Agio

This is my third visit here in a month and a half. I’m happy to be a returning diner to a restaurant with amazing options. I love the ambiance.All the dishes were winners. Also I am not a dessert person but this is the third time I’ve ordered the dessert cake which I appreciate for not being too sweet.Looking forward to returning and inviting more people to dine here to try out some other options.5 stars!!! Thank you!!!

We drive in to the city and choose to eat here. The chef is a doll and his food is soooo good. Takes me back to my Nonna’s gnocchi (I get it with the bolognese sauce.) Your food is all cooked to order. The chef’s passion and love for Italian cooking radiates through his food and little meal add ons. Highly recommend.

The food is incredible! My friend found this place on google and we decided to go for her birthday. Don’t be discouraged by the lack of fancy decor, as the food is amazing and you won’t be disappointed. The owner/chef spent years in Italy, and knows what he is doing. We all had different mains and all three were amazing. We will be going back for sure.

Agio is a seafood restaurant situated on St Clair Avenue, a bustling hub for Italian cuisine in Toronto. My cravings for seafood led me to venture to this new eatery. I had previously heard of Agio, with positive reviews on Yelp and Google, so my expectations were high upon entering. However, the decor was rather understated, not matching my preconceptions of a fancy Italian restaurant. The interior was adorned with flags from around the world, and an older Asian man awaited our arrival.Initially, I was unsure whether this was a genuine Italian restaurant, but I was soon corrected by the owner, who revealed his fascinating backstory. Born in Korea, he worked in Japan before extensively training in Italian restaurants. He even tested my Italian skills and impressed me by mentioning that he could read Vietnamese. His love for Italian culture was evident, and we bonded over our mutual admiration for this great country.The owner recommended spaghetti alle vongole and calamari fritti, and I happily obliged. Before our mains arrived, he offered us fresh bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, as well as a delightful amuse bouche of zucchini drizzled with squash and balsamic glaze.I must admit that my assessment of the restaurant is somewhat contextual. The owner is evidently an older man who works single-handedly. He serves as the waiter, entertainer, and chef, making everything fresh to order. In this sense, his passion for Italian cuisine shines through, and I have the utmost respect for his efforts. If I were to judge the food as home-cooking, I would give it a solid 4/5. However, if I were to evaluate the restaurant against the standards of a high-end establishment, the story would be different.The decor was outdated, service was not the quickest, and the tableware could do with an update. However, given the owner's limited resources, this would not be economically feasible. Despite these minor critiques, my overall experience was highly enjoyable. The owner taught me much about Italian culture, and the calamari was fresh, light, and crispy. My only complaint was that the clams in the pasta were not pre-shucked, resulting in many shells in the dish. However, given that the owner was working alone, this was understandable. The flavor of the dish was on par with that of many high-end restaurants.I highly recommend supporting independent business owners like the proprietor of Agio, who possess a deep passion for food and the culture of Italian cuisine. The restaurant's namesake, Agio, meaning comfortable, aptly describes the ambiance of the establishment, and I felt right at home throughout my visit

Great hospitality, food, and service by the owner. This place should be more well known. Will be coming back here again.

Very nice service! Spaghetti was delicious, before the pasta I got bread with oil, grilled zucchini(see the photos) and cold water. The first place where I decide to pay 25% tip. Pasta comes with special spoon to make eating long pasta easier.

My husband took me out for dinner here a couple of weeks ago and this was hands down one of the best Italian restaurants that we have been to ever! The food was mouthwatering and delicious and the service was exceptional! The chef even gave us free extra appetizers which were delicious. All in all a great experience and we would 10/10 dine here again

The owner/chef is an incredibly interesting man, he has a lot of stories and is friendly. The food is also very good and you can tell he truly has a passion for cooking (we had the alfredo, mare, ravioli and spaghetti pastas! He probably will remember us). The place itself is definitely a hole in the wall and may not look like the biggest/fanciest place, but that's how we knew it'd be good. Don't be put off by the ambience. Will definitely come here again when we visit Toronto!

Really fun experience. Last minute decision to try this place at 9 pm.Chef was friendly and joking - talked about his cooking experience and Italian pride; like an old Italian guy.The area had many paintings (scenery and one wall full of portraits). There was music playing (not too loud) and plants around. Good atmosphere despite the age of the building. The plates and cutlery were good stuff - didn't look old or worn out; had a booth seat but I didn't sit there.The bread was warm and fresh. The zucchini amuse-bouch" (zucchini with a sweet orange thing with balsamic) was amazing. Like