Went for Valentine’s Day dinner and was extremely disappointed in food and service. The band/singer were entertaining and the saving grace of our evening. Food was extremely underwhelming for the high cost. We left still hungry and had to go get burgers. The service was very poor. There were so many staff/servers running looking lost and chaotic however they weren’t doing anything. When we asked for something it took forever to come. Our cutlery was taken away and never replaced until we asked, and had to wait. Drinks took a while to come, and when I mentioned to the server that I never received my drink, I watched him get it from the bar. It was sitting so long the caramel rim dripped down the side onto the stem and my hands were covered in caramel. Plates were being brought to our table multiple times that weren’t ours, and vice versa. There was an automatic 18% gratuity which I would not have tipped on my own because of the poor service. The atmosphere and band saved the evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
iosif karolinski
Came in for Valentine’s Day’s dinner. It was a set menu and the restaurant called me about a week earlier to mention that they will NOT have their regular a la carte menu, just the set menu, which was fine for us.
The food was highly under par for a $135 set menu. The amuse bouche was underwhelming and sad. The menu pluralized the options (e.g., oysters and spring rolls). I understand it’s a taster but with plural you expect at least 2 of each. We got one of each. The ravioli starter was good but the wakame salad/glazed watermelon seemed like it was out all day and was not satisfying. It was one tiny cube of dry watermelon. Again, underwhelming for the cost. The halibut was under seasoned as well. The saving grace was the dessert, both were very good.
The service was disastrous, it took them forever to bring us our drinks meanwhile the food was brought out way too quickly. We could barely digest one course before the next one came out. Servers were bringing tables the incorrect order and didn’t seem like they knew what was going on. You could tell that the drinks were sitting out before coming to the table because the rim on the martini was dripping down when it was served. I feel like this is unacceptable for a restaurant like this, especially with how much we paid for the dinner.
The saving grace was the atmosphere and the music. The band and singer was amazing and is why we stayed.
I don’t recommend to come for dinner and food. If you come for drinks, just order the basics because it doesn’t seem like they have the capabilities to handle anything outside of a beer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 2
Vadim Muravyev
Valentine’s Day Experience at Gatsby
We visited Gatsby by Windsor for the first time on Valentine's Day, expecting an exceptional fine dining experience given its reputation. While the restaurant impressed us in some aspects, it fell short in others.
Ambiance & Service
The ambiance was undoubtedly the highlight of the evening. The decor exuded the grandeur of old England, with luxurious fabric and leather-adorned walls, intricate ceiling designs, and sophisticated chandeliers. It created an atmosphere of refined elegance, setting high expectations for the night.
However, the service did not match the elegance of the setting. The table service lacked refinement—our waiter handled cutlery with his bare hands before placing it back on the table instead of providing fresh utensils with each course. Additionally, our table was noticeably unstable, which was not addressed until we pointed it out. Another small yet significant lapse was the lack of attentive service regarding beverages; we had to refill our own glasses, which is an oversight at a venue of this caliber.
Food Quality
The meal started on a high note. The starters and entrées were beautifully presented, resembling the standard of Michelin-starred restaurants—small portions but crafted with attention to detail and sophistication. Unfortunately, the experience declined with the main course.
We ordered the halibut with potatoes, which turned out to be disappointingly average, lacking depth in flavor. However, the biggest letdown of the evening was the dessert—a raspberry mousse that failed to impress.
The most alarming issue was discovering a hair in our main course. When we brought it to the butler’s attention, we expected a sincere apology. Instead, we were simply offered a replacement dish. At that point, we had lost our appetite and declined the offer. For a fine dining establishment, the response should have been more considerate and professional.
Price & Value
The total bill amounted to $400 for two people, including two glasses of wine. An automatic 18% gratuity was included in the check, leaving us no choice but to tip despite the disappointing service and the issue with our meal. Given the circumstances, we felt this was unwarranted.
Overall Experience & Rating
Our experience at Gatsby by Windsor left us with mixed feelings. While the ambiance was stunning and the starters were promising, the main course, service etiquette, and lack of attentiveness diminished the overall experience. The mishandling of the hair incident was especially disappointing.
This restaurant excels in aesthetics but falls short in execution when it comes to food consistency and service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 1
Harshini Reddy
THEY HAVE MICE!
I’m going to keep this short because that’s how terrible it was. My girlfriends and I went here for a winterlicious dinner. Towards the end of our meal I see a mouse on the couches. We quickly pick up our stuff and walk away and tell our server. He jokes about it and asks if we want separate bills. When we said we weren’t comfortable paying after what we just saw he says he can’t do anything about it. We ask to speak to a manager and he comes back to tell us there’s no manager at the hotel and that the owner decided to give us a 50% discount.
If that’s not enough to deter you from going here, the veal was overcooked, the risotto was extremely dry and hard, and the food is just not worth the price.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
Trish Hudyma
We had winterlicious 2025! 3 prix fix menu we had the salmon which was OK. The girls ordered burratina... it came solo the ladies asked for bread... not once... but twice... our steaks were cooked to perfection! Meh on the pavlova... tiramisu was delightful the crumble was good
I am writing this review about the Windsor Arms restaurant, The Gatsby. My partner and I had reservations for a Monday evening, for dinner. We chose The Gatsby for a couple of reasons - the menu had a good variety of small, shareable plates as well as large plates, and the restaurant boasts a "500 label" wine list. Our choice was also a bit nostalgic as many years ago, before the rebuild, we had had dinner in the Windsor Arms restaurant at that time - Three Small Rooms. When we arrived there was one other table occupied and those two guests departed shortly afterwards. We ordered drinks and took time to look over the wine list and the menu. We started by ordering two small plates, only to have the server return to advise us those items were not available. We ordered two other items and the server returned with the same response. The lunch menu was also presented with the dinner menu, and we asked if we could order something from the lunch menu. The server went to ask and came back to reply that we could. My partner chose one item from the lunch menu, and I chose a main from the dinner menu. The server returned shortly to advise that that lunch item was also not available. My partner ordered another item from the dinner menu. We ordered a bottle of wine as well. Our server returned to advise us that the staff person who had keys to the wine cellar had left for the day and no other staff had access, therefore we could not order anything from the wine list! At that point we decided to pay for our drinks and leave. We were astounded with the whole experience! We had a reservation - they knew we were coming. How does something like this happen in the very competitive restaurant industry in downtown Toronto?
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
DANGRA QUEEN
A family friend and I shared two days apart birthdays. We decided on going to this place. We loved the atmosphere ? Our server, Wentworth, was attentive, knowledgeable, and very helpful. He became our personal photographer for the night. The food was great, of course, we all wish they would give more. But apart from that, what we ordered was tasty ? I had the Newfoundland Cod and my family had the Quebec duck breast. We also had non-alcoholic champagne ? A complimentary platter of macaroos, couple berries , etc
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Soup of the Day
Carmit F
Old world charm that must be preserved. Great food, service location and ambiance. I wish their lunch menu would have offered a bigger variety of food items, I'd love to have a daily/weekly menu special items set (hint, hint...). Parking can be challenging, especially after changes made by the city on Bloor Street. This is a perfect place to have a special occasion celebration. Cheers Gatsby 🥂 You are appreciated, Toronto is lucky to have you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carmit Finer
Old world charm that must be preserved.Great food, service location and ambiance.I wish their lunch menu would have offered a bigger variety of food items, I'd love to have a daily/weekly menu special items set (hint, hint...).Parking can be challenging, especially after changes made by the city on Bloor Street.This is a perfect place to have a special occasion celebration. Cheers Gatsby ? You are appreciated, Toronto is lucky to have you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sarah Nicholson
Not worth the price at all - and we did Winterlicious. Service was terrible. Almost like you're an inconvenience to them. The staff did not seem happy to work there. We will never return and we thought to do the High Tea another day. NO THANKS!
Went for Valentine’s Day dinner and was extremely disappointed in food and service. The band/singer were entertaining and the saving grace of our evening.
Food was extremely underwhelming for the high cost. We left still hungry and had to go get burgers.
The service was very poor. There were so many staff/servers running looking lost and chaotic however they weren’t doing anything. When we asked for something it took forever to come. Our cutlery was taken away and never replaced until we asked, and had to wait. Drinks took a while to come, and when I mentioned to the server that I never received my drink, I watched him get it from the bar. It was sitting so long the caramel rim dripped down the side onto the stem and my hands were covered in caramel.
Plates were being brought to our table multiple times that weren’t ours, and vice versa.
There was an automatic 18% gratuity which I would not have tipped on my own because of the poor service.
The atmosphere and band saved the evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
Came in for Valentine’s Day’s dinner. It was a set menu and the restaurant called me about a week earlier to mention that they will NOT have their regular a la carte menu, just the set menu, which was fine for us.
The food was highly under par for a $135 set menu. The amuse bouche was underwhelming and sad. The menu pluralized the options (e.g., oysters and spring rolls). I understand it’s a taster but with plural you expect at least 2 of each. We got one of each.
The ravioli starter was good but the wakame salad/glazed watermelon seemed like it was out all day and was not satisfying. It was one tiny cube of dry watermelon. Again, underwhelming for the cost. The halibut was under seasoned as well. The saving grace was the dessert, both were very good.
The service was disastrous, it took them forever to bring us our drinks meanwhile the food was brought out way too quickly. We could barely digest one course before the next one came out. Servers were bringing tables the incorrect order and didn’t seem like they knew what was going on. You could tell that the drinks were sitting out before coming to the table because the rim on the martini was dripping down when it was served. I feel like this is unacceptable for a restaurant like this, especially with how much we paid for the dinner.
The saving grace was the atmosphere and the music. The band and singer was amazing and is why we stayed.
I don’t recommend to come for dinner and food. If you come for drinks, just order the basics because it doesn’t seem like they have the capabilities to handle anything outside of a beer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 2
Valentine’s Day Experience at Gatsby
We visited Gatsby by Windsor for the first time on Valentine's Day, expecting an exceptional fine dining experience given its reputation. While the restaurant impressed us in some aspects, it fell short in others.
Ambiance & Service
The ambiance was undoubtedly the highlight of the evening. The decor exuded the grandeur of old England, with luxurious fabric and leather-adorned walls, intricate ceiling designs, and sophisticated chandeliers. It created an atmosphere of refined elegance, setting high expectations for the night.
However, the service did not match the elegance of the setting. The table service lacked refinement—our waiter handled cutlery with his bare hands before placing it back on the table instead of providing fresh utensils with each course. Additionally, our table was noticeably unstable, which was not addressed until we pointed it out. Another small yet significant lapse was the lack of attentive service regarding beverages; we had to refill our own glasses, which is an oversight at a venue of this caliber.
Food Quality
The meal started on a high note. The starters and entrées were beautifully presented, resembling the standard of Michelin-starred restaurants—small portions but crafted with attention to detail and sophistication. Unfortunately, the experience declined with the main course.
We ordered the halibut with potatoes, which turned out to be disappointingly average, lacking depth in flavor. However, the biggest letdown of the evening was the dessert—a raspberry mousse that failed to impress.
The most alarming issue was discovering a hair in our main course. When we brought it to the butler’s attention, we expected a sincere apology. Instead, we were simply offered a replacement dish. At that point, we had lost our appetite and declined the offer. For a fine dining establishment, the response should have been more considerate and professional.
Price & Value
The total bill amounted to $400 for two people, including two glasses of wine. An automatic 18% gratuity was included in the check, leaving us no choice but to tip despite the disappointing service and the issue with our meal. Given the circumstances, we felt this was unwarranted.
Overall Experience & Rating
Our experience at Gatsby by Windsor left us with mixed feelings. While the ambiance was stunning and the starters were promising, the main course, service etiquette, and lack of attentiveness diminished the overall experience. The mishandling of the hair incident was especially disappointing.
This restaurant excels in aesthetics but falls short in execution when it comes to food consistency and service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 1
THEY HAVE MICE!
I’m going to keep this short because that’s how terrible it was. My girlfriends and I went here for a winterlicious dinner. Towards the end of our meal I see a mouse on the couches. We quickly pick up our stuff and walk away and tell our server. He jokes about it and asks if we want separate bills. When we said we weren’t comfortable paying after what we just saw he says he can’t do anything about it. We ask to speak to a manager and he comes back to tell us there’s no manager at the hotel and that the owner decided to give us a 50% discount.
If that’s not enough to deter you from going here, the veal was overcooked, the risotto was extremely dry and hard, and the food is just not worth the price.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
We had winterlicious 2025! 3 prix fix menu we had the salmon which was OK. The girls ordered burratina... it came solo the ladies asked for bread... not once... but twice... our steaks were cooked to perfection! Meh on the pavlova... tiramisu was delightful the crumble was good
Vegetarian options: Vegetarian Wellington puree squash soup
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
The halibut was fantastic. Pretty cool atmosphere
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a horrible experience. Never never use these promoters again. Long line up 2 hour to get a drink.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Amazing old world experience. The exquisitely attentive staff and excellent food left us feeling very satisfied.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Leon was great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Leon was great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I am writing this review about the Windsor Arms restaurant, The Gatsby. My partner and I had reservations for a Monday evening, for dinner. We chose The Gatsby for a couple of reasons - the menu had a good variety of small, shareable plates as well as large plates, and the restaurant boasts a "500 label" wine list. Our choice was also a bit nostalgic as many years ago, before the rebuild, we had had dinner in the Windsor Arms restaurant at that time - Three Small Rooms. When we arrived there was one other table occupied and those two guests departed shortly afterwards. We ordered drinks and took time to look over the wine list and the menu. We started by ordering two small plates, only to have the server return to advise us those items were not available. We ordered two other items and the server returned with the same response. The lunch menu was also presented with the dinner menu, and we asked if we could order something from the lunch menu. The server went to ask and came back to reply that we could. My partner chose one item from the lunch menu, and I chose a main from the dinner menu. The server returned shortly to advise that that lunch item was also not available. My partner ordered another item from the dinner menu. We ordered a bottle of wine as well. Our server returned to advise us that the staff person who had keys to the wine cellar had left for the day and no other staff had access, therefore we could not order anything from the wine list! At that point we decided to pay for our drinks and leave. We were astounded with the whole experience! We had a reservation - they knew we were coming. How does something like this happen in the very competitive restaurant industry in downtown Toronto?
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
A family friend and I shared two days apart birthdays. We decided on going to this place. We loved the atmosphere ? Our server, Wentworth, was attentive, knowledgeable, and very helpful. He became our personal photographer for the night. The food was great, of course, we all wish they would give more. But apart from that, what we ordered was tasty ? I had the Newfoundland Cod and my family had the Quebec duck breast. We also had non-alcoholic champagne ? A complimentary platter of macaroos, couple berries , etc
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Soup of the Day
Old world charm that must be preserved.
Great food, service location and ambiance.
I wish their lunch menu would have offered a bigger variety of food items, I'd love to have a daily/weekly menu special items set (hint, hint...).
Parking can be challenging, especially after changes made by the city on Bloor Street.
This is a perfect place to have a special occasion celebration. Cheers Gatsby 🥂 You are appreciated, Toronto is lucky to have you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Old world charm that must be preserved.Great food, service location and ambiance.I wish their lunch menu would have offered a bigger variety of food items, I'd love to have a daily/weekly menu special items set (hint, hint...).Parking can be challenging, especially after changes made by the city on Bloor Street.This is a perfect place to have a special occasion celebration. Cheers Gatsby ? You are appreciated, Toronto is lucky to have you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Not worth the price at all - and we did Winterlicious. Service was terrible. Almost like you're an inconvenience to them. The staff did not seem happy to work there. We will never return and we thought to do the High Tea another day. NO THANKS!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
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