Mamakas Taverna: Greek Restaurant on Toronto’s Trendy Ossington Avenue

Mamakas Taverna is considered one of the best Greek restaurants in Toronto.

The popular Greek restaurant on Ossington Avenue proves one can feast on stellar spanakopita and saganaki outside of the more traditional Danforth neighbourhood.

Step Inside Mamakas Taverna

The elegant, sun soaked Ossington restaurant dinning room seats 85 and bustles from 5:30pm till late seven days a week.

I arrived on a Monday at 5:30pm just as the restaurant opened its doors. Within an hour the Greek restaurant was filled to the brim with families (a precious baby winces while sucking on a tart lemon), fashionably dressed couples romancing themselves over cocktails and tables filled with friends catching up over the quick whip of pita over creamy tzatziki.

Mamakas Taverna is the best Greek restaurant on Ossington.

Mamakas Taverna Bar

The restaurants short but sweet cocktail list offers stellar libations muddled with the likes of Greek Mountain Tea, honey & rosewater syrup, cocoa salt, geranium grenadine and a slew of citrus.

Oenophiles whisk through the wine list and can easily sip through the best of Greece via bottles lovingly crafted from Mykonos to Santorini.

Mastiha Sour: balsam fir mastiha, domane de canton, lime, egg white
Northern Almond: roots herb spirit, amaretto, haskap and ancho, mandarin, egg white
Siko Old Fashioned: bourbon, fig, mavrodaphne, lapsang angostura
Kokko Vasilias: metaxa, rakomelo, apricot, vanilla, lemon
Pina Daisy: tentura, tsipouro, pineapple, yuzu, bergamot
Acropolis: tahini butter, rye whiskey, demerara, bitters
Lefko Negroni: sevilla orange gin, lemon gin, mountain tea bianco vermouth, gentiane
Hot Katsika Punch: mastiha, rakomelo, goats milk, tumeric, cocoa, beets
Colossus: tsipouro, calvados, wintergreen syrup, lemon, egg white, vin cuit float
Hydra Punch: honey, fig, baklava spice, nutmeg, citrus, goats whey with metaxa, mezcal, gin, campari or vodka

Craft cocktails inspired by Greece at Mamakas Taverna's bar. — Craft cocktails inspired by Greece at Mamakas Taverna’s bar.

Mamakas Taverna Menu

Owner Thanos Tripi brings a fresh, authentic approach to Aegean food, offering classical Greek dishes against a contemporary canvas.

Each plate, which parades out of the open concept kitchen is thoughtfully crafted to evoke the way Thanos’ grandmother cooked, inviting guests to explore the Greece he grew up with through food, art and music. Meant to mimic an open market, the room is built of white concrete blocks creating an effect similar to the stucco seen throughout Greece.

From the kitchen, recipes have been passed down through generations and feature honest Greek fare with a modern twist. Designed to share family style. Is there any other way?

A spiral of Spanakopita at Mamakas Taverna in Toronto.

Mamakas Taverna Starters

Elies: olives, lemon, chili
House Dips: tzatziki, taramosalata, melitzanosalata, kopanisti
Spanakopita: spinach and feta phyllo pie
Atherina: fried mediterranean smelts, lemon
Keftedes: beef and pork meatballs, feta, mint, chili
Xifias: cured swordfish, chili, pickled cucumber, fennel, dill, tomato
Cheese Saganaki: saskatoon berries, hazelnut, honey, mint, persimmon
Lamb Tartare: lamb, galotiri, chili, pine nuts

Greek Cheese Saganaki with fresh figs and honey at Mamakas Taverna.

Mamakas Taverna Salads

Horiatiki: tomato, red onion, feta, cucumber, olive tapanade, oregano
Lahanosalata: cabbage, grapes, fennel, kohlrabi, mint, watercress, buttermilk, myzthra

Mamakas Taverna Sides

Tiaganites Patates: hand cut potatoes, fresh herbs, garlic sauce
Hen of the Woods Mushrooms: maitake, garlic, lemon, myzithra
Horta: dandelion, swiss chard, garlic, lemon
House Made Pita

Sheftalia grilled pork and beef cyprus sausage at Mamakas on Ossington.

Mamakas Taverna Seafood

Psari: whole grilled fish of the day
Oktapodi: grilled octopus, santorini fava, caper, pickled onion

Mamakas Taverna Entrees

Imam Bayildi: slow roasted eggplant, onion, tomato, walnut, fresh herbs
Kotopoulo: 1/2 roasted mountain tea brined chicken, seasonal vegetables
Stifado: braised beef shortrib, celeriac, mushrooms
Paidakia: grilled lamb chops, bulgar, tzatziki
Brizola: 24oz ribsteak, asparagus, mushrooms

Greek Baklava for dessert at Mamakas Taverna.

Mamakas Taverna Desserts

Baklava: walnuts, pistachios, milk and honey ice cream
Mille Feuille: mahlepi krema, caramelized filo, pickled quince sherbet
Keik Foudoukiou: hazelnut cake, retsina, poached pear, burnt wood cretan honey pannna cotta
Ice Creams: milk & honey, sweetened condensed milk, brown butter, blood orange & clove sorbet