Gio Rana’s Really Really Nice Restaurant

Excellent service. The grilled calamari was a great recommendation by our bartender — super tender and packed with flavour. I had the gnocchi, and my husband the risotto — both delicious. While mine was super rich, it made me glad I ordered the small — my husband probably should have ordered a lg.
All in all, great customer service and the food to back up the hype.
Will be back.

Who are we trying to deafen with the EXTREMELY loud music? Returned after a ten year absence to find they had expanded into the old bank building next door, still the same concrete floors and décor by Goodwill, although the chandeliers must have been a secret Good Will find, the christmas fairy lights only get one star for amusement. Tables for four couldn’t possibly hold plates for 4 comfortably, are the management suggesting we order LESS? Kitchen is getting lazy, obviously never heard of gremolata to be served with Osso Bucco. Too much untrimmed fat before braising, which obviously didn’t happen today. Too many dishes were just cooked once in a while and reheated. Desserts incredibly over priced for what’s involved. Definitely gonna blow The Nose!

Wow! This place is amazing. Super laid-​back but trendy atmosphere, would be equally comfortable for a family or a casual date. It’s loud, but in an acceptable and fun way. Service was friendly and efficient.
This like a good place for people who like food and don’t want to end their meal hungry! We were stuffed at the end and surprised at how reasonable the price was.
The food was very satisfying and delicious, and the complimentary bread with olive oil and vinegar to dip was a nice addition.
We had the brussel sprout side with cheese and bacon (my husband isn’t usually a vegetable fan and loved it), the portobello mushroom slices side which were very tender and rich in garlic butter, the ricotta-​stuffed salmon, and the creamy gnocchi with some kind of delicious bacon cream sauce. (ordered the large and had a hard time finishing it, but did anyway because it was too good to not.)
Only one complaint — the food was all lukewarm when it arrived at the table, it came out super fast, but wasn’t hot enough, it was acceptable, but should’ve been hotter.
Looking forward to returning to try the other dishes!

Went for a birthday in February of 2016.
1) The food was really enjoyable. I got to try about 7 different dishes and they were all between pretty good and great.
2) Oddly disproportionate portion sizes. Obviously part of this is based on the relative price ingredients used, but most of the group seemed to find it hard to know how much to order. Some couples ordered 3 dishes and were stuffed, others ordered 4 and were barely full.
3) Slightly pricey but I enjoyed the food, and it’s just the norm in trendy parts of Toronto.
4) The service was quite slow, and the two staff members we interacted with most were not agreeable at all. One was generally snippy and one smiled at the table an visibly switched to a scowl the moment he turned away (on one occasion he seemed to be muttering something, but I couldn’t hear it…) Bad days happen but this was excessive; none of the servers seemed to be enjoying the work at all.
In all fairness, it sucks to serve a table of 12, so I’ll probably go back as a table of 2 or 4 to give the restaurant a shot. If the service is the same I won’t go back because the quality of the food doesn’t make up for the attitude we dealt with. Fingers are crossed that’s not the case though.

The food was yummy and the atmosphere was lovely. The staff were great also. The music was a bit too loud but otherwise I had a pleasant experience.

I love this restaurant. The food is amazing & the staff are great. I have booked them for many birthday dinners & highly recommend the private table in the wine vault if you have a group of 8+ people (except in the summer, it gets really hot).

I have been to this restaurant a couple of times and the food and service is very consistent… Amazing food and the staff there is extremely friendly… A must try is their meatball! It’s da bomb and it’s the best meatball I have ever had!!! One thing is finding a parking spot there is a pain!

Have been to Gio’s (the Nose as we call it) many times over the last 10 years. It’s fun, a bit gritty and I love the rotating art displays. Menu has stayed the same with very few updates – but everything we have tried has been delicious. The involtini is a favourite though it does not look pretty on the plate.
I would recommend staying away on weekend nights if loud music bugs you (bring the excedrin). Does not work well if you want to have a conversation with a low talker.
Overall it’s consistent and a fun place to bring friends or family.

«The Nose» has always been a ‘go to’ for good quality at a good price. We went over the weekend and prices have increased and a couple of the portions are smaller. So, my reasoning for always returning is no longer valid.
Probably won’t return as the price quality ratio is no longer true…

Heaven heaven heaven. I LOVED our meal here. This place is known locally «The Nose» We had a fabulous night out with another couple and ordered a bunch of things to share including many bottles of champagne. The giant meatball is a must — so delicious!

I feel like this place is overrated.
Came here with a friend couple weeks ago super small menu
Food was salty
Service is good. But would not go back.

Both the food and ambience left a memorable experience, which is why I am reviewing this place.
Very cosy environment for dinner. We came with a big group but it is suitable for dinner dates too.
Definitely want to come back and try other items in menu.
The meatball and Brussel sprout slaw were quite memorable.

I have been to Gio’s a number of times, and can say without any hesitation that I have never been (even momentarily) disappointed. The wine, food, atmosphere and service are all consistently excellent. It is, quite possibly, my favorite (affordable) restaurant in all of Toronto.
Housed in an old bank building, the space is large with high ceilings. At night, the lights are lowered and candles lit everywhere, bringing a golden intimacy to the space. For larger parties (of probably 8+), you can even reserve the old bank vault at the back of the restaurant (which has been converted into their wine cellar). It’s pretty fun to sit in your own vault surrounded by amazing Italian wines.
Must haves:
Antipasti — grilled calamari with capers and tomatoes (it makes people blush, it is so damn tender!)
Primi — crespelle with butternut squash and sage butter sauce (forget everything else you’ve ever eaten. This is it right here.)
Secondi (Pesce/​Carne) — the whole grilled sea bass is incredible. The involtini and the osso buco are equally amazing.
Always ask your server about the specials as well. They often feature decadent Secondi courses for genuinely reasonable prices.

This is a ⁰⁄₅ rating.
The staff are inattentive and pretentious. We were greeted by waiter Y, he took our order and spent the entire night at a couple’s table while waiter A brought us our food, drinks, and dessert and checked up on us once. Waiter Y only returned to collect the bill/​his tip.
The food was incredibly disappointing.
Meatball app = 1/​5, pre-​made
Gnocchi = 0/​5, bland and cold
Risotto = 0/​5, unappetizing as it was a dark brown, no taste, and it was already separating as it arrived, pre-​made
Chicken Breast = ¹⁄₅
The food/​service resonates with the theme/​décor of their restaurant — incomplete, half-​a**, and ‘meh’.
Save your money, time, and the disappointment and go to any other Italian restaurant.

I’ve always had an awesome experience here.
Trick is to sit at the bar! You can’t beat this as a local watering hole. Staff are amazing. Warm and inviting. Casual or dressy. Very cool vibe to this place without the pretentiousness found at most Queen St hip spots.
Great music, great vibe. Basically no BULLSHIT
Really a cool local
Highly recommend the lamb, it’s a favourite of mine!
Simple and affordable favourite is the rigatoni and tomato sauce, you can order it off the menu and it’s always great.
The shrimp and risotto is lovely too
Often I just have the rapini or asparagus side with a cocktail at the bar.
Yan (Ian) is exceptional, Zack is always awesome and Marty the flamboyant server is Hilarious, and overall they are all generous!
I’ve been gifted many a shot here.
When getting dessert get the berries and cream with port on top! Amazing!

I recall noticing this place way way back when I was in this neighborhood. I recall thinking that it was either a plastic surgeon’s office (with a sense of humor!) some oddball art store or a shop that sells eye glasses. Later on I found out it was a restaurant with a repute to boot. A friend who had tried this place recommended trying it.
I got in a bit early and waited at the bar before they open. Didn’t get a chance to the menu before hand but osso bucco was a;ready on list of things to try.
My dining companion arrived later. Here is what we had
fried rissoto balls. Just beautiful not the dried version one gets nice crispy on the outside with the creamy moist center
crêpe with butternut squash. These was average IMO. The sauce was done well here.
My DC ordered the chicken which was stuffed (light on that) though cooked well. It was moist but lacked seasoning IMO.
The osso bucco hit it out of the park. Just gorgeous slathered in rich sauce with the meat the was perfectly tender and the center of marrow. Top dish on this outing.
I had a glass of Chianti as well which was priced reasonably as well.
We have a winner here folks 4 Stars. I will be back.

Such a great spot! The food is always delicious and always consistent! Staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is very New York Chic.
You can’t go wrong with any of there choices. I would def recommend having a martini before dinner! It can get very packed after about 7 pm, so i would recommend going early to ensure you get a table.

Came here for a quick dinner on a week night. The place wasn’t too crowded, we got a table right away.
We tried the Grande Meatball and the Pan-​seared Scallops for appetizers and they were both decent. I had high hopes for the mains after the appetizer, but was disappointed by what came next. I went with the classic Rigatoni in tomato and basil sauce. Most of the pasta had cracked and broken up and i couldn’t taste even a hint of basil in the sauce. The other entrée we tried was the garlic shirmp with risotto cake, it came with 3 small pieces of shrimp. Nothing to write home about.
In addition, our server wasn’t very attentive. We had to go up to the front to pay in the end because we couldn’t even flag him down.
Will not be returning to this restaurant again.

Enjoyed a belated birthday dinner at Gio Rana’s. We arrived at seven o’clock on a Saturday night and this little Leslieville restaurant was packed. They don’t take reservations for parties under six so expect some waiting time.
I love the décor of Gio Rana’s — for an Italian restaurant, they’re going for a Bohemian chic look. It’s a small space so you’ll be sitting closely to other patrons. Easily accessible by TTC, you can also find street parking. One block east of Gio’s, you can find free parking after six o’clock on Queen Street. Now to the food. We ordered rissotto balls (arancini) floating on tomato sauce. Perfectly cheesy and crispy. We also ordered pasta; I unfortunately forgot its name (it starts with a ‘c’,’ dumplings in sage butter with butternut squash inside). The pasta was a-​okay, it was a little bland. We also ordered the chicken dish, which was juicy and seasoned well.
Service was excellent, food was delicious, and the ambiance was great.
PS — It’s a little expensive (2 glasses of wine, 1 app, 1 pasta, and 2 mains was $ 85), but worth it!
Good for: Italian, dinner

From the outside Gio Rana’s is really non descript with no title or signage except for an obscenely large paper mache looking nose poking out… I guess it’s easier to spot when driving along queen street.
They don’t take reservations however we came in on a Friday right at 6pm and were quickly seated however within an hour the place was predominately packed. Gio Rana’s used to be a bank and the décor is basically the remnants of what used to be. Think original stripped and fading dry wall adorned with frameless strange paintings, high ceilings with air ducts, mismatched tables and chairs, chandeliers, and candlelight. Romantic and kitchy all at the same time.
After being seated at cozy table near the back of the dining room we were promptly brought a round waters and a delicious and plentiful assortment of warm bread with a dish of prepoured balsamic and olive oil.
Our friendly waiter went over the specials for the day and gave us some recommendations. The menu is split into four sections, antipasti, primi, secondi, and contorni. Everything on the menu appealed to me so I ordered a little something from every section!
Antipasti
Grande meatball in ragu sauce
This is a MUST order! Hands down BEST meatball ever! Not only is it huge & juicy but it’s soo tender and light packed with flavour sitting in a delicious ragu sauce perfect for dunking each morsel in. I drool just reminiscing over this beauty!
Pan Seared dry packed scallops w/​Italian pork belly and jus
Perfectly cooked sweet scallops paired with decadent smokey and salty pork belly, a heavenly combination
Primi
House made Potato gnocchi w/​bolognese sauce
Large and plump almost dumpling like texture but still very airy in that thick rich flavourful bolognese
Secondi
Involtini — Pulled pork wrapped in Ribeye w/​goat cheese and jus
My two favourite meats combined in one dish! This was a no brainer for me to choose. The pork was totally melt in your mouth tender with bits of caramelized onions and the chargrilled taste of the beef with salty creamy goat, it was just an amazing dish all around!
Contorni
Roast yukon gold potatoes w/​onion and garlic
Sweet potato mash w/​brown butter
Both potato dish were flawless and flavourful
Brussel Sprout slaw with asiago cheese and crispy pancetta
I loveee my brussel sprouts but never have I had them as a slaw! Truly outstanding combination from the crispy pancetta, salty cheese, raw crunchy sprouts and tangy vinaigrette dressing I adored every bite!
Finally onto dessert… I was literally bursting at the seams by this point with utterly no room for dessert… but who am I kidding as soon as I saw the dessert menu I managed to conjure some up!
All the desserts are homemade and sounded delectable!
Homemade brownie w/​chocolate caramel sauce
Warm right of the oven, fudgey centre drizzled with a divine chocolate caramel accented sauce with fresh berries and a dollop of cold whipped cream… geez what’s not to love here?
Tiramisu
Done to perfection! Just the right amount of cream perfect balance of coffee flavour and with the rum flavouring in background not soggy at all and just the right sweetness sitting on a pool of warm chocolate sauce. All I can is Yummmmmmm
I love everything about Gio Rana’s! The service is spot on, everything came out in perfect timing, dishes cleared promptly and water refilled on cue, our waitress was really attentive checking on us after every dish was delivered, the food here is just amazingly delicious, from the combination of flavours, textures, and aromas everything just surpassed my expectations! If you haven’t been here already I suggest you make it a priority pronto and you can thank me later!