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Restaurants › International

Hotel Ocho [?]

195 Spadina Ave. (at Bulwer St.) • View on map »
416-593-0885

There’s much to like in this soaring, glass-enclosed Spadina space, with its sleek Scandinavian decor, quirky soundtrack (Judy Garland, amateur Bob Marley covers) and suspended snowflake tornado sculpture. Strange then to go from design with personality to a menu that looks as if it was downloaded from 1997. Just finding a drink is a challenge: cosmopolitan, Ferrero Rocher, something called a Dutch Treat (probably not). The six-bottle wine list is no help either: Wolf Blass? Despite its utter lack of imagination, the restaurant in the lobby of the 12-room Ocho hotel doesn’t embarrass itself in the cooking department and is as cheap as a university cafeteria. The $7 grilled calamari is tender and the orange butter sauce flavourful enough for the price. The fries are dark and crispy with shavings of gouda and a chipotle dip. There’s a respectable burger, and except for a mealy duck ragoût, pastas are passable.

195 Spadina Ave. (at Bulwer St.)

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