Food was average. Presentation average. View is amazing of downtown Toronto, but the overall eating experience is average at best. Not worth it for the price! (fortunately I didn't have to pick up the tab while I was there!!) read more

Overrated. Overhyped. Overpriced. The only good thing about this place is the view. Don't recommend. read more

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

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Unimpressed with this place. The rave reviews really have gotten into the workers' heads. A few simple requests got some rude (or passive aggressive) responses/comments from the staff. I will definitely not be coming back here again. I don't care how good Canoe food is and the view (only if you are lucky to get a window table) - there are many other places around town with great food AND pleasant staff. read more

The view here is great if you get a window seat. the food is pricey and not worth it, I'd rather go to a restaurant downstairs in this area with less of a view; but much better food. I always bring friends from out of town here for the view, but they are not amazed at the food. It one of those places you go once, just to try it and not return. read more

Canoe was everything I expected it would be, and more. This famous Oliver and Bonacini restaurant was all it's hyped up to be for me. I expected that it would be too busy to get in without reservations, but at around 5:00 pm, there was no wait, and we were able to get in without a problem. I had a remarkable view of Toronto, and was able to enjoy it along with the sunset. The restaurant is well designed, in that even if you are not sitting next to window, you can still get a good view of the city. The table comes with a bread basket and a delicious spread, unlike something I have ever had. I ordered a main that is not on the current menu, a fish dish. I find most restaurants do not do fish well, but it was exquisite - succulent, perfectly seasoned. I can't recall what I had for dessert, but I remember I enjoyed it very much. The chef also brought out a free appetizer for the table, which was also delicious. The service doesn't lose any points either. Our server was attentive, efficient, informative, and always available. I loved the atmosphere, the way the patrons actually took time with their presentation, the service, the food, and the overall experience. read more

I really wasn't expecting to like it here. I was expecting it to be cold, pretentious and over priced. Instead I found it was extremely warm and inviting. Yes, it's pricy, but for a special occasion and the spectacular view, it was worth it. We did the tasting menu with wine pairings and I loved the variety and the luxury of not having to think about anything. The dishes and the wines were presented with thorough explanations, but for some reason, I didn't find it annoying as I did at Lee. It felt more like a conversation and less like a presentation, I guess. On a few wine choices, I felt like maybe they were skimping a bit, but it was nice to try a variety of wines without having to commit to a bottle. In the tasting menu, most dishes included a wild variety of flavours. But then when you reached the mains, it went all zen and settled for a kind of purity. I tried both the fish and the lamb mains. The lamb was wonderfully simple, but cooked with a perfection that really brought out the flavours. I've never had lamb shank so wonderfully seared. Another thing I liked about the tasting menu was the way they anticipated what should be next. After a sweet dessert came a refreshing bit of sharp lemon custard and a crusty meringue, etc. I will return to this place when I have out-of-town guests that I want to show a really good time to. The location and the expense will keep me from returning otherwise, but I'm very glad to have tried it, and really enjoyed the whole experience. read more

Canoe is in a class of its own in the Toronto culinary world, and the reasons are apparent the moment you walk through the door and into the warm, open, subdued, chic "modernized woodland" space. Owing to its name and its pervasive "Canadiana" motif, it'd be easy for the décor to veer towards some kind of twee Pierre Berton homage, but it's sufficiently restrained to balance bright playfulness with elegant maturity. (Incidentally, the same is true of the food!) Our table had a spectacular view of the city, particularly from my date's side of the table. We opted for the "Taste Maple" tasting menu and were almost uniformly impressed. The "duo of sockeye salmon and maple cured salmon tartare" was an elaborate montage incorporating a delicious lively radish purée and little bits of pickled sea asparagus. The "tree syrup glazed frog legs" were not such a hit. Surprisingly, they were fried in a thick, floury batter à la General Tzo's Chicken, and painted with an equally thick glaze. The frying process cooked the delicate meat to the texture of overdone chicken. The glaze was intensely sweet with no discernible maple flavour. Consequently, the legs tasted neither of frog nor of tree. The parsley root purée, though, was divine -- I could have eaten a bowl of it all by itself. Both the mains -- maple & miso glazed b.c. sablefish // pork with maple casoulet beans -- were excellent. The dessert, a cornmeal cake with maple syrup and an oatmeal icecream with the most interesting texture -- recognizably ice cream-y yet ever so slightly gritty and floury, sort of like a pulverized oatmeal scone -- was just fantastic. Service was impeccable and friendly. Although it's not yet in quite the same league as places like Gary Danko, it deserves its exceptional status in Toronto, and I would certainly go again, particularly for their next inventive tasting menu. I hope Canoe stands as an example of what it's possible for a restaurant to accomplish in Toronto, and as proof that there's a burgeoning market for "food as art" in this city. read more

I've been here twice (not sure why) and it just isn't that good... the food is a bit too flavorful but amazing ambiance and views

This is one of those rare times when the taste and presentation of almost every single item we ordered far exceeded the already-fantastic description on the menu as well as our expectations. Now, this was over a year ago, so I don't know if they still have this same dish, but the foie gras dish we had was paired with pumpkin-seed muffin (among other things). Best pairing I've tasted for foie gras to date, tied with the cotton candy foie gras at The Bazaar in Los Angeles. From our waiter's suggestion, I went with the caribou. Great choice, as it turns out to be some of the most tender meat I've ever had. Ohhh, and the bread. It came with a hummus and olive oil dip that my boyfriend just could not get enough of. Maybe just we got really lucky with what we ordered... in which case, thank you waiter for the wonderful suggestions. To top it all off, what a fantastic view! read more

I went here for Winterlicious 2011 during lunch. It was my first time here and my expectations were definitely not met. At the doors, the front desk was very helpful and warm. However, after we settled down, the server was slow. It took a long period of time for us just to receive water. It felt unprofessional. It was much louder than I thought it would be. My boyfriend and I both hate noise, so it was not pleasant at all. Although we came at 2 p.m., the loudness lasted until 3:30 p.m. The meal was served slowly, we finished at just a quarter after 4. We ordered beluga lentil soup and clover roads duck rillette for appetizers. They were both very tasty, but the portions were small. The duck rillette tasted kind of like tuna though. For main course, we had slow cooked heritage salmon and braised alberta lamb pappardelle. The salmon tasted a bit plain, it seemed like any normal cooked salmon. For dessert, we had birch syrup pudding and niagara pear panna cotta. Both of us did not like the panna cotta and did not even finish it. I enjoyed the birch syrup pudding, but it was not the best. All in all, the atmosphere was a tad too loud and the food was decently tasty. I expected better, next time I'll probably come here for dinner but not for Winterlicious! read more

I'm extremely surprised at the quality of the food. First, the view is gorgeous. You'll have amazing panoramic views of the CN tower and surrounding cityscapes. The atmosphere at night is very chique. Everyone is dressed up and there is beautiful low light that will make anyone look great on a date ;) When the servers bring out your food, they'll take time to give you a detailed explanation of the dish. It seems everything on the menu uses local ontario ingredients. I had the hogtown pork dish. It was phenomenal - the flavours are incredibly intricate yet not overwhelming. Stacking the legumes, sauce and vegetables on the pork and tasting it all at once creates an overwhelming sensation of different flavours and textures. It was quite honestly the best pork chop in my life. The mushroom that I ordered on the side was a little too salty for my liking though. Regardless the overall experience was nice, not pretentious, and incredibly tasty. read more

Honestly I was really looking forward to eating here. There's such a reputation and brand behind the restaurant - the only way I can describe it is its like buying knock off designer goods - looks the part but to the trained eye or in the case the palate its not. We spent alot of money at this place and I can honestly say everything ranged from weird but edible to good but same old. I really dont get why people are so drawn to this place. You can get more flavourful cuts of beef at the Keg and the appetizers were weird for he sake of being weird rather than being game changing. I wouldnt go back here - if you want good fine dining I recommend Centro, Mistura etc. read more

A $300 bill between two people but absolutely worth every penny. We brought our own wine. With every bite of food I was left shocked. I didn't know it was possible to get such a mouthwatering, succulent meal with bursts of flavours that compare to no other restaurant I have ever been to. I don't even like mushrooms but absolutely loved them here. I look very forward to returning to Canoe as I have a $200 gift certificate. Pretty sure I even dribbled, very rudely, here and there because the intense flavours stimulated my tastebuds so intensely. read more

The restaurant and food itself is standard Western fine-dining except with a great view of the Toronto cityscape due to being so high up in a building. Despite being your typical higher-end establishment, what distinguishes them from other restaurants of the same genre is their execution of their dishes. There's good and then there's polished . The flavors, textures, and nuances are balanced and each dish feels resolved; one can tell that there's a very well-trained kitchen behind the meal. Their staff also echoes the professionalism of Michelin star restaurants in other parts of the world. read more

My girlfriends and I traveled to Toronto, from DC, for one of their birthdays. We chose this restaurant, based on amazing reviews and surely, it didn't disappoint! The staff were incredible professional and friendly and their wine knowledge was outstanding. In addition, they took very special care of our girlfriend for her birthday. Between this and the beautiful views of Toronto, it is one of our favorite go-to places in Toronto! read more

Canoe is one the city's most popular restaurants and it's easy to see why. With an unmatched view, cozy ambiance, and great food, it's a great place for a date night or special occasion. The price tag makes it a splurge, though. Luckily, I managed to get a reservation for Summerlicious, meaning we got a 3 course meal for the fixed price of $48. The presentation of the food is well done, and the food itself is delicious. I especially loved the cheese burrata! The desserts were both a bit lacking however. Our main dishes also could have been better...I actually preferred my starter to the poached salmon. read more

We went there for lunch during the winterlicious 2017, the food is great and service is professional. We would like to go back there again! The view of the Resteruant is super, Unfortunately we didn't get a window table this time. read more

Canoe - foie gras parfait is super! - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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We went to canoe for dinner. Good food and service. Ambiance was nice. I would suggest going earlier in the day so you can enjoy the view and sunshine, but the nighttime view is nice as well. Expected a bit more flavour in the food as well as more variety. Dessert was great. read more

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I was with 2 other coworkers visiting from the US and we wanted to have a nice upscale meal with a view. Canoe checks off all of the boxes. Note that it is very expensive and the priority is on the presentation. If you are wanting to have a BIG meal this is not the place. read more

I came here with a group of co-workers and it was a treat. We had one really amazing appetizer - the duck "Tongue to Tail" a gorgous dish with exceptional flavors. However, the bufula with the spot prawn fell flat and was so disappointing. Didn't even taste good. For my main I had the sturgeon - tender and delicous fish that sat on a delicious beef cheek. Surrounding the fish is mashed truffle potatos that were mousse like. My mouth was in heaven! Dinner on the spendy side but the view alone is worth the visit -perfect for a romantic dinner date or just cocktails at the bar. read more

While the service was 5-Star and food 4-Star, the experience left much to the imagination. I think this place is more suitable for business affairs or men going with men to dinners, etc. Not incredibly romantic atmosphere and the layout is too cafeteria-esque. On the plus side, the Caribou from Yukon was out-of-this-world and the Sommelier was very helpful and fun to converse with. I'd recommend this place for large parties or business meals. Nice wine list too. Pricey night out not worth it for an intimate affair. read more

Do you like to cut your steak with a butter knife and have it melt in your mouth? I sure do. And that is exactly what you will get here if you order your steak medium rare. Hmm, so full of flavour, so amazing. The memory makes it hard for me to concentrate on writing the rest of this review, but here I go. The others I dined with had other delicious looking and smelling meals. I barely noticed because I was so absorbed with own. A general silence feel over our table when everything arrived because of the presentation and aroma, and it continued as everyone enjoyed their food. Before and after the meal, we were also impressed with the view of the city. I recommend going in the evening when the city is lit up. Very pretty. What added the little extra to make this place a 5++ stars, was the service. They were there when needed, and unnoticeable when they weren't. The whole experience was memorable and worthy of repeating...many many times. read more

If you want fine dining, do not look any further. The presentation was memorable as well as the beyond edible tasties. We walked in around 9PM on a Friday night and asked if there was a table open. We were told that normally you have to make reservations months in advance, but there was a table for four open in the bar where we could enjoy the full menu. The view in the bar is just as fabulous as the main dining room, so it turned out that we got lucky. The artichoke soup was out of sight! I also had a salad that had a quail egg, sardine, and eel. Sounds odd I'm sure to some, but it was delicious! You're foolish if you don't check this place out. read more

We traveled to Toronto and stayed their for 5 days. Eating in canoe is one of the highlights of our travel. I chose this restaurant because of its location. It is located in 54th floor of TD Bank Tower so you can enjoy the view of Toronto downtown and Ontario lake. We booked the reservation @ 8 pm but we came early so the employee asked us if we would like to wait at the bar while waiting for our table. We had cocktail and the bar is facing the glass window which is a perfect spot to enjoy the view while waiting. The employee also asked for our coats to be kept somewhere else and they gave us a token to claim our coats later on. Which is nice. The restaurant was pretty busy. It was past 8pm until we got our table. We had different people that served us. One person brought us to our table and we had two or three people that served our food. Our main server was very nice. She engaged with us and we had a great conversation. The other server talked about the food that we ordered which is nice. We had mushroom soup as starter. I thought it tastes good. A little bit salty for me but I love the mushroom. I also like it's texture. It's was creamy and the smell was very smooth. Our main dish was Tournedos Rossini. I would say it was one of the steaks I ever had. I had expectation of course considering that I'm paying 59 bucks. Lol. The presentation and the taste of the beef were just perfect. We had freshly churned sorbets as dessert. For 16 bucks I thought it was just okay. I taste bitterness from it. I'm not sure if it's normal or it's part of it. But I thought it was just okay. Service was great, steak was great, cocktail was okay, the view was great and location. You can see the CN tower, the whole downtown and the Toronto islands. If you hate noise and you don't have patience, this is not the place for you. This place is pretty expensive for me. I had a great experience but if given a chance to comeback to Toronto I would skip this location. If I have extra money for sure I'll comeback. Lol read more

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I have wanted to try Canoe for a while, but since I don't have an expense account, I got my friend (and Amex holder) to call for reservations the first day possible for Winterlicious. We went for lunch but hadn't come from work, so we weren't as dressed up as most of the rest of the clientele. No one batted an eye. (Granted, it's not like we were wearing jogging pants! We were just not in business wear.) The service, from start to finish, was exceptional. Everyone was warm, and more importantly, genuine -- these people actually like their jobs and clearly take pleasure in making people feel welcome. However, I am sure you are wondering...how was the food? The only menu option was the Winterlicious menu, with three options for each course. My dining companion had the salad to start, and I had the lentil soup. She described hers as "AMAZING." My soup was good, but I am definitely not going to go to bed dreaming about it. For mains, she had the pork and I had the lamb. The pappardelle pasta was incredible. It was clearly handmade and perfectly cooked. My companion might be dreaming about her pork schnitzel tonight. The combination of flavours was exceptional. The desserts were also yummy: for me, the birch syrup cake and for her, the panna cotta. The cake had a fantastic ginger foam, and not ginger ale ginger: real, tangy, zesty ginger. Mmmmm. As I said above, the service was just exceptional. I am not sure if they are just doing this for Winterlicious, but they gave each of us a package of spice rub (the one they used on their salmon main) to take home. And then they helped us on with our coats! read more

The atmosphere can make a so-so meal great. In the case of Canoe, the atmosphere made the great food amazing. Canoe is on the 54th floor in the TD Tower - making for a spectacular view, not to mention a great overall ambiance. Worth coming to your reservation early and sitting at the bar to take in the setting. Everything I ate was wonderful, from the artichoke soup to the tea infused duck breast. This is my go-to spot in Toronto! read more

Very nice restaurant. Have always chosen their tasting menu option and enjoyed every dish I've tried - though I wouldn't classify any individual dish as memorable. However, both times I've been here, my favorite item was an appetizer play on sweet and salty: foie gras incorporated w/ a sweet element (s'mores in one case and, I think, a molasses and carrot cake in the other). The restaurant itself is stylish and offers great views of the city. More of a "hot spot" than an "intimate atmosphere". read more

I went here for a pre-christmas dinner with my family and we weren't disappointed. The food was excellent, the service was incredibly attentive and very knowledgeable and there were absolutely no complaints about anything I ate. I ordered: Seared la Ferme Foie Gras to start, Prairies Venison as my main and a tart that i don't think is on the menu anymore. All were excellent - the one thing I can definitely say about this restaurant is that it was an experience in and of itself. The skyline was beautiful, the service fantastic and my tastebuds were definitely stimulated. I do have to say that although my family is seasoned at eating at high end restaurants, I found it to be a tad stuffy. I wasn't terribly comfortable and it felt almost a little too perfect. Six months prior we had eaten at Forte, and while that was a completely different dining experience, I would choose to dine again at Forte before choosing Canoe. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone celebrating a special occasion, entertaining business guests or otherwise, but I think it just wasn't for me. read more

4 stars for the food 5 stars for the view 5 stars for the service we came here for lunch with my girlfriends. we probably looked a bit out of place in jeans and casual clothes.. as everyone was probably there for a business lunch. but the service was great. the sommelier helped us pick a glass of wine and then even suggested wineries for us to go to! great guy. we were seated right between the window and the kitchen which is probably one of the best spots. you can chose between watching the chefs and the beautiful views! here's what we ordered.. riesling CALF LIVER whitefish tourtiere braised rabbit chocolate cake read more

Amazing food, view, wine, & service. It is very pricey though. Expect to pay around $300 for dinner for 2 people. read more

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

I loved this restaurant. We did the tasting menu and were not disappointed. The food was amazing and beautifully presented. The location is amazing. Being able to look out and see the city and the islands. Really perfect, romantic spot! read more

A very special dining experience. The presentation is amazing, service is great and the food tastes almost as good as it looks. Only problem was that I mentioned in my reservation that the occasion was for a birthday which they totally ignored! I thought that wasn't really nice on their part but the wine helped me forget! It was a near perfect experience otherwise. read more

Love the Canadian dishes that they served when I went. Food was local and the braised short rib was just melt in your mouth delicious. Atmosphere was very much suits and dressy. Lots of networking dinners and business casual lunches held there. The view is also great even on a foggy day. read more

Private dining with a smaller group. Service was excellent. Servers efficient friendly and helpful. Attentive without being overbearing - a very fine balance that they accomplished. The meal was a tasting menu with wine pairings, with appetizers before hand. Chef explained each course personally and his understated enthusiasm is infectious. We were each looking to taste the highlights he spoke of - outstanding. Unknown fish and spicy prawn dish were favourites! Sommelier was friendly and knew her stuff explaining each wine, why it worked with the food and had a clear enjoyment of her profession. Thanks to both for the extra suggestion on wine pairing Turkey and the extracurricular lesson on the art of French fries! read more

Every time I visit Toronto I love taking in the views of Lake Ontario and Cityline from the harbour, from the island and looking down from the 54th floor of the TD tower. With Summerlicious and PanAm games crowds, walk-in bar seating was perfect. Bar bites were reasonably priced and bar staff (Jane) was attentive and extremely helpful with recommendations. Bread with white bean and beet spread was hardy and a nice change to see something other than oils or fats with bread. Duo of Tartare of beef & salmon was a perfect portion of meats and baby bannocks. If there's foie gras on a menu I have to order it. The S'mores foie gras was a balanced combination of savoury and sweet. This starter is a must have when coming here. To finish something light the apricot mousse from their Summerlicious menu. Stewed apricots with an airy mousse was smooth ending to my mini-tasting menu. With a glass of wine my bill with tip came close to $100. Highly recommend visiting Canoe if not for a full meal come for a drink or cocktail in the bar and enjoy the view. read more

Went for Winterlicious on a Saturday night and loved it! The view was great and the food was even better. I had the poached salmon as the appetizer, tamarack pork for the main, and poached pear for the dessert. Dessert was my least favourite and that says a lot when talking about winter/summerlicious menus. The dishes were all very very well seasoned and cooked -very soft and tender. I compared the menu between dinner and lunch and they were almost virtually the same, with lunch being priced 20 dollars cheaper - meaning lunch is basically a steal at that price point. Nevertheless, I can definitely say the meal lives up to the hype. Despite finishing dinner before I finished my wine, they did not attempt or make any gestures that made it seem like they were kicking us out considering they were fully booked. Very classy place. read more

Definitely my favourite place in the city, and the deserving winner of Toronto Life's Top Restaurant Review. Eating at Canoe is like no other experience you'll ever have. From the moment you walk in the door and are greeted by the hostess, to the expert mixologists behind the bar, to the service in the dining room, to the absolutely fantastic food prepared by their expert kitchen staff, it is worth every penny that you will spend. And you can spend a lot of those pennies. The food is expertly prepared and beautifully presented. Canoe focuses on Canadian Regional Cuisine, meaning products sourced in Canada, and following, with a twist, some good old fashioned Canadian recipes. Prepare to indulge in Oysters from the East, Caribou from the Yukon served with a classic Tourtiere, BC Crab, and more. A fantastic wine list, with something respectable no matter how much you want to spend. Even their house wines, custom blends done at Cave Springs Winery in Niagara, are a good choice. While many people who have not enjoyed this restaurant may automatically assume a certain pretentiousness to it, once you step inside you will feel immediately at ease, welcomed by their friendly and highly polished staff. read more

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Food is great, and presentation is wonderful. However, I felt a bit dissapointed with our waiter. He was distracted, busy and took an awful lot of time to even come get our order. Even then, didn't do much of a good job attending to us. Overall, a nice place, pricey, but good for occasions. The atmosphere is a bit "stuffy". read more

I took my boyfriend here for his birthday recently, he had never been, I've been once with the family. The service was really good. Our glasses were always full and our server did not treat us any differently even though we weren't ordering from the full price menu. The downside of the service; we were sitting near the kitchen where we could witness the manager "speaking sternly" to one of the busboys every time he did something "wrong". While I understand that he wanted the service to be perfect, he should not have done it within sight of the customers. Food was quite good though not as good as I remember last time... Could have been perception or simply what we ordered. We had the Summerlicious menu, he got the flank steak which was really tender and flavourful and I had the salmon which was buttery and flakey but nothing exceptional as far as salmon is concerned. My dessert of bread pudding was so so but his frozen yogurt was better. All in all, the meal was very good but not worth it if I had to pay the regular menu prices! Still definitely worth trying! I kind of wish we had gotten a window seat but regardless, the view was nice! Oh... And their summer cocktails were delish!!! read more

Manage to get a reservation for their Summerlicious lunch this year. I have been to Canoe before but always try to make use of their summerlicious / winterlicious deals. Service was great but I feel their normal menu tastes better than the Summerlcious menu. Even though you can't beat the price! The view up there is great so definitely try to call ahead of time and make reservations for the window seats. But beware of foggy and cloudy days cause you won't see a thing.... read more