Bar Koukla

The brunch menu is small but offers a nice variety, and everything we tried was good. Portions are a bit on the smaller side, so prices feel a little high. We tried the baklava pancake, which was dense but not overwhelming. The sesame bread looked simple but was surprisingly good. The patates arnaki had flavorful aioli and perfectly cooked potatoes, though the lamb portion was tiny. The braised beans with poached eggs and sourdough felt like a unique take on shakshuka. All the dishes were perfect for sharing. Cocktails are on the pricier side too. But overall it was a great brunch spot and such a vibe.

Amazing vibes, amazing food & drinks. Great service. Moment we walked in, such a great vibe, good amount of patrons, not too packed, but not too empty, just perfect. Great music. It's cold outside, yet felt so cozy inside. Our server was lovely and provided some recommendations for tapas to share. We luv the mix grilled meat for 2, juicy meat, lovely potatoes. The crispy eggplant was surprising good. Really pipping hot with crispy texture. The scallop crudo has great presentation, coupled perfectly with the grapefruit, refreshing scallop, a must order. Great variety list of cocktails, super tasty and generous amount of spirits in there. This is a great place for friends catching up and super great spot for a date night. Luv this place. Will definitely come back for more date nights.

I’ve been to Bar Koukla a couple of times and it never disappoints 😍 The atmosphere is always lively and fun, though the only downside is the wait it’s usually busy and you might need a bit of patience. The food is excellent I really enjoyed the calamari (ordered them more than once!) and there are plenty of other tasty dishes to try. Cocktails are also delicious 🍸 Recently, one of the servers recommended a peach salad and it turned out to be amazing fresh, flavorful, and something I wouldn’t have picked myself. The staff are very friendly and always happy to help with recommendations, which makes the whole experience even better. Definitely a spot worth visiting if you’re on Ossington!🤪

The food liked simple but was anything but simple! Everything was so refined, perfectly seasoned and yummy. We literally licked the dips with our fingers! The beef tartar was awesome and the meat sharing plate was incredible- such tender lamb and the most yummy meatballs! Chef Michalis is awesome! He came to front of the house and checked on the guests, his food was fantastic! Very much recommended!

Amazing place for a casual but elevated brunch! The braised lamb potatoes were our absolute favourite!!! We also enjoyed the lamb burger. The truffle eggs were a little under seasoned but glad we tried it A must visit for brunch and the west end vibes! :)

One of my favorite spots in Toronto. Really great cocktails and bites. Didn't have a full meal but next time I'm in town, I will definitely swing by again for the full experience!

Went to Koukla for brunch last week and was kind of disappointed. Everyone raved about their baklava pancakes but they were so dense. Maybe I’m more of a fluffy pancake person but it was not very pleasant and was sticking to the roof of my mouth plus the walnuts tasted stale…. Not really sure what the baklava aspect is too, the orange blossom syrup? Not happy. However we also got the truffle eggs and that was pretty good so it made up for the pancakes a little bit. Apart from that service was great

We gathered to celebrate my partner's birthday and chose to explore Ossington Street. It proved to be an excellent choice! The atmosphere was beautiful, the staff friendly and knowledgeable, and the food was outstanding. The half-price bottle of wine before 7:30pm was a bonus. We’re very happy to have discovered this gem and look forward to returning for another unforgettable experience.

We went to Bar Koukla for after work drinks. The inside is beautifully decorated with a Mediterranean feel, with a small patio outside. I have mixed feelings about the service; one waitress was really accommodating when we asked if we could move to the patio. However, our waitress on the patio was quite short with us; it felt like we were inconveniencing her with our orders. The food portion sizes are small for what you're paying for.

I like the atmosphere in this establishment. We sat at the bar for dinner rather than sitting out on the patio. This gave us a big opportunity to speak with the bartender who was a maestro behind the bar. As I like cocktails on the sweet side he recommended the Circe. Not only was it pleasing to the eye but it got my stamp of approval for taste. To follow it up I had a Roz Sour also excellently put together. Presentation on both drinks was flawless. He was an artist behind the bar. For appetizers we had the Moschári which was a beef tartare and Koulouri which was a sesame bread with honey butter. Both were good and both had sesame bread. I would stick with the former since I don't need two sesame bread appetizers although both were fine. For the main entree we split the Mixed Grill. There were a few items that came with this. The Souvlaki was just alright but I really enjoyed the lamb ribs the most followed by the meatballs. The lamb and meatballs had really good flavor....something I hadn't tasted like this before. This is a great place for a date night. The bartender kindly let us go upstairs to the room they had for special events. It was really nice up there with a bar too. I'm sure it's not cheap but seems like a great area for that very special occasion. Put this place on your list for Greek inspired food.

Ordered the Spanakopita Florentine and shared the Baklava Pancakes with my friend. Price for the first dish was $22 and the latter dish was $16. The egg benedict and the hollandaise sauce were so good. The crispiness also added to the whole dish. There were also hints of orange as well, and as you got to the centre of the dish, it became more sweeter. The pancakes on the other hand were good but didn't really live up to the hype it has online. The ambiance was really nice and cozy, we got seated at the bar where we could see the chefs make the dishes. If you want to sit at the tables, I would recommend placing a reservation. Our waiter was also really friendly and polite.

Stumbled into Bar Koukla on a random Sunday and had a great time drinking cocktails and enjoying small bits. Awesome atmosphere with a sleek almost European feel. Everyone in the group enjoyed their drinks. The servers and bartenders were also friendly and knowledgeable on the menu.

I've now been to Koukla three times and the food remains excellent. Our server was not only friendly and at times hilarious, she really knew the menu and helped the 3 of us navigate the perfect sharing plates. My favourite dishes by a longshot are the lamb, sesame bread and phyllo triangle. Mushroom dish was our least favourite as it was gritty. And the Mezcal cocktail knocked my socks off (photo attached). Although it was quite loud, I will continue to go back!

We loved the small shareable foods here. The food was all super flavourful and delicious. The feta and the bread was a must. The cocktails were all perfectly done and well balanced. They had happy hour until 7:30 - half priced bottles of wine and sour cocktails.

Overall really great spot on Ossington! The vibes are great for someone who wants to go solo or as a group of 2-4 for dinner or drinks. But I'd definitely recommend both! We tried the grilled lamb, eggplants and the octopus on sourdough bread, and it was all so well prepared! The lamb and eggplant were especially delicious. The lamb slid right off the bone and with the eggplant you could taste its natural flavor! Definitely recommend!

Came for a weekend brunch and the truffle eggs were delicious. The egg is perfectly fluffy and not overcooked. The truffle was a nice touch and just elevated the dish. Wish there was some component of acid, maybe something on the side, to round out the dish. Portions are quite small too, would recommend getting several things if you're feeling hungry! Ambience was great and the servers were very friendly and helpful.

Bar Koukla came recommended by our hotel concierge. She suggested we go early, even on a Tuesday. The interior was chik and the service we received was top notch. Our server suggested 2-3 plates per person and after doing the math we opted for the pre fix option. After 7, courses we left fully satisfied. Each dish and was delicious and unique. The cocktails were also delicious. Definitely a top/memorable meal.

The restaurant has changed a lot since I last visited. The menu is very limited now, and unfortunately, the food was both poor in quality and overpriced for what we got. It felt like there might be new management, but the whole experience was quite disappointing. They offered a brunch menu with very few options, and it seems they no longer serve lunch at all. I was there two years ago for a birthday and had such a wonderful experience back then--sadly, this time was the complete opposite. Also, I was surprised that they asked for a credit card just to book a table. That wasn't something I expected from the level of service we received.

We made a reservation here on a weekend evening, but there was plenty of space so we switched from bar seating to table. Very kind servers who refilled our water every single time. The interior here is nicely decorated, and clean. There is a large bar, and a few tables for dining. We got the sesame bread with honey butter, lamb ribs, and gnocchi. The sesame bread was served warm, the honey butter was sweet and salty. The Lamb ribs were firm and well cooked and seasoned. The gnocchi dish was very small, but they use high quality olive oil that I could taste. For two people, this was not enough food (unless you have a small appetite). Prices are high for the portion size. Washrooms are downstairs, inaccessible.

This place is always to busy so I always wondered what the hype is all about. Other than a beautiful atmosphere and a romantic feel there really wasn't anything special about it. We just came for drinks so I'll have to try to food to give it a more accurate review, but based on the menu it really doesn't feel authentic Greek like its neighbour next door. I ordered the drink with the baklava on top. It was way too strong, it was also 5% drink 95% ice for a $20 cocktail. It was so ridiculously overpriced for frozen water and a piece of the baklava on top (which by the way was just a sheet of the pastry no filling with powdered sugar on top).

The hype for this place is real. This has been on our social media platforms for a while now so I made sure to try out their famous brunch when I was in Toronto. The place inside is very small and they have tiny tables and low chairs. Nevertheless the place is always packed! The service is nice, however very slow and our server kept forgetting things we had ordered. We didn't mind as she was very nice. The brunch menu is limited but sounds delicious. The server insisted that everything is shareables and encouraged us to order multiple items to share. Instead we all got a savoury item for ourselves and the pancakes to share. The food took its time to arrive and I'm pretty sure our neighbours who arrived after us got theirs before us. Once we got our food, everything looked instagram perfect. The taste however lacked big time. The pancakes were very sweet and I'm glad we had one savoury item to balance the sweetness. The truffle eggs had absolutely no seasoning. No salt. No pepper. We requested the server to bring us some hot sauce and seasoning however we never saw it come to our table. The coffee however was amazing. Definitely come for the coffee to go. I'd pass on the rest.

This was a planned outing so I had made reservation ahead. I am fan of their original restaurant across the street and recommend it for Greek food most times. The place is open and I recall another spot here a while ago. The interior is nice and inviting however I didn't appreciate the chair without the back rest as it was quite uncomfortable a while. There are plenty of options to meet most dietary restrictions. I went with the Haloomi sandwich sans the bacon. Decent attempt IMO however the portion is small for what you are paying to the extent I ended up sharing a Bakhlava Pancake. The pancake took a while to arrive as apparently its baked fresh (could be in between batches). Hmmm not my idea of a pancake as the filling threw my taste buds off quite a bit. The service is great so kudos for that. I would say 2.5 stars for what one pays.

We saw this place recommended on Instagram and since brunch is always a good idea -- we made last minute reservations for their Aegean inspired brunch. Quick note: our reservations were for 230pm + we were told that the kitchen stops taking orders at 245pm, we had already explored the menu -- but something to be mindful of otherwise, super rushed. We wished we had known that piece but all worked anyways. Service was GREAT. Attentive and available but not hovering or ever made us feel rushed. Food was good. Definitely gorgeous in their visual aesthetics. We were happy we had picked a few dishes to share because of being able to try more than one thing but also that one, two bites was perfect. The atmosphere was great and the cocktails were really good (especially the tzatziki one!) They're definitely an experience. Not quite what I recall from being in the Aegean Sea earlier this year but the inspiration is clear.

Bar Koukla's been around for a few years now and yet I've only recently checked the place out for myself, despite the fact that it's been on my radar ever since I'd been to the neighboring Mamakas a few years ago and found the food very impressive. We showed up around 11:15 on a recent Sunday and managed to snag a small but comfortable-enough table by the door, despite the fact that we didn't have a reservation. Everything on the brunch menu looked delicious, but I couldn't resist the Spanakopita Florentine ("fennel cress, scallions, spinach, feta, phyllo pastry, hollandaise, poached egg"). We were a party of three and we each ordered separate plates, but for some reason the restaurant brings out the dishes as they're ready. This meant that my dish came out first, and by the time I was finished eating, one of my dining companion's food hadn't even arrived yet! It was awkward and a little frustrating. Fortunately, she really enjoyed her dish. And I enjoyed mine a lot, too. It's essentially a really top-notch spanakopita that's topped with tasty hollandaise and a poached egg. There's also a sweet element that I found pretty delicious, and eaten all together, it was a dish I could easily see myself ordering again. It's just too bad about the service.

3.5 It's a trendy spot on the Ossington strip. I came for brunch and unfortunately didn't have a reservation and was told the wait time was an hour (I saw plenty of empty tables both inside and out). My friend asked if we could sit outside on the patio and the server said she would check - they initially assumed I wanted to be seated inside). Anyways I was seated outside with my friends in a half shaded spot. Lots of inventive brunch options - very tasty and great flavours. Loved the spinach phyllo with poached egg and hollandaise on top - definitely a star. The dishes were very photogenic as well. Water was filled up frequently. In line with pricing for other brunch places.

Been dying to try @barkoukla for their mediterranian brunch menu which is only available on weekends. Surprisingly we were able to snag a table around peak time with no wait! We ordered: Lachanika: This was a feta dip and trout roe served with pita and even though it was quite messy (DIY), it was a tasty combination! Truffle Koulouri and Eggs: This reminded me of an open faced egg bagel except the "bagel" was less dense and more fluffy. The soft scrambled eggs with black truffle was creamy and the truffle aroma was fragrant. Pretty simple dish but good Patates Arnaki: This was a pulled lamb with potatoes, there wasn't too many "meaty" options aside from this one. It was okay, I didn't feel like any of the flavors really stood out to me Halloumi BLT: This was surprisingly good. The sandwich itself was slightly crispy and even better with a thick piece of halloumi cheese Kapsoura Martini: I was a little taken aback by the flavors of this as it was very pungent and heavy on the onion but I sent it back for the Rodakino Spritz which was fruity and floral and actually very nice for a warm summer day Overall it's a cute place to grab a small bite with friends but its important to note that the brunch menu is quite limited.

The food here was delicious. We walked in to Koukla for lunch after realizing their sister restaurant across the street, Mamakas Taverna, was closed for a special occasion. What a lovely surprise! We ordered the dakos toast, lamb ribs, and tuna crudo. It was the perfect amount of food. The dakos toast was my favorite - smokey from the grilled eggplant spread and generous layer of stracciatella cheese - I immediately wanted another order! My next favorite was the lamb ribs! I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. I'm not normally a fan of lamb at all and reluctantly got this because my boyfriend wanted it - it was the best lamb dish I've ever had! The tuna crudo was good but basic. I also loved the ambiance of the place. We went on a beautiful sunny day and the vibes was perfect. Highly recommend stopping by this spot! Overall I was impressed by Koukla - the bf and I agreed this is the one of the best places we've dined at in Toronto!

Not sure why people have rated this place so low! My friends and I went here for my birthday dinner and we had an amazing experience. We decided to do the 60$ tasting menu in order to try everything and to our surprise it was 50% off bottles of wines. It was such a great value. The food was delicious. The sesame bread was warm and perfectly paired with the unique honey butter. The calamari was perfectly crispy and fresh. I enjoyed the crunchy pomegranate seeds, it was a nice sweet and tarte addition to the salad and feta phyllo. My favourite dish would definitely be the steak, it melted in your mouth. Everything was so flavourful and we enjoyed every dish. The ambiance and the interior of the restaurant was beautiful. The waitress was also very friendly, knowledgable of the food and made great recommendations. So all in all it had great food, service and ambiance. Would definitely recommend.

Guys if you are willing to put up with the worst service of Ossington, come here. Great drinks but food takes forever and a day to come and some of the wait staff seem to be having issues with others internally. Great Music, great drinks. Poor service

We leashed up our pups and ventured out in search of a nice patio for dinner that was pet friendly! It was about 8pm and I was excited when I saw a few tables available at Koukla, the hostess confirmed they were dog friendly on the patio (they even have bowls at the front you can bring to your table for your pup) and we for sat immediately. The pineapple mimosas were DELICIOUS!! Seemed like a small pour but definitely delicious- we shared the halloumi, grilled gem salad, tuna and ribs. I really enjoyed the gem salad and tuna, the halloumi was delicious but can't really expect less from friend cheese. My partner found the ribs to be quite fatty- so he didn't love them but we were able to treat the pups with some leaner pieces of meat. Kitchen was closing so we didn't stay for dessert but it was a lovely evening and always better when the pups can come with!

I was looking forward to coming here but was disappointed by the experience. They sat us right outside of the door during brunch when there were plenty of seats available. People are coming/going and one of us could've been hit by the patrons. They ended up moving us in the very back right by the bathrooms. I ordered the tomato salata thinking that I'd get a decently-sized salad. Wrong! That dish was tiny. They could've sorted their brunch menu by type (like appetizers and mains). Our server could've told us whether the salad was good enough for a full meal. But no! They ripped me off with this tiny tapas-sized dish with a bunch of tomatoes and peaches. For $17. Meanwhile we also got the truffle koulouri and eggs, which was also pretty small compared to your average brunch portions. We quickly finished our dishes and went straight to Mandy's. The only positive about this whole experience was the decor. That was it.

The brunch was excellent. The dishes are very well done with high quality ingredients. The staff is attentive, helpful and genuinely excited about sharing their food and food knowledge. We enjoyed both classic Mediterranean brunch dishes and Mediterranean takes on traditional brunch dishes and all were excellent. Recommend pairing with the orange wine.

This is my time trying Greek style brunch at Bar Koukla. Amazing experience with great quality food. We ordered a Baklava pancakes, and the most popular Spanakopita Florintine. Both are wonderfully presented and taste good. The yogurt cream with the crispy pancake is a beautiful combination. The poached egg on the stinging nettles are an interested combination. I strongly recommend this spot for brunch. Only down side is a bit tough to find parking spot.

Great busy and wonderful food! Modern spin on classic taverna cooking. The lamb chops (paidakia) is outstanding, as are the octopus, patates, koulouri. Will definitely go back.

Came back in November for one of my birthday dinners with 2 friends. , 1 of them was a pescatarian so we didn't try any meat dishes. We ordered: Espresso Martinis Scallop Crudo Kalamari Manitaria Fish Sandwich The scallop in calamari was good but were smaller portions than we thought. The other two dishes were nothing special. I've always wanted to come for brunch as the menu looks great so hopefully will get to do that soon!

This is a restaurant and a fun west end area. It has a really interesting atmosphere with interesting broke details on the wall and a large bar with friendly staff. If it doesn't seem very overpriced at the $15-$20 mark, but I found the menu items to be poorly described. For example, one item might say a word in greek, and say braised lamb shoulder. You would expect there to be pieces of meat. The dish that came was roasted potatoes with shredded meat and lots of sauce. I was told that this item had feta cheese, So is expecting this to be sprinkled on top of that. I was actually just something that was in the sauce. I found it a little bit misleading, based on what the server and the menu told me. I would still come back, but for the price of the food it'll definitely leave you hungry and feeling like I need to buy more food after (elsewhere if you're on a budget)

We made a Valentine's Day reservation for Bar Koukla, the newest from the team behind Mamakas Taverna. The restaurant was offering a 6-course menu for $45 (wine-tasting for an additional $35) that night. Honestly, we were both super pumped to try this new place - the mezze plates advertised on Instagram looked so delectable! Unfortunately, most of the dishes (often those not featured on their regular menu) weren't too memorable. OYSTERS This was the first course; a half dozen raw oysters from east coast Canada (I believe it was New Brunswick and PEI) were served on a bed of ice. Some horseradish served as garnish, along with a lemon wedge, some hot sauce, and a refreshing cucumber vinaigrette. The two types of oysters were quite fresh (though my date happened upon a not so good one), and I liked the brinyness. OCTAPODI* Slivers of pickled octopus were served with red onions and celery, and topped with some fresh dill. The octopus was tender and moist, and the sour tangyness helped whet my appetite for future courses. However, I found the overall flavours a little dull and unexciting. This was a good dish, but wasn't particularly impressive in delivery. PATZARIA SALATA* This was one of the best dishes of the night. Roasted beets were served atop whipped feta, with some candied pistachio pieces adding a nice crunch. I adored the juxtaposition in textures (the crunch of the nuts along with the lightness of the feta) and flavours (the sweetness of the beets and beet juice contrasted with the tangy and savoury feta). The whipped feta was strikingly similar to Greek yogurt, though my date says there's an additional grittiness to it. While simple and modest in concept, the execution was so good and interesting! We both loved this dish. MIDIA This mussel dish was, frankly, bland and mediocre - definitely my least favourite of the night. Salt spring mussels and creamy gigantes (massive beans) were served in a light tomato broth with cilantro. Two slices of pita were given to help sop up the sauce. However, the broth was super watered down, and there was a slightly bitter aftertaste to the dish. I can't put my finger on what caused it, but it was a lacklustre dish. VODINO The beef striploin was grilled to a perfect medium rare, and precut into easily consumable pieces. The mousto balsamic added a nice touch of acidity to cut through the richness, and the salt flakes helped to accentuate the flavour. The grated graviera cheese was almost nonexistent - I barely noticed it was there. This mezze was yummy, but objectively speaking, it was quite similar to many of the steaks you get at other establishments. CREME CARAMEL FLAN I'm not typically a flan fan but holy, this dish blew me away. The thick salt flakes really helped to both balance and enhance the sweetness. The flan was also perfectly set, and the lightly burnt caramel sauce made the dessert not dissimilar from a creme brulee. We both raved about this dish, rating it as the top of our list of the night. Overall, Bar Koukla is an intimate establishment. It's really well designed and is a great date spot. Our Valentine's Day menu was a little lacklustre, but I'd nevertheless come again for their normal menu! Our waiter raved about the Greek yogurt cheesecake, so I can't wait to try that!

Bar Koukla is a newly opened restaurant located at Ossington and Humbert serving wine + cocktails with mezes/small snacks. The bar is owned by the Mamakas team with their sister restaurant right across the street. There is a focus on small plates meant to be shared with an extensive beverage list full of Greek wines and unique cocktails. The space is small yet intimate, fitting about 35-40 people with a mixture of tables and bar space. There is an open concept kitchen where you're able to view all your food being cooked for you while you sip on your wine. Currently, the restaurant is first come first served. I dined at Bar Koukla on a Wed night after passing by this restaurant many times during the day. My party and I arrived at around 6pm where only a few tables were occupied. Staff were attentive and answered any questions we had re: the menu, especially with recommending a wine. For a party of 2, it was recommended to share 5-6 dishes if you were hungry, 3-4 dishes if you were looking to snack on something with your drinks. My party and I shared the following items: - Calamari: Can't go wrong with fried calamari - Oysters: There is a buck a shuck deal everyday from 4:30-6:30pm! Definitely had to take advantage of the deal to order half a dozen. We were given 2 varieties of oysters. - Eggplant salad: Great creamy dish; chips and the salad "dip" all worked well together. - Fish sandwich: Great for sharing with 2 people. The fish batter was light and airy - a bit oily in my opinion, but you rarely see trout fried like this. The bread of crispy and the lettuce and sauce tied the sandwich together. I would recommend trying this! - Tigania (pork belly, potato, mustard): Pork belly and potatoes were cube sized. Pork belly was tender and fatty. Overall, Bar Koukla is a casual, intimate bar serving Greek mezes/sharing plates with an extensive beverage menu. Definitely a unique restaurant concept where Greek food is elevated. Would return back for more!

Ingredients are not fresh. Sure the ambience is cute, the plating pretty, and the wine is quality. But underneath all the frills the shrimp had freezer burn and the lamb was gamey (and I love lamb!). Sauces and surrounding trying to cover up for poor quality ingredients.

Well my review has to do with the service. Drinks were decent but didn't expect a drink to spill all over me with just one "sorry" from the waitress. Seriously, my whole Jacket, pants and phone were soaking wet. No apologies at the end and nothing discounted. Waitress even asked me to add up the bill at the end. I'm trying to support the restaurant industry during these hard time while sitting at the patio in 10 degrees. Truly disappointed and COLD!

Their Koulouri bread with honey butter is the most AMAZING treat... warm soft bread crusted with sesame, and rich sweet spread. What is even better though is how amazingly kind and caring the staff are here. We asked for extra honey butter and wrote that we were "going through something" somewhat humorously... the staff gave us a beautiful bouquet of flowers and attached the sweetest note... the staff are seriously so sweet and thoughtful. This place has such a warm spot in my heart.

Great service & location. Food was delicious. Loved the fried halloumi, the feta gnocchi, lamb ribs and steak: Drinks were amazing - esp the Kefi No. 3.

Love the half price wine. I only had calamari but it was great. Service wasn't super friendly or anything.

Overpriced but great quality and delicious food! We started with the KOULOURI (sesame bread - honey butter - bee pollen), this was amazing and the honey butter they give you way too much for the bread portion :D Then we had the KALAMÁRI (fried calamari - fava flour - lemon aioli) which was a TINY portion but it was so fresh I would say it was worth it. Also tried the FETA (phyllo - sesame - fennel pollen - wild ontario blueberry) after seeing so many pictures of it online. Def expensive for $18 but it was so unique because I've never had feta like that before. Probably wouldn't get it again but was fun to try. Lastly had the souvla (east coast lobster, shrimp, green apple, fennel, celery) and this would make me want to come back again. Fresh seafood and the flavour combo was just so amazing with the fresh pita! I would recommend you to come here if you want to have quality greek tapas.

The calamari & lamb ribs are literally out of this world. Yes the price is high for the portion size, but the interior is really nice, a great environment. And the food genuinely is made so well.

The food is excellent. The service is not. The drinks are good. The bartender is not. Make sure you have a lot of time if you're going there because you're going to be waiting for everything. Also don't arrive early for your reservation, especially if it's winter because they make you wait outside. I highly suggest the lamb. It's the best thing there.

The staff were mean and the food was so overhyped. Super weird vibes and I felt belittled by staff when I asked questions about cocktails and tapas.

We shared the scallop crudo, koulouri and the croquettes. Everything was to die for, will definitely be back

There was really nothing too wrong with the food. But honestly I was just appalled by the portions. ( and I don't eat a lot! ) We did some drinks and nibbles for 3 people. 3 drinks and 5 little sharing bites. The bill came to a whopping $160 ( not including tip) and everyone was still hungry afterward! The calamari at $15 was in the smallest bowl I have seen in my life - think a tiny ramekin bowl! Honestly we have a rich food culture in Toronto unless you really need to be at a super cool place and you don't mind getting ripped off, then by all means come here. It was actually shocking.

The stars are for the food. Horrendous service. I will have to be clear that there were 2 servers: (1) server 1 was defensive and outright rude; (2) server 2 was disengaged but courteous enough. We were served undercooked bone marrow as our last dish. First scoop revealed blood stains. I let server #2 know and she asks, "we'll do you want it cooked longer?" Since when was serving blood stained bone marrow acceptable? After about 10 minutes server #1 brings back the same piece of bone marrow with a chunk missing (presumably she removed the piece I initially scooped and stuck the bone marrow it in the oven for another 10 minutes). I'm staring at my remaining 2/3 piece of bone marrow and ask server #1 whether it was my original piece, and that I thought I was getting a new one. Server #1 responds, "correct. If you wanted a new one it would have taken 20 minutes." I was stunned. I tell server #2 (who has the better attitude) that I am disappointed by this whole experience and I should have at least been asked whether I wanted to wait for a new one. She apologized and asks what I want. As if that's my job? I ask the dish to be waived. I received No apology or acknowledgement whatsoever from server #1 (who I believe is our Main server as she brought me my bill). I gave her a lower tip to reflect the subpar experience I had. No thank you from her after after paying. She puts my card on the table and turns her back. The restaurant and the food has great potential given it's a sister restaurant of mamakas. Management should confront the service, which seems to be a consistent weak point from the reviews.

Haven't lived in Toronto for too long, but I've tried quite a few bars and lounges in downtown, and so far, Bar Koukla is among the top on my list. On a nice day, the window seats bring out an enlightening ambiance that brightens up your day. Their cocktails are also excellent. Pretty good raw oysters, too! A little on the pricier side... I'd for sure visit more often if the prices were reasonable.

Came here twice in the past month while waiting to get in to Odd Seoul next door (lol), but I'm glad to have stumbled upon it! Seems like this location has had a lot of turnover in terms of businesses recently, so I hope Koukla is able to stick it out for the long haul. Koukla is a Greek / Mediterranean tapas & cocktail bar, with an open concept kitchen/bar. This means you can sit right at the bar and watch them prepare your drink and your food! Staff is super friendly, though a bit confusing in terms of who is serving you. We had the host seat us and pour our water, then had the bartender take our drink orders, then two other servers popping by to check in on us or take our orders again. Can't complain - it's better than the alternative, and might just be a symptom of a new business finding its groove. I enjoyed the cozy and upscale atmosphere and the fact that they have hooks under the bar for coats and purses (ladies know this is a huge win!). The host also offered to check my coat in the back for me, which was a nice touch. Cocktails are priced in the $13-14 range. They all looked really good, and they have a nice offering of Greek wines too, starting at $12. For tapas, they offer a modern snack-size take on the standard Greek fare: calamari, olives, feta phyllo, salads, and some other things like that! I wouldn't necessarily come here if I was planning to eat dinner, but it's definitely a great place to start the night or pop in for a quick drink and a bit! Hope it does well.

I wanted to write about an unfortunate experience I had last night dining at Bar Koukla. It was my first experience eating at the restaurant after having enjoyed the delicious food and impeccable service at their sister restaurant, Mamakas. Let me start by saying that our overall experience at Bar Koukla was good - the food was excellent and our individual sever was great - but an unfortunate exchange with the manager early in our meal cast an awkward and unnecessary shadow over the evening. I met an old friend for dinner at the bar and we quickly ordered some drinks and starting catching up. A bread dish and some olives were then brought to us, which we were happy to indulge in as we were both famished. Halfway through the dishes, our server - who was lovely, I should add - informed us that the bread and olives were brought to us in error and asked if we would be willing to pay for them. Obviously, we were not comfortable with this option as the error had been made on behalf of the restaurant. The server then brought over the manager who reiterated that she felt we were responsible for paying for the dish, stating "Did you not see the items on the menu?" to which we responded "This is our first time here and we have yet to look at the menus." She then continued to intimate that the mistake was in fact made by us in a rather antagonistic tone. Finally, when she realized we were unwilling to pay for a mistake made by the restaurant, she took away the half-eaten dishes, only to discard them, stating "Well, if you're not paying for them and you didn't order them..." We were blown away by the audacity of a manager in a service-based industry "punishing us" for trying to advocate for ourselves after a mistake made by her staff. Now, I'm not sure what I hope to achieve with this review - this is in fact the first time I've written a restaurant review - but I hope this serves as an opportunity for growth for this restaurant and this particular manager in terms of providing the level of service befitting a renowned restaurant and a $200+ bill.

A little expensive but worth the try, the lamb croquettes were to die for and the calamari portions were small but good. We also tried the bone marrow and it was delicious minus the extremely charred bread

I hate that they don't take reservations (as I hate waiting to be seated and the idea of possibly not getting a table is annoying) but if you go for around 6pm there seems to be tables available. Loved the menu- everything was delicious, portions were smaller which allowed for the ability to try several plates! Drinks were delicious. Service was good.

Came for brunch and it took 2 hours to be served a couple drinks, toast, potatoes and pancakes. Worst of all, the pancakes were straight-up RAW batter and not even tasty raw batter .... It was stomach-churningly salty and just tasted wrong. Come here if you want to throw money away, receive terrible service, and eat something that'll probably make you sick.

zero communication between front of house staff clearly; horrible organization of walk-in and reservation guests. such a shame because the food and beverages are phenomenal. Deeply disappointing.