Came here for brunch on a Sunday, and tried the Mississippi Benny. Portions were generous, dishes were well presented, and the food was full of flavor! Staff was very attentive and friendly. read more

Came here for a quick lunch date during work hours. They do offer reservations online so that was great especially since I was on a time crunch. Parking however was hard as the restaurant doesn't seem to have a designated parking lot for their guests. Had to park on the street. Selection was great as they also have a vegetarian menu which I had ordered off of. Had the Portobello mushrooms for an app which was cooked perfectly, the butternut squash as a main- which is much more savoury than sweet, and we skipped out on drinks and dessert but the menu looked great. Another plus with their foods is that they don't have peanuts in any of their dishes, so if you have a peanut allergy it would be of no worries at this restaurant. They have a private dining area which is spacious! read more

My daughter and I had dinner here tonight. I wanted to try this restaurant out as I was considering coming here with my family to celebrate my birthday this summer. The Aberdeen Tavern is amazing! Upon entering you are greeted warmly both by the host and by the wonderful ambiance. The atmosphere is very inviting. There is a place to hang your coat as you enter which is quite nice. Our table seemed small but was actually quite adequate and allowed for easy conversation. The server came over straight away and offered water and menus. There was no pressure to order quickly and we were able to have a great conversation while we mulled over the wonderful and varied choices on the menu. My daughter selected the calamari as a starter and the scallop risotto for the main. I chose the ricotta gnocchi for my starter and the trout for my main. The appetizers arrived in about 20 mins. The gnocchi was clearly homemade, tender and cheesy with a sweet basil infused marinara sauce. Truly awesome. The calamari was perfectly cooked, not chewy at all and came with a wonderful aoli. The portions were perfect and satisfying. I ordered the house cabernet sauvignon to accompany my dinner. It complimented my meal very well. Our server checked on us to make sure we were enjoying our meal which we agreed we were. The main arrived shortly after we completed our starters. The trout was perfectly cooked with a well season crisp skin and a tender flaky inside. The garnish included seasonal vegetables which were cooked and seasoned exceptionally well. My daughter's meal of scallops with creamy risotto infused with parmesan was equally exceptional. The scallops were seared perfectly and the risotto was flavorful and creamy. The plating of both meals was beautiful but not over the top. Again the portions were perfect. The server gave us time to enjoy and digest our mains. Once we looked ready she asked us if we wanted dessert to which we both replied a resounding yes. I chose the chocolate cake and my daughter chose the white chocolate cheesecake. Both desserts again were incredible. We asked our server if they were made in house and she said yes, they have their own baker. Our meals were fabulous and I will definitely be returning again to celebrate my birthday with my family and likely again for other future celebrations. It is truly wonderful to know such a fabulous restaurant is in our city of Hamilton. Well done! read more

Amazing!! Staff were incredibly friendly and attentive. Brunch portion sizes were large and my meal was delicious. Went with my girlfriends for my birthday in the afternoon and I think every staff at some point came over to wish me a happy birthday it was so sweet. Atmosphere was beautiful as well, loved the decor read more

I have had several evening meals and one lunch at the Aberdeen Tavern now. The food is always excellent and innovative and the menu changes regularly. The food uses high quality fresh ingredients and presentation is excellent. The decor is relaxed formal and in a converted bank building with high ceilings that give the place an old European feel. The wine list is good and there are excellent retro cocktails. Its higher prices are well justified. Its an experience that's worth going out for, and ideal if you have an occasion or want to show off Hamilton to visitors. Not a place for a quick lunch in your work lunch break though - our group of 7 waited an hour for our mains so would pay to talk to them if you're time limited. read more

Great food, poor service. This was my first time for weekend lunch at the Aberdeen Tavern (I've only been for drinks and a little food at the bar in the past) and I was excited to take family there while they were visiting Hamilton as I love the reviews, the menu and the ambiance. While the wait service started out good enough, approximately 40 minutes in, we started wondering where the food was and when it might arrive. It was not packed in there -- in fact there were many empty tables. Nor did we order anything odd -- mainly just egg type dishes. We called the server over to ask and she snapped back defensively that it was on its way. That was offputting enough. Ten minutes later, and with two very hungry children, we asked again -- she snapped again and said it was being plated right now but again she was quite annoyed we were asking. It was not being plated at all. We watched her at that point check things on the computer, check in with the kitchen and then, with the manager, literally stand at the area where the chefs serve the food and get something going fast in the kitchen. She never came back and apologized for the delay. She never came back and said maybe a mistake had been made somewhere. She never came back and even tried to manage our expectations. The food then slowly came up and everyone but that server came back and brought us our meals -- one by one. She never came back to ask us (nor did anyone else) how our meal was (we were 7 people and so were spending a lot of money). Just came back to deliver the bill -- then stood there while we paid. Having worked in the restaurant business in the past, we still made sure we tipped her -- but she didn't deserve it -- nor did she thank us on the way out. Clearly someone made some kind of mistake along the chain there. These things happen and that's OK. I've eaten in many restaurants and I worked in many kinds of restaurants in my younger years and I would never have been allowed to treat customers like that. And at the very least, the manager should have come up to apologize for the delay. I'm not a believer in taking abuse from customers -- but this was not that. This was just good food wrapped in bad service -- which sadly, given the price of eating there, coloured the taste of the food...and will likely colour our decision to return there to eat. Restaurant dining is about more than good food -- it's about the whole experience. The Aberdeen Tavern food rivals anything I've had in cities like Toronto -- but if they want to play on that level, they need to have their service reflect that too. read more

Went there for dinner last night and while I enjoyed the company I was not happy with the meal. The service was very slow and everyone's food was cold. I enjoyed their Meat Bread and Cheese platter for the appetizer and I had the seafood linguine. Others had the Tavern Steak, the Gnocci, and the Southwest Napolean as their main. In general the appetizers were good but the mains fell short. The linguine dish was cold and bland, and based on the toast the dish had been sitting for quite a while before being delivered. We waited nearly an hour to get the main dishes. The seafood was properly cooked including the scallops which is hard to do but it didn't save the dish. The steak was medium rare but it had been ordered medium and apparently tasted a little disgusting to the person that ordered it. It was a good size and a good thickness but it was tough and chewy. The other two at the table only commented that they did not like the vegetarian dished they ordered and that their food was also cold. In Aberdeen Tavern's defense they became quite busy after we sat down. read more