I actually quite like this place! The interior is old renaissance meet diner style. Lovely seating spots and an even more lovely patio. Location is absolutely prime. The service was fantastic. The menu has quite a bit of variety. I had the wednesday chicken wings special (garlic parm) and we also had the philly cheesesteak sandwich. The wings were fresh, although mildly sauced, and well the philly, delicious. Love it, hope to come for breakfast and cake another time! read more

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Always a great go-to spot for a larger group. We came here for brunch, and I really enjoyed my peameal bacon sandwich with roasted potatoes. read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Guelph - peameal bacon sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Guelph, Ontario

First visit to this location in Guelph Ontario Very nice and large restaurant , not just a cafe Bar , wine , bold menu Our waiter was friendly and patient Prices were good , Very nice bright customer bathrooms read more

Excellent food, exceptional service. The environment was very clean, warm and welcoming. Our server was prompt and attentive. The owner came over after we received our meals to check how we were doing. The food was excellent. We had seafood pasta with a rose sauce, a Mediterranean salad and brownie cheesecake with coffee for dessert. Everything was well prepared and delicious. Seafood was cooked perfectly, salad fresh,crisp and perfectly dressed. I know I am gushing, but we have gone 2 times now and have been impressed both times. We were recommended Symposium by friends who go there at least once a week. read more

Good service, good food, moderate ambiance. Indoor seating is available with social distancing. We had Fish and Chips (battered haddock fillet), and the Shrimps with Fries. Food was ok, as expected. Service was good. Our server was friendly and prompt. The place is clean and maintaining COVID 19 cleanliness standards. read more

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I stopped in here for brunch, because breakfast is served all day here. Ordered the three eggs with the potato. If you're a tiny eater you will find the upcharge for meat a bit too much for serving. The place is wonderfully decorated and ....I was scratching my head because I swear this location was more exposed a decade ago in the plaza and may have been relocated. The location is very easy to navigate and the washroom is a little closet behind the bar, but then you realize it is a full size washroom, one for men and one for women. I have to give the manager props that this location is very efficiently laid out with two party room sections. read more

Went for brunch on a Sunday - decided on Symposium. They are consistent, dependable, and nothing fancy. A great place to go if you want lots of selection and the comfort of knowing it'll be the same as the last time. read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Guelph - Eggs Benedict with extra hollandaise - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Guelph, Ontario

Went there for Mothers Day supper with the family. service was extremely slow, well over an hour long wait. Kids were served their meals first, then an additional 15-20 minutes for adult meals to reach our table of 4. Both adult meals were a big let down, butter chicken rice bowl, unable to eat more than a few bites as totally not authentic and tasted like it came out of a jar.very very disappointing. Chicken Caesar wrap, missing good flavours and bland. The only thing good was our waitress, she was excellent. Reduce your menu size and focus on a few excellent choices. We won't be back. The manager never once came over to our table to ask how things were yet he doted on the larger table beside us and was out there at least 4 times during dinner service. read more

Great food and reasonable prices. Servers Julie and Paul are amazing and it's nice to be recognized! They bring me coffee and keep my cup filled. The fruit is fresh and they use real cheddar - not the plastic slices. It's the kind of food I would cook myself. read more

Food was literally brought to our table about 3 mins after ordering. Which you would think 'great!' But no... It should take longer or it's half done. Which was the case. I had avocado toast. The bread was only lightly toasted and SUPER thin so it was absolute smush. It was also piled with wet jalapeño peppers and unripened tomato pieces. I have been there before and had good food. Today was not that day. What a waste. read more

Went for lunch today, found out they have Tuesday Bowl Special. We ordered Smoked Salmon Quinoa chicken peas salad, very tasty and fresh salad. Steak pennes and coconut mango rice bowl. Very generous portions and tasty too. Recommended read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Guelph - Smoked Salmon Quinoa chickpeas salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Guelph, Ontario

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Love the food here but the service is so slow. Their Sweet Taboo Cake is seriously one of the best cakes I've ever had in my life!! read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Guelph - Egg Eggs Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Guelph, Ontario

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I have been here twice, once for dessert and then for breakfast. When I heard about their 2 for 1 cake slice promotion on Sunday, I had to try it out. Each person has to order drink to get this deal, so I got tea and my boyfriend got a smoothie. The cake I chose, some kind of fudgy chocolate cake, was the SWEETEST thing I have ever had. And let me tell you, I have a huge sweet tooth!!! Just thinking about it makes me shiver... Hope other cakes are not as sweet as mine. I couldn't finish the slice and I rarely leave any food on my plate. I came back here for early bird breakfast menu on Monday with my friends. Very good deal for breakfast! Everyone in my group, in total of six people, liked what they ordered. Come check out their early bird breakfast menu which is only available on weekdays unfortunately. Their regular breakfast menu also sounds pretty good. Overall, was not fan of their chocolate cake but definitely will be back for breakfast! read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Guelph - SO SWEET - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Guelph, Ontario

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we have gone to this restaurant for 15 years and it was one of the worst ever this time around. it took an hour to order our food and then another 45 minutes before it arrived. We had six people in our party and our food came out in two's. the bathrooms were dirty and food was horrible. The manager didn't care and we will never be back! read more

This was my first time eating here and I don't think I will be going back. Had breakfast there a couple of weeks ago, and I ordered an omelette with peppers and mushroom. The food was extremely bland overall, and did not taste good. Service was not great as well, as our waitress seemed like she really did not want to be there. I Still tipped well as I also work in the customer service industry, and she may have just been having a bad morning. Overall a very underwhelming experience and will not be returning anytime soon if I have other options. read more

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Guelph - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Guelph, Ontario

terrible. terrible. the cobb salad had BBQ sauce on the chicken. the vegetable wraps were mostly chick peas, a legume, with hardly a vegetable in sight. the lunch fish special was a thin peice of dry fish in batter. my wife came down with food poisoning that night. AVOID AVOID read more

Went here with 3 other ladies for patio breakfast (due to covid19) We have come to this restaurant a few times trying to give it another chance. The service is very slow. I am not sure if the waitress and one other staff member are the only ones working but we waited 20 min to get a coffee. Another 20 before she took our order. There were 3 other couples there at the time so not overly busy. The prices are through the roof now. 3 eggs toast bacon home fries with a coffee was 17.10 (20.00 with a tip) That is out rageous. You can get the exact same at Angel's for 6.95. Food was ok, nothing special for that price. Waitress never came back to ask for refills on coffee until we were done our breakfast. Empty plates sat in front of us for another 15 min. As we were getting ready to leave, that's where she asked if we wanted more coffee. Need more staff on! Always the same problem here. One other thing. They are not using reg menus just a piece of paper with limited items to choose from. You would think that the menu would stay on your table as a type of place mat or thrown in the garbage due to covid 19. Nope, waitress took them away and put them on top of a pile to be used again. read more

Not the greatest, We walked in waited to be seated at least 4 staff members pass right by us not acknowledging we were there or telling us that someone will be with us shortly....nothing..... I had the brie, mushroom, spinach omelette it was very bland, my g/f had the eggs Benjamin same thing very bland overall there is absolutely nothing to brag about. the location is horrible they are hidden behind a huge building. first time and last time eating there as there is so many good places to eat un Guelph better then there read more

Unfortunatelly, the service is getting worst and worst. The staff is polite and very nice, but seems like they never had any training in "efficient and fast service". Symposium is definitely out of the lumch places list. Or if you have 2 hours lunch break, you might be able to have enough time to wait for the servers and the food. Overall, place is nice and food quality is OK comparing to other places in Guelph. ...but the services... read more

Sometimes the service is pretty slow, and depending on the servers it fluctuates with how often they check up on you. Overall the food is great read more

Great variety for any meal and friendly attentive service. Delicious breakfast spot and let's not mention the deadly, decadent cake offerings :) Nice spot to have a small business meeting or catch up with friends and not engage in a shouting match. Favorites are western omelette with rye toast and home fries for a breakfast treat. Lunch the burger or wraps are more than enough and ready quickly. Dinner has too many options to list! I already mentioned the cakes. read more

Yummy! I met a friend for lunch and because of the cool weather decided to have breakfast for lunch. It was a great decision -quick, hot, fast, delicious...certainly hit the spot! read more

Recently tried Symposium and had a very pleasant experience. Server was very cordial and was quick quick to assist me. It was very busy, but was able to find a spot on their beautiful patio nonetheless. Had the Greek salad with salmon and was pleasantly surprised. The salmon was cooked perfectly and their Greek salad complimented it very well. Price point-wise, it is about as high as it can be for the quality. Otherwise it would be too expensive, however the rustic and Italian aesthetic, as well as the exotic dishes provide you with a feeling as if the meal should be more expensive. I would highly recommend the Cafe, and look forward to returning for their highly acclaimed breakfast meal - particularly their eggs benedict. read more

Sunday's two for one cake is the reason to come here. The food is average. Portions of appetizers are really small. It's good but too bad they don't serve at least average sized portions. read more

Terrible!!!! A total rip off. I ordered chicken souvlaki from skip the dishes. For $24 I received a plain cut up breast of chicken and a tiny bit of rice. A total rip off. Don't waste your time ordering from this terrible restaurant. Please get value for your money and go elsewhere. 1/10. Should not be in business. read more

My family, friends and I have been coming here often on for about seven years, and the service has always been great. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is nice. During the summer months, when the patio is going. It's a great place to have a couple of drinks read more

Great food and menu. The steak salad is good and the salmon teriyaki was good. The sangria is not great and should be avoided. The pork tenderloin was great. They have a great bakery counter. The only issue is that they don't have blinds on the windows and if you are there at sunset the sun can be blinding. read more

I enjoy this place but the prices are too high for what you get. The staff seems friendly and the place is clean and up to date.

Ate here for breakfast a few weeks ago. Ordered the eggs and cuban sandwich. Side of home fries. The food was decent. I say average to good quality. Price was a bit on the high side for what you are getting. Its a nice large resto and the staff were attentive. I would probably not go again as other breakfast joints are better value. read more

Good variety on the menu, surprisingly good tasting food , decent service . I was very pleased .

Very nice restaurant, it clean and ghe menu is full of tasty stuff. However the service is slow and the cake i ordered didnt taste fresh. The server were too slow to refill coffee. read more

As far as breakfast chain-type places go, I definitely prefer Symposium to Cora's but that might just be a personal preference. The real reason to like Symposium is the cake. They have a great variety and will give you a tour of the cakes in their display. It's one of my favourite places to go for cake and coffee with my girlfriends. And yes, you can get take away cake slices - perfect for surprising friends on their birthdays, or Tuesday night. read more

One of my favourite restaurants in Guelph. Delicious food and great customer service. (Desserts are amazing!)

I found this restaurant to be a hidden gem. It's tucked away in a corner of the plaza. The inside is nicely decorated. The food was good and the wait staff very attentive. It feels like a place you go to celebrate something. A special occasion place. read more

If I could give this restaurant no stars I would. The cake I ordered did not taste fresh and seemed a bit off, the food was also not fresh. The place seemed dirty and disorganized. Overall very disappointed, I wouldn't recommend going here unless you want food poisoning. read more

Food here is good. Wait staff is friendly and quick! I have eaten here numerous times for breakfast and lunch, have always been pleased with both food and service! read more

Spectacular food, wonderful staff and beautiful scenery. Can't go wrong with the dessert menu. The muscles are my personal favourite for dinner. Also a perfect spot for brunch. read more

It was decent. There was definitely nothing outstandingly amazing about our experience here, but it was a good vibe nonetheless.

They were short staffed and the food was late but our server was really sweet and tried her best to accommodate us.

I want to preface this review with the note that, I have been to other Symposium locations and have received great food and service and this visit to the Guelph location was an outlier. My friend and I attended the Guelph location yesterday, a Saturday around 3 for lunch. There were maybe 4-5 tables filled, and the patio had a few diners as well (beautiful patio but too hot to eat outside for us that day). It looked like there was only one waiter inside, so we waited patiently. It took about 20 min before someone else came to seat us (we weren't even acknowledged yet at this point). Once seated, about 10 min later the waiter came to take or order. I was only expecting him to take or drink order, as that is what usually happens at restaurants that I've been to... But he was taking or food order as well. I wasn't ready yet, as they have a lengthy menu so I asked for 5 more minutes. He then told me that was too long.. So he gave me 2 minutes with the menu. I ended up ordering a flatbread simply because I get pressured into ordering even though I hadn't made it past the appetizer page. Once the food finally arrived, he commented how great my friend's food looked then handed me my sad looking flatbread. There was almost no cheese and he chicken was cold. I ate half and thought I would get some cake to make up for the sadness that was this meal. The waiter returned to take our plates and asked if I waned a takeout box, I said no thank you. He asked if I would like him to pack it up (not sure how that makes a difference), and I said no thank you. Most places would then ask if something was wrong or offer to deduct it off the bill, by he made no effort to check in or rectify the situation. He did not offer to top up drinks... Until the end... He asked my friend if she wanted more coffee, I wasn't offered anything more at all. Including dessert.. He didn't ask us if we wanted any of the cake or pie they had available. Poor poor service, and poor food. I won't be going back to that location. read more