Ordered the Monday special which was a big burger for $4. It was decent and came with lettuce, tomato, pickles. Everything else was extra $ (including the cheese). The sweet potato fries were a side but we had the pay for that separately ($4.95 if memory serves me correctly). Surprisingly these did not taste good. They were soggy and tasted kind of stale. The basil mayo was awesome though My friend got a berry smoothie which she enjoyed and i got an iced mochacino which again tasted very average (i'd take the tim hortons ice capp over this drink). Finally the service was friendly but extremely slow considering the sheer number of staff i saw in the front of the house. The kitchen took well over 40mins to get my burger out and the meat didn't taste like it was freshly grilled or anything. We called ahead to confirm if there was working fast WiFi, but when we arrived they said it was down (felt misled by the staff on this point) I probably would only come back for desserts as they appeared to be standard cakes and pies from the market. The rest of the food and beverages really are forgettable read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Markham - Monday special burger $4. Meh - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Markham, Ontario

See all

If daily deals are a thing, you should definitely try out Symposium Cafe. As a student from Waterloo, Symposium used to be my ultimate chill spot - wine and cheesecake, what more can you ask for right? But a new location opened near my home back in Markham! I came here on a Monday night, and it was the burgers and pint special, each at $3.75. It's a good deal, but you should definitely check out what interests you before going. They have specials for date night for $40, martini specials, pasta night specials, etc. I also ordered the Mussels appetizer (~$10), and it was huge, I would say about 2lbs of mussels cooked with tomato sauce. This is more of a family restaurant with a more conservative (not unique) menu. It's nothing special, but if you find the right day of the week to go, you will definitely be paying a good price for a good quality meal, with comfortable seating and wide variety of cakes to choose from for dessert (who doesn't love sweets to end off the day?) read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Markham - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Two stars here for me. I came here for lunch with my dad one afternoon with somewhat high expectations after hearing good things about the Symposium chain for drinks and desserts. Located in a small plaza off Kennedy, the restaurant looks upscale and put together. Service was on par with the looks. The disappointment was with the food. We ordered a flat bread and burger, both of which tasted like something from a really crappy diner (lacked flavours and even visual appeal). I recall the flat bread itself being poorly baked. I definitely won't be coming back for their food but may consider visiting again for dessert and drinks. read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Markham - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Markham, Ontario

I have driven passed this location many times. I brought my book club to this location to check them out. the menu was nice and very different and would cover many budget. I had six people in my group i was seted fine (noon on a sunday). They had no problme for waitting for my group members to arrive 20 miunts later. we got single bills, it alway a good idea to let them know before you order. (NOTE: if you have more then 10 your get a charge 10% its writen i seen it). We order our food from lunch to brekfast food it was about average price. The group felt the food had no flaver even if the food was hot. The server was very nice and friendly and very acomidtion to the group. The environment: Diffrent it made me feel like i was in ROME with all the old painting on the wall. The chirs when you sit made you lower perhap a booth would be good or the bar (yes they have a bar). I not sure if i would go back but it was nothing special for me. read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Markham - One wall nice looking Look old - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Markham, Ontario

See all

The starters are 33% off after 10pm. Big restaurant, very quite environment and good for relax. read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Markham - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Food: 4 Service: 3 Environment: 4 Family friendly: 4 Nice place for breakfast/brunch, food quality is better than Egg Smart/Cora. Price is reasonable. Lots of selections and daily specials. Relaxing environment nice for coffee or drink with friends. Service may be slow. read more

See all

This place has potential. The decor inside is cute and comfortable. The menu seems appetizing, with reasonable portions. However, the service could really use some improvement. The serving staff seemed disorganized. After ordering, we waited. And waited. And waited........... A couple that arrived 10 minutes was served first and received their food in half the time. Food preparation was clearly very slow, and by the time my chicken & parmesan sandwich arrived, the the fries had already gone soft and the cheese had set. I'm a bit picky about the textures in my food, so the mushy, oil-soaked bottom bun grossed me out. Clearly it had been sitting out for too long. Why didn't the just give me my food as soon as it was prepared? My friend's dessert was fabulous though. Plating was beautiful with huge portions of delicious waffles and ice cream and caramel brownies and whipped cream. Wow. Overall, taste was okay but not worth the 40-minute long wait. If desserts are your thing, you may want to give Symposium a shot. If you want a quick & tasty meal, skip Symposium and head to the Tim Horton's next door. read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Markham - chicken & parm sandwich w/soggy fries (the plate was warmer than the sandwich) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Markham, Ontario

There were 5 tables when we arrived. Three already eating, and two waiting to order. It took about 10 minutes for someone to finally come to the table. Ordered...another 10 minutes for out drinks to arrive. (We were a table of TWO). We had breakfast and they forgot my sausage in my sausage and eggs. We had to ask for syrup, utensils, water (again), and ketchup for the table. The sausage finally came as I finished my breakfast. The restaurant was less than half full with no line up after we paid. The manager came up to us and said..."Today is kind of a busy day so it's not really a day to hang out if you can get going in the next 5 minutes or so." Are you KIDDING ME??? Wow. Food was not bad, but service was a joke. read more

I was here for brunch on a Saturday morning, walked in about 10 AM, and it was not busy at all. The group of us all ordered different things, with two of us ordering waffles and the other half ordering a more hearty breakfast. We noticed a few things about the food served. The waffles were soggy, not fluffy. Which was quite a disappointment. And when they went to dig into their fruit cups, only the top of the fruit cup served a variety of fruits. Strawberries, banana, cantaloupe. But when you finish the small top layer, the bottom of the cup was all honey dew. If the honey dew was of decent quality, it would not have been a problem. But the honey dew served tasted more like rinds than the actual meat in the melon. They also messed up on a order which my friend substituted her potatoes for her fruit cup. They gave her the potatoes, and we had to ask for the fruit cup after. I ordered a Eggs Benjamin, and I was pleasantly surprised with 3 eggs for my Benjamin. But the simplicity of the plate was not appealing. For other places that I have visited for brunch, the plate was more full, busy, and had other sides other than potatoes. Overall, I was disappointed with the quality of the brunch that we were served. The servers were very pleasant, but the food could use a improvement. read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Markham - Eggs Benjamin (smoked salmon) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Markham, Ontario

No utensils on the table. Server was rude and spilled food on me, forgot our calamari. Didn't bring utensils for dessert, we had to get up to get our own utensils at the kitchen. The place is terrible. Never coming back there again. read more

Imagine one person holding it down and they were still able to provide great food and great service and to make me feel special on my Bday!!

Do Not go to this place. My friends and I went to buy cakes and they overcharged us. Their area manager did nothing about it.

Came here for brunch on a Sunday, not busy at all so it was easy to get a table. Our server was horrible, everything about him was awkward, I ordered my drink then meal, then he asked if I wanted a drink, just the one I already ordered please! He was very unsure about everything and it was super annoying. I ordered the bacon and cheddar omelet and added onion and my husband had the 3 eggs with turkey sausage. My omelet was not good, eggs were overcooked, bacon was flabby and there was way too much onion. My husband enjoyed his eggs, but didn't like that the turkey sausage was deep fried, it made a healthier option a bad choice. Toast was barely buttered, the only positive about breakfast was the potatoes. Even my hot chocolate was lukewarm. We won't be back anytime soon. read more

We came here for brunch - they have all day breakfast until 4pm on Sunday. I got the eggs Benedict and it was decent. However, there is nothing too amazing about the food. Portion was generous and service was good. I would come here if I am just grabbing a casual brunch. read more

I can only say. The place is nice and quite and can be a great place for a date. I had a chicken souvlaki and it tasted great!!! I would recommend it if you don't mind the price. read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Markham - Chicken souvlaki dinner $18 overpriced!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Markham, Ontario

This place is only good for Coffee and dessert at best. Food is mediocre and over priced. They use to have BOGO on Sunday's, not sure if that's still around. Nothing special really, not really close to anything but farm land. I live fairly close and pass by almost daily, Avoiding it. You're better off hitting up main for dinner and an ice cream. read more

Overpriced and tacky. The food here is not the best.. it's mediocre AT BEST, and that's saying a lot. I'm always dragged here by coworkers but it's always a disappointment for me. Foodwise, anyway. Everything is something I can make at home, except maybe done a bit better and presented better. The chicken tenders were $9 and they just look like sad, dry shriveled up old mcnuggets with two skinny celery and carrot pieces.. 2/10 Crab and cheese pasta dish was ok.. very heavy sauces.. I can feel the fat clogging up my veins as I eat it. 5/10 The chicken caesar wrap is below average.. contents inside are usually cold or room temperature.. not something I'd want in a nice warm meal. Comes with a few sad looking fries.. I think there was under 10 on my plate. It looks like somebody already went in on my meal before I did. 4/10 Calamari would not be recommended by me. When I bite into it, I taste no squid. Just a shit-ton of frying batter. Gross. 3/10 The dessert here is ok actually! The portions are huge.. definitely sharing portions. (Or on-your-own portions if you're hungry for some ice cream) Presented nicely and contains a lot of everything they offer. 8/10 Drinks.. meh, it's a hit or miss. In the summer, I had amazing exotic drinks that sent me to the couch. Now, their drinks are mediocre - there are pitcher deals but a lot of their drinks do not taste accurate to the name.. the mojito tastes like sweetened toothpaste and their margaritas taste like mouthwash and perfume. 5/10 My friends and I got a pitcher to share but we ended up making only one of us finish it because it was too gross. Service really varies. Many times they're great and friendly. However, once I was trying to order a piece of cake as I left and the server just would not help me for some reason. I kept trying and trying and she kept giving me looks and telling me to 'hold on'. After forever and a day, she acknowledged what I wanted but still wouldn't give it to me. I gave up and decided to go as she called out to me and told me "wait, if you still want it, it won't take that long" ... um no. I don't recommend coming here, there's so many more places you can go and save more money for a better meal. read more

Server not well trained. No utensils until we ask. Bring over the cup of cappuccino without plate and spoon and the tasted is the worse cappuccino I ever had. no butter for waffle until we ask. Ordered burger but no sauce on the burger or until we ask for sauce. Fruit on fruit salad is not fresh...not happy with the money spent....over $100 for a lunch with family for this quality of food and ruins my Saturday afternoon the worse. read more

The food is not very good. I got this butter chicken rice and it was nothing like curry at all. The chicken was weird too...kinda spongy. Cheddar broccoli soup is very average. Their spinach dip is average. Their calamari almost feels like it's not fried enough. What I do come to symposium for is their desserts; their waffles are big and affordable and quite delicious. They also have this cookie with melted chocolate inside and topped with ice cream; it's good enough...although the edge of the cookie is quite hard, which makes me think it was a frozen premade cookie that they just threw in the microwave. Ambience is good. Service is pretty bad. The waiters barely ever come around to check up on how you're doing or refill water, and most of the waiters seem anti-social which isn't the best trait for someone in the service industry to have. Am I expecting too much? This is just a really (below) AVERAGE restaurant. read more

We have been here since it has opened, unfortunately the service and the quality of food diminished with each visit. They can't seem to get proteins cooked to your liking (overcooked and dry normally), had poached eggs come out like hard boiled eggs instead. Not very well seasoned either. Feel bad for the waiters and waitresses for taking the grunt of the bad food produced. Never started out like this but thats what it is now. Advice, go somewhere else till the cooks and management has changed. read more

This was my first time visiting Symposium. I had heard about it from a family member, so I decided to try it for lunch with a large group. Myself, as well as the other members of my table were unsatisfied with our meals. Several of us ordered sandwiches, the turkey seemed like cold cut meat and ALL of the tomatoes given were the ends. Also, the fries were either soggy or over done. The other meals were okay, but nothing to write home about. I will definitely not be visiting again for lunch. However, the desserts were quite good. This restaurant is better suited as a cafe and dessert type place. The service was okay, but could have been better as the restaurant was quite empty, but the food took quite a while to come out. The menu is WAY too large and overpriced for what you are getting. read more

The atmosphere was quiet and calm, good place to bring a date. The service was great and the waiter was very helpful. He suggested an appetizer platter that had both the calamari and flatbread for a fraction of the normal price. He came periodically to checkup on the table and to clear unwanted dishes. The calamari was crispy and had enough spice on its own, no need for the cocktail sauce that came with it. For a place with such classy decor, it was weird that the sauces came in little plastic containers. The flatbread was loaded with sauce and a generous amount a shrimp, it was very similar to a pizza in flavour, except the dough was lighter. The barbecue sauce was a amazing but it drowned out the taste of the Brie. The patty was moist but couldn't really taste anything under than the BBQ sauce and the raw red onions. The cake selection was huge and the wait staff patiently introduced each cake in the display fridge. There's an added touch of design using chocolate drizzles before it is served. Overall, will come back again for a meal or even just to grab something sweet. read more

See all

Came here for a friend's birthday celebration where she reserved a table on the back patio. This plaza is located pretty north and out of the way in a residential area. Regardless, this place had a nice intimate vibe throughout the evening. I ordered a slice of chocolate caramel cake and a mocha. Take a look at the pics below - they tasted just as good as they look. Symposium is a great place to go for dessert after dinner. It's comparable to the likes of other dessert cafe places like Cafe Mirage. I'd definitely return, but it's usually out of the way, being on the outskirts of Markham. read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Markham - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Markham, Ontario

See all

I came to Symposium on a friday night with 2 of my buddies for drinks and food. The environment was pretty casual and seemed more family orientated for a friday night. We ordered a pitcher of Rickards White, and our server who was an older gentlemen took the effort to pour our drinks for us. He poured all 3 glasses half way, which resulted in us having to finish pouring our glasses... I ordered the Chicken tenders for about $11 and change, but was disappointed with the portion of the plate, as it didn't even come with fries :(. We ordered our second pitcher and realized the bartender poured too much head (foam - more than 2 fingers of standard head) in our pitcher and asked politely for it to be re-poured. Our server again, attempted to pour the beer into one of my buddies glasses but he clearly didn't know how to pour... so we politely said we'd pour it ourselves. (look at picture). Overall, It was not busy but it's not really a bar environment to drink in or to watch a sports game. The floor seemed over-staffed with servers and I could tell some of the servers were not experienced, including the bartender who poured our pitchers... read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Markham - Our server attempted to pour beer into one of my buddies glasses.. we politely said we'd pour it ourselves :P - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Markham, Ontario

From reading previous reviews we did not have high expectations going in, however the level of quality at that price did not please us. Let's start by saying the restaurant is quite nice, open and clean. Our server was prompt, friendly and made sure our needs were met. The washrooms were clean as well. Prices are a little on the high side, but affordable. Coffee was good. The food was sub par. We had the Eggs Benedict and French Toast. The eggs were very bulbous and round, cutting into them revealed a thoroughly cooked yolk (to the level of a medium-hard boiled egg). The eggs were topped with only a mere table spoon of hollandaise sauce, not nearly enough to even cover the eggs entirely. Pea meal bacon and home fries were okay. The French toast was slightly on the burnt side due to the sugar or honey that they must have beaten into the eggs. The taste was okay but nothing spectacular. For the medium-high price point the food quality should have been better. I expect this type of food at a greasy diner, not at a cafe/lounge. We will not be going back to Symposium. read more

Was at the restaurant with friends for the first time. It has a nice and warm ambiance to it and the wait staff are very attentive. We came at about 5:30pm due to other later commitments and liked the fact that there were early bird specials I ordered the chicken Souvlaki which came with a small salad in its own bowl and all food arrived very quickly, perhaps too quickly. The salad tasted liked the dressing had been on the salad for quite some time as the lettuce and other vegetables were wilted. This alone was not a show stopper. I noticed that the chicken in the Souvlaki had a slightly rubbery texture. It didn't seem to be grilled as normal and certainly didn't taste like fresh chicken. The texture, taste and the speed of delivery suggests to me that the meal came from a freezer, onto a microwave oven, then onto the plate. There are likely cost advantages for restaurants buying frozen entree items but unfortunately when I have them, the chances of me returning to the restaurant is zero. The business has invested heavily in outfitting the store. Why in the world the business would bankruptcy in investing in poor food cooking methods is beyond me. The last place that served microwaved food that I visited was out of business within one year. Not a formula for success. read more

Went on a regular Sunday for lunch and even though there were empty tables we had to wait 25 mins before getting seated. Presentation of food and taste of food was just average. Nothing great to comment about. slow service (took about 40 mins for our brunch to arrive). I wouldnt come back here as I dont see any reason that would compel me to. read more

See all

French onion soup cold, no onions, cold, cheese hardly melted. 1/10. Fish n chips decent, sweet potato fries overfried. Chicken wrap no real flavor. Ambience ok, but food not up to par. read more

New symposium... woohoo!! and its sooo closeby another plus... Came here and a Friday night after painting and boy it was busy but thankfully we were seated promptly and to attention detail, we were not seated close to the entrance... that's awesome! LLBO in effect here. Love the ambiance and decors...daily specials were interesting...late dinner for me cuz didn't eat ahead of time. Ordered the Parmesan chicken sandwich... it was a little dry to be honest but acceptable....it was a *symposium preference * so I guess I had slightly higher expectations when I see that... Vanilla chai was good...me and a friend were chatting away. Didn't notice the time but our server was great... Filled our hot waters and taken away empty glasses and plates promptly after I was done. Came to checkup on us from time to time. Great service. Food pricing was good... this is not a cheap chinese place...ok peeps! I shall return and try their daily specials... read more

Wanted to grab dessert so decided to try this place. Their mango shake tastes disgusting! It literally tastes like water mixed with something, so I don't recommend getting the mango shake. We also got two appetizers, the calamari and shrimp, it tastes good, however I have tried better. I feel like all three tasted pretty bland. My favourite part was dessert. The dessert tasted amazing. We got a slice of cake (they have many options), and we got a brownie. Service was okay, definitely could have been better. Asking for certain things took forever (e.g. forks, dessert, etc.) If your going here, stick to the dessert. read more

I had lunch here this past weekend with my husband and daughter. It was our first time. And, it will definitely be the last time too. There were so many issues from the start. 1. The hostess said there were no kid menus available to view as they were used at other tables. The kids at the other tables were already eating their meal! 2. We waited 20 minutes before a waiter took our order. It could've taken longer if I didnt have to give the "look" to the manager. By the way, the restaurant was half empty at the time with five servers & a manager. 3. We were served water in cups that still had lipstick on them! 4. I was thankful that the meal came out on time. BUT when the waiter placed my husband's meal in front of him, he also had a steak knife in the same hand which he almost stabbed my husband in the eye AND chest! 5. I had the steak and eggs. Everything was drenched in butter. It was not good. My husband had the burger, it was okay. Not enough french fries were served with his burger though. 6. The waiter didn't check on us once during the entire meal. When it was time for the bill, the waiter was no where to be found. I had to go up by the front counter & ask for the bill from the manager. I noticed the delicious apple shortbread behind the casing & decided to purchase one & add it to the bill. BIG MISTAKE! The young lady behind the counter had picked up the apple bar with her bare hands! And, to organize the platter after, she decides to use her bare hands again to adjust the remaining apple bars. I was shocked to see this, especially with the manager standing right there. WHERE ARE THE TONGS!?!? Because of what I just saw, I refused to take the apple dessert & asked for it to be removed from the bill. 7. Lastly, the booth where we sat had spiderwebs in the corner with dead bugs & crumbs. The fake plaster tiles are coming off the walls. I wont be surprised that they fall & hit a customer in the head. read more

For some odd reason this place reminds me of café mirage in Scarborough. A relatively new location away from the craziness of markham I'm glad to see they've opened up a café in this part of town (though it's not my neck of the woods per say). The ambience is chilled out, not too dim, and this location seems to be getting quite popular no matter what part of the day or night. The layout seems spacious however if your table is seated right at the bar it can be quite a jam, which is what I experienced. Since we were here for coffee and dessert, Symposium has a few good choices for dessert, but what caught my eye was their Chocolate fudge brownie cheesecake. Though the presentation was there! The top portion of my cheesecake (the brownie) kept falling off! but nonetheless the decedance of this dessert was great! To help digest this rich cake I ordered a green tea on the side. THough the place is hussling, the service we had was mediocre. Once our dishes and drinks were served, our waiter seeemed to have forgotten us, and I was, for the most part thirsty for a glass of water. Overall the place is great just to catch up with friends in a relaxed environment. So far my first impression of this place is neither here nor there, but I still prefer their Thornhill location. read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Markham - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Markham, Ontario

See all

Delicious Beef Burger in Town! Yum! It also provides a nice environment with comfortable seating, indoor and outdoor. Great selection of wines and a wide variety of dishes. Monday Special with Great Price! Must Go & Eat!! read more

See all

Cozy and casual place to have one of their daily special drinks, but that's about it. We tried their $5 burger and I'd rather have a big mac (disclosure , I like big macs) the soup was big, which was all it had going for it . The drinks are cheap and the atmosphere is nice but the food is passable. read more

I am really happy with the service at this place. I am a regular client at this location and I can see the improvement with the new management . The waiter that attended me was attentive and the food was delicious . I give a 5 starts because I am satisfied with this restaurant. read more

Terrible service. When we walked in, there were plenty of seats available, but we still had to wait a few minutes before someone seated us. Once we sat down, we waited a good 10 minutes until our server came, and even though she was friendly, she always kept us waiting. I ordered the deluxe omelette, and it was not the greatest. The egg was overcooked and the omelette was very dry. Their marble rye bread is good, but it did not come with jam or anything. I do not think I will come here again. read more

Got the teriyaki salmon -over cooked, dry -served with uncle bens rice -over priced ($25 after tax and tips) -everything was extremely bland Servers were okay Owner is rude and has a bad attitude read more

Been here a few times for breakfast since my last review. I still really like the patio, but the quality of food has slipped a bit. Service is still strong. My last visit, the eggs benny had 1 of the 3 eggs waaaaay over poached. It was pretty well hard boiled. And they were a bit chincey with the potatoes. Aside from that, good stuff. read more

Food and atmosphere was decent but service was so slow!! All the servers seem very new, they all kinda stood around and didn't know what they were doing. We asked for water when we first sat down and nobody came by with water or to take our orders. We finally flagged down the supervisor and he found us our server. They were all pretty friendly but I guess they all still in training. Other than the slow service, it wasn't bad. We tried their wraps and both tomato soup and cream of broccoli were pretty tasty. read more

We had an excellent time with impeccable service this morning at Symposium Markham. The service was delightful and management was great to work with. Anna was very helpful along with the other managers who created a custom menu for our event (baby shower). The food was delicious and the atmosphere was just perfect. Thank you again for making our experience a lovely one! read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Markham - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Markham, Ontario