Borealis Grille & Bar (Guelph)

A simple meal of fish and chips turned out to be wonderful. The fish was firm and sweet, and the chips were crispy. Even the Tartar sauce was different and excellent plus coleslaw that was tasty. The service was very good.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 4

Wonderful dog friendly patio (w/water bowls). Food was good, but not excellent. Service was attentive, professional and friendly.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Attended on a Sunday evening for dinner. My wife and I were very excited as this is a place where we first started to date and frequented. Had to hunt down staff after waiting ten minutes to get seated. Once seated the waitress was wonderful and very personable. We ordered our food despite them changing the menu and removing a lot of the staples like sweet potato fries. I got the great lakes pickerel and the wife ordered a taco salad, app was the cheese dip. The cheese dip didn't have the caramelized onions on it like advertised and the salad had cold chicken that resembled precooked chicken you get at the grocery store. The cheese on it also looked like it was just poured out of a bag, disappointing for an all local menu. The pickerel was good but I feel the oil temperature was off as the inside was very pasty and undercooked for the batter. The fries were also fishy suggesting they were fried in the same vat as the fish and they were soft not crunchy. When a meal with tip is over a hundred dollars it makes me very hesitant to go back when there are so many other local great options.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 4

Great food

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

I had a great experience celebrating my 15 year reunion at Borealis. My contact at Borealis was Kaleigh, and she was amazing! She was quick to respond to all my e-mails, and was helpful with all my questions.

We had a private area within the restaurant which had a screen and projector for us to use.

The food and service was unbelievable! The fixed menu had lots of choices, include vegetarian and gluten free options. Cocktails were great. And everything was very reasonably priced.

I would definitely recommend Borealis.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Sadly each time I have visited Borealis it becomes a less than great experience each time. The first time we came was 3 years ago when we moved to Guelph. Beautiful patio seating, the waitress was beyond amazing with personality, recommendations, service - she was on the ball and the food was so good! We left raving. We have been back three or four times since, and sadly each experience has been a notch worse.

Earlier this year we arrived, and we wanted a patio seat but were told there was nothing available. I saw no reserved signs and there was only one table with people outside. We were sat in the lovely bar area at a window, but throughout dinner remianed perplexed that we could not be outside enjoying the weather when it was still somewhat empty. A few parties arrived, no reservations but were sat ouside. Why could we not have gone outside where we wanted to be? We had come for the patio. It was nto close to full the entire time of our stay.

Most recently, today. We had made a reservation and were told we could not sit by the window in the bar area becuase the seats were reserved. We made a reservation, why did we not recieve one of those reserved spots? Instead we were brought into the dark dining area in the back. A lot of free tables - now why we made a reservation if this was where were going to end up? And the server was okay at best. Not too attentive and not too talkative. Overall we did not feel as though they cared to have us there. We reserved - did not get the reserved spot and the service was meh at best.

I am sad, because I used to feel this was a great place to go, but I think we will be retiring our excursions to Borealis - at least for the the foreseeable future - sadly. I don't understand. At least explain to the customer why, if there is a why, so that we don't keep wondering why but understanding why instead. Mmm! :(

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 5

Service: 2

Had read plenty of positive reviews, thus went in for lunch today. The service was good, but the food was so so, not very tasty, most of all the prices are absurd. For a smallest steak the I have ever seen since I have been ordering steaks, the size was embarrassingly puny for $35. Wow. The fish and chips was no better. The batter was uncooked and you only get one piece for $23.

Food: 2

Service: 4

I was in vacation and looking for a local restaurant. It buys local so products are fresh and of quality. Very good quality price ratio! The meals are tasty.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

A good spot that catera to everyone's needs. They have a good menu for drinks including zero proof offerings. Great service here and busy but cozy atmosphere. Highly recommend the manatoulin trout - done very well! The wings here were also delicious. There is a happy hour menu offering here - Didnt get to try but looks like great deals.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

My biggest issue isn't the food (I mean it sorta was), it was the location. I was coming north off of the 401 and you will never know the horror of having to contend with two (2) roundabouts.

The staff were nice enough; the food needed more seasoning, but those roundabouts will haunt my dreams. Whoever thought that was a good idea to put two of them there should be ashamed of themselves.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 4

Place is nice and staff are extremely pleasant. Unfortunately the food isn’t good. It lacks flavour (no salt or any seasoning). My food tasted old and my friend’s food didn’t taste like anything. Nachos are just a bag of Doritos with minimal toppings. They need to improve the quality of the main dishes.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 4

Good food with unique Canadian sourced menu items. Prices moderately high and locally sourced wine prices boost tab considerably.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recently experienced a lovely summer evening on their patio. A nice tranquil location with lovely food. The customer service was top-notch.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

The Nachos were delicious and the service was excellent. The staff was friendly and accommodating. I definitely recommend this restaurant for good eats and a comfortable atmosphere.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

One of the best restaurants in Guelph, we really enjoyed our time at this restaurant.
Thanks

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5