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Barootes Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Asian Fusion Asian Fusion [Edit]
220 King St WToronto, ON M5H 1K4
Neighbourhoods: Entertainment District, Downtown Core
(416) 979-7717
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Tue-Sat 4:30 pm - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
7 reviews for Barootes Restaurant
7 reviews in English
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Review from Melanie C.
Oakville, ON
5/11/2010
I had a unique experience here because I actually didn't get to see the menu. I arrived late to join a party and had them order in advance for me, as we had a show to catch. When I arrived, not only did the waitress know where to seat me, she knew what I was having for dinner before I did! My surprise meal was the scallops, which were huge and very tasty. The others in my party had ostrich, kangaroo (!!) and elk. Every one of them said they enjoyed their meals.
Service was fantastic. We were rowdier than the rest of the restaurant, but they seemed to tolerate us. When we were confused about what time our show started, the waitress confirmed for us and convinced us we had enough time for dessert. My white chocolate mousse was delicious.
In the end, the bill for our party of 7 was quite reasonable, especially considering there was some alcohol and desserts. -
Review from SuperwomanEats L.
Toronto, ON
4/17/2012 1 photo
Be careful not to make a fool of yourself by stumbling downstairs to the pub instead of UPSTAIRS to Barootes! I came for Winterlicious ($35 three-course prix fixe) in January with one other person. Upon arrival at about 8:30pm, we were greeted by a very enthusiastic and fun host (sorta reminded me of the maitre d', JP from Hell's Kitchen) whom hung up our jackets. The restaurant was packed, but since we had a reservation, we were escorted to a table.
After taking a seat and taking a note of the atmosphere, the first thing I noticed was the place was hectic as hell, probably due to Winterlicious. Servers were running everywhere and was not what I expected. Definitely not upscale, but they seem to be pushing just a notch above casual. We were finally greeted and drink orders were taken. Although I knew what I was going to get, I decided to peek in their regular menu as well, which was very interesting. It consisted of duck spring rolls, some typical Asian dishes, to a variety of game such as kangaroo, elk, etc.
Apps: 1star
Louisiana crab cakes w jalapeno mayo- good, like good anywhere else. Slightly over breaded for me. Nothing spectacular.
Crispy duck spring rolls w five spice dip- regular Asian spring rolls with a little bit of duck. Not as good as it sounds, absolutely did not get that burst of duck flavour I anticipated.
Mains: 4stars
Grilled Australian Kangaroo Loin- amazingly tender! The server recommended us get it as we would have our steak, I got mine rare, and the other med-rare. It was absolutely perfect and not gamey at all! However, balsamic glaze was a bit much. I personally would have preferred just a simple salt and pepper to taste. THIS was the hi-light of the night.
Desserts:1star
White chocolate mousse cake- good, but definitely something you can get at any grocery store prepackaged.
Dessert of the day- some kind of chocolate log cake with tons of cream. Not impressed. Definitely out of a box from No Frills.
Service: 3stars
I am very generous in this category working years in the industry myself. It was just not what I expected. They were not rude, but not too friendly either. Helpful with the menu nonetheless. Given their image of white shirts, aprons, change of cutlery, jackets taken at the door, I would expect more.
Overall, I probably go back just to try out another game dish and perhaps give their service and second chance. -
Review from Sergey S.
2/18/2011
Barootes is an unusual place. Looks pricey, but doesn't cost that much. Feels cozy, until you get accustomed to it. Every time I'm passing by I have that feeling like "why not to drop in?" But more often than not I ignore it and keep on walking...
Service is probably the best part of the Barootes experience. Not that it's really exceptional or something - they just do their job politely, reasonably fast and with a positive attitude. Something I like.
Food is "specific", and it is possible to dig some unusual (again) things from the menu, and they could be actually enjoyable, not just weird. I suggest to give it a try and see how you like it - may happen that it would become a hit in your list?
Overall - a-ok. Not wow, neither eww. I think I should drop into Barootes next time I walk by. Yeah, I think I will. Maybe. -
Review from Tina N.
Toronto, ON
6/18/2010 1 photo
Barootes is suppose to be a "casual" restaurant but thanks to their nice dark interior, it makes you feel like you're eating at an upscale place. What first interested me about Barootes were some of the strange items on their menu. They served kangaroo loin and ostrich steak! (crazy but true!). I had gone with the ostrich steak to tickle my curiosity and I was very surprised to find out how soft and juicy it was. Taste-wise, it had a similiar taste to pork (it'd be a shame if the ostrich were to go extinct because of us carnivores).
Meals here are decently priced for a simple fare compared to the rest of the restaurants along King St. though servers were a bit un-attentive at times but over-all service and food were good. -
Review from Thom H.
3/1/2011
The atmosphere is extremely comfortable and the staff are great. The prices are reasonable - particularly for such an upscale looking place in the heart of the theatre district. There are some novelty meats on the menu, but the results remind me of Ikea furniture: optimized for quick assembly, with no skill required. I recommend this place for a quick utility meal before the show.
-
Review from Adam P.
Toronto, ON
7/19/2009
The last time I have been to Barootes was quite a while ago, so I cannot give a very thorough review. Situated right in the heart of the musical theatres, Barootes is a nice place to have a bite to eat before going to the show.
The decor inside the restaurant is nice, low light with a quiet atmosphere which makes you think its a little more high end than it is. Casual dress is acceptable here and the food they serve is different from a lot of other places in this price range.
I wanted to review this place because of the items on their menu. They serve elk, ostrich, lobster crepes, and liver (a little more common). Elk and ostrich you won't find at many establishments, but a member of our party ordered that and was pleasantly surprised at the tenderness of the meat. I cannot recall what other people ordered (including myself),. but I do recall walking out of the restaurant commenting on how nice the dinner was.
I wouldn't rank it up there with my all time fave restaurants (or else I would have remembered more about it), but if you want some different meat options and you are going ot a show, this would be a nice place to eat beforehand -
Review from Craig P.
Brampton, ON
10/3/2011
I went there a couple years ago during Winterlicious, and tried their ostrich. Which tasted really good!
