My party of four visited during Taste of Oakville, and in hindsight, the evening foreshadowed…read moreitself early -- the restaurant's website was down with a 404 error, and we kept finding two different addresses (one apparently their old location). We eventually found it. Upon arrival, the door swung open and struck a seated guest -- a sign of just how small the space is. The restaurant was full except for one four-top (clearly ours), and we stood awkwardly in the entrance -- which is essentially inside the dining room -- waiting to be acknowledged. When greeted, we were asked if we had a reservation. We said yes. "Table for eight?" we were asked, which felt impossible given the size of the room. We clarified four, and were pointed to the only open table. No name was requested; we realistically could have just walked in and taken it. The space is starkly lit with aggressive bright white lighting that feels more clinical than cozy. The artwork is interesting and gives a gallery-like feel -- it seems the restaurant is aiming for a downtown Toronto wine bar aesthetic, but it doesn't quite land. Our table was missing water glasses, and the stemware was mismatched -- not in an intentional, charming way, but more in a "we ran out" way. Once seated, we weren't acknowledged or offered water for nearly 20 minutes. Not rushing guests is one thing; leaving them feeling forgotten is another. When our server finally arrived, the service set the tone for the evening. One glass of water was poured before he realized another was missing. He disappeared, returned with a glass, inspected it mid-pour, then walked away again (dirty glass). After several more trips and long gaps, everyone eventually received water -- about 15 minutes later. He was polite and friendly, just clearly untrained. He shared that the owner is also the sommelier, cook, and server, and that he liked working there because he wasn't expected to know much about wine -- an interesting admission for a wine bar. The owner greeted us warmly but asked only one guest about wine preferences -- ironically the only non-wine drinker at the table. The concept appeared to be sommelier-led, though this was never explained. If that is the intention, engaging the entire table is essential. That said, the wines themselves were enjoyable; the service surrounding them was not. The Taste of Oakville menu promised three curated 3-oz pours paired with a charcuterie board for two. The pours arrived unevenly and slowly, with little explanation of the pairings. The charcuterie boards were plain and inconsistent between tables despite containing similar items -- basic fruit, crostini, simple cured meats, small portions of brie, and two slices of truffle cheese. No crackers, spreads, or thoughtful touches elevated the experience, and presentation varied noticeably. Our second wine pour didn't arrive until our mains, and service moved so slowly we requested a wine list to order a bottle. We were told there is no wine list -- "we're not that kind of restaurant." Instead, all reds are $80 and all whites $70, and the owner selects the bottle for you after asking only red or white. The concept might work if explained upfront; without context, it was confusing. At one point, noticing my empty glass, our server poured me a random red -- which turned out to be the same wine as our first pour -- and then left without serving anyone else. We had to remind staff we were still waiting for our second curated pour. Nothing about the experience felt curated. The most surprising moment of the night came when our mains arrived. As we lifted our appetizer plates -- still holding olive pits, fruit rinds, and crumbs -- the servers told us not to worry about clearing them and proceeded to place our main dishes directly on top of the used plates. I'm still shocked. I wouldn't do that at home, let alone expect it at a Lakeshore, or quite frankly, any restaurant. Two of us ordered the tagliatelle, which was tasty but contained only two small pieces of short rib -- and was difficult to enjoy while staring at discarded rinds beneath the plate. The other two ordered brisket sliders: two sliders, no sides. They tasted good but left diners hungry. One guest joked they kept thinking the fruit rinds were fries -- unfortunately accurate. We tried to make the best of the evening, but it never delivered the cozy wine-and-charcuterie experience we had anticipated -- dim lighting, thoughtful pairings, something special. After finishing our meal, we requested our bills and reminded staff we were still waiting for the third curated pour. We were told "five minutes." Those five minutes never came. Eventually, wanting simply to leave, we paid a single combined bill and sorted it out ourselves. Dinner for four totaled $460. This was not the boutique Lakeshore dining experience we expected, and ultimately, it was deeply disappointing.

As an Oenophile, I was excited to check out The Wine Bar in my neighbourhood. The door was open, In…read morewalked in at 4:55 to be "Greeted" by the Owner, "We don't open till 5 o'clock".......Attitude from the get go. I looked at the menu, interesting but very pricey for the offering. I looked at a row of wine bottle partially open and simply corked, no nitrogen or air extraction.....no telling how long the wine had been "Breathing"....Days? I am puzzled by the discrepancy 5 Star vs 1 Star reviews. I have no confidence in the 5 star reviews....Friends?...Self reviewed? No serious wine enthusiast would visit this establishment...bad attitude, poor value, insufficient wine care and presentation.

Nice coffee shop on James. Great selection of coffees, teas, savoury and sweet pastries and other…read moregoodies. The service is great and it is quaint with a front of the street outdoor space that does the trick!

Not a great experience. Staff were honestly pretty rude and the food was mediocre. Seems like…read moreanother overhyped spot by locals.

Rust Bistrobar is the only spot in Burlington that makes me want to permanently squat in the…read morekitchen and call it a day. Having been back here close to a dozen times over the last decade, I can firmly say this place is the perfect combination of gastro-ingenuity and traditional staples done right. The vibe is "industrial chic," which is essentially code for "I'm feeling something fancy, but still want to be able to visit in my Kirkland shorts." The food has a heavy focus on local ingredients, with flavors that are incredibly tight and well-balanced. The steak frites are so tender I'm pretty sure they were cut with a polite suggestion rather than a knife. The scallops are meaty and perfectly cooked. And of course the burger is absolutely mouthwatering and make it the tempting default option during each visit. The appetizers are all fantastic, Kat and the Korean cauliflower takes the cake! For desert, their house cheesecake is phenomenal, and their in house amber ale is full and flavourful. Our server was on the ball; the water was never empty, and the check ins were always at the right time. Verdict: 10/10. If you want western food with a fun twist and high quality ingredients, this is one spot you must check out!

The food was delicious. The surface was very considerate. We had brunch and it was delightful.read more

A group of us came here for lunch during a weekend trip to Grimsby. It's around the time of peach…read moreharvest so the restaurant is offering special peachy menu currently. The restaurant had really nice renovations and service was attentive. For lunch, I tried Caesar salad, baked mushroom and mushroom pizza. The salad and mushroom were okay. Not wowing but with okay quality. The mushroom pizza had a sweet teriyaki like sauce and blue cheese toppings. The flavour was on the heavier side, but I enjoyed it very well. Expect $35+ per person for lunch here.

Leanne was amazing. She runs an incredible restaurant. The space is very comfortable. We sat…read moreoutside and she turned the heaters for us. We only had an app, cowboy caviar which was great & a drink each but Leanne couldn't have been more gracious. On a busy Friday evening she spent time speaking with us. The drinks were tasty, prices are very reasonable. I highly recommend giving this place a try!

We had a wonderful experience at Di Mario's! We started with the charcuterie board, which was…read morebeautifully presented with a fantastic variety of meats, cheeses, and accompaniments. The burrata was absolutely delicious--fresh, creamy, and full of flavour. The cocktails were equally impressive, expertly crafted and the perfect complement to our meal. What really stood out was the exceptional customer service. The staff were welcoming, friendly, and attentive, and everything arrived quickly without ever feeling rushed. The outdoor patio was another highlight. It has a charming, quaint atmosphere that makes for a relaxing and enjoyable dining experience. Di Mario's is definitely a restaurant we'll be returning to. Highly recommend!

Went here for a Valentine's date and Dimarios did not disappoint. Everything was spectacular from…read morethe food, to service, and ambiance. This jumped to being one of the top Italian restaurants for us and we will definitely visit again.

I absolutely love this place even though we only have drinks and deserts. But the atmosphere is…read moreamazing and the staff is so extremely friendly. We always have a good time here and we've been here at least 4-5 times. I've had tiramisu in Italy, and after Italy I would stay this place has an amazing one. The portion size is huge for the dessert and they add a bit of honey on the side which makes such a judge difference. It's not too sweet or bitter and the server recommended to us and said it's very good. She wasn't wrong! I love the tiramisu here and I don't think I would order it anywhere else. It's very authentic and delicious. Can't wait to be back here just for that.

Unfortunately, our experience at Pepperwoods was disappointing. We ordered two cocktails, and both…read morewere incredibly strong and we had to choke them down. It basically felt like we were drinking tequila or vodka on the rocks.. I ordered the burger, but it was so incredibly dry and overcooked, to the point that I didn't even finish it. The fries were also disappointing. It seemed to be the bottom of the batch and were basically just the crumbs. Our server was very pleasant, but unfortunately, the overall experience wasn't enough to make me want to give Pepperwoods a second chance. I wouldn't recommend it. Lots of other good food spots in DT Burlington that I would highly recommend.

We had a very nice brunch over the weekend here, and really loved the ambiance and service. We…read moreshared an array of vegetarian items, including the Spaghetti fingers, Oh my gourd, Vuffulo vings, Take a Bao and the Beatya to it pizza. The food item names are super fun, and super delicious. We definitely be back for a future get togethers!

Overpriced draft for $10 a pint is a goddam rip off. I can get pint in Burlington at the Squires…read moreduring happy hour for $5. You tell me??? I'm never ever coming back and tell the owner he is overpriced.

Great wine selection. Wonderful small plates. Lovely ambiance. It's everything you need from a…read morewine bar!

I wanted to take my wife to a nice restaurant for her birthday and after some looking I decided to…read moretake her to Lord Nelson in Burlington. It's located in a small unassuming strip mall. When we entered we weren't greeted and the young coat check/hostess seemed a bit timid and confused. Eventually an older lady greeted us and I told her we had a reservation, which in the notes online I had requested "a quiet table for 2". The lady explained that they were having an "event" today and we could have a table in a private room that is quieter but the table in the main room is much nicer. Not wanting to make a fuss I told her the regular table would be fine. It wasn't too long afterwards I regretted this decision as the main room was very loud, and after another group was seated next to us it got even rowdier. It felt more like a pub during a game night rather than a fine dining restaurant. (This was on a Thursday evening) The hostess did check our coats which was nice. Anyways, I read in the reviews that the Caesar salad is made table side and is really good so we started with that. My wife ordered the Lord Nelson special and I got the Chicken Supreme. Shortly after we ordered we were brought a small platter with pickles, olives, Pate and a bowl of garlic bread. I have been to restaurants before where they bring you complimentary bread but this was 2 tiny pieces of garlic bread. I tried it with the pate but it was better on its own as the pate didn't have much of a taste to it. Eventually the waiter set up the salad table and began to make it infront of us. He appeared to be making the dressing and everything from scratch but I can't be sure as he didn't really explain what he was doing. He just started mixing and mashing and I couldn't tell what some of the ingredients were. It would have been great if he explained what he was doing or even asked if we cared. Especially considering this salad costs almost $50. About 1/3 of the way through he stopped to help another table light something. He took the lighter they were using to try and start up some sort of fondue or something. Then he came back and continued making our salad without washing his hands. Yeah, he's using utensils to make the salad but he's squeezing the lemon with his bare hands and...well it's not hygienic, ya know? Anyways the salad and the experience of having a nice Caesar made traditionally from scratch infront of you is great and it tasted good but not $50 good. It was a bit heavy on the dressing. Our mains came shortly after we finished the salad. My wifes Lord Nelson special featured Beef Tenderloin Tournedos which were cooked to perfection. Very delicious. My Chicken Supreme was also very tasty. Both came with the exact same sides though my cubed potatoes were slightly undercooked. We were too full to finish our meals so we got the leftovers put away for us. They were placed in cheap flimsy containers more suited to Chinese food restaurants, and we didn't get a bag or anything to put them in. Not very fancy at all. We skipped dessert and got the bill. In my opinion it was quite expensive for what we got. I have been to expensive, fine dining restaurants and steakhouses before and this place just isn't worth the cost. As we were leaving we had to wait awkwardly at the front because we needed our coats and no one was there to get them for us. Eventually the young hostess came over and handed our coats back to us in a big bundle. The poor thing seemed very spaced out and out of her element. Anyways, the wife was pleased so Mission Accomplished but I won't be back, especially at that price, and I don't recommend anyone else go unless they have money to burn. TL;DR, Expensive steaks with meh service.

The service is only out done by the food. If this was in Toronto you would never be able to get in.read more

The food and service was great. The waiter figured out I'm keto when I was asking for substitutes…read more(which I am) and he gave suggestions for my meal. We sat on the balcony and enjoyed the sunset

Spencer's at the Waterfront delivered a really enjoyable dining experience, with a few standout…read moredishes and excellent service. The highlight of the meal was definitely the oysters. They were incredibly fresh, a great size, and absolutely delicious. At $4 each they're definitely on the pricey side, but if you're planning a visit, Wednesday after 5 p.m. is the best time to go for their half-price oyster special. We also ordered the burrata paired with their focaccia bread, which was very good. While it wasn't the best burrata I've ever had, it was still a solid 4/5 and worth ordering. The bread alone was very tasty and fresh. The truffle parmesan fries were a bit of a letdown (3/5). They came topped with a very thick, mayo-based sauce that wasn't the most appetizing. I think I'd have enjoyed them much more if the sauce had been served on the side for dipping, but that's just my personal preference. The cocktails were a mixed bag. The Sunset Skies was easily our favourite and one I'd happily order again. Unfortunately, the High Noon wasn't for me--it had a very floral flavour that I found unpalatable. What really made the experience exceptional was the service. Our server was incredibly attentive and noticed that I hadn't touched my High Noon cocktail. Without hesitation, they offered to replace it with another drink of my choice and removed the original cocktail from our bill. That level of attentiveness and customer service really stood out. Overall, the food was enjoyable, the cocktails had a standout winner, and the service was outstanding. I'd definitely return, especially for the oysters on Wednesday evenings. Service was a 5/5.