Ascari Enoteca

Nice warm, cozy atmosphere, a bit noisy once it got busier. Packed on a Monday night (half price bottles of wine!). Friendly and attentive service. My main was good (the ravioli), but the small plates were the most tasty part of our meal. We had the broccolini (highly recommended), the brussel sprout salad, and the arancini.

How delighted I was to have a fantastic italian restaurant in my new home of Leslieville. My standards for italian are very high and Ascari has exceeded all my expectations time and again. Lets begin with the space: its cozy, romantic, small but very comfortable = intimate. Service, excellent, wow, great. From the über-​honest bartender who pleaded with me not to pay the extra few $ for hendrick’s in my negroni, the server who gave me an entire jar of their spicy oil on the house after i professed my love for it, and everything else, service is on point here.
Food: Each dish i’ve had was immaculate, delicious, tasteful and artistically prepared. Listen, chicken liver on toast isn’t pushing any boundaries, but whipping that liver into a mousse and putting it on fantastic toasted bread and garnishing the way they do, now that is special.
I’d have to peruse the menu again to give a play-​by-​play overview of each dish but i will stop and tell you that the food is incredible, priced right, the service is top notch, the wine menu is extensive and they make great cocktails and the space is really gorgeous.
Book ahead as they are always busy.
See you there!

I’ve been here with my husband and also with my cousin.
A great place for both occasions! Its a cozy restaurant with really yummy entrees and desserts. They also have a good drink selection.
Would recommend for date night

4.5÷5! Absolutely loved the food. All the dishes we ordered were fantastic. The only downside is that the restaurant accepts cash or debit only. For starters, recommend the Arancini Cacio e Pepe and Cavoletti di Bruxelles. As mains, I recommend the Spaghetti alla Carbonara. The ravioli is great as well but I’d personally pick the spaghetti over the ravioli.

How have I not reviewed this restaurant yet? I’ve been a ‘regular’ (well, as regular as I get) since it opened.
The pastas are made in-​house every day and once you go fresh — you never go back. So good. I love their carbonara which they decided to keep on the menu last fall (it was a seasonal special in the summer) and I love it when they have a pasta in ‘beurre fondu’ — because who doesn’t love pasta in a butter sauce?
I come here most often with my husband (who is equally as enthusiastic and he’s not enthusiastic about much) but I once organized a large party of 15 women to come on a Monday night (half price wine! woot woot!). Firstly, arranging our dinner was a great experience because I made a few last minute changes and additions as well as changed our party numbers a few times. They handled it all with grace and enthusiasm. And the night we went our service was wonderful. Anette handled us from my initial inquiry to our last drop of wine. She’s amazing. I wave to her when I pass the restaurant walking the dogs. My friends were all so impressed by the amazing courses (ranging from charcuterie to fresh pasta to lemon cakes) that they are now regular customers as well!
I also make it a daily routine when walking the dogs and the baby to check out their specials. Like some sort of weird compulsion.
I love it here so much that on my first night home from a c-​section, my one wish was for a bowl of their pasta carbonara and my husband raced out to get me some!

I took my parents here when they were visiting in Toronto and was not disappointed. I ordered the Stracci con Salsiccia which was the perfect balance of spicy and flavourful, not to mention the fact that the noodles were just the right texture. It’s pricey, but the food is worth it. The atmosphere is friendly, it’s not too loud inside and out server laughed and joked with us. He was also a good sport when it came to explaining the specials and describing dishes when asked. Next time, I’d like to save room for desert!

Named after a legendary Italian racecar driver, Ascari Enoteca is run by the same folks behind other Queen East haunts like (now defunct) Table 17 and the Hi-​Lo Bar, and promises the same kind of warm and relaxed hospitality here as those other places. Dunno what the hell that is supposed to mean, but if it’s warm hospitality you’re driving here for, they quite delivered it. The warm chatty bartender who’s happy to answer questions about the food and whatnot, sure; great service indeed. For an intimate upscale casually-​spirited Italian dinner house though the music’s kinda racing loud – maybe they were more aiming for totally social over a few wines ambiance. La dolce vita, eh?
The human gasoline at this corner fuel station are friggin awesome, even if the menu is small and it drives you way up the budget, which it sure will; I’ll balk at that. That being said, the pastas all taste very fresh, because I’m told a minion in the kitchen is tasked solely to produce the noodles in house daily. My Tagliarini al Limone ($ 18) was delicious with ricotta shavings and shallots complementing elegantly with the pasta. You can also fuel up with their daily special, as well as a small selection of appetizers like a cured meat board to share.
It’s an enjoyable dinner place like so many others on Queen East for the one time you decide to check it out. It is smaller than it looks, seating maybe a good 40 at best, so better best shift gears quickly for a reservation.
{TTC: any Queen streetcar to Brooklyn/​Caroline Avenues.}

The food is always pretty good here. We have been a bunch of times because we lived pretty close to the restaurant. We were there a few weeks ago and I had some tartare for an appetizer and the mushroom pasta for dinner. It was perfectly cooked pasta and the flavours were great. Everyone else seemed pretty pleased with their food as well. The service can be a bit spotty which is why I am giving it a 3 but the food is always great.

Excellent customer service! Very good food!
They were super sweet and knowledgable of their foods/​drinks. My boyfriend and I had a great time! And we cannot wait to return again!

I love the homemade pastas and seriously any Ragu of the day rocks. Must have chicken liver crostini and broccoli fritti. The chocolate chip canoli are the perfect dessert. Great cult wines, prices and super nice wait staff.

Like many others I salute their quality. Everything tastes fresh and well made. I wasn’t a huge fan of the small olives but good quality. Chicken pâté was a bit strong tasting for me but good portion size.
Risotto balls were very tasty. Excellent choice.
Decent selection of wines and service prompt, attentive and helpful.
Pasta of the day was good — freshly made pasta is always nice and house made sausage tasty.
Obviously skilled chef — I think he could add to menu a little bit as choice s felt a little limited but given place was full I am guessing it works just fine as it is for them!

We just moved to the neighbourhood and Ascari Enoteca was our first dinner here. This meal was amazing, and the service was phenomenal!
We ordered the olives and the Crostini alla Toscana (chicken liver mousse) to start and both were very high quality. For our mains we both had the special, which was tagliatelle with duck, swiss chard, mushrooms, walnut sauce, and breadcrumbs. The duck was perfectly flavoured and succulent, the bread crumbs added a fantastic dimension to the texture. We don’t usually both get the same main, but this just sounded so good, and we were certainly happy with our choices!
For dessert we had the banana donuts and the cannoli, and both of them were spectacular! Both the flavour and texture were mindblowing. The restaurant really does a great job of creating dishes with excellent flavour and texture!
We will definitely visit again!

The food and service are very good… however; when busy, as it was yesterday evening at 9pm, the noise in the room is deafening… not the place for a romantic dinner for two… or a get-​together with friends.
And, while the wines are interesting, they are very expensive with no ‘good value’ options.
The food is good, the staff friendly and hard-​working … but really the resto is too noisy and too expensive for what it is… a trattoria

First off. I quite like this restaurant. It’s quaint enough to be intimate, but lively enough to be social. There’s a great wine list, an upbeat attitude to the environment and everyone’s friendly and fun.
Unfortunately, it’s a little too hit-​and-​miss for a place at this price level.
Sometimes you get delicious delicacies. Sometimes you’re amazed at how bad it is.
And you really have no way of knowing which way it’s going to turn out.
I like the cute idea that you can buy the chefs a round of beer for $ 6. Unfortunately, I guess everyone bought the kitchen drinks all at once last night because the chefs decided to prepare what seemed to be Mister Noodles packets while they drank.
It’s lacking in consistency in a way that’s unsettling. Which is a shame.
Enter at your own risk.

I have been to this gem in Leslieville about 5 times now. For the majority of my visits the restaurants has been packed as it only seats about 50. Food is amazing here! The menu is limited but the pasta is always fresh and the appetizers impressive. The reason I only gave this place 3 stars is because although table service is usually great the last couple times we have sat at the bar we haven’t had the greatest experience. Although the bartender is knowledge he is not personable at all. Im not sure if it was just us but we noticed that everyone else was receiving great service from him EXCEPT for us, and this isnt the first time I can say this. You would think every customer should receive the same service regulars and newbies alike. I’ll be back and will be sure to make a reservation so I don’t have to be serviced by grumpy again.

This is a 2.5 stars, which is unfortunate given the tasty pasta.
Here’s what you need to know:
Simple ingredients put together in a delicious concoction. The duck tagliatelle was simple but tasty as was the canoli dessert.
Prices are way off — $ 23 for a pasta that’s an average portion size. Prices for the wines are idiotic given it’s a small neighbourhood joint (if Skin+Bones is open head there. It was unfortunately closed due to some private event)
Service was terrible at the dinner table, as though the waitress couldn’t give a damn. Didn’t tell us about the specials, was generally rude and unhelpful. When I asked for advice on wines, she literally shrugged and said «that’s a Chardonnay, that’s a Sauvignon Blanc and that’s how they taste». Really? I asked for a dry and she shrugged and looked uninterested again. Not what I expect when I pay $ 13 for a very average glass of 5 oz wine.
Service at the bar was better by the time our friends joined us, and the bartender told us about the specials, gave good advice on the menu etc. However, the bar stools were so uncomfortable we didn’t want to sit long.
Ambience is meh — nothing to think about. The service and ambience make the prices really stupid. We paid over $ 85 a person for 1 pasta each, a couple of glasses wine, and one dessert that was shared. NOT WORTH IT!

Now, my job as an aspiring poet/​non-​paid food writer doesn’t exactly make me a Rockerfeller so I can’t afford to eat at Ascari Enoteca too often, but when I treat myself after a long week of slaving away at the corporate ladder, it’s well worth it.
I’ve been here a few times and after a lovely dinner tonight it’s about time I wrote a review. If anything I can comment on consistency. I tend to think that second to food, consistency is the cornerstone to success. I’ve been known to frequent restaurants with the sh-​ttiest of service based only on excellent food and consistency. Happily, Ascari Enoteca has wonderful service, whether you have reservations or not, whether you are sitting at the bar or at a table, whether you’re with a group or alone.
Brass tacks. Let’s talk food. I can tell you that the Carbonara is the stuff dreams are made of. When you mix up that raw yolk into the perfectly al dente noodle, with those small cubes of ham and sqaush, something magic happens. All that rich creaminess is nearly impossible to finish in one sitting, especially if you opened with an appetizer (which I always do). This evening I started with a unripened mozzarella paired with salsa verde and an anchovy fillet. They cover they mozzarella with a crunchy bread crumb that brings a desserty-​sweetness to the cheese, creating the perfect sweet/​savoury combo when paired with salsa and anchovy. Between courses I snacked on a dish of warmed olives. I drank Italian beer and sipped ice water. I read Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Talk about the path to happiness.
And then I paid my bill and slipped in to the night, already dreaming of that day where I’ve saved my pennies and can come back again.

I’ve been here 3 times and I love it every time. Delicious wine that’s different from what I’m used to. The Georgian red was delicious. They are proud of their unconventional wine list.
The warm olives are amazing. There’s the regular ones on the menu, which are great, but if you’re lucky there might be a special warm olive dish. They had crushed big green olives with herbs and lemon. Amazing. I’ve never had olives so good.
The pasta was pretty good too. The duck confit on the tagliatelle was a bit salty but other than that the dish was delicious.
Not a cheap night out that’s for sure but not outrageous either.
I would definitely recommend checking this place out.
The service has always been friendly and efficient. I will definitely come back.

I came here on a Friday evening after work with some friends. Great corner location (we were all able to find parking close on the street).
The restaurant is small and intimate, with large glass windows all the way around. Nice dark modern furniture.
The front door was sort of odd, as I had to double check I was entering the correct place. You open the door, and then have the push aside a curtain of sorts to actually get in the restaurant. I guess this is the keep the draft out which I figure would be problematic for those sitting close to the door.
This is some really good italian food. I had chicken liver mouse crostini, which was delicious and then a pasta dish as my main course. Being with a large group, we all tried a little from each other’s appetizers and mains. I think everything I tried was delicious. The stewed eggplant was very good and the antipasto was nice. The staff were friendly, professional and very knowledgeable about how the food is prepared, purchased, etc. (as they should be).
Good small place… would come here again. Very nice.

4.5 stars!
Had a wonderful dinner here and definitely want to come back soon! There are so many rustic little Italian restos, but Ascari Enoteca stands out for amazing quality, service, and ambiance.
The menu is not huge, but there are lots of interesting pasta combinations and a bunch of side dishes which are great for sharing. We got the brussel sprouts, which were actually shredded so it looks almost like cabbage. I’ve never had brussel sprouts served that way and they were delicious! For my main, I had the cavatelli pasta with veggies and cheese (forget what kind). The portion was just right and the homemade pasta was perfectly al dente. Nice cocktail list too! Didn’t have room for dessert.
If you like Italian, definitely try this place out for a laid-​back meal!