 he virtues of Panorama are considerable. The most immediately obvious is that drop dead gorgeous view of the city. And while there's nothing fancy about the modern American cuisine, the dishes that come out of Panorama’s kitchen are simple in their conception and executed with confident exactness. The patio here transcends the innards and makes it worth the trip to the 51st floor of the Manulife Centre. – S.W.
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 AT A GLANCE
Panorama
55 Bloor Street West (51st floor), Toronto, ON
416-967-0000
Mediterranean
Yorkville
Venue:
Restaurant, Lounge
Hours:
Daily: 5:00pm - 2:00am
Price Range:
$$$ (Within Reach)
Payment:
Master Card, Visa, American Express
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THE BUZZ
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IN THE AREA
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20 Reader Reviews | I made it to Panorama around 9pm last Friday and the place was already full. After a short wait at the bar, I got a great table for myself and my date by the window and was blown away by how great the food is. The cocktails are always good, but I haven't eaten there in some time and I guess I forgot how good the food was. There seems to be more variety on the menu and perfect for a date with lots of items to share and enjoy with a few drinks. Still my go to place for a date.
1. Dale's Review :: September 23, 2008 Dale's Rating: 3 Stars |
This is the kind of place that one should go for drinks and the incredible view. Other than those two reasons, I wouldn't advise anyone to go. The food... well what can I say about the food...horrible. Although thats an understatement. We only ordered the quesadillas and Sky High Pizza. For $11 you receive the 4 itty bitty pieces of the quesadillas (basically a tortilla cut into four). The pizza was also cut into four and in the shape of a rectangle. It resembled something you could purchase in the grocery store freezer (think delissio pizza). The pizza costs $15, but at least for about half of that I could actually enjoy an entire delissio pizza! I don't even want to know where they get there Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni (stoffers?? lean cusine???) or their filet mignon. In short, do not go there for the food.
The staff were okay, but not at all friendly or helpful. Just there to do work... take orders and get your food.
Not only do they completely rip of you off food and drink wise, but they also charge a $5 cover after 8p.m. Absolutely ridiculous.
Overall, the quality of the food AND the quantity are definitely not worth the price tag, but the view of incredible so I would recommend checking it out for that reason.
2. Food Critic's Review :: September 13, 2008 Food Critic's Rating: 1 Stars |
My girlfriend and I decided to have a drink at Panorama just after an afternoon
matinee at the Varsity.
We were seated by the hostess on the south side patio at a table that sat 4.
After 10 minutes, a server came by and informed us that we shouldn't have been
seated at a table of 4. She went away to talk to the hostess. During that time,
we heard a table behind us ask to see a manager (unknown issue) and a couple beside
us who were asked to put their water bottle away because it may contain liquor!
After another 5 minutes, we asked our server if we can order drinks and again she
stated that we shouldn't be sitting there.
That's when we decided to leave. The couple with the water bottle issue left and
so did another couple. All of us shared our miserable experiences in the elevator ride down. We were all people in our 30's and 40's who simply wanted
a drink at a seemingly nice play with a wonderful view....but not at the expense of
bad service and being treated like second class citizens.
A word of warning!
3. James & Katy's Review :: August 02, 2008 James & Katy's Rating: 1 Stars |
My girlfriend and I decided to have a drink at Panorama just after an afternoon matinee at the Varsity.
We were seated by the hostess on the south side patio at a table that sat 4. After 10 minutes, a server came by and informed us that we shouldn't have been seated at a table of 4. She went away to talk to the hostess. During that time, we heard a table behind us ask to see a manager (unknown issue) and a couple beside us who were asked to put their water bottle away because it may contain liquor!
After another 5 minutes, we asked our server if we can order drinks and again she stated that we shouldn't be sitting there.
That's when we decided to leave. The couple with the water bottle issue left and so did another couple. All of us shared our miserable experiences in the elevator ride down. We were all people in our 30's and 40's who simply wanted a drink at a seemingly nice play with a wonderful view....but not at the expense of bad service and being treated like second class citizens.
A word of warning!
4. James & Katy's Review :: August 02, 2008 James & Katy's Rating: 1 Stars |
Panorama- what a joke! I was certain that this place is nice, with such a fancy location- thought the New Years Eve party would be my best bet. That was my worst decision ever! Not only we paid 60$ for completely nothing, but also when we arrived there- we were informed :first come first serve- so we have to fight for seats! How stupid is that? The place charges money for not even a place to sit?! On New Years Eve party??? All we got was a terrible rude service and free countdown! Yupiieee. Worst nightmare ever.
5. Maria K.'s Review :: January 02, 2008 Maria K.'s Rating: 1 Stars |
I have been to Panorama a few times and every time I think that their service standards can not get worse, but then I am proven wrong yet again.
Visited Panorama after a movie at about 10:45 and were approached by a gracious hostess that informed us that the kitchen will be closing soon and that we should order the food if we would care to eat. After 15 min I had to ask the same hostess to find our waitress as we had not been approached yet. Once the waitress arrived at 11:10 the first thing she informed us of, was that the kitchen had closed at 11:00 and no food service was available. At this point we got up and left, but not before I voiced my concern with the manager. I have a feeling though that I just wasted my time even more after reading these reviews, cause if they were going to do something it would have been done by now.
The only thing that I am happy about, is that at least I did not have to pay the $5 cover charge.
6. Anonymous's Review :: November 15, 2007 |
I have been to Panorama a few times and every time I think that their service standards can not get worse, but then I am proven wrong yet again.
Visited Panorama after a movie at about 10:45 and were approached by a gracious hostess that informed us that the kitchen will be closing soon and that we should order the food if we would care to eat. After 15 min I had to ask the same hostess to find our waitress as we had not been approached yet. Once the waitress arrived at 11:10 the first thing she informed us of, was that the kitchen had closed at 11:00 and no food service was available. At this point we got up and left, but not before I voiced my concern with the manager. I have a feeling though that I just wasted my time even more after reading these reviews, cause if they were going to do something it would have been done by now.
The only thing that I am happy about, is that at least I did not have to pay the $5 cover charge.
7. Farzad's Review :: November 14, 2007 Farzad's Rating: 1 Stars |
I wanted to try something new with my boyfriend. When we first got there we had to pay $5 dollars and there was a 20 min wait. No problem. We get upstairs and the hostess writes our name down, an hour after sitting at the bar, "you guys havent got a table yet" I show her where our name was on the list (2nd) on the page and every other name is scrached off, she apologizes right away and seats us, honest mistake. We get to the table order drinks and an appetizer, 15 mins later we get the drinks and the appetizer. We order our food and our waitress did not come to see how we were doing at all. If we needed something there was no way to tell her cause she was never around. We ask for dessert menus, 10 mins later we get them, 10 mins later she asks if we're ready to order dessert. We probably interacted with our waitress for 60 seconds through out the whole night. service was very dissipointing and food was over priced. save your $5.
8. Anonymous's Review :: November 06, 2007 |
I wanted to try something new with my boyfriend. When we first got there we had to pay $5 dollars and there was a 20 min wait. No problem. We get upstairs and the hostess writes our name down, an hour after sitting at the bar, "you guys havent got a table yet" I show her where our name was on the list (2nd) on the page and every other name is scrached off, she apologizes right away and seats us, honest mistake. We get to the table order drinks and an appetizer, 15 mins later we get the drinks and the appetizer. We order our food and our waitress did not come to see how we were doing at all. If we needed something there was no way to tell her cause she was never around. We ask for dessert menus, 10 mins later we get them, 10 mins later she asks if we're ready to order dessert. We probably interacted with our waitress for 60 seconds through out the whole night. service was very dissipointing and food was over priced. save your $5.
9. Raila's Review :: November 04, 2007 Raila's Rating: 1 Stars |
Had the very unfortunate experience of going to Panorama on September 28. I should have read the reviews first and then I would not have wasted my money!! The staff are absolute snobs )and have no reason to be. To charge $5 to enter a noisy dark restaurant where the only music is some DJs poor excuse for music is ridiculous. The hostess at the door was totally clueless as to what to do. After paying the cover charge we found seats and after about 30 mins WE had to ask a waitress if we could see a menu. We were promptly told the those seats were taken, given no menu and ignored again !The table was empty and there was no reserved sign. My friend found other seats and then Ms. Clueless at the door said that table was for 2 and because our party was 3 we could not sit there. Guess it would have been too difficult to find an additional chair. Still no one made any attempt to assist in finding seats. It was only after we decided we would just sit at the first table that the ? manager found a table. We tried ordering from the late night snack menu but were told the the kitchen had run out of all food hours ago. How retarded is that??? After ordering drinks and waiting another 25 mins for them to arrive we decided enough was enough and left.
I would NEVER recommend panorama to anyone.
10. T-Ann's Review :: October 01, 2007 T-Ann's Rating: 1 Stars |
I totally agree with the last 2 reviews. I had the misfortune of going there a few times, and each experience annoyed me to no end.
In one experience, 4 of us waited forever for table. Ok, it happens. The part that annoyed me was that when they finally showed us a table, there was one chair missing. To make matters worse, it took the staff over 10 minutes to bring us the 4th chair. What the ?! So I guess they thought it was ok that one person stands uncomfortably while the rest decide whether to stand with the other person or sit. Ether way it was really awkward. I expect that in a place of this so-called-caliber, you would not have this total disregard for customer service. This did not improve as the evening progressed. The service was slow and the staff's attitude made you feel that they were doing YOU a favour!
Recently we had the option to go there again and flashbacks of my less than stellar experience came to mind. However, my friends had not been there before and I thought maybe it had changed, since I had avoided it like the plague for several years. Wishful thinking. When we got there we had to wait and we had to pay cover. I wasn't too impressed with the attitude of the hostess and right away recommended that we go elsewhere. During the elevator ride down, I explained that it was not worth the aggravation that we would undoubtedly experience because of their crappy service. Another couple who had just come from there overheard me and AGREED! They were coming from dinner earlier and complained of the so-so food, poor service and bad music.
I suggest if you want to go to a roof patio try the Roof Lounge instead, where they know the meaning of customer service and the martinis are worth the price.
11. Jane's Review :: August 27, 2007 Jane's Rating: 1 Stars |
We went to Panorama for a very special occasion and had made reservations ahead of time. However, you cannot reserve the outside patio area and they told us we had to wait 1/2 hour. So we waited and waited. After an hour, 2 couples who had come in after us had been seated outside. We asked for our cover back (which is also stupid...to have a cover at a restaurant) and the lady didn't even apologize.
Totally not worth the trip. They are depending on selling the view and have lost all sight of customer service. Also, the dress code is not enforced at all. Many people had on cargo shorts and t-shirts.
Not impressed.
12. Anonymous's Review :: August 14, 2007 |
We went to Panorama for a very special occasion and had made reservations ahead of time. However, you cannot reserve the outside patio area and they told us we had to wait 1/2 hour. So we waited and waited. After an hour, 2 couples who had come in after us had been seated outside. We asked for our cover back (which is also stupid...to have a cover at a restaurant) and the lady didn't even apologize.
Totally not worth the trip. They are depending on selling the view and have lost all sight of customer service. Also, the dress code is not enforced at all. Many people had on cargo shorts and t-shirts.
Not impressed.
13. Seema's Review :: August 13, 2007 Seema's Rating: 1 Stars |
A cover charge just for entering a restaurant is ridiculous. Then as we were seated, most of the tables were off-limits for walk-in customers (they were only for specific hotels' usage). So our view sucked. The menu is dreary - the wine list especially is extremely uninspired, as though nobody there knows how to pick a decent bottle of wine. When the food came, it was also disappointing. Our seafood platter consisted of store-bought smoked salmon, and frozen crab - certainly nothing special. With the music that was playing, some employee kept cranking up the most innane songs. I'll never eat there again!
14. Anonymous's Review :: April 22, 2007 |
A cover charge just for entering a restaurant is ridiculous. Then as we were seated, most of the tables were off-limits for walk-in customers (they were only for specific hotels' usage). So our view sucked. The menu is dreary - the wine list especially is extremely uninspired, as though nobody there knows how to pick a decent bottle of wine. When the food came, it was also disappointing. Our seafood platter consisted of store-bought smoked salmon, and frozen crab - certainly nothing special. With the music that was playing, some employee kept cranking up the most innane songs. I'll never eat there again!
15. Anna Stesia's Review :: April 22, 2007 Anna Stesia's Rating: 1 Stars |
The draw is obviously the view but the food isn't bad either. As bars-with-a-view go, this one isn't a bad value but it is about twice as expensive as it's earthbound counterparts.
$9 pint of beer
$24 filet of beef (one of the few dinner items on the menu)
Good but not really worth it. A great place for a drink and a chat, dont go for the food though.
16. Anonymous's Review :: March 09, 2007 |
The draw is obviously the view but the food isn't bad either. As bars-with-a-view go, this one isn't a bad value but it is about twice as expensive as it's earthbound counterparts.
$9 pint of beer
$24 filet of beef (one of the few dinner items on the menu)
Good but not really worth it. A great place for a drink and a chat, dont go for the food though.
17. Jeff Sampson's Review :: March 08, 2007 Jeff Sampson's Rating: 3 Stars |
It is the kind of place that makes you feel that if your night went sour then all is about to change in a very charming way.
Walking amidst the Manulife building backdrop, past Varsity cinema and into a hallway that leads you to a private elevator that takes you to the top, literally. Arriving with a splash of warm colours and dim lighting, the staff greets you but beware on Friday nights, it could be crampy while waiting to be seated.
The cover is modest and with good reasoning, money has been well spent on the decor. Couples tables line the skyscraper-like windows and the infamous patios overlooking downtown and well, the other side of Toronto is gorgeous especially at night.
The hazy air and none-stop lights from motorists is like watching a sped-up clip from a movie. Huge pillow like beds adorn the patios on both sides and if the whole romantic thing was what they were going for, they got it right. Public display of affection can be a bad thing, say somewhere on Queen street, but here, it's okay. People come here to relax and enjoy a pricey but tasty cocktail but also to feel like dominance doesn't always have to be arrogant.
The constant lounge music provided by XM radio is soothing but not so loud to disrupt conversation but enough to make silence a friend. Servers quitely make their rounds dressed in buisness-y attire and they are more polite than any server encountered.
With Panorama, throw that celebrity snobbiness out of your system and take in the fresh air Panorama offers you while sipping on some sizzerup.
18. Johnny's Review :: September 08, 2006 Johnny's Rating: 4 Stars |
The menu is tiny.. do not go here for dinner... The view is amazing as long as its a clear, hot night. Overall, they made us pay a $5 cover for a $12 martini at 6pm. The waitress was unfriendly and came off as quite snobby. Would probably not go back again.
19. Karen's Review :: May 23, 2006 Karen's Rating: 2 Stars |
Best view!!!
20. Deltron's Review :: May 19, 2006 Deltron's Rating: 4 Stars |
| Click here to view all 15 reviews |
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55 Bloor Street West (51st floor), Toronto, ON |
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MBO Toronto :: Toronto Restaurants & Dining Guide
