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Four
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
187 Bay StToronto, ON M5J
Neighbourhoods: Financial District, Downtown Core
(416) 368-1444
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
20 reviews for Four
Review Highlights
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"I had their Jail Island Salmon." In 3 reviews -
"I also love their shot glass desserts." In 3 reviews -
"Crab and Corn Cakes were *really* tasty as well." In 3 reviews
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20 reviews in English
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Review from Billy K.
Markham, ON
3/18/2012
I go here often for lunch. At the prime lunch hour, this place get's really loud. Service is always good and polite. I like all the pasta dishes and enjoy the daily specials. Had the Mahi Mahi fish the other day and it was delicious. All dishes are under 600 calories so I fell good after eating there. They have freshly squeezed juices there that are usually pretty good. After about 25 visits, I never left unhappy.
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Review from Eugene M.
Toronto, ON
5/5/2012
We swung by this place after reading reviews on yelp beforehand and I have to say that it's one of the few instances where I disagree with the average rating. First, it is difficult to find if you don't know what to look for (it's underneath Far Niente - so you get the feeling right off the bat that it's Far Niente's poorer cousin). Next, the food disappointed us slightly. Finally, the wine pricing definitely caters to the Bay St crowd, so even the glasses start at $10.50 (the cheaper selection of reds listed online weren't on the drink menu that we were given...).
When we were seated, the hostess initially sandwiched us between two other tables, even though the place was about 20% full. Seriously? Does anybody ever request to be crowded in with other people? So we asked to be relocated, which was fine. We had planned to order a selection of appetizers (we weren't very hungry) but as it turned out there was a nifty deal (any 5 apps for $40), so we went with that.
The sizes were all decent (perhaps the mezze plate was a bit too generous with the pita, relative to the portions of condiments provided), but the flavours were hit and miss. I was a fan of the twice baked chicken wings, though my partner thought they were a bit salty. The corn and crab cake was okay, but I don't understand the raves here. The mini yakitori burgers were yummy, but the bread was slightly stale. The soft shell baja fish tacos were bland, with the corn tortillas being too thick.
Given the high prices (which I get, it's the financial district), you'd expect them to kick it up a notch. While the presentation of the dishes was fine, the quality was a let down. Perhaps the entrees are better than the apps. -
Review from Momo A.
Toronto, ON
5/14/2012 Seated via OpenTable
went for drinks after work on a Friday.
4@4 martini was good price, but honestly i can't taste any alcohol in them... tasted more like mixed juices... but since i'm not a drinker anyways, i was fine with it.
dessert set was very cute! i had the Bumble Berry Cheesecake and it was delicious.
5 selection for $40 was good since you can shares it among friends.
Mezze Plate - nice! the lamp wasn't dry and the wrap was soft and warm and they have nice sauce
Calamari - i know this place go for "healthy" food, but i still like deep fried calamari more. Theirs was just so so..
Pulled Pork Chalupa - i liked the stuffings but not the tortilla
Crab + Corn Cake - glad we tried this one! but a little bit too salty for me
and we had a Korean BBQ Rib which wasn't on the menu but chef special - bad choice... TOO salty!! i had one bite and can't stard it. my mom can make better bbq rib than this and i never had to pay her.
overall: it's a good and convenient place for people in financial district to hang out a bit after work, but i wouldn't go there for a formal proper dinner. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
$4.44 for Martini at Four from 4:00 pm to Closing deserves a FOUR star... or even a 5, but I gave it a 4 because it is a 4??
Great selections of Martini to choose from... I might have to come back and try them all! Or maybe I can try them all in one visit at this price?
Lychee Martini ($4.44) was quite nicely crafted...
The bartender was really friendly and invite me to come back for the specials again....
The only complains maybe the Tapas menu, I wish they have individual portions, so I can just order a few to try.... Maybe I need to come back with some one else?
CP24 is everywhere no matter where I sit! Can they just leave me alone while I enjoy my drink?Listed in: Places I Would Go For A Drink…, Happy Hours in GTA!
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Review from Andrea S.
Toronto, ON
9/14/2011
Really enjoyed a business lunch here with a colleague.
Deco - modern as others have said, but even the bar-height chairs are comfortable, which can be a challenge to pull off.
Service - patient waitstaff talked my indecisive co-worker through the menu and made some great recommendations. Despite being busy, the staff was quick to refill drinks etc.
Food - I really enjoyed the spelt pasta with mushrooms (the melting goat cheese was a great addition). My co-worker seemed to really enjoy her calamari (a substantial serving that comes with a side salad)
- Extra points for being somewhat health conscious - as others have noted, everything on the menu is under 650 calories so you don't have to feel so guilty about eating out :)
- also, give serious consideration to ordering dessert - a rack of 8 or 10 shotglasses are presented, the waiter explains what each unique concoction is and then lets you know that they are each $2 and under 200 calories - definitely a great "petit four" to finish a lunch with )
I will certainly be coming back here in the coming months - and when I don't have a companion or time, I will come back to their take-away restaurant petit four. -
Review from Hilary S.
6/21/2011
One of my all-time favourites. I have pretty much had every single one of their "small bites" (tapa size or appetizer size foods) and I can honestly say every single one is amazing. They have a 3 for $25 which makes me very happy as well. I usually get the 3 for $25 and share with between two to three people, and we all end up reasonably well fed.
I'm not sure if they started the shot glass desserts, but they are really cute, tastey, and the perfect portion! They bring them all out for you to look at and choose from.
The $4.44 drinks after 4 are also very very tastey. I had the lychee martini tonight and it was absolutely perfect.
Servers are friendly, attentive, and fast.
What more can you ask for?
Protip: the kitchen closes at 10. Get here around 9:30 on a weekday night and it'll be pretty much empty. They chefs are also really nice and will give you extra food since they're closing down the kitchen and can't save extra food for the next day.Listed in: FAVSIES, Date, don't rape, Sugar high, DRANK
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Review from Aviva S.
6/24/2011
This place isn't so amazing as to deserve the 4 star rating, and I haven't even tried the food here.
Maybe I subconciously want to give a four as I'm a reviewing the 4.44 martinis after 4:00 at Four.
Anyways, great choice of martinis, all very delicious (tried a little of all of them as I ordered with 2 other people). The lychee one was spectacular, with the nice touch of having an actual delicious lychee inside the drink.
The martini glasses are so cute, the place itself is black and businessy-looking but attractive.
Our server was Javier who, ladies, was so fricking hot and very friendly, checked on us more than a few times, and didn't treat us differently despite us being about 5-10 years younger than everyone else there. The other servers who made sure we were being helped were very nice as well.
A place in the financial district that's not snobby with awesome-tasting, awesomely-priced drinks? AWESOME. Good for the wallet and taste.Listed in: Drink in Style
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Review from Terry P.
4/12/2011
I've only been here for lunch, but have seen enough to know that I like it. It's a pretty cool concept. All of their meals are under 650 calories, nothing is fried, etc. It is pretty popular with the business-lunch crowd, and the service is clearly designed to be efficient and guarantee that you are in and out in less than an hour.
The food is fresh and tasty, and all the healthy options are refreshing - lots of veggies! The smoked sable fish with edamame sweet corn succotash is nice, and unique.
For dessert, the server brings to your table a tray of 6 shot glasses, each containing a different mini-dessert. They are under 200 calories and only $2 each. Great little treats.
A little pricey for lunch, as expected giving the location and atmosphere - most of the mains are about $20. -
Review from Michelle A.
Toronto, ON
I had such a lovely dinner here with my lovely sister, @Danielle M.
The restaurant is located in Commerce Court (the Deloitte building) on the concourse level. It's hard to spot from the street, so just look for Far Niente - it's underneath.
Once inside, I was pleasantly surprised by the casual,cool vibe. The restaurant has a large bar area, with fairly loud music and plenty of funky light fixtures. Most of the tables are tall and large to accomodate group events. The menu has both small plates (three items for $25 and five items for $40 after 4. p.m.) or large platesfor around $13-$20. They also have martinis for $4.44 after 4 p.m.!
My sister and I ordered a steamed edemame to share, which was a generous portion with lots of salt and spicy chilis. I had the spelt rigatoni with whole roasted mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach and goat cheese, while my sister had the jail island salmon which comes with fingerling potatoes, bok choy,mango, lime and coriander. We both really liked our mains. The pasta sauce was full of large pieces of tomatoes and big mushrooms, and the pasta was perfectly cooked and cooked el dente.
The best part of the meal is dessert. If you ask for a dessert menu, they come out with a tray of shot glasses with about 8 different desserts. We tried the tiramissu and a chocolate strawberry mousse. Both were delicious and decadent and cost just $2.
The restaurant wasn't very busy and our server was very attentive. I think this place is probably much more of a zoo during the lunch hour, but I definitely enjoyed it for post-work dinner. Note: they close on weekends.Listed in: Best meals in T.O.
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Review from Stephanie C.
Toronto, ON
I had my department's Christmas lunch here last week and oh boy, Four exceeded my expectations to a solid five stars.
Our party arrived on time for our reservation and our server quickly took care of us by being efficient, knowledgeable and friendly. In fact, every staff member we encountered was great.
According to our server, every item on the menu is less than 650 calories. This is great news for those who are health conscious and don't want to sacrifice eating a good meal with a lot of flavour. Four's menu accommodates all diets, including gluten-free, and doesn't compromise on taste.
Between seven people, each of us ordered something different off the menu. The ones I would recommend, and were delicious according to my coworkers, are the Grilled Beef Tenderloin with beets and sweet potatoes, and the Tiger Shrimp salad with couscous and chickpeas.
I had the Jail Island Salmon with bok choy, fingerling potatoes, and a mango and lime salsa. The salmon was cooked to medium well, and the salsa, though I would have preferred to have more of, complimented my veggies and fish perfectly. If I could have licked my plate clean I would have, it was so delicious.
Even if you're not the type to have dessert after a meal, you must order their Petit Four desserts! They are incredibly good! They have seven different flavours and are served in oversized shot glasses.
I sampled the tiramisu and double chocolate cream, but I would suggest the lemon meringue. It was so lemony and creamy, and tasted incredibly rich. It also had Rice Crispies sprinkled on top which delighted the 7-year old kid in me.
Four is located near a busy food court in the PATH, so I would suggest making a reservation if you want to eat in. Despite the fact that Four is in the middle of the stuffy and conservative financial district, the atmosphere here was relaxed and comfortable. -
Review from Huntting B.
6/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Four stars for Four and their Four for Four Forty Four special.
We went for their happy hour where their martinis are 4.44 and really enjoyed the experience. We had some trouble finding them because the patio has another restaurants name on it, so we went inside and eventually found their entrance to be brought back out to the patio =)
Onto the food:
I'm not sure if it is always like this or if it is only during happy hour but they have several options for appetizers and you can get 1 for 10, 3 for 25 or 5 for 40. We opted for 3 and a few martinis.
The Shrimp Dumplings were OK, of all the things we had they were the least impactful. I would recommend you try something else.
The Chalupas were dericious. We loved these guys. The avocado sauce was great, the meat was great, even the tortillas were good. Definitely should be the top of your list when eating here.
Crab and Corn Cakes were *really* tasty as well. A definite hit for us.
The Martinis were good overall, none of them screamed "OH MY GOSH...SUPER AWESOME." but they were all tasty. They were also all light on the liquor, but that was fine by us.
Would definitely come back here! -
Review from Shirley T.
North York, ON
8/9/2011 Seated via OpenTable
First off, I actually want to give 2.5 stars.
Decor: 3/5 -- Modern, stylish but nothing spectacular. They had tv screens playing mute baseball games and epic Discovery Channel-style videos of glaciers. Weird? Yes. Theme-confused? Clearly.
Crowd: 2/5 -- Or the lack there of. It was a Friday night and we were one out of the three tables there at 8pm. I take that as not a good sign. It could be good if you want a quiet spot to talk a lot and have a drink.
Food: 2/5 -- We ordered the 5 tapas for $40: Mini Bison Burgers, Fish Tacos, Edamame/Hummus Dip, Lettuce Wrap and Calamari.
We liked the Fish Tacos; it was flavourful and well executed. The Edamame and Hummus Dip was good too but then again, you can't really go wrong with steamed beans and mushy peas. The bison meat in the burgers were good but the buns were strange. Their miniature size reminded us of those burgers gummies (which are cute) until the buns tasted chewy like the gummies too. Not cool. Lettuce Wrap = meh. Calamari came out burnt so we naturally returned the dish. The second plate looked a bit suspicioius. We couldn't decide whether they had just taken the first piece of squid and scraped off the burnt bits and re-plated it. Anyways, a restaurant should never allow customers doubt that kind of thing right? So we liked two dishes out of five, hence the rating.
Also, the portions are kind of, well, limited. We asked the server whether five tapas would be enough for six of us and he assured us that it was more than enough. It wasn't. Then again, maybe it was because we were six small-framed girls so he just assumed we were all on diets and lived off oxygen.
Drinks: 3/5 -- Duh, the $4.44 martinis are cheap for a reason. You don't taste the alcohol because there probably isn't much in there. I won't fault them for it because I'm not paying for a full drink. But my Candy Apple martini did taste lovely, just like a Jolly Rancher, so I was happy.
Service: 3/5 -- Not bad, not great. Nothing to write home about.
Dessert: 3/5 -- Cute and petite. They tasted way better than you'd think for a calorie-wise treat. But they are definitely pre-made and have been sitting around for a while. I know because a) the rice crispies on the lemon meringue were a bit stale and b) the tiramisu tasted the best and was surprising good. And I know tiramisu. The longer it sets, the stronger the flavours and the better they blend.
All in all, it was just ok. My friend wasn't quite full but didn't want to order any large bites from them after tasting the tapas. But then again, maybe we are pigs and we prefer non-diet food that isn't 640 calories or less. Personally I wouldn't go back. For the money we spent, there are a lot of choices out there, fatty or not. -
Review from Jennifer L.
Toronto, ON
4/19/2011
Great after work crowd and good vibe.
Has a great small bites (tapas style) menu. Favorites include: steamed shrimp dumplings, calamari, crab and corn cakes, and the lettuce wraps. Great edamame too! Avoid: the bison burgers (dry) and the soft shell baja fish tacos (not great).
Cheap and good martinis! $4.44 after 4pm Monday to Friday.... -
Review from Greg A.
11/15/2011
In the first minutes, after being greeted and told they would get a table ready for me, three other staff checked with me to see that I was taken care of. A hostess then came and checked my coat and I was seated within a few minutes. There is a positive vibe here that made me happy to be sitting for lunch. While the decor is modern and spare, it was fine for a lunch between meetings. Great place for a very good and healthy lunch. Their selling point is that they have good food and the meals are all under 650 calories. They did a great job with this. I had their Jail Island Salmon. Not only was the food excellent with complimentary flavors - but the presentation was also engaging. Not open on weekends.
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Review from Gord M.
East York, ON
10/8/2010
4.5 for Four.
I went for lunch this week with no expectations and came out really happy, full and impressed, though a little lighter in the wallet.
Service: 5/5
Menu: 5/5
Food: 4/5
Vibe: 4/5
The menu is all over the map, but in a really good way. Starters on the table were Persian soup, corn & crab cakes and calamari. Double thumbs-up all the way around. I had the soup and it was piping hot, incredibly flavourful and really unique.
Entrees were sandwiches: brie+apple burger, chicken burger and the bison burger. I had the brie+apple which was clever, but unfortunately not as spectacular as I was hoping. I'd give it a 4/5 for trying really hard. The bison burger was a particular highlight: moist, flavourful and filling.
I skipped dessert, but my cohorts each selected an oversized shot glass full of sweet goodness from a choice of eight. You can see pictures of them on Four's site and they're exactly as pictured and probably tastier.
I'm definitely heading back for lunch, dinner and probably a hangout for drinks as the bar is pretty massive.
Go check it out. -
Review from Teena D.
9/30/2010 6 photos
My friends and I went there for supper tonight.
I started with Baked Chicken Wings (honey soya glaze | star anise + chili). The sauce was cold and the wings were cool ... I'm not sure whether they were supposed to be that way or if they should have been hot. But they were good.
Then I had Grilled Chicken Breast (root vegetables | jasmine rice | apricots | toasted almond + tikka masala yoghurt sauce) ... I passed on the veggies. It was good ... the sauce had a nice bite to it.
Troy, our server, came by to tempt us with dessert which was a tray of shot glasses of mousse for just $2 each! Liz and I chose Lemon Meringue, Stacey chose Bumble Berry Cheesecake, Rona chose Black Forest Cake and Franca chose Chocolate Mousse. Yum! We didn't want dessert, just a taste of something sweet and these were perfect.
I hadn't been there since it was Soul of the Vine years ago. It's a nice place to go to express. -
Review from Denise S.
6/27/2010
Guilt-free dining at its best! This is a great place to take health-conscious friends or to go to for a little detox. Located on Bay and Wellington, in the basement of Far Niente, this is definitely a welcome addition to the Financial District's somewhat overpriced and predictable restaurant scene.
Although all mains are under 650 calories and all desserts less than 200 (how do they do that?), this is far from being a restaurant solely for people on diets!! The food is just fresh, light and delicious. Although it's not a vegetarian restaurant, there are tons of veggie options and it reminded me of some of the haute vegetarian places I've tried in San Francisco. There are also gluten-free options.
They have a decent wine list and sell wine by the half glass (3 oz.), glass (6 oz.) or bottle. I opted instead for a blackberry apple cocktail ($11) which was refreshing and actually came in a really big glass.
I started with the Malaysian coconut soup ($6) which was flavourful and just a little spicy. Bonus points for actual quality pieces of chicken breast, rather than the usual crappy-scrappy meat that ends up in soup. My friend had the raw and pickled beet salad, which was massive and served with Bartlett pears, goat cheese, and sunflower seeds. Must've been 3 servings of vegetables right there! My other dining companion had the crab and corn cake, which looked great.
For mains, I tried the grilled chicken breast ($17.50) which was sort of Moroccan-style, served with apricots, nuts and yogurt with a small bowl of rice. The chicken was succulent and tasty, and the sauce was delicious -- I just wish there were more of it. After scraping the plate clean, I was left to eat the remainder of the chicken dry. I guess that's how they keep to the calorie limit. My friend who ordered the smoked sable fish (which our waiter got really excited about -- "do you recommend the sable fish?" "YES!! OMG so good!" "ok..."), complained of the same thing -- not enough sauce! (in that case a passion fruit mustard glaze). Nonetheless, still very satisfying and portion sizes were good, leaving just enough room for dessert.
Desserts were divine and surprisingly rich. Rather than a dessert menu, the waiter just brought out a tray of shot glass desserts. Brilliant - you get to see what the options are and then you can just grab and eat it right away! There were healthy options like a passion fruit salad, as well as more standard fare, like tiramisu and cheesecake. I went for the tiramisu, which was wonderful. Despite the small portion size, it somehow feels like you are eating more because they give you the tiniest of spoons. Clever. Also, at $2 a pop, you can try more than one if you wish.
The space is cool and modern, if a bit too dark. There are flat screen TV's projecting random landscape photos. I went on a weeknight, which wasn't terribly busy. I made a reservation on Open Table but probably didn't have to. Service was okay. Our waiter was very cute and a bit too charming... My friend said she didn't trust him because when she asked him to suggest a wine to go with her sable fish, he suggested the most expensive one on the menu.
All in all though, a solid dining option when you feel like being healthy but have exhausted all the vegetarian restaurants. Also looks like a good late-night dining option, as there are several small sharing dishes on the menu. I'll definitely be back soon! -
Review from Catherine L.
Toronto, ON
4/7/2010
I have an ongoing dilemma that I constantly struggle with, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this: I want to stay healthy and maintain my weight, but i LOVE eating out.
The solution? Four!
This is my new lunch / dinner spot when I'm on my "strict" diet phase. Everything here is under 650 calories - and it tastes great!
Last time I came I had the grilled flatiron steak salad, where i got a nice juicy steak with some salad (with avocados mmm) on the side. The best thing about this is that it's only 240 calories, and I was full after just that!
I also love their shot glass desserts. Let's face it - there is no healthy substitute for butter and sugar, so in that case - just eat less. And Four does that, delivering sub-200 calorie desserts in shot glasses.
On top of this great concept, Four is everything a restaurant should be - great ambience, good service and reasonably priced (for Finance District anyways :). I'll be back again! -
Review from Sam G.
Toronto, ON
2/26/2011
Tasty appetizer plates for sharing. Excellent service. Didn't try the $4.44 martinis. Recommending for drinks after work - a high quality experience in the financial district that won't break the bank.
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Review from Stacey E.
9/20/2010
If you are in search of good quality, healthy and nicely presented food in the financial district this place might just be what the doctor ordered. I had the butternut squash ravioli for lunch today and it was rich enough to feel decadent but the broth reminded me of hearty farmhouse fare of my childhood. Something that could cure a cold or a broken heart.
