We had a lovely time here last week. Our server was so sweet and funny and helpful. We almost wanted her to just grab another chair and join us. We got the nachos and they had lots of cheese on them which was really appreciated. You could add guacamole which was great. And the setting is just so beautiful. The menu is mainly traditional pub food and they have some fun cocktails as well. We got the pitcher of margaritas. We'll be back again for sure. read more

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The Riviera + Runaway Cafe (previously known as The Rectory) is a Wreck. Toronto health should check the washrooms - could be dusted once a month for webs and dirt, and that would be an improvement. One of the servers was scratching her hair and then setting tables and serving guests. All staff looked (with the exception of the hostess and our server) lunkept, and a couple of them looked like they dragged themselves out of bed to catch their shift. The salad was soaked in basalmic, and the smash burger from Farm Boy tastes better than this. It's busy because there's no other place to sit down and eat at the island. Next time I go to the island, I will purchase from Farm Boy and picnic. If you're going to run a business, especially a restaurant, be ready to open, be clean everywhere, smile and greet your guests (seriously, we thought we were an imposition), and make good food. read more

Re: Riviera ward's Island kitchen Nice patio. The burger was nice. Pork sandwich was ok and the fish tacos was cold and softened (not crispy). The side of roasted potato's were small and no option to be replaced with salad. read more

After watching some friends get married at City Hall, I was invited to make my way to Ward's Island for a post-ceremony meal and get-together. We showed up at The Riviera a little after our reservation and were shown to a fairly large, roped-off area. There are certainly a lot of options on the joint's menu, but I finally settled on the Lamb Skewers ("Marinated lamb served with a grilled scallion aioli and a tantalizing tzatziki salad"). It took a while for the food to arrive (but in fairness, we were an enormous party), and it wasn't really worth the wait. The food itself is good - the lamb skewers boast a nice char and that aioli is delicious - but the portion was almost comically tiny. The skewers five skewers contained enough meat for perhaps four or five mouthfuls, while the tzatziki salad consisted of five sliced pieces of cucumber placed atop an admittedly tasty tzatziki. I finished my meal within minutes and borrowed/stole a plate of nachos from another table. The service was fantastic, though, and you can't beat the outdoor ambiance. read more

Someone recommended this place so my husband and I decided to give this place a try. There was a line up before it even opened (it opens at 12PM) located on The Riviera Ward's Island Kitchen is what they call it. Great food and friendly staff. I ordered a Lox Salad and my Husband ordered the Vegan beyond meat Burger. For our drinks, I ordered a Pepsi and he ordered a tomato juice. I was disappointed when they put my cutlery on the table instead of placing it on a napkin though and I got a can of Pepsi instead of it being poured into a cup but other than that everything went well. Food tasted great and there was a lot of shade. read more

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It was fine. The service was ok, the good pretty standard. It was overpriced but that is because it is on the island.

Ever since this place became the Riviera, it's been poorly managed. Long lines, bad food, long waits, tons of unused tables. I miss the old Rectory Cafe.... read more

Came here after a long walk from the Center island. We ordered a pear salad and a burger to share. The salad is yummy but portion isn't big. The burger is on a small scale as well. Couple things to be aware of. The ice tea here is sweeten. They didn't tell you nor give you a choice of non sweeten. And there is no refill like the US. They didn't asked how well you like your burger. The burger turned out to be well cooked and burned. It is dry and burned. Service here is not friendly. Our server came over a few times and talked to us with a rude tonality and attitude. Overall I would not recommend this place. If you can wait till you get back to Toronto, there are many choices on the way to St. Lawrence market, which is less than 15 min walk from the dock. read more

The Rectory Café - Pear salad - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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After a morning of disc golfing (which was awesome!), 6 of us stopped in for a bite to eat. Host was super friendly and guided us to a beautiful, shady patio out back. Incredible ambiance on a hot sunny day. Our server was Joleesa (sp?) and she was fantastic! We ended up having a full lunch and drinks. Solid burgers, salads, nachos, and brownies. If you're looking for high end fanciness, take the ferry back to the city. If you're looking for all the bells and whistles during COVID, order in. This place simply provided us with a solid, comfortable, friendly lunch and cocktails. We could've spent the entire afternoon hanging out there. We will be back again this summer for sure! read more

Good place to hang out and cool down after a long walk around Toronto Island. A bit overpriced and small portion size, but still decent as you're on an island! We ordered the tacos (very small but quite delicious) and my friend ordered a burger. The chairs, as others have commented, are covered with spider webs. It would be much appreciated if the staff to consider wiping off the chairs and table each morning if they have the time! read more

The Rectory Café - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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What a wonderful place to eat when on the Islands! Shared a few small plates and beers with my comrades. Grilled squid - yes, yes, YES! If you've never ventured outside of the typical fried version, I urge you to try it grilled. Rectory Café did not disappoint - nice char and cut concertina-style so the smoke penetrates the inside of the squid's body. YUM. A fantastic soup of the day (veggies and garbanzos!) was my meal and we also split a cheese dip with olives and pita - I felt so Mediterranean! Sadly, I did not go for any of the awesome-sounding sandwiches or main dishes (was holding out for dinner plans which would begin not too long after this meal); I surely will leave room for those items next time. Can't be beat - highly recommended. read more

The Rectory Café - The view from the path - front entrance - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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A few friends and I finally made it down with our bicycles to spend the day touring the islands on wheels, with the highlight supposed to be an apres at the Rectory Cafe. While we passed it both around the front and the back during the ride, we saw many empty tables and looked forward to a leisurely late lunch/early dinner when we were done. Wrong! We locked up our bikes and went in. There was no line-up, and I didn't even register that we were being turned away - there would be about an hour wait, they weren't serving in the dining room inside, and other people would be arriving for their reservations. Reservations? The entire indoor dining room empty and off limits, and dozens of tables outside sitting fallow. The few tables that were being used for service were indeed occupied, but sucks to be you if you don't book a serviced table in advance. This is the precious cafe that threatened they would have to close during the beginning of the soggy season because people weren't still coming to the islands, even though they were open during the spring flood? They wanted a handout from the city because they're not busy enough when it suits them? This was the first long weekend since the flooding that the islands were fully open, with beautiful weather and an opportunity to make up for the dire lack of business. But, they still prefer to turn people away because they can't be bothered to service all their tables and the customers should know better, you should have booked earlier and said you'd come back. I'd rather go to establishments where the customers are the reason they're in business, not the other way around. Keep your snot. Won't bother grovelling for another opportunity to come back. read more

This now known as 'The Riviera', and is a quaint little place right off the boardwalk. We stopped in for some drinks to cool us off, and with the exchange rates the prices were pretty much spot on - I was expecting to get gauged since we were on Toronto Island but I was pleasantly surprised. Our waitress was super nice and attentive, and the gazpacho soup was chilled just right for a hot summer day. If you're in the Ward's Beach side of Toronto Islands, stop in and enjoy the patio before heading back to downtown. read more

Lots of spider webs around and insects everywhere... I did not feel safe or comfortable... guess I'm not much of a nature girl Food was average, not too bad, but nothing special. Prices are higher than I'd like. $14 for the omelette, $16 for pulled pork sandwich and $14 for burger. What I appreciate is that each entree comes with a generous portion of greens. Wouldn't want to come back again.. but there's not many food options around centre island so I have no choice... read more

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I ordered the nachos. I also saw that there is a sandwich on the menu that has grilled pineapple on it so when I ordered the nachos, I asked the waitress if they could add some chopped up grilled pineapple on my nachos. She looked bothered by the question, pretended to think about it, and then rudely said no. Now normally I would not mind if the answer was no, however there was just something about her reaction and answer that made me think she was just too bothered/lazy to actually figure out if they could do that for me. Not the type of service I would hope for as a customer. The nachos were pretty good despite their lack of pineapple. read more

When you're on an island, you expect expensive-ass food. That's just the way it is. You literally have no other option for food unless you brought some yourself, you're willing to take the ferry back to the mainland, or you're a really good swimmer. The Rectory Cafe is well-priced, and the quality of the food was also a pleasant surprise. I had the Beef Brisket Burger, which was juicy and flavourful. The salad that came with it (no fries here. We fancy, huh?) was zesty and complimented the burger quite nicely. The service took a while because we picked a VERY nice day to come to the island. We sat out on the patio with the sun shining down on our faces, and had a right good time. I would definitely recommend sitting out on the patio if Mother Nature allows it. My girlfriend had the beer-mosa. It was good. Y'all should definitely try it out! read more

Amazing food, good service, nice vibes, great place to get warmed up during the visit on island in winter.

When warm goat cheese salad costs $12, it hurts when you're broke. It hurts even if it's made with cooked pears and dressed with brandy and honey. It hurts even if the waiter was awesome, had a great smile and was on the ball. It hurts even if you're sitting outside on a sunny afternoon under tall trees and all you can hear are songbirds chirping and French tourists chatting. I'll admit, it did hit the spot though! read more

The Rectory Café - Warm goat cheese spinach salad with pear - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I've been here multiple times and have always had a good experience. They offer both gluten free and lactose free options, which makes it easy for me to order off of the menu. Both times I was here I had their chickpea curry and it was fantastic! On my second trip they even had a gluten free cracker I could eat with the dish. The curry dish was really filling and I highly recommend it. My friends also enjoyed the dishes they purchased. This restaurant is also pet friendly. If you bring a furry friend, you can tie him or her on the outside of the fence and they will seat you next to him/her. It's not the best seat in the restaurant but it works :). They'll also bring out a water bowl for your pet. I have enjoyed all of my excursions to this cafe so I give it 5-Stars! read more

Lived in Toronto my entire life, been to the island so many times and never knew this place existed. An amazing patio with and awesome view of the lake and Leslie Street Spit. Very nice menu with a good selection of food and an interesting drink menu. I had the arugula salad with feta , tomato and sprouts. Was a very good salad. Others in our group had the tandoori chicken sandwich and the pulled pork sandwich, all thoroughly enjoyed. I would definitely come back and would make a special trip just to eat here Tell everyone about this hidden gem. read more

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My friends and I had a lovely, leisurely lunch beneath a shady tree on a summer's day. It was so relaxing! The food was decent and, even though the place was pretty busy, the service was good. We did not feel rushed through our meal and we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch -- even ordering caramel blondies and fudge brownies for dessert -- while a light breeze blew across the patio. Considering the fact that dining options on Ward's Island are limited, you wouldn't think this place would be as nice as it is, but it's really quite lovely. After lunch, we stepped out onto the boardwalk along the lakeshore and walked around the island. It was really a wonderful afternoon. read more

We sat on the patio on a nice sunny day, and the setting could not have been prettier. The food was pretty good. Salumi platter was pretty descent. So was butter chicken. Burger was a bit dry. The prices are somewhat on the high side, which is somewhat expected, considering that you're on a island. Service was very good. read more

The Rectory Café - Beautiful patio! - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Stumbled upon this delightful little gem on a trip to the Toronto Islands. We were there with my son and his girlfriend visiting from Los Angeles. Our lunch on the patio under the huge trees overlooking the lake was the highlight of the day. The service was cheerful and friendly. We were seated immediately and had a hard time choosing what we wanted from the menu. A couple of the dishes that looked interesting to try were the Tandoori pulled chicken sandwich or the maple glazed salmon. In the end I had the Rectory House Salad. I was intrigued by the vanilla vinaigrette and was not disappointed. It was amazing and matched beautifully with the shaved fennel, mandarin segments and candied pecans. Refreshing and so summery. And reasonably priced at $11 for a generous portion. I sipped a Tipsy Arnold Palmer, one of the fun cocktails on the list consisting of bourbon, iced tea and lemonade. Perfect for the summer. The Rectory Cafe is open all year but they do not accept reservations on weekends and holidays between 12:30 pm and 4:30 pm. The dining room is charming but the patio is glorious. A nice place to linger on our beautiful island. Take the Wards Island Ferry across. Worth the trip! read more

The Rectory Café - Lovely patio by the lake. - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This is probably the worst restaurant i ve been to in Toronto.. I went with a group of friends, we did not feel welcome at all we were actually treated very bad.The manager is EXTREMELY rude, he talked to us in a very condescending manner and always in a "angry" mood .. what a negative energy !! Food was honestly terrible, everyone on my table was disapointed by the food , I ordered a salad they charged me an extra 2 dollars for one slice of tomato read more

It's quite a walk away from Centre Island so if youre looking to go here, you'll need to take the other ferry or at least rent a bike for a little bit. . We got their poke bowl ($11) because our server recommended it as their best vegetarian dish. It was honestly incredibly disappointing. I've never gotten angry at food from a restaurant before. Their rice was a little burnt and tough in texture (seemed a little old tbh), the kale was lacking in amount and so was the edamame beans, especially considering they were the main parts of this dish. If they had put wayyyy more kale, more edamame, it might have actually been passable. But the Rectory's poke bowl brings shame to all poke bowls out there. . FOOD: 0/5 (horrendous, seriously. Never ever ever ever order the poke bowl and honestly, im not even sure if their other dishes are trustworthy) SERVICE: 5/5 (our server was amazing and was the only thing that made up for everything else) AMBIENCE: 3.7/5 (actually not bad. The building didn't have AC so we had to sit outside even though it was scorching hot. It wasn't too bad because the pollen falling from their trees actually made it look really romantic hehe) BANG (for your buck): 1/5 (it's cheaper than a usual dish, sure. But the poke bowl is NOT WORTH ANY OF YOUR MONEY!!!!!) . /5 . Follow @vegheadreviews on Instagram for more food reviews! read more

The Rectory Café - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

When you come here you have to remember that you're going to a tourist trap, not a neighborhood cafe. It's all about managing your expectations. The food here is much better and much less expensive than Toronto's other tourist trap restaurants. Have you eaten at the restaurant in the CN Tower? Their food is inedible garbage. The food here is half the price and actually pretty tasty. Is the service great? Nope. Is it terrible? Nope. It's fine. Come when it's not too crowded and the servers will come around if you're friendly. But you're not here for the service or the food. You're here because you're on the islands and either there is nowhere else to eat on Wards Island or it's in the off-season and it's actually the only option without getting on a ferry. In addition to being your only option, it's quite lovely. The patio is shady and the upper section has a nice view of the water. The inside is cute. They have booze. And clean bathrooms. What else do you want? read more

This café is situated on City Centre Island, so you eat while being surrounded by Nature, which is lovely! It feels secluded and very relaxing. I tried the sandwiches here, which had deliciously tender and flavourful meat. It did not stand out though. However, offerings on their menu were pretty standard, and I hope they can branch out and try more innovative items. Go here for the experience, and order a drink for yourself. It's a great way to relax from exploring the island! read more

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We came in a large group and I ordered the avocado flatbread and the ahi tuna tacos, with a side of kettle chips and sangria. The sangria was decent, and the food was alright. There was an okay amount of avocado/guacamole on the flatbread, but the tacos were relatively small for the price. But the kettle chips were really good! That said, it was definitely overpriced (but you got to keep in mind that it is on the Island). The service was lacking and our waitress was not helpful nor friendly. She did not seem pleased when we asked for an extra bottle of water seeing as how she only gave us two tiny bottles for a large group of people. Furthermore, on separate occasions s she almost knocked over our glasses, spilling water onto the table. read more

My cousin is visiting Toronto so decided to show her the Toronto Islands. We made a day out of it - with lunch first and then riding our bikes around the three islands. I first came here last summer, but my friend and I just ordered a drink. This time, however, we had lunch. I love the décor of this place as it looks like a cozy cottage. We sat in the back where there was a beautiful view of Lake Ontario. To start, my cousin and I ordered the Toronto Island Iced Tea (sweet like juice!) and my friend ordered the Sunset Breeze (I didn't try it, but she recommends!). For our meals, we all ordered the brisket burger, which was quite delicious - it comes with the works including sautéed mushrooms and BBQ sauce. I also asked for bacon in my burger, which definitely added to it. To finish our Rectory Café experience, my cousin ordered the chocolate torte and my friend and I went halvsies on the Harmony (chocolate and blonde brownies). Both desserts were very yummy. Good for: out-of-towners, relaxing, casual dining read more

Beautiful place. The back patio is a great place to eat food and look out onto the lake. Very Expensive! Really good food though, used quality ingredients. Great place to go when visiting Ward's Island! read more

The food was fantastic. Everything cooked to the right level, greens crisp, steak rare and juicy. Wine choices orchestrated by my server perfect. Only issue orchestration. Not far off, but the incredible calamari only got joined by the wine as an afterthought.. My server warned me about a kitchen overloaded. It wasn't bad at any level. It is a place that promises and even delivers in a disconnected way on that promise. This is a quibble. If you're coming here do not hesitate. There are nits to be picked, and this seems to me to be a place that pays attention. And my server was straightforward and honest about what was going on. She helped me with my menu choices. Perfect. She picked thé wine. Perfect. Only plaint was the orchestration.. Not horrible but a minute sideways from a great experience. Well worth coming here. I will come back. read more

The Rectory Café - Patio looking towards the restaurant... Lake Ontario behind us. - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

On a stroll through the Toronto Islands we stopped in for a snack and a couple of drinks. There's no real hostess desk so we just kinda stood there waiting to be helped because we couldn't really tell if it was a seat yourself deal. This is a cool place because it's under a bunch of trees that provide natural shade. It's super cute and you really do feel like you're eating at a really nice place al fresco. We looked over the menu, but there wasn't really anything on it that looked that appealing. We ordered the special which was an Artichoke and Cheese dip that came with tortilla chips and pita bread along with a couple glasses of wine. The dip was bomb and I liked that they had some local wine options. We ordered a couple glasses of red from the Niagara region. They were ok, not anything great. What I noticed was their prices were pretty high. It wasn't fine dining, but they were certainly higher than casual dining. Almost in a way that I felt like it was overpriced. I mean, our dip was $18 and it was delicious but it definitely wasn't $18. Cute lil place but there are probably others on the island to check out. read more

Super chill spot on the island. Just a ferry ride away from downtown. Very cute setup, it's a good change of pace. Staff are really friendly too! (they get more friendly, the more you drink the spiked coffee :) read more

The Rectory Café - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I went here last week with a friend to celebrate my birthday, which was the week before. We both ordered the special salad: mixed greens wrapped in slender slices of field cucumber, with warm goat cheese encrusted with cashews and shrimp on the side. We also ordered the hummus platter, no pictures for that one. Sorry everyone. It came with warm triangled flatbreads, olives, a lemon wedge and the hummus, which looked handmade because of the chunks of chickpeas in it. The hummus was okay. Their patio is wonderful, nice and big and spacious. Perfect for dinning solo, or paired, or with any other amount of people. The price is a bit high, but you pay for location and this location is atypical from your standard patio. The service was good, friendly. I overheard the server say the exact same thing to the table next to us, which is okay. No judgment, I get how repetitive working in the service industry is, it made me smile. I'd go back but for dessert next time. read more

The Rectory Café - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Is now Rivera cafe and the tacos I had there yesterday were just awful. Dry, three dots of a sauce and little spicing. Very disappointed

Took he 6pm ferry and went for a walk on the island. Got hungry and found this gem. Very nice place to have dinner with a glass of wine. Took the 10:30 ferry back. read more

The Rectory Café - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I've been to the Rectory a few times and had food ranging from mediocre to quite good but the service today left me deeply disappointed - enough to write this review. Came with a friend visiting from Germany for a light dinner. Chalkboard by main entrance indicated that today's soup was potato and cheddar soup, which given that it was raining seemed like a great idea - so when our waiter came, I ordered "the soup, please" as the menu lists "Daily Soup" for $7. I was surprised when my soup arrived to find a chilled fruit soup. I flagged down the waiter immediately and said that although I had indeed ordered "the soup", their sign said it was potato and cheddar. He assured me that I was mistaken and that the only soup on offer was this chilled watermelon soup. My friend and I were both confused as we'd both read the chalkboard by the door when we came in and were quite certain we had not misread "watermelon" as "potato and cheddar"... Our waiter (to his credit) asked if I'd like to order something else, which I didn't as my friend was already eating her meal and we'd ordered soup and a salad because we were trying to catch a ferry back in only 45 minutes (as they're hourly from Ward's Island). He said he would "go take a look at the sign" and I assumed he would go, find that we were indeed right, and report back, presumably comping the mistaken soup. We didn't see him again until he brought us the cheque, featuring my soup at full price. I went to investigate and sure enough, he had located the incorrect sign and changed it to say "Watermelon Soup (COLD)". Given that it was raining and I was having only soup for dinner, watermelon soup was really not ideal. I've worked as a waiter for several years and I was surprised to find that my rather unsatisfying cold soup dinner had not been comped given that the error was clearly theirs. I was also surprised that the waiter did not return to confirm that I was indeed right, and apologize for accusing me of being wrong about what their own sign said. The watermelon soup came with, somewhat confusingly, a solitary, savoury breadstick. I think I'll give another restaurant a try next time I'm on the islands. As for my dinner tonight, I took the ferry home in the rain and made myself spaghetti. read more

Yesterday was an unusually warm Sunday for February so we went for a trek on center island. After a few hours we stepped into Rectory to warn up and grab something warm to drink. We ordered hot chocolate and hot water, with the waiter giving us a surprised look at the latter, like we didn't order enough. The drinks took a long time and when it can it was simply two small coffee mugs both of which had dirty, visible stains on the outside. To boot, my hot chocolate was barely 75% of the mug full, and tasted like powdered beverage. The bill came to $6.12, complete with $1 for the hot water. What is this, sub-par service and below quality food at overcharged price just to be a snub to patrons warming up after enjoying an afternoon on the Island? read more

This place is very cute. I like that it's open all year round because there's nearly nothing open on the island after summer. The place is a wee bit overpriced but considering it's one of two restaurants on the island and the only one open off-season, it's not so bad. The food is good, too. The service was quick, coffee came with a refill, the waiter was very pleasant and talkative. There is a great view of the lake and I didn't eat the desert but the options looked delicious. Definitely worth going if on the island. read more

I'm willing to admit that I didn't have high expectations going in, because the Rectory Cafe doesn't have much competition out there on the islands. If you don't want to eat dripping fast food while top 40 blares in the background, then it's the RC. But I was surprised. On two counts. 1) the chef has put together a limited but agreeable menu that has something for everyone, and the kitchen cares enough to present this food in its best and most appetizing arrangements. I would describe the food as unexciting, but pleasing. But then again, maybe I would have enjoyed it more if my dining hadn't been spoiled by... 2) the worst service I have ever encountered. Our server resentfully greeted us from behind mirrored sunglasses and was annoyed by a question about the brisket burger ("look, do you know what brisket is? - sigh - It's just your basic hamburger"),. She then took our order and sent someone else out to deliver food we hadn't ordered. She told us, on her way past the table, that she had punched in the wrong meals and we would need to wait. No apology. Twenty minutes later when my friend asked if we could have some bread, she said "it's only a few more minutes," again, without stopping and without apology. Another ten minutes passes. Note here that others are getting what we ordered, so I assume she didn't care to tell the kitchen we were waiting for an order she screwed up. Finally she brings out the meal with a "here it is" and walks away. And proceeds to avoid being near our table until we are finished. Mistakes happen. I dined out a few weeks ago at a place where the server forgot to bring us things and made an error in the order. He came over to tell us of his error and apologize. The moment we met our server at the RC, I commented to my friend that she seemed quite terse for someone working in a tourist location. I didn't guess it was going to go from terse to hostile. Maybe she's been banished to that island as some kind of sentence. The other servers seemed better. They at least got food to the table and made eye contact. I have no doubt that other diners enjoyed their meals far more. read more

The Rectory Café - Still time for patio dining - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario