The food was really good and i appreciate our waiter's recommendation for the beets appetizer. I also liked that the staff did not hurry us along at all. The recorded music was on the loud side though for our conversation and the table a little too snuggly close to the neighbours. It was a delightful dinner however,!and we appreciated that since we were light eaters we were able to share an entree after our appetizers and that was served beautifully as two separate plates. Thank you for a truly pleasant and delicious event.
Rob
Food, drinks, ambiance, service...always outstanding. Terry, our server, is amazing (we have been lucky to have been served by him on more than one occasion); knowledgeable, kind, patient and attentive. It is a bit pricey, but this is a known going in. This visit we shared a Cobb salad and The Bay Street (shaved prime rib sandwich). Both are just outstanding takes on these staples. Highly recommended. Thanks to Terry for the amazing service!!
Jose
Everything was great. Only one thing, we ordered bread with our olives and the bread was hard, and cold. It felt and tasted like it was a day old. Other than that we had a great time. Thx
Robin
Elegant classic ambience, well informed service, excellent lunch choices (superb French onion soup, delicious ‘Maritimer' open sandwich with shrimp and lobster), excellent wines and cocktails — not cheap but worth it for the quality of everything! Wonderful place for a lunch with friends.
Eveline
The Library Bar never disappoints but the background music is so one dimensional.... All you hear is the boom boom boom of the bass.... It would be so lovely to have a variety of musical styles on a continuous loop like light jazz or R&B along with more contemporary styles. This would better reflect the diverse clientele that frequents the Library Bar. Thank you.
Michelle Joseph
Overall, I would say the restaurant was really good. The food was good and the pricing was okay. We had a burger with Caesar salad. The burger wasn’t spectacular, not the best I’ve ever had, but it was decent and I would recommend it. We also had the pork belly bao, which was very good, and the truffle fries, which were excellent.
I tried Clara’s perfume drink, which had a story behind it. I liked that, but I thought it was a bit overhyped and pricey. Service was good and the wait time was okay.
The décor was really nice, subtle and elegant. I would rate this place around 7 or 8 out of 10. Not a bad spot, and I would recommend going at least once.:)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Brittany
We love the Library! Amazing food and drinks. Thank you also for the exceptional service- from answering my messages about my late arrival as I am visiting from out of town, to the friendly hosts, and the attentive server. Thank you again!
Dr. S. Toukmanian
The Library at the Fairmont Royal York is a beautiful and elegant bar for memorable occasions. The ambience is exquisite and the service is second to none. The quality of the food by any standard is excellent and the drinks are creative and tasty. The excellence of this establishment is a bit heartful to your pocketbook for the average person, but then again, perhaps it is meant to be. For a casual yet memorable occasions I would highly recommend The Library Bar.
Jennifer Fernandez
We had a fantastic meal at the Library Bar, an elegant and refined spot tucked inside the historic Fairmont Royal York hotel with a cozy, classic-meets-modern vibe that makes it perfect for everything from a cocktail date, the chatter around May seem to raised volumes once spirits rise but overall you can continue to be engrossed in your own conversations. The atmosphere is polished and welcoming, with low seating and beautifully detailed interior that feels both timeless and special.
For our main, we ordered the Steak Fritz, a generous 12 oz AAA striploin cooked beautifully, served with crisp frites and crowned with a rhubarb-beetroot ketchup that offered just the right touch of sweetness and earthiness to complement the rich steak. It was flavorful and interesting, the beet-infused twist we weren’t expecting but absolutely enjoyed.
We also noticed a Roasted Heirloom Beets starter on the menu drizzled with whipped goat feta, pecans, citrus and sourdough croutons, a delicious, bright dish that paired nicely if you’re looking for something lighter or veggie-forward.
Coupled with attentive service, creative mocktails , and a menu that balances elevated classics with approachable comfort, our meal was excellent overall. Highly recommend stopping in for both drinks and dinner when you are in the city!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ayad Al-Juboori
I dined in the restaurant yesterday with some friends. While the food was quite good, the customer service left a lot to be desired. When we first sat down, our waiter was noticeably unfriendly. Although his attitude improved over time perhaps he was just having a rough day it still made for an uncomfortable start.
At the end of our meal, we split the bill between the two of us, as we were treating a friend. One of my friends mentioned that she had already taken care of the tip, so I didn’t add anything extra. However, the waiter returned to our table and questioned me in front of everyone, asking why I hadn’t tipped and if there was an issue with his service. Given how closely packed the tables were, the whole exchange was easily overheard by other diners.
I found this approach very unprofessional and quite embarrassing. There are far better ways to handle situations like this, and it’s certainly not appropriate to confront a guest publicly over a tip.
The food is always great at the Fairmont Royal York. I attended a Leaf game down the street at Scotiabank Arena and my dinner was served so fast that I assumed that they knew I was going to the game. I made it on time to see the disc dropped to start the contest. It doesn't get any better than that. It doesn't matter what you order from the menu you can count on it being great. The Library Bar is also a great place to have a drink early in the evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Keyah Rio
My husband and I went here while we were staying at the Fairmont for my bday weekend and we loved it. Such a cool vibe! The atmosphere is amazing, the food and cocktails were delicious, and our experience was made extra special by Anwar! He was such an incredible person and made my bday extra special with complimentary Champagne. Highly recommend. We will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jean Couturier
Really nice place, love the menu which is a book with a story for every cocktail. It makes the place filled with memory. The ambience is nice but the music doesn't fit the vibes I like personnaly for those kinds of places (speak easy). Good cocktails but a bit pricey.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Hailey McCullough
Was staying at the hotel attached to the restaurant so thought I’d check it out. Waited an hour to be seated (they were busy and I agreed to wait so I don’t blame them for that) but I found the service to be awful. Host and hostess weren’t very friendly and the server was standoffish and inattentive. The atmosphere is nice but the music is so loud it kind of puts a damper on things. I still managed to hear the young guys next to me loudly talking about doing drugs in the bathroom and who has the hotter girlfriend.
The food was fine - nothing to complain about, but nothing to write home about, either. I was drawn to the location because of the library vibe, but I wouldn’t go back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Megan Do
The best prime rib sandwich I’ve had in my life. It’s called the Bay Street. Please order it with garlic aioli on the side for your fries.
The food was really good and i appreciate our waiter's recommendation for the beets appetizer. I also liked that the staff did not hurry us along at all. The recorded music was on the loud side though for our conversation and the table a little too snuggly close to the neighbours. It was a delightful dinner however,!and we appreciated that since we were light eaters we were able to share an entree after our appetizers and that was served beautifully as two separate plates. Thank you for a truly pleasant and delicious event.
Food, drinks, ambiance, service...always outstanding. Terry, our server, is amazing (we have been lucky to have been served by him on more than one occasion); knowledgeable, kind, patient and attentive. It is a bit pricey, but this is a known going in. This visit we shared a Cobb salad and The Bay Street (shaved prime rib sandwich). Both are just outstanding takes on these staples. Highly recommended. Thanks to Terry for the amazing service!!
Everything was great. Only one thing, we ordered bread with our olives and the bread was hard, and cold. It felt and tasted like it was a day old. Other than that we had a great time. Thx
Elegant classic ambience, well informed service, excellent lunch choices (superb French onion soup, delicious ‘Maritimer' open sandwich with shrimp and lobster), excellent wines and cocktails — not cheap but worth it for the quality of everything! Wonderful place for a lunch with friends.
The Library Bar never disappoints but the background music is so one dimensional.... All you hear is the boom boom boom of the bass.... It would be so lovely to have a variety of musical styles on a continuous loop like light jazz or R&B along with more contemporary styles. This would better reflect the diverse clientele that frequents the Library Bar. Thank you.
Overall, I would say the restaurant was really good. The food was good and the pricing was okay. We had a burger with Caesar salad. The burger wasn’t spectacular, not the best I’ve ever had, but it was decent and I would recommend it. We also had the pork belly bao, which was very good, and the truffle fries, which were excellent.
I tried Clara’s perfume drink, which had a story behind it. I liked that, but I thought it was a bit overhyped and pricey. Service was good and the wait time was okay.
The décor was really nice, subtle and elegant. I would rate this place around 7 or 8 out of 10. Not a bad spot, and I would recommend going at least once.:)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We love the Library! Amazing food and drinks. Thank you also for the exceptional service- from answering my messages about my late arrival as I am visiting from out of town, to the friendly hosts, and the attentive server. Thank you again!
The Library at the Fairmont Royal York is a beautiful and elegant bar for memorable occasions. The ambience is exquisite and the service is second to none. The quality of the food by any standard is excellent and the drinks are creative and tasty. The excellence of this establishment is a bit heartful to your pocketbook for the average person, but then again, perhaps it is meant to be. For a casual yet memorable occasions I would highly recommend The Library Bar.
We had a fantastic meal at the Library Bar, an elegant and refined spot tucked inside the historic Fairmont Royal York hotel with a cozy, classic-meets-modern vibe that makes it perfect for everything from a cocktail date, the chatter around May seem to raised volumes once spirits rise but overall you can continue to be engrossed in your own conversations. The atmosphere is polished and welcoming, with low seating and beautifully detailed interior that feels both timeless and special.
For our main, we ordered the Steak Fritz, a generous 12 oz AAA striploin cooked beautifully, served with crisp frites and crowned with a rhubarb-beetroot ketchup that offered just the right touch of sweetness and earthiness to complement the rich steak. It was flavorful and interesting, the beet-infused twist we weren’t expecting but absolutely enjoyed.
We also noticed a Roasted Heirloom Beets starter on the menu drizzled with whipped goat feta, pecans, citrus and sourdough croutons, a delicious, bright dish that paired nicely if you’re looking for something lighter or veggie-forward.
Coupled with attentive service, creative mocktails , and a menu that balances elevated classics with approachable comfort, our meal was excellent overall. Highly recommend stopping in for both drinks and dinner when you are in the city!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
I dined in the restaurant yesterday with some friends. While the food was quite good, the customer service left a lot to be desired. When we first sat down, our waiter was noticeably unfriendly. Although his attitude improved over time perhaps he was just having a rough day it still made for an uncomfortable start.
At the end of our meal, we split the bill between the two of us, as we were treating a friend. One of my friends mentioned that she had already taken care of the tip, so I didn’t add anything extra. However, the waiter returned to our table and questioned me in front of everyone, asking why I hadn’t tipped and if there was an issue with his service. Given how closely packed the tables were, the whole exchange was easily overheard by other diners.
I found this approach very unprofessional and quite embarrassing. There are far better ways to handle situations like this, and it’s certainly not appropriate to confront a guest publicly over a tip.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
The food is always great at the Fairmont Royal York. I attended a Leaf game down the street at Scotiabank Arena and my dinner was served so fast that I assumed that they knew I was going to the game. I made it on time to see the disc dropped to start the contest. It doesn't get any better than that. It doesn't matter what you order from the menu you can count on it being great. The Library Bar is also a great place to have a drink early in the evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My husband and I went here while we were staying at the Fairmont for my bday weekend and we loved it. Such a cool vibe! The atmosphere is amazing, the food and cocktails were delicious, and our experience was made extra special by Anwar! He was such an incredible person and made my bday extra special with complimentary Champagne. Highly recommend. We will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really nice place, love the menu which is a book with a story for every cocktail. It makes the place filled with memory. The ambience is nice but the music doesn't fit the vibes I like personnaly for those kinds of places (speak easy).
Good cocktails but a bit pricey.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Was staying at the hotel attached to the restaurant so thought I’d check it out. Waited an hour to be seated (they were busy and I agreed to wait so I don’t blame them for that) but I found the service to be awful. Host and hostess weren’t very friendly and the server was standoffish and inattentive. The atmosphere is nice but the music is so loud it kind of puts a damper on things. I still managed to hear the young guys next to me loudly talking about doing drugs in the bathroom and who has the hotter girlfriend.
The food was fine - nothing to complain about, but nothing to write home about, either. I was drawn to the location because of the library vibe, but I wouldn’t go back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
The best prime rib sandwich I’ve had in my life. It’s called the Bay Street. Please order it with garlic aioli on the side for your fries.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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