Grilled Octopus
The dish that made the room. Charred hard, still tender.
Spanish · Little Italy
Bar Isabel
The College Street room that rewrote what a Toronto late dinner looks like
SpanishLittle Italy, Toronto$$$Details being confirmed
The review
Bar Isabel opened over a decade ago and is still, on the right night, the most enjoyable room in Toronto. Dark, noisy, tiled, and running a kitchen that takes Spanish cooking seriously without turning it into a lecture.
The grilled octopus is the signature and remains the correct order — charred hard on the outside, still yielding underneath. Beyond it, get a whole fish for the table and start with jamón and pan con tomate. The sherry list is worth your attention and the staff will steer you well.
Honest notes: sharing plates add up quickly and this is a genuinely expensive dinner. It is loud from nine onwards, and tables are hard to come by. Go late, sit at the bar, and let it happen.
What to order
Whole Grilled Fish
For the table. Ask what came in.
Jamón & Pan con Tomate
The correct way to start, every time.
What works
- One of the best rooms in the city
- Kitchen runs late
- Sherry and Spanish wine list is serious
What doesn’t
- Expensive once the sharing plates add up
- Loud by 9pm
- Hard to get a table
Verdict
Octopus, a whole fish, and sherry at the bar. Go late.