Food, service, and atmosphere are great, but the portions felt a bit small for the price. I understand that smaller portions often mean higher quality, and that definitely comes through here. However, when comparing to places like cafe Landwer or Denny’s, where you get both great quality and slightly more generous portions at a similar price point, it makes you wonder if there’s a bit of room to balance both.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marissa Persaud-Lachhman
The food here is good, but the service? Absolutely appalling. From the moment we sat down, it felt like we were being rushed out the door. I understand there's a time limit and the place gets busy, but having staff hover while you're still deciding what to order is just uncomfortable. I’ve dined at many high-traffic, popular spots that manage crowds with professionalism and warmth. This was neither.
What really left a bad taste was the automatic 18% gratuity added for a table of just four. Sure, it's printed on the menu, but gratuity is meant to reflect the quality of service, and in this case, it was far from earned. No one came to refill our water, our food took nearly 30 minutes to arrive, and we were left with less than 45 minutes to eat. At the end, while we were trying to enjoy our chai, staff stood by the table and stared us down, clearly waiting for us to leave. It felt less like dining and more like being processed.
If you’re hoping to relax and have a good time with friends, don’t come here, you’ll walk out feeling rushed, frustrated, and disappointed, forgetting that the food was actually great. And that’s the saddest part: there’s real talent in the kitchen, but the experience is completely overshadowed by how poorly guests are treated.
This isn’t just about one visit. It reflects a bigger issue in the industry, where fast turnover and profit come at the cost of basic hospitality. We were warned by some friends about this but wanted to still come. If you're going to charge mandatory gratuity, at least deliver service that makes people feel welcome — not like a burden.
EDIT AND RESPONSE TO OWNER/RESPONSE: We understand and respect the need to maintain time limits, especially in a busy space. Most of our group arrived on time still sat down, they were 15 minutes late, and being late wasn’t the issue—it was how things were handled once we were seated. We were rushed to order immediately and could not breathe, told it had to be a one-time order (which we’ve never experienced before), and weren’t checked on again—no refills, no chance to ask for more food or dessert. We’re not asking for special treatment, just basic hospitality. There’s a big difference between enforcing a policy and making guests feel unwelcome. The food was great, and that’s what makes this all the more disappointing. Hopefully, this feedback helps improve the experience for others.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Devon Fazekas
My group had a reservation for four at 11:30 AM today. Everyone arrived on time except for me, as I was delayed trying to find street parking. I entered the restaurant at 11:46 AM (confirmed by Google Maps Timeline), and my group had already placed their order. Before I could even take off my coat, our server approached and abruptly told me that if I didn’t order immediately, I wouldn’t be able to order at all because, in her words, “once the order is put through, we can’t order anything else.” She stood over me, giving no time to look at the menu. Within seconds, my group mentioned that they had already ordered food for the table, and without hesitation the server grabbed the menus and walked away wordlessly.
Roughly 30 minutes later, our food arrived with no comment or check-in from staff—just dropped off and gone. The food itself was tasty, though the portions were smaller than expected.
Before we even finished eating, the server returned to ask if we were ready for the bill. We politely asked for a few more minutes, to which she responded with a visible sigh and a curt “Fine.” Just four minutes later, she returned to ask how we wanted to split the bill—again, with no warmth or professionalism. To our surprise, an automatic 18% gratuity had been added for our party of four, which is uncommon and wasn’t communicated to us (but is apparently in the fine print on the menu).
Perhaps most strikingly, moments after the server processed our payment, a staff member swiftly cleared the table and told us we needed to leave. It felt less like we were dining at a restaurant and more like we had overstayed our welcome in someone’s living room.
Given the rushed atmosphere and discourteous service, I can’t help but wonder why this establishment offers dine-in at all. It might be better suited as a take-out spot. Despite the good food, I’ve never felt so unwelcome at a restaurant. I won’t be returning—and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxed, respectful dining experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Christine Floro
Unfortunately, my family and I didn’t get a chance to order or enjoy the food as the customer service left us completely appalled. We had 2 separate reservations, 1 for 10 people and 1 for 4 people. We had a total of 14 people in our party. Upon entering the restaurant, the server confirmed both reservations and proceeded to seat us at a table with only 10 seats. The server’s customer service skills were less than ideal as she completely ignored any of questions and said she’s completely booked and had no space for the “extra” people in our party. We tried multiple times to tell her that we had 2 reservations but she kept arguing. The part that made us leave, is when we tried to amend the situation by having the 4 additional people in our party sit separately and she kept arguing with us. This was my first encounter here and especially on Eid, wanting to celebrate with our family, the server’s lack of empathy or accountability ensured that we will never be dining here again. For reference, our server was an older woman with glasses and completely dismissive. The kicker is - there’s an automatic 18% gratuity included in the bill. This behaviour does not warrant anything near this amount. Please take your business elsewhere where you’ll be treated with respect.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Hanan Khalib
The customer service at this restaurant is atrocious. I honestly would highly recommend against going here! The manager is SO rude. My family made a reservation for 15ppl, but the manager refused to look up the reservation and would only accommodate 10ppl even though our reservations were confirmed 2 weeks prior. There was no logic behind her reasoning and she cannot communicate with customers in a kind manner but rather was highly aggressive and confrontational. We ended up leaving and going to Karachi boys up the street (amazingggg customer service and food). If you are interested in a relaxing meal I would NOT come here. Stay away.
Hana K
If I could leave a 0, I definitely would. My family made 2 reservations on eid for 14 people. When I entered the restaurant the server said the 2 names listed on the reservation and I confirmed. I asked her to seat our group against a wall bc we were a large party with several children and strollers. She absolutely refused and was so rude and said she can’t move the tables around bc she has other reservations. Mind you…we were the first customers in the restaurant, I offered to help her move the tables and she got upset and her tone was extremely rude and she said “you can’t just roam the restaurant.” Then when we finally sat down, we reminded her it’s a group of 14 and she REFUSED to accommodate more than 10 people. Several members of our group tried talking to her kindly and she raised her voice, had a rude tone and absolutely refused to make any accommodations. Keep in mind, this is a restaurant that imposes an automatic gratuity of 18% for parties of 4 or more. The service and her tone was soooooo terrible that we collectively left the restaurant and went to Karahi Boys to enjoy our Eid brunch. PLEASE AVOID THIS RESTAURANT. This is my 2nd time having terrible service at this place. The food is great, but the service will ruin the whole experience. You’ll either be ignored through out your visit (ie: no water refill, forgetting to bring your food, wrong amount on bill, etc are all things I’ve experienced in my last 3 visits). Or, you’ll just be straight disrespected.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
sabrina khalib
The service was absolutely horrendous. I made a reservation online two weeks before my reservation then I called to confirm the reservation and it was all good. The day of my reservation I get to the restaurant with my party of 4 and the restaurant owner tells me I don’t have a reservation? She told me to “go find the reservation if I have one” I told her she was being extremely disrespectful and dismissive. I should have listened to the other reviews saying the service is bad and the food is not worth it. 18% gratuity but the worst customer service you’ll ever experience!!! Even the other owner was trying to tell her to calm down but she started shouting even more. I’m so baffled I really haven’t seen anything like this in my life
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Nasib K
In the 20 years of being a restaurant patron, I have never encountered service as abysmal as what I experienced here—rude, inattentive, and outright dismissive staff who seemed annoyed by the mere presence of customers. After waiting an eternity for cold, overpriced food, my request for basic condiments was met with an eye-roll and outright refusal. Save yourself the frustration and go literally anywhere else—this place doesn’t deserve your time, money, or patience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Avi M
The Kettle Toronto is a charming spot that blends comfort with creativity! The Mushroom Toast was an absolute delight—crispy, earthy, and packed with flavor. The Rose Tea was subtly floral and refreshing, while the Masala Tea had that perfect warm spice kick. The highlight? The Gulab Jamun French Toast—a genius fusion of soft, syrupy indulgence with a brunch classic. Loved the cozy ambiance and thoughtful flavors. A must-visit for a unique brunch experience!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Challah Gulab Jamun French Toast, The Kettle's Challa Gulab Jamun French Toast
Ishant Khurana
The food was average and the prices are too high. And they have a weird policy of ordering everything at once, which I guess for the rush hour, but when we went it wasn’t busy and I don’t think should be a hard fast rule. Food was too salty as well. Staff was alright tbh. Probably won’t go there again. Disappointed.
Me and my husband went in for dinner today, we actually loved the service and the food. Spent 180$ on ordering so many dishes, from the chicken croquettes, to the chicken curry and malai chicken tikka and mango lassi and for dessert we got the gulab jamun breading pudding. We even packed everything that remained to bring back home as it tasted amazing. Once home however, my husband got bad food poisoning and we have been in the hospital all night on medication, the doctor has stated it is food poisoning, we have both been throwing up since we got home, really did not expect this from The Kettle as this is the third time we went in for food. We both are so terribly ill now that we cannot even head into work tomorrow morning. Extremely disappointing and stressful experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Mino
Service was quick! Food was good too.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
bernadette schoufour
first time trying this place last week. food was okay at first then i started feeling really bloated. my 2 friends i was with felt the same. as the day went on i became nauseous and eventually vomited from food poisoning. $45 for what.
Edit: you can’t take one bad review so you tell me im a “fake account”?? would you like me to post a picture of my throw up for proof? this is my first ever review of a restaurant so im not spreading bad reviews. here’s what my friends and i got last week.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
pun jong
RUDE STAFF!!!!! I called today at 11.30am Feb 21 to have my revervation cancelled, and be accommodated a birthday party another time. The lady who picked up the call at that time was so rude and cut the line after I asked her to cancel original time without me finishing my request. What a RUDE staff! I called again to ask for her name, she declined to provide. Why hiring someone with a bad customer service???.?
Andrew Zhang
Manager doesn't care about customer service, charged 30% tip and also wouldn't reverse transactions
Reply: The owner is lying - we asked them to reverse our credit card payment but he said he would not be able to do that. It's not about the money I don't care about $30 bucks, its about the refusal to offer a simple service such as reversing an erroneous transaction caused by your own employee.
Food, service, and atmosphere are great, but the portions felt a bit small for the price. I understand that smaller portions often mean higher quality, and that definitely comes through here. However, when comparing to places like cafe Landwer or Denny’s, where you get both great quality and slightly more generous portions at a similar price point, it makes you wonder if there’s a bit of room to balance both.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food here is good, but the service? Absolutely appalling. From the moment we sat down, it felt like we were being rushed out the door. I understand there's a time limit and the place gets busy, but having staff hover while you're still deciding what to order is just uncomfortable. I’ve dined at many high-traffic, popular spots that manage crowds with professionalism and warmth. This was neither.
What really left a bad taste was the automatic 18% gratuity added for a table of just four. Sure, it's printed on the menu, but gratuity is meant to reflect the quality of service, and in this case, it was far from earned. No one came to refill our water, our food took nearly 30 minutes to arrive, and we were left with less than 45 minutes to eat. At the end, while we were trying to enjoy our chai, staff stood by the table and stared us down, clearly waiting for us to leave. It felt less like dining and more like being processed.
If you’re hoping to relax and have a good time with friends, don’t come here, you’ll walk out feeling rushed, frustrated, and disappointed, forgetting that the food was actually great. And that’s the saddest part: there’s real talent in the kitchen, but the experience is completely overshadowed by how poorly guests are treated.
This isn’t just about one visit. It reflects a bigger issue in the industry, where fast turnover and profit come at the cost of basic hospitality. We were warned by some friends about this but wanted to still come. If you're going to charge mandatory gratuity, at least deliver service that makes people feel welcome — not like a burden.
EDIT AND RESPONSE TO OWNER/RESPONSE: We understand and respect the need to maintain time limits, especially in a busy space. Most of our group arrived on time still sat down, they were 15 minutes late, and being late wasn’t the issue—it was how things were handled once we were seated. We were rushed to order immediately and could not breathe, told it had to be a one-time order (which we’ve never experienced before), and weren’t checked on again—no refills, no chance to ask for more food or dessert. We’re not asking for special treatment, just basic hospitality. There’s a big difference between enforcing a policy and making guests feel unwelcome. The food was great, and that’s what makes this all the more disappointing. Hopefully, this feedback helps improve the experience for others.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
My group had a reservation for four at 11:30 AM today. Everyone arrived on time except for me, as I was delayed trying to find street parking. I entered the restaurant at 11:46 AM (confirmed by Google Maps Timeline), and my group had already placed their order. Before I could even take off my coat, our server approached and abruptly told me that if I didn’t order immediately, I wouldn’t be able to order at all because, in her words, “once the order is put through, we can’t order anything else.” She stood over me, giving no time to look at the menu. Within seconds, my group mentioned that they had already ordered food for the table, and without hesitation the server grabbed the menus and walked away wordlessly.
Roughly 30 minutes later, our food arrived with no comment or check-in from staff—just dropped off and gone. The food itself was tasty, though the portions were smaller than expected.
Before we even finished eating, the server returned to ask if we were ready for the bill. We politely asked for a few more minutes, to which she responded with a visible sigh and a curt “Fine.” Just four minutes later, she returned to ask how we wanted to split the bill—again, with no warmth or professionalism. To our surprise, an automatic 18% gratuity had been added for our party of four, which is uncommon and wasn’t communicated to us (but is apparently in the fine print on the menu).
Perhaps most strikingly, moments after the server processed our payment, a staff member swiftly cleared the table and told us we needed to leave. It felt less like we were dining at a restaurant and more like we had overstayed our welcome in someone’s living room.
Given the rushed atmosphere and discourteous service, I can’t help but wonder why this establishment offers dine-in at all. It might be better suited as a take-out spot. Despite the good food, I’ve never felt so unwelcome at a restaurant. I won’t be returning—and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxed, respectful dining experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Unfortunately, my family and I didn’t get a chance to order or enjoy the food as the customer service left us completely appalled. We had 2 separate reservations, 1 for 10 people and 1 for 4 people. We had a total of 14 people in our party. Upon entering the restaurant, the server confirmed both reservations and proceeded to seat us at a table with only 10 seats. The server’s customer service skills were less than ideal as she completely ignored any of questions and said she’s completely booked and had no space for the “extra” people in our party. We tried multiple times to tell her that we had 2 reservations but she kept arguing. The part that made us leave, is when we tried to amend the situation by having the 4 additional people in our party sit separately and she kept arguing with us. This was my first encounter here and especially on Eid, wanting to celebrate with our family, the server’s lack of empathy or accountability ensured that we will never be dining here again. For reference, our server was an older woman with glasses and completely dismissive. The kicker is - there’s an automatic 18% gratuity included in the bill. This behaviour does not warrant anything near this amount. Please take your business elsewhere where you’ll be treated with respect.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
The customer service at this restaurant is atrocious. I honestly would highly recommend against going here! The manager is SO rude. My family made a reservation for 15ppl, but the manager refused to look up the reservation and would only accommodate 10ppl even though our reservations were confirmed 2 weeks prior. There was no logic behind her reasoning and she cannot communicate with customers in a kind manner but rather was highly aggressive and confrontational. We ended up leaving and going to Karachi boys up the street (amazingggg customer service and food). If you are interested in a relaxing meal I would NOT come here. Stay away.
If I could leave a 0, I definitely would. My family made 2 reservations on eid for 14 people. When I entered the restaurant the server said the 2 names listed on the reservation and I confirmed. I asked her to seat our group against a wall bc we were a large party with several children and strollers. She absolutely refused and was so rude and said she can’t move the tables around bc she has other reservations. Mind you…we were the first customers in the restaurant, I offered to help her move the tables and she got upset and her tone was extremely rude and she said “you can’t just roam the restaurant.” Then when we finally sat down, we reminded her it’s a group of 14 and she REFUSED to accommodate more than 10 people. Several members of our group tried talking to her kindly and she raised her voice, had a rude tone and absolutely refused to make any accommodations. Keep in mind, this is a restaurant that imposes an automatic gratuity of 18% for parties of 4 or more. The service and her tone was soooooo terrible that we collectively left the restaurant and went to Karahi Boys to enjoy our Eid brunch. PLEASE AVOID THIS RESTAURANT. This is my 2nd time having terrible service at this place. The food is great, but the service will ruin the whole experience. You’ll either be ignored through out your visit (ie: no water refill, forgetting to bring your food, wrong amount on bill, etc are all things I’ve experienced in my last 3 visits). Or, you’ll just be straight disrespected.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The service was absolutely horrendous. I made a reservation online two weeks before my reservation then I called to confirm the reservation and it was all good. The day of my reservation I get to the restaurant with my party of 4 and the restaurant owner tells me I don’t have a reservation? She told me to “go find the reservation if I have one” I told her she was being extremely disrespectful and dismissive. I should have listened to the other reviews saying the service is bad and the food is not worth it. 18% gratuity but the worst customer service you’ll ever experience!!! Even the other owner was trying to tell her to calm down but she started shouting even more. I’m so baffled I really haven’t seen anything like this in my life
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
In the 20 years of being a restaurant patron, I have never encountered service as abysmal as what I experienced here—rude, inattentive, and outright dismissive staff who seemed annoyed by the mere presence of customers. After waiting an eternity for cold, overpriced food, my request for basic condiments was met with an eye-roll and outright refusal. Save yourself the frustration and go literally anywhere else—this place doesn’t deserve your time, money, or patience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The Kettle Toronto is a charming spot that blends comfort with creativity! The Mushroom Toast was an absolute delight—crispy, earthy, and packed with flavor. The Rose Tea was subtly floral and refreshing, while the Masala Tea had that perfect warm spice kick. The highlight? The Gulab Jamun French Toast—a genius fusion of soft, syrupy indulgence with a brunch classic. Loved the cozy ambiance and thoughtful flavors. A must-visit for a unique brunch experience!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Challah Gulab Jamun French Toast, The Kettle's Challa Gulab Jamun French Toast
The food was average and the prices are too high. And they have a weird policy of ordering everything at once, which I guess for the rush hour, but when we went it wasn’t busy and I don’t think should be a hard fast rule. Food was too salty as well. Staff was alright tbh. Probably won’t go there again. Disappointed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Me and my husband went in for dinner today, we actually loved the service and the food. Spent 180$ on ordering so many dishes, from the chicken croquettes, to the chicken curry and malai chicken tikka and mango lassi and for dessert we got the gulab jamun breading pudding.
We even packed everything that remained to bring back home as it tasted amazing. Once home however, my husband got bad food poisoning and we have been in the hospital all night on medication, the doctor has stated it is food poisoning, we have both been throwing up since we got home, really did not expect this from The Kettle as this is the third time we went in for food. We both are so terribly ill now that we cannot even head into work tomorrow morning. Extremely disappointing and stressful experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Service was quick! Food was good too.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
first time trying this place last week. food was okay at first then i started feeling really bloated. my 2 friends i was with felt the same. as the day went on i became nauseous and eventually vomited from food poisoning. $45 for what.
Edit: you can’t take one bad review so you tell me im a “fake account”?? would you like me to post a picture of my throw up for proof? this is my first ever review of a restaurant so im not spreading bad reviews. here’s what my friends and i got last week.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
RUDE STAFF!!!!! I called today at 11.30am Feb 21 to have my revervation cancelled, and be accommodated a birthday party another time. The lady who picked up the call at that time was so rude and cut the line after I asked her to cancel original time without me finishing my request. What a RUDE staff! I called again to ask for her name, she declined to provide. Why hiring someone with a bad customer service???.?
Manager doesn't care about customer service, charged 30% tip and also wouldn't reverse transactions
Reply: The owner is lying - we asked them to reverse our credit card payment but he said he would not be able to do that. It's not about the money I don't care about $30 bucks, its about the refusal to offer a simple service such as reversing an erroneous transaction caused by your own employee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
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