Toro

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1704 Washington St (at East Springfield Street)
Boston, MA 02118

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(617) 536-4300
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Restaurants

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Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Toro - Boston, MA
Reviews
( 31 )
( 24 )
( 7 )
( 7 )
( 12 )

Best

everything was great, special drinks too. dates and corn are a must - everything else was killer

Worst

For the Valentine's Night special fixe menu that consisted of 5 courses, my boyfriend and I were very much let down, so much so that I had to post today. Even before, we were reco...

Food was exceptional ! 9/13/2006

at first, Toro reminds you of the NYC dining, which we all have come to hate, as in the table next to you is on your lap, literally. The menu at first glance is sooo overwhelming, an almost over abundance of options. It took us close to a half hour to order our few tapas. But once the food started flowing in we just kept getting more and more impressed. Fois gras is to DIE FOR! as is the Pros: food, wine, menu selection Cons: noisy, crowded, no reservations more
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Avoid Sunday Brunch 9/11/2006

I recently went to Toro's for Sunday brunch, it was a rip off. If I wanted to spend $12 for two eggs and toast , I would have stayed at home. Though I did have a brioche toast that was tasty Pros: Great Service, excellent wait staff Cons: Poor value, small selection, small plates more
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Impressive Service, Gourmet Tapas. New favorite Restaurant 9/10/2006

I had all best girl friends visiting from California wanted to have some great food. My friends loved the ambiance, the food was honestly top notch, every detail of the presentation and the flavors all complemented each other. We loved the skirt steak, the baby potatoes and although I didn't get to have the shrimp my friends loved it! I was mostly though impressed with how approachable everyone was. I informed my waitress of my dieatary restrictions and unlike maybe servers that at times become irrate with this, she immediately informed the manager and the chef. The manager came to our table and reviewed with me what I was and was not able to eat from what my friend had ordered. That is quality service! The waitress kept checking in and reminded me that I couln't have the shrimp b/c of the dairy products. Our experience was outstanding. We loved every part of Toro. My friend even got to chat with the Chef John who aside from being quite talented was charming. Toro's food, ambiance and service is outstanding. Thank you for a great experience. This is my new favorite spot. Pros: Outstanding food, attentive service and fun ambiance. more
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Loving Authentic Tapas 9/5/2006

LOVED TORO! Welcome to the S. End! I was smart this time and came to Toro this past Sunday at 5:30 pm and got seated immediately as they do not take reservations. Our waitress was delightful and reccomended a yummy cocktail Sol (something like that). We selected between four of us about 14 tapas and all of them outstanding. The garlic shrimp, kobe burgers and Corn were our favorites. This place has lots of charm. The waitress was so attentive and kind, with her Latin charm, even gave us a history of what tapas meant. Loved it. I can't wait til my next visit at Toro. Pros: great food, excellent detail oriented service, great ambiance Cons: all those tapas can add up more
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Great food and excellent service! 9/4/2006

After much anticipation I finally decided to try Toro. I was a bit skeptical as I had read some of the reviews about the service and long waits but decided to try it along with 4 of my friends visiting from Barcelona. We were all impressed by the friendly and attentive service. I loved the fact that most of the servers Spanish and as they delivered the food with their Spanish accent letting us know what we were having. Our server let us know about all the favorite tapas and made fabuluous recommendation on our wine. The Maiz Asado, was delicious. We also loved the atun crudo, the pork ribs were so yummy we had to order more. I will definitely go back to Toro. My friend who are Spaniards all were impressed that this was the most authentic Spanish cuisine they had ever tried in the states. Thank you TORO for a delightful experience! Pros: Attentive service, delicious variety of food, excellent ambiance Cons: parking can be a bit of a hassle more
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Occasionally inspired food, bottom-of-the-barrel service 7/24/2006

After three visits to Toro: Some of the food is great. But a lot of it hovers around a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10, which is a disappointment. Given the huge menu, I would go back again were it not for the bottom-of-the-barrel service. Sloppy, inattentive servers and bartenders with more attitude than I've ever encountered. Pros: Some truly exceptional dishes: grilled peppers, confit duck, foie gras terrine Cons: Self-involved, ineffectual servers. Some just-OK dishes: suckling pig, skirt steak more
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Rustic appeal, great garlic butter corn 7/18/2006

ken originer does a nice job with the conceptual decoration. its a quaint, rustic place with exposed brick and pipes as well as chalk-board menu. location is a bit unusual, not in the busiest or best area locally, but it manages to draw an amazing crowd and people are willing to wait. My group of 7 showed up at 10pm on a wednesday and we waited 1 hour to be seated. If you can snatch some space at the bar, it makes the time go by easier than having to stand in the cramped doorway area. Try the spanish cavas, for fun - get it in a perron. Pros: staff is friendly and knowledgable Cons: long waits, location, overrated more
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Terrible Service 7/11/2006

Can't comment on the food because it NEVER showed up! Can only comment about the AWFUL service! Pros: Outdoor seating Cons: Service deserves F more
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must visit 7/4/2006

a must visit if you are a foodie - delicious, authentic spanish tapas (and sangria). ok, not cheap and bill can add up as you try to taste everything on the menu, but it's not easy to transport a piece of barcelona directly to the south end. casual but hip atmosphere. yes, no reservation policy is a pain - go early if you hate to wait, but there are worse things than waiting while drinking pitchers of freshly mixed sangria at the bar. more
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great neighborhood place 6/24/2006

I read all the reviews, it is somewhat like penny stock's rate history: some are raving and others ditching, there seems no middle ground. The thing about Toros, or Ken Oringer's other restaurants, is that one has to know what to expect from the food first. They are no ordinary comfort food, or high end steakhouse that we Americans are used to, so do some research of the menu before you go, make sure you can deal wtih the food. As with service, well, what do you expect from a highly popular restaurant on a weekend? If you want to avoid crowd, please try another day. Pros: Food, ambience Cons: weekend crowds, somewhat out of the way more
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Highly acclaimed, highly disappointed 6/15/2006

Worst service ever. I am sorry to say that the service is the reason we won't be going back. The service issues in the Boston globe review just after opening have not been addressed, and it is now June. I can say the servers, although nice, were the worst I have ever experienced. They consistently delivered the wrong items to the wrong tables no matter how many tables were filled. When we arrived the restarant was not to capacity when we left it was overflowing and the more people arrived the worse the service. Mike's Diner next door is more efficient. We waited over 45 minutes for the check, the items came in no particular order, and we considered leaving due to the zoo like ambiance. We were happy to sit outside, until the overflow of patrons waiting 1.5 hours for a table kept hitting us in the heads and spilling drinks. At the over $100 for dinner for 2, we would do better at Clio or another Oringer restaurant. Because the tongue, the veal cheek and the octopus were very good. But the service ruined the experience. Don't waste your time until they get their act together... more
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Wonderful dining experience 6/12/2006

A friend and I went to Toro last night - we had a fantastic time...what a great spot! It was my first time there and I had heard lots of different things from rushed service to not great food...none of it held true last night. Our waitress was incredibly helpful, we were there for quite a while and she was very very attentive....the food was great...the scene friendly and warm. I highly recommend it! more
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Best Tapas in Boston 6/3/2006

My fiance and I love this place. The food is wonderfully tasty and the wait staff are always kind. Pretty much anything on the menu is worth ordering, especially the pan con tomate, jamon, pork ribs and corn-on-the-cob are among the favorites. The wines are superb. The only downside to this place is that they don't take reservations and you are often left to wait, but thats why there is a nice bar available. Pros: Food, Ambience, Bar Cons: Crowded, Sometimes long waits more
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fun and delicious 5/21/2006

Love this place. food was delicous, the waitstaff were great, the wine menu extensive. all around one of my favorite meals in recent memory. everything was delicious but the kobe burgers are not to be missed. Pros: delicious food, great atmosphere, knowledgable staff Cons: no reservations, location is not ideal, sometimes long wait more
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I've never had this experience before! 5/21/2006

We went there and enjoyed the food, though the tapas portions did not work out for the $$$ spent. The corn was very yummy (except for one of the cobs that didn't taste right), and it was neat to try snails and rabbit. When we were ready to get our check, we waited and waited. The service was slow already, with certain orders, but this part was very slow. She who had taken us here for a meal got up to look for our server. She found out that our server had quit/dissapeared/got fired and *no one* informed us. Dissapointed, the person who took us out, decided to only pay for the meal, and leave. On the way out, a guy (manager) followed us, demanding a gratuity be left by our party of four. Our waitress would never see the tip, so we declined, and he permanently banned our spokesperson. Pros: good corn, plain bread included Cons: service (see review), bad parking, sit w/strangers more
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Why complain? 5/17/2006

The food is just what I like, rustic European whole food. Ambiance is hustle. bustle and fun. Waitstaff is efficient and knowledgeable (it gets busy, give 'em a break!). What were you expecting? This isn't Aujord'hui. It's fast-paced and vibrant - and yes, worth every penny. Pros: fun, cool, lively more
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Overrated, slow service & undercooked food 5/15/2006

Expect a long wait if you're not there before 6pm. Once seated, beware, you might not be able to get out due to the cramped, oops, I mean ""intimate"" seating. We had to move our table out of the way just so I could get up to wash my hands before dinner. Our waiter ordered the wrong appetizer, which we offered to us because he said it would be thrown away, and eventually brought out the correct one. HE ENDED UP CHARGING US FOR IT. Not one drink refill until dinner was over. The shrimp dish looked nice but was grossly undercooked. The grilled corn was also a bit undercooked. Everything else was just ok. Spent $80 for the two of us. Went there hungry and left unfilled and frustrated. Pros: sangria Cons: slow service, undercooked food, not worth the wait more
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Another good showing by Ken 5/1/2006

we had to wait almost 90 mins to get seated here, but it was pretty worth it. the tapas menu is quite extensive and the selections offer a vast array of different smells and tastes. ambiance is rustic and reminiscent of Spain. cava and wine choices are great. kobe burgers and garlic corn are highly recommended here. Pros: extensive menu, great food, service Cons: extremely long wait more
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Excellent way to spend an evening 4/27/2006

The hostess was sweet and accomodating. We had drinks while we waited, and they were worth every penny. The food was delicious, the service excellently timed, with our tapas brought out at different times. It really allowed us to enjoy bits of food at a time while sipping drinks, chatting, and taking in the cosy atmosphere. If you are into huge American sized portions and fast food, this isnt the place for you. But if you appreciate food and wine as an evening-long event, I would highly recommend Toro! Pros: Service, Value, Food more
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Worth the Wait 4/21/2006

My friend and I had a great time at Toro tonight. Yes, we waited for quite a while, but the bar was comfortable and not too packed and the hostesses were gracious when we asked for an ""update"" once or twice. Once seated, we enjoyed attentive but not intrusive service and delicious food. We had the grilled corn, goat cheese, pork ribs with braised chard, and ahi tuna. I'm not stuffed, but I'm perfectly satisfied and had a really fun evening. Best of all, when the bill arrived we felt like we had found quite a bargain. Pros: convivial atmosphere, friendly staff, interesting food Cons: long wait more
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Menu for Toro


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Editorial

  • Chef/Owner Ken Oringer replicates the success of Clio and Uni, his pair of award-winning Back Bay restaurants, with this stylish, open-kitchen tapas bar. Refreshingly located on the...

  • 7/10/2008 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Thu 12pm-2pm, 5:30pm-10:15pm Fri 12pm-2pm, 5:30pm-11:45pm Sat 5pm-11:45pm Sun 10:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-10:15pm
  • Payments: Visa, Discover, Master Card, American Express
  • Neighborhoods: Harrison Lenox, South End
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