallop portions were very small for the price, service was on point
  25. t

    thekeegzter

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 23, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    just do yourself a favour & go. seriously. you won’t be sorry.
  26. DC

    DavidC

    Toronto

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 17, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great spot with international level appeal.
  27. SC

    StefanieC

    Toronto

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on July 17, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    I came here for a solo birthday dinner, everyone was so nice and informative. The food was phenomenal (I got the grilled octopus and the daily vegetable dishes for dinner and the Basque cake for dessert) and I had a wonderful time. Thank you very much! Definitely recommend for any size party for dinner.
  28. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 17, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    Service was great, food was tasty. Impressed with the servers knowledge of food and wine.
  29. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 16, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Ruth Laliberte is the best server in the industry. It is an honour to have her share her expertise and shining light.
  30. CC

    CharleneC

    Toronto

    13 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on July 15, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This is my parties first time at Bar Isabel, it came highly recommended and it did not disappoint, the food, cocktails and service were all outstanding! Especially the service . It did not go unnoticed. They all really worked together as a team and we never needed for anything ! Really incredible. Thank you so much
  31. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Toronto

    1 review

    vip
    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 14, 2022

    overall3food3service4ambience4
    I remember the octopus being the best thing I ever had and last night was disappointing. Not great. Wouldn’t come back for it but good service good atmosphere. Would come back for drinks and maybe snacks but that’s about it.
  32. AB

    AshleyB

    Toronto

    16 reviews

    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on July 14, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Amazing experience overall! Every dish was so tasty and the wine that was recommended was great! Great service and cool vibe. Restaurant is beautiful!
  33. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 14, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Bar Isabel never disappoints!
  34. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 13, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience4
    The food quality is wonderful. We had a small issue which was very quickly remedied and we were looked after beyond any expectations. Fantastic place, people, and food. We’ll be back!
  35. K

    Kamil

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 13, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Our waiter was absolutely amazing helping us create personalised tasting menu. Food was delicious and we would definitely come back. Highly recommend this experience for everyone visiting Toronto.
  36. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Recommend the tasting menu. Every dish was great, able to taste new flavours and blended well with drinks. The saltiness of the cured meat was subdued and mixed well with the side salads. The octopus was smoky and super juicy. There was the pork jowl with cider sauce which was soo tasty and would go back just for that. Sweet and fatty that just melts away. Highly recommend their desserts. It reminded of a cassava cake, came with some sweet cream sauce that made everything melt.
  37. A

    Anonymous

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 11, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    the best. always.
  38. A

    Anna

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 9, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Lovely experience and amazing food, as always. They even put a surprise candle in the basque cake I ordered for my birthday!
  39. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 9, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent food and atmosphere!
  40. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 7, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Food is amazing!! Basque cake is a must try!

Safety precautions

  • Cleaning & sanitising

    • Surfaces sanitised between seatings
    • Common areas deep-cleaned daily
    • Contactless payment available

  • Screening

    • Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

Bar Isabel offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (416) 532-2222.

Bar Isabel is rated 4.7 stars by 1012 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 42 times today
Google Map for Bar Isabel

797 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1C7

Additional information

  • Cross Street

    Ossington or Shaw

  • Neighbourhood

    Little Italy / College St.

  • Hours of Operation

    Tue–Fri 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–11:00 pm

  • Cuisines

    Spanish, Regional Spanish (Basque), Catalan

  • Dining style

    Casual Dining

  • Dress Code

    Smart Casual

  • Parking Details

    Parking is extremely limited at the moment due to the CafeTO patios.

  • Payment Options

    AMEX, MasterCard, Visa

  • Executive Chef

    Grant van Gameren

  • Additional

    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wine

Featured in

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