The Wood Owl

“Cozy spot that was quite busy, made reservations 2 weeks ahead of time. Food was absolutely incredible, will definitely be going back! The steak tartare was one of the bests I've had in the city. Also ordered the bread with super tasty smoked honey butter, and the grilled lamb ribs with berbere served over chili garlic chickpeas. One of the highlights for me was the Mexican adobo roasted carrots. The carrots were sweet and deeply roasted, and the adobo seasoning gave them a smoky, slightly spicy depth that paired beautifully with the chayote and herb salad and the incredible avocado green goddess. For dessert, we had the special of the day which was a passionfruit meringue pie and it was incredible. Bright and tart with a rich Swiss buttercream meringue on top. I definitely will be going back!”

“This place has been popping up on my TikTok and Reddit feed so decided to try it out for Valentines dinner. It’s a cute small restaurant with a nice interior ambiance although not too much seating. Reservations far ahead of team would be mandatory. We sat at the bar even with a reservation 2 weeks in advance. The staff were super friendly and explained the menu items to us. I wish they had a larger beer selection but this place is perfect if you love wine. We started off with the beef tartare and the potato appetizer. The beef tartare was delicious with their toasted bread. The potato was good but very heavy, would recommend it for a group of 4 or more to share. We got a braised lamb which was fall of the bomb tender. The sauce was interesting and nice addition. The mushroom pasta was ok.”

“Service was excellent! Got seating for two at the bar and started with the bread and whipped butter. The whipped honey butter was 👌🏻. Ordered smoked trout dip and fried brassicas as our small plates. The dishes were super flavourful and I was satiated before the larger plate arrived. We opted for the off menu item, lamb ribs with beans and I can't recall what else. It was fatty but also very flavourful! The ambiance was cozy and warm.”

“The atmosphere was intimate and cozy. Came here with my sister and we enjoyed it. Though it felt more like a romantic date type of space… perhaps due to all the couples around us. The appetizers were alright. First time having steak tartar, it was okay, I thought it was flavourless and bland. We also got cubed potatoes (forgot the name) with cheese on top, I did not like these they were cold instantly which made it hard to eat. On the other hand the mains were worth it. We got the pork and steak, both were fabulous. The steak was done perfectly with this delicious green butter sauce on top… it was honestly a spiritual experience. Loved every bite. The pork was a recommendation from the staff which we were grateful for it, I believe it’s marinated for 48 hours and you can tell! It was well balanced, tender and juicy, there was a lot of fat on it which is understandable. Overall it was an experience. I would skip the appetizers as a whole and jump to the mains because they are filling and actually worth it.”

“The food was alright (I would have given the food a 3.5/5). We ordered the trout dip, steak tartare, sea bream and short rib. The sea bream was the best dish we had (although it was too fishy). The fish skin was nice and crispy and the cauliflower was smoothly puréed with lovely flavour. The next best dish was the steak tartare. We walked out there a bit disappointed. The wasn’t anything memorable about the food. I also ordered the non-alcoholic rose, which came from a can and was lightly flavoured sparkling water (not worth $18). The place was quite dark, but you get used to it. The server was nice, but the recommendations were not useful when all you get is that every dish is amazing. If you get the corner table with the seat facing one of the washrooms, looking at the toilet at the end of the hallway every now and then is not the best thing to look at. Maybe a curtain would be a good idea?”