Came for an International Women's Day special tasting menu with a group of friends. So well executed and dishes were well presented. I would encourage people to attend this event which is annual and enjoy the different courses from prolific female chefs across the Oliver and Bonaccini family. The Dorset is such a beautiful restaurant, perfect for date night. read more

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The Dorset gets bonus points for its atmosphere and vibe, but wish the food was better than just ok. - Fish and Chips: Batter was a bit too thick, though appreciate it wasn't overly oily or greasy. Haddock itself tasted ok. Liked how they gave a curry sauce dipping option. - Wiltshire Pork Chop: Pretty good flavour but on the dry side. Added a side of fries which were a bit overdone. - Chocolate Stout and Coffee Cake: Best dish of the meal, with its delicate layers and smooth consistency. - Sticky Toffee Pudding: Too creamy and sweet without depth. Service was fine. Kitchen timing was reasonable. Space was expansive and good for groups. read more

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Venue: 5/5 The Dorset is very easy to access whether you're walking from Union, taking the Spadina streetcar, or driving in (parking at The Well or street parking on Wellington). The restaurant is on the ground floor and fully wheelchair accessible, with elevator access as well. The space itself is beautifully designed. Each section feels unique, from the lounge to the main dining room, the bar area. There are also private rooms for functions. The British-inspired decor is consistent throughout and gives the restaurant a refined but welcoming atmosphere. Service: 4/5 I visited for both lunch and dinner. Dinner was noticeably busier and had more energy, especially with a DJ on select nights. Lunch service felt more attentive and relaxed. Staff were knowledgeable with recommendations, and the drinks were well presented. There are also amazing 4$ beers during their happy hours. Food: 4/5 The halibut fish and chips is highly recommended, along with the steak. The poutine works well as a shareable snack, and the beef melt is a great lunch option. Keep in mind the lunch and dinner menus differ slightly. There's a modern twist on some traditional British mains, which adds a subtle kick without overpowering the dish. They have a cottage pie too (beef, as traditional shepherds pie is lamb). Desserts are good, though not quite as strong as the entrees. read more

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went for high tea for my birthday. I really wanted to love the place-it's beautiful. The Sunday roasts looked very good. Most of the waiters seemed professional. Our waiter was quite terrible. Service was extremely slow- like very abnormally slow. I asked the waiter for high tea- he then asked me if I wanted anything to eat? He didn't seem familiar with the high tea on the menu. The high tea option wasn't mentioned or offere to my son but they do a smaller version for children. I said clearly that I needed a tea without caffeine- I ordered the mint tea. I received the English breakfast with caffeine instead. No apology. And then waiter was nowhere to be found. Waited super long to get the correction. My husband ordered coffee. The waiter dumped it at the table with no cream, milk or sugar and didn't ask what he wanted and disappeared. Coffee was cold by the time he got the milk. I ordered the breakfast for my son. I asked for a side of bacon and asked for it to be crispy. The waiter brought a side of pemeal bacon. Said they didn't have regular bacon- but it should have been mentioned when ordering. The high tea was very cheaply done. The tea came in very cheap looking glass teapots and were filled only a quarter of the way with water. That felt super cheap, either fill it up or get different pots. The desserts were minimal, cheap and seemed like things you would find at loblaws- essentially it was a cake pop without the stick, a bad tiny carrot cake square, and a terrible, dry, cheap apple crumble kind of pastry with no apple. The rest of the high tea included a terrible, cheap egg salad sandwich with feta cheese? And a tuna sandwich. There was a quiche- and it was an awkward size so they just put a half of the quiche on the plate. So tacky! Either make little quiches or serve the entire little quiche. The service was terribly slow. And really, ordering high tea should be an easy service job. We asked for the bill. After 25 minutes, my son and I left because he was getting antsy. The waiter came with the bill and a slice of cake that said happy birthday and included a sparkler. I had left long before. My husband said I had already left. The waiter didn't offer to pack it up- it was super weird. And then he gave the cake to a couple a few tables over who looked at the waiter with a weird look. Honestly, super unprofessional, terrible service and the high tea was the worst I've ever had. I really wanted to love it- the space is beautiful but I left super disappointed. read more

The ambiance is really pretty, it's a beautiful space and atmosphere. I had the scones and califlower mushroom soup of the day at brunch, they were good. Tried a bit of the eggs Benedict and it was typical. The solero mango dessert and the flavor was quite bland. read more

Food & Ambiance need a definite improvement. The high tea left a lot to be desired - dry sandwiches, not a great tea selection, etc They seated us in some weird corner table when there were better tables to sit at. The waiter who came initially never bothered to stop by afterwards! We had to keep asking other servers - who were nice though- for extra hot water, etc. We went there for our 25th anniversary & normally when you mention this most classy places will atleast offer a complimentary something. These guys offered nothing. read more

Very cool interior! The Dorset burger was a bit different compared to other burgers still very delicious, with its own twist. Oysters were very fresh and perfect for a warm starter for dinner time! Not a fan of lamb myself but it was very tender! It was pretty quiet sitting inside, where the patio was very busy! read more

The Dorset - Burger and lamb - British Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Had a wonderful dinner here to celebrate Valentine's Day. There are two levels of this restaurant. The first floor is reception, bar, some seating and washrooms. We were taken upstairs to the dining area, which is the same floor as the kitchen. Along the way there were some neat paintings of animals! Cute and classy decor. It felt like I was invited for dinner at someone's home. We ordered the pork croquettes and roasted scallop, as well as the barbecued lamb sirloin. These all tasted so scrumptious! We happened to be dining at a late hour so we got some cocktails. I tried the dorchester pimm's which was mixed with gin and ginger ale I believe with a touch of lavender. This was very refreshing! We also got the aperol spritz which was very citrusy. For dessert we ordered the chocolate eclair to share which was not overly sweet. A satisfying finish to the meal. There were a couple other items on the menu that looked enticing and also there were afternoon tea options. Would love to visit again to try them! read more

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A gem in The Well! We had the privilege of attending The Dorset for a dinner and we were highly impressed by the restaurant. Head chef Ryan Lister has curated a menu that honours its British roots with elevated sophistication. Best scallops I have ever tasted, and everything down to the bread at the table was made with care with fresh ingredients. The charming interior is packed with eclectic decor that is fun to look at no matter where you happen to be seated. Bonus points for the adorable dog portraits! Wait staff were all very attentive and polite. Will definitely be back here and can't wait to try the afternoon tea! read more

The Afternoon tea at The Dorset is lovely & a good value. The tea options are an assortment from Sloane & Twinings. Fairly standard options. Nothing too exotic. The sandwich variety includes salmon, cucumber, egg salad and also ham. You also get a plain & raisin scone with clotted cream & butter (very creamy!). The pastry option included a macaron, a battenberg slice, a profiterole and a chocolate cake square with coffee flavour. I am not a fan of the almond paste flavour in the Battenberg cake. I would prefer a mini Victoria sponge! For $55 per person, it's a very affordable option for afternoon tea. We sat in the garden room with the windows which was a nice airy seating option. Service was friendly. I would suggest to make sure person who brings afternoon tea tower over has a detailed description of all the items. Also, ask for more hot water to freshen the pot. Extra points for having proper clotted cream. read more

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Great after 9pm drinks deal. $10 select cocktails. My Dorchester Pimm's felt like a fizzy soft drink, I think they skimped on the alcohol. My husband's espresso martini was good. The ambiance is very cool. We appreciated all the funny animal picture frames. Andrew, our waiter, was very friendly and attentive. He told us we have to return and stay for longer and recommended desserts to get next time we return. Very nice of him with a big smile. Good experience and hope they take the feedback on the cocktail.. read more

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Solid as a British pub. We came on a very busy Sunday roast night. Although the protein in all our dishes was on the dry side - it was tasty. Crispy potatoes and gravy. Fresh Yorkshire pudding Their interpretation of a stuffing looked more and tasted like a falafel ball. They were so traditional with everything worse that the change to the stuffing was a real disappointment as the ad was a traditional English turkey dinner. Customer service was on and off. Our server disappeared for a bit and for a night so busy seemed to be covering a ton of tables. Every offering was okay but did not blow my mind. I was not disappointed by the food by any means but it was "okay." Disappointing is the name Bridgerton Tea which drank more like a lemonade. Which to be fair , would match with the tv series. In that sense, it was delicious as was the dessert. Atmosphere is definitely fantastic. I truly enjoyed the space. read more

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We came here for brunch and had a lovely time. The interior is STUNNING - very spacious with plenty of seating indoors and outside on the patio. We ordered the Full English Breakfast, Eggs Benedict and Waldorf Salad. I really liked the hollandaise sauce on the Eggs Benedict. The grilled sourdough was a bit too toasted on the edges, making it a hard to cut, but overall we enjoyed our meals. The service was amazing. We wanted to take a picture of our group as one of us came from out of town, and they even offered to take a Polaroid for us! I will definitely be back to try their afternoon tea and other items on the menu! read more

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The Dorset serves British food in an elevated setting! The decor here shows attention to detail. We had a reservation on a Saturday evening, we chose indoor seating but requested a change to the patio after we saw it was quiet there. There are two floors and a large patio. Servers are so friendly here. Unfortunately we got a wobbly table, it took a while for the servers to come fix it. We ordered the Scotch duck egg, pork croquettes, cottage pie, treacle tart, and solero. The duck egg was served with a beet ketchup, it was definitely interesting. The Scotch egg was well seasoned, and on the salty side. The pork croquettes were topped with anchovies and cornichons - delicious and also on the salty side. The cottage pie was cheesy and well seasoned. The treacle tart was served with clotted cream, very authentic and tastes like molasses (if you don't know what treacle is) Solero was very sweet and small but refreshing. Overall the food is expensive for what it is, but well done. read more

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A lot of weird non-british items which they insist is a British special. The food was not bad my table had a hard time finding anything on the menu which were really keen on. There were some pork rinds we were recommendes as a typical british fav - we had a few english folks at our table who chuckled as this was not a thing at pubs in England though the waiter insisted pubs on UK have this all the time. Maybe I'll come back for the Sunday roast. Our waiter was a bit weird and felt like he was a bit annoyed that we weren't ready to order. When we were he walked away to take a call by the window lol I got the salmon with beets and it was an interesting combo - in a good way. read more

The Dorset - British Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The ambiance was lovely. The Dorset just opened today at The Well. I've tried the ground floor dining and different snacks. The scotch egg was tasty and the beetroot ketchup was unique and makes it less heavy. My favourite out of the three snacks that I ordered. The triple cooked chips I find it a little thick in terms of the cut, but the Housemade mayo was amazing! The batter for the Cripsy canucks smelts was a little thick but the flavour of the smelt itself and dipping the smelts in the buttermilk ranch was good. In terms of the drinks, the duchess was refreshing! The upstairs dining room serves a different dinner menu, an elevated à la carte or Chef's tasting menu experience. The terrace ambiance dining space is amazing! Perfect for celebrations, date night, corporate events. Great spot to dine at as we approach the summer and after walking around the Well! Service was very friendly, welcoming and attentive! I would love to come back to try dinner! read more

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Happy hour runs to 6pm here. Half price cocktails and discounted snacks. The patio is great for people watching. Service was decent! read more

The Dorset - British Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Came for their happy hour where all their drinks were half priced and also some of their appetizers were discounted though I didn't try their food this day. Located in a convenient location by The Well, their decor is British themed and quite nice. They have a large patio on a quiet side street, which is where we sat when we visited. We got a couple of cocktails which were unique and well done. Overall, given the great location and ambiance I'd definitely recommend this place for their happy hour. Next time I'll have to give their food a try. read more

Our food was great. The whole table enjoyed their food. My friends were neevous ordering the rabbit but enjoyed it. I loved my fish and chips and the curry sauce was amazing. read more

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With our Nextdoor Cocktail Club meetup, Moe picked The Dorset as one of the newest hot after work cocktail spots downtown. We were in search of the best Happy Hour spots we could find. The Dorset had one of the later early Happy Hours which runs from 3-6 pm rather than ending at 5 (some bars have later Happy Hours too). This is located on Wellington Street near Spadina at the back of The Well, which is a strip of new patios and a burgeoning new "King West" kind of area of upscale bars and restaurants. On a Friday at this time of day these places were all getting busy, and The Dorset seemed to be handling the crowds well. Since the three of us were at the far end of the patio our service wasn't super quick but they did get to us in a reasonable time. Each of us ordered a half price cocktail. Ice on the side was one request which was a good idea for a cooler day when too much ice just wouldn't be a good option. But we found that all three of these drinks were lacklustre in both presentation and flavour, especially considering the setting. They were ok, but nothing special. Appetizers or the small plates served during Happy Hour were 20% off so we ordered the Wagyu Beef Tartare and shared that. Surprisingly this was a nice taster for all three of us. The tartare was fantastic and was a thrill to eat! First a hit of saltiness and then the creamy texture of the beef, along with a touch of egg yolk it really woke us up! Looking around, these plates that others had all looked intriguing. Worth a visit if you're in the area! Beautiful interior too. read more

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British flavours at The Well. We had three appetizers and five main courses. The roast rib of beef satisfied my Sunday roast cravings. Overall the dishes are very well seasoned and the portions are leaning to the smaller end. Great to try. read more

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This was a fantastic lunch. The Sunday roast is a must -- one of the best I've ever had. Their avocado Benedict, tuna tartare, and wagyu tartare were all impeccable. This is a great place if you're in Toronto. Beautiful restaurant and ambiance as well. The servers were very friendly. read more

1) went for afternoon tea. 2) the finger sandwich were stale. (Probably stored in the fridge). To say disappointing is an understatement. I am a snob. No cucumber sandwich 'shocking' LOL 3) scones were fresh and tasty 4) tea was ok. But no written tea menu Overall 5/10 read more

Service and Abiance was great! Beautiful restaurant and sparkling clean facilities. Being an English style menu, we ordered fish n chips. The triple fried chips (traditional beefeater chips) with mushy peas, we're great, as was the coffee. The main feature of two deep-fried batter, with a small semblance of fish inside, was very disappointing. HOOKY'S (located in the Wellington Food Hall) has far superior fish with the appropriate amount of batter around delicious fresh Halibut or Cod or.. We will likely come back to try other menu items but stay clear of the fish n chips unless you want to pay for deep-fried batter. read more

We ordered pork croquets which were great! They had a pickle garnish which was odd, but actually worked well with it. For the main we got the hake and chips and cottage pie. The curry sauce was better than I was expecting on the hake and chips. read more

Absolutely amazing dinner. Every dish was scrumptious and creative without trying too hard. We had a few servers and each one was personable and attentive (without hovering) We spoke to one of the chefs and sensed that he takes pride in the food and has a vision We had the mackerel souse (perfect balance of flavours and textures), ham hock and foie Gras tart (innovation on some classic components, so decadent), pea volute (perfect for spring) and the kind salmon (cooked to perfection) The plates passing us by looked delicious too Can't wait to go back! read more

I liked everything I had. The smelts, the salmon. The only thing that sucked was the tartare. Way too salty and lacking something. Service was awesome. Presentation 10/10. Drinks 10/10 read more

LOVED, the ambience, the food, the service, everything was amazing! I loved the pork croquettes the most!

Wow - exceeded expectations in all ways. Food was beautifully presented and the flavors were amazing. The service could not have been better. Four of us tried 5 different cocktails and all were delicious. I will go here every time I'm in Toronto. I'd give six stars if I could. read more

Amazing food with perfect portions. Had perfect service and a quaint ambiance. I think the other bad reviews are misguided and wrong.

Quite not a good experience today on Father's Day! I can say the ambiance was the only thing I like in this place in addition to clean washrooms and surroundings plus this in a new place which is The Well. Food was mediocre, English breakfast came with one piece of egg, one toast ( hard to chew), so so sausage and ham and beans hidden under the food which I thought they should be promoting better as it comes out as a trademark for an English restaurant just like when you visit London. Worst though was the service. It took the lady server more than one hour to serve 2 English breakfast and a salmon. I could have understood probably due to too many guests to serve today but what I heard from their head waiter was what made this experience not worthwhile to go back to "Well you ordered an appetizer so it will take awhile before the main course- more than one hour for such an ordinary menu? Is this the standard observed in this place. So the lady server came back serving us a complimentary dessert probably to make sure we do not feel bad, but AGAIN just to find out this was added to our bill which was not checked by my son when he paid as we wanted to leave the place immediately. I am not sure if this was a question of basci staff training at all or capabilities of the staff in doing proper customer service. I believe it is just the Basics- so need to go back to classroom training if the restaurant wants to maintain reputation under the O and B wing. Never going back!!!! read more