User Reviews for Spice Route Asian Bistro
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I was shocked when I arrived at Spice Route - "hot spot"? I think not. Certainly it was crowded and the lineup outside was long but once inside I found it a haven for unattractive 40 year olds - both men and women alike. Nothing like the crowd when Easy on the 5th or Brant House were hot spots. A bar can have great decor, an amazing setup, and the best drinks in town but if everyone is greying, balding and wrinkled it's not going to give off a very hip, fun-loving vibe. My girlfriends and I left after about 15 mins and went to Century Room where people were in their 20s and 30s!
Isabella Arza's Rating: 2 Stars |
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Sexy, sleek and swank. Not stuffy and no attitude at all. Spice Route, you ARE a gem. This is my kind of place!
Randy Marche's Rating: 4 Stars |
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Went there for lunch with a colleague. Food was overpriced for what we had. Unremarkable asian fusion at 2x the normal price. Service was excruciatingly slow, and when mentioned to the manager (after waiting 10min. just to see him to make a point), I received nothing (no apology, future comp. drink. bill discount. nothing). Unimpressive.
Was dragged back by some friends for drinks recently... shockingly similar experience. This is after a few months to work out any kinks, and it was on a slower patio night. The 'fancy' bar served nothing but basic red/white and beer. I asked for 3 different items from the drinks menu - - none were available. no apology.
When one of the guys in our group went in to use the facilities he was barred from returning to the group on the patio. they were "at capacity" and letting people in/out one at a time. REally?? perhaps some sort of wrist band or hand stamp would work since he was now trapped inside compelling our whole group to head in. Interestingly I noticed a number of young hot blondes slipping in and out with ease - - apparently bouncers have different rules for different people.
Then, to kick things off, another friend had wax from a candle spilled on her leg by the washroom attendant... that stuff hurts! not a word of apology, or offer of a simple 'lemme buy you a drink"
I get it... Spice route is the 'it' spot. It's cool to go there, and they graciously haven't added a cover, or hired really jerky bouncers. HOWEVER, if they don't improve the menu (or the value), and revamp customer service, they will become the next has-been bar on the strip.
Mr.B's Rating: 2 Stars |
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I had a very bad experience at Spice Route last week. While the food was decent, the service was terrible and when I voiced my concerns with management they belittled me and brushed me aside. They need a course in customer service!!!!!!
Ashley Faust's Rating: 1 Stars |
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My God people, get a grip. Any bar/restaurant doing 800 covers for dinner a night as well as doing high volume at the bar is going to have some hiccups. Of course you can get cheaper food north on Spapina (if you don't mind staring at the ducks hanging upside down in the window). And I'll gaurantee you that could get quicker service at a pub down the street(because no one is there). Every new club/restaurant in the city goes through these growing pains. Spice Route is packed night after night with hot men and woman and charge less than six bucks for a drink. I'm amazed at the people that say they'll never go back after their FOURTH bad experience. There's reason you've been there 3 or 4 times in the last three months; because it the hottest place in the city. If that isn't your thing then stop annoying fellow Spice Route patrons with your dour look and stay away.
Rob's Rating: 4 Stars |
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Waited over an hour to be seated and we got there 5 minutes before our reservation. Was told that a waiter spilled red wine on a diner who happened to be a birthday celebrant and their table was given a complimentary round of drinks to compensate and this same group was holding up our reservations for an hour. A whole hour to have a round of drinks, yeah sure. At this point, I had to take it out on the hostess, who took it graciously. I apologized to her afterwards as it was clearly not her fault, as I found out that overbooking is common practice at Spice Route. Someone pointed out the manager whom I approached and surprisingly unapologetic said, "Tell me what would make it better?". I figured a round of drinks was fair for a group of 10. Thanks for the free round. The food was either really good or I was starving and a little trashed from the drinks had while waiting to be seated. I had the blackened cod and deep fried squid and shrimps. Like someone posted earlier you can get the same dishes for a fraction of the price a few blocks north on Spadina, that said the decor(which is nice) is partly what you're paying for and the King west scene. Our waiter was spectacular and I guess he had to be or he wouldn't be getting a tip from someone whose waited over and hour and complained that the AC was freezing our table. Overall, if you've got time to kill, like asian food in a nice place and want to practice patience.. check it out. I won't be anytime soon.
Mark Claudio's Rating: 3 Stars |
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I went to Spice Route this past Thursday and had a great time. Upon my arrival I checked in with the hostess and asked if I could take a look around and have a drink prior to being seated. When I returned to the front desk I had my mind set on sitting on the raised level and expressed this to the hostess. The hostess got me a table on the level that I had requested even while they were experiencing a huge influx of patrons and were extremely busy. Our server was attentive, the food came promptly and was delicious. The hostess even checked in on us during our meal which was extremely impressive. I have to say that I had a great experience at Spice Route and must conclude that those who didn't share my experience may have been expecting a fine dining experience that is not in accordance with the concept of a rest-lounge in a trendy new area of Toronto.
Jared's Rating: 4 Stars |
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The place itself is okay, nice decor, nice patio. But the neccessary attitude at this place kills it. The bouncers are horrendous. We were on guest list and still were hassled by them, despite the fact that the place was fairly empty. Needless hassle, really dampened the mood for the night. There are alot of other lounges/restaurants in this area that will treat you far better. This place is not worth it.
Pami's Rating: 1 Stars |
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The snobiish bouncers ever... NOTE: A little smile does not hurt!!!!!
ONLY friends of the bouncers (AKA FABRIC SOFTNERS with Attitude) were being let in. I heard inside was completely empty so obvious the whole line up outside was for SHOW ONLY. Oh and that WATERFALL outside, I am suprised no has has complained until now.. a few people completey stepped in the water and soaked thier socks and shoes.
Don't bother going there unless you are a pre·ten·tious Loser.
Miss Q's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Booked a reservation for Fri, July 18th for 8pm via the internet and stated in the comment section:"patio preferred and this is for Summerlious". Well, we were seated on the patio. Medocre decor but nice, big tree gave it that bit of boost. Some of the furnituring looked like it was from Zeller's...that fakey,wooven, basket, weave-look. Wait at least 20 mins for a witress to come over. Ordered a spiked ice tea(pitcher size) and said that we were here for the Summerlious menu. She didn't come back until 20mins later..didn't think it was that busy on the patio and was wandering why there wasn't many people eating. She now said that the Summerlious menu was for inside not outside. Didn't understand that..what's difference with serving in or out? So, we decided to order right from the menu. The food came faster than the drinks! Nothing much to say about the food...O.K but not dazzling! The spiked tea claimed to have 4oz of booze but I guess with the 3/4 full of ice would water that down a bit,no?? Need more booze! As we were eating, a wait staff lean over my shoulder in front of plate which his hands touched a piece of lettuce! How rude! Wait until I'm finished or at least ask! They're eager to clear plates for some reason. Definitely not the best wait staff. Truly needs to improve! Don't think I'll go back!
Michelle's Rating: 2 Stars |
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I have been to Spice Route a few times, two of those visits were for dinner. I have to agree with the other reviews about the food. It wasn't very appetizing. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't horrible but it wasn't good either. Our servers, both times, were really friendly but lacked in product knowledge and had to leave us a couple of times to ask the kitchen questions that we had asked them. Overall, our dinner experience was okay. I've been there a handful of times for drinks with friends and there is one night that stands out the most. A couple of friends and I went to SPice Route for drinks before our dinner reservation at Brassaii. It was pretty quiet when we arrived since it was early. There were 2 girls behind the bar that were serving us. They started talking about a negative review they had read somewhere about the bartenders. One of the girls started going on about how it was unfair that the bartenders were getting a bad wrap. Apparently, it is not the bartenders that are horrible but instead it's the managers. She kept going on about how the managers "suck at their jobs and as a result, we can't do our jobs properly." I have to admit, it was pretty funny listening to the two girls bitch about work. I've never experienced this before but I wish it would happen more often at the restaurants I go to. My favorite line was "If management could just stop putting things up their nose and get their shit together, we wouldn't be so miserable. God, I hate this place." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I give them 4 stars for entertainment man. Oh, FYI, this was a conversation between the 2 girls, not them and us. THAT would be VERY unprofessional. LOL. We were just eaves dropping.
I spoke to one of the managers before one of our dinner reservations onenight (we waited a little longer than we expected to for our reserved table). I think his name was Neil. Anyway, he was really nice to us and gave us free drinks for our troubles. So I guess the place is hot and cold, there is no consistency. I don't mind the place but I won't be going there for dinner anymore.
JC's Rating: 2 Stars |
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Reading all of these reviews, I was apprehensive of trying Spice Route out, especially as a young customer, ESPECIALLY for Summerlicious.
I feel as though this restaurant is getting its sea-legs. Let's divide and conquer:
- Call me a Toronto snob, but the decor was not as phenomenal as I had been lead to believe. I had heard that the bathrooms were especially nice, but they reminded of bathrooms seen at Cheval or C-Lounge - nothing special. The 10 foot glass window on my right hand side as I went to the bathroom was... disquieting, but interesting. Try it - you'll see what I mean. The decor was certainly nice, but nothing particularly fantastically unique. It was also extremely dark inside. The patio was pleasant, but our table wasn't set until we actually received our food, and the plexi-glass cover above the booths was dirty. I have certainly been on nicer patios - Fuzion, for example, or even Ultra.
- The service was alright. We weren't served for a little while, and the manager himself had to come take our orders. We had 4 servers throughout the night, which was haphazard and difficult to tip for. Everyone was nice enough, but just mixed up. Also, the hostess was lovely and managed to seat us on the patio despite it being a very popular patio dinner time hour.
- The food was good, but not unique. The salmon was cooked very well, but had plain vegetables and a normal soy sauce. Essentially, everything there could be had at a lower price elsewhere. The bright spot was the dessert: exotic sorbets, very flavourful. T
- The drinks weren't well made. My Red Dragon martini was watery and not great. My friend's Mango Tamarind was too strong. It felt like something a college student would mix in their kitchen. The bright spot drink-wise was their spiked teas: I had a cold Pomegranate Spiked Tea and it was fabulously refreshing - perfect summer drink.
All in all, this place has the POTENTIAl to be a hard-hitting, wonderful and unique place, but it's simply not there yet. I don't know if it ever will be: it may just attempt to coast along on its trendy location and reputation alone.
Post script: if you are younger, this is not the place to go on a weekday night. It was definitely an older crowd.
Anna's Rating: 2 Stars |
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Didn't even get in for our dinner reservations for 10 p.m. Huge line-up, attitude at the door, so we left. I'm not spending my money at a place that isn't interested in receiving it. I am not an employee or ex-employee of Spice Route. I don't know anyone who has had a good night here. Could these good reviews are from current employees or friends of the owners?
Shelley's Rating: 1 Stars |
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After review after review (seemingly written by the same disgruntled employee… who has an exceptionally large amount of time on her hands) I believe she has gotten the point across that she had a bad night at Spice Route. I will just say that the place is one of the more interesting restaurants I've been to in a while. Food could be better, but still all my nights have been quite memorable.
Diane Trewe's Rating: 3 Stars |
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Reservations made for 9pm for a party of 10 three weeks prior. We were not seated until 10pm. I spoke to the hostess twice within that hour and was told that the server has given the bill to the table and are just waiting for the patrons to leave. She also mentioned that she advised the manager, Neil Navalta of the situation.
A friend at one point within that hour asked to speak to the manager regarding the wait time & all he said was that there's nothing that can be done to speed up the process.
Once our table was ready, I asked the hostess to have the manager come by so I can speak to him as I was the one who made the reservations. He never came by from the time we were seated to when we placed our orders, so I approached him. His demeanor was very cold, not apologetic & with arms crossed. No offer any compensation was given until after I suggested it. I did not hear once that he was sorry for the wait and just used the excuse that, 'These things happen and it's out of our control.' I advised him that for a restaurant to accept reservations, whether for a party of 2 to 10, they should have a better system when moving patrons along once they have finished their meal and drinks at their table. A simple suggestion to move to the bar or patio if they chose so that the following reservations can be seated at a decent time. From the ambiance of the restaurant/lounge, one would expect at least some sort of customer service. Especially in the King West area, their service was unacceptable. BTW, according to a server, this restaurant tends to overbook, which results in our unfortunate experience.
Geraldine Calixterio's Rating: 3 Stars |
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I read all these reviews (looks like most of the bad ones were written by the same person (disgruntled employee?)) Nonetheless, we arrived without reservations but they were able to seat us right away. I think we were very luck and would recommend reservations. Sleek interior but for me the most impressive part of this restaurant is the jungle like patio area where we were seated.
Gregg Missoni's Rating: 3 Stars |
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I made dinner reservations on a Saturday at 10:30pm. We arrived and the hostess told us she was not a hostess and would have to wait for a hostess to come out (Why was she standing at the front when she was unable to provide customer service to patrons? No idea.). A hostess came out and the "non-hostess" did not mention to her that my party was waiting. I went over to the new employee and explained that I had 10:30pm dinner reservations. She gave me a buzzer. I asked why I needed a buzzer if we had reservations and she told me it would only be a '10 to 15 minute wait'. A friend of mine took the buzzer and went up to the "non-hostess" who originally greeted us to ask why we needed a buzzer when we had reservations. The "non-hostess" was extremely rude to my friend. I didn't hear what she said but at the end of their interaction, the "non-hostess" turned to me and said in her best-valley girl imitation, "Oh my god, you need to tell your friend to relax!" and walked away. I was shocked and at that point we decided it was absolutely time to leave. The "non-hostess" decided that she had more to say to us and went out her way to come up to once again to let us know that my friend needs to calm down. The "non-hostess" also told us that she had planned to give us free champagne (wow, what an honour!!!) but since my friend was being so difficult, she wasn't going to get that for us anymore! Incredible! I told the "non-hostess" that she was extremely rude and that was very poor customer service and that we were leaving. Again she stopped us to let us know that my friend was rude and was yelling at her!! While I didn't hear the exchange between the "non-hostess" and my friend, I can say with absolute certainty that my friend did not yell at her. Unbelievable! Clearly, I won't be back. None of us will. We all went to Brassai just east of Spice Route. We were able to get a seat on the patio, had excellent service, and had a wonderful night. We told staff at Brassai about our Spice Route experience and the staff told us they have heard the same complaints several time before about Spice Route. Spice Route is a club, oozing with (unwarranted) attitude. Until they improve their customer service and cater to people who enjoy fine dining experiences, I would not recommend going there.
Michelle K's Rating: 1 Stars |
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The only redeeming quality of this place is the decor. Food is very mediocre and the service staff somewhat incompetent. If you’re looking for a place to have some drinks on a patio, then Spice Route may offer a pleasant experience.
The place reminded me more of a club that serves food then a real restaurant focused on its primary product. The menu truly disappoints. Absolutely any Asian restaurant in the area would be able to offer better quality food, not to mention at a fraction of the cost. Work fried rice reminded me of cheap cafeteria food.
There is something to be said about the beautiful bathrooms, but you have to wonder about a RESTAURANT where this is the main attraction. As I said before, drinks on a patio, sure, dinner, save your money.
Irene's Rating: 1 Stars |
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I have been to this venue 3 times for drinks, dinner and a birthday event. In all three occassions I have not been impressed and WILL NO LONGER WASTE MY TIME OR MONEY at Spice Route.
-the menu is over priced. A quick walk to Spadina and you can get similar tasting food, if not tastier, for 1/3 the cost - the menu definitely needs work for the price they expect you to pay
-wait staff for bottle service during a birthday event were not attentive and slacking - to add insult to injury they slap on an 18% gratuity charge (not 15%) and expect you to pay it even though the service deserved much less than the standard 15%!!!!
-bouncers ARE rude and obnoxious - where do they think they are? Tau Nightclub in Las Vegas? (it's a restaurant/lounge on King Street for pete's sake)
-manager at the time of the birthday event was very rude and and talked down to the birthday girl - in fact blaming the birthday girl for the cause of the service problems at the door and at her bottle service
-the bathroom line up situation during a busy Thursday night is ridiculous - i would expect that kind of chaos at a nightclub.
The upside is the patio and decor...The downside is EVERYTHING ELSE! They had better get their act together for Summerlicious and moreso before patio season is over if they intend to keep their clientele. As for myself, Toronto has many other options (existing and newly opened) that exceed the expectations of my dining and lounge experience. I'm never returning to this place or looking back.
Never Returning's Rating: 1 Stars |
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A brief synopsis of my experience: My friends made reservations for my bachelorette party 4 weeks in advance, when they got there, the reservations did not exist. All dressed up, the hostess or who ever told them they could have the party on the patio – which was fine except it, was cold and about to rain! The manager there was the rudest thing ever and should not be a manager. We were told before we even ordered our meals that we would have to leave by 9:30 pm (it was about 8:00 pm at this point). He told us to leave once we voiced out dicontempt. Therefore, we did. At first, we did not want to pay our bill because of his rudeness and realized that the waitress (who was actually so nice to us) might have to pay for the bill out of her pocket. We paid and left. We decided to go to the Pub next door and got SPECTACULAR service. Folks, nice posh places do not employ mannerly individuals all the time. The place is nice inside though.
Naz's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Negativity, negativity, neg... well. I've been reading all these posts, and a lot of the "bashing" posts sound like they're from the same hand. Disgruntled employee?
Daniel Fere's Rating: 4 Stars |
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i went there last night and it sucked. it was a nice place but the service sucked so we went across the street to the brant house.
Baller's Rating: 1 Stars |
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I love how someone posts a review describing a negative experience and then some fool writes another review saying it couldn't have happened and the person is told (in predictably horrible grammar) "your mistaken".
Pete Largo's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Martha,
Obviously you are either Sandra posting or a friend or relative of Sandra's. I have had nothing but horrible experience with Sandra and Spice Route in general and I will never go back. Absolutely horrible customer service and the food was disappointing.
Christine's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Give them some time people. From what I hear, they're working on the staffing situation so MAYBE we'll be seeing some new staff. HOPEFULLY this is true and we'll start seeing some new faces. Friendlier and more experienced faces! Their bartenders and hostesses are MEAN and unprofessional! If it's not true....I give them until the end of patio season because I can't imagine people going there once their lovely patio is closed. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I wonder how many customers they'll piss off during summerlicious?
Insider's Rating: 2 Stars |
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Worst customer service I have ever experianced. Ever. Don't waste your time! This place is going to sink faster than the titanic with these people's attitudes. Plus, i think they are probably world record breakers for slowest bar tender and the most stone cold hostesses with permanent "blue steel" face. Gimme a break! There is more to a dining experience than just "atmosphere". I would have had a better time at Burger King!
Not Pleased's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Sean,
Are you sure you're talking about Sandra from Spice Route. She accommidated myself and other friends of mine on many occasions!!! She is the sweetest little thing, in fact my husband calls her " little miss sunshine" cause she's alway smiling! I have reservation this weekend and can't wait to tell her what you said, because obviously your mistaken!!!
Martha
Martha's Rating: 4 Stars |
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Wow. I cannot believe all the bad reviews this restaurant is getting. I was going to book (or try to book) a company function (retirement party for one of the partners in the firm) at this restaurant but thanks to all these reviews, I have decided not to waste our money or time at Spice Route and have decided to have our company function at Bymark instead. Thank you to all the reviewers and my friends that shared with me their own horror stories. Saved me from really humiliating myself and blowing A LOT of the companies money!!
Food Guru's Rating: 1 Stars |
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I've been to Spice Route for drinks on a Thursday and thought decor was absolutely beautiful (minus the skulls and ox photo), good crowd and drinks were priced well, but wasn't too keen on trying dinner as I'm not a big fan of asian fusion. Although curious to try to see what all the fuss was about.
Was very skeptical about going there for dinner on Saturday after the terrible reviews, but thought give it a try as its a nice venue and we had a friend from out of town visiting...so we should at least try it before it folds...well at least the restaurant portion of it.
Bouncers outside were very friendly upon arrival, but the hostesses was not very welcoming, defintely unprofessional and had a bit of an attitude. Seems they only hire pretty people to stand there and for the them to actually have to work to find a reservation was way too much for them to handle. She actually seemed annoyed when she couldn't find reservation and just told me there's no reservation.
How hard is it to find reservation when you give spelling of first and last name and time of reservation? When she did locate reservation told me it was mispelled in their system - so how is it they confirmed the reservation when my friend called them half an hour earlier telling them we were running 10 - 15 mins late for our reservation and said it was okay? She didn't look at me after this, perhaps realizing it was her mistake she couldn't locate reservation on the computer. And did she apologize? Of course not.
Despite the incompetencies of the front staff, experience in the dining area was quite enjoyable as we had a great waiter - very friendly, attentive and accomodating but not overbearing. Presentation of food was fabulous, but food itself wasn't all that great - it was edible, but I just kept thinking it was simply bland Chinese food but cost twice the amount it normally cost if you were to eat in Chinatown.
Save your money, if you want Chinese food better off eating in Chinatown and then head there for drinks afterwards as the crowd is not a bad looking crowd and they have a very nice patio. More of a mingling place - see the place turning into a lounge and not remain a bistro bar as they named it.
Bouncers inside were quite friendly as well - as were the bartenders, but definitely should do something about the hostesses....not very welcoming when you come to a nice place like this.
If they don't want to turn clients away from the front door then hire more experienced staff as hostesses to handle reservations.
Lynne's Rating: 3 Stars |
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This is an email I sent to Liberty Group (I've added a few words not included in the original email). Most horrible customer service I've ever received in my entire life.
My name is Sean and I would just like to inform you on how appalled I am by the customer service at your new restaurant Spice Route. Never in my life had I run into so many problems with the service with one restaurant. The first time I had made reservations for dinner, I waited almost an hour past my reservation time for my party of 3 and finally left out of frustration and hunger. No one at the restaurant working seemed very concerned that we were waiting that long or tried to alleviate the situation. The second time, my girlfriend reserved dinner for a party of 9. Originally, it was for 7:30pm, then she was told several days later that it was switched to 7:00pm. We accepted that. 2 days before the night of our reservations, Sandra (probably still in high school) called my girlfriend and said it had to be switched to 6:30pm. She also told us we only had a 2 hour window to eat. We were told originally that we could eat and drink as long as we wanted into the night. The 2 hour window was quite upsetting as it was for a special occasion. Now we were being told that we had to show up an hour earlier then our originally requested time, and this was done last minute. My girlfriend told her that it was impossible as members of our party could not be there at 6:30pm. She said there was nothing she can do and that if my girlfriend continued to give her attitude, she would have no problems cancelling our reservation. While we were understandably upset at the change of plans, we would hardly categorize it as "giving attitude". I told her I would discuss with the members of our party and call back. After discussing it with them, we concluded that it was impossible to meet the earlier reservations. Then I called and asked for Sandra again. This was maybe 2 minutes later. I was told she was "in a meeting and unavailable". I said that that was quite unlikely as my girlfriend had just spoken to Sandra moments before. They then reluctantly put her on the phone. I told her how this is the second time already that I had a problem with the restaurant and he has yet to sit down and eat. She started yelling that she will not take abuse from me or my girlfriend. At that point, I had not raised my voice. When she started yelling, I raised my voice as well and said this was very bad customer service. She promptly yelled "Your reservation is now cancelled!" and hung up on me, (b*tch). I called the tart back and when she answered, she started shrieking that she's doing the best she can over and over again, peppered by the F word. We were quite taken aback as she seemed to be having some sort of breakdown. We have never experienced anything ilke this with a restaurant, much less a Liberty Group restaurant which is usually held to such high standards. Needless to say, we eventually cancelled our reservation. Today, I tried to make a Summerlicious reservations for a month from today, via Amex front of the line. I was told Spice Route will not take reservations for groups larger then 5, which Im assuming is because management wants to save the larger tables for regular paying customers who will spend more. They also refused to put tables together to accomodate our party and said there was nothing they can do and didn't seem the slightest bit concerned that I was upset over the situation.
I must say I am extremely disappointed as I have had such wonderful experiences with Liberty Group restaurants before. Its very appalling the way customers are treated at this establishment. I have heard identical stories from 8 friends who have gone so far. ok food, great ambience, horrible customer service. Now I understand that there are alwyas wrinkles to iron out with a new restaurant opening and its a trial and error process but the treatment we have received so far has been unconscionable. When you have such a new restaurant, the most memorable and powerful publicity is word of mouth and customer service. As excited as all my friends were after seeing the beautiful decor and the delicious sounding menu, we can safely say that we will never again try to visit this establishment and I can vouch that alot of other people I know will do the same, whether its from their own experience or through word of mouth experiences. What if I was a food critic? Even a bartender I spoke to, who works at Spice Route completely agree with us that management has been completely incompetent whether its due to the staff they hired and trained or just the lack of control they have had overseeing the restaurant. I am very disappointed that it has come to this, after the first and second incidents, I still was willing to give it another chance. I undersand that its a business and they must look out for their best business interest but sometimes when you care so concerned about little issues, you end up missing the big picture. While one can say that no one would really care or miss our one group's presence, I can assure you that if you keep this current group of management and staff in control of the restaurant, over time, customers will cease to return. I dont need to tell you that there is nothing competitive then the restaurant industry and that they are a dime a dozen and that no matter how nice the restaurant looks or how good the food is, people will not come back if they are treated like crap. I wish you guys luck with Spice Route, if you keep this current team, you will need it.
So that's my experiences with this piece of sh*t so called restaurant. In other major cities I NEVER experience this kind of treatment. It is now my mission to spread the word to as many people as possible to make sure no one else experiences what I have from Spice Route.
Need the rest of the story in more detail, just email me, I'd looooove to share it with you. Also, there should be a rating service in the negative.
Sean C's Rating: 1 Stars |
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This is an email I sent to Liberty Group (I've added a few words not included in the original email). Most horrible customer service I've ever received in my entire life.
My name is Sean and I would just like to inform you on how appalled I am by the customer service at your new restaurant Spice Route. Never in my life had I run into so many problems with the service with one restaurant. The first time I had made reservations for dinner, I waited almost an hour past my reservation time for my party of 3 and finally left out of frustration and hunger. No one at the restaurant working seemed very concerned that we were waiting that long or tried to alleviate the situation. The second time, my girlfriend reserved dinner for a party of 9. Originally, it was for 7:30pm, then she was told several days later that it was switched to 7:00pm. We accepted that. 2 days before the night of our reservations, Sandra (probably still in high school) called my girlfriend and said it had to be switched to 6:30pm. She also told us we only had a 2 hour window to eat. We were told originally that we could eat and drink as long as we wanted into the night. The 2 hour window was quite upsetting as it was for a special occasion. Now we were being told that we had to show up an hour earlier then our originally requested time, and this was done last minute. My girlfriend told her that it was impossible as members of our party could not be there at 6:30pm. She said there was nothing she can do and that if my girlfriend continued to give her attitude, she would have no problems cancelling our reservation. While we were understandably upset at the change of plans, we would hardly categorize it as "giving attitude". I told her I would discuss with the members of our party and call back. After discussing it with them, we concluded that it was impossible to meet the earlier reservations. Then I called and asked for Sandra again. This was maybe 2 minutes later. I was told she was "in a meeting and unavailable". I said that that was quite unlikely as my girlfriend had just spoken to Sandra moments before. They then reluctantly put her on the phone. I told her how this is the second time already that I had a problem with the restaurant and he has yet to sit down and eat. She started yelling that she will not take abuse from me or my girlfriend. At that point, I had not raised my voice. When she started yelling, I raised my voice as well and said this was very bad customer service. She promptly yelled "Your reservation is now cancelled!" and hung up on me, (b*tch). I called the tart back and when she answered, she started shrieking that she's doing the best she can over and over again, peppered by the F word. We were quite taken aback as she seemed to be having some sort of breakdown. We have never experienced anything ilke this with a restaurant, much less a Liberty Group restaurant which is usually held to such high standards. Needless to say, we eventually cancelled our reservation. Today, I tried to make a Summerlicious reservations for a month from today, via Amex front of the line. I was told Spice Route will not take reservations for groups larger then 5, which Im assuming is because management wants to save the larger tables for regular paying customers who will spend more. They also refused to put tables together to accomodate our party and said there was nothing they can do and didn't seem the slightest bit concerned that I was upset over the situation.
I must say I am extremely disappointed as I have had such wonderful experiences with Liberty Group restaurants before. Its very appalling the way customers are treated at this establishment. I have heard identical stories from 8 friends who have gone so far. ok food, great ambience, horrible customer service. Now I understand that there are alwyas wrinkles to iron out with a new restaurant opening and its a trial and error process but the treatment we have received so far has been unconscionable. When you have such a new restaurant, the most memorable and powerful publicity is word of mouth and customer service. As excited as all my friends were after seeing the beautiful decor and the delicious sounding menu, we can safely say that we will never again try to visit this establishment and I can vouch that alot of other people I know will do the same, whether its from their own experience or through word of mouth experiences. What if I was a food critic? Even a bartender I spoke to, who works at Spice Route completely agree with us that management has been completely incompetent whether its due to the staff they hired and trained or just the lack of control they have had overseeing the restaurant. I am very disappointed that it has come to this, after the first and second incidents, I still was willing to give it another chance. I undersand that its a business and they must look out for their best business interest but sometimes when you care so concerned about little issues, you end up missing the big picture. While one can say that no one would really care or miss our one group's presence, I can assure you that if you keep this current group of management and staff in control of the restaurant, over time, customers will cease to return. I dont need to tell you that there is nothing competitive then the restaurant industry and that they are a dime a dozen and that no matter how nice the restaurant looks or how good the food is, people will not come back if they are treated like crap. I wish you guys luck with Spice Route, if you keep this current team, you will need it.
So that's my experiences with this piece of sh*t so called restaurant. In other major cities I NEVER experience this kind of treatment. It is now my mission to spread the word to as many people as possible to make sure no one else experiences what I have from Spice Route.
Need the rest of the story in more detail, just email me, I'd looooove to share it with you. Also, there should be a rating service in the negative.
Sean C's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Spice Route has an amazing patio and an awesome decor on the inside. However, the SERVICE here is TERRIBLE! The doorman are completely unprofessional and rude. There was no organized lineup outside of the place, and people looked confused left right and center... Potential customers didn't know where to lineup, since the doormen made no attempt whatsoever to organize a line at all.
If this place wants repeat business, they really need to step up there game service-wise. If you want good service in King West, try Brant house across the street.
If you can't stand unprofessional service at an expensive venue, than you should definitely avoid this place at all costs and ignore the hype...
Matt's Rating: 2 Stars |
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Wish I could even give this place a proper rating. Have not even been given the chance. Tried numerous times to make reservations on seperate occasions only to be declined. And judging from the reviews, I figured summerlicious would be a good time to get some friends together and finally give this place an opportunity to redeem themselves. Given the fact that maybe they need to work on the rough patches every new resto experiences but to say that they cannot accomodate a party of 8 because "putting the tables together in the restaurant isn't pleasing to the eye". oh please. Thus far, the service has been ridiculous via phone and I don't wish to experience the service IN the restaurant. So no thanks, I'd like to give this place a -5 in all areas.
R's Rating: 1 Stars |
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I went to a birthday at spice route recently despite all the negative reviews...boy, was that a big mistake! the venue itself is gorgeous but the service was terrible which wasn't surprising since all the staff in the venues run by charles are aweful. why does his company keep hiring such pretentious, high/drunk staff that seem to lack experience? i guess toronto is lacking good service staff...or perhaps they are just working in better managed venues such as The Spoke Club, Ki, Marben, Bymark, Jump. Venues like Ultra, Brant, Cheval, Spice, Century Room, Lobby...they all seem to lack good service but they certainly do not lack rude, pretentious wasted staff. such a shame...these places could be so amazing if it wasnt for the staff (including managers). Charles, perhaps you should do some scouting at your competing venues....
L.L's Rating: 1 Stars |
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My friends and I had dinner on saturday. Gorgeous venue, beautiful space, great vibe!! Nothing like this in the city. It's about time. We were seated right away for our 7:30 reservation. Service was friendly and the food was tasty and fresh. Great value!! Dinner for 4 plus taxes and gratuity $170. Spice, we will be back.
Karen Thompson's Rating: 4 Stars |
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Food is great. Atmosphere better than most venues in Toronto. Nadia has done a fabulous job designing this space. My hat goes off to Nick and Charles. They have a winner here.
Dom Sicilia's Rating: 4 Stars |
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This place has real potential...however bad food, bad service and bad crowd out ways the positives. The crowd ranges for early 20's to creepy people in their late 30..... I wouldnt recommend eating there, my best friends food showed up 30 minutes after my order and she was sick for 3 days from eating their gruel.... Great decor, however they need to get themselves organized in order for this place to survive!!!!
Brooklynn's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Worst service & food ever!! Have been ill for two days now! So very upset with my Spice Route experience!
Christa's Rating: 1 Stars |
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After a bad nite there last week , I called the AGCO , and found out that there capacity was only 250 people , WHAT ? ALL THAT SPACE !!!! Well they pack it in on the count that they won't get cought !!! but one day the AGCO will get them with there pant's down !!!!
Mark's Rating: 1 Stars |
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The place is beautiful, but the food and service is horrible. The food lacks creativity and taste. There is nothing particularly good tasting or exciting about the menu. Unfortunately the service is not much to talk about either, we are still waiting for our waiter to return.
Very disappointing as the patio is lovely and wonderful people seem to frequent this venue. It's only a matter of time before people who are actually interested in good food and service catch on. Needless to say that we can't expect much since the owners are more familiar with the bar/lounge scene and do not know what is needed to run a successful restaurant - Good food and service.
Shazia's Rating: 1 Stars |
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What to say... Busy, busy as all hell... had a dinner reservation on a Thursday night, had to fight my way to the door through a sweaty mass of 905's, get to the door and the doorman told me i had to pay $20 to get in because it was too busy. after arguing with my friends paid the $20 and got in. Patio was busy but inside was light and the decor was very trendy chic. Took about 25 minutes to get a drink before we even ordered and to say the service was poor was an understatement... all in all one of the most taxing evenings out ive had in a while... the avg 30 something crowd doesnt mix well with the elitist wannabes and the suburbanites visiting the big city... all the luck to them.
Flix's Rating: 1 Stars |
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I think that once they iron out the kinks...this place could be great. the menu and drinks are well put together. they need some major work on the staffing issues and the organization of the restaurant. some experienced staff/managers are needed in order to make things flow. It would be a shame to see such a great space not get their act together! I agree that the uniforms are hideous.
Holli's Rating: 3 Stars |
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went for dinner on a beautiful summer evening. had reservations and were taken to our table out on the patio right away. caught a glimpse of the inside which was similar to Buddha Bars around the world - exquisite decor! the service was a little slow and slightly confusing as to who our waiter actually was - but it didnt matter. it was a beautiful evening and the ambience on the patio was perfect - we didnt mind spending a little while longer on the patio!
the food was unbelievable - the best food we've had in Toronto for a while! highly recommend the ahi tuna salad - the worlds bestest salad - it was out of this world! we also had the black cod and seared yellowfin tuna - generous portions and flavours like you wouldnt believe. definitely second to good flavoured indian and thai food -loved the indo-thai fusion selections on the menu! cant wait to go back and try all others!
it wasn't overly priced - we both ate for $100 inclduing just a couple of drinks - great value for the food and ambience.
could do with more mature front desk staff than the high school hostesses!
highly recommended!
MK's Rating: 4 Stars |
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Clearly the many bad, okay terrible, reviews have made an impact. The bar staff bent over backwards to make our spice route experience positive. Drinks at the bar were delivered promptly and even though we didn't have a reservation they squeezed us in (although there were several empty tables). Our waiter was nice. The food was good, not great (although the lemon chicken was exceptional). The one negative was speed getting drinks to our table. Yes, service is a little slow but overall it was a good experience. Five of us ate and drank with tip for 40 bucks each. They're still new -- let's hope they work out the kinks. Worth giving a second try.
Mike's Rating: 3 Stars |
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Nice decor - weird crowd... was there two weeks ago and met a 19 year old drunk out of his skull college student and a 50 year old drunk out of his skull farmer from Caledon... not impressed with the crowd... although the patio was stunning!
Lola's Rating: 1 Stars |
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I have to agree with all the negative reviews. Friends went for dinner last weekend with a reservation for two and waited two hours for their table. When they asked to speak with the manager he was rude and dismissive. The actual dinner took three hours because of the terrible wait staff.
I met up with them afterwards and was faced with the same terrible service from inexperienced bar staff. The interior is definitely impressive (copy of Tao in NY/Vegas) but I give this place 2 months before it becomes a tourist attraction. (PS what's with the hideous outfits for the bartenders--cheap, cheap, cheap!)
Erica's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Would have given 0 stars if given the option.
Diane Chan's Rating: 1 Stars |
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The worse service ever! We had reservation at 8pm. We got there 5 minutes early and had to wait 30 minutes to get seated. Then, we had to wait another 15 minutes before someone came to take our order. We actually had to talk to the manager to have someone at our table. The staff was very snob and incompetent and obviously inexperienced (no manners and the kind who piles all your plates in front of you!). No excuses where given after we complained. No one came over to ask how our meal was. Our empty plates were in front of us for a good 15 minutes. They forgot our drinks and our appetizers came late. The bill, of course had an error on it, they overcharged us for drinks we never had. The food was ok, but everything seems to be fried in the same oil (everything tasted like tempura). The only way I would go back to this place is if it was free and if I would only have drinks on the patio- cause I have to admit, the place/decor is very nice! But everything else, mediodre. Go somewhere else if you have a choice!
Brigitte's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Our waiter on the patio was terrible. Overly familiar and amazingly slow. We pracitcally had to send out smoke signals to get his attention. There was another waiter who seemed really efficient, an Asian fellow, my fellow diners and I remarked how great the disparity was among wait staff. A real shame. The food was average at best. Nothing exceptional.
Sandra's Rating: 2 Stars |
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Made reservations & waited over an hour & half & never got seated. Kept asking the hostess nicely if we were going to get seated & she kept saying we were next needless to say that never happened as having to wait 1.5 hours for a table is just unacceptable. My friends & just left. Don't listen to the hype this place is certainly not as impressive as it seems.
SK's Rating: 1 Stars |
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We had reservations for 10pm and waited for over and hour and a half to be seated. We finally left as it was clear we were NOT going to be seated even though we were promised several times that our table would be up next. A beautiful location - too bad the service is terrible!
Lyss's Rating: 2 Stars |
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The ambience is spectacular however this is not the place to eat. If you want fusion done better you will be going to Lee's anyday.
The patio is great for drinks. The reviews on slow service are bang on, especially if you are a woman at the bar trying to buy a round.
Aj's Rating: 1 Stars |
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One of the Worst dining experiences I've had in Toronto. The main problems are two fold: a general lack of organization amongst the young staff, and an inability to negotiate the distinction between a club and a restaurant.
We waited for over an hour for a table (we were a couple). The table we received was close to the bar, so invariably we had people leaving their drinks on the table, sitting, walking / standing buy us...etc. The server was nice, but forgot our drinks, some food, and generally had no sense of what was happening.
A really disappointing experience, despite what I thought to be a really interesting menu and great look to the place. I do not recommend eating there--perhaps going for a drink is the best way to enjoy (thought good luck in getting a drink with the attractive bartenders only spending their time with the olders dudes hitting on them).
W.J. Robinson's Rating: 1 Stars |
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IT SUCKED !!!
Nancy Ashome's Rating: 1 Stars |
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As I’m reading the review’s that have been placed about Spice Route – I don’t know what people are talking about the location, décor, food, drinks and service are all outstanding, hottest new place in T.O! - can’t wait to go back
Angela's Rating: 4 Stars |
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I think the Spice Route is an amazing venue! The food is delicious and the service is impeccable. The patio is also a great place to chill with friends and have drinks. I enjoyed my dinner there so much that I am celebrating my birthday there this weekend!
Elaine's Rating: 4 Stars |
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This place makes the Mandarin seem like Kultura. Don't believe me? try it. You'll hate it.
Cliff's Rating: 1 Stars |
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From the moment we walked in the door, all the staff were very polite and accommodating. Our server, Patrick, was awesome. He was very nice, helped us with our menu choices, and his timing was great. We never felt rushed, or that things were taking too long… it was perfect.
The food was amazing, we had such a hard time trying to decide what to order because everything sounded great! We ended up ordering a bit of everything. I do not frequently dine at traditional Indian/Chinese/Asian restaurants, so when I first heard about the restaurant and the menu, I was a little hesitant. The subtle spices and textures of the various dishes compliment each other without being overpowering.
The atmosphere is very relaxing, the music was very appropriate to the “feel” of the restaurant, and the detail in all the décor is incredible. I have recommended the Spice Route to all my family and friends, and all are looking forward to seeing what all the hype is about.
Marlene's Rating: 4 Stars |
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My friends and I had a booth of 8 for dinner, and because of the vibe we staid all night for drinks. This is the new hot spot on King West.
Great value,price and vibe.
Matt P's Rating: 4 Stars |
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Spice is unique and flavourable. The food is great and the portions are huge. I suggest everyone check it out because it has a great patio, tasty food and a great vibe.
Joe's Rating: 4 Stars |
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Spice is the hottest place to be with the chillest patio!!!
Tammy's Rating: 3 Stars |
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What an absolutely beautiful space, and wonderful dining experience. Service was attentive, menu was original, and food was beyond expectations. Make sure you visit the extremely unique washrooms ...
Overall, a real treat. I will be back!
Maureen Grainger's Rating: 4 Stars |
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I hear all the nay-saying... but, really, as a club, Spice Route is great. I do agree, though, food needs to be tinkered with.
Brad Lowe's Rating: 3 Stars |
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ooooohhhhh what a nite , I couldn't wait to get out of there , the food was fusion meets confusion - SUCKED - never again !!!
Nancy Denmark's Rating: 1 Stars |
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I couldn't wait to get home , eeeehhhhh , it SUCKED !!!!! THE FOOD WAS LIKE FUSEN MEETS CONFUSEN !!!!!!!!!
Nancy's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Went to the opening and while the decor is nice its not outstanding. In fact, when compared to other venues in the city, it seems a little recycled. Service was fine not offensive. The food is nothing more typical Chinese food; no fusion, no creativity. With that said, I have no interest in ever re-visiting for food of any variation but may venture there for drinks in the summer to enjoy that patio; it is quite nice.
Tiffany Russell's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Oddly enough. Nobody is writing about the killer patio. Very nice... crowd and all.
Gisella Williams's Rating: 3 Stars |
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Busy... but good.
Terrance G.'s Rating: 3 Stars |
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Well ohhh my God , what the hell guy's what a rip off with the food , and the price don't go together , I would have to agree with the other persons last review,I think I would have had it better if I got a hot dog from the lady accross the street ( Elizabith ) , I should have had food there @ the dog stand and drinks there @ spice route .....but then again there are lot's of spot's to hit on King st. now I can say been there and done that !!! so no more ....PEOPLE SAVE YOUR MONEY AND TIME . I do have to say that they may not last too long with food like that !!!!
Michael's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Just got back from an amazing dining experience.
Small tasty tapas and great flavours.
Friendly and tentative staff.
A great addition to King Street and Toronto.
JG
Jimmyg's Rating: 4 Stars |
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Ok...I need to brutally honest here...how do I describe my food. Let me start by saying...beautiful club. And I will never figure out how some drops 3 million dollars to create this 3rd uncle special...and than serve food like we had. If I were in a plane crash, the food would be better. Absolute garbage fusion. G-d help anyone and someone kidnap the chef. We think the chef trained in Prison somewhere near Cuba or Sunnybrook hospital but were not sure. Food that taste like your 93 year grandmother would make after reading a recipe in a seniors digest. Absolute humane society quality, but Im not even sure if we donated our plates to the toronto humane society, that the animals would even eat it. Go there for drinks but dont spend a nickel eating there. We should have picked up on it..when we arrived we even noticed other patrons not finishing their food. One person even dumped the entire plate of food in take doggy bag. Stay clear. If your hungry your better off grabbing a slice of pizza from across the street. Worst food ever eaten. A complete disgrace to the word fusion let alone asian! Im sorry for writing this but the food is that bad. Susur lee was there last night too and I think they would have had to call an ambulance if he tasted or ate anything there last night. Really.
M's Rating: 1 Stars |
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stunning decor, beatifully done and a gorgeous patio.
Nima's Rating: 4 Stars |
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I see that they are trying very hard play a very much worrn out shoe , it was ok I was not too , too impressed , how ever good luck , your gonna need it there , It's a club after all.....!!!
Manny's Rating: 1 Stars |
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Just coming back from dinner. I must say, you can really tell that it's by the Ultra people. Dinner was great... but at precisely 10:00, our dining table was clearly in the way of the partiers.
Dawn Rushton's Rating: 3 Stars |
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Great space... but I see it becoming a nightclub in a very short time (if not already).
Andrew Tong's Rating: 3 Stars |
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Excellent food, decor exquisite, staff wonderful. 4+ OVERALL
Rosemary Sproviero's Rating: 4 Stars |
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MBO Toronto :: User Reviews
