Linny’s has been one of the most talked-about openings in Toronto since September 2024. In under a year, it landed at No. 52 on Canada’s 100 Best and No. 13 on the Top 50 Best Steak Restaurants in the USA & Canada. Behind it is David Schwartz, whose restaurants—Sunny’s and MIMI Chinese—are already fixtures in the city’s dining conversation. Expectations were understandably high. The atmosphere sets the tone from the moment you enter. A mid-century interior with European brasserie influence, terrazzo floors, warm ambient lighting, and restrained wood accents create a sense of continuity rather than spectacle. Servers are sharply dressed in white with black bowties and aprons, attentive without hovering, confident without excess. Corduroy banquettes and leather-bound menus feel intentional rather than nostalgic pastiche. The space is assured of its own identity. The beverage program reinforces that confidence. The wine list is impressive, but the cocktail menu is where the personality shows. We started with the Café Negroni, a minimalist blend of an espresso martini and a classic Negroni. Bright orange notes cut cleanly through dark coffee bitterness. Balanced, uncomplicated, crafted to leave an impression. However, that calibration begins to slip once the food arrives. The house salad is simple to the point of exposure: gem lettuce, cucumber, bulgur, and champagne vinaigrette. The bulgur adds welcome texture, but the vinaigrette leans sharply acidic. With just 4 ingredients, there isn’t much room for error. At $19, it reads less as restraint and more as a missed adjustment. The Ora King salmon follows a similar pattern. Often referred to as the “wagyu of the sea,” it’s prized for its fat content and softness, qualities that justify its cost. Here, those qualities are largely muted. The cure firms the fish without adding dimension, and the latkes—overly crisp and under-seasoned—do little to support it. Curing makes sense when it concentrates flavor or improves texture; with Ora King, it feels misapplied, as if the name alone is doing the work. The dish also lacks acidity, something that could have grounded the richness and clarified its intent. The chicken liver toast is more convincing. The pâté is rich and well-seasoned, with cured egg adding depth and umami. Still, restraint slips again. An excess of fried onions pushes the dish toward sweetness, masking the savoury depth that should be at its heart. By the time the steak arrives, expectations have shifted. The 20 oz bone-in ribeye from Blue Dot Reserve is wet-aged, grass-fed, and finished with pastrami butter. The rationale is sound: reintroducing fat where grass-fed beef lacks it. In practice, the beef is clean and well-seasoned, with the smokiness from the butter doing most of the talking. It’s good beef. But beyond that smoke, it doesn’t develop. Nothing lingers. Nothing surprises. At $136, it’s fair value, but value isn’t the same as impact. Then comes the Concord grape sorbet, and the room snaps back into focus. Bright, precise, and layered: grape jelly depth, fresh acidity, stewed fruit, and liquid-nitrogen cream. Playful but disciplined, and easily the most memorable dish of the night. Linny’s has accomplished a great deal in a short time. The space is well-designed, the team is capable and the ambition is clear. During this visit, the execution didn’t live up to the vision, but the foundation is real. As it stands: 3.95 / 5. This feels less like a finished statement than a restaurant still calibrating itself — but one clearly worth watching.
Lovely experience with delicious food. Loved the retro decor and overall feel. Great place to take out of towners. Definitely get the pastrami and babka desert.
Came here for a joint birthday and we didn’t expect the food and service to be so amazing ! 5 of us ordered the family sharing meal and we were all so stuff and happy
The staff at Linnys lunch counter are amazing. My special needs daughter wanted a plain sandwich for lunch which I forgot to ask for. When the fellows heard her say something they immediately made her a new sandwich no questions asked. Very impressed and I will be back and tell others how good your restaurant is. Many thanks Bruce and Kate
I saw a YouTube video about this restaurant, which made me want to try it. I didn't realize at the time it was one of the hottest restaurants in the city until I tried to book a reservation waiting for 12:01 am on OpenTabel 3 weeks in advance and nothing was available. I emailed the restaurant and they kindly fit me in on a Saturday during the holidays with a 5:30 reso. Yes it's pricey- but you are paying for perfection. The Challah was light and bouncy and the Spread was delicious. The Pastrami is a MUST - do not leave the restaurant without getting this dish. We ordered the steak medium rare and it was more on the rare side. It cut like butter. The Cocktails are works of art. We had the seasonal dessert ( gingerbread trifle). Oddly it was the cabbage that surprised us - who knew cabbage could taste that good? The restaurant ambiance screams Mad Men - very chic! Our server Sam was fantastic. I feel like I ended the year on a high note. I can't wait to go to their luncheonette to get more Pastrami.
Linny's was a lovely spot for a Sunday night dinner. The space gives you the feel of an upscale steakhouse with soft jazz in the background, mixed with the comfort of an elevated diner. They had a Sunday roast on the menu, but we decided to try a few shareables instead. The Challah Service was unreal. The bread and butter were warm, rich, and honestly hard to stop eating. For the main, we ordered an 18 oz NY dry aged Strip and it came out cooked perfectly. We paired it with the pastrami, which might be the best pastrami we have ever had, plus double cooked french fries and garlic butter mushrooms. Everything worked so well together and made the meal feel special. Incredible food and excellent service. Easy five stars
Great service, great vibe, great conceptual dishes (in theory) but the actual food taste completely misses. Almost everything was under salted (meat, fish) or over salted (fries). The fish all just tasted bland. The beef has a very odd taste to it. Latkas were lack-luster. Babka had very icy, not smooth ice cream. I love that a chef conceptually wanted to elevate ashkenazi food, however the chefs need to taste the food more regularly for flavor, texture, and mouth feel. Great ambience. Staff were immaculate. Even the mid century washrooms were such a great touch. But the owner needs to get out of the conceptual design of the restaurant and taste the dishes actually coming out.
Linny’s is a Canadian Restaurant based in Toronto, Ontario. Linny’s is located at 176 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J 2Z7, Canada.
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