On November 8 2025, our party of four -- celebrating my lawyer brother's 68th birthday -- had what should have been a pleasant evening at SOLE Restaurant in Waterloo. It turned into an embarrassing and disappointing experience. I am a retired Air Force Captain, a veteran of the Gulf War, and that evening I was joined by my brother and our spouses, we all choose to drink red wine. After enjoying dinner and ordering our second bottle of wine, a female manager approached our table to ask how we were getting home. I explained that my wife and I were staying at the Delta Hotel across the street and walked here and were walking back, while my brother mentioned that his daughter would be picking them up. Later, when we ordered a fourth bottle of wine to enjoy with dessert, the same manager returned and refused to serve us, claiming that it would amount to "one bottle per person" and could "put us over the limit." In all my 64 years, I have never been refused service ever -- especially while being responsible, polite, and transparent about our arrangements. Feeling insulted and unwelcome, we decided to take our business to the Delta Hotel, where we were treated with courtesy and common sense. Needless to say, SOLE will never see my face again, and I will make sure others are aware of how this restaurant treats paying, respectful customers celebrating a special occasion. Sincerely, Capt. (Ret'd) Martin Mattes Canadian Air Force Veteran read more

Sole' Restaurant - Sole Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Very solid restaurant with great food! Place is classy but cozy. We ordered the seasonal soup which was a hearty beef and vegetable orzo soup, pear & blue pizza, and the roasted squash & duck fiorelli. Soup was perfect for the cold weather, and enough for two of us to share. Pizza had good chew to the crust and the combination of blue cheese and pears and honey was delicious. A little greasy. Pasta was delicious and cooked perfectly, the duck confit was so tender and flavourful, squash was also perfectly tender. They were also nice enough to bring a little birthday dessert for us! Only thing I'll say is that this might be the only restaurant I've felt like I'm doing something wrong... not that the servers were mean but the vibes are just something I've never felt before. Total bill for us before tax & tip was $67. Great pricing for great food. Highly recommend! read more

Went here on a random Friday evening in December and it was packed, but they were able to get me a spot in a quiet corner. The filet mignon was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and and the scallops were rich and very palatable. Although, the sauce to scallop ratio is a bit off with there being way more sauce and only three scallops. As for the steak, the filet mignon was the only thing that really stood out - mashed yukon potatoes were good, but the seasonal vegetables were a bit underwhelming for the price point. The Guiness also comes in a can and not draft which I was expecting since they have a bar as well. read more

Food was pretty good, portion size was reasonable, the atmosphere was great, service was pretty good. read more

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This restaurant is located within walking distance from Waterloo Park, Delta Hotel, and is somewhat in between University of Waterloo campus and downtown Kitchener. The interior is quite spacious with high ceilings and an old rustic style that reminded me of a converted old house with exposed interior bricks and old-style cookstoves (they gave the restaurant a nice, warm, rustic feel). It wasn't too busy on a weekend late afternoon, as there were plenty of seats both inside (got to choose between sitting at a table or booth) and at the outside patio. The food was excellent. The menu was a combination of continental, Italian (pizza and pasta), Mediterranean, and modern fusion dishes with good vegetarian options. My favourite was the Warm Grain Salad, which came with two big and thick chunks of marinated tempeh. The combination of black rice, arugula, pickled beets, soft herbs, and sesame cream was heavenly... smooth, creamy, and very satisfying along with the tempeh. This dish also had guajillo chili oil drizzled on it, but it wasn't spicy at all. The Pan-Seared North Atlantic Salmon was also very good, along with the chilled snap peas, grilled peaches, mini purple potatoes, and spiced yogurt dressing that came with it. The Baby Greens and Pear Salad was good as expected. The cider vinaigrette was subtle which I liked, and we were able to order the goat cheese to be on the side (or to exclude it altogether). You can add protein to any salad, including tempeh and scallops. The Pan-Seared Scallops were also well done with a bit of char at the top. We ordered the Sweet Potato Lasagna because it sounded unique. Instead of the regular wheat lasagna pasta, it used sweet potato that was sliced very thinly as the layers. The combination of the chin sweet potato layers, leeks, and shiitake and portobello mushrooms was a match in heaven. The feta and mozzarella binded all the layers together. The vodka rosé sauce was a bit too much and too creamy for me... I think the lasagna would've been fine or better on its own without the rosé sauce. Service was attentive. Our waitress came by a few times to ask if everything was ok and if we needed anything else. Overall it was a pleasant dining experience. read more

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We enjoyed our turkey dinner and delicious pavlova Service was good. However the music detracted from our experience. Constant excessively loud throbbing bass; no variation in the songs. I have been coming to Sole for many years and don't recall this problem. The music was more suited to a sports bar than an upscale gourmet restaurant . Is this the result of new management by Charcoal group we wondered -as the music sounded like you get in the nearby Beertown sports bar owned by Charcoal. Twice we asked the server to turn down the volume, but it never changed. If this continues we may have to look elsewhere for a restaurant with a more classy, sophisticated ambience. \\ read more

Food was okay, favourful. However, the ambiance was gone, music aggressive and much too loud. I could not hear my wife, in conversation. Apparently, our server could not hear as she provided an order to the kitchen that in no way resemble what my wife had ordered. Service regrettable; our server was simultaneously serving a table of 10, a table of 8, a table of six, a couple of deuces and ourselves. Used to be a "go to" spot but never again. read more

Excellent meal, service and ambience. We had two appetizers, the scallops and the tuna tartare. They were both delicious! We shared a pizza as our main and it was perfect. We'll definitely be back. read more

The meals were amazing Service was excellent They gave us a lovely dessert to share for our anniversary Will definitely be back read more

Service wonderful and food delicious. The sweet potato lasagna was not a hit! Lovely ambiance on the patio. read more

Friendly staff and great place to enjoy your lunch or dinner with friends and family . Food is amazing and great service .

Went to sole for the first time since I've been in Waterloo because they have an awesome patio. For starters, the construction on Erb street makes it a pain to turn into father David Bauer so your best bet is to go through either the street beside it and enter through the parking lot or stay on Caroline and drive around the bend to Sole. I love open table and used it to reserve a spot for 5pm, 3 people on a Friday night. I was table number 3 of the night. Things did not pick up until a little later around 7pm. First impressions of the restaurant as you walk in... it's quaint and precious, like an old fairytale Italian restaurant. Homey. It's spacious and quiet - instrumental acoustics in the background playing covers of songs. The patio wraps around half the building with a small waterfall and vine like plants all over the walls and fence. It was absolutely beautiful. I was told they had amazing food so when I sat down, I had very high expectations. The dishes are more pricey than some restaurants around the area but it's all local and fresh which makes it worth it. Starters - white sangria, peach snaps and pineapple juice with a bunch of other things. It was alright. It didn't taste like juice which are what the sangrias I usually drink taste like... but not an overload flavor of wine either. For $10, I was hoping for a little bit more umph in it. Appetizer - phyllo with pulled pork and caramelized onions. Simple but so so good. The caramelized onions added a wonderful level of flavor to the southern bbq pulled pork. The phyllo was crisp and broke apart as you ate it. Definitely a finger food attempt. Main - I ordered the lamb shank. Somewhat average to be honest. It was braised and served in a broth with a side of mash and shaved root vegetables. The shank was good flavor wise. Would have liked it more if it was slightly more tender. The mash was good. Couldn't care very much for the sliced veg: I would much rather have them roasted. I think my expectations were too high... it was good but not mind blowing. Friend ordered the sole pizza, prosciutto mushrooms and cheese. She loved it. Good portion size and they don't bake the prosciutto. This makes it even better. Some places do and it ruins the pizza. The prosciutto is fresh and is layered on top. Apparently a must have. Dessert. O m g. Just get the creme brûlée . I have a pretty picky palette when it comes to desserts... and I would say that they have the best creme brûlée so far. The creamy texture of the custard... the perfect balance of sweetness and you can see the vanilla bean they use in the custard. I honestly would have given them 5 stars for the dessert alone. Would I come back? Maybe. Maybe their seafood would be better than their lamb dish? I don't know... what I do know is that just the creme brûlée is worth the trip. Just come for dessert. That's all you need. The dessert menu.... And don't listen to people hyping up the restaurant. Go without expectations. Don't ruin your experience like I did because I listened to a friend rave about it like no tomorrow. read more

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We had a lovely dinner here. The restaurant is in an old building that is part of the former Seagram's complex. We sat on their very pleasant patio. The food was presented beautifully and was very good. I had a special that was fish with beluga lentils and a beet cream sauce. The flavors were very subtle which often seems to be the case with fish dishes. The pecan carrot cake was delicious. Service was friendly and professional without being intrusive or pretentious. read more

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Nice quiet and clean patio, however lunch is overpriced Pros: - staff was very nice - had a online/paper checkpoint for covid symptoms - dessert was super good! Highly recommend the Espresso Cheesecake with caramel! -Atlantic lobster and tiger shrimp roll was good if you're looking for a light meal Cons: - Steak sandwich was underwhelming in terms of portion and flavour and it was slightly cold when served, however homecooked chips were alright - service was way too long, the waiting interval between appetizer and main course was 45 minutes Ordered: baby greens and pear salad, Sole steak sandwich, Atlantic lobster and tiger shrimp roll and espresso cheesecake with caramel read more

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Came here on a Saturday afternoon for lunch and was overall very satisfied with the food, surprisingly refined plating, and relaxed atmosphere (there's a lovely garden patio too) ! I really liked the lunch & brunch menu selection and when we went, there was even a prix-fixe $25 3-course lunch menu! Even though the place was not busy, our food service was very slow (~45minutes). There was also complimentary bread, although the waiter did not explicitly say that when she asked if we were interested in getting some. //FOOD// A few of us got the 3-course $25 meal, while I got the Chicken & Pear Salad. I enjoyed how large the salad was and just the right amount of the cider vinaigrette was tossed with it. For dessert I tried their Creme brûlée which had a great even crisp sugar coating, but the custard beneath was chilled & quite liquidy. Not my favourite at all. read more

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3.5 stars Came to Sole on a Saturday for an early dinner around 5pm. It was pretty empty except for a couple of tables and my food came out extremely fast. The staff were nice enough and since there weren't many people they catered to by needs pretty quick. The restaurant itself is pretty big, so I'd imagine it's probably easy to get a table without waiting! The food didn't feel entirely Greek, but I guess it was mediterranean / Italian. Their menu is a bit everywhere so kind of hard to tell what the actual cuisine was. I had their sourdough bread with olive oil and that was actually pretty decent! And had that until they brought out my Caprese salad which was alright, and pretty standard. Nothing special, I don't think they had the best quality Mozzarella but it was good enough. The Salmone in Crosta really stood out to me because the salmon was baked and it was super juicy, tender and cooked well with the pistachio crust, mangos and sauce on top was absolutely delicious. Even the quinoa mixed with the olive oil, vegetables and other sauces was pretty tasty. So it seemed like a healthy and tasty meal! All in all, it was alright and I'm on the fence on coming back, because the food is a bit above mediocre and is on the pricer side too. read more

Sole' Restaurant - Salmone in Crosta 25.95 Fresh Atlantic salmon in pistachio crust and finish with prosecco wine sauce - Wine Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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From out of town and walked across the street from my hotel and completely enjoyed this local gem. Excellent food, great drinks, and friendly service. If I was local, Sole' would be a regular spot. read more

Last night, 7/16 I visited this restaurant for a post movie snack. Frankly, it was disgusting. We ordered the calamari, which was luke warm, mushy breading and came in its own soup of oil on the plate. We were hungry- so we ate 2-3 each....not wanting to make a scene about how bad it was to each other and spoil the night. But I cannot let this go un-noted. The bread on the side was like a time warp to the 50's no crust, mealy , white mush starch-- truly unbelievable. This morning, I am mad that I ate some of this ....ugh The wine - Cab sauvignon - was crisp, cool and delightful.....should have had that! Actually, we should have never gone there. read more

First meal since multiple lockdowns are sole. I was a bit disappointed with the greeting when we arrived and as we walked to the table. Hostesses were not engaging at all. The server on the other hand (Meredith) was very engaging and made up for the lack of welcome when we arrived. Me decided to share multiple dishes. Starting with the charcuterie board for 2 which was excellent. Choices of cheeses meets and fruits were divine. Very complimentary. For our main courses we decided to share the penne carbonara and the burrata with heirloom tomatoes. We told Meredith that we were sharing the two dishes and without being asked proceeded to have the dishes nicely separated for us. What a nice surprise. The meal was tasty and enjoyable. The Burrata was fresh and tomatoes were tasty. We finished the evening enjoying the remainder of wine. We passed on dessert as we were both fully satisfied with the meal we had. The outdoor patio looked amazing unfortunately the weather was not conducive to sitting outside. I will definitely return for a drink or a light evening snack. read more

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Wonderful service and the food was amazing! I had an fantastic glass of wine, that I have since been unable to locate. 10 out of 10 I would recommend! read more

It's so nice to have an upscale yet cozy restaurant in KW. There aren't very many of these types of restaurants in Waterloo or Kitchener so it's great to have this one. Sole uses fresh ingredients and serves up delicious food in a lovely space. Their fish entrees are very good and I really like their duck as well. I like their friendly and attentive service. The staff are approachable and make the evening an even better experience. This restaurant is good for a small romantic dinner, a big group or for solo diners who are traveling for work. The restaurant is located 5 min walk away from where i stay when in work in town, and so that's a huge plus for having some wine without having to drive. I try to visit each time I'm in the area. read more

Amazing ambiance and shady spots to sit outside. I haven't dined inside yet. The food is amazing - I have had their gazpacho and salmon ordered dairy free. Great spot for a date or any other gathering. I wish they had more dairy free dessert options but the options they have look amazing for those who can have dairy Looking forward to returning! read more

Great atmosphere for sure and wonderful service but pizzas use frozen crust. They didn't used to do that. we sat right by the "wood fired oven" and they never used it. Scallops were wonderful. Do not order the pizza. read more

Hello Uptown Waterloo! I was walking and I saw this beautiful building with a colourful garden and I decided to return for dinner. For starter we had fresh fluffy white bread with butter and hummus, loved it. I ordered a sweet potato lasagna which consisted of portobello mushrooms and other goodness to which I can't remember. It was delicious! My partner had baked Atlantic salmon and it was juicy but would prefer a little less on the pan as it seemed too cooked. The paired salad with quinoa, arugula, beets and orange was refreshing. The service was great. Parking was spacious. I would definitely return again. read more

Sole' Restaurant - Baked Atlantic Salmon - Wine Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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Grilled cheese appetizer was absolutely delicious and the salted caramel dip just made it even more heavenly. Ordered the stuff chicken with cream cheese and it was to die for, so creamy and rich and tghe roast potatoes and vegetables went perfectly with it. My boyfriend got the penne carbonera which was also delicious (I stole a few bites). The staff were very friendly and service was quick. We went there for my birthday and they brought over the best creme brulee I've ever had at the end of the meal on a plate with "Happy Birthday" written in chocolate. Overall, one of the best meals I've had and considering how luxurious it was, I think the pricing is more than reasonable. I will definitely be returning as soon as possible! read more

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Stopped in for a glass of wine based on the recommendations of the fine staff at the Delta hotel across the street. Great atmosphere and lighting, tremendous aromas from the kitchen, and what incredible service. The bar tenders are EXTREMELY knowledgeable about their wine selection so don't be afraid to ask! read more

Sole' Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

First date we have been on in over a year ended with a great success. Can't remember the last time I had a bill so high, with zero regret! Food was great, and our server Samuel was amazing too! Highly recommend! read more

Amazing patio, beautiful restaurant, great service. Great food. Had a brunch stake and eggs. Will come back. read more

Sole' Restaurant - Stake and eggs with shaved asparagus and potatoes - Wine Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Unfortunately, a disappointing experience. Went for dinner on strong recommendations that Sole had great food, great wine selection, and great ambiance. The wine selection was indeed extensive. The Saturday night crowd was a blend of casually dressed diners and those who obviously were out for a special occasion. The soft-lighting, exposed wood beams, warm colors, and wine racks, made me think I had come to the right place for a delicious, relaxed meal. (The patio looked particularly enticing.) But then the food came out. The presentation struck me first. My husband's steak was stacked on top of a half-yellowed piece of broccoli and a few other whole veggies. Not the most appetizing plate to look at. My roasted chicken stuffed with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes sounded mouth-watering on the menu, but when it came out it was underwhelming. A dollop of garlic mashed potatoes (the best thing on the plate) with a heap of limp greens and an anemic piece of chicken. (Granted, chicken is not the most exciting thing to order on a menu, but goat cheese is my weakness.) I do not mind spending a lot on a great meal, however I definitely did not feel that my dish was worth the 27 dollar price tag. Dinner did end up on a good note, though - with a deliciously rich piece of chocolate truffle cake. A decent dessert and a good cup of coffee can cover a multitude of dining sins. Perhaps my high expectations doomed the place from the start, but I left with little desire to return any time soon. I wouldn't tell someone not to go to Sole, but I'd give a more cautious endorsement than the friends who so strongly recommended it to me in the first place. read more

Not a bad place in Waterloo...particularly because its a stone's throw from where I always end up crashing. They do have a nice wine and beverage list, and I really enjoyed my white wine sangria. It was filled with fresh strawberries and mango chunks. Boozy woozy! I had the burger stuffed with goat cheese, with roasted tomatoes and pesto...it was moist, flavourful, and very delicious. Sweet potato fries with a side of lemon aioli, ditto ($16). My friend had the Shrimp Nicoise, which she loved. It looked very fresh and light and delicious. I've also heard amazing things about the lobster clubhouse ($21). We enjoyed our food, and the back patio is lovely! Its not cheap, but the quality and experience was good. read more

Great atmosphere, great service and best of all amazing food! While in town for a wedding we were eager to find a good brunch. Success! We couldn't decide between Lobster benedict or little steak and eggs. Final decision, get both and share. The lobster benny was so rich and delicious, perfectly cooked fingerling potatoes. Little steak and eggs consisted of perfectly cooked bacon wrapped tenderloins nestled atop corned beef mashed potatoes topped with a sunny side up quali egg. Melt in your mouth goodness! The pastry basket with assorted mini muffins, streudels and banana bread was an added touch to our morning cappucinos. If this place wasn't so far away, I'd be back to check out their evening menu and wine bar. read more

Really great food in a fancy place. Prime rib deal was solid. The vegetarian lasagna was really fancy. I'm giving 4/5 because for the prices it doesn't feel fancy ENOUGH. And that is very hard to explain, but it really has a 'waterloo' feel to it. Like Famoso (not fancy I know, but its that darn Waterloo style). Maybe its nicer at night. I went around 7pm, left as the sun was going down. Will definitely be coming back, because the food was great. read more

Myself and others recently enjoyed a lovely dinner here. It was incredible. I ordered a Cesar salad with calamari. The salad was the best I've ever had, so was the calamari. The food was presented beautifully. Everyone was satisfied with their orders. The service was amazing too. Our server was extremely welcoming and the kitchen had our food ready within half an hour, which to me is perfect. Our reservation was for 5pm. When we arrived, the restaurant was practically empty, it filled up quite fast though. I highly recommend sole. read more

Have eaten all over the world and this meal sits easily my top 5. Extraordinary food, service and atmosphere. Duck leg better than Peking duck in China. Go figure... read more

One of my favourite Waterloo Restaurants. Nice decor, professional staff great food, exceptional and reasonable wine list. In the summer they have the best patio in town. Tomatoe bisque was really good and the chicken liver dish was very good. read more

Excellent spot! Great service, lovely decor, wonderful food! I recommend the Rose sangria for a refreshing drink!

I would really like this restaurant to be better. Every time I go something is wrong. It's lovely ambiance, the patio is terrific, the staff seem happy. It's the food that is just okay and overpriced. I had the chicken stuffed with crab and found out that stuffed is just an advertisement as 7/8 of the chicken has no crab but up near the end there was a smear of something, really a paste, that I assume was crab. My partner had the the schnitzel that was overdone and tough. I keep trying and keep getting disappointed. read more

I took my family there for my wife's birthday (2 adults, 2 teens, and an 11 year old). It's a nice ambiance and service was friendly and somewhat knowledgeable about the menu. The menu itself is somewhat limited and plates were relatively expensive so we had high expectations for the dishes we ordered. My son had a kid's pizza and was quite happy with it. One daughter had the shrimp pasta and it was pretty OK. The ingredients seemed fresh enough but there was nothing all that interesting about the meal. It was actually pretty bland. My other daughter had the meatball bolanaise (I know I am not spelling it correctly) and it was pretty bad. She hardly touched it. The meatball tasted like an overspiced mini meatloaf and the sauce was uninspired. My wife ordered the schnitzel and mashed potatoes and it was good but, for the price, the was nothing all that special or memorable about it. I had the 10 oz ribeye and it was very good. The mushroom and olive sauce or whatever was a little overpowering but that was easily remedied by sweeping it off. The brocollini and squash was very good as well. When we booked the dinner they asked if there was a special occasion and I mentioned it was my wife's birthday. Most restaurants will make a point of bringing a small piece of cake or making some recognition for the birthday but there was none of that here. If not then what is the point of asking whether we are celebrating anything? Anyways, I can say it was a bad experience because we only had one dish that we didn't like and the service was ok. So I give it a 3 but when you factor in the price I was lean more towards 2.5. read more

It has been some time since coming here. The food selection and features are very nice. We came here for my birthday just the two of us. Overall the food was excellent. Quality was very good. I had a waygu beef feature and split a feature gnocchi starter. My wife had the duck was good as well. Service has gone down since last time though. We waited well over half an hour after our appetizers were cleared. After dinner was cleared 10 minutes just for the desert menu. i. Then another ten minutes to order dessert. It is not like they were to capacity by any means. So if you come here just be prepared for a long sitting. Basically took over 2.5 hours for a relatively simple meal. It was a bit painful to be honest. I rated it 4 stars only because the quality of food brought the service up. If the service matched the quality of food and price I would have given a 5 for the area. I would suggest ordering features rather than main fare as they seem to put the extra effort on those dishes. read more

I went for lunch nice bottle of white two lunch items my wife had a salad with chicken breast and I had the lobster club came with a bread plate which is great. i have eaten here before nice patio service is friendly not super fast or slow . lunch was just under 100 dollars plus tip so not cheap with out a bottle of wine it would have been at lest half that price. The lobster club did not look like a lot but it was more than enough for lunch same with the salad which was large . The setting is great the food is very good but not ground breaking this is a nice place to sit on a patio have a decent meal and relax. Clean nice good wine good food 4 star read more