My party of four visited during Taste of Oakville, and in hindsight, the evening foreshadowed…read moreitself early -- the restaurant's website was down with a 404 error, and we kept finding two different addresses (one apparently their old location). We eventually found it. Upon arrival, the door swung open and struck a seated guest -- a sign of just how small the space is. The restaurant was full except for one four-top (clearly ours), and we stood awkwardly in the entrance -- which is essentially inside the dining room -- waiting to be acknowledged. When greeted, we were asked if we had a reservation. We said yes. "Table for eight?" we were asked, which felt impossible given the size of the room. We clarified four, and were pointed to the only open table. No name was requested; we realistically could have just walked in and taken it. The space is starkly lit with aggressive bright white lighting that feels more clinical than cozy. The artwork is interesting and gives a gallery-like feel -- it seems the restaurant is aiming for a downtown Toronto wine bar aesthetic, but it doesn't quite land. Our table was missing water glasses, and the stemware was mismatched -- not in an intentional, charming way, but more in a "we ran out" way. Once seated, we weren't acknowledged or offered water for nearly 20 minutes. Not rushing guests is one thing; leaving them feeling forgotten is another. When our server finally arrived, the service set the tone for the evening. One glass of water was poured before he realized another was missing. He disappeared, returned with a glass, inspected it mid-pour, then walked away again (dirty glass). After several more trips and long gaps, everyone eventually received water -- about 15 minutes later. He was polite and friendly, just clearly untrained. He shared that the owner is also the sommelier, cook, and server, and that he liked working there because he wasn't expected to know much about wine -- an interesting admission for a wine bar. The owner greeted us warmly but asked only one guest about wine preferences -- ironically the only non-wine drinker at the table. The concept appeared to be sommelier-led, though this was never explained. If that is the intention, engaging the entire table is essential. That said, the wines themselves were enjoyable; the service surrounding them was not. The Taste of Oakville menu promised three curated 3-oz pours paired with a charcuterie board for two. The pours arrived unevenly and slowly, with little explanation of the pairings. The charcuterie boards were plain and inconsistent between tables despite containing similar items -- basic fruit, crostini, simple cured meats, small portions of brie, and two slices of truffle cheese. No crackers, spreads, or thoughtful touches elevated the experience, and presentation varied noticeably. Our second wine pour didn't arrive until our mains, and service moved so slowly we requested a wine list to order a bottle. We were told there is no wine list -- "we're not that kind of restaurant." Instead, all reds are $80 and all whites $70, and the owner selects the bottle for you after asking only red or white. The concept might work if explained upfront; without context, it was confusing. At one point, noticing my empty glass, our server poured me a random red -- which turned out to be the same wine as our first pour -- and then left without serving anyone else. We had to remind staff we were still waiting for our second curated pour. Nothing about the experience felt curated. The most surprising moment of the night came when our mains arrived. As we lifted our appetizer plates -- still holding olive pits, fruit rinds, and crumbs -- the servers told us not to worry about clearing them and proceeded to place our main dishes directly on top of the used plates. I'm still shocked. I wouldn't do that at home, let alone expect it at a Lakeshore, or quite frankly, any restaurant. Two of us ordered the tagliatelle, which was tasty but contained only two small pieces of short rib -- and was difficult to enjoy while staring at discarded rinds beneath the plate. The other two ordered brisket sliders: two sliders, no sides. They tasted good but left diners hungry. One guest joked they kept thinking the fruit rinds were fries -- unfortunately accurate. We tried to make the best of the evening, but it never delivered the cozy wine-and-charcuterie experience we had anticipated -- dim lighting, thoughtful pairings, something special. After finishing our meal, we requested our bills and reminded staff we were still waiting for the third curated pour. We were told "five minutes." Those five minutes never came. Eventually, wanting simply to leave, we paid a single combined bill and sorted it out ourselves. Dinner for four totaled $460. This was not the boutique Lakeshore dining experience we expected, and ultimately, it was deeply disappointing.

As an Oenophile, I was excited to check out The Wine Bar in my neighbourhood. The door was open, In…read morewalked in at 4:55 to be "Greeted" by the Owner, "We don't open till 5 o'clock".......Attitude from the get go. I looked at the menu, interesting but very pricey for the offering. I looked at a row of wine bottle partially open and simply corked, no nitrogen or air extraction.....no telling how long the wine had been "Breathing"....Days? I am puzzled by the discrepancy 5 Star vs 1 Star reviews. I have no confidence in the 5 star reviews....Friends?...Self reviewed? No serious wine enthusiast would visit this establishment...bad attitude, poor value, insufficient wine care and presentation.

This must be the place!…read more Our first trip to Toronto and boy did we have fun. From delicious food to sipping wine, and everything in between, Toronto was a city to explore. Ladybug Wine Bar is a cute but also sophisticated wine bar located on King Street, steps away from shopping and restaurants. We stopped in here on a snowy Sunday before our flight home. They also serve Sunday Brunch. We grabbed a few open seats at the comfy bar. They do not offer wine flights, which made this experience pretty darn expensive but SOOOO worth it. We had such a fun time and the people working were so nice, we honeslty did not want to leave. They were willing to help with our selections. We actually ordered all their Reds by the glass. I know, but there were only about 6 and we had to try them all. I like to say "go big or go home" LOL! We loved almost all except for maybe a few. We ended up also ordering a charcuterie while we sip. And of course I brought a bottle home with me. If you are ever in Toronto, please check out Ladybug wine bar, it is fantastic, you won't want to leave. Cheers!

A Hidden Gem for Brunch!!…read more I came here with 3 of my girlies that love brunch. Everything we ordered was fresh, light, and absolutely delicious. We started with some drinks which were super affordable compared to other brunch places. The espresso martinis weren't too sweet and had the perfect balance. As for the dishes the standout for me was the smoked salmon toast. The combination of the eggs, fresh dill, and sliced salmon on top of toast was so yummy. Service was nice and the place was cozy/bright. Highly recommend this spot for a girls' brunch or casual date.

Great wine selection. Wonderful small plates. Lovely ambiance. It's everything you need from a…read morewine bar!

Food 4.5/5 Service…read more4/5: Ambiance: 4:5 The short ribs were tender,it's sweet-savory glaze with a bit of crispy garlic chips on top! As a garlic lover, i love it. The pizza is good as well! I picked the arugula-and-burrata. It is fresh and creamy. It's more of 4.5 because the seating is a bit cramped for large parties

Very good. Delicious. First time will come again. Noisy though. Nice decor. Pizza seems signature…read moreplates. Large quantities.

Foods and service were top notch. Ambiance was beautiful - modern yet classy…read more Couldn't be happier that we ate here on New Year's Eve! What a great meal to wrap up and welcome a new year! Kids meal portion was ginormous.

Banger after banger after banger. Each dish was incredible…read moreand very authentic We ordered: Appetizers: The calamari, mango salad Mains: pad Thai, pad kra pao, pad see ew, khao soi. All these dishes were perfectly cooked and tasted very authentic and balanced. 0 complaints 10/10. Red curry w Duck. Holy the duck was perfectly tender and complimented the coconut rice and curry so well! Dessert: Thai iced tea tiramisu (a must get!) the flavours were perfect! NYC cheesecake which surprised me at how creamy and delicious it was. Mango sticky rice. Which came w a darker blue grain and tasted almost like fruit loops w the condensed milk but was so yummy and perfectly sweet. There was even a kids meal option that honestly, portion wise would be been awesome to have as an adult and was very worth the price! My nephew enjoyed his pad see ew which was an amazing portion for a kids meal, along w the mango ice cream for dessert So glad they opened up closer to home!

I really enjoyed this restaurant. Service and food were excellent…read more Cozy local spot that made you feel welcome. Looking forward to coming back!

First visit to The Wood Owl. The savoury dishes were well-presented and flavourful. I thought the…read moremenu had a good balance of options. The service was friendly, and the space had a relaxed, cozy atmosphere. Overall, we enjoyed the experience, the desserts & braised short rib could use some improvement imo but not bad.

Small, intimate, nicely appointed restaurant. Waitstaff are friendly , knowledgeable in…read morerecommending different dishes. Food deliciously cooked with a good selection of wine pairings.

Nice neighborhood Italian place service decent well cooked food (at least the dishes I tried). As…read moreother reviews have mentioned, this is a gem hidden in a not so well traveled Richmond Hill area, raccoons probably outnumber the residents. Played it safe and ordered appetizers to share, beef tenderloin carpaccio, grilled calamari, sauteed black tiger shrimp and a funghi truffle pizza. Beef carpaccio was fresh but could have used a little more stronger balsamic oil seasoning Shrimp was sauteed perfectly, firm and springy. Seasoned will Grilled Calamari was tender and flavorful Funghi pizza let me down, dry and flavorless, no truffle flavor whatsoever. I was impressed with the decent food quality verses their price point, their pasta and meat entrees looked pretty good, I'll need to come back, raccoons you better watch out.

My favourite local spot on Main Street to hangout. This gem is truly one of a kind - I love the…read moreself serve wine concept. It gives you the opportunity to be introduced to new, different wines. They have happy hour menu during the week - their charcuterie boards are phenomenal. I'll try their sandwiches next! Owners are welcoming and friendly.

Not so much a wine bar as basecamp for a journey…read more The highlight of this hidden gem is its unique self-serve system, where you can try a variety of wines by the glass, portion or sip. This allows you to experiment and discover new favourites without committing to a full bottle. You may not like everything you try, but it's always INTERESTING. The selection of wines at Wine on Main is always rotating and expertly curated, offering a range of styles and regions that wonderfully move you out of your comfort zone. The owners, a knowledgeable and curious couple, are passionate about exploring different wines and sharing their discoveries with their guests. Their passion is contagious and you can't help but be swept up in their excitement. The best shop of it's kind in York Region.

Exceptional service and great food truly define a dining experience…read moreWe've come to Diana's in Markham a few times now, and our server Veronika has provided incredible service on every occasion. She provides clear menu guidance, and has a very pleasant/professional demeanor. She also knows how to make an excellent beverage! The food is top notch and the prices are definitely fair. We'll be back :)

I came here on a weekday dinner with coworkers and honestly, it was such a solid seafood spot in…read moreMarkham. We had a reservation for 6:15PM, but did have to wait a bit while our table was being set up. Not a huge deal though as they actually have a little waiting area with a popcorn machine, which I thought was super cute and thoughtful. That said... we were here for seafood, so we had to hold ourselves back from snacking too much on popcorn LOL. We went on a Thursday, so we took advantage of their $50 for 50 oysters (with purchase of an entrée). Easily the best part of the experience from a value standpoint. While a good portion of the oysters were fresh, there were definitely a few that were noticeably off. Not just "less fresh," but the kind of bites that make you pause and immediately wanting to spit it out. It kind of takes away from the experience when you're second-guessing each one. We started with the ahi tuna tartare and individual cups of clam chowder. The tartare was decent, but lacked that extra punch or acidity to really make it stand out. The chowder, on the other hand, was surprisingly well done; generous clam pieces with that distinct briny, ocean flavour you only get from real seafood. It tasted authentic, not overly thick, and actually let the ingredients shine. For mains, I ordered the lobster mac & cheese, while my coworkers got the lobster & shrimp tagliatelle. The mac & cheese was creamy and cheesy, but leaned heavily toward pasta over lobster. I only found a few small pieces, mostly from the claw. It felt more like a standard mac & cheese with lobster added in after the fact rather than something cooked together cohesively. Not quite what I had in mind. I also tried a few bites of the tagliatelle; there was flavour there, but it needed salt to bring everything forward. As it stood, the flavours felt muted and a bit hidden. That said, shoutout to our server, Edward, who really helped elevate the experience. Super attentive, gave solid recommendations, and suggested a bottle of Oyster Bay Chardonnay to pair with the oysters, which ended up being a hit. Overall, this is a spot that's worth visiting for the specials alone, but the execution across dishes is a bit uneven. Good, not great, and I'd be more inclined to return strategically rather than for the full menu experience.