This is a wonderful place to go with friends or your significant other. We have been coming to this place for many years and have always had a wonderful time. The staff is amazing, they know what pace you want from drinks to dessert. Jose and Norma are wonderful hosts and create an atmosphere that helps you relax. The food never disappoints and the flavour profiles are exceptional. If you want a food experience with love and passion this is the place to go. read more

The food and service was excellent. Very quaint decor. However, found the pricing a little high compared to other restaurants of similar style in the area. read more

Came here for a birthday celebration in the evening. It was busy, I recommend getting reservations as it seemed like a popular spot among the locals on a Saturday. Service was still very attentive during this time. Our appetizers included: complimentary bread, escargot and shrimp, cajun calamari, and a large ceasar salad Our drinks: coffee martini, cosmopolitan, and lychee martini Our mains: trout and scallops, pickerel and shrimp, and seafood di mare The appetizers were great, and the large salad was enough to feed 3 people (could have fed a 4th as we had leftovers). The star in this bunch was really the escargot and shrimp. It came with a buttery sauce that was good with the complimentary bread. The oysters were also fresh and came with salsa and horse radish topping to choose from. The calamari, while good, was overshadowed by the others. It was meant to have a cajun taste, but I did not get that flavouring coming through, but it was still a good app regardless. For the drinks, the lychee martini seemed to be a favourite given the amount of alcohol while the cosmo seemed light on it. So if you're looking for a martini with a fruity kick, I'd recommend going to the lychee martini. The coffee one tasted more like coffee, but it may have been masking the amount of alcohol based on its strong flavor. For the mains, all three were excellent. The seafood di mare is very decadent and heavy. After eating so many appetizers, I barely had any bites, but it did make for some great leftovers. read more

See all

Don't let the atmosphere fool you when we first walked into this restaurant it was very small but the menu is far from what you'd expect. The food was phenomenal. We started out with the Cajun calamari, and it was cooked to the dipping sauce was great. My boyfriend had the chicken Parmesan and linguine and the sweet tomato sauce was delicious. The chicken was perfection. I ordered the lobster a rosé sauce and it was garnished with jumbo shrimp. It was up there with some of the higher end places I've been I would definitely come back here in a heartbeat. I would say this is one of the best hidden gems I've ever found 10 out of 10. read more

Impressive little spot hidden at edge of Whitby. Apparently the owner is a former chopped contestant, which helps explain such a solid menu. I had the ribeye with chimichurri which was good but I would have probably been a little more adventurous had I realized that this was a chopped chef before I ordered. The rest of table all enjoyed their dishes as well and were all pleasantly surprised that such an unassuming restaurant none of them have ever heard of served such quality food. Definitely a recommended spot for anyone within reasonable driving distance. read more

This restaurant looks very simple and close to the marina but no lake view. Nevertheless, the ambiance is simple and family oriented yet elegant. And I can't say enough about the food. Everything from the entree, main course, desserts, and the drinks are amazing. My steak was cooked just right. My friend who is a picky eater finished her portions. The service is impeccable. Everybody was so friendly and treated us as either family or old friends. Will definitely coming back. This restaurant is highly recommended. read more

See all

Amazing place, a hidden gem. A definite yes to visit and try them out. The ambience is very nice, the food is amazing and the service is very good. read more

See all

At the corner of Brock and Victoria. Outside looks like your average all day breakfast place. Inside is a small family style restaurant but dinner has black table clothe tables and candle. Seats around under 50 people. Poster on the right hand side shows the owner of this restaurant is Jose Mendoza, competitor of Chopped Canada in 2014. He came in second FYI. There's frequent firey moments to see since its open kitchen. This is what I had one day before Valentine's Day: Wine: Valpolicella, Masi, Italy 1/2L @ $23 Very small wine selection. 6oz glass ranges from $7-8.50. Half litre ones go from$16-24. Full bottles are $28-48. Their selection include some basic VQA wines (ie. OPEN and Jackson's Triggs) .. some other offers such as Jacob Creek, Casillero del Diablo, Masi, etc. Not impressed with the wine list but or a small restaurant it's okay. Service is okay, plate collection is a bit slow. I came in for my reservation at 7pm ... its 9pm I'm still eating only because the food took a while. Food delivery is also slower than normal but I think its because there is only two chef. App: Steamed Mussel in Curry Cream Sauce Good sauce. Interesting combination, has beans, onions and bell peppers. Some mussels weren't fully cooked, as I still taste the fishiness in them (but I'm personally quite sensitive to tat taste). Dinner: NY Striploin (regular menu) Delicious! Very juicy and tender. Atlantic Cod & Scallops (daily special) Great! One of the best fish dishes I've had. Overall great food, nice little place. I'd come back if i was I the area. FYI there is no lake view. read more

See all

Elegance and fabulous cuisine await your arrival at this hidden gem. Chef Jose creates exquisite fare with a flare! read more

The Lake Grill - Filet with crab, shrimp! Devine! - Seafood Near Me - Whitby, Ontario

Had a chance to try the Lake Grill last night and was pleasantly surprised. Food Quality was very good with a large amount of seafood on the menu. Entrees are all mostly over $24 and I have to wonder if they should look at the pricing a bit as it is a bit high for the area. (but they are apparently busy most nights so who am I to judge..) With that said I really enjoyed my crispy red snapper and the Orange roughly my wife ordered was also perfectly cooked and tasty. For dessert I had a very tasty sticky toffee cake and she had the red velvet cake both of which were very nice and beautifully presented I would go again. read more

See all

We really enjoyed our meal. The staff is very attentive and welcoming. The food is excellent and cooked beautifully. The owners are very hospitable and make you feel like honored guests. Love coming here. read more

We made a reservation for a special night out. This place was highly recommended because of their' famous' chef. Never again. They never had our reservation despite the fact we had proof. read more

Wow. Just riding north of Lake Ontario and found this fabulous local restaurant. We started with mussels with chorizo in a red marinara sauce. Unbelievable. Dinner course was halibut with blueberry citrus sauce. Cooked perfectly and the blueberry did not overpower the delicate halibut. My wife had Pickerel with shrimp. Over the top. We have not yet had desert. Trust me. Try this local place and you won't be disappointed. read more

The Lake Grill - Halibut. Fabulous. A must stop if in Toronto area - Seafood Near Me - Whitby, Ontario

See all

It disheartens me to rank them so low. They were once a favourite for my wife and I to visit but our last two times here have been very disappointing. The quality of food was once upon a time among the elite of Whitby but now falls in line with what I would expect to get at Jack Astors. Don't worry though, they still charge you premium fine dining prices. Let's not forget about the service. The waitress was aloof and seemed to really not care too much for her career choice. Maybe I'm just a snob but when you're clearing all the tables and preparing them for the next days breakfast (i.e. removing the table clothes and putting out jams), it really gives what's priced to be a fine dining experience a real ghetto feel. Maybe that's their new niche though? Ghetto Fine Dining! Needless to say unless they can go back to their ways of old, I won't be going back again. read more

I first dined at Lake Grill 3-4 years ago and had several fantastic experiences! The food was fresh and prepared well, service was great and pricing was reasonable for the high quality of food served. I have eaten there a couple of times in the past six months and have been VERY disappointed! Both the food quality and service have gone way down. My favourite dish WAS the seafood linguini. The scallops and shrimp used to be good-sized and fresh...scallops seem frozen now and the dish is practically flavourless. The service last time was terrible. My husband and I went on a Friday night and the place was empty, yet the server sat the only two other groups (who came in after us) at the tables right beside us. The server forgot to bring us bread, asked for our drink order before bringing the menu and when we asked for the bill she stood around at the register having a drink/chatting with another server while we waited. No longer is this place a fine dining establishment in my opinion, it just has the prices of one without the quality. I'm sad to see this place go down hill as there are so few great places in Whitby to get a really nice meal. read more

The Lake Grill is located at the corner of Brock Street south of Bayly. My boyfriends parents decided to take us out for lunch on the weekend and since this is a place they frequent, they decided to take us here. I've heard quite a bit about this place and a few things I've heard worth noting: it can be considered expensive; service can be very slow; the food is always good. I've also heard they have some kind of $90 tomahawk steak that's to die for but I digress. Having never been here before and not being super hungry, I didn't want to opt for a curry dish or a pasta dish that would sit heavy in my stomach. My true test of a good restaurant is a club, so I ended up ordering a club (which I later regretted after seeing my boyfriend's curry dish). Service was... relaxed. Don't come here if you're looking for a quick lunch because you won't get it. The menu has good selection with a lot of very tasty looking dishes. When our food arrived, I was a smidge dismayed at the size of my lunch. In the end it was enough but I felt for something as simple as a club sandwich, there wasn't enough. Although very tasty, with thin chicken and all the regular fixings on the club, I felt like it was fancied up to justify the price. I would have liked to see a bigger sandwich or a sandwich on specialty bread or something to make it stand out. The fries were very tasty, almost like chip truck fries and if I'd been hungrier, I would have not had enough on my plate. Now, my boyfriend tried the curry on penne and GOOD LORD was it ever good. This is a must have dish if you come here and if we come back, I'll be sure to try this instead. Overall, I wasn't exactly impressed with the Lake Grill, probably because it had been talked up a lot prior to my visit. It has good potential and its got a nice atmosphere but I'll have to come back and try something else to really get a sense of how good this restaurant is. $100+ for four people (with some alcohol) seemed a bit much for me so I think I'd save this for a special dinner night out. read more

The food was on the pricey side, but it was excellent and very tasty. We had reservations but we weren't seated for at least 15 minutes even though there were empty tables. Chef Jose was making the rounds of regular customers, he seemed to know them, but didn't stop by our table. I guess new customers don't matter? The servers were a little slow and not very attentive, again those who appeared as regulars were favored. The food was amazing, they need to be more friendly to new customers who could become regulars. read more

We are in town for a hockey tournament and decided to decline the team offer of rubber pizza. Instead, with luck, we happened upon The Lake Grill. We were the first guests, at opening time, 5pm. And had no reservation. By 530 it was full. I had Chicken Ballentine, a breast stuffed with rice. My wife had a Shrimp dish. Both were very nicely presented - and excellent. A nice dinner experience. read more

Nope, sorry. Will not return. How disappointing. We made reservations a week before our dinner date at the Lake Grill for the Whitbylicious event. We raved about this restaurant to friends, and when we arrived for our reservation (right on time, too) at first glace we could tell that there were no empty tables in the restaurant. We were told that 'something came up' and we would have to wait for a table. Since everyone seated had menus at their table, I'm sure we would have had to wait for a table to finish their entire meal before being seated. They did offer to set up a table by the bathroom doors, but I don't think I would have enjoyed my meal at a makeshift table near the toilets. We left the restaurant and do not foresee a return visit. If it was just the two of us, I think I would be OK with it, but we had guests with us who were looking forward to their first meal at the Lake Grill and were embarrassed that we kept saying it was so great there. read more

Nice small restaurant, went on a Thursday and was lucky to get a table, always a good sign. I had the seafood linguine, very tasty! Staff is extremely friendly and accommodating, I will Definitely be back. read more

1. Rude service: the waitress gruffly denied we had a reservation and suggested we were at the wrong restaurant. She did seat us anyways, and surprise, upon checking, she did find our reso. 2. The menu sounded tasty, but the execution of the dishes failed miserably: my overcooked salmon was drenched in a glutinous and overly sweet sauce, and the salad was overwhelmed by too much dressing. For the price, I expected tasty, not blah. 3. My companion's stir fry was bland and beige (a sprinkle of parsley would help the presentation) and she did not finish it. Perhaps the Chef is not present at lunch time and leaves the cooking to his junior staff, but with my experience, I probably won't chance going there for dinner - there are far better restaurants in the same price range. read more

Surprised and delighted. Had a lovely Sunday lunch for 2. Food was excellent and service equal. The little "extras" were thoughtful and appreciated. Also loved our server and the history she told of the restaurant and chef Jose. Looking forward to going back for dinner to see what's shakin'. read more

I've been going to this restaurant since the first week it opened over 10 years ago. I love it! There was nowhere around here that did excellent fusion cooking back then, and even with the blossoming of newer restaurants that do, this is still the best. read more

This is a wonderful restaurant. It's very small, so you will need reservations as it is packed every night. The meal was excellent--well prepared, creative, and reasonably priced. The vegetables were fresh and full of flavour. Well worth a return visit. read more

When I'm visiting my mom from Montreal we always make a point of visiting the grill. Just love it, have always been well served & food very good. Jeannie Snyder read more

Jose and the rest of the staff are great!! had them for my wedding the food and the atmosphere they helped to create was brilliant. I have been here for all other significant events in our lives and Jose and the staff will accommodate all of the dietary needs to the best of their ability. The absolute best restaurant in Whitby. read more

This restaurant was recommended by friends who had been there several times for Sunday brunch. It being Family Day weekend, it was busy on the Sunday, but we didn't have to wait long for a table. The room was so noisy that it was a challenge to carry on a conversation. The service was only adequate, likely because the restaurant was more busy than usual, according to our waitress. The food was really simple brunch fare, but well prepared and the eggs Benedict were not over-sauced. The smallest breakfast/brunch item was a two-egg Benedict, we would have appreciated a one-egg Benedict. We decided to share the two-egg Benedict, but it can be somewhat messy. I'm not sure that the slightly higher-than-average prices are justified, but the food was good; however, not a room for conversation. read more

We have enjoyed many wonderful meals here but not on our most recent visit. We had a reservation for 7pm & arrived to find our table occupied by the 5 pm reservation who were eating entrees. Realizing that the table wouldn't be available any time soon, we asked about the empty tables on the other side of the restaurant. We were told we couldn't sit there as it was reserved for a large party whom had been guaranteed they would be alone in the space & that while they only needed one table, the other was reserved for their gifts. After a conversation with the owner, we realized that our business was of no importance to him & left. He didn't even afford us the courtesy of a phone call. Did he really think it best that our group of 6 stand in the middle of his tiny restaurant for upwards of an hour? Our evening was rescued by the staff of Mondo who provided a fabulous meal & impeccable service. read more

The Lake Grill is most likely our favourite fine dining establishment in Whitby. It's usually the place we go for special occasions as you definitely need to make reservations - but so worth it. Try their beautiful breakfasts too - you won't be disappointed! Hmm thinking of it now and need to make reservations soon! read more

Had breakfast with daughter in law in was fantastic. She had eggs Benedict and I had the crab/eggs Benedict which were served with fresh fruit. Served hot and the service was awesome read more

This was my second visit to this restaurant. The first time was absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, the chef was away and one of his well trained sous chefs was working the kitchen. The food was just okay...nothing to rave about this time. Our server was pleasant enough but seemed distracted that night. However, the young man who brought us bread and was clearing tables was very friendly and engaging when we asked questions about their brunch menu. I'm sure we'll find our way back there again (likely for brunch) but I will make sure that Jose is in the kitchen before we return for dinner. read more

The lake grill has always been a favorite amongst my family and always will be. We have been a handful of times and it never falls short of great food. Tonight it was my mom's b-day and I took her here to eat. She absolutely loved her food. She had the panseard halibut with scallops, I had the shrimp and curried pineapple and my dad had the veal shank. Everything was great. The only thing is i find the prices are a bit high which makes it more of treat to come here. Aside from that it's really awesome. A must try in Whitby. read more

FANTASTIC breakfast. I had the opportunity to stop for breakfast here as I was passing by for business. Too bad I didn't have more time to enjoy but the French toast was amazing!!!! read more

Come on, Lake Grill! Get it together. My party of 14 dined at The Lake Grill recently on a Saturday evening. The restaurant was half to three-quarters full for the duration of our meal. The staff should not have been overly taxed by the volume but clearly they could not keep up. I give two stars because the wait-staff were pleasant and what little food we were served was tasty. Now for the negatives. We started with a few bottles of wine and the staff asked how many glasses we would like. A bottle was then plunked on the table. No wine glasses. We had to ask twice for wine glasses and after waiting patiently, one of our party went and collected the glasses from the kitchen for our table. Our entrees arrived one or two at a time with a twenty-plus minute gap between the first and last served. One guest received the incorrect meal and had another lengthy wait for the correct dish to arrive. The person next to me ordered the Talapia and Shrimp and it had a total of two small shrimp. This was typical for most of the meals and many left hungry. When it was time to leave, several chose to pay via credit card. The final bills were dropped off without any pens to sign with. Another delay as pockets and purses were searched for pens to help the poor staff out. Overall this was an unfortunate and disappointing experience. read more

I took my wife there for a much anticipated birthday dinner. We have eaten there in the past several times for dinner and breakfast and it was usually very friendly and tasty. Not this time. The crab cakes were tasty but there were only three of them and they were the size of a toonie. We asked for extra bread but the waitress had taken away our bread plates so we had to ask for them. Apparently this was a big issue since when she finally did bring them, she practically slammed the plates down the table and walked away without placing them in front of us. After that, it was an hour before we got a our entrées. An hour. Inexcusable as the place is tiny with about 15 tables. About the entrees, mine was the mediterranean pasta and my wife's was the filet mignon. My pasta was the worst pasta I've ever eaten in a restaurant, it was a flavourless mix of olive oil and herbs with chicken breast thrown on top of tasteless rigatoni. My wife's filet mignon was smothered in an salty gravy which did not even come close to the gravy they put on high school cafeteria french fries. We complained and Jose the chef came over. He went through the motions of appearing to listen but we knew we were complaining to a brick wall. To be fair this was the only bad meal we have had there but we will not go back. read more

My husband and I love this place and the food. Especially Farina who has quite often been our server there. She even greets us by our first names upon arrival. However calling to sadly cancel our reservation for this evening due to both of us being very sick with the flu, I was left with a very bad taste in my mouth. I spoke to Jose himself . The chef extraordinaire who apparently doesn't know how to speak with customer. While I can appreciate that this is a big money night for a restaurant like this his response was less than kind. I got a snotty tone and a guilt trip about how they have had to turn people down. When I again apologized for having to cancel even though it is beyond our control I then got " well fine then what time is your reservation for?" I told him and He said "fine" again. I asked if he wanted my name and he said " no it's fine" and hung up. I am floored. I have never had such a rude conversation with anyone at this place before. In fact quite the opposite. It is part of what brings us back time and again. The food is 4 stars for sure but Farina and the usual customer service makes it 5 stars. However I feel that if the owner is this much of a jerk to a loyal customer, we will no longer be loyal customers. read more