Bayside Variety Kitchen + Bar

This was a big disappointment. There were three of us for dinner, we ordered the Rhubarb Collins and Night Moves cocktails and a beer, the octopus and the burrata appetizers, the cod, the duck, and the burger for mains. The Night Moves cocktail was nice with interesting botanical flavours; the Rhubarb Collins was overly sweet and tasted nothing like rhubarb, full disclosure I ordered it with whiskey instead of vodka. The burrata dish was well constructed, the sourdough was perfectly grilled, the combination of earthy beets and vibrant golden berries was lovely. I love grilled octopus as a rule, this version was overcooked and rubbery and wildly under seasoned, the puttanesca was bland and tasted like it came out of a jar, and the grocery store arugula was dressed with olive oil and salt. For the mains, the burger was the best of the three, good salt balance, solid cook, fluffy brioche bun with black sesame seeds. The fries with it were visibly saturated in oil and soggy with no crunch, the truffle aioli was fine. The cod was nicely cooked and completely devoid of flavour, dull red curry with mushy rice, the king oyster mushrooms were nicely cooked and perfectly boring. The duck was cooked to the correct colour but it was very chewy; the "cherry" sauce just tasted like watery demi glace, the rice was overcooked and way too salty, and the bok choy and cabbage were limp and flavourless. Our waiter Casey was excellent, the service was exceptionally attentive and unobtrusive, any time we needed anything he was immediately present, and he recommended the burger which was one of the better dishes. I left off one star because the table wasn't crumbed between courses and I personally consider this a staple of high end fine dining. The ambiance of the restaurant is nice, it was not overly loud despite being completely full and the lighting is moody and intimate. I would consider it wildly over-priced for the quality of the food and cocktails, the menu is ambitious but the execution needs some work.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 4

Best place in Barrie hands down. It's our go to.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Amazing spot in Barrie, in fact the best culinary spot. Romantic for date night or great vibe for friends to get together. Drinks are some of the best I've had anywhere in the world. Food was amazing !!! For an amazing meal worth the price this is the spot.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Came here during localicious after being recommended this restaurant by a friend. We ordered the croquettes to start which were amazing. I had the chicken which was super flavourful and my boyfriend had the cod which he enjoyed. We both had the Nanaimo cheesecake which was a nice way to end the meal.

Aside from the food our waitress was friendly and attentive. We made reservations and we were happy with the table we were given. We’re looking forward to coming back and trying their regular menu!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Fantastic place. We will be back

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Went for Valentine’s Day dinner with my girlfriend on Friday night, the food was amazing 5 🌟 quality experience. The waitress we had was super friendly and made sure we were happy with our meals. I love the romance feel the restaurant always has with the candles.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Steak, Sirloin, Risotto

I rarely leave reviews but this place deserves it! I never finish meals out but I ate every bite. We shared the burrata to start, and we got the short rib and the chicken supreme (stuffed with bacon and goat cheese with a bacon risotto and honey carrots). The flavours were so amazing. Almost like an elevated home cooked meal. Warm and cozy type flavours. Meat was cooked perfectly. I was so impressed. Perfect portions, definitely quality over quantity. We got dessert too which was rich and creamy.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We did Locolicious Menu & were very happy with our choices

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Caesar Salad

Probably the best overall restaurant in Barrie. Amazing food, very elevated menu, but not so expensive that a working class person can't enjoy a meal here as a special occasion. I would be here frequently if I was more wealthy. Great aesthetic in the dining room, cool bar area, and they always play great music. My girlfriend and I will be making it a more regular stop for a cocktail and appetizer

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Locallicious was amazing!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Such a great date night spot! Wonderful drinks and amazing food. Daniel truly was amazing to us!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Caesar Salad

My husband and I tried Bayside Variety Kitchen & Bar for the first time tonight as a date night during Localiscious. Wow, it did not disappoint. The restaurant has a cool, laid back, simple & chic vibe. Our waitress Olivia was very attentive (refilled our water glasses as soon as we drank from them, meals were brought out in a perfectly time fashion etc.) Olivia also provided great suggestions for our meals. For the localiscious event, you get an appetizer, a main & dessert for 45$. For drinks, I ordered the rhubarb collins & my husband ordered an apple cider. For appetizers: my husband ordered the croquettes (braised short rib & Gruyère cheese, parsnip purée, smoked bacon sauce, crispy leeks, chive oil) & I ordered the burrata for two (cinnamon bruleed fig, date purée, fig & pomegranate compote, walnut & pistachio gremolata, grilled sourdough (+$5). There was an extra charge of $5 for the burrata but it was well worth it as it is a large portion that is shareable. For mains: my husband ordered the linguine (mussels & clams, parsley, roasted garlic & white sauce & I ordered the chicken (soy & mirin marinated chicken thighs, Asian mushroom risotto, bok choy, scallion). For dessert: my husband ordered the pineapple fritter (spiced battered & deep fried pineapple rings, cherry dole whip & I ordered the Nanaimo bar cheesecake (coconut & chocolate crumble, whipped cream cheese custard, chocolate ganache. The portion sizes were perfect, the food was amazing, the service was great, the vibe was chill. All in all an amazing first experience! Looking forward to our next one. Sorry, we didn’t take pictures of the food, the drinks or of the restaurant…we were too busy enjoying our date night & savouring our delicious meal.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Went for dinner before Christmas, the restaurant was pretty busy. First and foremost the restaurant is beautifully decorated but is absolutely FREEZING. I was one of four people eating with my winter jacket on. This is a reoccurring problem. I have yet to visit in the cooler months when the restaurant is warm enough to remove my jacket. Makes it hard to enjoy the dinner, which was incredibly slow to come out of the kitchen, when you're so cold.

We ordered the strip loin and chicken supreme. Both were ok. The chicken was pretty bland and the strip loin was ordered med-rare, came out looking great but was very tough. Chicken was underseasoned and the filling it promised was lacklustre. The server offered us complimentary dessert due to the food taking so long, which was nice, and dessert was great - chocolate mousse and cheesecake.

Unfortunately this was the third time we have visited since August 2024 and each time we felt the same about the food. We have loved this restaurant in the past but unfortunately with food prices climbing the way they are, we felt each time that the value just isn't there at Bayside any longer. Too bad, it used to be such better food.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 3

Food was good. Service was friendly and good, but a bit slow. We were seated right away for our reservation, but then waited 20+ minutes for water and drinks order. A long wait for drinks and water. Then another long wait to come and take the food order. Table had drips of the previous diners meal on it.
The restaurant looks nice, but it is very loud inside. Admittedly, there was a large group in the middle of the restaurant (about 12 people) but then the background music was turned up, so people talked louder. It got to the point we could barely talk at our own table, and hurried our meal to get out.

Parking: No on-site parking. On busy street so street parking is rarely available. Municipal parking lots are a short walk (about 5 min.) away. Most of the parking lots are free in the evenings but be sure to check the times rates apply.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 4

Great atmosphere and fit out. Cocktails delicious, pistachio espresso martini yum! Meals were very tasty, a little expensive but also great quality. Duck was fantastic and the burrata outstanding.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5