Cava Restaurant

1560 Yonge Street
Toronto, Canada

Who doesn't love tapas? You order 10 items on a menu and get to try them all. The meal lasts forever because the small plates come out from the kitchen slowly but surely, leaving you plenty of time to chat with your partner. The mediterranean's definitely know how to do it right when it comes to eating and enjoying good company.

After knocking off Embrujo Flamenco and Torito tapas restaurants, of course the next on the list is the highly acclaimed Cave Restaurant situated in midtown Toronto. Upon entering I'm seated at a perfect corner table for two, however am quickly finding that I can't hear a word my compadre is saying as this restaurant is so loud. But, I brush it off...this is exactly how it would be in Spain, right?

Our server is fantastic and right off the bat describes in detail the specials of the day in a friendly and vibrant manner. I don't need him to ask for our drink preferences as I already know what I need to try: sangria. For me, this is the key to a good Spanish restaurant and if anywhere in Toronto can offer a glass of sangria that is even half as good as the ones I've had on the Las Ramblas in Barcelona, then they've won my vote. And, unfortunately this one falls flat. Tasting more like fruit punch than a fruit soaked dark red wine, I drink it down anyway because, well, who doesn't like fruit punch? Moving on to some real wine and getting into the food...

Of the many items that were tasted: eggplant queso fresco, clams and chorizo, spanish cheese's and iberico ham, nothing stood out as particularly splendid. The eggplant, though tasty was quite greasy; I found the clams to be gritty and chorizo dry and tasteless; the iberico ham was beautiful though, cut superbly to melt-in-your-mouth...but generally a restaurant doesn't cook their own ham so I can't give Cava any brownie points on that dish.

Cava has consistently been highly regarded as one of the best tapas restaurants in Toronto, however I would have to disagree. None of the dishes stood out in terms of flavour or presentation and the biggest disappointment of course, is the faux sangria. I would recommend both Embrujo Flamenco and Torito over this midtown spot.