Liliana lives up to every bit of its reputation and it’s worth the wait. The cooking is a beautiful marriage of Italian classics with Asian flavours. The Puglia stracciatella, the pappardelle, and the octopus were our standouts, though honestly you can’t go wrong with anything as the menu is thoughtfully designed. Chef Marvin made time to come by and talk with us, which turned a great meal into a memorable one. Service was warm and genuinely personable throughout, and the room has an intimate, unhurried feel. My husband and I were already trying to book our next reservation while we were still eating. We’ll be back again very soon!

Hard to add anything extra to all the praise that has rightfully been shared about this fantastic restaurant.

The ambience is intimate yet lively, cozy yet refined. We ordered the tuna crudo and stracciatella to start with. The tuna was out of this world, and the stracciatella (served with cherries, grapes and walnuts) would have been fantastic had they not been so light handed with the cheese. I was actually convinced that they might have been running short, which would’ve been the only explanation for why there was so little on the plate, even though that was supposed to be the star of the show. They also axed the bread that was formerly served with it.

Being a pasta lover, I had to try every single option on the menu. Each one was better than the other and absolutely delighted my entire GI system. To finish, I ordered the play on tiramisu (which included banana) and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I think they should just leave this classic a classic and not introduce any third party flavours into it. I do wish I had ordered the millefoglie which others seemed to order an abundance.

Wine selection and hand crafted cocktails were all five star.

I do have to add that the entire restaurant is actually run by one server, who has plenty support from the kitchen and other ancillary staff, but he is the only one who is engaging and communicating with each table, which I feel is too much for a sole soul. Nonetheless, service was excellent, but I do think they would benefit from having two servers. I also found the chairs to be incredibly uncomfortable and do recommend that they invest in some more comfortable cushion chairs as it is not a meal that is meant to be rushed, but savoured, and more comfortable seating is necessary.

All in all, a must visit star in Toronto’s culinary sky.

We had a great experience at Liliana for dinner. The service was prompt and friendly. They checked in quite frequently and it was personable and inviting. The quality of the food was incredible. Our favourites were the stuffed chicken wings and the aglio E Olio. The octopus was a bit disappointing very over seasoned and fishy tasting (maybe just a personal take). Although, for the price of the meal and fine dining ambiance of the place, you would expect complimentary bread to start for the table (which they did not offer). They asked if we were celebrating anything and we were celebrating our wedding anniversary. Speaking from experience at other comparable places like this, they bring a dessert at the end of service which was not provided (it’s not expected but would have been a nice touch). The place was quite loud but I think there was coincidentally loud people sat near us. Overall, we had a wonderful dinner night.

Liliana is a MUST and so worth the wait list. Service was phenomenal with great conversation and recommendations. The food, my goodness! I can’t even begin how fantastic everything was. Every single dish we ordered was on point. Also loved how the chef would visit every table to greet customers. What we ordered:

Tuna Crudo- absolute must! Loved the fried shallots, green onions and sesame balanced flavours with a fresh fish

Beef carpaccio- very well balanced with spices

Mushroom papparadelle- truly appreciated the lightness of the mushroom sauce with the flavours coming through

Oxtail ragu- I’m a ragu girl and this dish seriously didn’t disappoint. The oxtail wasn’t oily at all and the richness of flavours was impeccable

Stuffed chicken wings- unreal and a must! The risotto stuffed chicken was so delicious and the mushroom sauce base was a treat

Tiramisu- having banana chunks and coffee jelly within a tiramisu was such a fun spin on this classic dessert.

Cocktails- the mezcal based one was definitely a highlight for me being olive oil washed, which sounds so weird but it was honestly so balanced and delicious!

Overall, I’m a very picky Italian eater as I have quite high expectations and this restaurant did not disappoint. Can’t wait to return!!

One of the hardest places in the city to get a reservation, probably because people keep coming back. I know I will lol. First visit here, already had a big lunch so I wasn't sure I could eat much. Despite that we still got dessert! Excellent Italian food but with just the right amount of fusion. Starting off with the crudo it really gave us our appetites back. The oxtail pasta is like a short twisted shape, sauce was great not too much acidity. Stuffed wings were like a risotto arancini. Trout was perfectly done, satay a nice departure from typical recipes but also not overpowering. For dessert the panna cotta being topped with yuzu was refreshing. And the tiramisu with banana seemed like a fancy banana split. These innovative dishes make this restaurant extraordinary and irreplaceable.