I've always liked the quaint little Gardiner Museum, but I've never tried the restaurant located on the top floor, aptly named Clay. You know, since the Gardiner Museum specializes in ceramics. Clay is located in a big open space, with glass windows looking over the ROM. It has as small but beautiful terrace. The food, surprisingly was phenomenal, especially for a museum bistro. I came here for summerlicious, but many items on the menu for summerlicious are also available on their regular menu. I loved the flavors of the cold soba noodles, and the fish and chips batter was so light, it was delightful. The appetizers, desserts, and coffee were also just exceptional, not to mention the service. Our server was upbeat and friendly. I definitely would recommend coming to the Gardiner Museum on a weekend, enjoying a meal at Clay and strolling through the museum. To use a phrase Gen Zs seem love saying, this place definitely passes the vibe check. read more

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We arrived at the Gardiner Museum at 1400 and decided we need a light snack. Aperol spritz. Rhubarb sour. Great. Smoked salmon latke - fabulous perfection. We had asked our excellent waitress what we should get and she recommended this. + 3rd floor with floor to ceiling windows. Tons of light. + 3200K lightinh + no music and no TV + cloth napkins + flatware - Puddifoot, hefty $83.12 CAD for snack and drinks for 2, including tax & tip. read more

Daniel was an amazing server! Loved how seriously my friend's garlic allergy was taken - such that the fries with garlic powder were remade with regular salt. She loved her beet salad. Bathrooms around here are nicer - just that one didn't have soap. Food was great. Pasta was a bit overpriced for quantity. read more

Clay Restaurant - Beet salad - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Bright, spacious and lovely spot downtown for breakfast. We sat near the window and loved the privacy (tables are not on top of each other). We ordered the omelet special along with a salad which was delicious. Coffee was great and flowing which we appreciated. Service was outstanding- attentive and very friendly. read more

A modern, upscale restaurant nestled inside the Gardiner Museum in downtown Toronto. I came on a weekday for lunch and was surprised that it was almost fully packed. Glad I made a reservation ahead of time. Food was decent, though pricey, and the service was good. The space is lovely and the restaurant gives me the same vibe as having brunch in NYC. read more

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This is a lovely space inside the Gardiner museum. On the third floor. Open. Has outside seating weather permitting. Must make reservations weeks in advance. They will confirm via email and txt a few times. Menu available online, with prices. Food was quite good. The pace of the meal serving is great. read more

Clay is a beautiful venue with spacious modern decor. High ceiling and glass windows let in a generous amount of light highlighting the minimalist decor. The service was excellent and friendly further augmenting the experience. Unfortunately, the food is where it falls short for me. Clay Burger with Fries - an interesting take with some sour notes in the sauce. The patty did not feel hefty and was lightly seasoned, additionally the choice of cheese was a bit underwhelming. Fries were decent crispy exterior, but with an inconsistent texture inside the fries. There was a good amount of salt on the fries and the mustard was a good condiment to the fries. Mango Panna cotta - this was a bit disappointing. The mango was unripe and made the dish sour. The Panna cotta was underwhelming and did not make up for the sour mangos. One cool thing they had was these white chippits that looked like white chocolate chips but was something else. All in all good service, nice venue. Disappointing food. read more

Clay Restaurant - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Fantastic and scenic location, very aesthetic on the inside. We got the tuna salad, potato pave, and duck burger. Tuna salad was rather disappointing, the quality of the tuna did not seem that great. The duck burger was wonderful, and the sauce was so good with the fries. Salmon potato pave was decent, wish the potato was a little crisper. read more

Clay Restaurant - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I booked a reservation for Clay restaurant for 1 so I can enjoy breakfast before visiting the ROM. Well the whole restaurant was empty so I got to enjoy the peace. My waitress Bella was amazing and had a chill, nice demeanor. The ambience of the restaurant felt fresh, bright, yet classy. I had a beautiful window view of the CN tower and the ROM. I had an omelette with fries. It comes with a delicious aioli that complimented both the fries and the omelette. I also had bread and sea salt butter. It was so warm and fresh. I'd recommend this place to anyone as it guarantees a wonderful time! read more

Clay Restaurant - View - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

A beautiful restaurant inside the delightful Gardiner Museum. Highly recommend booking a table in advance to avoid disappointment, especially on weekends. I came here for the first time for brunch on Easter Sunday. Service was lovely and the food was better than expected: beautifully plated and tasty too! Was pleasantly surprised by the fish and chips and french toast. Only complaint was that the French Toast is too small. read more

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Food: 4/5 Ambience: 5/5 Service: 4/5 I went there with my friends for brunch, and we fell in love with Clay restaurant. The place is bright and well spaced tables with a spectacular view over the ROM.The interior decoration was nice, and ceramic vase on the tables was attractive too. The food is absolutely delicious and is served in beautiful ceramic dish. It's an immersive art experience at every level. I would like to try one more time in the summer during patio seasons. read more

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Long story short: Great bistro within the museum, flavour-packed meal! Long story long: A friend and I dined for Winterlicious, which was a bit more costly for lunch. First, I got the drink special. Some sort of strawberry passionfruit drink (tasted very much like a daiquiri). I got the Yakitori appetizer (fresh, great portion, just a bit too salty), CLAY burger (delicious, filling, gourmet, but the fries left something to be desired), and Kunafa for dessert, which was okay. It was a bit dry, I prefer more sweet syrup. It also wasn't warm enough, there was no cheese pull, which was disappointing. They must have been understaffed that day, maybe because of the snow. It took 30 mins for our waitress to ask for our orders, even though there were less than 7 tables at the time. And we waited for our dessert for a while too. However, the waitress was very friendly and kind, just occasionally forgetful for some of the things we asked for, which I think is due to the understaffing. The space is beautiful! Spacious, a lot of natural light. The elevator with the view going up was fun! We also checked out the Gardiner Museum, famous for their ceramics. I definitely recommend it! It's a great experience, especially pairing it with a visit to the museum. read more

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Location: The restaurant is on top of a museum and on the third floor. Just let the front people know you're going to the restaurant and they will let you in. Parking: Parking here is quite difficult, as is with most downtown restaurants. I would recommend Uber here or walking if your close. Nearest I found is on Charles Street West and Bloor Street. Food: We were here for summerlicious as we heard it was quite good. For appetizers, we ordered the mushroom croquette and shrimp ceviche. . A bit crispy on the outside and mushy on the inside. Loved the impact of the truffle flavor. The shrimp was a little bit spicy for me, wished the waiter could've warned me before ordering. Or maybe I should've stopped when I realized it was spicy. But the shrimp was super fresh and it was chilled. For entrées, we ordered fish and chips and Soba. Nothing super special about fish and chips. Fries was salted and fish was pretty fresh. And Soba could've been a bit more chewy, but that's my taste. Desserts, we ordered the yuzu lemon tart and watermelon and strawberry shaved ice thing (forgot the name). It was not too bad, but yuzu flavor could've been stronger. Watermelon and strawberry ice tasted great, especially in this hot hot summer. Lastly, we had coffee, cold brew and chai latte. It was quite alright. Atmosphere: Just amazing, space was open and lots of natural light. We didn't get to sit on the patio, but inside felt quite unique as well. Thumbs up being right next to ROM musuem. Service: Service was great, ice cold water never stopped, coffee refills, and everyone was super friendly. Great service. Price: Price has gone up for summerlicious as all restaurants are. It was $41 per person without tips or drinks. read more

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The perfect spot in yorkville for a classy, tasty, & enjoyable lunch! Would definitely recommend. read more

Clay Restaurant - Omelette of the day - red peppers & cheddar cheese. W/ a side salad coated in a simple honey miso vinaigrette. - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This was a last min brunch visit. I had only tried a cappuccino and dessert here eons ago and didn't feel the need to review this spot then. The entrance is located on the 3rd floor where the special exhibits are held. Unfortunately the elevator was out this day so if you are with someone who needs accessibility call ahead IMO. The interior is pleasing and goes with the chic cafe in the museum vibe one expects at this sort of place. Pleasant colors and high high ceilings and with summer around the corner I wouldn't mind coming here just to sit at the patio on a warm summer day. The menu covers most dietary restrictions and has a nice mix of light fare and mains. I went with the short rib burger with a side of fries (salad is an option as well) It is served with house made ketchup and a whole bunch of condiments that I think are better left to be read on the menu. The fries were good which is a good start. The short rib was dry though so maybe one should request a less cooked option. Decent nonetheless. Service was pleasant. Folks I believe that brunch spots are either mediocre or good (hardly any really bad or really good) this one has the potential to be good so I sense a repeat visit from moi for an early dinner or another brunch. 3 Stars for now. read more

Clay Restaurant - Beef short rib burger - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Delicious food and exceptional service! I'd definitely go back and have recommended to friends and colleagues!

Great choice and location for a lunch setting. The focaccia was warm, soft, and delicious, especially with the herb butter added. I ordered the duck burger which tasted amazing with the truffle mayo and the burger itself was a good size, not too large but a good portion. I was disappointed with the side of salad that they gave me since it consisted of mostly shredded lettuce with no dressing added and very little other vegetables. For dessert I ordered the chocolate cremeux which had a nice thick consistency and tasted delicious. The service was a bit slow especially considering that the venue was not very full. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience and a nice little hidden gem if you're craving brunch. read more

Interior Design: classy, simplistic and modern. Comfortable for a brunch session or simply to enjoy a day out with friends for catch up. Staff and service: very polite staff, patient and friendly. Overall: experience was decent. Not really worth the price point in my honest opinion. Food was average, drinks were not worth the price given the many cafes within downtown. Great view though. Perhaps nice for an alcoholic beverage as well. Hot Drinks: Latte 2.5/5 - espresso was mild and less robust, which paired nicely with the milk, but the deducted points will have to be because the milk was overfrothed and too much foam with air bubbles which made it less pleasant. Tumeric Ginger Latte 3/5 - subtly sweet from the milk and tumeric forward with notes of ginger. Nice but personally given its from a tea bag, the flavours were less prominent than I would like (potentially personal preference). Food: Bread 3/5 - soft bread, homemade and nicely toasted. Nice portion for the pricing given bread can come out to be quite expensive sometimes for small pieces. Maple butter was very mild in maple taste. A bit overwhipped so there was some separation to the butter. Black salt added on top gave it an extra dimension of flavour which was nicer than if you just spread the butter itself. Fries 4/5 - well seasoned, nice thickness, great proportion. Aioli on the side was smooth and creamy with a hint of umami notes. Smoked Salmon 4/5 - refreshing, simple, decent portion for the price. A nice combination of textures, although the sesame blend can come grainy and unpleasant to the mouth. Otherwise, nice balance of flavours from sweet to savoury that complemented the smoked salmon. Roe gave it a nice salty kick. Rosti was ok but can get oily as it soaks up everything being on the bottom. Fish and Chips 4/5 - freshly battered, very soft and flakey fish. Light and airy batter. Well crisped. Good portion of fries that came along with it. Coleslaw was a bit sloppy and lacked flavour though. Pricing was on the higher end for fish and chips but if coming to Clay would get this again. Brisket Burger 3/5 - a decent burger overall. Meat was a bit dry for our liking though. Flavourful, good amount of toppings and well rounded. Cheese melted nicely. Sauce that paired with it was nice and complemented the burger as well. Salad on the side was simple but relatively average in vinegrette so nothing too out of the ordinary. Gnocchetti 2.5/5 - mildly spicy from the kimchi, thick tomato paste sauce base. Gnocchetti was a bit dense and not fluffy/pillowy as I thought it would turn out to be. A very small portion for a main. Well seasoned and overall good, but not worth the price point. read more

We came here to celebrate my bachelorette party. Lovely space, lots of natural light! The 4th star is for the beautiful soace. Food was hit and miss. We especially enjoyed the potato gnocchi and the burger. However some other dishes were too salty to our taste. The desserts were very good! However, we felt pretty rushed by the waiter at the end because we were informed the table needs to be flipped at 1pm. They also refused to split our bills according to each persons order, instead they said it's easier to split it equally. So that was a bit strange. read more

Clay Restaurant - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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We went to ROM across the street and were looking for a quick bite which turned out to be a hidden gem! The restaurant is on the top floor of the clay museum. So (not too surprisingly,) each piece of the plates and serving ware was unique and created a pleasant stage for all the dishes. We tried the home made bread (focaccia), mushroom croquette, chop salad, pappardelle, roasted aubergine, and yuzu lemon tart. The menu had lots of other interesting dishes such as the burger, catch of the day, etc. Each dish that we tried was great! Focaccia came with evoo and truffle cultured butter, two strong distinct flavors opened the stage drapes, left the audience awed and excited! The mushroom croquette was playful: the crispy coat was stripped to pop the earthy and cheesy notes. The chopped salad's creamy hummus dressing hugs kale and lettuce's juicy crunchiness. Al Dante pappardelle danced with mushroomy cheesy sauce. Aubergine, Brussel sprouts, carrots and shiso pepper sun bathed in evoo and hummus dressing, marked the climax of the show. Black sesame wafer carried three layers of citrus flavors dressed in the dome shaped vanilla coating, closed the show. We were happily surprised! All the dishes were fantastic! The fusion were subtle: ingredients and tasting notes that are borrowed from Asia, South American, Mediterranean went really well with Canadian cuisine. We will be back! read more

Love this cute little hidden patio at the top of the Gardiner Museum. You can set inside as well but I do enjoy the patio area as it gives you a feel of privacy. The patio only seats 4 tables and at the time of our visit, there was only us and another table. The food is amazing and the staff is very accommodating. Highly recommended for a date or small group gatherings. A big plus is when you have lunch here, you can visit the rest of the museum after your meal. A must if you have extra time after your meal. read more

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One of the best patios in the cities is an understatement. Situated on top of Yorkville the view is spectacular. The service is top notch, the food was excellent on presentation, flavour and price. Top class restaurant without the over the top price tag. read more

Clay Restaurant is a fresh and modern revival of the restaurant on third floor of the Gardiner Museum, replacing "a la Carte at the Gardiner", and offers up a gorgeous view of the Royal Ontario Museum and the Lillian Massey Building. It's conveniently located next to Museum TTC station. They are typically open on weekdays and Sunday from 10am to 3pm, catering to an afternoon or daytime crowd. Overall, I had a really positive experience dining in this space: the food is delicious and aesthetic and the ambience is absolutely stunning. I visited Clay for their Sunday brunch or lunch though it also was the same day as the Gardiner Museum's anniversary celebration. *ATMOSPHERE* The atmosphere and ambience of this space is absolutely stunning, airy yet down-to-earth with plenty of greenery/plants, natural wood and earth tone peach and mint decor that plays tribute to the ceramics museum below. The restaurant is surrounded by dramatic floor to ceiling windows that let in plenty of natural sunlight, and offers beautiful views of the historic buildings outside. Everything in this space feels very new, bright and clean. In addition, the washrooms are incredibly clean and well-maintained. *SERVICE* The service here was fair, and the staff here are very friendly and polite. However, the food did seem to take a while time to prepare, and it took a solid 35 minutes for our food to arrive after placing our order. In addition, it would have been nice if service was a bit more attentive with regards to tea and coffee refills, but overall it was still a very pleasant experience. *FOOD* The food delivers on aesthetics and taste, gorgeously plated, colourful, with complex flavours and high quality ingredients. I tried the Eggs Benedict ($20) and it was a delight to eat! The poached eggs were incredible, the egg white was thin and delicate and the yolks were luxuriously runny. The homemade English muffin was surprisingly crispy (despite the egg and toppings sitting on top), the bacon was hearty and the BBQ sauce topping added a nice element of sweetness and smokiness. The salad was also bright and refreshing, with a combination of salad greens and kale in a zesty creamy dressing. It's a tad spendy as far as brunch goes and the portions were not huge, but considering the atmosphere I feel like it's definitely a worthwhile treat. Overall I would highly recommend Clay Restaurant for Sunday Brunch. It embodies many of the elements of a weekend brunch that I love so much: amazing food, classy and relaxing atmosphere, and a great location for weekend activities (e.g. Gardiner Museum, ROM, Bloor-Yorkville area). read more

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I have been here twice for weekday lunch since the Gardiner restaurant has become "Clay". 3 stars because first experience was 4/5 stars and 2nd visit was 2 stars. The space is beautiful with lots of light. The minimal design is really calming and of course the plateware is gorgeous! It is a great, quiet spot to catch up with friends/family. The menu is small and changes seasonally. There is a soup, omelette, and catch of the day. Otherwise there are some seasonal salads, fish and chips, burger, steak etc. So there's a good mix of lighter and heartier options. The drink selection is pretty good too, with some interesting sounding cocktails (although I didn't get to try them) and a decent selection of wines and craft beers. I have had their fish special and omelette and both were really well done. The fries are great too! The first time I came, service was good as far as I can remember. But on my second visit it was pretty terrible. The flow of customers was steady, but it wasn't packed or anything that would make me think the issue was due to being understaffed. Things started ok with the appetizers, but when it was time for mains, they brought out 3 of the entrees (in a party of 4) and cleared our cutlery. Then we waited for the new cutlery and the last entree for a good 15 mins. or so and nothing happened. The dishes were getting cold and the person who didn't have their entree told the rest of us to go ahead and start, but we couldn't as we had no cutlery! So we tried to get the wait staff's attention. First it was just the 4 of us turned around constantly trying to make eye contact with one of them. Nothing. Then, in a comical scene, my parents were both literally waving their arms in the air trying to catch someone's attention. Still nothing. My Dad even tried saying "excuse me!" loudly when a server would walk by us. Nothing. Finally, I had to get up and walk to the bar area where our server was and remind him that we were still waiting on an entree and we didn't have cutlery. Even after that, it still look a while longer for things to come. He said they were having some technical difficulties with their ordering system (they use ipads to enter the orders) and took my Dad's entree off the bill, which was nice. But this will still go down as a comically bad restaurant experience. I cannot recall another time I have actually had to get up from the table and hunt down the server! All that being said, I *hope* they were just having an off day. Otherwise, the place is great and I had such a lovely experience the first time, I am willing to go back and give them another try. Just don't go if you are tight on time! read more

Clay Restaurant - Fish charcuterie - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Brisket Burger Very tasty, the restaurant is at third floor. Ground floor is a ceramics museum read more

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This is a gorgeous space inside the Gardiner museum. We sat on the patio on a sunny day and the atmosphere was absolutely perfect. The aesthetic and the decor of the restaurant was stunning. We were not allowed to mix from the a la carte and Summerlicious menus. The server said it was because they were expected to be busy. The restaurant was completely empty when we sat down, and completely empty when we left. So, the lack of accommodation there wasn't really the best. Also, at opening, there was a number of cleaning staff milling about still sweeping the floors. As for the food, we ordered the omelette, mushroom toast, croque madame and fish and chips. The fish and chips was really greasy; you could actually see the grease pooling around the fries. Other than that, the food was good, but nothing to sing home about given the price point. read more

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I cannot say enough about Clay restaurant. The chef Bianca Azupardo has outdone herself with the fall menu. The butternut squash soup is the best I have ever had- so flavourful I wanted to lick the bowl and that was just the start. We were a party of four and each plate that was served just kept getting better- we had the brisket burger which was so juicy, the chopped salad with smoked salmon was delicious and to top it all off the opera cake by Kay was amazing!!! I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. It is a hidden gem that I just have to share!!!!! read more

Dining here was a true pleasure. With the enormous windows taking up every exterior wall, the room was flooded with natural light, making the clean decor choices look even brighter. It was truly a shame that the patio wasn't open, because the view was incredible. We were seated at the couches, which made everything feel a lot warmer and more homey. The table decorations with two partnered clay bodies were also very cute! The service was also wonderful! I certainly felt looked after while dining here, never neglected but also not hovered over. It was also lovely to get kind service instead of the cold condescension we often expect when joining upscale eateries for -licious events! We joined the folks at Clay for Summerlicious. Seeing the menu online, the choices all looked compelling, and since they were only available for lunch, made it an easy choice! The food is all very accessible for vegan and vegetarian guests, with all the veg options being appealing to omnivorous diners as well. The food was fresh and inspired, with creative and compelling ingredient choices and dishes. My appetizer was the Gazpacho, an item my server warned me was "very spicy", but would be described as "lightly tangy" if anything. The dish was fresh and light, while still managing to be hearty and filling. With cold soups, they need a bit of density to avoid being too passive, some thickness to give them presence, and I think this achieved that perfect texture, with the puffed quinoa providing interest during the dish. For my entree, I had the ricotta gnudi. In the past, I've been a Gnocci Hater™ for its density and overpowering chewiness. Today I learned of my love for gnudi. This manages to be lighter while still giving me everything I love about gnocci dishes. Even though it was a cheese based pasta in a creamy sauce, it wasn't too heavy, thanks to the light and sweet corn, the fresh cilantro, the acidity of the pickled fennel and the sweety drop peppers giving the dish lightness and contrast. To end I had the peach cobbler. It had all the components of a dish I adore, with the flavour profile I love in a dessert. Not overly decadent or chocolatey, but still warm and cozy. The pastry square "crust" component of the deconstructed cobbler was the best flavour, calling to mind Christina Rossi's Corn Cookies. One complaint was that I had some difficulty cutting off a piece with the fork due to its density, but the chew it gives is incredible. The peach slices were a bit too big as well, but worth the compromise to give the dish the look it achieves with the slices thick and whole. Overall a beautiful meal. The heft and weight of the plates was wonderful, they were all beautiful pieces that truly complemented the food beautifully, but I wouldn't expect any less from a venue situated inside a ceramics museum. Hoping to return for a regular service, not just a -licious one! Thank you friends! read more

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Menu is small but everything we tried was tasty. Starting with Chai Tea Latte which was perfectly sweetened (more on the tea and less on the sugar -- U.S. baristas should take note), Short-Rib burger, Frittata special and Fish and Chips were all delicious and well seasoned. Service was quick and attentive. Decor is modern and classy. I would come back here again when we return to Toronto. read more

Located inside of the Gardiner Museum. Very nice layout with friendly staff. Truly enjoy the atmosphere and the surrounding. If you don't mind paying a little bit more for the surrounding, I do recommend this place. read more

Clay Restaurant - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Prime Toronto location, pretentious, but definitely not deserving more than 2 stars. I met there (at his initiaitive) an old friend, to catch up after over almost 3 years of separation. The food menu is quite OK, it's just that the online menu needs urgent updating - it's vastly different from the one in the restaurant. The wine menu is not really a menu - it just indicates the 2 price/quality levels of the house wine, without any indication of the grape, region of origin, or vintage. The server initially gave us a wrong indication of the white wine particulars, had to bring the bottle for clarifications. My food (fish & chips) was very average: the fish, sauce tartar and the cole slow quite OK, but the fries were overburnt - I did not send them back since I wanted to preserve the positive atmosphere of the meeting with my friend. The service was very slow (almost 40 minutes), but at least the server kindly apologized. The sound level of the huge dining room was excessively high, so both my friend and myself had to repeat some of our phrases for better understanding. The ratio price/overall quality is definitely not justified. read more

Chef Banca served a delicious meal! Her ideas and innovations had my palete experiencing tastes I didn't know existed. Watch out for Banca, she is an up and coming rising star! 5 stars!!! read more