Guu Izakaya Toronto Review
February 27, 2010 by Will
Filed under Deals, Downtown, Restaurants, Toronto
Guu Izakaya Toronto, a Japanese Tapas styled resto-pub, opened to much anticipation and fanfare, due to having the buzz carried over from their award winning restaurant on the West Coast in Vancouver. Now that they’ve finally opened a location in Toronto months after opening up in December 2009, there are still lineups that force patrons to wait for at least 30 minutes if you don’t arrive at 5 PM sharp when their doors open (due to their strict no reservation policy). The hype and sheer word of mouth surrounding this newly opened restaurant is a testament to the quality of the surprisingly fun dining experience that Guu Izakaya offers.
The first thing you notice after stepping into Guu Izakaya is the high pitched greetings in Japanese by the entire staff, from the host, server, chef and line cooks – and this is for everyone who enters. It’s alarming and welcoming at first, and charming or annoying depending which side of the fence you’re on.
Photos courtesy of Sifu Renka on Flickr
What you can expect from Guu Izakaya authentic Japanese (run by actual Japanese owners) are tapas-style plates that are aggressively priced. In addition to that, the vibe and atmosphere that Guu exudes is second to none as their interior design is done by the same firm that put the prominent Pan-Asian cuisine chain, Spring Rolls on the map. The energy is amazing in this venue as it’s filled with wide-eyed patrons excited to try out their dishes.
Dishes span from $4 for their appetizers to about $11 (max) for their premiere dishes. As for drinks, half pints are reasonably priced at $5 while their “Mega-Pints” go for $10 but will definitely fill you up in addition to the list of sakes and shochu’s that they offer.
When I went with my friend, we literally ordered half of the menu just because everything was so damned tasty! The end result of our bill? Roughly $80 including taxes and tip.
If you’re looking for a new spot in Toronto to check out and getting a bit tired of the uninspired sushi restaurants that are littered across every major Toronto neighbourhood, Guu Izakaya is a MUST destination to explore while on a date.
Some helpful hints:
- Because they don’t allow for reservations, arrive by at least 4:45 PM to get in reasonably quickly. Just tell your date to arrive around 5:20 if you don’t want to keep them waiting with you
- If you don’t want to rub shoulders with strangers, be sure to arrive by at least 4:30 PM in order to get traditional tables, unlike the picnic style tables that take up the majority of the restaurant.
- Arriving after 9 PM is an option as well, where people who are getting there for the regular after work and dinner hours are usually done by that time.
- They allow you a maximum seating time of 2 hours if it’s especially busy and give you regular reminders
- Be sure to have plans before or after going to Guu because of their 1.5 hour limit. Luckily Guu is located in the downtown core, which give you plenty of options to choose form.
For more info you can check out Guu Izakaya Toronto’s website and menu
Guu Izakaya
398 Church St
Toronto, ON
(416) 977-0999
You can also check out reviews from BlogTO, Martini Boys, and Toronto Life
Have you been to Guu Izakaya before? What did you think of your experience?
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