Fab from start to finish Staff: 5 Food: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Oysters, Salmon, Cheese - all 3 courses were special. read more

Canoe - CN Tower from Canoe - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

If you're trying to "wow" your girl or your significant other, take them here! On top of the TD tower downtown, the view at canoe is amazing. As one of Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants, yes it is quite pricey but definitely worth the fine dining experience it entails. I came here in July for a surprise date organized by my fiancé, we nearly had the restaurant to ourselves (we arrived at noon) and best seats in the house. For lunch I had a pasta which is no longer on the menu however I stole a few bites from my fiancés aurora chicken supreme with grits and kale which was my favourite of the two dishes. I love grits and the creaminess of it was like I died and went to heaven gurl! Definitely want to try going back during summer/winterlicious if available. read more

Canoe - My pasta and a not so clear picture of the delicious aurora chicken supreme. - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The food and view are the obvious draws and the service is also excellent...just be sure to get a table near the window as I was disappointed to learn that we didn't have much of a view when we were sat. They also didn't move us when other tables opened up until the end but the food switched my mood as it was delicious. I went for winterlicious and had the parfait, beef short rib and sponge cake. Everything was beautifully prepared. read more

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Came here for the regular dinner menu (not summerlicious). It is located on the 54th floor of the TD Tower, giving an amazing view, even if you aren't seated right by the window. All the dishes were presented very well and tasted amazing. A lot of care is definitely taken in plating the dishes and making them look unique. The menu is changed seasonally so there is always something different to try. I would recommend Canoe especially for special occasions due to the ambiance and amazing view of Toronto. read more

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I don't really see what the hype is all about. I recently had dinner here for a special occasion and have been super let down. The service and the environment at Canoe was superb, but other than that there is nothing really special about it. With the overpriced food, that comes in rabbit portions. Unless you feel like coming for a $60 piece of prime rib the size of a Babybel... It's just funny as I have never been to a restaurant that will break the bank and leave you hungry. read more

Went for late-night drinks and snack (Seafood platter): The Food: hands down the best seafood platter we have had. All the seafood was fresh, variety was good and portion size as well. We especially liked how it was displayed with foam, popcorn and little trinkets that added a fun twist on the order. Oysters, Shrimp and Ceviche were standouts! The wine pairing was also good and we ordered based on suggestions from our server. The dessert we ordered was honestly just a bit gimmicky and passable - we'd recommend just putting the money into adding a few more awesome fresh oysters to your platter! Service/ Ambiance: we did not get the terrific view of TD Tower since it was foggy that night but the restaurant was beautifully decorated, intimate and servers only bounce between a few tables - so we were waited on appropriately. Service was textbook: a little bit too formal for our liking (we prefer a bit more conversation/ friendliness) but cant fault them as everything was extremely formal/ professional. Our bill was about $200 for a bottle of wine, seafood platter and dessert - a bit on the pricey side but what you'd expect for the namesake of Canoe. Would recommend for an intimate, quiet date night. read more

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

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I've heard so many great things about Canoe and read glowing reviews here on yelp, but unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed that it didn't really live up to the hype. Now to be fair, this review is based on the 2019 Winterlicious menu so I'm not sure if their usual dishes are better in quality and taste, but their winterlicious cuisine was very disappointing considering this restaurant's reputation. I chose the Celeriac veloute as an appetizer which was a celery cream soup with licorice. It was fine, although I didn't particularly care for the licorice after taste. Nothing to write home about, but pleasant enough. My mother chose the green bean salad, which appeared to have a smear Paté on the bottom. Again, it was also just fine...but nothing that especially stood out. For our main, I chose an alberta strip loin steak which came with sides of osso bucco croquette and mashed potatoes. The steak, while tender, was ultimately forgettable in taste. Didn't have a whole a lot of flavor and tasted like steaks I've had dozens of times at a number of restaurants. Still, I suppose it's hard to go wrong with steak. The Osso Bucco croquette was possibly the best thing I'd tasted all night. It was bursting with flavor, had a nice crispy/crunchy exterior and a tender braised beef texture on the inside. Unfortunately for my mother, she made the wrong decision to go with the fazzoletti pasta which was a nightmare to say the least. It was a sheet of plain flat pasta sitting on a bed of broccolini and some kale which was simultaneously soft like cooked spinach, and then crunchy at some parts. But the taste....I don't know how to describe it, but it was overpowering and not in a good way. It was such a strange combination of flavors that I actually gagged and couldn't manage to swallow it. Neither of us enjoyed this pasta one bit. Finally for dessert, I chose a spiced chocolate torte which was again, fine..very rich and dense. Once again, I didn't care for the licorice chantilly that topped the cake but that's a personal bias, I just really hate licorice. The maple parfait however, was the star of the show. It was light and airy and not too sweet, which was amazing because my problem with many desserts is that it's often times too sweet and rich. It had just the right hint of maple without being overpowering and complemented the candied bananas in the parfait very well. This dessert was a winner. Overall, I would say that the menu we had here was mediocre to say the least. With the exception of one dish, everything else was just "okay". There was really nothing I tasted here that was really outstanding or memorable. Many of these flavors and dishes I've had in several other lesser known restaurants before. But for a restaurant of this prestige (and not to mention the price), you should be expecting more than "just okay". That's why I have to give this place two stars. In reality, I felt I was paying for the view, which really was breathtaking. read more

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So had to try canoe on birthday dinner with hubby so it's a feel full restaurant they give you bread and sunflower hummus to start service was ok not too good considering the price the food was ok and portions were small I have had better but ambiance was good did mention about birthday so the wrote happy birthday on the dessert we ordered read more

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Canoe was a good place to take your SO or your parents to dinner. In terms of quality and pricing, i was happy with the food and service and price. However, it would not be the best I've had in Toronto. The food was tasty, but I felt like they put a crumble on everything. We had the tasting menu and it came out in a timely order and the servers were very attentive to our needs. Unfortunately, for the price, i had to compare this on the level of other restaurants at this $, hence i docked off a bit for service. Food: 5/5 Service: 4.5/5 Price point: 4/5 Overall, 4/5. read more

My fiance took us here on the night we got engaged, and it was absolutely incredible. View and atmosphere are (of course) unreal, but the entire experience was perfect from start to end. The staff, the drinks, the food. It was fabulous. I highly suggest Canoe if you have a special event; if I wasn't feeling special enough on the day of our engagement, they went above and beyond to make sure we felt like their #1 priority while we were there. Complimentary dessert, champagne... it was really a wonderful experience. read more

My Husband took me Canoe as a surprise for my birthday and it was absolutely amazing! We were seated by near the window overlooking the airport and the view was breathtaking. We were able to enjoy the sunset due to the time we chose to have our meal. Moving on to the food, we chose to go a-la-carte since there were multiple options we wanted to try. We started out with a few cocktails and apps, one being the Venison tartare and an Albacore dish. All of which was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. We ordered the Lamb shoulder and Steak for main course, the Steak was amazing! So well presented and cooked to perfection. Our server recommended a great wine to go with my steak dinner it hit the spot. The dessert was equally fantastic but since I'm not a dessert person I won't go into it much. Also, I seem to have run out of positive adjectives to describe the food here. It's great! It's all great! The service is fantastic too! The check matched the food and while I won't be making this a regular go-to i shall definitely bring people over when they visit :) read more

Canoe was absolutely fabulous! The food was exquisite and delicious, and went their for a lunch time birthday celebration. It was just as special as if we went at night and the view is phenomenal. The waiter was attentive and we actually brought my one year old and surprisingly they were super accommodating. They brought some crayons and a booster seat for her which for a high end restaurant makes me give Canoe five stars. Not many high end restaurants accommodate children but Canoe went above and beyond. Thank you! Great food, great eats, and phenomenal service - worth every dollar! read more

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

Came here for an anniversary with my boyfriend at 10:30pm (final seating). We made a reservation a month ahead of time to guarantee a window table. As soon as you walk in, you are greeted by extremely friendly servers and hostesses. We looked online ahead of time to see the menu, so we ordered before the kitchens closed. The atmosphere was amazing and the view was stunning. The place itself is really nice and fancy. Everyone wore suits and dresses in the evening. The food came within 10-15 minutes, decently fast, but in my opinion all of their menu is extremely overpriced. My boyfriend ordered the Ontario beef rib eye, and I ordered the northern woods mushroom soup with a side of pan roasted carrots. The steak was tasty, as were the carrots, but the soup was just strange to me. It's texture is very gritty and not very soup like, I did not enjoy it because of that. This place is nice for special occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, etc...or maybe if you're trying to impress a girl. ;) Overall lovely experience, but too overpriced. read more

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We came here in March and didn't get to see the great view everyone's talking about because it was dark and rainy. I was sort of turned off by the ambience. My boyfriend and I came by ourselves and were seated very closely to another group of people. It seems only the bigger tables get any kind of privacy. It was kind of loud. We both got the tasting menu with wine pairing. The food was really great and fresh. Maybe if this was my first "fine dining" experience, I would've been blown away. But the service was so mediocre. We were waiting around quite a bit and the servers didn't really seem to care. The overall experience wasn't terrible but I wasn't really blown away either. I just expected more from "one of the best restaurants in Toronto." read more

This restaurant was amazing, and it was a great close to a wonderful (and recent) trip I took to the Toronto area. Firstly, the ambiance of the restaurant was great and they have beautiful views of the city that I was able to enjoy during sunset. I had requested a table view that they were able to accommodate when I made my initial reservation, so that was already a huge plus in my book. I have to give a huge shout out to our wonderful server who took care of us this evening, Terrence, who was very informed about food and wine. He was great and definitely made our dining experience all the better for my family and me. He was truly spectacular. The food was delicious too! For the appetizer, we got the Raw Bar option, which I would definitely recommend and was enough to split among our family of 4. It came with 2 different types of oysters, shrimp cocktail, ceviche, and tuna and salmon tartare. For my main, I ordered the duck, which was cooked to a tender and flavorful medium rare. The desserts we tried were also amazing! We split the panna cotta, classic butter tart, and the hazelnut chocolate torte. All in all, I had a wonderful time here and I will definitely be back the next time I visit Toronto! read more

We haven't dined at Canoe in 3 years and felt we were overdue for a revisit, to see if one of Toronto's "old guard", the flagship of the Oliver-Bonacini empire, is still shining in this new era of dining. No surprise, they did not disappoint, and are not resting on previous laurels, they have kept up and will be around for decades. Canoe's specialty has always been French/Continental cuisine featuring Canadian ingredients, and they always show excellence in its execution. How do you top what was already a memorable experience last time? Get the tasting menu! (which wasn't available last time). For about what it would cost to order 3 courses (starter, main, dessert) we got a 7 course procession of food with a common theme and came with a nice lesson in Canadian history. The theme of the winter 2017 tasting menu is "Great Lakes - a culinary voyage through the history of Canada's iconic fresh waters". Rather than relying so much on exotic foreign ingredients, this was a nice way to experience locally sourced product at its best. We started off with surf clams from the St. Lawrence River, then Georgian Bay smoked whitefish and roe, ramps, and cattail crackers, then a soup consisting of squash bouillon over wild rice, corn dumplings, and heirloom beans. An amuse-bouche of sweet wintergreen granita was an excellent, refreshing palate cleanser to set things up for the homestretch. For the main course, the venison was cooked perfectly -- rare, with highbush cranberries, beets, swiss chard, and rabbit pot pie (bite size like a potsticker!). Dessert was in 2 stages, first a pear poached in mulled wine accompanied by buttermilk sherbet (which can be described as the best soft-serve ice cream ever), then the finale, a block of maple fudge wrapped in cotton candy! Wow. Word of advice - don't expect the website menu to describe every course, as at least 2 of these courses were not printed. Just order the tasting menu, sit back and enjoy the experience, carefully curated and mapped out by the talented Oliver-Bonacini team of chefs. As I said before, definitely avoid Licious. See all those 3-star reviews here? They're all Winterlicious and Summerlicious cheapskates. You want the real 5-star meal deal, save up your money until you can get the tasting menu. Don't waste the trip, Canoe is a destination to be cherished. Why set yourself up for disappointment. Come after dark and enjoy the city lights from 54 storeys up, or for a special treat, make a reservation at dusk and watch the sun set. It's nice to see a restaurant that opened in the 1990's still going strong today and not losing any ground (or have to resort to Groupon). Food trends come and go but classics never get old and Canoe is proof of that. read more

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This is by far my best dining experience! We opt for the 67 tasting which got better with every course. The chefs did there research when preparing this tasting. Our waiter did a great job presenting and explaining every course. The view from our table enhanced our meal. read more

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I've been to Canoe several times but this is my first review of this restaurant. I've always came at lunch and I remember the food being excellent. My bestie had her wedding at Canoe and I have to say it was the best wedding food I've ever had at any weddings I've been to. If you're looking for a wedding venue book Canoe. Also my bestie told me the cost was reasonable compared to other venues downtown. My review this time around is for my birthday dinner. Canoe is located downtown at the TD plaza on the 54th floor. The views are amazing of the Toronto skyline. When you walk in you can have your coat checked. Our main server was a little cold and unfriendly. But the other staff from the front desk, greeter, coat check staff, water refill staff to the food servers were all extremely friendly throughout the restaurant so it offset our main server's grumpiness so I'm still giving them a 5 star anyways. When the food was brought out the food servers took their time explaining what each item was on the plate. The presentation was top notch. We started off with the complimentary fresh bread with hummus dip. So good! For starters we got the mushroom soup which was a little bland but still good. I guess it a good thing it's not too salty. Then for our entrees we both got the smoked duck dish. I had mine done medium my bestie got hers medium raw which is how it's served. I usually get medium well and it was perfect. If it's too well done the meat becomes tough and dry. For dessert I had the chocolate + Nancy mint dish. So so good and perfect portions because we were full but still wanted to try the desserts there. Overall I was extremely happy with my meal. One of the best Birthday meals I've had for my Birthday month. It's quite pricy, our bill came to close to $200 for 2 people and we didn't even order alcohol! So if you drink it would be a lot more. Coming here for a special occasion is a great treat! read more

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Great views! Great food, great ambience. They've a good collection of wine as well. The waiters are very courteous and even offered me to keep the wine bottle. I really liked the service. read more

Excellent experience ! Food was five star but one star off for the head waitress of our tables lack lustre service. We were seated at the back of the restaurant which had beautiful views of the city and CN tower. We visited for summerlicious but have been to canoe previously. They had a set menu for $53. The cocktail menu was ok, I like to drink but they changed it since last visiting and although I found something I liked I thought they could have more choices for cocktails. You order your entire meal at the start, I orders the pulled pork app, the steak tenderloin main and cheesecake dessert. My favourite was the pork app. Seasoned well and paired with a salad blend and cheese and bacon. Cooked to perfection! The main was delicious and flavourful, I found the meat a bit rare for my personal liking but I am used to this at restaurants so ate the whole meal. My only comment is if you serve rare beef you need better serving utensils than a butter knife. Why go through the elaborate prep if you are serving the meal with a butter knife?? The cheesecake was amazing and melted in your mouth. Overall the food was excellent as always but I found the runners more attentive to us than the server. I am sure because it was summerlicious the waitress was busy however she did not ask if we wanted another drink and then took 20 minutes to ask if we wanted the bill. Oh well! Hopefully next time it's a different w read more

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We visited canoe on a Tuesday night and ordered: 1. Cured hamachi 2. Venison tartare 3. Pork loin (seasonal menu) 4. Lamb The bill amounted to roughly $160 with taxes, before tips. The dinning experience was very enjoyable overall, nice ambiance, attentive waiters, comfortable seating and great view. The food on the other hand was very averaged not quite worth the price paid. The venison tartare was unevenly mixed, resulting in bites that were salty and bites that were under seasoned. The tartare also lacked a hint of acidity (perhaps due to the uneven mixing that lead to all the pickles and capers being in the same bite). The cured fish was quite nice, but also a bit on the heavier side, could use a hint of acid as well. I was really not impressed with the cook on the pork, it was slightly over (approaching well done) despite being a bone in chop which are supposed to be very juicy. The vegetables paired with (Chinese broccoli) didn't quite make sense to me. There two sauces from the dish also happened to be the same ones as the ones on the lamb dish... Overall, I've had much better food for such a high price tag and I don't really recommend canoe for a full priced dinner. read more

Terrance, our server, made our experience. My date and I are particular, sometimes too demanding, when it comes to diet restrictions, wine selection, seasoning etc. At no point did we get attitude, only impeccable service... and gorgeous views of downtown Toronto and Lake Ontario. Food-wise, the "northern woods mushroom soup with balsam fir crème fraîche + toasted camelina seeds" is highly recommended and has stayed on the menu since opening in 1995. As a gluten and grain-free vegan, I was offered a veggie medley (a mix of starches, pickled, raw), so satiating, I took half my main home. We will return soon.... read more

This restaurant was absolutely beautiful! A friend's wedding reception was in a private room and the view was perfect, as was the food and wine. It was great to try something new - duck, lamb, foie gras - no complaint from anyone in attendance! read more

If you've ever talked to anyone who eats in Toronto, it seems like everyone has ate there except me. When I say I have never been there people look at me like I'm from another planet. So the opportunity presented itself to eat at Canoe. And it is worth the odd stares. I would recommend to anyone that hasn't been there to at least try it. Although it is expensive, it is not as outrageously expensive as I thought. Lunch courses are between 20-30 which isn't that bad. What will make your experience more expensive is if you order an appetizer ($10-$20) and of course alcohol. Most of the stuff on their menu includes words I don't know the meaning of. Shows my high end dining knowledge. 2 of the 3 in our party ordered the specials of the day. One was a pasta something something, I had some beef of some sort, and the 3rd dish was perch. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food and all the flavours mixed in. I don't know how many ways you can cook a roast of beef, but somehow the slices of beef I had were amazing. What I like about high end restaurants is that when you get your nicely presented dish, there seems to be more "filler" stuff then there is actual the food. You look at it and go "that's it". Yet after you eat the dish you are satisfied. It seems like at the lower end restaurants you have to eat a lot to be satisfied. Maybe its just me. I was impressed with the speed of their service. We were sat down, ordered, ate, and paid the bill in about an hour. They were extremely prompt with things and I'm sure they make an effort to get people on their way back to work. Put 5 stars on the board for this place. read more

I have mixed feelings about Canoe. It's the darling of the Financial District; a "must-go-to-if-you-haven't" and as such a common choice for business meetings, team dinners, etc. for those on Bay Street and in the vicinity. The first time I went to Canoe it was for Summerlicious (dinner). I would not recommend this having recently gone for a (regular) lunch and had a far superior experience. Perhaps it was my choices (duck terrine appetizer, steak as a main, and I believe cheesecake-esque dessert) but nothing apart from the dessert was particularly memorable. The terrine was a bit dry and the steak somewhat rubbery and more fatty than I'd expect. Dessert was great - light, picturesque, sweet but not overly so. Lunch a few weeks ago was an entirely different story - I ordered a pasta special (it was tagliatelle with a lamb ragu). Superb - absolutely wonderful. Such rich flavours, and a goat cheese layer on top that paired beautifully with the meat and pasta. It was all so warm and melted together like strings of notes in perfect harmony. Dessert was, again, fantastic - I got the hazelnut torte which came with a few component pieces (a stick of torte which was chocolatey and nutty and altogether quite nice, a meringue of sorts that I can't say I loved but still found very creative and inventive). It was great and I'd recommend it easily. Overall - I found this can be a bit of a hit or miss, but when it's a hit, it's really something memorable. Also - great view! read more

Amazing view.......it reminded me of the late windows on the world... Yes, I understand it's only half of the height, but when it's this far up into the sky, the type of the view is pretty much the same. It's also aided by being so close to the CN tower. It looked as if you could just reach out and touch it. Awesome food, the food was worth at least 4 star. I just had to bump it up to 5 stars for my overall experience. So, let me start over from the top. After a week of incredibly tiring work I had to drive up to Toronto from NJ for my cousin's wedding. That's 1100+ miles of driving in 48 hour period. I was tired and in pain by the time I got to the restaurant. The open bar definitely helped in easing the pain, but seeing family and friends in one awesome room was a huge plus. Now I just need to take a vacation to recover from this trip....... read more

I heard Canoe was one of the best restaurants in Canada, so I just had to try it. In addition, Canoe has a focus on regional cuisine, which draws me in like a moth to a flame. Fortunately, I was already in Toronto :). After actually dining there, I do hope that Canadian food catches on in Atlanta. We already have a restaurant called Canoe, so they'll have to call it Rowboat. Hey, a girl can dream. Almost every seat in the house is great. From the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower building, you can see across the city. What a sleek, cosmopolitan feel! This is Toronto from its best angle. Inside the restaurant, the decor is sophisticated and simple with a warm modern disposition. Canoe has a focused menu -- plenty of regional (or at least national) cheeses, seafood, interesting red meats, and seasonal veggies. Here, the Canadian bent seems to make perfect sense and detracts from nothing. The platings are just lovely. One in our group had an octopus dish that was right out of Michel Bras' playbook. I enjoyed a rather simple fish that was perfectly delicious, though I do regret not splurging for the tasting menu. Seriously, when the chef has this much artistry and clarity, it's worth it. Canoe's food was approachable even by those in our group with less of a fine dining focus, which speaks again to the talent and vision of the chef, Anthony Walsh. Service was attentive and well executed, but most of all, the staff had a genuine attitude of pride towards the food they served. It was easy to tell from their descriptions and mannerisms that they thought the food was amazing, and I'm sure that contributed to my judgement. Yes, the food is expensive. I'm sure the rent and ingredients are too. At some point, when you're evaluating fine dining, it's art! I'll always remember this dinner and hope to return for the tasting menu. So, is Canoe the best restaurant in Canada? It offers my favorite straight culinary experience in Toronto, with Opus being my actual favorite restaurant. Restaurants with great views have a tendency to offer mediocure food and become tourist traps, but this is the opposite. I highly recommend Canoe to both locals and tourists. read more

The deal here is the chef's table, and while that intimacy is going on: the awesome views compete in a sensory duel with what you're trying to eat. They served up some dishes, doling out it, some foie gras, some sweet lamb, some insanely melt in the corner of your mouth cheese from Québec that yet knew it could be cool at any border. All of it: rife with life. Look at Michael U.'s review for a rational explanation. read more

(woah, I've been giving out lots of 4-stars lately) #summerlicious 2017 The Famed Canoe. I've always wanted to come, and the closest I got was the elevator last time. So, this became my second pick for summerlicious this year, got lunch for $28 plus a drink on the side. It was a great day, when you look down you can see the city, blue lake, white sails, blue sky, skyscrapers... Seriously, the view itself was worth the price. The service was so warm and welcoming that I tipped entirely out of sincerity, not because I was obligated. The one thing I wasn't prepared for was the size of the meal, I've seen entrees bigger than all 3 courses combined here!! I'd say this was more of a culinary experience, than a place you'd actually wanna go if you're hungry. Appetizer - duck liver parfait with roasted Ontario peach (4.5/5.0) I loved the flavor, I loved the combination. The peach was so good that I can still taste the freshness despite it's grilled. However, the flavor of the peach was so distinctive that it sometimes conflicted with the parfait instead of acting as one entity. But definitely fun, and very enjoyable:) Main - braised lamb shoulder with pea puree (3.5/5.0) The lamb was cooked to perfection, soft and right off the bone. However, the flavor kind of fell flat, there just wasn't enough layers and complications. The addition of the pea puree was genius though -- I swear this course tastes like spring!! If you don't know what spring tastes like, go try this;) Dessert - mint chocolate brownie (1.5/5.0) Again, rating is solely based on personal preference. Another person might have thoroughly enjoyed it, but for me it was just way too sweet and way too heavy. I did enjoy the single chocolate crisp on top, and kinda wished my entire dessert was comprised of that instead:( Drink - stawberry vodka (2.0/5.0) I don't even know about this one... I think my drink was supposed to have vodka in it? But I didn't taste any alcohol, just the strawberries...? Well, at least it makes good pictures;) Overall this was a great dining experience, and I would recommend this place anytime, to anyone. Everything was pleasant, the service, the ambience, the view, the music, the food...okay maybe not dessert. But still. The reason I'm taking a star off is because nothing particularly stood out, food-wise there weren't any 'wow' factors. Canoe is like the kid who always gets straight A's that when he does it again, no one is even surprised anymore. And that's what makes an A-list restaurant: quality and consistency:) read more

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Excellent!!!!!! This is what fine dining should be. The food was creative and absolutely delicious, the restaurant ambiance is spot on and the servers are not pretentious. I will most definitely come back here. A note to Yelpers: you might run into some snobby/rude diners here as it's frequented by Toronto's rich scenesters... I had one drunk business man tell me (while I was exiting the restaurant) that he "guesses my life has meaning as a physician, compared to him being an investment banker and having a Ferrari".... Yes.... when you need someone to perform life saving emergency surgery on you, let's see if my life has meaning compared to yours!! read more

Came here for Summerlicious with few friends. We had 11:30am reservation and were the first to arrive. They had big glass windows and beautiful view of the city. After taking a few pictures, we settled down on our tables and soon the place was packed with customers. Surprisingly most of them seemed to be Asians. Had the fole grais parfait for appetizer l, braised lamb shoulder for main and berry crumble for dessert. The parfait was nice. The lamb shoulder soft and tender. Perfectly cooked and did not have a strong gamey flavor. The berry crumble was good as well with lots of content. read more

I travel to the Toronto area around once or twice a year, and this time I decided I wanted a bit of a splurge for dinner. Having considered many other higher-end places, I I figure I can go to good French and Italian restaurants in the bay area, so decided on Canoe due to its "Regional Canadian" cuisine. My coworkers and I got in a bit early for our reservation, so we went to the bar area, which had a really good view of the city. We had a bit of a wait and was seated after our reservation time, but the service once we were seated was very good. We considered the tasting menu, but decided that we can get a bit more variety if we just ordered a la carte and tried each other's food. To start, we got the oysters, appetizer sampler, and sweetbreads. The oysters were fresh and really good, as good I've gotten at other places, and the appetizer platter was also good. However, the sweetbreads were fantastic! For my entree, I got the suckling pig, which was good, though I was slightly disappointed that the 3 preparations did not include pork belly. I had a small taste of my coworkers' entrees and the poultry dish (squab or quail?) was the best. The highlight of the meal for me was the fabulous cheese platter...they have an all-Canadian cheese menu and I got 7 different cheeses! My favorites were the unpasteurized goat's milk cheeses from Quebec, I guess the lack of pasteurization really does makes a difference. Since these type of cheeses are illegal in the States I'm really glad to be able to try them. The portions were plentiful, and they provided a lot of bread, nuts, fruit spread and honey to go with the cheeses, so I had enough leftover to eat the next day. The cheeses were just so good that I didn't even want to try the desserts my coworkers ordered. For wine, I had a glass of a Canadian rose bubbly at the bar, followed by a Canadian reisling for appetizers, Argentinian malbec for my entree, and Australian tawny port-style wine for dessert (good thing I wasn't driving!). They were all decent and reasonably priced, and went well with the food. The service was overall good and well-paced. Sure, it was a bit pricey, but I thought this place was worth the experience (I would have paid for the cheese platter alone!) I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a splurge meal in Toronto. read more

Surprisingly good. Generally places that are expensive are at a distinct disadvantage because your expectations are so overinflated (in both extremes) based on the high emotional investment that people place on their experiences there. There's also generally a great deal of buzz surrounding these restaurants from foodies and social climbers. Canoe's no exception. I arrived not knowing really what to make of the place. Half my friends telling me that it was "a once in a lifetime place" and that I'd love it while the other half say that it "wasn't that good" or "not worth it". Strong and polarized viewpoints to say the least. So, I decided to do a weekday lunch there. The crowd alone was worth the price of admission. It was like a Harry Rosen store where all the mannequins were animatronic. Very much a boys club... but sprinkled with a few beautiful women along the way. The service was absolutely outstanding. Top notch all along. Friendly and prompt without seeming in-your-face or annoying. The food. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised. The steak tartare appetizer was particularly stellar. Presentation and flavor was tops. Definitely worth a drop in. read more

Full review in blog, highlights below: Our first round of food arrived with my friend receiving the "Mushroom Soup - no creme, no butter" and myself the Paillotte de Chevre with Walnut and Honey. Tasting only a bite of the Mushroom soup but listening to Heather ooh and ah about it with each bite we inquired how exactly this porridge-esque concoction was made and we were told that it was essentially a mushroom stock that they use for some of their other sauces with a puree of marinated pan seared mushrooms blended in. Thick, succulent - the very essence of the mushroom. My option was certainly a more heavy choice and featured thick round of ashy yet unctuous cheese similar to Humboldt Fog atop a crispy piece of cracker crust and topped with a single almond and lavender honey. Served warm and slightly melting the flavors of this dish melded flawlessly while the addition of the frisee, beets, and flowers served to add a vegetal component to the dish. Arriving next our next course consisted of Applewood Smoked Duck Breast with Lingonberries, Salsify, and Spiced Walnuts for my friend and the Foie Gras with Sunflower Root, Pumpkin Muffin, and Walnut Pickle for myself. Taking only a single bite of my friend's duck and salsify I will say that the rare meat was delicious and she very much enjoyed the dish. On my side, the foie was a beautifully cleaned piece-albeit small for the price-and the accompanying components were interesting to say the least. Crisp and woodsy the Sunflower Root was a nice balance in texture while the balsamic pickled walnut was the very definition of savory. Small and sweet the a small piece of baked sweet potato and a pumpkin-pumpkin seed muffin graced the left side of the plate and the whole plate showed a unique progression in flavors from sweet and soft to unctuous and creamy to crunchy and savory. Our third courses were decided on late but turned out to be our favorites of the afternoon - for my friend the Steak Tartare with Potato Chips and Pepper, Onion, and Yolk and for myself Yarmouth Lobster with Yukon Gnocchi, Crispy Sweetbreads, Creme Fraiche, and Preserved Lemon. As I don't eat beef flesh I skipped the tartare but was told it was "amazing." As for my dish -without exaggerating this is probably in my top ten dishes of the year. Flawless potato dumplings with a firm exterior yielding a creamy melt-in-your-mouth center were absolutely laden with fresh butter poached lobster and crispy pan seared sweetbreads while the whole dish was then topped with a creamy sauce of sweetened lemon and tangy crème fraiche. Half expecting the characteristic flavor of the thymus to overwhelm the delicate lobster I actually found that the lemon/crème/chives admixture served to mellow the sweetbreads while drawing forward the lobster's sweetness. A wonderful take on "surf and turf" featuring two ingredients I'd have never thought to pair - the bite I spared to my friend led her to a resolution to return for a full plate of her own in the future. After such a sublime meal and great service, Greg's suggestion to "tempt" us with dessert really didn't require much effort - we ended up ordering two. Starting first with the Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake with Sour Cherry Compote, Chantilly and Pistachio Ice Cream. A dark chocolate ganache well tempered in its decadence by the sour poached cherries and creamy Chantilly crème plus a dollop of smooth ice cream that tasted very much like salty Pistachios atop a pistachio cookie crumble - plenty of textures, temperatures, flavors, and nuance. Our second dessert - again a contender for top 10 of the year, this time in the sweets category. Sticky Date Pudding, Whisky Sauce, Cherries and Apples, Bacon Toffee Brittle, and Creme Fraiche arrived in a large bowl and really didn't "look" to be anything special - at first bite however, looks didn't matter one bit - looking up at Heather I realized she agreed. Steamed through and appearing to be somewhere between a custard and a bread pudding in texture the date flavors simply melted in the mouth while the whisky sauce ascended to the palate creating a flawless blend of spice and heat with the sweetness. Further enhancing the experience were diced pink lady apples and sweetened cherries smoothed out by the crème fraiche. Finally, adding texture was the Toffee - a creamy butterscotch with potent top notes of salt and pork that paired beautifully with the whisky sauce and the pudding both - to call the mélange of flavors well thought out would be the understatement of the year. I have to say I definitely "get" the appeal of Canoe and despite the fact that some may consider it to be a bit too "businessy" I personally found every aspect of the execution to be calculated, refined, and full of finesse - if I lived in Toronto this would definitely be my destination to impress out of town guests and on my next visit I fully intend to return for the nightly tasting menu. read more

Out of 4 times that I have been to this restaurant only one have been really good, the rest are easily outshined by much cheaper places in town. For one, the cuisine is a hit and miss, no steady reliability. Last time I only enjoyed an appetizer but wasn't impressed by either main or dessert. Add to that a server showing up at every inappropriate moment like during a toast, an embrace or while my mouth is still full with food and I can't really answer his question unless I swallow everything without chewing it first. Another time service was so slow that birthday girl was all ready to leave before the birthday dessert arrived, no apologies followed the awkwardness of the moment. Personally I'd go somewhere else where your money is better appreciated. read more

Canoe is one of the most coveted "licious" venues, so I was very glad to have been able to get a lunch reservation for Winterlicious of 2011. Now I realise that a lot of people say this is not worth the hype, and that might be true if you lay down a lot of money and not end up with a seat next to a window etc. While my group did not get a window table, our meal was still very nicely done with very attentive and friendly service. Even though this is a 3 star review, I was not unhappy with my overall dining experience, the food however was not as amazing as I expected. My heart was broken a little when my rabbit entrée came out looking very "rabbit-leg" like and matters were not made better when it didn't have a lot of flavour in it either, served with a rather measly portion of veggies. But my appetizer and dessert dishes were very well done. Unfortunately the weather was not being nice to us and all we could see out the window were low hanging clouds and the occasional glimpse of neighbouring buildings. My sense of direction was totally blown when the side I thought was North turned out a view of the City Centre Airport during a break in the clouds. Would very much like to return on a nice clear day. Our server was friendly and did not at all give us a rushed feeling despite it being the peak lunch time. Depending on what's on the menu I would most definitely give Canoe a return visit! read more

Well worth the Winterlicious price! I came to Canoe on a weekday evening for Winterlicious. Everything I ordered was plated beautifully and had such unique flavours. I had the Fogo Island Salt Cod + Crab Rillettes to start. I wasn't sure what to expect from this dish, but the flavours and presentation pleasantly surprised me - this was possibly my favourite dish of the 3 courses. The cod and crab were cooked to perfection and paired very well with the roasted dulse mayo. For my main, I had the Ontario Beef Tenderloin + Chuck Flat. The preparation and presentation of the chuck flat surprised me - it almost looked like pulled pork and it was so flavourful! On the other hand, I thought the beef tenderloin could have used more flavour, but perhaps it is because the tenderloin is inherently less beefy than other cuts. I had the Hewitt's Yoghurt Verrine for dessert. The waiter recommended I mix all of the toppings with the and I did just that. The result was perfect mix of sweet and tarte. 5 stars for the food. In terms of the service, they were very prompt and took the effort to describe all of our dishes to us. The only minor complaint I have is that our apps came a little too fast (maybe 2 minutes after we ordered) and we had to remind the waiter to bring us bread (he said bread would come first right after we ordered). 4 stars for the service. read more

All that is good has already been said about Canoe. The food was excellent (Steak Tartare app, Lamb loin for dinner) and the serve was certainly attentive. You are paying some for the name and location. Dinner for two, with a half-bottle and tip was close to $300. And it wasn't twice as good as the average place you can eat for $150. The view was great and I'm glad we went, but it's certainly not a place I think I'd be going to on a regular basis. The mix of dress was interesting too, three piece suits all the way down to jeans. Still have yet to find a place in Toronto that enforces a dress code. read more

Yes it was really five star good! We came here for the Summerlicious menu not knowing how truly popular the restaurant is (hey we're from Chicago) and were lucky enough to snag a table. We had walked around the financial district for about half an hour before we found the restaurant, and by the time we arrived we were all hot, sweaty and a bit out of sorts.For some reason we thought the restaurant was going to be ground level. A nice Torontonian finally clued us into the fact that it was in an office building on the 54th floor. We shot up a bank of elevators and into a dimly lit hallway ready for the Canoe experience. Imagine our chagrin when the hostess, all smiles, asked for our reservations. Thankfully some poor soul had canceled their table and within minutes we were ushered into a beautiful mossy green and chocolate brown dining room surrounded by windows overlooking the lake and Toronto. As soon as were seated our drink order was taken and we were soon enjoying a very light and refreshing sangria with green apple. We were given a small bread plate with a dish of fresh hummus. I'm used to having a spicier hummus, so to me it tasted bland and I would have much preferred a bit of olive oil or a knob of butter. For the appetizer my friend and I ordered the Holland Marsh Leek & Potato soup with marinated baby shellfish and chive oil. It was a cold preparation, extremely creamy, smooth and utterly delicious. The chive oil delivered an important depth -- but the shellfish was the star. (As I'm writing this, my mouth is literally drooling.) I definitely won the appetizer wars, as my husband ordered the New Farm Green salad with Nam Prik cucumbers, toasted sesame seeds and avocado dressing, and although it was very tasty, it could not compare. I think the bread stick in his salad was the star. We each chose a different entree and each was truly scrumptious. My Wellington County Flatiron steak with smashed Cookstown fingerling potatoes garnished with corn and wild leek aioli, was beautifully presented and again -- delicious. The meat was extremely tender and so flavorful. My friend ordered the potato gnocchi which was also amazing, and my husband the Lake Walleye with crisp skin. There was no talking at the table as we were too busy eating, Our water glasses were always being refilled, and our server was unobtrusive but vigilant. We all ordered the Bitter Sweet Chocolate Terrine with vanilla marshmallow and strawberries for the last course and it did not disappoint. Seriously, if I could have picked up the plate and licked it, I would have. We savored our dessert, sipped our tea and coffee, and watched the fog roll in over the lake. Truly a spectacular meal and all for $25.00 each (not including drinks or tip) -- could you ask for anything more? Our server saw us perusing a map after coffee and was kind enough to give us directions to the subway (which is conveniently located in the lower bowels of the building itself) to our next destination. read more

Poor grade of beef. I am surprised that they use 2A grade beef for roasted tartare and Alberta sirloin. I never knew a decent restaurant that serves such bad grade beef. 3A is what an average restaurant like Joey would serve. 4A is for somewhat ok steakhouses, 2A from canoe is like your grocery beef... I am extremely surprised that some people are even ok eating the tartare... it s like eating Loblaws packed rare meat with sauce. Hopefully no one gets sick. Service is fine. read more