Benchmark Restaurant

Food was delicious. Service was good. Staff are all students at the college with this restaurant setting being their first time serving on the floor of the restaurant, so it shows. I decided to order the prix fixe menu which was great for the price. I asked for a recommendation from the server who was taking care of me. He recommended the Bibb Lettuce salad, then the Steak Frites, and then the cheesecake. The salad was delicious though a little less dressing would have been better. The Steak Frites was cooked to my temperature request and the fries were perfect. However, when I asked for ketchup and mayonnaise on the side for the fries I was told by the maitre D that they didn't offer it because the chefs wanted the guest to enjoy the dish "as it was intended". I very much disagree with this notion for this particular dish. It's one thing if this was a Michelin rated restaurant with tasting menu but the last time I checked, any french bistro or steak house can offer this with no issue. I think it degrades the idea of hospitality which is what I was hoping for for potential restaurant people. It's been several days but this impression stayed with me so i have to report this. Further didn't help that they brought out the a tart instead of the cheese cake. Not everything in service should be black & white. It would be a disservice to the chef and guests equally.

Best dining experience my friend and I have had in a long while! The meal was outstanding on every count, the staff very attentive! All of this with the gorgeous Niagara Escarpment and bench as a backdrop. A showstopper for sure! Many thanks, we'll be back!

Fantastic concept for the college. More learning institutes should do this. Love the local farm to table and supporting students and local economy. Food is excellent.

Had their 3 course lunch and every bite was delicious and the server was knowledgeable and friendly throughout the meal. Highly recommend this restaurant

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The servers were liovelybut so nervous. Appetizer order was wrong for one, we were never asked if we's like wine and the shrimp main wasn't booked enough. Some pieces of my steak were as ordered, MR, and some were more rare. When asking what the 2nd of the three desserts were, as I remembered the first two, the waitress had to bring us a menu. In fairness they were first year students.

This was a very enjoyable lunch engagement.. Student servers were courteous and knowledgeable, the food was excellent and served in a timely manner. We did not feel rushed. Also the pricing was very reasonable and the college's wine and beer was excellent. We also purchased two bottles of wine to bring home Will definitely return, in fact we purchased a gift card for our friends for Christmas so they can also enjoy the experience. Thank you !

The best tomato salad we've ever tasted. The "catch of the day" was a smoked fish that was rubbery. I exchanged it for the chicken which was good. They were careful of my foods intollerences (gluten and lactose). The desserts were top notch. The student Servers were excellent. Every seat had a great view of the college vineyard. Parking was free (if you book a day ahead). All in all, it was a great backdrop for our visit together.

Our choice of Benchmark for a birthday luncheon was perfect. We were not in a hurry and looked forward to our first time visit. We wish all the students well on their career paths in the culinary and hospitality fields. We will definitely return for another unhurried special luncheon. Thank you.

It was a marvelous experience, great scenic view from the restaurant, handcrafted beers, and house made wines. Definitely I would recommend this place others.

Great experience. The food was excellent and great value. We also did the wine tasting. We will definitely be back.

We have dined at benchmark numerous times over the years and have always had a very good experience. Yesterday's visit however was very disappointing. We were two couples. Two of us ordered the catch of the day which we were told would be seared salmon. It was not salmon (nothing like) and was pan fried. When pressed waiter came back that yes indeed it was perch. I returned it as I generally avoid freshwater fish. And ordered the steak frites. This mix up may have made our meal a full hour longer as my steak was a long time coming and the others delayed receiving their deserts. Three of us ended up having the steak. The steak the first two received was chewy and rubbery – a very inferior cut of meat. Mine (which came much later) was distinctly different and somewhat better. We all had the tomato salad which we liked. And we all had the cherry tart which was at best “average”. With the mix up and return on the fish our lunch took up much of the afternoon – which fortunately in our case was not a huge issue. But I suspect for most guests it would have added much additional aggravation.....

The decor and ambience were lovely as were the servers. Since it is a learning establishment the following comments are meant as constructive feedback and not negative criticism. The mussels were delicious in a lovely fennel sauce with beautifully charred toast accompanying them. The fries which were salted in the kitchen with sea salt were very over salted and spoiled what were lovely hot and perfectly cooked fries. The steak was perfectly cooked if you liked rare steak. However, neither of the two guests who ordered steak was asked how they wanted their steak cooked. The chicken was dry but possibly because the Portion was quite small and that might have been why it was overcooked. The desserts, chocolate cheesecake and apricot Mille feuille were excellent and a delicious finish. All the students/servers were very friendly and pleasant. We will be back!

Service was excellent and food was delicious but the strip loin steak was only room temperature. Should have been warm/hot.

Thank you for your wonderful service Kenneth and to the students who prepared a delicious three course meal. Food, wine, beers, and service were all a fantastic experience!

The students in both the hospitality and culinary programs do an admirable job of creating a high level fine dining experience. I would recommend Benchmark to anyone!