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...

nice concept but comes at a high price 4/5/2006

We recently dined here and were able to sit comfortably. The place is small and the wait staff is a bit hap hazard-we were waited on by 3+ servers who did not seem to talk to one another. Overall the service was decent-we received our food in good time and good pacing. The oddest experience came when a glass of red wine we ordered arrived in a tumbler glass - the waiter claimed they were afraid of wine glasses breaking and only the reserve wines were served in a wine glass. The wines by the glass were mostly spanish, and nothing special. The food was mixed, lots of fried tapas and some good fish ones. It was overpriced for what we got. I could understand charging high prices if they were located in beacon hill. I would not recommend Toro unless they either increase the portions or lower the price. Pros: parking is easy, nice fireplace, food quality Cons: price, tight seating more
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NOTHING BUT EXCELLENT SERVICE HERE 3/25/2006

I recently had dinner here and I received nothing but excellent service. The staff were very accomodating and quite pleasant. They made me feel very welcomed. I enjoyed my dinner. The menu choices are vast and the food is quite tasty and the prices aren't bad at all. Overall it was a good experience for me and I would definitely go back again. Pros: Customer Service, Menu Choices, Location more
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The Parron 2/25/2006

Delicious!We had to wait an hour or so, but the hostess will offer you a drink on the house , and the bar gave us a complimentary dish. A community of other guests recommended we order the grilled corn.Sounded fairly ordinary, right?, but our waitresses enthusiasm assured us that it was like ""a little taste of summer"", and well, in this weather, who could resist. It was so good that we had another order sent to us along side our yummy Churros. I never felt rushed. Sure the food comes out quickly, but come on, we had already been waiting for over an hour and it's tappas for crying out loud not a 20 course tasting menu.We ate at our own pace with a chance to order more. Finally we ordered the best part-Spanish Cava(sparkling wine) in a Parron(A unique drinking piece). Pass it around!!! Not for the uptight diner. Pros: Fireplace, Enthusiastic servers, Delicious Tappas Cons: Waiting, acustics, Crowded more
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ole! 2/20/2006

sure, the wait for a table usually takes some time...it's a small restaurant with a huge buzz! the food portions can be small, but that's what tapas are! i think people focus too much on the quantity, not quality, and the quality is DEFINATELY not lacking. the food was great! the service has definately come a long way as well. it seemed to me that everyone at toro was trying to ensure that the wait was worth it-and it was! i think the only reason i felt rushed is because there was so many people waiting for a table (putting myself in their shoes made me want to give up my table!) having worked in the restaurant industry years ago, and coming from that perspective, i think toro is doing an amazing job and the best that toro is doing right now will ONLY get better! Pros: menu selection, wine selection, fireplace! Cons: limited seating, dessert menu, reviews more
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Bullish on Toro 2/10/2006

We found our first experience at Toro's to be wonderful. We loved the atmosphere. We started our evening with a few appetizers: the Pan con Tomate was delicious! Our servers seemed to anticipate our every wish as they brought our selection of tapas to our table 3 and 4 at a time (and kept our basket of crusty bread full!). A few of our favorites: the fried potatoes with allioli and spicy sauce, hot green peppers with sea salt and the Octopus ceviche. Also, you have to try the Grilled Corn. We strongly recommend Toro for your next evening out. It's a great place for conversation, tapas and drinks. Pros: Service, food, ambiance Cons: a bit of a wait more
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Muy Malo 2/9/2006

The WORST SERVICE ever! I have never felt so unwelcome in a restaurant. Where did they find these people --at Dennys? I recently returned from Spain thinking that Boston could use a good tapas restaurant. After visiting Toro, Boston needs a good tapas restaurant. The food is fine. But the clock starts ticking as soon as you arrive. With a reservation for 3, we were promptly seated into a small table for two. That was the highlight. Drinks were slow and food was poorly served. Servers dumped our discarded mussel shells were into one plate, a la Denny's, on our tiny table as were tried to have a conversation. Then plates with food were snatched from the table before we were done. Though we might have ordered more, our waitress made it lear that our time at Toro was up. Adios Toro. We won't be back. Pros: Food is OK Cons: Service, Seating Comfort, Atmosphere more
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Treated like cattle. Arrogant staff 2/9/2006

Walking in the door 2 ladies came out of Toro steaming mad, We should have taken warning. We put our name in to a Hostess who looked bored and indifferent! No finess at the door.The bar is a disaster. 10 minutes to be greeted longer to get menus. Food ordered never received. To much attitude here.Moving on to dining room. When the waiter finaly comes over and take the order it is like they are doing us a favor!.At least Food comes out fast! We loved it all even moping all the lovely sauce's with our crusty bread. The staff keeps on trying to take the unfinished plates away. I FEND THEM OFF! The Kitchen staff is the ONLY saving grace at Toro! MOTTO @TORO WE HAVE YOUR MONEY NOW GET OUT! Pros: 1st rate ingredients, creative menu, cool wine list Cons: Horrific service, staff attitude, cheap silveware more
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Feels like NY! Excellent quality and food! 2/6/2006

TOTALLY worth the wait? Why do you think there is a wait???? Because the food is EXCELLENT! We waited two hours, which was fine because we had drinks (ok the sangria isn't perfect, but the rest of the wine list is superb), our waiter was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and the food was sooooo good. Price was high but totally worth it, it just means I can't make it a daily indulgence. Pros: food, service, atmosphere Cons: price more
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Good if you can wait and are not hungry 1/27/2006

I think the 1h45min is like their default answer for waiting. Got a table in 1h and 15min. Had an extra person by then and they let as squeeze which is appreciated but it was uncomfortable and there was no effort to transfer us somewhere else later on, when we asked for it. Food is good though very small portions. The duck drumsticks were delicious, the ham enough though expensive, wine was fantastic. The dessert was a disappointement. In general , worths trying it if you don't mind waiting, and dont' want to eat a lot. Pros: ambience, music, wine Cons: prices, waiting, staff more
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Not recommended 1/26/2006

While the food was very good and the atmosphere was pretty unique, the prices were too high and the service was horrific. The wine was served in cups which had obviously just come from the dishwasher so they were warm and it heated up the wine! The servers did not anticipate anything, the busboys took food and drinks away before we were done. After an hour and a half the hostesses very rudely hinted that we needed to leave. So we handed them our valet ticket and after waiting 10 minutes for the car without it's arrival, the hostess told us that our car was outside so we should leave. We got up and no car. Funny enough, the minute we got up another group sat down. We waited another 15 mins. for the car and no one from the restaurant apologized for their actions. We will not return! more
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The service was terrible 1/23/2006

Living in the South End, 3 friends and I decided to try Toro on a Wednesday night fearing the huge week end crowd. The food was good, especially the paella (even though you have to wait 30 minutes extra for its preparation), the tapas we tried were good even though they were not very original. But the worst is that we got kicked out of the restaurant at 10:30pm because ""they needed the table""; we had stayed there for 4 hours and they had already ""extended their kindness""!!!! Not the best $300 we spent in a restaurant. Toro? No more thanks. more
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In Search of the Authentic Pensinsular Experience 1/21/2006

A generous, quality glass of wine for under $6! Nice! Wish the wine was in a stemmed glass though. Or at least what they use in Spain. Just as tapas ranged in price, they ranged in quality. I ordered: olives, croquetas, pan con anchoas, patatas bravas, and roasted corn which is not a Peninsular dish. The olives: so tiny a fork is needed because of the oil. The bacalao in the croquetas needed to be soaked in water significantly more time. Too salty. Patatas were very nice, but not enough brava sauce- on the bland side. The roasted corn was great. The pan con anchoa was also nicely done. Another pet peeve; get the spelling right on the menu! No excuse for Masorca or Parron. It seems to me that you wanted to save a few bucks there, which many restaurants do. Pros: range of prices, nice ambience, almost authentic Cons: small portions, spelling errors, wine glasses more
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Tremendous disappointment 1/20/2006

I've twice been to Toro, and both times, people leaving the restaurant have stopped me as I entered to suggest that I go elsewhere. Even after taking into consideration that new restaurants will have some glitches, everyone I talk to finds Toro a let down The food is only okay. The staff is pretty rude. They certainly are not helpful. The vibe is all wrong. Washington St has many better options. Pros: Interior, Location Cons: Uninteresting food, Staff is not helpful more
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Quality of tapas mixed, but recommended 1/16/2006

Excellent ambiance, in a lively setting with friendly service. Its great to walk bythat part of Washington Street and see a place bustling with so much activity, even at 6pm! On the needs some tweaking end are the quality of the tapas, which are mixed. Like sushi, its kind of a given that tapas are small portions, and a bit pricey. But with that there's an expectation that the taste and orginality will compensate. A few of the tapas seemed no more than dressed h'ordurves you could get at Shaw's, such as the garlic shrimp, which seemed like no more than shrimp from a premade party platter. Also the bar needed more bartenders as it took over 14 mins to be served. But all these things can be easily tweaked and Toro overall is a great addition to the neighborhood. Pros: lively atmosphere, friendly service Cons: tapas needs tweaking, maybe a tad expensive more
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Tasty but Disappointing 1/4/2006

Althought the food and the drinks were very yummy and the atmosphere very cozy, the food was not delicious enough to excuse the TINY portion size, especially concidering the price. Was hard to have enough food to concider a meal, and one really has to worked up an appetite waiting 2 hrs to be seated. I would say this restaurant has a lot of potential, but as it is now I would not eat there again. Pros: Atmosphere, Delicious food Cons: small portions, pricy, long wait more
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NOT WORTH IT 12/28/2005

Food was pricey and the staff stinks. Very rude and not attentive for a Ken Orienger place more
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A great new addition to the neighbohood! 12/26/2005

Toro is a great new addition to the neighborhood! It is friendly, delicious (just like in Spain!), and I don't think you can consider a paella for two to four people at $32 expensive, especially not in Boston. There is a great variety of tapas, which are supposed to be small portions, that are all good and very tasty. I was there on the night of the opening and again recenlty and both times it was packed but we managed to get seated promtply. My husband and I will definitely make Toro one of our favorite ""exotic"" restaurants in the neighborhood... and this summer should be even better with the patio open! Pros: food, ambiance, service more
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Fantastic space, skimpy portions 12/22/2005

I went to Toro with friends a couple of weeks ago and had very high hopes. The space looks great and the bar scene is lively. We sat at a table and ordered a bunch of tapas. I expected that the 3 tapas I initially ordered would fill me up, but was very wrong. The portions are tiny and unfortunately, most of the food was mediocre. The corn and mushrooms are excellent, but the 2 shrimp dishes were not- for $12 and $14 for 4 shrimp, I definitely expected better. The beets were fine, but not sensational. After 4 dishes and 1/2 a dessert, I was still hungry. I'll definitely go back to the bar, but will stick to Dali or Cuchi Cuchi for tapas. Pros: beautiful space, great, fun bar Cons: small portions, overpriced, left hungry more
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hot new tapas spot 12/21/2005

well i must say the buzz is immense, and we weren't let down. food was good, agree that the portions could be bigger, given the price. citysearch, as always, is right on the mark with its coverage. Pros: quality, atmosphere Cons: portions, prices, annoying south enders more
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Long wait that got even longer... 12/18/2005

It is hard to reveiw a restaurant which does not want to seat you. I showed up with a group of friends and was told the wait was 1hr 45min, not unheard of in the S. End on a Sat. night. We were then nformed about an hour later that we would not be seated until 10:15 which would have made it a 3 hour wait. This was a bit annoying since we could have moved on to another restaurant had dinner and still made it to the party we were planning to go to. I don't plan to give it a chance and I live around the corner. This place might be new and trendy, but definitely not cool enough to be treated this way. NO THANKS Toro! 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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