Osteria Rialto

Such a pretty venue, attached to an old theatre. Our server Cory was so sweet, and helpful and was knowledgeable of the food. Not only are the dishes are tasty, I also enjoyed the portions where you don’t get too full from one dish. Which often happens at most places when you order pasta.

A neighbourhood gem! The food is beautifully presented and delicious. We had an amazing bottle of wine from Sicily recommended by Scotty, and it was half price. Craig, the GM is people-oriented and so friendly and helpful. Too many restaurants treat their customers like numbers since the pandemic. I've been to a few that rushed us through dinner pending another reservation. I will never return to them. Thankfully, Osteria Rialto is NOT like that. We had a wonderful birthday dinner and never felt rushed. The wait staff were busy but delivered service with a smile. It's a pleasure to introduce new people to this beautiful restaurant in my neighbourhood!

My first bite into the suppli cacio e pepe ($12 for two pieces) and Rialto already brought the arancini to another level by combining it with a mozzarella stick. There was a nice cheese pull to the rice croquette encapsulated by the creamy risotto with a liberal sprinkling of black pepper to balance out the rich bite. A decent portion of cheese and meat arrives with the burrata e prosciutto ($25), enough for a taste each for our table of five. The 36-month aged prosciutto had a lovely savoury sweetness against the creamy cheese. And while we didn’t want any bread, they mistakenly provided focaccia ($9) that ended up pairing well with the cheese, the bread salty and fluffy served with a generous dish of olive oil. The tagliatelle ($27) was surprisingly rich for a meatless sauce. Soft buttery squash was tossed with parmigiano and fried sage, almost melting into the chewy pasta ribbons. The dish is a hearty vegetarian alternative for the winter. I preferred the squash pasta to the rigatoni ($28), which was a touch dry. While I liked the hint of heat in the sugo, the lamb tasted more like sausage, so the dish was too salty and greasy. While the chicken in the pollo ai funghi ($34) could be cooked less, the thin cutlets were at least crispy and flavourful slathered in a creamy mushroom and black truffle gravy. If only Osteria Rialto offered rice as a side, the grains would soak up the delicious sauce so well. It was difficult to decipher the background flavour in the sauce on the braciola di maiale ($38) ... it had a hint of umami that seemed out of place from what looks like a cream sauce. Consequently, the bagna cauda sauce incorporates anchovies (along with garlic), which is likely what added the umami and gave the neutral pork chop a lot of flavour. The meat was cooked well and the roasted rapini kept nice and crispy. Osteria Rialto tried to jazz up the insalata misticanza ($16) with a colourful variety of lettuce, including pink leaves – spoiler alert, it tastes like any other bibb lettuce. Ultimately, it’s a plain salad with a few slices of radish and sprinkling of crispy farro tossed in a vinaigrette. Nothing exciting, but if you’re looking for a traditional way to finish an Italian meal, a simple salad is it.

Cocktails were amazing, though I think the menu should offer more fruitier options. I told the bartender to surprise me and he made a very nice gin based cocktail with chard orange and orange syrup. Yum! Loved the ambience of the restaurant, lights were dim, the music wasn’t too loud so I could hear what my group was saying and our table was also right beside the bartender (easy access to order drinks!). The interior is very 1930s art deco type of vibe. Overall, we had a great time. The pasta dishes were alright, none of which were too memorable. With the Gnocchi, it tasted bland and the walnuts they used to garnish with were stale. We told our waiter and he ended up taking the item off of our bill - which was appreciated. The highlight of the table was the grilled raddichio, which was a side dish. Served with pine nuts, ricotta, raisins and maple agrodolce, it was an explosion of flavours and crunchiness in my mouth. If you’re a meatlover, highly recommend the porkchop. It was very moist and easy to cut into. Not a fan of pork but they cooked this dish really well and the meat was easy to cut into. Extra bonus points for noting it was my spouse’s belated birthday. Our waiter placed a candle on one of the desserts! Side note: Washrooms are upstairs and there is a hidden bar right across from it!

We tried this restaurant for the first time and hands down the best Italian restaurant ever. Amazing cocktails, handmade pasta, and fresh ingredients. Pesto tasted delicious, very aromatic, and tasty. Make sure you make a reservation before going to this restaurant. It's a great choice for special nights, and it's right beside the Paradise theater.

We enjoyed a nice dinner here after attending a Candlelight Concert at the Paradise Theatre next door. We knew it would be a busy night so we booked reservations and we were able to get seated 30 minutes earlier than what we reserved, which was great. The staff here is really great and the service is excellent. The food was just okay for me, which is why I’m giving 4 stars instead of 5. Would love to come back and try other menu items to see if I perhaps just chose the wrong items on my first visit.

Came here tonight to celebrate a friend's birthday and we had a great experience . The only problem we had were the meatballs because it was a little bit salty for our liking, but everything else is pretty good including customer service and the ambiance. We had the condensed menu so there wasn't that many offerings but we order pretty much most of it and shared it between 4 people. Spent about $200 before drinks which was pretty decent. Definitely recommend it and would definitely come back.

Great vibe, great food, great service! We really enjoyed the atmosphere for dinner on their covered patio area. Appetizers were delicious, especially the cacio e pepe croquettes. A great place to enjoy a dinner for two, or with friends. Very lively and buzzing. Small curated menu, but everything we ordered hit the mark. Would definitely come back to Osteria Rialto!