Grace Restaurant

Grace restaurant is a small 2-storey restaurant located in the middle of little Italy and little Portugal in the heart of downtown Toronto.  We decided to go there after work as it was a restaurant that had gotten pretty good reviews on numerous websites. We had made reservations for the evening and were given the party room upstairs.  There was a bar present where we could order our drinks and they had placed about 5 tables altogether where about 14 of us sat down and ordered our food for the evening. 

Albacore Tuna Crudo

Scanning their specialty menu for the evening, they provided a variety of beef, fish and pasta at this restaurant. I was looking for sophistication so I went with the Albacore Tuna Crudo ($14), Pan Roasted Haddock ($27) and the Summer Parfait ($10).  An hour before sitting down we were also given some ginger mixed scallops that were served on a spoon and some bread. 

From the time the food was ordered to the time the appetizer arrived took about 30 minutes.  It was not busy downstairs so we weren't really too sure as to why it took so long.  When the food did arrive, I have to admit presentation wise it was a 5 out of 5 however proportion wise it was like a 1 out of 5.  The tuna was mixed with some olive oil, citrus, tobiko, chili and cilantro.  The plate was huge however the amount of tuna served was very small.  There were approximately three pieces of tuna in my plate.  The taste was actually quite good.  The citrus taste blended well with the tuna as it gave the tuna a tangy taste to it.  It was quite soft and the tuna was quite fresh.  It was too bad that there was only so little of it.

Pan Roasted Haddock

From the time the appetizers arrived to the time the entrees arrived was about another 45 minutes.  We had no idea what on earth was taking so long.  By now, many of the guests were hungry.  They kept refilling our drinks but not the bread and the people were getting restless and hungry.  When the food finally did arrive, again it was in very small proportions.  The haddock was mixed with a fennel and tomato broth, leeks, flat beans and potato hay.  Don't let the photo fool you, the amount of fish served was just a little bit bigger than the size of my thumb.  I think I ate my fish in like two bites. Again taste wise it was pretty good however I was told by a couple of my colleagues that their food was barely warm.  I had to agree. For the amount of wait time for their food, quantity sure was not their strong point. 

Last to arrive were the desserts and for this evening I ordered the Summer Parfait.  This consisted of a multitude of berries, bison yogurt and candied granola.  The berries provided most of the sweetness as the yogurt was mostly bland.  The candied granola provided a sharp contrast to the sweet and soft berries that were being served.  Oddly enough the amount of dessert served was equal to the combined appetizer and entree that I had ordered tonight.  The dessert was okay although it was like eating a very large bowl of yogurt. 

Summer Parfait

Overall, it was a mix result for me all around.  I can see why this place would get top marks for the quality of their food.  However, if you are looking for quantity this is one place you may want to skip.  The waitresses were friendly however the wait time to get your food was just a bit too long.  There was also a paid  public parking lot right behind the restaurant.  For the total price and the amount of food one got, I am not too sure one would get full value for their dollar.  The fact that I had to drive to a McDonald's afterwards to get some more food pretty much sums it up.  Overall I give my experience a 3 out of 5. 

Grace Restaurant
503 College St 
Toronto, ON

416 944-8884