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Reds Bistro and Wine Bar
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 10 pm
Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Music:
- Background
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- No
15 reviews for Reds Bistro and Wine Bar
15 reviews in English
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Review from Justin H.
Toronto, ON
2/1/2012 2 Check-ins Here
This is one of my favourite drinking establishments when I want a good glass of wine after work. Mind you, I only go to this place to drink, so I have never had their food. But I've heard it's really good.
They have an excellent selection of red wines and I have never been disappointed by their suggestions; however, bottles they recommend tend to be on the expensive side.
The service is excellent, the bartenders are extremely professional, nice, and it's amazing to watch as they keep up with the amount of people around their island type bar.
The ambience in the place is tailored for an after work crowd, who are generally suit wearers, so you might feel out of place if you walk in from the street in jeans and t-shirts... Just saying.Listed in: Downtown Suit Bars
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Review from Jonathan L.
Richmond Hill, ON
1/2/2012
For the price you pay, I would expect a little more from this place. The selection on their menu is fairly small, and almost everything on it requires an acquired taste to the dish.
Ambiance is terrific, with the crowd dominated by bankers and other professionals from bay street. Portion size was extremely small. Not enough waiters, had to ask several times for my glass to be refilled with water. I will likely not return to this place if I had a choice. -
Review from Imran N.
10/5/2011
I went here for a wine tasting 5 course dinner.
First off, i thought the price was very reasonable at $80. I've been to similar dinners and it's never been below $100. There were 8 of us, so we were given a private room which was really nice.
Service was excellent from start to finish. Even while making the reservation, the lady was amazing i was told. She even came by our table during dinner just to say hi. The server was fun, not protentious, but very knowledgeable all the same. The somelier on staff was the same.
Food, was excellent. Micheal Steh is the chef, so i was expecting it to be good, and it really was. My best dish was a butter nut squash and goat cheese ravioli dish (the best i've ever had) and a beautiful blue cheese from italy. Again, the quality was the best i've ever had. I found the dishes to be simple, executed perfectly and even imaginative within traditional boundaries.
I am impressed by the place, the wine selection, and the price point for the location.
The only thing that i am a bit weary about, is i was just told that it is actually a sircorp restaurant (chain that owns jack astor's, alice fazoolie's etc). Makes me weary, but this could be there venture into bigger and better after the success of Joey's. -
Review from Greg P.
Toronto, ON
12/7/2011
Lunchtime 12:00 - appetizer (Charcuterie Board) showed up 40 minutes later and it was only a cold platter. I realize lunch time can be busy, but you are running a restaurant, deal with it. Not impressed. Table side service and the staff are great, the kitchen is the issue here.
Entre - Seared Scallops and Spicy Merquez Sausage. More like braised scallops, there was zero caramelizing on them and they were buried underneath, instead of showcasing them. The sausage is quite spicy and dominates the dish. Pasta undercooked. Come on now. This price level on an entre and the pasta is under cooked. I am glad this was an invite, because I won't eat here on my own nickel. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
7/29/2011 11 photos
2.5 star! Maybe it is unfair to review a restaurant based on their Licious menu??
But for $45 Summerlicious menu, I was a little disappointed with my experience.
Our waitress was a little absent minded and not present, maybe she was overwhelmed since it was quite busy on a Saturday night??
Thai Crab Cake... Mini single Thai Crab Cake... I was glad that I am not sharing this appetizer... it tasted really savory and have just the right hint of spiciness... but it is just so petite??!
For Main I have the pork chop with the recommendation for our waitress. It was tough and dry... the sauce was overly salty. I should have order the Beef Tenderloin but my Yelp Drinking Buddy has this thing that we cannot order the same dishes.... but hey he doesn't eat pork anyway!!!
At least the Chocolate and Expresso Cake saved my meal... while I enjoying it, my YDB said he cannot eat his dessert because he hated berries!! Why he ordered Ontario Fruit Coupe if he doesn't like eating that??? I ended up swapping with him because he was drooling on my cake!!
Reds is one of the more expensive Licious restaurant... but I found the food and the experience not as good as the other less pricey ones I been to.Listed in: Licious Sent Me Here!!
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Review from Yvonne T.
Went to my first of many Winterlicious adventures today. The line-up includes: Trevor Kitchen & Bar, Biff's Bistro, Midi Bistro and today's all-star dinner at Reds Bistro & Wine Bar.
Winterlicious has been a tradition of mine, like Christmas, lol since 4 years ago. I have had my fair share of good and bad experiences. Reds Bistro has reminded me that Winterlicious can be a positive experience, net of any condescending treatment that we're paying a cheaper price to experience fine dining.
I arrived early, and was seated promptly by the hostess. It wasn't before long before my Andrea arrived. Since I had already read through the menu prior to arriving I knew exactly what I wanted.
I ordered the Foie Gras & Chicken Liver Parfait to start, the Roasted Venison Chop as a main, an the Chocolate & Raspberry Panna Cotta to finish off the evening.
When the bread basket came I was excited that they were serving warm bread! I hate nothing more than being served cold bread at a restaurant. It's almost like they're saying "We know we could serve it warm, but it's too much effort to pop it in the oven." There were two kinds, sesame and white bread. The sesame bread was too chewy. I felt like I was going to get lock jaw just trying to eat it. The white bread was great, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside... Ah...
The Foie Gras & Chicken Liver Parfait was an explosion of flavors. It was served pâté-style with a cognac gelée and a berry compote. It was very velvety smooth, and the cognac gelée was very tasty! The crackers that accompanied the dish were very light and crisp, nicely buttered with just the right amount of crunch. The combination was ingenious! Andie had the Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato soup with Duck Rilette. I didn't taste much of the duck, but the sweetness of the sweet potato with the smoothness of the butternut squash were irresistible!
Our entrees were very savory as well. The roast venison chop was done medium-rare, perfectly seared on the outside, and just pink on the inside. This is how I prefer most steaks or game meats done because I find anything more well done than that comes out tough and too chewy. The venison was very tender and the fleur de sel that topped it off added a certain je ne sais quoi. It was served on a bed of apple and sauerkraut and roast potatoes. The roast potatoes were yummy!
The dessert was a little disappointing. I expected a panna cotta, you know, the custard-like-jiggly-creamy dessert that you've had at Italian restaurants before? I don't know what I was served, but it was definitely not a panna cotta. It was not quite soft or airy enough to be deemed a mousse... It was more like a hybrid between a ganache and a mousse. I would say that the dessert was the most disappointing part of the evening, but the appetizer and main were so good that in the grand scheme of things, it didn't matter all that much. I think that Reds Bistro is one of the better restaurants to go to for Winterlicious, as the food was fairly portioned, and extremely appetizing! I will definitely come back again.
NB. For entertainment purposes only - We sat at a booth behind a table of cougars, very Sex and the City minus the glam and youth, lol. They were all totally doting on the server who was IMHO pretty cute. Think, Samantha when she was at RAW and met Smith Jerrod, it was one of THOSE moments. -
Review from Joan L.
Mississauga, ON
3/29/2011
I have been a *licious groupie for a few years now. Usually, I try to pick restaurants I have not been to before (with the exception of must go-to places like Canoe ... just b/c I am a snob like that).
This year, one of those places was Reds. And I am so glad I picked this place as it turned out to be my fav lunch of the *licious season. For the appetizer, I picked the crab cake and I was pleasantly surprised by its complexity .... I didn't expect it in an app! There were many different tastes and textures to it ... it was spicy yet sweet. As for the main, picked the lamb which was succulent and tasty. I wasn't sure how it would turn out with a bean sauce ... but trust me, it was so moist and delicious that I was scrapping around the dish looking for just one more piece of lamb! The dessert was ok ... nothing too remarkable. It was chocolately and that was good enough for me.
The location that I was seated at was rather blah. It was at the cocktail bar. Being a short person, it made it uncomfortable to have dangling feet. However, the food made up for it. Also, the waiter was quite nice and explained everything in detail for us. Granted, he wasn't as friendly as the one at Canoe, but he wasn't rude either.
Overall, I would go back for the food ... I have already recommended Reds at least 3 times since *licious for client / group functions. Well done Reds! You are now in my (and my company's) radar! -
Review from Karl R.
10/10/2010 9 photos
Lots of wines by the glass. Prices seem reasonable for the wines. You'll pay as much for a large blended drink at Starbucks and get no alcohol.
Menu items list a wine but it's merely a suggested pairing, not part of the order.
My date liked her sirloin. The fries were great. I had the milk braised pork. The pork itself was tender but its bed of mixed greens and garlic beans detracted and were straight up nasty. The polenta was a tasteless gruel. I'll accept the pork was the odd dish out. Everything else on the menu looked outstanding. The bread on the starter was an uninspired square of baked dough. Dinner finished up with some chocolate truffles with gold flecks. A nice touch.
Atmosphere wise, Red's is dark and romantic. It's in the heart of the financial district and a great place for an excuse to dress up for dinner. It has a nice Adelaide side outdoor patio. If, like me, you find women in Chanel suits better eye candy than bootie shorts, this is hot property when the weather turns good. The whole area is under massive construction right now, however, and presents some kind of ugly. -
Review from Agnes F.
4/5/2011
Reds to me is a 4 star wine bar but only a 3 star restaurant
Recently went there for dinner and i was very happy with the wine choices (we had the 2007 chateau montelena cab and it was very good), the food however, fell short
We were given an amuse bouche of a caprese salad, which was nice and refreshing but nothing special
i had the smoked trout with beets salad and was disappointed to say a. the beets were not sweet and b. the mustard sauce was overpowering c. the smoked trout wasn't delicate enough
for entree i had the duck breast, the duck was perfectly cooked and the sauce was good, the farro that came with was only so so
service was hit and miss, sometimes attentive, sometimes our server went MIA
all in all, i'll go back to get drinks but probably won't return for food -
Review from Rafi N.
Toronto, ON
7/13/2011 5 photos
Reds is a fancy looking restaurant. The food is good, the atmosphere is nice but the service could use improving. I came here with a friend for a Summerlicious dinner as a prelude to binge drinking.
*** FOOD ***
I had a 3 course meal from the Summerlicious menu. This consisted of Panzanella Salad, Beef Tenderloin and Shrimp Brochette and Ontario Fruit Coupe. I shared the Chocolate and Espresso Cake dessert with my friend.
* Panzanella Salad *
This was a sweet, tasty salad. It has a lot of lettuce, with a few pieces of cherry tomato and cucumber, but the best part was the watermelon. There was also ricotta cheese. This was a lot better than typical salads with vinegary dressing. Very good salad.
* Beef Tenderloin and Shrimp Brochette *
A brochette is basically some meat (shrimp and beef in this case) and a few vegetables on a skewer, like a kebab. The beef was cooked properly, not overdone with a touch of pink inside. The shrimp was cooked thoroughly for a nice soft crunch. The greens that it comes with was a little on the bitter side. The rice was just plain white rice, which I think could have used some sauce or seasoning. There was a piece of squash and zucchini which had a nice spiciness to it, though it wasn't hot. I was hoping the rest of the meal would have some kind of seasoning or spiciness to it. The meal itself was a little on the small side. This is not a bad main, but it could use more spicing up.
* Ontario Fruit Coupe *
Take a small glass, put some cut up fruits in it, add a couple slivers of sugary toasted coconut and voila! In terms of dessert, this was wasteful. Dessert should have a lot more to it than just fruits. This is something I could have made at home.
* Chocolate and Espresso Cake *
This is Reds' pièce de résistance. The cake is slightly dense but it's light and melts in your mouth. The cake is chocolate but not too sweet. The sauce is sweeter than the cake, but has an espresso (like coffee) taste. This was a great dessert.
*** ATMOSPHERE ***
Reds is a fancy restaurant. When you enter, there are wine bottles along the wall. The place is very clean, including the washrooms. The tables all have white cloths and candles. The walls have pictures hanging and the lighting is slightly dim, which adds a little intimacy. There is a patio at the front of the restaurant. The clientele is a mix of casual and formal. One table had a child (10 yrs old) with his parents. The atmosphere is definitely enjoyable.
*** SERVICE ***
Service was okay. We had reservations but when we entered, the hostess had to check if there was a table ready. When she showed us our table, I saw a couple tables that were already empty. Our server was very friendly and helpful, however when we ordered a glass of wine, the glasses were only 1/4 full. We sent it back for more. They mixed up my order, which was quickly fixed. The candle at our table wasn't lit and it took a long time before it was replaced with a lit candle. Other than the aforementioned, the service was good.
*** PRICE ***
Pricing is good, but it's a Summerlicious menu. Generally, their prices are high. I wouldn't pay so much for this level of service.
* Summerlicious 3 course meal | $45 *
* Glass of red wine | $12 *
* Glass of red wine [Friend's order] | $14 *
** Total (AT&T) | $150 **
*** BLACK & WHITE ***
Reds comes across as an upscale restaurant. It's sometimes hard to judge such a place especially when you feel letdown by either the food or service. Given that I had the Summerlicious meal, maybe it was different from the regular menu. Be that as it may, I'll be quite black and white about my experience. The food was just okay and the service needs improvement. The overall look and feel is great, but that doesn't cut it. The pricing doesn't match the food or service. Reds is a place I might try again, but not for a long time.Listed in: Steak Out, Dressed to Impress
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Review from Andi B.
Markham, ON
3/9/2011
Reds. I wanted to love this restaurant but I just couldnt.
First things: the atmosphere. It's a beautiful restaurant but nothing throws me off more then walking in at 7:30 and only seeing 10 people in a huge restaurant. We stayed for 2 hours and maybe 2 more people showed up.
The bread they served us was cold. Seriously? Is it too much to ask for warm bread?
We ordered our meals and the server was extremely helpful with wine pairings. He went ahead and picked wines for us which suited me just fine.
I had the harvest salad to start (simple but yum) and then the deer. The deer tasted like pepper. Literally like I bit into a peppercorn. It was extremely tender though.
My fiancée had the beef tartar and then the duck. His biggest complaint was lack of balance. Lots of meat but not enough garnish.
Dessert was a treat however. The fresh berries were simple but outstanding. Why mess with nature. And he had the 3 cheeses. Yum! Omg. For a cheese lover it was a dream.
Overall. Just ok. Wouldn't go back. -
Review from Antonio A.
Toronto, ON
11/2/2011
A nice setting for business lunch and after work wine tasting!
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Review from Heather M.
9/23/2010
Great (but pricey) selection of wines! I ordered a class of wine called "Whimsy" that ended up being a tad tart. That's the last time I pick something on name alone!
Crowd is a lot of bankers and lawyers dressed in suits. A nice place to go after work for drinks, and it's not overly meat-markety here.
Appies that we had (nachos, fries, calamari, dips) were all quite good. None of them were particularly unique, but they were tasty.
This place has a decidedly chain feel to it, like it's owned by O&B or its some kind of testing concept for SIR Corp.
The wait staff are nice, but do not seem to demonstrate their knowledge of the wines they serve. -
Review from Karen G.
12/2/2009 2 Check-ins Here
I have never had a bad experience at Reds Bistro. I went there for lunch today and had the Wild Mushroom and "Ribana Kasha" Noodle Soup. It was a broth-based soup with whole wild mushrooms and it was spectacular. One of the best soups I have ever tasted and I eat a lot of soup!
The Norman Hardie Pinot Noir (2007 Prince Edward County) is a MUST TRY. It was the best Pinot Noir that I have ever had.
I also had the veal fillet with seared scallop served on a bed of risotto, all cooked perfectly. The presentation was beautiful. The waiter was knowledgeable and friendly. There was nothing to complain about.
I had the lemon cheesecake for desert and I wish I had taken a picture of it. It was presented so beautifully with whipped cream and flowers!
I don't usually eat like this for lunch but this experience was quite a treat. -
Review from Sylvain P.
Newmarket, ON
5/9/2010
Red's Bistro is always great and the food is always perfect.
