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  5. Little Italy / College St.
Bar Isabel, Toronto, ON
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Bar Isabel

CAN$51 and over
Spanish

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 38 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Neighborhood gem
Enjoy an intimate dining experience at Bar Isabel - a cozy restaurant nestled between Toronto's little Italy and little Portugal, where creative Spanish-inspired small plate dishes are served alongside cocktails and an extensive Iberian focused wine list. The restaurant's elegant interior boasts an intriguing blend of soft lighting, curved walls and a beautiful mosaic tile floor.
Managed under the guidance of Maitre d' and Partner Alessandro Pietropaolo, Bar Isabel's menu includes a diverse mix of pintxos, conservas, seafood and meat dishes. Diners rave about the grilled octopus, the bone marrow and the ceviche. For dessert, the Basque cake and sherry cream is a must-try. Bar Isabel is open 5-11pm Sunday through Friday, and 12-11pm Saturday. Accolades include listings in the Michelin Guide, Canada's top 100, and 2013 awarded the best new restaurant in Canada by Enroute Magazine. Bar Isabel accepts reservations for parties of up to 8 guests.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: Grant van Gameren

  • Award icon

    MICHELIN Plate

    2022

From the OpenTable editors: A decade into its run, Bar Isabel continues to be a sought-after table thanks to its intimate tavern ambiance and spot-on tapas. Easy-to-share snacks, an excellent drinks program emphasizing Spanish wine and sherry, and buzzy vibes encourage diners to linger and order round after round of Spanish hits.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    CAN$51 and over
  • Cuisines
    Spanish, Basque, Catalan
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri, Sun 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (416) 532-2222
  • Website
    http://barisabel.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Catering
    We do not offer catering.
  • Private party facilities
    We do not have an event space.
  • Location
    797 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1C7
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Neighborhood
    Little Italy / College St.
  • Cross street
    Ossington or Shaw
  • Parking details
    Parking is extremely limited at the moment due to the CafeTO patios.
  • Public transit
    Ossington Bus, College Streetcar.
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Wine

Featured in

Experiences

  • NYE 2024 with Bar Isabel

    Dec 31, 2024 only
    Join Bar Isabel for New Year's Eve 2024! We will be offering our regular a la carte menu, as well as features from our library of dishes and wine cellar. Or put yourselves in our hands and try our tasting menu! Please note all of our reservation times are 2 hour time slots, and we are a very small room, so we will not be able to accommodate longer seating times. If you would like to stay for the midnight countdown, please book a time slot after 10pm or later. We are looking forward to celebrating with you again!
    NYE 2024 with Bar Isabel Photo

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 1,976 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bar Isabel in Toronto offers a lively atmosphere with an authentic Spanish flair. Known for its "fantastic food" and "impeccable service," this restaurant is a must-visit for anyone craving tapas-style dining. Highlights include "incredible octopus" and a well-curated wine selection. Ideal for celebrations, though noise levels can be high.

1,976 Reviews

  1. qazi

    VIP

    Toronto

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best experience ever! Thank you for the lovely hospitality

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  2. Kelty

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Brought my partner and 6 of our friends here to celebrate his 40th. There were multiple allergies at the table and our server was not only SUPER knowledgeable and friendly but accommodated and everyone and put together an incredible tasting menu for us. We all felt very well taken care of and had so much fun! 5 stars all around!

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  3. Catherine

    Toronto

    26 reviews

    4.0

    26 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Bar Isabel is one of my favourite restaurants and I’ve been several times. The food is always outstanding and the wine and cocktails are great. The service this time was below the great service they usually had. We had a last minute drop out from our group and the person who seated us was quite rude about it which started our experience off on the wrong foot. Our food also came out in a strange order (large plates before big plates) which was unusual from the normal service. I would still go back as the meal and ambiance are always great!

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  4. Beau

    Dublin

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Was very good and the service was great. It’s a little guilty of disingenuous Toronto fake-hipster/Gen X blasé — except for Adrian, he was incredible. Knowlegeable and zero pretense. Two of us tried the tasting menu which was well rounded and they accommodated some dietary requests without hesitation. Was surprised by the check at the end of the evening: $430… this included a few cocktails and a couple glasses of wine and the gratuity (20%). 7.5/10

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  5. Cayden

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food and even better service. We spend perfect moments !!! “Marissa” thank you for your amazing service!!

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  6. Callum

    Toronto

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 14, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Authentic Spanish tapas. Great food and drinks. Great service.

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  7. Stephanie

    Toronto

    31 reviews

    5.0

    31 reviews

    Dined on December 14, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was our first time at Bar Isabel, and what an experience! Some of the best bone marrow we’ve ever had. I tried beef tongue for the first time and loved it. The tapas we tried were all excellent, the cocktails were delicious and my husband really loved the skin contact wine. Gorgeous cozy room and excellent service. Will definitely come again.

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  8. Jaimie

    VIP

    Toronto

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on December 11, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It is rare to go to a restaurant in Toronto that is so popular and busy, yet the staff have a wonderful synergy that translates into genuinely caring about their guests. We were offered fresh tableware after our appetizers which is not uncommon, but we were also offered additional sour dough bread to soak up the sauce without even having to ask for it. Not so common!Everyone pitched in, including the bartender to make sure we weren’t sitting with dirty dishes and that our water and wine glasses were always filled. They were friendly and polite without being obsequious. We chose a Pinot that surprised us with some effervescence. The wine was not spoiled but the bit of bubbly was not to our liking and with absolutely no fuss, they replaced the bottle with a different choice. We enjoyed our meal, the food is delicious(!), and it felt really good to be in a place where the staff truly works together to make sure guests are enjoying an evening of dining out. Few restaurants have endured the fickle habits of Torontonian diners, so I hope Bar Isabel continues to do what they are doing for many more years because we’ve been going there since 2013 and always enjoy it!!

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  9. Karen

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 10, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was fantastic and we loved all recommendations from our lovely server.

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  10. Lotty

    Kent

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 9, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Such a wonderful dinner tonight. Our server was knowledgable about both wine and food. Recommendations were great and the pace of the food coming out was perfect!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Bar Isabel is rated 4.7 stars by 1976 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 38 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Bar Isabel

797 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1C7

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Cross street
    Ossington or Shaw
  • Neighborhood
    Little Italy / College St.
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri, Sun 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    CAN$51 and over
  • Cuisines
    Spanish, Basque, Catalan
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Parking is extremely limited at the moment due to the CafeTO patios.
  • Public transit
    Ossington Bus, College Streetcar.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Wine
  • Website
    http://barisabel.com/
  • Phone number
    (416) 532-2222
  • Catering
    We do not offer catering.
  • Private party facilities
    We do not have an event space.

Featured in

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