Seven Lives Tacos Y Mariscos

First time visit. The staffs are friendly and efficient. It was a long queue, 10 people before my turn. Waiting time wasn’t too long.
Baja fish taco were excellent!
Sadly, lemonade was sold out.

Seven Lives lives up to the hype! It’s delicious and fresh! I tried the Baja fish and the ceviche. Get there early as they run out! 5:30 on a Thursday evening I snagged the last ceviche and they ran out of the poke and chips before I was able to sample any :(On the list for next time.

– My First Impression –
This is my second time going to Seven Lives Tacos. I remembered the tacos tasted very good during my first visit (around a year ago) and I always wanted to come back to try it again. We were here on a Saturday afternoon after the Jays game. There was a huge line up in front of us (more than 20 people in line). That day was 30 degrees and there was no ventilation there. The entire restaurant has a strong scent of fish and sweat and the experience was very unpleasant.
– Food and Drink –
We ordered 3 Baja Fish Tacos and a grapefruit soda. As expected, the baja fish taco still tasted incredible! I liked how their batter wasn’t very thick but still very crispy. The fish was very fresh. The salsa sauce complemented the mahi mahi perfectly. The taco shell wasn’t soggy!
I love the grapefruit soda! It was very cold and it taste like a mixed of orange and lime soda.
– Overall –
The waiting time was way too long (around 15 — 20 minutes to wait outside to order and another 15 – 20 mins to wait for the food). It’s not a bad idea to pick a weekday non-​peak hour to go there. I would go back for the food for sure.

Came here on a Saturday afternoon and there was a line waiting outside. It wasn’t too long a wait though — maybe 15 – 20 minutes. Reviews say to get the Baja fish or octopus. I ended up choosing the octopus even though I wanted to try both (but I wasn’t that hungry and was saving room for ice cream after).
The octopus was REALLY good — definitely one of the best tacos I’ve had. All their tacos cost $ 5 each and they also have ceviche, poke and chips, and more. My friend (who’s a Toronto native) says this is one of the top 3 taco places in Toronto and I believe her! I’d love to come back again and try their Baja fish taco and ceviche.

I’ve been to Seven Lives a couple of times now, and lets just say if I know I’m going to get Seven Lives Tacos at the end of a week, I cannot contain my excitement for the entire week! It’s THAT GOOD!
I’ve had the Blackened Mahi Mahi, Baja Fish and Cod. I’ve been wanting to try Carnita but it’s always sold out! But that’s ok, more excuse for me to come back again. :)
Hands down the best tacos in Toronto! And unlike other reviewers that say it’s all hype. not at all! The amount of filling and flavour you get per taco is so immense that they have to double tortilla the taco. And don’t even get me started on their hottest hot sauce. That combine with the flavours of the tacos. HEAVEN! I hope they remain this good forever!

We were in Kensington on Sunday and the restaurant/​fast food location was lined up out the door and the line never got smaller because people just kept coming for the tacos.
We were down in Kensington Wednesay and it was lunchtime so we dicided to try it. The line up was crazy and the wait to order was about 15 minutes, then about 10 minutes to get the food. Well worth the wait.
I had the Gonernador and my husband had the blackend mahi mahi. Both were outstanding. Jam packed with food and if you want extra spice, there are pots on the front counter.
$ 5.00 each. What an inexpensive lunch for two.
We will definately go back to this take out restaurant.

The good: the best tacos in Toronto, hands down. Every time I get a cut at crows nest, I always make sure to come by seven lives for a taco. This place is ridiculously good. Honestly, all the tacos in the menu is recommended. Perhaps…
The bad: the only bad thing is choosing which taco to eat, when they are all soooo yummy.
The ugly: not much seating. So either stand and eat or walk out and eat.
Neutral: if you haven’t been here, I suggest you make your way and try it. I am not a huge fan of tacos but this place blew my mind. Warning on the spicy sauce, as a guy who can tolerate his spice, those seven lives spicy sauce are the definition of hell on earth. It made me sweat and bring on the tears. Great for takeout, not good for dine in. Expect huge waits during lunch hours.

The best seafood tacos in Toronto. period.
It is a fast food concept tacos place, very limited seating, limited standing space, always long line up. Yet service is friendly. But I still come back for the delicious tacos!
I also tried the ceviche and Poke ‘N Chips. Poke is highly recommended if you want something other than tacos.

So picture this: one Asian girl walking down the streets of Chinatown holding a takeout container of tacos in one hand while voraciously and shamelessly stuffing her face with tacos with the other. This is what Seven Lives reduced me to today. No, it wasn’t my first visit (how could I legitimately call myself a Toronto foodie otherwise?) but my last one was during my pre-​Yelp days, so I thought I needed a refresher. Trust me, I won’t be forgetting this experience anytime soon…
THE PULPO (OCTOPUS) TACO DOE. I picked up a chunk of octopus first and just ate it and my eyes bugged out in pure shock and delight. Then taking my first bite of the actual taco… just pure ecstasy. I was walking down the street in Kensington Market and I couldn’t even control myself, I just had to close my eyes and let my eyes roll into the back of my head without any regard for my safety or oncoming traffic. The octopus was perfectly grilled, so juicy, so flavourful, so chewy, so delightful, so heavenly. The sauce and the celery and cilantro in the taco perfectly complimented the octopus. They also filled up that taco REAL GOOD with octopus… it was falling out of my taco and all over the place (luckily just into my takeout box, not a SINGLE chunk of octopus was wasted on my watch!) but I loved it. More more more more more my stomach begged.
The Gobernador which I had afterwards was good, but for me all the flavours kind of blended in together — the sauce, the shrimp, the cheese, etc. It was pretty tasty but I would have liked it more if the individual flavours were more discernible or more complex. Also I was still riding the high from that octopus, so I guess nothing else could just compare. Still, a solid choice off the menu.
I also love that the tacos are double-​shelled… MMM more of that corn-​y, dough-​y, carb-​y goodness, I like that. Great texture, not too thick but not too flimsy, and not too dry.
At $ 5+tax/taco I think it’s a bit pricier even compared to some of the sit-​down restaurants, but whatever, I’ll gladly pay $ 5 to experience that sheer joy again. I’ve eaten a lot of good food around this city, but haven’t felt that level of satisfaction in a while. I’ll be back for you, my precious pulpo!!!

They should really consider renaming this place «Siete Vidas»
Anyways, located in the Kensington Market on Kensington Ave. right next to Rasta Pasta (review coming soon). As all the other spots in this area, it gets kind of stuffy in there, but they hook it up with hand sanitizer, I love any place that does that.
Tacos
The Gobernador: Is this really named after Arnold? Anyways, I must admit at first taste the rating made sense. You get it all, the shrimp, marlin and cheese. As you eat more though, you begin to dissect the freshness of the ingredients and the shrimp lacked it.
The Black Pepper Marlin: Dull. Needed more flavor attached to it. Although the marlin itself was more fresh than the shrimp.
Agua
De Jamaica: Needed more concentration, light in taste and flavor.
Recommendations…
Change the name, change your shrimp distributor, add more flavor to marlin taco, more hibiscus to the hibiscus drink, a long shot with this one but go with handmade tortillas?
Don’t get me wrong this place isn’t bad, but things would be a lot better if I was running this taco shop. The base is there though, it really is.
P. S. Your salsas are actually pretty good

***CASH ONLY***
Tiny restaurant with very limited amount of seats/​standing area but definitely worth the hassle!
They have amazing tacos — very flavourful, freshly made/​fried, lots of veggies on it and beautifully presented for ~$ 5 each. I usually order the Baja fish, blackened mahi mahi, shrimp tacos. Their ceviche is also amazing — sits on top of a tostado shell but eat it quick because it does it soggy.
People there are super friendly. Overall, I really enjoy this place and I’m coming back tomorrow!

Came on Friday after work and it was pretty packed. It’s a little dinky looking taco shop. Didn’t have to wait long to get your order but the cashier girl was super rude and had attitude. I got two tacos, baha fish, and some other taco of the day, it was peppered fish and super spicy. They have quite a variety of tacos to choose from. They costed around 4.50 each. They accept only cash and debit. They have a few sauces for you to pick from at the counter to put on your taco separately.
Maybe I’m not a taco expert but I didn’t find the tacos particularly special. I thought they were alright, has quite a bit of seasoning and really messy to eat lol, prepare to grab lots of napkins. The waiting time for the tacos felt like it took foreverrrrr. The two tacos were pretty big in portion I think and it was enough to fill me up.
There’s no where to really sit except for one small table enough to fit 5 – 6 people and it tends to be communal. There’s places where you can stand to eat too.

So you own a taqueria. That is good news for Toronto. Now, you can either choose to grant out of goodwill to vulgarize the décor with lame persuasion of kitschy sombreros here and there on the wall. They chose instead the SoCal way; a state flag, a surf board and modern representations of the Dia de Muertos.
We had the Baja and Grilled Octopus. I did not fancy much the Baja as it was simply a fried battered fish. The latter one is succulent. Perfectly cooked and well seasoned.

Crazy line up! I was there around 2 pm, I was about three people behind from the door and I still waited 45 mins to get my food. I can’t even imagine how long it would be for the people behind me. By the time I got my food, it was still a long line up… consistently, like it doesn’t get shorter.
With that said, would I do it again? Maybe. Depending on my mood, I guess.
The food was amazing! The Mahi was cooked tender and we’ll seasoned. The Baja, it tasted like it was in the fryer a bit too long. It was almost brown, tasted almost burnt.
I also got the hibiscus. Seems like a lot of people are getting it so I joined the bandwagon. I realize it’s not for me. Though it was nice to have something to drink while waiting for forever.
Also, their «medium» is a lot spicier than I anticipated. I can usually handle a medium, but this tomatillo salsa was too much for me. It’s still good, but be wary lol.
Overall, great place. If I didn’t have to wait oh so long and had a good batch of fried Baja, I’d give it a 5.
Oh, I also heard the carnitas was sold out. It’s interesting how it sold out early on the game. So I guess if you enjoy pork, try to get that since it’s so popular.

I came here a little past noon on a Friday and this place was packed! The storefront is a pretty small area, so when you cram in a small tables, a couple of chairs and long line-​ups, it is really crowded here. Reading the Unilocal reviews prior to coming set the bar very high, but unfortunately, I was definitely disappointed.
I ordered a Baja fish taco and a grilled octopus taco while my friend got one Gobernador and one cactus and mushroom with grilled cheese. While they were very flavourful, the tacos themselves were soggy and in my opinion, there were way too many toppings which made them a mess to eat. The batter on the Baja fish was pretty soggy as well and the octopus definitely felt way overcooked and too rubbery. The Gobernador was apparently okay, but the cactus and mushroom, again was a disappointment. The cactus and mushroom taco comes with guacamole, which is not listed in their menu — so if you don’t like guac, make sure you know the cactus/​mushroom one comes with quite a lot of guac on top of it.
People typically get 2 tacos for a lunch, which would come to $ 9 or $ 10 + tax (all tacos are $ 5, the cactus and mushroom one is $ 4). $ 5 for one taco seems a bit on the pricey side in my opinion. Also they only accept cash!

Always packed without enough sittings inside. But packed because they are good.
Tried the Baja fish and Carnitas. Pretty good I would say.
The only complain I have is the door doesn’t stay close by itself. And people eating there have to constantly get up and close the door whenever people walks through it.
Summer will be better I guess.

3.5 stars. I don’t get to eat great quality tacos very often but when I am craving them, Taco Bell just won’t cut it. Seven Lives is a fantastic little restaurant in Kensington market that doesn’t seat very many. In the one of two times I’ve been here, we lucked out to be able to sit at the front largest table. The other time it was standing room only, with hubby and I standing near the counters along the wall.
They have a selection of delicious tacos ($ 5 each) with my go to being the Gobernador. This taco has smoked marlin, shrimp and cheese, but has a surprisingly meaty texture. We also enjoyed their ceviche which had the right amount of acidity counterbalanced with the creaminess of the guacamole and the crunch of the tostada. One taco is often enough for me, but if sharing, it is worth getting a few different kinds for variety.
To wash down the tacos when it is warmer outside, I really enjoy their fresh watermelon juice which is so refreshing. This is one taco place that I would go out of my way to eat at.

I finally got around to trying the baja fish taco here and WOW. Amazing.
My friend and I came here just after 12pm on a Saturday. Mind you, they open at 12 and there was already a line. The place gets pretty crowded but the line goes by quick. There’s only one table but the walls are lined so you can stand and eat.
I’ve tried fish tacos from all the chain restaurants and the Mexican hot spots (La Carnita, El Catrin, Grand Electric etc.) but NOTHING beats the fish taco here. I’m so glad I finally got to cross this off my bucket list. It really does not disappoint. The tortilla, the fish, and omg the house sauce. I really think the house sauce is what makes the taco so good. These tacos are pretty big too. I was well satisfied with the one taco (but would’ve been totally full with a second).
Seriously, GO and try it.

Tacos are wondering and filling. The Camarones taco is no joke, it definitely is spicy (or maybe I just have very low tolerance). Thank goodness for the free water. Very tasty and the shrimp are plump and juicy. The Baja is like a fish and chip type of taco, can’t go wrong with fried fish! They give you a huge fillet as well. The Gobernador with seared tuna, shrimp and cheese was definitely messy. I was imagining Japanese style seared ahi tuna. but the tuna was in small shredded pieces so they fell all over the place.
It is excellent comfort food and you can expect to get your hands dirty!
The watermelon juice was refreshing.
Seating is limited. Two small tables and 3 countertops for maybe 3 people each. Twice I’ve been here, and twice I’ve been able to score the countertop… overlying the garbage bins. So maybe strategically wait and grab a spot before ordering.

These tacos are so good that I forgot to chew. The meal rendered me totally speechless — so, so, delicious and probably the best tacos I’ve ever, ever had (you see, it was so good that I can’t even think of words to describe it).
We came here on a Saturday around 11:30 AM, and there was quite a lineup. We were hoping to beat the crowds, but unfortunately, we were told that lineups are common at this particular corner of Kensington Market’s world. We stood in line for about 20 minutes before we got to the front and ordered. Keep in mind that space and seating are very, very limited. If you don’t grab one of the small number of seats at the communal table, you’ll very likely have to stand while you eat (but trust me, you won’t notice you’re standing after you have a bite of these tacos).
We ordered 3 tacos: the carnita, baja fish, and the blackened mahi mahi. We also ordered 2 agua frescas (delicious juices). Let me just say that these tacos will give you all the feels you can only be so lucky to find in nothing more than a stuffed tortilla (especially at this price). The meat was so tender and juicy, there were all sorts of flavours I couldn’t figure out — sweetness, a tang, a spiciness — all combined to be one huge perfect party, in a taco. The baja fish taco was superb — not too fishy, but still super flavourful and powerful. The salsa has a nice smokiness to it that I’ve rarely encountered. Everything was so well cooked and melded perfectly together — so pleased with our meal.
For two people, our entire order (3 tacos and 2 drinks) cost us around $ 21. Really decent price point — if you decide to go, please head over early to avoid the lines! You won’t regret it.