Trattoria Spinello

Incredible customer service and even better food. The owner, and the staff were very hospitable and welcoming. The food tasted amazing and the portions were very large. The chef even visited our table to ensure our food was good! I also can’t forget to mention how great the atmosphere was.
Would definitely recommend this restaurant and will for sure be coming back.

A little off the beatin path, this is a hidden gem. Moved here a few years back from downtown, bring a good reputation.
The owner is hands on with the kitchen and dining area, allowing for a welcoming service. Small but covered menu. Always interesting specials.
A restaurant I frequent.

Fabulous. The service (Adriana) was amazing, they kept close tabs on the table & never missed a thing. The specials were described beautifully & even though she had multiple tables, she never made us feel rushed & even had light conversation. Hubs had the calimari, it was fresh, followed by the grilled trout & a Caesar salad. The fish was really good, grilled perfectly & served simply. Perfect. He said the dressing tasted homemade & that isn’t surprising, you can tell they all take pride in their food, service, and business. I had the gnocchi in a cream tomato sauce & had to have a spoon so I didn’t miss a bite of that sauce (I could’ve eaten the sauce as a soup). We’re only in town for a few more days, but we’ll go back before we leave. It’s a gem.

We came there for our annual team event. They served great food, can’t be better, it’s the best food.

Food was pretty good. The ambience is not great. It feels like you are eating in a strip mall location. The owner was doing his accounting at a table which was distracting. The wine selection is quite poor and what they offer is not very good for the money. The service was OK. When we complained about the wine, we were told that there would be a reduction in price but that never materialized.

Visited tonight and had a tremendous dinner. The owner and all the staff were equally as tremendous. Wonderful food and atmosphere, highly recommended.

One of my family’s favorite places to eat is Spinello. My kids are always happy when we’re at Spinello. Their kids menu, while simple in adult eyes, is perfect for children. My husband and I can always find a good meal too. The portion sizes are so large that we rarely, if ever walk out without a doggie bag. If there is any Italian restaurant that I would recommend in Ontario, it would be Spinello. If I could steal the recipes from the head chef I would. BTW, my favorites there are mussels and veal piallard… I have been there many times and the food is always excellent, the portions are spectacular, the service is very friendly — though, I am yet to see bad service in Italian restaurant — yes, I am married to Italian :)

I went to Spinello’s recently with a large party and was incredibly unimpressed with the service. The food was fairly good, but the entire experience was fairly negative due to our interaction with the manager and chef.
For one thing, they were very rude and not at all accommodating of dietary needs. (For example, gluten-​free options that are listed on their online menu were not available when we arrived.)
We came with a group of 10 and were told that was too many to order off the regular menu. We had made reservations ahead of time and were not informed of this until we arrived. It made ordering complicated for our group with very diverse eating needs.
Overall, while the food was good, I would not recommend this restaurant for parties or large groups.

We planned a friend’s birthday party at Spinello this weekend and were disappointed. The food and atmosphere were good (though not as great as all the positive reviews below would suggest), but mainly it was our experience of the service was unfortunate.
Like some of the other reviewers, we were told a large party of 12 was no problem, but upon arriving, were informed by the owner that we couldn’t order off the menu, and had to choose from a short list of items he rhymed off for us. Apparently, although we were 1 of only 3 groups in the restaurant, the kitchen wouldn’t accommodate us ordering as we pleased. Having mainly come for the pizza, we were disappointed (as this was apparently not an option.) The website had also indicated that gluten-​free pasta was available, which was not available when we arrived (having two GF diners in our group, this was inconvenient.)
Rather than allowing us to pick individual appetizer items to order, the owner convinced us to allow him to bring a slew of antipasto to the table (which ended up being very expensive.)
We received two wrong menu items (a meat dish for a vegetarian and a pasta dish for a child that the parents didn’t order) and were charged for both. In both cases, either the chef or the owner came to the table not to apologize, but to somewhat angrily let us know that it was somehow our fault. It was embarrassing and unnecessary, given that they had made the mistakes.
Overall, I would say that the food at Spinello is good, but for large parties, the service is poor and the prices are steep. I won’t be going back.

My girlfriend and I joined my parents at Spinello today, I must say I was quite impressed. The food was fresh and delicious, and I would recommend this spot to anyone.

Exceptional service! Food is extremely good (reminds me of local Roma trattoria!), Fresh homemade pasta and fresh seafood. The Steak cooks perfectly. Love the personal touch by the head chef! Frank the owner is extremely friendly. Definitely a MUST TRY! I’ll be Back Spinello!

Very nice ambiance, great food and a chef who prides himself on the freshness of his food. I highly recommend this restaurant!

Today was my birthday and I had decided to try something new with my hubby. Thanks to the other Unilocalers recommendation, I’ve decided to try this place.
Went in there at around 3 pm (late lunch) lights were all turned off (but we had lots of natural sunlights) and we were the only couple dining-​in at that time.
The chef came out to greet us and asked what we wanted to eat. We were both surprised that the chef said he can make anything we want to eat.
We ordered:
The fried calamari (tasted so fresh and the homemade Caesar dip that came with it was wonderful and something new to try!) $ 14.00 (decent)
Between Medium-​rare to medium Steak with veggies (okay, seriously… I’m still thinking about it! THE BEST STEAK IVE EVER HAD! Cooked perfectly to the way I want it!) $ 21.00 for 8oz top Angus steak. (Tbh this is by far the best steak and price I’ve ever had and seen. Way better the the keg…
Chicken pasta (forgot what the sauce were but it was really yummy! The portion was huge! My hubby loved it’s!)
They offered me a free sliced of birthday cake (owner and chef sang me the birthday song:]) all gone within second. let me tell you, at this point both hubby and I were so full because we finished eating everything because it was that good! My hubby doesn’t eat dessert said it was really good!
We got fresh-​baked garlic bread (I told the chef it was so good and he gave me some to bring home without charging me… Seriously this is the first time I’ve been to a restaurant that had such friendly, welcoming and unique services) I will be back soon! Hidden gem!

OUTSTANDING! Excellent dinner and top service. Tasty calamari and shrimp to start. Amazing Taglitelli with bacon and sausage as pasta course, phenomenal veal chop and salad as main course, and tiramisu for dessert. Fantastic wines too. Want a real taste of Italy; come here!

Somehow we wound up at a Best Western outside of Toronto, desperately seeking a good restaurant to lift my spirits. Thanks to Unilocal we found just the place Absolutely loved the décor and the meal was fabulous. The owner/​chef came out to sit with us and to create a special meal for us. We started with the mushroom salad which was great. My friend had a wonderful lamb ragout &, lamb ribs served with pasta. I had veal pizziola with vegetables and potatoes. Both excellent choices. Too bad it’s so far from home.

Definitely one of the best meals I’ve had in a while! The chef was able to come out and greet us, spoke to us about the specials of the day which made it a much more personable and special experience.
My friends and I shared the mussels which were delicious (tomato base with a hint of spice) and quite large. One friend had the sausage and rapini (I think) pasta which was fresh and delicious. A second friend had a steak with some vegetables which was also good. I had a veal dish which was unbelievable! So incredibly juicy, full of flavour and tender. The wine we shared was fantastic (unfortunately I have forgotten the name but it was a mix of cabernet and merlot).
Definitely would come back here again, the food was fantastic, the staff were incredibly nice and inviting, the ambiance was wonderful and comfortable.

Very good Italian restaurant in the suburbs. The location is a bit out of the way, but if you are willing to make a small effort, you will get a good reward.
On the chef’s recommendation, I had the Osso Buco with gnocchi. The veal was good, the sauce was better, and the gnocchi was the best I’ve ever had. Fresh, a bit cheesy, and not at all the typical rubbery or mushy substance of other Italian places.

If not for Savour York Region, I would never experience Spinello and doesn’t realize what I have been missing.
Dinner Menu for $ 25 is definitely a steal.
Mushroom Salad
— Love the Shaved Parmesan Cheese and of course I am a fan of mushroom
Fish Feature of the Day
— Perfectly grilled fish so light and flaky and the pesto sauce enhance the flavours make this a really balance dish
Tiramisu
— Not the traditional version and I found it taste more like a cake
Wine Selection here is excellent. The staff here are really knowledgeable and able to help you in making recommendation.
Love the House Red!

Thanks to Savour York Region restaurant week a crowd of Unilocalers and I got to experience the joy that is Spinello. Opening only this past December, Spinello Vaughan is actually V 2.0!
For those following the Toronto food scene since the mid 90’s you would know that Spinello actually successfully ran in the city from ¹⁹⁹³⁄₄ until it closed its doors in 2006.
While I never visited the original location I can say that Spinello Vaughan is a dose of upscale Toronto in the heart of suburbs. Built into what was formally a nightclub co-​owners and partners Frank and Wayne have transformed what was once cold and clubby into something warm and inviting.
I won’t go into too much detail on the décor because my descriptions simply won’t do this place justice. I also don’t want to ruin the «wow» factor we all experienced when first walking in! A couple of highlights however would be: the custom made wine rack/​wall, the warm colour scheme, the private dining lounge upstairs (yes an upstairs open to below), and the aged wood used to decorate much of the interior (taken from a barn piece by piece and installed by the owners themselves).
Enough about my love for this places looks, lets talk about their awe inspiring food! I will note that we had a specialty dinner organized based off the Savour York Region menu they were already offering (with a couple Unilocal-​exclusive additions available only this evening — but everything we had was available on the menu).
To begin we had an…
Amuse Bouche — two circular slices of a crêpe filled with a mix of Gorgonzola and ricotta cheese, set on top of bed of roasted red pepper and tomato sauce. Exquisite!
Followed by an appetizer of…
Mushroom Salad — Hot mixed mushroom salad served with balsamic reduction demi glaze on bed of mixed greens. This had everyone at the table moaning. Begging for more!
For a mid course the chef then prepared a special…
Lobster Spaghetti — perfectly cooked chunks of lobster done in an olive oil and brandy sauce. Had a flavour that we all described as a smokey (a flavour illusion caused by the reduced brandy).
The main to follow was a…
Veal Marsala — served on a ½ roasted red pepper stuffed with mashed potatoes on a bed of red cabbage. This was a spin on the traditional Marsala with a richer sauce and garnish that made me drool at the sight of it.
And just when you thought we couldn’t eat anymore…
A dessert course of Tiramisu and espresso. I’m NOT a dessert fan as heavy creams and sugars upset my stomach. But this creamy, rich and light slice of heaven worked miracles on my tummy and my taste buds. What i enjoyed most was that there was only a hint of espresso flavour in the cake. It didn’t overwhelm the dish. Amazing!
Each course was expertly cooked and not one person had a complaint or a negative thing to say about the meal. One of the best things is their portion sizes. They don’t skimp for a second. Even on things like fish courses, they do one of the healthiest portion sizes I’ve seen. Simply incredible. Very Italian.
I can’t say enough great things about Spinello, I was floored by every aspect of this place (décor, service, food, everything). What I will say is that I finally have an answer to the following question I get asked as a Unilocal Community Manager of Italian background:
«Hey Kris, where is the best place for Italian food?»
Now you know.
Eatcrest Out,

I came here with friends and family on New Year’s Eve. Location is relatively central and easy to find. Décor is rustic but sleek. The menu has some nice variety. Wine selection was decent. Service was attentive and personable. Most importantly, the food was fresh, extremely tasty and perfectly executed. Given that the restaurant is still in its infancy, and given that it’s being run by a well-​seasoned veteran, I imagine the whole experience will only get better with time!!!
Only because 4 ½ stars is not an option, I must point out that I give the food (which is what is critical to me) 5 BIG stars!!!