MARU Japanese Bistro

Lovely solo dining experience. The staff took the time to make me feel welcome and comfortable. The dining space, decor, cutlery and dinnerware were all beautiful. The food was excellent. The snow crab nori canapé was creative, refreshing, and savoury. The ebi katsu was delicious and perfect for the cold snowy day. Overall, I enjoyed the freshness and combination of the ingredients across the different dishes. Thank you and I can't wait to be back again!

I’ve been wanting to try this restaurant for so many times as my boyfriend highly recommended it and finally we came here today for a little lunch date. The experience was amazing. Maru is an absolute gem, everything from the atmosphere to the service feels thoughtfully crafted. The food is exceptional, with beautifully presented dishes that are bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors especially the pork belly and chirashi don. The sweet owner also welcomes us with 2 cocktails that she made by herself and it was super delicious, one of it is the matcha yuzu and it’s definitely the best cocktail I’ve ever had. On top of that, the service is truly top-notch, the staff is warm, attentive, and clearly passionate about what they do. It’s the kind of place that makes you excited to come back again and again.

I’ve tried so many sushi spots in downtown Toronto, but I’ve never found a place with quality this good for the price. The fish here is incredibly fresh and flavorful. The atmosphere is calm and welcoming, making it perfect for both hanging out with friends and going on a date. I especially love their chirashidon and canapes. So good 😊 I always recommend this place to my friends, because I honestly think it’s the best spot in Toronto to enjoy truly delicious, high-quality fish. Highly, highly recommend! 💕

Minimalist decor will immediately help you relax in this restaurant. The greentea was excellent and is a precursor to beautifully prepared and delicious dishes that will follow. Im not always in the mood for raw salmon but Maru's salmon donburi was so fresh it was melt in your mouth yummy. My husband ordered the sashimi set...it was also very fresh, very pretty and delicious. Apparently though, they just started opening for lunch and was swamped and short staffed so the wait time for food was really long. They finally apologized and gave us extra food. For this reason, we recommend making a reservation.

My partner and I came here today and it was amazing!! We saw the photos online and figured it would be great, but great couldn't even describe how delicious the food was!! We also got some plum wine and whiskey, both were fantastic. The chirashi was one of their daily specials and it was hands down the best chirashi we have had in the city. We don't make the journey out to the east end too often but visiting Maru is absolutely a reason to make the trek! On top of the delicious food and drinks the service was fantastic, the team was super sweet and made us feel incredibly cared for. <3

Food was good. Loved the nori canapes! The cocktails we had were really nice too! Both the manager and server were so nice. We didnt have any reservation and were short of staff but still tried their best to accommodate us. Definitely going back!

I’m not the type to leave reviews at all, but Maru honestly changed my mind. My girlfriend and I got to try both the lunch and dinner menus, and I can honestly say it was some of the best Japanese food I’ve ever had For lunch, we had the chirashi don, salmon pressed sushi, bluefin tuna shari canapé, and the ika tempura. The standout would have to be the bluefin tuna shari canapé for me, the contrast of the super crispy fried rice and the soft and creamy spicy tuna topping was amazing. The fish was super fresh on every single dish, the rice had the perfect seasoning and texture, and the tempura squid was hands down the best I’ve ever had. One thing I noticed right away is that anything fried here is just on another level, light, crispy, super fresh tasting, and not greasy at all. For dinner, we tried the drinks, miso eggplant, fish korokke, salmon nori canapés, ebi katsu, and the Roselle cake. The two that blew me away were the nori canapés and the ebi katsu. The canapés had this fried seaweed wrap that somehow stayed crispy and light without falling apart, so you could just pick it up and eat it by hand. The ebi katsu was unreal too. The shrimps were huge, meaty, and bouncy with that natural sweetness, and that same light and crispy fried coating. The curry that came with it was super flavorful and had just a hint of spice. The cake was a total surprise too. If they have it, you HAVE to try it. We got the passionfruit buttercream birthday cake and it was incredible. Super flavorful, not too sweet, really moist and light. The drinks were also great. My favorite was the hojicha peach lemonade, while my girlfriend liked the matcha yuzuade since it was less sweet. Service was great as well, the food came out fast, and everyone we talked to was super friendly and informative.

Maru is a wonderful spot for an intimate, cozy dinner. The ambience feels relaxing, homey, and chill. The food was good, and while many of the dishes were similar to what you might find at other Japanese restaurants, they were prepared and executed beautifully. Nothing in particular stood out as a signature highlight, but everything was enjoyable. Pricing and portions are definitely on the higher end, though the quality shows. I was a little disappointed that some menu items, like the duck, were sold out, but I’ll be back to try it next time. Service was excellent, and the staff were very attentive and kind.