It appears that Agio restaurant at 1351 St. Clair Ave. W. is permanently closed. We visited on a Saturday night, November 18, and found the space completely dark and vacant. Additionally, the signage has been replaced, indicating a new restaurant under renovation. This was quite surprising as we were looking forward to dining at Agio based on past reviews. It would be helpful for others to know about this closure to adjust their plans accordingly. This review informs potential customers about the current status of the restaurant while maintaining a respectful and informative tone.

The chef is a master. I thoroughly enjoyed his creations and the atmosphere in the restaurant which I had to myself on a Monday afternoon. I left very happy and the chef totally made my day better. Edit: Wow I didn't realize the photos from this review would have over 1000 views in a month!! Just validates my review and how good the chef is. To be totally clear, in my most popular photo, I ate the first piece of zucchini and pumpkin puree with that delicious sauce BEFORE I took the photo. Hahahaha it just looked too enticing. What an experience and I feel so blessed to have experienced it. Be good to everyone and the chef will do the same for you! Thank you again!!!!!!

Agio is a seafood restaurant situated on St Clair Avenue, a bustling hub for Italian cuisine in Toronto. My cravings for seafood led me to venture to this new eatery. I had previously heard of Agio, with positive reviews on Yelp and Google, so my expectations were high upon entering. However, the decor was rather understated, not matching my preconceptions of a fancy Italian restaurant. The interior was adorned with flags from around the world, and an older Asian man awaited our arrival. Initially, I was unsure whether this was a genuine Italian restaurant, but I was soon corrected by the owner, who revealed his fascinating backstory. Born in Korea, he worked in Japan before extensively training in Italian restaurants. He even tested my Italian skills and impressed me by mentioning that he could read Vietnamese. His love for Italian culture was evident, and we bonded over our mutual admiration for this great country. The owner recommended spaghetti alle vongole and calamari fritti, and I happily obliged. Before our mains arrived, he offered us fresh bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, as well as a delightful amuse bouche of zucchini drizzled with squash and balsamic glaze. I must admit that my assessment of the restaurant is somewhat contextual. The owner is evidently an older man who works single-handedly. He serves as the waiter, entertainer, and chef, making everything fresh to order. In this sense, his passion for Italian cuisine shines through, and I have the utmost respect for his efforts. If I were to judge the food as home-cooking, I would give it a solid 4/5. However, if I were to evaluate the restaurant against the standards of a high-end establishment, the story would be different. The decor was outdated, service was not the quickest, and the tableware could do with an update. However, given the owner's limited resources, this would not be economically feasible. Despite these minor critiques, my overall experience was highly enjoyable. The owner taught me much about Italian culture, and the calamari was fresh, light, and crispy. My only complaint was that the clams in the pasta were not pre-shucked, resulting in many shells in the dish. However, given that the owner was working alone, this was understandable. The flavor of the dish was on par with that of many high-end restaurants. I highly recommend supporting independent business owners like the proprietor of Agio, who possess a deep passion for food and the culture of Italian cuisine. The restaurant's namesake, Agio, meaning comfortable, aptly describes the ambiance of the establishment, and I felt right at home throughout my visit

Absolutely delicious spaghetti Bolognese. The meal starts with fresh bread and oil, followed by a taste cleanser, and wow what a great main meal. I recommend this place to those visiting. Clean bathrooms, amazing service, and an atmosphere to die for.

This is my third visit here in a month and a half. I’m happy to be a returning diner to a restaurant with amazing options. I love the ambiance. All the dishes were winners. Also I am not a dessert person but this is the third time I’ve ordered the dessert cake which I appreciate for not being too sweet. Looking forward to returning and inviting more people to dine here to try out some other options. 5 stars!!! Thank you!!!

We stumbled upon this place when we were on a walk along St Clair West. At first we were skeptical about it since the front door and interior looks outdated, and there were not a lot of people inside. Glad we took our chance — the pasta tasted fresh and homemade. They even gave us complimentary bread and tomato salad which was very refreshing. The chef seem to have learnt how to cook Italian food throughout his time in Europe, and is very friendly.

The food is incredible! My friend found this place on google and we decided to go for her birthday. Don’t be discouraged by the lack of fancy decor, as the food is amazing and you won’t be disappointed. The owner/chef spent years in Italy, and knows what he is doing. We all had different mains and all three were amazing. We will be going back for sure.

A quaint spot to have some Italian food. The owner/chef is a very interesting fellow who is also extremely kind. I enjoyed my visit and it felt as if I stepped back in time as the ambience was rustic. Would definitely go there again!

Great hospitality, food, and service by the owner. This place should be more well known. Will be coming back here again.

Really fun experience. Last minute decision to try this place at 9 pm. Chef was friendly and joking - talked about his cooking experience and Italian pride; like an old Italian guy. The area had many paintings (scenery and one wall full of portraits). There was music playing (not too loud) and plants around. Good atmosphere despite the age of the building. The plates and cutlery were good stuff - didn't look old or worn out; had a booth seat but I didn't sit there. The bread was warm and fresh. The zucchini "amuse-bouch" (zucchini with a sweet orange thing with balsamic) was amazing. Like, balanced out the bread. Would come again just for zucchini. Chicken Alfredo linguine was freshing - it wasn't too salty or overpoweringly creamy and strong. The light taste was freshing and sat well in my stomach. Like, I didn't get that heavy-pasta-food feeling. Penne tomato with pancetta (don't remember full name) had really good sauce and the veggies were well incorporated. Boyfriend didn't like the crispy pancetta/meat as much but I did so depends on taste. All in all, will try this place again during actual dinner/lunch to try the rest of their menu.

I' have ordered via delivery twice now: Gnocchi alla gorgonzola and bruschetta app. Really good. The gnocchi are wonderfully more potato than dough. And the sauce, this time it had some chunks of the salty rind, It is delicious. And both orders came with a small warm bread loaf and an amuse bouche! 1st time was sliced heirloom tomatoes with basil and balsamic, 2nd was little chunks of zucchini topped with seasond squash puree? Both were also delicious and such a nice touch from this resto. Really tasty, great portions. I will definitely dine in here soon. I think they're fairly new to St. Clair W Ave and hope they're here to stay. 😀

This is a small casual Italian restaurant with great food (loved the gnocchi in tomato sauce!) and an extremely friendly owner who is also the chef. He told us he spent his career working as a chef in Italy, South Korea and Switzerland before he settled in Canada. Definitely worth a visit!

Agio is one of the most welcoming and down to earth places to have a relaxed meal with loved ones! The owner and chef is so pleasant and always makes an effort to get to know his patrons. The food speaks for itself and is made fresh everday. The experience is made better because the he makes every effort to make you feel welcome and at ease. He trained in Italy as well which is apparent in his cooking. All in all a great place.

I feel like I am in a trattoria in Italy. The food of the chef is very authentic and unique. The penne with shrimp arrabiata and carbonara are amazing! I strongly recommend the appetizer, the fried cauliflower with pesto and mayo sauce. They are perfect match!!😍😍

Very nice service! Spaghetti was delicious, before the pasta I got bread with oil, grilled zucchini(see the photos) and cold water. The first place where I decide to pay 25% tip. Pasta comes with special spoon to make eating long pasta easier.

If the decor is how you rate a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, you will probably not sit down. If you rate it by the quality and taste of the food you will love this restaurant. Everything is a taste treat, with perfectly sized portions. We will be back, and strongly recommend it.

We stopped by later on a Sunday, I think the owner was planning on closing, but he saw us lingering and offered us to go in. One of the most soul comforting pastas I’ve ever had, will be back for sure!

They have the best service we have ever experienced. We wish we lived in the area because this would definitely be a regular spot for us. Food was fantastic and we ate way too much. Everything was fresh and delicious.

Great owner, made carbonara off the menu. Creme brule is really good!

So many mixed feelings about this place... it's a hole in the wall in Corso Italia serving very good Italian food. The chef (who is quite the character) is the server, and I'm certain does everything else. Service is slow and the restaurant is cluterred snd rundown. Glad I tried it but won't be returning anytime soon.

We drive in to the city and choose to eat here. The chef is a doll and his food is soooo good. Takes me back to my Nonna’s gnocchi (I get it with the bolognese sauce.) Your food is all cooked to order. The chef’s passion and love for Italian cooking radiates through his food and little meal add ons. Highly recommend.

My husband took me out for dinner here a couple of weeks ago and this was hands down one of the best Italian restaurants that we have been to ever! The food was mouthwatering and delicious and the service was exceptional! The chef even gave us free extra appetizers which were delicious. All in all a great experience and we would 10/10 dine here again

The owner/chef is an incredibly interesting man, he has a lot of stories and is friendly. The food is also very good and you can tell he truly has a passion for cooking (we had the alfredo, mare, ravioli and spaghetti pastas! He probably will remember us). The place itself is definitely a hole in the wall and may not look like the biggest/fanciest place, but that's how we knew it'd be good. Don't be put off by the ambience. Will definitely come here again when we visit Toronto!

Amazing service and food. My girlfriend ordered the lobster pasta and I ordered the steak w/ vegetables, both were excellent. The owner is South Korean cooking some of the best Italian food I've ever had. 5 stars hands down.

All the food we had were tasty and chef was so nice and funny. We had a good time there. I definitely wanna come back again!!

It's a cute little place with amazing food. The chef's service was great and food even better! We will definitely go back.