Cucina Buca

After learning at BUCA Vaughan location that they had run out of both pasta and pizza, we reached out to Cucina Buca and the difference in experience was immediate. Despite it being late in the evening, we arrived around 8:15 PM and they close at 9:30 PM, the manager was incredibly accommodating and managed to squeeze us in. He welcomed us warmly, offered us Prosecco and sincerely thanked us for making the drive to their location. Throughout the meal, he checked in to ensure we were comfortable and enjoying everything. Every staff member we encountered was friendly and attentive and the food was excellent. Although this location is further for me, I would absolutely return. This is hospitality done right.

We had a wonderful family meal here to celebrate the end of 2025. Both the food and the service were great. We ordered the Nodini - which my kids absolutely loved - along with Carpaccio Di Manzo, octopus, beef steak, duck pasta, and a Margherita pizza. Everything was delicious, and we truly enjoyed the experience. The only small drawback was that the portions seemed slightly smaller compared to other Buca locations.

We had a fantastic meal here on NYE. The food and service were both incredible. This location seems to be underrated at the moment and I would recommend trying it out instead of the other Buca locations (which are also excellent). My fiancé just finished her leftovers from last night and said “I’m really sad that that’s done” lol. Particular highlights were the pizza crust and the freshness of the tomato sauces.

Good size portions and very yummy! Octopus (POLPO) was perfect - not overcooked at all. Fish (BRANZINO) tasted much better than how it looked. Anchovy salad (INSALATA DI RUCOLA) was surprisingly balanced in flavour and very refreshing. The cheese bread (FOCACCIA DI RECCO) was bomb! Loved being served by Emil.

10/10 experience. Went for dinner with my wife without a reservation and was seated without issue. Our server was friendly and attentive and provided great recommendations. The food exceeded expectations. We shared burrata with nodini (delicious), the carpaccio was perfect with the most delicious arugula salad on top. Caprese salad was perfect and had a tasty crumble on it, crudo capesante was balanced and fresh, and the 10oz tagliata (server reccco) was one of the most delicious and perfectly cooked steaks my wife and I could remember. As regular diners out in Toronto we were also please with the cost considering the quality and how much we enjoyed it. Will definitely return.

I decided to give it a try despite the ratings, because these things are subjective — and so is this review. The food was good, but nothing to rave about. Would I return because I had a dish that will stay with me? No. Would I return for one overpriced drink in that quiet, beautifully decorated, serene ambience? Maybe. The service was a mixed bag. Our server was lovely and attentive. But when I first walked in, there was no one to greet me, and I felt invisible until my friend waved me over. The welcome wasn’t even lukewarm. If not for the tranquil decor, the atmosphere might have felt outright cold — not just from the draft by the door, but from the overall service. And if you’re seated anywhere near that entrance, your food cools quickly. The risotto was great. The ragù rigatoni was a touch undercooked — and I like al dente — but it needed just a bit longer. The part that stuck with me, though, was the “we’ll pack that for you” gesture. It implies attentive, polished service, yet the leftovers never made it back to the table. And between that moment, receiving the bill, sitting with it, and eventually having to flag someone down for the payment machine after waiting around ten minutes, there was more than enough time for them to do so — especially in a restaurant this size, where keeping track of small things should be manageable. If I had to condense the experience into one word, it would be: afterthought.

The server was friendly and polite, which I appreciated. I ordered the conchiglie pasta, burrata pizza, and tiramisu. The food overall was just okay — not bad, but very average. The tiramisu was disappointing: instead of the classic light, airy texture with a dusting of cocoa, it had crunchy chocolate layers that didn’t feel authentic. Nice ambiance, but the food didn’t stand out.

I usually hate the phrase “hidden gem”, but Cucina Buca is exactly that. The fact that it isn’t more popular is outstanding to me as they truly serve one of the best Italian food in the city. The service was amazing from the beginning to end and we received stellar wine recommendation that we ended up reordering and even took a picture of the bottle! Highly recommend the slow-cooked lamb as it literally tastes like melting butter in your mouth. The focaccia is a must and I will be coming back just to have it again. The tagliatelle al ragu blanco was 10/10 and one of the best pasta dishes I ever had. Do yourself a service and spent valentines day there!;)

Venue 5/5 Right on the corner of Yonge and St. Clair this restaurant is two levels with a good view of the busy intersection and is very accessible by TTC line one or streetcar on St. Clair. parking is a little bit harder as there is limited street parking as well as nearby parking garages in the condos. The decor inside was very peaceful and had a Mediterranean feeling with the colours they chose. The host inside is very respectful with coat check is offered as well. It was a very warm and welcoming feeling. Service 4/5 Our waitress is very knowledgable of the menu checking with dietary restrictions early on as well as introducing the seasonal and monthly specials. Food 4/5 The portion sizes are calculated perfectly for one person for the pastas. If you wanna share, I recommend having two or three pastas. The pizza on the other hand is best shared by two people, as it is quite a larger portion. We had the pizza rigatoni and a tagliatelle.

Cucina Buca is the newest addition to the family of Buca restaurants. Cucina is the more casual version of the upscale Buca restaurant group that offers simpler takes on classic Italian dishes. Unlike other Buca restaurants, cucina has a selection of wood fired pizzas on the menu. Although this restaurant is deemed to be a more casual spot, the interior is modern and beautifully appointed; draped in natural wood and accented with glass. It is a perfect spot for a romantic date night or night on the town with your friends. We opted to start our meal with the arugula salad and asparagus with cucumber salad. Both dishes were quite simple and not something we would return for. But the vegetables were ultra fresh which gave the dishes their flavour. We then had the grilled octopus, meatballs and gluten free sausage pasta. All of the main dishes were absolutely delicious. I would say that the octopus was one of the best I have had in the city. The octopus was buttery on the inside with a charred exterior and it sat atop a garbanzo and fava bean salad. Next up we had the meatballs which were luxuriously tender and sat atop a Lucious tomato sauce. We were very happy to know that They were willing and able to accommodate my gluten allergy. Other than the stuffed pasta dishes, they can substitute gluten free noodles for all of the primi offerings. The plate we ordered was a perfectly cooked cavatelli gluten free noodle that was tossed in a light olive oil sauce and adorned with delicious Italian sausage crumble and greens. The hearty meat was perfectly contrasted by the bitter greens. From the service to the food/beverage, our experience at Cucina Buca was fantastic. We look forward to returning to sample some of their other menu offerings.

Cucina Buca, located right at the intersection of St. Clair and Yonge, is part of the Buca group of restaurants. Prior to the pandemic, I've dined at Buca King multiple times since they opened in 2009 (where getting reservations were extremely difficult!). Buca Yorkville, as well as Bar Buca (which is sadly long gone). During the pandemic, I believe that this group of restaurants reopened under new management as well. This is my first time dining at Buca post pandemic and was interested to see how their food and service would compare to previously. I dined at Cucina Buca with my family on Mother's Day this year (they typically do not open on Sundays but they made an exception for the special day). I made reservations in advance online where a credit card was needed to make the reservation via Opentable. The entrance of Cucina Buca is to the side on St. Clair (not Yonge). Upon entering, the floor to ceiling windows of the space give off a light, clean, and airy feel to the interior. The restaurant consists of 2 levels where tables are spread throughout as well as at the bar (near the entrance). There is an open concept kitchen where you can watch the chefs cook your food. They also are accessible as well. Upon arriving in the space we were promptly greeted and shown to our table. Our table was next to the window which had a lot of natural light. Our server greeted us and asked us if we had any questions regarding the menu. These are the following items we ordered (mainly shared): - Insalata di radicchio (late harvest chicory, blood orange, hazelnut, and balsamela) - Insalata di barbabietole (roasted Ontario beets, stracciatella, honey, and pistachio) - Spaghetti pomodoro (bronze die-extruded pasta, basil, preserved bianco di napoli tomato) - Tagliatelle al ragu bianco (bronze die-extruded pasta, white ragu bolognese, aceto balsamico, and parmigiano reggiano) - Pollo arrosto (grilled and smoked gianone half chicken, lemon) - Burrata pizze (preserved tomato, stracciatella cheese, basil) - Tiramisu di Buca (espresso soaked tapioca biscuits, zabaglione di mascarpone, chocolate mousse, cocoa nibs) - Panna cotta (goat's yogurt custard, almond crumble, poached rhubarb, aceto balsamico, reggio emilia) Food wise, the salads we ordered were tasty and all the components of each dished worked in harmony with the other components. The quality of the ingredients definitely shone through. The burrata pizza is definitely a classic dish we order every time. We've had it at Buca King as well as Buca Yorkville. The quality of the ingredients were excellent and the components all worked together. This is a simple pizza but when it is done well, it was amazing - this pizza was as good as I remember. The slightly crispy crust and the creamy stracciatella cheese is a wonderful combination. In regards to the pastas, they were cooked perfectly el dente. The desserts were great as well where we especially enjoyed the panna cotta. The texture of the panna cotta was silky and smooth where the tartness of the poached rhubarb gave the dessert some freshness to it. The almond crumble gave the entire panna cotta much needed texture. Lastly, the tiramisu is a classic, but the Buca tiramisu is creamy and delicious. Overall, great service, food, and vibe! A great experience at Cucina Buca.

Buca is still as amazing as ever. It's my favourite Italian restaurant in Toronto. The St. Clair location is modern and fresh. The service was above and beyond for our anniversary. Each dish was spot on. 9/10 across the board.

Solid 3.5 for me. It took some time for our server to come by and take our order. However, even then they brought the wrong drink. I still drank it but I would have preferred what I originally ordered. We ordered the amatriciana and puttanesca. Both I can recommend and would order again. The warm nodi appetizer bread however... just a little too heavy handed with the seasoning. And to be honest, although they were fresh knots of breads it was not what o had anticipated. A bit tougher than. I expected. Had tiramisu with a cappuccino . Now you can't go wrong with a classic tiramisu but I was surprised at how bitter the coffee was. The pill was definitely off. Perhaps the extraction? It was clear from both of the coffees we had. She ordered 40 minutes before mine and felt the same about hers too. Overall, I can say, it's a beautiful space. Open and crisp. Not a warm and huggy space rather clean and "just so" everywhere. The bathrooms are equally as neat and organized.

New location on St Clair W that finally is open ! Large expansive two storey restaurant with bar and tables on main floor and large area upstairs for more private dining. Warm comfortable Scandinavian interior and friendly service. Menu had good selection of nouveau favorites. We tried the calamari, arugula porcini salad, tagatielle ragu pasta, frutti mare pasta and while roasted branzino and rapini. Everything tasted fresh and wholesome. Loved the arugula mushroom porcini salad, calamari apples. Tagatielle was rich and hearty. Frutti mare pasta done differently with Uni butter a nice twist. The branzino was grilled perfectly with really unique roasted red pepper sauce. Rapini nicely seasoned not overly done. Too dull for dessert this time but will come back soon! Overall long awaited new location and another star for the Buca chain.

Had a work gathering here. Food and service were good and i definitely want to return to try items off the full menu. My only negative would be they provided one normal size plate of the main meal for four people to share. I left hungry. Everything else was great.

Hanna, our server was excellent. She greeted us upon arrival with a smile. She took our drink order, asked if we had any questions about the menu and assisted us with our order. Drinks were great and first bites were amazing as was dinner all around. The atmosphere is open, airy and very hip. Would go back and request to sit in Hanna's section. Her professionalism, knowledge of the menu, as well as her helpfulness to order was refreshing.