There was a time that if you were craving tasty and authentic Greek food, you would head to the Danforth area of Toronto. Estiatorio Volos, located on Richmond Street West in the heart of the financial district, serves outstanding Mediterranean food for those that prefer to stick around the downtown core.
The decor at Estiatorio Volos is very stylish and upscale. The spacious rectangular shaped dining area features rustic wood and stone and an open kitchen. The restaurant was packed on the Friday evening we visited and the atmosphere was very lively and energetic.
We decided to start our meal off with a couple Greek classics – the Horiatiki Salad and Dolmades. The salad once again proved my theory that keeping things simple and letting high quality ingredients speak for themselves is the best approach. The salad wasn’t overly dressed and featured sweet and juicy cherry heirloom and cherry cluster tomatoes, crisp red and green peppers, cucumber, red onion, olives and Dononis Feta. Really fresh and tasty.
The Dolmades was really interesting with the addition of sweet Metaxa-soaked golden raisins and pine nuts to the rice filling, which made a nice contrast to the slightly bitter grape leaves. With a drizzle of lemon and the tangy Tzatziki dip, this fresh and flavourful dish really awakens the palate.
For our main courses, we ordered the Seafood Kritharoto and the Exohico (phyllo stuffed with braised lamb and vegetables). Both authentically Greek dishes were expertly seasoned and very tasty. One of the best Greek dining experiences we have had in recent memory. The wine list offers a wide variety of options, including a number of Greek wines. Not knowing a lot about Greek wines, our server was nice enough to offer us a complimentary glass of the red wine we were considering for our dinner. Great service all around. Highly recommended!. For now, back to the cage.
