I've always seen this restaurant over the years, but I finally had a chance to go myself a few weeks ago for a family friend's birthday. It is one of the fanciest places I've ever been, and it was so worth the experience! We were treated with the upmost respect, and we were treated with lovely piano playing all night. It really set a calm atmosphere. I ordered the prime rib (medium rare), and it was SO tender and juicy! It cut so easily, and it was complimented perfectly with the mashed potatoes, which I normally do not care for. Finished off the meal with chocolate cake, and it was good! It wasn't necessarily soft, but it was a massive portion that could be easily shared. Overall very lovely experience, and I would come here again for another big event or celebration. read more

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Came here for a friend's birthday. Gave it a try but wouldn't come back. Very attentive service at the beginning but you could tell even 35 mins before closing they were all getting antsy to leave and the quality of service vanished. Food was just okay, nothing special. Sadly I'll always remember having one of the worst old fashioned here. It was so watered down with no smokiness. read more

For wedding reception. They were excellent in the helping with the planning of the reception and direction. The staff was excellent and very helpful The food was delicious. Everything was well organized and ran smoothly. Just the wine was a bit slow to start being served with dinner. The bar service was superb. The menu options are diverse and a reasonable price seeing it covers everything. I would highly recommend here for your functions. read more

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Its pretty empty and quite here. There was only 6 tables all night during our visit on a Tuesday. I called to make reservations ahead of time to celebrate a birthday. I asked if i was allowed to bring my own cake and corkage. And i was told there is no corkage. To me, that meant, i can bring my own wine and there is no corkage fees. But apparently they dont allow us to bring wine which was announced to me after we were seated and i passed my server the wine i brought. He said he went to clarify with the manager that there is "no corkage". Me being so confused at this point.... But whatever. Food was pretty good. Servers weren't the friendliest. Nothing above and beyond to make my friend feel special celebrating her birthday there. Brought the bill at 9:36pm to tell me they've been closed for a while but google maps says they close at 10pm. I honestly would rather spend $800 having dinner somewhere i feel more welcomed. read more

The School Fine Dining - Steakhouses Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Fine dining delicious food in a wonderfully beautiful setting. Our party of six ordered a variety of apps, mains, and desserts with many that wowed. Here's the verdict: -Bourbon flames peppercorn steak (strong flavour and steak so tender. Def recommend if you love peppercorn sauce) -NY striploin cooked really well and tasty veggies and mashed potato -Prime Rib was the daily special and it was so tender and well cooked -Chicken dish was so juicy and flavourful, not dry or boring at all. -French onion soup was so good and definitely recommended -Lobster and crabcakes were pretty tasty -Escargot was alright for us it was a bit too salty so not as enjoyable. -Affagato was good with strong espresso -The chocolate cake was amazing and in my opinion a must order if you like chocolate. It is the perfect place to celebrate special occasions and celebrations. Just be aware prices are fine dining prices but service was on point, and food was stellar so you get a really nice experience to go along with it. read more

We recently attended a wedding at The School and the food was excellent. The main course of Beef Medallions and Grilled Chicken Supreme was done to perfection. Considering that they were preparing 100 meals, the beef was done to a nice medium-rare to medium (I tend to go with medium-rare) and it had the nice seared flavour and was tender. Similarly, the chicken was moist, tender and flavourful. The staff were courteous and attentive. The bar was well stocked and prompt in preparation of drinks. Along with the festivity of the occasion, the food was just the perfect complement to a great day. We have been to The School on several occasions over many years and have never been disappointed with the food. I was too busy having a good time that I did not take pictures of the food and venue. read more

It was a great experience. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. The environment was very nice. read more

The School Fine Dining - Steakhouses Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Gathered here to commemorate the life of a dear friend. The restaurant was reserved for an intimate dining experience. Food was top notch, from appetizers to the main. Assorted cheeses, hors d'oeuvres, shrimp and a flaky salmon fillet were on the menu. Wait staff were kind and accommodating. The atmosphere was classy. My first time left a good impression. Fine dining at its finest. No pictures were taken because the occassion didn't call for any. read more

If you go with a big group, count on your food to be room temperature. Most of our group got the special, which was a prime rib and the only person who got a warm piece got theirs well done. Everyone's 16 oz prime rib also came out all different sizes .... Where's the consistency? Obviously if a majority orders the same meal, you would compare. Waiters were also bumping into us as we were seated. ..just really annoying when you're trying to enjoy your meal. No apology either. read more

The School Fine Dining - The Special - 16 oz prime rib - Steakhouses Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Lambalicious! Lamb me up baby! I don't think lamb is ever a risky item to order. Lamb never disappoints. This was incredible. On top of that, service was LITERALLY perfection. Come here if you want to be served like royalty. I will be coming back for sure! Don't ask me about desert, I didn't think to take a photo. 5/5 read more

The School Fine Dining - Steakhouses Near Me - Markham, Ontario

I had a wonderful experience here. The food was cooked well and service was great. The manager pays great detail to your needs. I would definitely come back here for another delicious dinner. I had ordered the Gorgonzola with truffle crusted strip loin, it was really flavourful and my steak was cooked to perfection. I had the mashed potatoes and it was nice and creamy. I really enjoyed the pickled vegetables they served as an appetizer to open up your appetite, I'm not sure if they were pickled in house or jarred. Atomosphere was great as well, they even had someone playing the piano there which was really nice as most places nowadays have something playing on the radio or CD player. read more

77/100 This place is a classic. Old school high end steak house in the same vein as Peter's close by. I've got no complaints, the service is polite, the atmosphere and decor is vintage (maybe a bit dated, but well kept) and it's quiet enough to have a conversation without raising your voice. Most of all, they've got good steak. The bone in ribeye is 24oz and easy to share, the scallops are rather large and cooked pretty well. Dessert wise, their creme brule and their cheesecake are both good. It's simple, elegant, and the kind of place I would go to as a reward for a good job at school or something when I was younger. read more

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Our small company had our Christmas dinner gathering last week. We had great service, food and environment. We are already planning our next year's booking. Thank you all for the wonderful night. Would definitely recommend this place. read more

Food was outstanding Service was top notch Ambiance was excellent Would highly recommend this place if you are looking for a top notch steak. read more

Old school building turned steakhouse! Very cute interior decor. Fairly good menu selection (more than other steakhouses in the area) although quite traditional. The food was good quality and the service fantastic. The wait staff also put on a nice show if you order certain menu items such as their Caesar Salad or Specialty Dessert Coffees. read more

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The school is not a place that would come to mind for most when they think of fine dining and Markham. I had heard about it for years but not been very interested until it was brought up in a conversation and was told you'd get a great meal out it. That being said, our family decided to go for my fathers' Birthday. The school is as elegant as it is traditional when it comes to fine dining experiences. As you enter the restaurant you are greeted by the Maitre d who collects your jacket for coat check. You are promptly guided towards your table in the dim lit room, renovated over from what I imagine was a 19th century home. When it comes to service they were considerate, helpful, and timely with bringing the orders to the table. However when it comes to fine dine food, I felt that the menu price did not reflect the effort of the dishes. That being said the quality of the food was not poor by any means but I could have had an amazing meal in the city for a similar price point. Maybe they like to stick to tradition of no fooling around food on a plate minimal presentation. Here's what we had: *To being they brought out pickled preserves and bread with oil; nothing out of the ordinary but a nice touch to start* Prosciutto wrapped Mozza (13$) - Three perfectly wrapped mozza prices drizzles with reduced balsamic. It was a delicious Italian rendition of fine ingredients blended together in a scrumptious gathering. Definitely a worth while dish for a small group to share. Lobster bisque with creme and congac (12$) - A simple yet delightful soup that was hearty but not over bearing with richness. Hard to taste the congac flavour but I guess i'll believe it's in there. Seared citrus Salmon fillet (35$) - My dad loves his fish so he went with this. The flavour of the fish was good and it was cooked well with a bit of rawness in the centre but felt that overall the dish sided with rice and a couple vegetables was overly simple. Seafod Linguini (42$) - With flavours of the sea like shrimp, lobster and scallop this dish pulled the ocean into a bowl with fresh pasta tossed in a light aioli sauce. Nothing over the top but the positives were the fish tasted fresh, lacking the fishy taste and served hot with the al dente pasta was a nice combination Veal Osso Bucco (45$) - Probably the most notable dish of the night. Combined with risotto and vegetables assorted, the meat fell right off the thick bone. The jus sauce was light and savoury and gave extra flavour to the meat and the risotto. The School is not a place I would go to often or consider again, my preferred experience would be something with a little more flare if I'm putting out that much money. Overall a fair meal but not something I would jump back to. read more

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Lovely aristocratic interior and great service but their steak was a huge disappointment. I ordered the filet mignon and it came looking like a home cooked meal... On my plate had the steak, a plain baked potato, and ONE of each of a strip of pepper, carrot and bok choy. Please refer to my picture. For "fine dining" I just can't believe that is what came out of the kitchen. The sear was a bit too strong and it was not really medium rare as asked for, and I saw another person's steak they asked for medium and it looked more rare than mine etc.. I also had the lobster bisque which was nice how it came with big lobster chunks but I think their soup base is mixed with tomato cream soup a bit too much. Creme brûlée cheesecake was quite neat though. read more

The School Fine Dining - Steakhouses Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Great service and beautiful ambience. If you're looking to celebrate a special occasion or impress business partners in Markham, the School Fine Dining is a great place. What I've had: - Creamy lobster bisque w/ cognac - Bacon wrapped filet mignon - Peppercorn steak Highly recommend the bisque and peppercorn steak. The Peppercorn steak is flamed with cognac and they sear the steak right next to your table. So hey, you get a bit of a show going on. Couldn't get enough of the steak sauce! Some more comments: - Appetizers are yummy. Love the pickled assortment with mushrooms. - We were given a free Chocolate cake for my bf's birthday. So sweet of them. Cake was perfect. read more

The School Fine Dining - Steakhouses Near Me - Markham, Ontario

After YEARS of talking about coming to try out this place one day... we finally made it! I called for reservations on the same day for the evening, and also dropped off a birthday cake hours in advance of the reservation to make it a surprise for my mom's birthday! I must say, from the start point of making reservations, to being sat down at the table, during our meal, and even the end when they served our cake for dessert, service from ALL the staff was just memorable and fantastic. Their menu portions are fair, and the prices aren't as high as I imagined, safe to say the steak size and prices are comparable to The Keg. Safe to say we are looking forward to visiting The School Fine Dining again! read more

Ambience: From the exterior, the restaurant looks like a cozy and intimate spot. As I entered, I noticed the décor is dated but that may be the vibe that they want to deliver. The dining room is dimly lit contributing to a romantic ambience. Service: Our server was attentive and friendly. The level of service is what you would expect from an upscale restaurant. Food: This is an upscale restaurant in Markham but the food was not what I expected from an upscale restaurant. I ordered a steak and it was very underwhelming. My steak was very average and I can get the same quality steak elsewhere at much lower prices. Overall: I ended the meal on a mediocre note. The food was extremely disappointing given the prices here. read more

The School Fine Dining - Steakhouses Near Me - Markham, Ontario

My partner and I went to The School for Valentine's and the food was amazing. We ordered the calamari to start and the batter is unlike any other. Followed by a lobster bisque which was thick and creamy and escargot. We both got steaks- filet mignon for me which instantly melted in my mouth and he got the special which was prime ribs. As we were leaving, we were curious to know if they did weddings and the maître d' was super nice and showed us the hall for a quick second even though it was a busy night. Very considerate! Will definitely return to try more things on the menu. read more

I have always heard good things about The School but I still have never tried this place (not even today lol). I was researching about wedding venues, and came across The School. There were minimal info on their website about wedding events, so we've decided to drop by and inquire. It is located on 14th Avenue (Between Kennedy/Warden) in Markham. The restaurant is like shaped like a mansion on the outside! It must look beautiful during the summer, I thought :) We were greeted by a lady at coat check area when we walked in. She then went to get Chris, I believe would be the restaurant manager. Chris was courteous and helpful. Unfortunately, we found out that their venue can only accommodate up to max 140 people, and we were aiming for 250-300. I guess it would make a great place for a small engagement party or a cozy wedding reception! Bummer. I'm always a fan of top notch food combined with old school styled service. I thought this would be the perfect wedding venue! And so, the search continues on. 3 stars for now (mid-point). I'll definitely be back to try this restaurant very soon. Gotta take my brother here for his bday dinner... and I will update my rating for this place! read more

This is a fine dining restaurant so don't expect to spend anything less than $50 -$100/person. We ordered a bottle of white wine which was $40, calamari and escargot to start and proceeded with entrees and dessert with coffee to finish. The appetizers were quite good; the calimari was lightly breaded had a great cripsy texture and the squid itself was perfectly cooked. The escargot was cooked in garlic and butter; was an okay dish nothing special. For mains my mom had the seafood platter which was $75 and came with a perfectly cooked lobster tail, prawns, scallops, as well as a variety of other seafood. My dad had the prime rib ($35) which came with veggies and baked potato as well as a bun, and horseradish. My sister had the top sirloin and I had the seafood linguine. I thought the seafood linguine was a bit on the salty side but it came with two large scallops, prawns, squid and more. For dessert we had the creme Brule, cheesecake and tiramisu ($8-9 each). The creme brule was delicious, by far our favourite of the three, the cheesecake was typical and the tiramisu was subpar. Overall we had a good experience here some pros and cons. It was pricey but it made mothers day extra special. The service was top notch and our server was absolutely great. read more

The School Fine Dining - Steakhouses Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Reservations recommended for Saturday night. Garlic bread - quite oily and inconsistently baked (some pieces were burnt). Some pieces were quite good though. Lamb chops - tender, soft, and flavourful. It was really well prepared. Steak - average, was quite tender but a bit plain. Pianist playing to compliment your fine dining. read more

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Had their seafood pasta linguini and absolutely loved it! Great in taste and had plenty of fresh seafood served with it. Steak was also cooked to perfection and was seasoned really nicely. Service was very accommodating and it was a very nice place to have had my birthday dinner or a future romantic date! read more

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My dad has always wanted to dine here so we finally got the chance for his birthday and it exceeded our expectations ! Our fine dining experience started with beef carpaccio and tuna sashimi (great flavours for both) as appetizers. We had the seafood casserole (shrimps, scallops etc.) and steak with sweet potato fries and onion rings as sides. Everything was cooked perfectly and the service was also great! It was a delightful treat and I'm looking forward to returning soon. read more

The School Fine Dining - Steakhouses Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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We booked a graduation party of 60 people, the service and food were top-tier! Gave all the graduates a memorable experience. I had the pasta and it was delicious. Big thank you to Peter for making this night even better than we could have expected ! read more

Nice environment and reasonable price. I have sea bass paired with a glass of white wine. The fish is good. There is a pianist to perform the classic English songs, I like it! The only discount is the garlic bread a bit thick and not crispy enough. read more

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Excellent steaks and chops in an old schoolhouse at very high prices. The service is elegant and professional, the meat is cooked just right, but your wallet will emerge much lighter. Fine meat, but mediocre value. read more

The ultimate in fine dining. The food is fantastic and the service is impeccable. Our go to place for special occasions.

I have always heard so many great things about this place. Mostly that it is high-end, fancy, expensive, and bring your girl there for a special occasion. Well, they were right about one thing, IT'S EXPENSIVE. They serve higher end quality products, not a single one was cooked close to perfection. Their menu is very classic, flavours were dull and plain, textures were off, meats not aged properly, plating lacked creativity and colour, ingredient pairing for dishes were horrible. If you're into living in the past, and have a shitload of money to spend, you may want to come check this place out. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and don't eat here. Your taste buds will thank me, your wallet will thank me. Service-wise, we were served by an older gentleman who's hands were shaky. Every time he would bring a dish over, it felt like he was about to drop it. You can tell from his attitude that he didn't like his job at all. We never really talked to him much, seeing his negative attitude. But if your staff aren't even proud to be working here, how can your customers trust the food coming out of the kitchen. read more

Excellent ambience and the live piano is a great touch. The service in the private dining hall was good, not great. The appetizer portions are small and mainly limited to seafood options. However, taste was great. The menu is good, though overpriced for many items. Had the salmon which was certainly delicious. I would return as the place is a good setting to host a larger sized party but with the fairly uninspired menu there are likely better options. Wasn't a bad experience but they want to call themselves fine dining so in terms of that category, 3 out of 5 stars. read more

We came here for our Christmas work lunch. Reservations need to be made for the Christmas season at least a month in advance, as all the tables were completely full. The decor was very lovely and classy. We ordered a bunch of appetizers. Grilled calamari was good, but not that much quantity-wise. Fried calamari was great, probably my favourite appetizer. The escargot was so-so, but not really worth it, as there were only about 10 pieces and it didn't really stand out. The crab cakes were great, even though there were only 2 crab cakes. Lobster bisque soup was good, but a little too salty and a little too thick. The smoked salmon was as you would expect it, nothing special. I had the filet mignon and it was cooked perfectly to medium rare. I was a little disappointed at how small it was, especially when I saw that my coworkers filet mignon was noticeably bigger than mine. It came with a baked potato and a few pieces of veggies on the side. I also tried some of the yellow fin tuna, which was also delicious. For dessert, I had a carrot cake and it was delicious but very heavy. read more

Team Xmas dinner Salad appetizers pear and arugula (partner), as well as my beet, mixed greens and goat cheese were delicious. The multiple portions of toasted garlic bread was devoured and was almost the star of the show, served along with small bowls of pickled olives, gerkhins and button mushrooms. I had the special 12 oz bone in filet with veg and baked potato. Cooked to med rare properly. Although delicious it did not achieve the level of excellence that my wife enjoyed having ordered the rack of lamb. Cooked and spiced to perfection, plenty to eat. Desserts delicious I had the pecan pie. Caeser salad prepared from scratch table side, don't see that very often. The best part of the entire evening was the attentive service by our waiters who did not miss anything. Would definitely recommend to those looking for that genuine steak and seafood fine dining experience. Even the mens room was well appointed and clean. read more

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Came here for lunch. Ordered the calamari to start ($13). The pieces were big but the batter was terrible bc I could taste the flour. For the main I had the rare yellowfin tuna ($25). It was not fresh and had my stomach in knots after. :( A few people at the other table ordered the French onion soup which looked deelish and I wish I got that instead. I came here twice in the past and I feel like it went from an A to a B to now a C minus. It is called the school after all. read more

Same old, boring, bland, limited menu for decades. Desserts sit uncovered at room temperature. The garlic bread however is one thing to look forward to. The live piano, decor and ambience also make up for some of the shortfall. Obviously not my choice to keep returning over the years and fortunately I've seen the last of the place. Not recommended for large groups due to its appeal to only limited audiences. Doesn't hurt to try once if you enjoy steak, some seafood and nothing else. I will however consider returning once the name, management and menu are all replaced. read more

Service is excellent and the setting is a refreshing change from the abundance of strip mall so called restaurants in the 905. But be warned, their name should be 'Old School' like their cuisine. Food is good quality but serving size is large and heavy in substance. I ordered Yellowfin Tuna and it was sliced an inch thick! A lighter meal option would of been nice to see on their menu. Wouldn't rush back-more for the 50 + age group read more

Nick has created a one of a kind restaurant. Beautiful decor , matched by professional and friendly staff, only to be surpassed by superb food . We had the Caesar salad made at the table- Best of my Life! Garlic bread and Calimari were sensational! Steak was delicious and perfectly cooked. Dessert choices came right to the table and we tried the chocolate cake and sheer cake- both perfectly decadent. Delicious coffee to finish the evening. I'll be back soon. Take your family or make it a date night- you won't be disappointed read more

The ambiance is great and the decor takes you away from the ordinary restaurants. The server is very polite and the dining experience is elaborated. The menu has a great variety of fine dining and the tuna I asked lived to the expectations. It is a good place to go for an especial occasion or a business meeting. read more

The School Fine Dining - Steakhouses Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Another "fine dining" steakhouse that is located in some old-architecture building with old waiters dressed in penguin suits. Can never differentiate these places amongst the David Duncans and Octagons, but my time here was great. Nothing really to complain about. I came here with a group of 15 - family from out of town came to visit and I decided to take all of them out here to try something new. You get your steaks, fish, freshly prepared table-side Ceasar salad. All quite delicious. The building itself is quite interesting - as the name of the restaurant suggests, it used to be a school. Wouldn't come out of my way to eat here, but it is pretty neat to eat at an old school, so if you're ever feeling like a different ambiance, I would recommend this place. read more