From the outside, Barberians Steakhouse and Tavern appears to be a rather low-key spot. Adorned with crests and an awning, the unassuming exterior doesn’t give away that one of Toronto’s most iconic restaurants is just behind the front door. The unrivalled steakhouse is as committed to showcasing the country’s history as it is to serving the city’s top steaks.
Opened in 1959 by Harry Barberian, the restaurant started out in a small space with an even smaller kitchen for the charcoal grill. The restaurant has since gone through several expansions and now includes two main dining rooms, two private dining rooms and a two-storey subterranean wine cellar that houses over 30,000 bottles. The astoundingly beautiful cellar space can be rented for private functions. The kitchen is now in the back, but they still use a charcoal grill to prepare the meats.
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Let me start by saying this... I am a Canadian so I am used to steak houses... This place is the worst I have ever been too... My wife and son had shared a Large filet mignon with Baked potato... The steak was asked to be medium to medium well... but cam medium rare. THE Potato was hard as a rock and was tasteless. I had the prime rib dinner with soggy French fries... but the meat was good. A customer sitting beside me had asked the waiter about the cuban cigars they have for customers and I wa
Can't wait to go back to Toronto for some of the best food in Canada!! Amazing food and service!! Not to mention the wine...?
Our dinner started off with a green salad and escargots -- both were well prepared and tasted great! We continued with the porterhouse steak and green beans almondine. We enjoyed our meal very much.
The food was awful the waiter was very slow and the atmosphere was very average. I thought that they should have had more staff on.
The wife and I have been here numerous times in the last 20 years. This is a "classic" old-school steak house. Always great. Arron (owner) is the best, very attentive, very friendly. Their servers are outstanding (Matt & Ted especially). The Sommelier, Christine, is charming, and very knowledgeable at every budget level. (Arron knows how to pick out a killer wine as well). Always a great meal, so good in fact we're usually there for about 4 hours with drinks, conversation, etc.. One feels as comfortable at Barberian's as being at home with friends and family, but catered to enough that you still know you're having a very special night out. Will be back many more times to come.
Love the steak here, old fashioned goodness. Great atmosphere and service!
This place doesnt come cheap, but if you are willing to pay a little more than The Keg you will get the perfect Steak. How do they do it? i know that the waiter asked about marination and age of the meat but otherwise they must use the cream of the cattle. I had their ribeye and I must say it was perfect. The Waiter had relayed my requests exactly to the kitchen. The mushroom side and the potato were works of art. Very impressed!
Good steak. Chateaubriand was a pure perfection. However our Ribeye and New York were overcooked. Food presentation could be better. Great wine list, decent deserts. Setup is maybe outdated but very cozy and inviting. If you are the type of person and right age group :), you feel right at home. Overall, very nice experience but I have to say: this is not the best steak in town. It's good, not the best.
Overprice - Overrated - It was probably a nice place back in the late 70's early 80's... but the menu seems to have stalled in this era... The food is good at best, but the menu so boring and the decor is depressing at best ! They are riding on their old school reputation, visit frm old celebrities and the look of their wine cellar... Steak & potatoes are their forte ! Aspargus and buttons mushrooms are fancy side dishes... You can find much better steak house in the city
I'm writing this from slightly vauge memory as it was before Christmas that we went to this charming restaurant. I have to say it was nice to come into the warm cosy atmosphere having been out in the snow! All in all the food was of a high standard. I have to admit that i found the steak to be slightly dry on the exterior but otherwise all was well. One thing, nothing to do with the food, but we had the displeasure of being seated near some other very noisy clientele for the majority of the meal! Just bad luck i guess.
Best steak in town! Not burnt! Exactly rare and med rare as ordered. Very quiet and intimate ambiance. Lovely! We learned the hard way...book your reservations for a weekend dinner well in advance! Don't wait until the last minute.
We were a group of seven. The food was superb, the steaks were done to perfection and the wine was topnotch. The price for 7 persons, with 4 bottles of wine (+ 2 glasses) and some people had appetizers, was about $135 per person, reasonable considering the quality. Contrary to the Mapquest link attached, this restaurant is on Elm Street at Yonge and Dundas. The owner brought us down to the wine cellar which was phenomenal! I would highly recommend this place for a great steak, great atmosphere and excellent wines.
Bar none, the best steak I have ever been served. I like my steaks rare, and it was cooked to perfection. Tender enough that I probably could have cut it with a butter knife if I wanted. The rice was light and fluffy, perfect consistency. You will not find a better cut of steak in the city. Great location across from the Delta Chelsea, and just around the corner from a few theatres. Wine list is just stunning, but be careful. I find this restaurant is expensive, and it only goes up if you have wine. The price keeps this one on my "special occasion only" list.
Thank you to the owner for looking after me and my guests. We will certainly be back. My boss from Montreal enjoyed the food and excellent service.
Classic Canadiana Atmosphere. Great steaks. Great drinks. Perfect for American tourists who want to do a Canadian steakhouse instead of Morton's or Ruth's Chris, which they can get at home.
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Barberian’s Steakhouse offers five opulent settings for your holiday celebrations. The rooms seat anywhere between six to 40 people. Private dining rooms include the wine cellar, library room, Magnum Mezzanine and more.
View this Smart ListBarberian’s Steakhouse provides multiple options for planning for your next holiday get together. The restaurant offers five rooms for any size party, which includes the famous wine cellar. Barberian’s Steakhouse seats anywhere from six to 40 people.
View this Smart ListWhen Harry Barberian’s son Arron took over the restaurant, he decided to expand the wine offerings at the famous steak house. After three years of design and construction, the underground wine cellar was complete! The cellar houses more than 15,000 bottles and is temperature controlled. The cellar is open for private dining experiences for groups of 16 to 30.
View this Smart List