Apparently it's hard to get a reservation at this restaurant during Summerlicious. But a friend of mine and I called on the day of and took a cancelled reservation (lucky us!) So this restaurant, perched on top of the TD building, has spectacular view of the city. Just as well, their lunch menu is quiet the steal--$25--compared to their usual prices. The ambiance is a fine dining experience, but the waitstaff/ servers are very polite and tried to make conversations with their clients. This is not a snooty place. Food-wise- i ordered chilled cucumber soup, pasta on chicken broth and for dessert i got hazelnut chocolate cake (Divine!). I tasted the steak as well...and I'd have to say..the steak was the BEST steak I've ever had. Maybe I never order steak enough..but it was by far the best I've tasted in Toronto. So if you want good service, good food, beautiful city views..go to Canoe :) read more

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Updating my past review for Canoe - I still give it 5 stars! Service was excellent. Our waiter was very friendly and courteous. Drinks: White wine pairing (Forgot the name.. haha) Appetizers: S'MORES FOIE GRAS (graham cracker crumble, chocolate sauce and toasted marshmallow cream) So far I still think Canoe makes one of the best foie gras dishes in Toronto. I've tried other ways of making the foie gras dishes at Canoe before and it never disappoints! Always very delicious. Mains: WAGYU TRI-TIP (smoked tongue, king oyster mushrooms, purple potato + bacon chive jus) Highly recommending this! So glad they didn't take this off the menu - out of all the dishes I've tried so far, the wagyu beef is the most tender and delicious one :) ONTARIO LAMB DUO (roasted loin + olive anchovy rubbed lamb ham, rosemary artichokes, fresh shelled beans) Such a cute display. The lamb was very tender (each meat was a different part of the lamb). The veggies paired with it were also delish! GRASS RUBBED BISON RIB EYE (green tomato, horseradish greens, pickled cauliflower, tonka bean + k2 Milling grain pakoras) The meats were amazing - but I didn't really like the pickled cauliflower. A little too sour for my taste. Other than that, everything about this dish was wonderful. Dessert: CLASSIC CANOE BUTTER TART (smoked vanilla cream, flax seed nougatine, rye + ginger ice cream) We were actually trying to order the dessert that we got last time but chose the wrong one haha. BUT! It was a good "mistake" because this was DELICIOUS!! So yummy!! I loved it - especially the ginger ice cream!! It was a lovely combo with the flax seed nougatine (if only they had more of this! :D) read more

Summerlicious Lunch 2015. Here's the long and short of it: Dessert, drinks, and a beautiful view redeemed the experience, somewhat. Otherwise, utterly forgettable (but prettily plated!) food - nothing outstanding for the perceived calibre of the restaurant. Selections for a party of 3: Appetizers (decent) Potage of Peaches & Cream Corn Heritage Salmon Tartare Entrees (decent) East & West Coast Fish Cake Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi Tree Syrup Glazed Beef Short Rib Desserts (all on the sweeter side) Hewitt's Dairy Yoghurt Panna Cotta Valrhona Chocolate Ganache Cake Thyme & Apricot Mousse read more

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Food was tasteless and was not served using appropriate dish : ordered the green salad, I was given a deep narrow bowl with the "grass from the lawn", which started getting spoiled, no vegetables inside at all, looked like a food for the rabbits. Main course was a salmon : absolutely tasteless, green sauce and a lot of onions could not be eaten at all. Asked litchi martini cocktail, not available, asked Stella beer, not available. Only domestic beer, and this restaurant positioned itself as a Michelin place?? Cocktail: very tiny glass , taste of gin was dominating, very bitter and seems no other ingredients. Staff, the hostess and waitress looked like they got bored by the customers. Ambiance: no stool for the purse, the purse was on the floor which looked not cleaned enough, the table had the scratches , and the hole restaurant looked like it needs to be renovated. Very disappointed, never will be recommended to other people. read more

Canoe is pretty much everything I expected it to be. Yummy food, good service, great view and a perfect place to go on a special occasion or to treat yourself to something nice. If you can go at lunch time the prices are a bit cheaper, and the menu is also completely different. The only downside is that they are usually only open Monday-Friday. If you are worried about Canoe being a place with small over priced portions and you'll walk away feeling hungry do not despair, as this is a place where the bread keeps coming. I think our table of 2 went through 4 baskets of complimentary bread with black bean spread. The artisanal bread was fabulous. Crunchy on the outside, and soft in the middle. My girlfriend and I both had the beef short ribs with whipped potatoes, sauteed kale, sugar beets, and pickled sour cream. The beef was very tender and falling off the bone. The flavours were wonderful. The dish seemed to have little yellow beets on top of the short rib, with a couple large red ones on the side. My only complaint is I could have used more whipped potatoes, but then the dish wouldn't have looked as nice. In the end, I have no regrets ordering the short rib. For dessert we both had the red velvet cake, with sweetened cream cheese, smoked marshmallow ice cream, and salted chocolate ganache. The smoked marshmallow ice cream is definitely what caught my eye and made me order it, but the element that brings it all together is the salted chocolate ganache. It makes sure everything isn't just sweet on sweet, and overall the dessert wasn't too sweet to begin with. It was also a very pretty plate, and a decent sized serving for a dessert at a "fancy restaurant". The dessert was definitely worth ordering. If you are coming from out of town, and want to save a few bucks on the CN tower, the view from Canoe is just as good, and they have a bar area you can sit at and grab a drink or something to eat while you're there. read more

Canoe - Grandview Farms Grass Fed Beef Short Rib, Sugar Beets, Pickle Sour Cream and Whipped Potatoes - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Sitting on the 54th floor of the TD building, this place is a definite go-to for its view. During the day, you'll have a nice view of all the buildings and the lake, as well as the boats out in the lake. At night, you'll have a nice view of all the buildings, the lights, and the CN tower lit up. I've been here for dinner and for a private event, with the service being great both times. Of course, the taste and the presentation of their food are both great. For dinner, I had their Summerlicious menu and even though the serving sizes seemed small, it was really filling. For the private event, the servers walked around offering bite-sized foods to us--mini burgers, samosas, etc, and even those were cooked to perfection and still nice and hot when they served it to us. So overall, there's really nothing to complain about this place, except that the prices are on the expensive side. It's a great place to go for business lunches/dinners or just to get a few drinks after work. read more

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Definitely a great experience the last visit I had, but it was to be expected at one of the highest classed restaurants in Toronto. Came by here for my best friend's birthday, and we decided to have a good time and not hold back! Go big or go home right? We went for drinks, great food, and excellent wine! The view was absolutely amazing, as it changed as the night progressed. From a wonderful sunset, to a bit of clouds and fog. It made for an interesting night view. First off, the summer cocktails were quite unique. From things with marshmallows to dandelions, definitely a unique twist to drinks. The wine was quite good, as we got a couple bottles of the 2027 from an Ontarian winery. With only a 149 crates ever made, Canoe has most of the crates. The food was amazing, which was to be expected. We started with the Raw Bar which included everything from octopus, and squid, to fish and oysters! Everything was very fresh and done beautifully. With the appetizers, our table had different things, but the highlight were definitely the Mushroom Soup. Very rich mushroom flavour, but balanced well with ingredients. For main courses, they were all very good, but the Trout and Lamb were definitely the top two! The service was definitely great when we were there. They were extremely attentive without bothering, knowledgeable and resourceful, and helped out in any way they could. There was a mix up with our reservation at first with he host staff, but it was resolved on their end with apologies, so you can't be too upset about that. A great experience, but definitely on the pricier side. I would highly recommend it for a special occasion! read more

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I've been to Canoe three times now and each time has been a great experience. Service for the most part is decent, they are attentive to the table and food comes at a decent pace. Food wise, this is their strongest point. Each of their dishes are plated professionally and also taste great. My most recent visit was for their 2016 Winterlicious menu. The beef Wellington from their entree menu was kind of a miss as the meat wasn't the greatest. Otherwise the appetizer and dessert were delicious. Canoe's location is also really nice if you have a window seat. If you drove down and parked in the TD tower, you can get parking validation from them before you leave. read more

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What's the best/cheapest way to dine on a 54th floor? During winterlicious of course! My bf ordered: Pickled Atlantic Mackerel Cider Brined Ontario Pork Loin Hewitt's Dairy Muscovado Panna Cotta My order: Baby Gem Salad Braised Alberta Lamb Shoulder Kernal's PB+J I'm not a fan of mackerel so I didn't try it. The pork was super soft but it has a strong pork taste which I'm not a fan of (personal preference). The Panna cotta was delicious, rich and creamy. Salad, nothing special besides colourful presentation. The tiger blue cheese was pungently awesome. The Russian dressing tastes like wasabi. I LOVE the braised lamb shoulder dish! It was so soft and juicy and delicious. The lamb shoulder melted in my mouth. I could eat that everyday. Everything on the dish was perfect and each ingredient complimented each other. The kernels pbj was good too. The mousse was soft and light which I liked. My tongue was tango'ing with my dessert. Overall I am very impressed with Canoe despite being super duper busy during this time of the year. I would love to try other dishes but I'm pretty sure they're fully booked :/ Oh and who said fine dining will leave you hungry still? I wasn't hungry until around 10pm. read more

Canoe - (L) Mackerel Pork Loin Panna Cotta (R) Salad Lamb Shoulder PB+J - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Dear food snobs if you have not come here for winterlicious yet, you are missing out. If not for the food come for the views that even Drake would be proud of. Let's be honest we were not here for the food. As soon as we arrived we took one look at the window view and knew it was a prime spot for a Snapchat selfie. So, if you are anything like us make sure to bring your selfie stick because it's Drake time. You have an all access pass, don't be afraid to get behind someone's chair to take a good selfie. Make sure the flash is accidentally on so it's extra obnoxious. After which return to your table where you will find that they folded your serviette while you were gone. Impressive! Anyway, we had the salmon and beef tartare and man or girl it came from the heavens that brought Drake into this world. After which, we had more beef and the chicken. The chicken was dry like a dessert so avoid that my food snobs. Ending off with the goat cheese red velvet and cheesecake which was blessed of Drake's milk. Stay classy my food snobs eat here for mainly the views. Yours truly, Drake's Mom read more

APPETIZER: The deconstructed beef tartare was like a grab bag of random pickled vegetables and strange jellies. Maybe it's just too fancy for me. ENTREE: For the main, I split a chocolate oatmeal venison and dry aged ribeye. The oatmeal actually went really well with the venison because it was soaked in this delicious sauce. The venison on its own was well cooked but the sauce/oatmeal mixtured needed to be more well integrated. The chocolate sauce didn't work with the venison. I've had much better ribeyes in the past, but I preferred this over the venison because of the sauce flavor. WINE: I ordered an Argentina Mendoza wine, and it was pretty affordable - only $60! I thought the wine choices (in general for Toronto) are extremely overpriced and lacking in variety. While I had plenty of choices, I typically find a much more extensive wine menu at fancy restaurants like this. DESSERT: Finally, I ended with the sticky toffee date pudding and strawberry pave. The toffee date pudding was actually the highlight of the evening. It was delicious, not too sweet. I was surprised to like this because I typically hate toffee puddings; it is made and presented in a whole new way. I would recommend. The strawberry pave reminded me of a strawberry sorbet popsicle. Pretty but wouldn't get it again. It's topped with a ton of almond flavored foam too - not a fan. Beautiful view, beautiful food presentation, and very well cooked. But the flavors didn't wow me and I wouldn't return given the steep price tag. If you are coming, make a reservation and call ahead to request a table by the window so you can enjoy the view. read more

I have to say the best restaurant I have been to so far is Canoe and it continually has been so for the past few years. Canoe has great service, friendly staff and "foodie goodness" food. Haha. It is a place where you can pick anything off the menu, no matter what foreign names they use and still know the food will be good. With an exception to the watermelon soup - I am not a fan of that at all. I highly recommend it because the restaurant itself is very nice and provides a scenic view of the C.N. Tower and lake. It is a good place for dates, lunches/dinners with your boss or coworkers. To get the maximum experience, I suggest when making reservations to ask for a table next to the window, preferably facing either the C.N. Tower or lake. Optimum times to eat should be in the afternoon/evening, during the sunset. read more

Good environment, but ordinary cuisine, not very happy about the wine pairing either Proper place for dating/business, but not necessary for family events read more

Delicious food, great ambiance and stunning view! My boyfriend heard many great reviews from his colleagues and had decided to bring me to Canoe for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. The interior of the restaurant looked very modern and upscale, with large windows showing Toronto's city lights. Our waiter was very attentive and informative, describing the menu items in great detail. The appetizers and main dishes we ordered were beautifully presented and tasted very delicious. And to top it all off, our waiter brought us a pretty plate of small desserts wishing us a Happy Anniversary which was very nice. We had a lovely experience at Canoe, from the beautiful night view to the exquisite food. Canoe is definitely a great place to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other special events. read more

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My wife and I went here for our 4th wedding anniversary. I've been to high end restaurants before but she hadn't so I wasn't quite sure how this was going to go. My family has a lot of dietary restrictions and I was in constant contact prior to our reservation to find out what our options were. We ended up opting for the tasting menu which was a great choice on our part and we were ever so grateful that Canoe was able to contour to our dietary needs. Route to the Rockies Okroshka I was taken aback by this dish. I wasn't too sure how to eat it. The wait staff were really knowledgeable and were more than happy to indulge our questions about the food and how it is supposed to be envisioned. After a quick discussion we decided just to dive in and we found that all the components worked best together. The seasoning wasn't over powering and I didn't find myself disliking anything that was put forward on the dish. I cleared the entire plate. Rye Whiskey Trout Gravlax I've never had gravlax before! So I was really excited for this dish. I found the use of maple syrup to balance out the smoked salmon was well utilized and balanced for the dish. Once again, another success, this dish was also cleared. Watermelon Palate cleanser. Great watermelon! Yellow Pickerel This was the only dish I was a bit disappointed with. There were so many aspects in terms of textures and flavors that I think I got lost along the way. The fish was cooked perfectly, but I'm just not a fan of Pickerel and it's texture. I pretty much cleared out this plate too though. Can't leave any stone unturned! Vinartereta This was such a cool dessert. The Nordic cake that it came with was such a welcome surprise. I would never have ordered Mustard Ice Cream and it worked really well with the rest of the dish. I never in a million years would have thought I would have liked it so much! Flapper Pie The flapper pie is more of a bite than it is a pie, but it was a great way to end such a special meal for me and my wife. I can see us come here again for a meal. I think it's a great sign of a meal when you clear each and every plate. I felt service was slow at times but I feel that is done intentionally. I got to talk to my wife more than I usually do and made the most of it. It also let me take the time to process and digest what I ate and I appreciated the wait times at the end of it. This was a steep meal. After everything said and done, for the tasting menu for 2, drinks, tax and tip, it came out to about $300. Worth it for the evening, just not for every night! read more

Went to Canoe for Summerlicious for few years in a row, this year the food is probably not the best I have tried but I wasn't disappointed. It's just an absolute bargain for the spectacular view along with the quantity of food and services you get in Canoe. Also, if you are able to book it on a weekend, your parking is validated for the whole day. * Chilled Cucumber & Melon Soup - I like cucumber, so I find the soup very refreshing and delicious. The best chilled soup I had in Canoe was the Chilled Summer Sweet Pea Soup with Buttermilk & Dungeness Crab. * Potted Rainbow Trout - I tried a small portion of this, it was ok but not very special. * Tree Syrup Rubbed Bison Short Rib - The ribs are tender and the meat do fall off the bones. The taste of the Bison Ribs are more robust than the classic beef ribs. However, personally I prefer the taste of beef ribs better than Bison rib. * Hewitt's Dairy Buttermilk & Lemongrass Flan * Sablé Breton * Coffee Chocolate Gâteau - Desserts are the highlight for me in this meal, I found the Sablé Breton the best one among the 3. In general, they are all pretty good. read more

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I came here for Summerlicious 2015 to celebrate my father's birthday and had a great experience. While I have been to Canoe before (Winterlicious 2014), my family has never been nor do they frequent fancier dining scenes as Canoe. As always the view was lovely, our table had a view of the lake at sunset and the highway at night which was a plus. Overall, I enjoyed their Summerlicious menu a lot more than their recent Winterlicious one. As an appetizer the stand-out was the buffala mozarella with crab, though the portion was small it was packed full of summer flavour! The chicken terrine was meh, not great and their spinash salad with goat cheese and walnuts was nice but not memorable. Our party of four ensured that I got to sample all the entrees and hands down the salmon was the star! Tender and perfectly cooked paired with a creamy polenta was delicious. My father would contend that their beef strip loin dish was the best, he says the potato fry they had on was so good that he didn't even tell us so that he didn't have to share...overall all of us enjoyed the entrees. Dessert - wise I had the summer berry streusal tart that was great as well. It had great texture that changed as the cream topping soaked into the granola and the tart. It was refreshing and a sweet-tart ending to the dinner. My brother had the chocolate ganache which was just pure chocolate that I found too sweet but he liked it - chocolate lovers convene on this dessert. Overall, the selling point and reason that I will look forward to returning, is always going to be the service. Canoe never fails to impress in terms of service. Our server was attentive and charismatic and even brought out an extra birthday dessert for our little shindig. My family and I left feeling very pleased with the experience! read more

Canoe - Summerlicious Tart - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Late review. Indulged here for dinner during Winterlicious 2014! I've never been here before that so I'm not sure how they are on a regular basis with a regular menu. Needless to say, it is on the pricier end. To start off, the ambience and atmosphere is lovely! Really nice for a special occasion - the view more than makes up for the corporate feel of the TD Tower. When we arrived (party of 4 - two couples), our table wasn't ready. They took our coats and suggested we wait in the bar area. That was fine. We grabbed a table and enjoyed the view while sipping on our drinks. They had 4 beers on hand and we ordered one of each. Nothing memorable, the usual Steamwhistle etc. We were then taken to our table about 15 minutes later. We were served an amuse bouche of bread and condiments - tasty but unmemorable. Here is what we ordered: - Butternut Squash Soup - Cured Rainbow Trout - Pork Terrine - Roasted Chicken - Braised Beef Ribs/Steak - Carrot Cake - Three Milk Cake (I think) The soup was alright - it tasted something like my mom makes at home; good, but nothing spectacular. The trout was sashimi style. I found the portion rather small, but it was tasty. Again, it didn't stand out for me. My SO was the only one who ordered the pork terrine, and I found it absolutely phenomenal! He said it tasted like fish or SPAM, but I personally loved both the texture and flavour and the accompanying fruity condiments. The roasted chicken was fabulous! I adored every bite - 2 of us got this dish and we both loved it. The chicken was so soft and tender, the sauces were flavourful and complimented the dish well, and the vegetables and I believe wild rice or risotto, were a nice touch. It was perfect! Again, the portion was on the smaller end, but alongside the appetizer, I was getting full by this point. My SO and the other diner got the beef dish. It came with a braised short rib and mashed potatoes. Wow. This dish was out of this world! We all loved the beef and it was done to a perfect medium/medium-rare. The carrot cake was perfect and my only complaint was that I wished the portion was bigger. The cream cheese 'icing' they served alongside it was absolutely heavenly. My SO got the three milk cake, I believe. I wasn't a huge fan. It wasn't terrible, but it did not stand out to me. Service was flawless - our water glasses were kept full, the servers were gracious and unpretentious. One of them even noticed us trying to take pictures and offered to take one of the group for us! They were friendly and very precise - they cleared our tables with manners and skill. No complaints with them. Presentation was top notch. Everything came looking extremely pretty. Our only complaint was that we wished the portions were a little bigger. The two males in our group noted that they could go for another round of the entrees. I was moderately full - if my dessert had been even 1/2 a size bigger, I would have reached that mark. My other friend, who is a very light eater, was completely satisfied. All in all, I loved my experience at Canoe. I think I would definitely go back to try their regular menu, however, it is quite pricey, so perhaps for a special occasion. The entrees were quite truly amazing, and the desserts satisfying. The appetizers have potential, but could use some work. Maybe we are big eaters or it was simply Winterlicious, but I believe the portions could have been slightly larger. Definitely recommend this place though! read more

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What a view! Great choice for our first lunch in Toronto. Retro seventies decor. Service was amazing. Attentive. Friendly. Somewhat made up for the disappointing food. My husband and I ordered from the Summerlicious menu. Romaine & Endive Salad. Thunder Oak gouda, toasted seeds & roasted tomato vinaigrette. Blah. Bland. Chilled Summer Sweet Pea Soup. I'm not a fan of cold soup. My husband ordered the pea soup. Wow. It was cool, refreshing, creamy with the minted Hewitt's Dairy buttermilk. The small pieces of dungeness crab added a subtle seafood saltiness. Tree Syrup Glazed Beef Short Rib. This was horrific. I make braised short rib as my specialty. So I know a good short rib. You should be able to eat it with a spoon...should be that tender and fall of the bone. Not here. I was sweating trying to cut it with a steak knife. I had to send it back and I NEVER send food back. It came back exactly the same. TOUGH. Strawberry Panna Cotta. Lychee ginger consomme & basil. Light. Just the right amount of sweetness. Loved. Perhaps, it's the Summerlicious menu that needs work. read more

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I received a gift certificate for the Oliver & Bonacini sister restaurants and thought that it was a good excuse to try Canoe. We went here with my friend for her birthday on a weeknight and not during a 'licious event. We came early and chilled at the bar as we waited for our tables. I mentioned that it was her birthday when I made the reservations and they made a good effort to say 'happy birthday' several times during our visit. We enjoyed the blood orange and passion fruit & lychee fruit juices, because for some reason we were avoiding alcohol that night. The bar was impressive and fully stocked. The view was stunning, I would say arguably on par with CN Tower 360 since you get to actually see the CN Tower, which is the most beautiful building in the Toronto skyline IMO. The restaurant is small, and full on a weekday surprisingly. We opt for the tasting menu and were not impressed with the food. I was expecting mediocre food based on prior reviews, but I would say that it doesn't even meet the mediocre standards. We started with a small butternut squash, maple cream soup. Then it went downhill. We had a pork, foraged pickles and bacon jam. It was disappointing, even the bacon jam couldn't save the dish. I like how the restaurant tries to offer local options, but was not impressed with the spock or the elk dish that we ordered. It just didn't come together very well. Also, all of the dishes were served very slowly - apps and dinner felt like it took 2 hours. I did not like the spacing of the meal. We started to get really tired and eventually decided to pack the dessert to-go. If I get another gift certificate, I'd go to Oliver & Bonacini or Bannock. read more

Canoe - Blood Orange Juice - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Not bad but not really on par with other Prix Fixe wine pairing meals I've had. Canoe is located on too of the TD tower and the views were stunning. Its sister restaurant, Auberge du Pommier had better reviews but we opted for Canoe based on the views and were not let down. The ambience is a bit different, however. It wasn't as quiet as I was hoping for. The meal itself was interesting. I had their chocolate themed meal, which was unsurprisingly inventive. The chocolate wasn't overbearing, though it was a bit subtle with the venison. Though the dishes were interesting, I just didn't feel that they were memorable enough to justify the cost. The wine pairing was hit or miss. I didn't care for some of the choices. The other issue is that sometimes the wine serving didn't match up with the food. Sometimes we would get the meal and have to wait for the wine (though never more than 4 minutes). Nevertheless, the servers were courteous and relatively attentive. Overall, the meal was a solid B. The view was spectacular though the restaurant was a tad noisy. The dishes were interesting but didn't really feel worth the $100 and the wine pairing was pretty hit or miss and timing wise didn't coincide with the dishes very well. The service was otherwise good though. read more

Canoe - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I would love a window seat during a thunder storm!! I wasn't sure if validated parking was available for lunch... The website only mentioned dinner and weekends. The prices were decent! A bottle of wine will run you up quite a bit. I made reservations online last week but wouldn't get a window table since it's made a month in advance. We started with the crab and tuna salad and the raw oysters. Both were great! Our entrees were probably less than ideal, my lobster clubhouse fell apart. The land and sea was a very small portion and was unfavoured. I would probably want to see the dinner menu myself. I would be unwilling to go during summer or winterlicious as you don't get to see the classic menu. For dessert, I shared the chocolate torte and it was delicious!! I would definitely get that again :) Hope this helps! -jT read more

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An amazing experience from beginning to end. A true delight, and a shining example of the way a five star, upscale, formal dining room should run. I visited Canoe last night with a party of six. As we were dining with clients, a reservation had been made in advance for 6:30. We were seated right away at a large round table in the south-west corner of the restaurant, with excellent, picturesque views facing both south and west. Our experience began with a visit from the sommelier, who was, as his title implies, a knowledgeable expert in wine. We settled on a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (the one which he described as being more "mineraly"), and a California Cabernet Sauvignon. I wish I'd taken down the names of the wines, because I want to make sure I pick up a bottle of each the next time I'm at the LCBO. Both wines were divine. Once we settled in with our beverages, the waiter arrived promptly to see how we were doing with our menus and to take our order. He took this opportunity to explain the "Tastes" menu, which we didn't partake in, and which I'm still not sure I understand. Nevertheless, I ordered the lamb, with mushroom soup to start. Our appetizers arrived shortly afterward, and in grand style. A crew of cleverly dressed all descended upon our table at once to deliver the first round of goods. How lovely that everyone receives their food at exactly the same time. The presentation for the mushroom soup was wonderful and unexpected. First I received a nearly empty bowl with a medley of sautéed mushrooms and a spoonful of some sort of heavy, seasoned crème. Immediately behind the first server was a second, carrying a kettle, and she filled the remainder of the bowl with piping hot soup. Once the temperature settled to something that wouldn't burn my delicate tongue, I tasted a delicious mushroom soup, not like anything I've had before. It was very mushroom-y (as one would expect), and seemed to been in more of a both base vs a cream of mushroom soup. So, for round two, the lamb. I had two small medallions of lamb, cooked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection, served over a medley of vegetables and lentils, and dollops of squash purée. The presentation was lovely, laid out in a straight line on a long rectangular plate. I think between our group, we ordered a good sampling of the menu, and everyone seemed very happy with their dishes. In particular, one who ordered the roast beef. She looked like she was in heaven. Next, someone at our table ordered a taster of rum for us to share. At first, I was a little unsure about getting into spirits, thinking this meant trouble, but I was in for a treat. The restaurant had 15 year old El Dorado Special reserve rum from Guatemala. It smelled like vanilla and caramel and tasted smooth, and sweet. (PS. This is a secret item, not on the menu.) Round four, dessert. By this point in time, I was already full, and quite frankly, I probably didn't need dessert, but, as I told my table mates, YOLO. I ordered the date crumble. It was really nice. I loved the hand-turned Orange iced cream. My neighbor ordered the butter tart which was also on my radar, and he said it was really good. Only one person didn't love dessert, and she had ordered the chocolate and peanut dessert, which was actually my runner up, so I'm glad I went with the date concoction. Overall, a great evening was had, with great company and an excellent dining experience. Thanks Canoe! read more

THE MUSIC WAS TOO L-O-U-D The menu is pretentious, and it is annoying that the servers have to give a tour of the 14 esoteric items on the plate before one can start eating. Making a reservation does not guarantee a window-side table; but the view is the raison d'être of this restaurant. Be prepared for sticker shock when the bill is presented. read more

We were supposed to dine here our first night in Toronto; but do to flight delays, we missed our dinner reservation. Since the restaurant is closed on the weekends and we were just visiting for a long weekend, we opted for lunch on our last day (Monday afternoon). I'm so glad that we ended on a high note!!! Canoe was awesome from start to finish. Food: Lobster clubhouse salad - the waiter suggested that I turn the lobster clubhouse sandwich into a salad. THANK YOU!!! It was amazing!! Fresh and light, but still had elements of a club sandwich. Steak tartare - good appetizer, very fresh, went well with the crostini and the house bread. Romaine salad - nice and light with fresh ingredients. Steak frites - quality of the steak was better than what you would typically expect for steak frites. I believe it was a filet. It was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. Butter tart - WOW!!!! GLORY!!!! It was indescribable! The desserts were just outstanding. It's been a few days and I'm still thinking about cake, toffee, ice cream, etc. Pure perfection. Milk chocolate peanut caramel - Yes, I will take two, please!!! The whipped cream, ice cream, caramel, peanuts and cake sent me over the edge!!! The wines by the bottle and glass were superb. We had a bottle of Pinot Noir from Oregon and glasses of Sauvignon Blanc from Niagara The room and view are worth coming here on their own. The service was great. I will definitely come back for dinner and lunch, if I find myself back in Toronto. read more

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This is strictly a review of their winterlicious menu. First off, I want to point out that the service was spectacular and that we had the most amazing view of the CN Tower--It really made the lunch something special! However, I do admit that the food left something to be desired. Nothing was inedible, but nothing was especially great either... It was decent meal, but nothing to remember--at least food wise. I had the pleasure of tasting everything on the winterlicious menu, so here is my take on all of it: APPS Lentil soup: great! Warm and comforting. The turkey was a nice touch. Personally my favourite starter, but a soup is a soup is a soup--if you know what I mean. (3.5/5) Baby Gem Salad: Fresh, tasty dressing, the purple potato chips were fun. Nothing too special. One salad came with a strand of hair in it though, oopsies. (3.5/5) Pig Cretons: the crouton like bread thing that came with it was fabulous, everything else was eghhh (3/5) Mackerel: tasted like it literally came out of a tin. (1/5) MAINS Lamb: horrid; I'm not much of a lamb person though (N/A) Pork: well cooked but terribly seasoned. The only redeeming aspect of this dish would be those delicious mustard greens (2.5/5) Croquette: like canned fish fluffed up, deep fried, and put on a fancy plate (1/5) Campanelle: HALLELUJAH! Delicious delicious delicious-- the pasta was fantastic, but again, was it because all the other dishes were mediocre? (4/5) DESSERTS PB&J: super decadent, reminds me of a chocolate bar (3/5) Panna Cotta: quite good, the Panna cotta was great but I could have done without all the mess around it (3.5/5) Pumpkin cake: like every other pumpkin tasting thing imaginable (2.5/5) They gave us bread and hummus to start, and I also ordered their pineapple mint juice which was alright. The wine pairing was 32 dollars extra, but if you got the pork, they gave you cider to go with the main--which was not great, to be honest. We were informed that we could switch it out before hand for a nice glass of wine and we should have. Although the meal was meh, I do want to return on a non-winterlicious day to get a sense of what the restaurant is like without all the hoopla. Give it a go if you have the money, it's really a bargain for a three course meal. read more

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First we were given table away from the Window but my girlfriend asked for one and we got it. Amazing views. Night is better since you don't get to see the dirt and grit of Toronto. Food here is to die for. Everyone should eat here at least once, so they can put the food in other Toronto restaurants in perspective. Local, farm-fresh ingredients - you can taste the freshness in the mouth. If Canada had Michelin-starred restaurants - this one would be so. read more

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The thing about Canoe is, unless you are older and wealthy (or ordering above 300$) the service will be awful. I cam here for a special occasion after coming here for work events and several dinners with large groups, apparently if you come here and you are young even if you order wine and food. You will have terribke service! I loved it here in my previous experiences when I came with groups, so I chose to come here for a romantic evening. We were not stingy on our food selection and we ordered wine, our waiter couldn't be done with us sooner. A tremendous disappointed. read more

Arriving just after the power lunch crowd, we still had to wait about 10 minutes for our reserved table at 1:15. Very busy restaurant. The decor was simple and clean and the views over the city are second only to the cn tower itself(then again you can't see the cn tower when you're in it) We ordered the maple cured bc salmon gravlax, which was very succulent. The flax bread accompaniment was light and crisp. The smoke salmon garnish was wrapped around some greens and enoki mushrooms and was good but didn't outshine the actual gravlax. For mains we ordered the tortiere, and a special for the day, a striploin with a caribou and escargot ravioli garnish. Certainly a unique meal. The tortiere was very heavy but nicely seasoned with the slightest hint of nuts. The pie shell was not crunchy but was very aromatic, strong enough to contribute to the beef flavour. The striploin was cooked perfectly, and was cooked as is to get the pure beef flavour. The raviloi was al dente with a strong filling. The bed of mashed potatoes were very creamy. The service was good, but the food took a while to come out. When the bill came, I sincerely wished I had a business visa to charge it to, but it was a very unique meal with a special view. read more

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I came here for my birthday dinner and we did the 'Taste Maritimes' tasting menu. Overall, the atmosphere, the service, and the plating contributed to a phenomenal experience, but the food left something to be desired. To drink, I had the Dill Pickle martini. Overall a very good drink; a bit sweeter than I expected, and you can taste the dill in the aftertaste. The tasting menu consisted of 7 courses with two options to choose from for the main. 1. Kiss the Cod: An amuse-bouche consisting of deep-fried cod-tongue served with a carrot purée. Overall, a cute dish, tasty but nothing memorable. 2. Jiggs Dinner Terrine: I really did not enjoy this dish. It was a corned beef terrine garnished with mashed peas, carrots, a sort of sweet jelly, and a slice of what seemed to be biscotti. Plating was beautiful but the flavours to me did not work at all. 3. Clam Bake: Again, beautifully presented dish. A mix of razor clams, mussels, seaweed, and a sort of foam presented on a bed of shells. The server than came and poured some sort of hot broth into the heated dish and made steam go up. Presentation was great, but the taste was nothing unique. 4. Cloudberry A palate cleanser before the main course. It was something like a sour pear gelatin. 5. Hodgepodge The main dish. Consisted of a piece of cod and lobster tail with a cream sauce and vegetables. The cod and the lobster were very well cooked, and the dish was pleasant overall. 6. Baba au Screech Definitely the highlight of the meal. This dessert consisted of lemon sabayon, poppy seed cream, fennel pollen meringue, and two sponge cakes. All the flavours worked perfectly; the dots of cream varied from tart, to creamy, to sugary. Great dessert. 7. Chocolate Potato Chip I wouldn't really count this as much of a course, but to finish the meal, they gave us each a chocolate covered potato chip to finish the meal. It was good, but left my stomach feeling kind of greasy. Overall, it was a great experience. The food didn't blow my mind, but the atmosphere, pace of the dinner, and the service made up for it. We got to see the sun set, and there was plenty of time for conversation between courses. Would definitely recommend just for the experience. 3/5 for the food 5/5 for the atmosphere read more

Canoe - Dill Pickle Martini - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Went to Canoe for lunch on a Friday. You will definitely need a reservation, the place was packed. I started with the two tone romaine salad which had tons of parmesan cheese and prosciutto, and had actually anchovies (in my opinion the way a real caesar salad should be!). For my main I had the pasta special of the day, which was three large homemade tortellini stuffed with ham and cheese. The entire plate was surrounded with bacon (yum!) and was garnished with mandarins, pecans and the most delicious sauce ever! My overall experience was great, the waiters were well informed and attentive. The meal took about 1.5 hours in total and I enjoyed every minute. read more

Canoe - Pasta special - tortellini stuffed with ham and cheese - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Sadly my visit to #canoerestaurant was lack luster; see photo. Atop the 54 story #TD Tower in downtown #Toronto the 20+ year old establishment was unable to live up to its reputation. The decor bland and muddy saddled with an open atmosphere giving dinners the impossible task of hearing their company let alone the wait staff; who were by far the best part of the experience. Stringy duck Terrine, chewy pork tenderloin, and smores. If you don't care don't cook. Smores deconstructed for the "win". No graham crumble...? Fine. #Summerlicious #TO we're not off to the best start but I'm happy #Canoe wasn't the finish line. #food #review #averagemikefoodcritic read more

Canoe - Canoe interior design... deconstructed - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Overall appetizer 6 out of 5 stars! Amazing! Very good appetizer with combination of food. Main course 4 out of 5. Not that wow experience I was hoping for. Dessert also 5 out of 5! read more

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If you want to wine and dine with a view, this is an excellent choice. I went during the summerlicious event and their salmon tartare was so good!! And the panna cotta was so lovely, a nice light and refreshing dessert. Ahh, what a great date night spot! read more

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With my crazy schedule for TIFF (30 films in 6 days), I didn't have much time to explore the Toronto food scene, but I did have one evening where I had time to go a little farther away from the theater and actually sit down and eat at a semi-leisurely pace. However, with two whole hours to kill, four days into my schedule, I was also tempted to just go back to my room and take a nap... I'm so glad I didn't! Everything about Canoe was amazing! Service: I sat at the bar since I was dining alone, and didn't want to take up a table by myself during a peak season. The bartenders were both friendly, offered great suggestions, and were attentive despite the nearly full bar area. Beverages: Wine selection was excellent with a large selection of California wines, but since I was in Canada, I decided to try a canadian wine. The tawse growers blend pinot noir was delicious. Food: I was torn between the duck and the mackerel and lobster with corn grits from their specialty seasonal corn menu. I asked the bartender for her favorite and while the duck is one of her favorites, the specialty menu is only offered for a limited time and is where the chef really shines. I went with the mackerel and lobster and was not disappointed. For dessert I tried the Butter Tart Wedge. I was about torn between the Butter Tart and the Red Velvet Cake, but as the bartender pointed out, the Butter Tart Wedge is a traditional canadian dessert and much lighter than the you-can-have-variations-of-it-anywhere cake and I still had two films to see later that evening. So the wedge was a good choice for not falling asleep during a screening. And the wedge was so good! View (from the 54th floor on a clear day at sunset): priceless. I left feeling full but not stuffed and was able to run off to my next screening. If I go to TIFF again, this will definitely become my must-visit restaurant. read more

Canoe - butter wedge - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Ok, guys..... This is my 1st review and I'm not really a good writer so please be easy on me. ^^ I was be able to get the chance to make a reservation for their Winterlicious 2014. Me and my GF had high hope since we read all the good reviews from various sources. We had following dishes - App : 1. Cured trout - it as not too salty at all and trout and other ingredients/sauce all mixed beautifully... My GF was very satisfied.Creme Fraiche eased strong flavor of picked veg and the fish and created a good harmony. 2. Pressed Pork - I really loved the richness of pressed pork and wild mustard was a great choice to go with it..the only disappointment was wild rice.... since it's been puffed in a way like rice crispy and lost it's own scent and flavor.... I was expecting it to taste stronger. ^^ Main : We both chose sirloin dish. Me - Blue ( love juice so much and did not want to loose any!) GF - Med-rare ( we had to return this to cook more because for my GF, it was a bt undercooked but they replaced the dish without any hesitation. ) Gherkin Sour cream.... never tasted it so wondered how good it will be.... the result? - it was superb~!!!! My blue was juicy and full of flavor!!!!! I was smiling all the time!!! little side of Braised ribs ( although it could not contain it's original form) added little twist and again, mixed with juice and sour cream, it helped to create layers of different taste on each bite! - it was interesting to feel how the taste changed when I try different ratio of those 3 components. Dessert - This is where I had to drop may be 0.5 stars ..... I had 3 milk cake and GF had Carrot cake. My cake was rich and flavorful.... but little dry.....I was expecting to taste more moist in them......... GF's Carrot cake...... it was her birthday so they decorated the plate with cute message and a candle.. but it was also dry......she told me the taste is amazing but as she chew more..only the dryness remains... May be they were outside for a long time? each dish came with candid walnut and peanuts on the side - Again, tasted great but because cakes were dry...........It did not mixed well as a whole dish. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Will i go there again? Defiantly... Was it worth the money we paid? Of course. Will I recommend this restaurant to friends and others? YES! In overall, we had great time and each dishes were unique and tasty. Desert was not up to what we expected but we did not order a la cart. As a Winterlicious restaurant, Canoe did better than few other places which we been through and it's location - top of the TD tower - with beautiful view outside really satisfied both of us. (Don't know how to include pics so I just attached them at the photo section. Please see them before you make any judgement! ^^) read more

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High end restaurant. Quality food. Extensive wine list with sommelier to advice you. Desserts are great. You pay parking. read more

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I'm rating this place a solid 4.5. This restaurant is a perfect choice to celebrate a romantic evening and/or a special occasion. The ambiance is terrific, the service is exceptional and the food is really good. My favorites for the night is the duck dish and the toffee dessert. If you order these options you should be very happy with the results. The fish is a good option if you want something light and healthy. I recommend trying the toffee dessert if you're looking for something sweet... you won't be disappointed! Again, service was exceptional! read more

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We came here for the winterlicious lunch menu of 2019! It's my first time coming to Canoe and I'm very happy with the whole experience. We got a reservation for 11:30AM on a Friday. Luckily we managed to get window seats because the restaurant wasn't full yet. We really enjoyed the view from the 54th floor! For starters, I chose the cured salmon while the bf had the beef tartare. Both were really good! I liked the salmon more but the bf liked the beef. The plating of the cured salmon was also very pretty. For mains, I got the braised beef while the bf got albacore tuna. Both of us liked the braised beef because it's more flavourful for our taste. The beef was cooked very well and not dry at all. For desserts, I picked apple cheesecake while the bf chose red velvet. We both like our choices. The apple cheesecake doesn't have a strong cheesecake flavour. It feels very light and I could taste the apple in them. Overall, it was worth the try for Winterlicious. read more

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Amazing view! Very classy and stylish. I enjoyed the food. Mushroom soup was my appetizer and it was yummy. My entree was duck meat, which was very good. Great service as well. read more

Canoe - Duck - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario