I recently visited the Jazz Bistro and, while the music and ambience were excellent, the service left a noticeable impact on the overall experience. The venue itself is cozy, beautifully designed, and provides an ideal backdrop for live jazz. The band was exceptional—truly the highlight of the evening—offering a level of talent that made the night memorable. That said, the service fell short in several important ways. Despite the restaurant not being particularly busy, the food took an unexpectedly long time to arrive. While the dishes were good and flavourful, the extended wait was difficult to overlook. The drinks were fine, though unremarkable. Where the experience suffered most was in the attentiveness from staff. Our server spent more time behind the bar talking with other staff members than checking on guests. As a result, we had to ask for basic necessities such as water refills and clearing our plates—actions that should have been proactive, especially in a quieter dining room. These small lapses compounded to create a sense of being overlooked during what should have been a relaxing night out. A couple of minor logistical details added to this impression. On a very cold evening, there was a doorman but no coat check available—a surprising omission. And when paying the bill, the preset tip options felt a bit presumptuous, so it's worth double‑checking before finalizing payment. The Jazz Bistro has real potential thanks to its atmosphere and music, but a stronger focus on guest care would significantly elevate the overall experience.
Jennifer
Excellent opportunity for dinner out followed by great music. Loved the atmosphere and the service was excellent. We will be back!
sarina
The music and ambience is excellent!! One can have an evening to remember. However, the quality of the food could be improved to match the overall experience.
Adam
Wonderful venue and a great staff. The food was so-so though. Too bad because a stellar meal would have the place as top tier. Wife had the roast chicken which wasn't great and I had the Steak Frites which was not too bad but the quality of steak wasn't high enough. I suppose the price reflects that but as far as the steak is concerned, I'd gladly have paid more for a slightly thicker, better cut than a thin strip. Staff was A1 and ambience was stellar!
Caroline
Unclear that the billing established by the hostesses downstairs was implemented by the server upstairs.
Anuja
Loved the experience. We celebrated our 22nd Anniversary there and they made it very special.
mouaffak
Informed staff about a birthday, but it was ignored. Service was slow and food undercooked.
CHERISH
Food is surprisingly great! The ambiance is perfect, and the performers are absolutely worth the cover charge. Ted, the manager, is really friendly and checked in on us often. For improvement, the server wasn't very friendly, and when I booked, I mentioned it was my husband's birthday, but there was no acknowledgment of it—not even a little candle gesture. My husband really enjoyed it so thank you and we will be back for sure :)
Norm
The staff was welcoming and the environment was positive. The price point is a little high. Over all a good experience and would definitely return.
Macgregor
First time going and booked a day before. They originally had me upstairs with no view but last minute was able to accommodate me on the main floor with a view. The owner was performing and I was so surprised how great he was especially playing all of my favourite Frank Sinatras song. It truly impressed me the venue, the music and the drinks were very reasonable priced ~$16 for a good glass of wine. Please not there is a $25 surcharge to the bill per person for the music but was totally reasonable considering everything else was very reasonable and not Toronto prices etc would highly recommend to others and will be coming back!
Amazing dinner and show! The servers were super attentive, the show was lovely and well worth the cover charge! The food was really really good! I will definitely be back in the future!
Nazanin Ferghat
I visited on Friday, November 21st and unfortunately had a very unpleasant experience with the host working that night (she was wearing a leather jacket). She told me she had messaged me ahead of time to let me know my table wouldn’t be facing the stage, but when I explained that I never received anything, she completely changed her story and claimed she never said that. No apology, no clarity, nothing. Her attitude was extremely rude and came across as entitled, which set a negative tone for the evening.
The bistro itself was lovely, but the front-of-house experience really affected the night. A simple apology and honest communication would have gone a long way.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 1
Jack Hugh
Great music.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Isabel Bowers
We came here after previously going to two other restaurants to end our night. Unfortunately compared to the other two the service was not great. The hostess was very accommodating to us arriving 15 minutes before a set was over, but the waitress and bartender were not very friendly. When we were ready to leave we called an Uber and told our waitress we needed the bill but she never came so we just left money on the table. When I told the bartender we were leaving but left money on the table he looked at me like I was annoying him. The atmosphere is absolutely gorgeous and the music that we did get to listen to was lovely. I would like to come back eventually for the whole experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Paul
A great evening at Jazz Bistro. The cocktail hit the spot, food was delicious (Arctic Cha), although one comes to Jazz Bistro for the full experience of the live music which is what makes the evening so special. (Note Sunday evening menu was more limited selection, but choices were fine for us.)
I recently visited the Jazz Bistro and, while the music and ambience were excellent, the service left a noticeable impact on the overall experience. The venue itself is cozy, beautifully designed, and provides an ideal backdrop for live jazz. The band was exceptional—truly the highlight of the evening—offering a level of talent that made the night memorable. That said, the service fell short in several important ways. Despite the restaurant not being particularly busy, the food took an unexpectedly long time to arrive. While the dishes were good and flavourful, the extended wait was difficult to overlook. The drinks were fine, though unremarkable. Where the experience suffered most was in the attentiveness from staff. Our server spent more time behind the bar talking with other staff members than checking on guests. As a result, we had to ask for basic necessities such as water refills and clearing our plates—actions that should have been proactive, especially in a quieter dining room. These small lapses compounded to create a sense of being overlooked during what should have been a relaxing night out. A couple of minor logistical details added to this impression. On a very cold evening, there was a doorman but no coat check available—a surprising omission. And when paying the bill, the preset tip options felt a bit presumptuous, so it's worth double‑checking before finalizing payment. The Jazz Bistro has real potential thanks to its atmosphere and music, but a stronger focus on guest care would significantly elevate the overall experience.
Excellent opportunity for dinner out followed by great music. Loved the atmosphere and the service was excellent. We will be back!
The music and ambience is excellent!! One can have an evening to remember. However, the quality of the food could be improved to match the overall experience.
Wonderful venue and a great staff. The food was so-so though. Too bad because a stellar meal would have the place as top tier. Wife had the roast chicken which wasn't great and I had the Steak Frites which was not too bad but the quality of steak wasn't high enough. I suppose the price reflects that but as far as the steak is concerned, I'd gladly have paid more for a slightly thicker, better cut than a thin strip. Staff was A1 and ambience was stellar!
Unclear that the billing established by the hostesses downstairs was implemented by the server upstairs.
Loved the experience. We celebrated our 22nd Anniversary there and they made it very special.
Informed staff about a birthday, but it was ignored. Service was slow and food undercooked.
Food is surprisingly great! The ambiance is perfect, and the performers are absolutely worth the cover charge. Ted, the manager, is really friendly and checked in on us often. For improvement, the server wasn't very friendly, and when I booked, I mentioned it was my husband's birthday, but there was no acknowledgment of it—not even a little candle gesture. My husband really enjoyed it so thank you and we will be back for sure :)
The staff was welcoming and the environment was positive. The price point is a little high. Over all a good experience and would definitely return.
First time going and booked a day before. They originally had me upstairs with no view but last minute was able to accommodate me on the main floor with a view. The owner was performing and I was so surprised how great he was especially playing all of my favourite Frank Sinatras song. It truly impressed me the venue, the music and the drinks were very reasonable priced ~$16 for a good glass of wine. Please not there is a $25 surcharge to the bill per person for the music but was totally reasonable considering everything else was very reasonable and not Toronto prices etc would highly recommend to others and will be coming back!
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing dinner and show! The servers were super attentive, the show was lovely and well worth the cover charge! The food was really really good! I will definitely be back in the future!
I visited on Friday, November 21st and unfortunately had a very unpleasant experience with the host working that night (she was wearing a leather jacket). She told me she had messaged me ahead of time to let me know my table wouldn’t be facing the stage, but when I explained that I never received anything, she completely changed her story and claimed she never said that. No apology, no clarity, nothing. Her attitude was extremely rude and came across as entitled, which set a negative tone for the evening.
The bistro itself was lovely, but the front-of-house experience really affected the night. A simple apology and honest communication would have gone a long way.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 1
Great music.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We came here after previously going to two other restaurants to end our night. Unfortunately compared to the other two the service was not great. The hostess was very accommodating to us arriving 15 minutes before a set was over, but the waitress and bartender were not very friendly. When we were ready to leave we called an Uber and told our waitress we needed the bill but she never came so we just left money on the table. When I told the bartender we were leaving but left money on the table he looked at me like I was annoying him. The atmosphere is absolutely gorgeous and the music that we did get to listen to was lovely. I would like to come back eventually for the whole experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
A great evening at Jazz Bistro. The cocktail hit the spot, food was delicious (Arctic Cha), although one comes to Jazz Bistro for the full experience of the live music which is what makes the evening so special. (Note Sunday evening menu was more limited selection, but choices were fine for us.)
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