Pearl Diver is a casual seafood restaurant ideal for small groups, date nights and families. The daily specials are a great value especially the Tuesday Seafood Circus Platter and Thursday 100 for $ 100 Oysters. Food — Decent quality — fresh and plentiful but not the higher end quality of many $$$ seafood restaurants on Unilocal. Oyster menu has good variety but quite a few were not available at the time due to seasonality or supply. Seafood Circus Platter — Probably an okay value at $ 65 regular price but a steal on Tuesdays at $ 29! — a dozen oysters — mixture of Fanny Bay and Malpeque — were fresh and tasty. — 3 jumbo shimps — not as flavourful as others i’ve had — a bit on the rubbery side — 1 crab leg — decent quality but a bit of work to remove — 4 cold mussels — didn’t like these that much — texture was too firm — 4 pieces of seared tuna — was pretty good You can probably tell I felt the quality was OK but not above average. Service — Friendly and attentive. Servers were knowledgeable about the types of seafood and oysters. Environment — louder, bustling ambiance with wooden tables in open concept. Younger crowd overall especially for the special nights. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could — primarily for the value and selection vs the quality of the seafood.
Ken D.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Toronto, Canada
They take reservations but doesn’t deliver. You can park along the street, but no bike parking. No outdoor seating but has free Wi-Fi. That’s basically Pearl Diver got, but wait when you tried their grilled fish and other fresh sea food, worth trying, worth paying!
Peggy L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Markham, Canada
Great food and service! Their seafood is definitely fresh and cooked to perfection. I would recommend coming on Tuesday for their $ 29.99 deal on the seafood circus. Definitely make reservations to avoid waiting!
Brent F.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Seattle, WA
This place is amazing. Good variety of seafood with oysters from all around the world, but oddly my favorite thing at the restaurant is the burger! By far the best burger I have had in Toronto and I have had quite a few and one of the best burgers I have had anywhere. I have been here twice and both times it delivered. The whole fish was excellent as well and all the ingredients are very high quality and I believe sustainably and ethically sourced. The pork chop sounds and looks great so on a future visit I will definitely give it a try. The place is also very low key, not pretentious at all, and the service is great. Definitely a place I will go back to again on future visits to Toronto.
Anna V.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Toronto, Canada
Love their oysters… such great value… you get high quality oysters with the buck a shuck and real, fresh horse radish. The other foods on the menu are also very good. Loved the service.
Yvonne C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Toronto, Canada
Truly one of the best seafood places I’ve been to that won’t break the bank($ 20 – 25) an entrée! The grilled sea bass was comparable to freshly grilled fish from the seasides of Turkey. The mussels and frites came in an authentic coconut cream that I even drank as soup afterwards(shamelessly) Will be back for their $ 15 dozen oyster nights!
Priyam L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Pickering, Canada
Great food, service and ambiance! Our waitress was very friendly and pleasant. We ordered the seafood tower which was well worth the $ 68 even though they half it as a special on Tuesday for around half the price! The seafood tower was well presented and delicious as well as fun to eat! They also gave us a special hot sauce which was delicious on its own! I rarely order dessert at restaurants because I am too full but their chocolate sticky pudding was difficult to resist! The dessert was so so so yummy, I wish I had some right now! I also love the ambiance, the restaurant is small but I love the black pane window doors at the entrance tres classic! Had a very positive experience and would highly recommend this place for oysters and the seared tuna!
Jo Jo C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Markham, Canada
Bookmarked this place for the longest time and finally was able to come in and try it. We came in on Tuesday so we could take advantage of the seafood circus which is regularly priced @ $ 65 but only $ 28.88 on Tuesdays. This is somewhere I will come back on special occasions becuz it is definitely pricey. Not somewhere you can come on a regular basis, although the ambiance is just casual. The prices are not casual.Lol. The yeah(s): — superb fresh seafood circus — heavenly food(s) even to just the burger, it was THAT good. — calamari, our all time fav. dish was very good — service was an A-Ok, we were checked upon a few times throughtout the night. The nah(s): — price was surely up there — limited 1 seafood circus per every 2 head(s), very strict policy — expensive caesar(s), i realized when we got the bill, it was $ 15 per Overall, this is a place for quality food which you will not regret at all, if price was not an issue for you, you can come back everyday. Well-deserved 4 star(s)
Jason M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Toronto, Canada
If you are ever in need to take a break from your busy lifestyle, this is the place to go! The staff there was very welcoming and the atmosphere was very relaxing. I had came here with two of my friends during lunch. I ordered the mussels, which were very filling and the broth was both hearty and flavourful. My advice is to order the seafood here since this is what they were famous for. However, my friends had both ordered the burgers and the juices dripping from their smile says it all. Like Darth Vader says best, I will be back… especially for the $ 1 oyster on Thursdays!
Jamie B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Chandler, AZ
Found this place via Unilocal and went here right after flying into town. We came on the perfect night as the Sea Food Circus was on special for Tuesday night. I went with the managers recommendation of the Mediterranean Sea Bearm and it was excellent! I would highly recommend this place as both the food and service were excellent!
Nisha N.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Toronto, Canada
This was a place I had bookmarked on Unilocal for a long time and I finally got a chance to go with my friends. We had a reservation for 6.30 on a Saturday night and were seated immediately upon arrival. What annoyed me however was the number of times(in a short span) a server came to us asking us if we were ready to order. The first time they came was 2 minutes after we sat down and then they kept coming like they were in a rush for us to order in spite of the place being pretty empty around then(it got crowded around 8PM). We placed our order for drinks and I was quite surprised by how expensive my cocktail was, $ 15! Even bars that specialize in cocktails don’t start at that price, so I was pretty disappointed when that drink turned out to be average. I think it was called Snake Shake(something with passion fruit). What was good however was the food, everyone liked what they ordered. I had the Sea Bream for $ 21(MP that day) and it was really good. I do think they could add a side to it without you having to pay extra, I mean how much does it cost to throw in a side salad. Mr. H had the mussels and loved it. Another friend had the fish and chips but mentioned there was a little too much batter. We did try the desserts and really liked the sticky toffee pudding! Although I really liked the Grilled Sea Bream, I don’t think I would go back anytime soon. PS: This place should have a $$$ sign instead of $$ since if one person orders a drink+appetizer+ main course, that itself would exceed $ 30.
Jay T.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Richmond Hill, Canada
Been here before when it was Starfish, but Pearl Diver takes it to another level. Came here on Tues night and the waitress told us they have a special Seafood tower. Who could say no to that. $ 28 for the tower is amazing. 12 oysters, a couple mussels, 3 jumbo shrimps, some Ahi tuna and a few others. We also got the mussels and fries. It was in a weird Thai curry which I wasn’t too fond of. The sticky toffee pudding was pretty good but I think we got a old piece as it was harder on the ends. Still pretty good. Looking forward to going on the 100 oysters for $ 100 day in the future. Don’t forget to check-in on Unilocal to get 10% off. Only worked on regular priced items.
Ada L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 North York, Canada
Headed to Pearl Diver on a Saturday night to celebrate a special occasion with the bf. I had made reservations a few weeks in advance and found that when we arrived at the restaurant, it was bustling with people. The restaurant itself had a very low key casual vibe which was nice. We were seated quickly by the window and we quickly buried ourselves in the menu trying to figure what to eat and drink. For starters we had the Shucker’s dozen special. 3 kinds of oysters(Fanny Bay, Kusshi, and another one from Ireland) for $ 45. Delicious! We also ordered the calamari appetizer and the coating on the calamari had a kick to it which was unique. For mains I got the mussels and frites and my bf got the steak. The broth the mussels came in was Thai inspired and I tasted hints of lemongrass, ginger, and coconut which was great. The steak my bf had was good too; you wouldn’t think to order meat at a seafood place but they did a great job of cooking the ribeye. We opted out for dessert as we were too full. Overall, service and food was great, I wouldn’t mind going back to Pearl Diver. Would really love to check out their unique brunch menu as well(oyster benny anyone???)! Remember to check into Unilocal so you can get 10% off your bill(drinks excluded)!!
Kathy M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Toronto, Canada
One of my favorite restaurants in the downtown core. Located on Adelaide it is quite easy to find with the mermaid sign at the front. On Tuesdays they have their seafood circus tower(delish) it comes with a bunch of different seafood items like oysters, clams, lobster flaws, tuna tartar, uni and etc. It is up to the shucker to decide what to put on the tower. My understanding is each tower is customized. On Thursdays they have 100 oysters for 100 dollars. Sucha great deal if you have a group of 4 or 5 who loves oysters just as much as you! Their Ceaser is also amazing as they use clam juice in the mix. We’ve also ordered their steak and calamari here before and it is delish, except the portion of the calarmari is on the smaller side. Definitely a great atmosphere and the owner is super friendly as well!
Silvia L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Toronto, Canada
Love this place for fresh seafood. They take pride in their smoked fish as well as the rest of the items on the menu. I had the mussels and started with the smoked platter. I found the mussels to be cooked perfectly and had such a clean flavor to them. The smoke fish was also fantastic. May l also add the the skinny flies we just delicious as well!
Ankita D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Toronto, Canada
@PearlDiverTO # UnilocalTO #SEAFOODCIRCUS #OYSTERS #CRAB I’ve been to Pearl Diver a couple of times now and it’s one of my favourite places in Toronto for Oysters. It is nice and cozy; you can sit along the bar where the seafood plates are prepared right infront of you. Overall, a great place for a date. However, not everyone loves seafood. So I am glad I did this with my seafood loving girlfriend and my newest converted seafood lover! We ordered shareables! I think it’s the most fun way to eat: 1. The Seafood Circus Tower — you have two types of oysters and crab in the below tier; mussels, ahi tuna, shrimps and clam on the upper tier. Everything was fantastic minus the crab. I’ve had better crab. And these were a pain to crack open and eat. The oysters were fantastic! This is just $ 28.88 on Tuesdays… what a deal compared to the usual $ 65. We ended up paying the $ 65 for this btw. 2. Grilled Focaccia Bread — we got two orders of these. For $ 2, why not! 3. Cured Fish Plate — some salmon, some octopus, some ahi tuna again … this was great. $ 16 4. Sticky Toffee Pudding — mind you, they don’t have a dessert menu. All desserts are $ 8. We got a sticky toffee pudding to share. We didn’t share much as I hogged most of it. It was fantastic! 5. Port — some port to end the night. $ 6 a glass. On a cold night, nothing like ending a great dinner with some port. Shoutout to our server. She was fantastic — friendly, always came around to take our multiple orders and made sure we were catered to swiftly.
Irene T.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Toronto, Canada
Dollar oysters on Thursday but they also have amazing mains as well. I really enjoyed their tandoori salmon — thought it would be odd at first but it was amazing. Service/Servers were amazing and super accommodating with our large group of people. Atmosphere was great — lots of hustling and bustling around. Would definitely return!
Ashley N.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Elmhurst, NY
I was craving oysters for a while so I did my research on Unilocal and pearl diver has a great happy hour for oysters! I noticed not a lot of places have happy hour on a daily basis so it was hard finding one but i’m so glad I found pearl diver. I came with a group of 6 and we ordered quite a lot. First off, we ordered 3 dozen oysters. These were great oysters I really recommend them! Especially at the happy hour prices! We then ordered a lot of things off the menu. There were a few changed in the menu so instead of a summer chowder we had a clam chowder. This was great tasted like a normal clam chowder. The mussels focaccia was the best part! It was so good and amazing to dip the bread in the mussel juice. I also got to try other things from my friends. The po boy was really good. I usually don’t order sandwich like things but this po boy tasted amazing I would order it. The only downside that I had was the mash potatoes I ordered tasted very bland. I wouldn’t order that again. There was just a lack of flavor.
Angelica L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 North York, Canada
Came to Pearl Diver for a birthday dinner and it was great! Despite being 45 mins late, they seated us immediately.(didn’t mean to) We ordered oysters, soup, calamari’s and the salmon(main). The ambiance of Pearl Diver was classy yet not pretentious. It’s a perfect date night dinner place for two. Unilocal check-in for a discount! Gentlemen, take your lady here. A great night is almost guaranteed(obviously depending on how smooth you are). Can’t go wrong with oysters
Lilian L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Markham, Canada
Had a fantastic experience here for my birthday :) Came here mainly for the oysters and I wasn’t disappointed. For the special, it’s Fanny bay and PEI Malpeque. Pretty big oysters and try their house spicy sauce! For my main course, I got the mussels and frites. Usually don’t expect much from mussels but this dish was very delicious and the frites are AMAZING! The mussels were very… tender? Not sure if that’s how I should describe it lol. Let’s just say it wasn’t overcooked and rubbery :) The coconut broth was light but still tasty, was very tempted to drink it lol It was also a generous gesture of the restaurant to offer us complimentary birthday shots and they were yummy too. Special mention to my friend who noticed that if you check in on Unilocal,you get 10% off your lunch or dinner bill =D
Kirk H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Toronto, Canada
What can i say, great atmosphere, great service and excellent oysters. I recommend going on a Thursday to take advantage of their zinc and drink specials. PS — Try the burger! You will not be disappointed…
Aja C.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Woodbridge, VA
This was our new year’s eve dinner selection and surprisingly it wasn’t crowded at all. It was in walking distance from out hotel and had great Unilocal reviews. I enjoyed my experience here. It’s a cute little place with a verity of oysters if you like oysters. The oyster verity changes with the availability; they write what they have in stock on a chalkboard. I tried a few Fanny Bays from the east coast and a few Malpeque from the west coast, both were good. I didn’t like that the horseradish was julienned and not grated finely, I had no idea I had a preference. I also had the calamari and the Thai chili sauce was very yummy, made the dish something more that what it would be alone. For dinner I ordered the fish and chips. The fish batter was tasty but was a tad on the thick side and I ended up peeling some of it off because it was just too much. The dipping sauce was very complimentary to the flavor of the fish. The«chips» were fries of course, steak fries to be exact. Great with some malt vinegar on top. The service was good, our waitress didn’t come by as much as we needed her to and some other guy ended up taking care of us after she put our orders in. Overall, it was a pleasant experience.
Casey Y.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Oakville, Canada
If you’re looking for a casual spot with good seafood, look no more. We made reservations to come here on a Tuesday night after hearing about the $ 29 Seafood Circus tower special. Word on the street is that it comes with seafood(i.e. crab leg, oysters, muscles, clams, tuna, shrimp) served on a three-tier platter, afternoon tea style. Only thing is… it’s one tower for every two people. So be prepared to just have your tastebuds teased after devouring one tower in 5 seconds(JK — maybe 10). One hold back I must say is the expensive price for drinks. I’ve never paid $ 15 for a caesar before, especially not at what I thought is a casual restaurant. Maybe it’s just me. And maybe the shucked oyster laid on top of the caesar made it worthwhile. Maybe…
Steven And Laura L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Richmond Hill, Canada
Dinner Menu: What we had: Malpeque oysters, summer chowder, chicken liver and oyster pâté, fish & chips, toffee pudding/cake Taste: 9.5÷10 The oysters were very fresh and savoury, served on a bed of ice with lemons, vinegar, and seafood sauce. They were small and they don’t fill you up, so we slurped them up fairly quickly. Nevertheless, they were delicious and they were the highlight of our dinner. The chowder was decent, not too creamy, lots of chunks of vegetables and some clams. Chicken liver and oyster pâté was sweet and savoury, and the consistency was very light. It was served with bread and pickles. We weren’t too fond of the pickles. The fish fillet batter was very crispy and light, although it would have used some seasoning(salt). The fries were well seasoned, crispy and went great with the mayo. The toffee pudding was really yummy, it’s a cake soaked in toffee sauce topped with fresh berries. It was a great ending to our meal. Value: 4⁄10 15 $ per dozen oysters, 14 $ for large chowder, 9 $ for pâté and toast, 18 $ for fish and chips, 8 $ for toffee pudding. We were extremely full after the meal. Probably could have skipped the fish and chips or the pâté and toast. **Average cost per diner: 45 $ After Tax+Tip If you check in on Unilocal,you get a 10% discount off everything except for the oyster deal(our deal was $ 15 for a dozen). Service/Convenience: 10⁄10 The place is very visible and easy to find if you recognize their mermaid diving for a pearl logo. The service was quick, friendly, and professional. The waitress was very knowledgeable and accommodating. During dinner time, the place was fairly packed, reservations are recommended, especially for larger groups. Would go back? Yeah, especially to try their $ 100 for 100 oysters deal. Would recommend to friend? Yes, for a solid seafood meal. Similar places: None that we know of yet. **Disclaimer: Average cost per diner constitutes the amount(per person) we eat to get full without drinks. Total cost is usually divided between 2 diners, one of whom can regularly eat 7 slices of XL pizza(16″) in one sitting.
Lara P.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Toronto, Canada
Was here for a late dinner at 9:30 pm on a Saturday night and made a last minute reservation that day. Most of the tables seat groups of four and they have a larger private room in the back. After after 10 pm, they have a special — a dozen oysters for $ 15. Food we tried: — Winter Chowder($ 8 — small) — tasty, comforting, not overly creamy — Cured Fish plate($ 17) — we loved the mackerel but didn’t like the pumpernickel bread it came(it was dry, dense, and sweet) and thought it could have come with more house pickled vegetables — Mussels and Frites($ 18) — we really enjoyed this dish. The mussels were fairly large and meaty and loved the thai flavours which complemented them. The fries were crispy and delicious. — dozen malpeques for $ 15(after 10 pm special) — oysters were delicious and well-shucked Service was friendly. Ambiance was not too busy or loud and very casual. We will definitely be back to try more dishes.
Stephen H.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Markham, Canada
Came for a birthday and after a last minute cancellation we were moved to the private room. Great food and great people! The score is a solid 4.5! Staff: They were really friendly and knowledgeable about their menu. Any time we had a question, no matter how random it was, they offered to help and always much appreciated. They also had plenty of people clearing the plates allowing for an excellent dining experience since seafood comes with shells and bones. I would say the wait time could be improved slightly. I will also try and be fair to them because we were a large party of 15 so taking 30 min to get everyone’s cold seafood done isn’t completely unreasonable. And the entrees came pretty quickly afterwards. Ambience: This place is great. I definitely felt like I was at a seafood place and the private room was extremely nice. They had a record player and said we were free to use it which was awesome! A natural first song we played was Barracuda by Heart(get it? Seafood?). There were lovely books on the shelves which they allowed us to look at during dinner and the room allowed us to move around and chat with ease. There’s also a television and keyboard, so I think you could do presentations if you wanted to. Food: I had the Calamari and I really appreciated them being different. It was a panko batter allowing for more texture and I think there were even black sesame. Loved the accompanying dip. For my entrée I had their Burger which melted in my mouth! It was juicy and having the cheese and bacon on top was amazing. It was not too greasy at all which I appreciated since I’m not a fan of grease. It was messy though but I didn’t care. The fries were great too, I wish they automatically came with mayonnaise and ketchup on the side rather than us having to have to ask. Even with the minor things it was an excellent dining experience! Highly recommended and can’t wait to return. There’s also a Unilocal check in offer too!
Dorothy H.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Vaughan, Canada
I know why no one has ordered the lobster here from reading the reviews, it’s the priciest thing on their menu $ 43 yet least appetizing. It’s suppose to be 1.5 lb lobster but I recently had a 1.5lb from another restaurant and it is very very small in comparison. The presentation of the lobster looks like something I cooked at home. I was expecting it to be presented better since its at a seafood restaurant. Their melted butter was mediocre and I had to ask for clamps for my claws as most of it cannot be eaten without the shells being clamped. I did opt for their fries which was good. I came for my friends birthday, my other friends had opted for their 100 for $ 100 oyster deal. Unfortunately I cannot eat oysters but most of them enjoyed it. The server was knowledgeable on the menu. But I wished they had paid more attention to items we needed for our meals. We had to specifically ask for clamps for the lobster, their house hot sauce that I read a lot about, ketchup for fries etc. They were able to split our bills and gave us 10% off for Unilocal check in tho.
Jonathan H.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Markham, Canada
Overall good restaurant, best part is the service. Atmosphere is good, large bar on one side of the wall. And tables throughout. We booked ahead of time, so we got a large table in the back room. We had a party of 13, for a birthday. Servers were great, very familiar with the menu and made good suggestions. Always checked in to see how everything was and when we did have problems they handled them well. Thurs night have $ 100 for 100 oysters. Half from fanny Bay and the other half from Mal peak. They give you cocktail sauce and vinegar. You can also ask for their homemade hot sauce, which is really really good but quite hot! Remember to get a beer to go with it! $ 8 each pint. The Beau lager was good, light and not too bitter. Pork ribs were really salty so not recommended. $ 17 Lobster, for $ 43 comes with your choice of mash, fries or salad. We went for the fries and the fries were amazing. The Lobster itself was average, it said it’s 1.5 lbs but it didn’t look like it when we got it. It s just a steamed lobster with a side of melted butter. Not worth the price in my opinion. Calamari was good, crispy and flavourful. Comes with sweet chili sauce for dipping. $ 9 Other friends tried the mussels and frites which came in a large portion and with a side of fries for $ 18, good value. Because it was our friends birthday, the manager and team was nice enough to give us a round of black currant shots. Score!
Dave H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Pontiac, MI
Probably the best seafood oyster bar in Toronto! We were greeted cordially, and found two open seats at the shuck bar, which is also the regular bar. We were promptly served with water and menus and informed of specials. The guys behind the bar, serving and shucking, were very cool and helpful, quick to get a drink or recommend or inform you of the multitude of oysters they offer. Not to mention probably the quickest oyster shuckers I’ve ever seen. We had oysters of course and they were awesome. We had the sampler, which had about 3 or 4 oyster types from around the nation and world, with a special hot sauce mixed by the servers. It was very good. In fact, so good we waited til 10 to get the dozen special and got more! We probably spent a good 3 hours here, enjoying the conversation of the staff and the food, as well as a decent selection of drinks. They even let us sample two extra shucked oysters and the presentation of even the freebies was awesome! Will come back every time i’m in Toronto!
Susan C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Markham, Canada
Pearl Diver was definitely easy to find as they have a large mermaid on their sign outside of their restaurant. The restaurant is definitely cozy but not too dark. Came on a Tuesday and we got the«before 6 pm oyster special» for a dozen for $ 15. Initially, we wanted to get the seafood circus, which they have only on Tuesday but we wanted to book an earlier reservation. However, many parties that came after 6 pm ordered the seafood circus and it looked delicious. Ordered: A dozen oysters($ 15) — Really fresh but we only received 11 oysters. We told the waitress that we only had 11 oysters. Based on her facial expressions, she didn’t believe us and took the plate back to count the amount of oyster shells on the plate. After counting each one individually, she came back and gave us one oyster and apologized. Cured Fish Plate($ 17) — Really interesting dish. My friend and I enjoyed this. We liked everything but the pumpernickel bread. Fish and Chips($ 18) — Hands down, one of the best fish and chips I ever eaten. It actually kind of reminds me of the Chinese donut that you use to dip your congee with. I highly recommend this dish. Mussels and Frites($ 18) — My friend ordered this one and she really enjoyed it. Surprisingly, they gave her many mussels enough to fill her up. The fries for both of our entrees were really good. I enjoyed the fries a lot. When we paid for the bill, we used the 10% discount promo when you check in on Unilocal for Pearl Diver. We showed the waitress and she said«the promo doesn’t include the oyster special» in a really rude tone. Like okay, we get it. Prior to getting the bill, we asked the other waitress for the bill, and she later just stands there and does nothing. Anyway, the food here is good but I am not a fan of the waitresses here. I hope maybe they have better and nicer waitresses on other days.
Vivian C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Markham, Canada
The moment when I stepped into this place, I already liked the décor, the vibe and the atmosphere. It is not too dark or too loud and you will be able to carry a conversation. I personally do not prefer loud places. A dozen of oysters, $ 45, fresh! Cured fish platter, $ 17, not bad, I liked the salmon and sturgeon Fish and chips, $ 18, I LOVED this, the batter is so soft, not the crunchy kind you would get elsewhere. The amount of fish is optimal. You do not feel oily from it. I just love the uniqueness of this. And I also saw a couple of tables ordering fish and chips. You will not go wrong with it. The wines are a bit to the higher price point on the menu. Be careful of that if you plan on consuming alcohol. 10% off the bill if you check in on Unilocal — successfully done.
Shirley L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Richmond Hill, Canada
This comfy and casual seafood spot turned out to be such a winner! Located on Adelaide East and easily spotted by their blue mermaid sign, they have a large and inviting bar area and comfy wooden booths. Very versatile place — great for oysters & drinks or a proper sit down meal. I hear they do crazy oyster deals of 100 oysters for $ 100 on Thursdays which I gotta come back for! We started with 3 dozen oysters which we slurped down in no time. The Kumamoto and fanny bays were amazing — sweet, plump and fresh, these are definitely crowd pleasers and you can’t go wrong with them. Most of our table ordered the mussels and fries which came in a coconut cream, garlic, lemongrass & cilantro sauce. Really fresh and fragrant and the fries were deadly. huge mountain of perfectly crispy and herb seasoned fries, we would not stop stuffing our faces. A big highlight for me was the grilled whole fish. If you don’t have a phobia for munching on a whole fish, you’ve got to try this. The fish was expertly charred and the meat was super delicate, juicy and well seasoned. Simple and oh so delicious. And to top everything off, the no frills 10% off with Unilocal check in was really a bonus. I already scheduled my next visit!
Carmen L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Downtown Core, Toronto, Canada
I have attended a Unilocal event here and had a blast. Super cool and nice owner. On this night I was there was for my sister’s birthday. We were able to be in the private room at the back. Cool design with a rustic wall with mason jars, records, arts and books. There was also a functioning record player. The room has a door to closed out the outside noise or to be honest our noise hahaha. Had the burger with the works and it was so AMAZING! The party was made fresh and cooked to perfection. When you bit into it the red juice bursts out. So so good. I paired it with the salad which was also very good. The salad was a sour base and I loved it. Forgot to ask what the dressing was. After 10pm we had oysters, a dozen for $ 15. They are not that big but still very good. I also got some a la carte. Fanny Bay — not a fan off was a little too salty for my liking. Colville, just the right size and nice consistency. Was very good and fresh. The server was very good, Roop remember all of our orders(20 people.) The manager was also generous to give us a round of shots. Overall was a great followup to my Unilocal experience. Love it!
Nawaaz M.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Ottawa, Canada
This place was a 3.5 out of 5 for me. The quality of the food was great, but nothing really wowed me from their dishes. The atmosphere was also really nice and intimate(I was there in a group of five, and we had a big booth that fit us all comfortably). I thought the service could be improved a bit more. Ok, let’s do food first! We ordered the wild Argentine shrimp and calamari to start, and they were both good. Out of the two, I really liked the shrimp and the salad it was served on, it was light and really tasty. For the main, I ordered the tandoori salmon, which was a bit risky I suppose, but I wanted to see if they could pull the dish off, since I’d never tried a tandoori salmon. It was served on a quinoa salad with raita sauce on the side. The portion was huge to begin with, it came with two pieces of salmon, which is kind o rare, and it tasted really good. The combination worked well, but it didn’t blow my mind. The rest of the group ordered the grilled whole fish and fish and chips, and again the portions were huge! I tried the other dishes, and they were all good. The one thing no one wanted to try was oysters! I wish I had someone who would have joined me, but I wouldn’t even know how to tell apart«good» oysters from not so good ones… In terms of the service, we had more than one waiter/waitress come throughout the night, whereas my preference is to have one person take care of the table(that’s just my own preference though). I would have liked it is they were a bit more attentive and checked on us a bit more frequently. Also, even though they close at 12 am, there were some members of staff that brought out a crate of dishes to dry on a table at the back, and it kind of just kills the mood when you hear all the clinking and cleaning and stuff. Overall, I would recommend this place if you like seafood, but they would be a lot better if they could work on their service.
Alysan L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Toronto, Canada
Came here on a Tuesday night for the seafood circus platter special. The oysters were amazing, super fresh. On the bottom section, you get roughly a dozen of oysters, half from the east coast(PEI) and the other had from the west coast(BC). Unfortunately only 1 platter per two people, so you’ll definitely need more food. The special is amazing, worth the price, and definitely recommend! We had 4 people and ordered calamari and the cured fish plate since we were still hungry. The calamari was pretty standard. However I didn’t think the cured fish plate was worth the $ 17 price. Being an appetizer, it’s tiny so you’re better off ordering a main instead. The plate itself was also not completely great taste-wise. The service is great though, since it was our first time there, the waiters spent sometime explaining to us what was in the platter and where they came from. Also, after our first seafood circus, they came and gave us fresh plates before we devoured the second one. That was very appreciated.
Esther H.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Markham, Canada
I love this restaurant. Their oysters are amazing but their pâté is the real star. Definitely something special that other restaurants don’t do. Their toffee dessert is awesome too. But honestly. Did I mention how much I love their pâté? like seriously.
Marqus R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Fort Lauderdale, FL
Pearl Diver occupies a nice location on Adelaide just off Jarvis. It has a good décor and comfortable feeling about it. I stopped by here twice. First on a Sunday at 2:30 but though the sign says it’s open at 11:00 that apparently didn’t pertain to the kitchen unless it had been open earlier because at 2:30 it was closed. However, since the place looked pretty good compared to some of the other nearby restaurants, stopped back again on Monday. One of their specials of the day was grilled sardine done Portuguese style. As I’m a big fan of that particular dish, ordering them all the time when in Portugal, I went for it along with a dozen oysters raw. The sardines came in a nice presentation, grilled with plenty of lemon and proved to in fact have been done Portuguese style, pretty much the equal of any I’ve had in Portugal. The oysters were rather small, certainly no plump but fresh with a good clean taste about them. Overall, at $ 15 Canadian, not a bad deal. As for service, it was pretty good and I enjoyed the general ambiance of the place; a place to which I would forward to returning.