Rush Hour is a moderately priced casual restaurant located in the Dufferin And Davenport area of West Toronto. Rush Hour specializes in European Cuisine and features a casual atmosphere.
Rush Hour Restaurant is a charming casual dining spot located on Dufferin Street, just north of Dupont. Just as charming is owner and operator Fernando Silva’s commute to work — his family lives in the upper floor of the building housing the restaurant.
The restaurant’s interior is beautiful and elegantly designed; the wines displayed on a bare red brick wall are sure to draw your eye. There’s room for 32 diners in this cozy space and when the patio is open in summer that capacity doubles.
Rush Hour’s main specialty among its diverse menu is fish, including such catches as grouper, tuna, Chilean sea bass, salmon and more. In fact, other fish like swordfish or shark also become available from time to time. “Some fish comes twice a week from Portugal, and some is local,” Fernando explains.
National pride runs deep at this restaurant as not just some of Rush Hour’s fish, but also their olive oil, salt and rice are imported from Portugal. Similarly, their bread is made in local Portuguese bakeries.
“Most of the wines are Portuguese, with some French and Italian wines,” says Fernando, “but number one is Portuguese wines.”
Homemade desserts like tiramisu and passion fruit mousse round out this already rich and enticing menu.
The food was delicious and atmosphere was delightful. Rush Hour really understands the art of dining. At no point were we rushed to make any choices or leave. In fact, despite the fact that it was getting later and my friend and I were the only ones remaining in the restaurant it seemed that they were encouraging us to continue to stay even though it was evident that we wouldn't be ordering any more food or drinks. Our server topped up our wine even though we had already finished our bottle and he brought us sweet Chestnuts. The food was delicious and the portions were very generous. This restaurant has a modern look but a community feel. I look forward to going back often.
Good food, fair price. It's nice to see a restaurant with a open kitchen and the chef working. The Grouper was really good, next time I'll try the Snaper.
What a cute little spot to enjoy a great meal, finally in our neighbourhood! The ambiance, the service, the food, the value...all great. What was nice is that it didn't cater too much to only portuguese flair, but also had italian undertones.
