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Real People. Real Reviews.®
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Cool atmosphere with trendy decor.
The food was overpriced, and alright. The pad thai was TERRIBLE. grant it, it is a fusion restaurant, but they botched the original flavor of the dish!
The crab cakes were too salty, too meaty, and overpriced.
Their duck with wrap was OK, but a little too sweet for my taste.
I did like their sweet potato fries, however, and our server was excellent.
The womens' bathroom was ridiculous: very glamorous, with a "bathroom man"- maybe a bit much?
Not my scene. I had high expectations for this overpriced restaurant, but was very disappointed with the quality of the food here. We tried quite a few dishes and I was only impressed with one dessert dish - the dragon rolls.
The plates are inconvenient sizes, making it impossible to share dishes without awkwardness. Most of the dishes were half-empty, so there was really no need for this. The kimchi rice and pad thai noodles were insanely large portions, but I didn't like either of them. They were quite boring and bland.
I liked the décor - kinda funky and rustic, but didn't like not being able to see (it was very dark) or hear (it was very noisy).
We had a reservation but still had to wait a few minutes to talk to any of the many hostesses who were all working with the Maitre D' to seat 2 people who arrived just before us. Seriously, how many people does it take? I would have expected to at least be greeted by one of 5 people just standing there.
Washrooms are crazy weird. You go through a sliding barn door into an oversized washroom, complete with private sink. It's really dark in there (probably so you can't tell if it's clean or dirty) but there's plenty of light filtering in from the gigantic window you're supposed to pee in front of. I'm hoping nobody has access to the courtyard that this window faces, but it still made me feel very uncomfortable. Interesting concept, but not my cup of tea.
Service was great when you could get somebody's attention. This is the type of place that comes by to fold your napkin for you when you've left the table to go to the washroom. It was really busy when we were there so everything (ordering, getting our food, clearing our table, getting dessert menus, getting the bill, etc.) took longer than it should have.
I might return for drinks only as they have a few interesting cocktails on their menu, but I won't be dining here again.
The decor is very nice inside, very trendy and hip. The place is very big inside yet they created some areas as a lounge with pillows and curtains and very cozy looking.
We went there for one of my best friend's birthday and she loves this place. We did make reservation as it was a surprise birthday for her and when we got there around 6:30pm, the place was pretty dead but just within an hour the whole place was filled.
The food is very westernized. The best tasting thing on the menu was the sweet potato fries it was the best I have ever had anywhere in my life. Very chunky and fatty tasting and goooooood. Compared to real Chinese food, this place fails with their attempts on Cantonese Chow Mein and stir fry vegetables but when you go to Spice Route, you are going for the decor and trendy atmosphere.
In conclusion, it's not a place I would go for food or drinks as my choice but somewhere I would go if a friend decides to hosts an event there.
Spice Route was, quite simply, the worst dining-out experience I have ever had. The food was inedible, the restaurant was literally so loud as to induce physical pain, and we had to wait more than an hour for our extremely expensive meal to arrive.
First of all, the few things this restaurant did right - the decor was beautiful and the servers were polite and helpful. Unfortunately, the restaurant did everything else wrong.
The food took an hour to arrive and was almost inedible. I had ordered the Crispy Duck breast; it came to the table cold and soggy. Though I hate to say it, the meat tasted and looked more like pork than any type of poultry, let alone distinctive duck, though this may be a consequence of the cooking method. The duck was served on a bed of green beans, which, unfortunately, were too salty to eat.
Two of my dining companions ordered the Indian Spiced Chicken. They both complained that it was incredibly bland - the description used was 'boiled'. A fourth member of our party had the Kung Pao Chicken, which lacked heat. For appetizers we had ordered Tempura Vegetables, which were under-salted, and Spring Rolls, which tasted like the kind you get at the grocery store in the freezer section.
Finally, as the evening went on the background music got louder and louder. When we first sat down, it was so loud that we had to yell to be heard. By the time our food came, it was so loud that it actually hurt. We asked repeatedly to have the music turned down, but to no avail. Frankly, it's a miracle that all the serving staff aren't deaf. We left with raging headaches, sore throats, and ringing in our ears. If you insist on going to this horrible restaurant, I highly recommend ear plugs, topped by a pair of earmuffs.
Spice Route is one of the most dramatic restaurants in Toronto.
What can I say?
The decor is dramatic, moody, and oozing with atmosphere.
The mural-sized photographs are stunning and whisk you away to forbidden Asia.
The food? Well, it's mostly hits with some misses.
Toronto is a worldwide destination in Asian food. As such, Spice Route has a lot of benchmarks to meet.
People complain that it's overpriced. Yes, it is, but you are paying for the atmosphere and the crowd.
If you want good, cheap Chinese food, go to Chinatown - Swatow, Kom Jug Yuen, Asian Legend.
If you want to dine somewhere interesting, different and cool, Spice Route may fit the bill.
It only gets A-OK because it is so beautiful. Great atmosphere, incredible washrooms. Terrible Food, Awful Service.
I DON'T KNOW! I just don't know how to rate this place... I've never had such hot and cold feeling about a place in my life! So here is the breakdown:
9:45pm: THE GREETING 1 star
Don't bother looking for an address or name on the door, Spice Route is too cool to identify itself...
We walked in to meet a friend for his birthday but we were a bit early and the birthday boy wasn't there yet. The girl at the front said it was the restaurant's policy to only seat a reservation when half the party had arrived... What a stupid policy! I guess we'll stand!
10:00pm THE BAR 4 stars
I went to the bar twice and although it was packed, I never waited once for my drink. Speaking of drink, both my martini and my rum and coke were good and strong!
10:15pm THE DECOR 5 stars
This place is BEAUTIFUL!!!! The interior designer should honestly pat themselves on the back because the space is immaculate! It actually reminds me of TAO in Vegas... but I think TAO has a better understanding of the differences between a Club, a lounge and a restaurant.
10:30pm THE CROWD 1 star
When did the Real Housewives of Woodbridge and their hairdressers take over King West?! There was a smell of cheap self tanner and desperation in the air, wrapped up in hot stilettos and a leopard print dresses. I didn't think the atmosphere was pretentious as much as I thought of how sorry I felt for these washed up middle aged women who felt like they needed to tart themselves up in their daughter (or granddaughter's) clothing just to have a man approach them. These are not my type of peeps... nough said!
10:45 THE MUSIC 2 stars
This is not so much a criticism of the music played so much as a rant about the volume of the music. Perhaps Spice Route forgot that they are a lounge and as such the music should be background noise... not a soundtrack!
11:00 THE WAITER 1 star
I ordered a martini and the Rock Calamari/Tempura Shrimp. My appetizer arrived steaming hot but no drink in sight. 10 minutes pass and the waiter comes by to see if "everything is alright" I tell him I am still waiting on my martini... he replies "so am I!" Not sure what he meant by that but I don't care! If my food arrives before my drink, it's an automatic FAIL in my books.
11:15pm THE FOOD 2 stars
The calamari was good at first but got progressively saltier with every bite. The shrimp on the other hand needed some flavour and the batter was a wee bit too thick in some spots.
If my calculations are correct, that warrants a 2.5 stars... sadly I don't think it deserves a 3 star rating so 2 will have to suffice!
What a disappointment!
The bartender (at the large indoor bar) was unnecessarily rude and unfriendly. He served everyone around us and then when we finally got his attention and asked if we could be served he turned to us and said "yes, eventually," with a sneer! When we did order he never brought us our drinks, but continued to serve new customers until he was finished, and then 15 minutes later turned to us and gave us our order. He was a joke!
With so many of these bars in Toronto, why anyone would choose this one is beyond me?? South of Temperence has great staff who are willing to make sure you're enjoying your evening and serve you respectfully. That really makes a difference. I would not recommend this place for a number of reasons: the staff need training on how to serve customers with the respect they deserve; the decor, albeit trendy, lacks character, it's dark and loud (like some night club); and it's horribly overpriced! I'll never go back!
This place is more of a place to "be seen" than to eat. I swear if Toronto focused less on the eye candy (people and atmosphere) and more on the substance, our food scene would improve by leaps and bounds.
My general rule is if someone starts a restaurant review as "trendy" or "hip", spend your money elsewhere. Spice Route is definitely one of those restaurants as it tries oh so hard to fall within those two adjectives.
The food is asiany (I refuse to say fusion!) and usually served family style. Potstickers were served cold. Crispy noodles were served soggy. It's so dark the food is sometimes hard to see. Some evenings you're greeted by a bouncer at the door.
All of these things contribute to my two star rating. Normally I'd give it a one, but they always get me a little tipsy so I'm feeling a little generous.
If you're consistently going there to appease work colleagues. Focus on the booze and not the food.
YOUNG URBAN PROFESSIONAL MEAT MARKET!
That is all.
I went to Spice Route on a Saturday night. I've been to the restaurant before, but this time my experience was wonderful. The first time around they were very snooty but this time around they were great. I arrived 1 hour late for my reservations and they made no hesitation in seating me although the place was packed.
Now although quite a few people are complaining about the price but the dishes are meant to be shared.
At our table my friend and I ordered the Pad Thai ($17) and the Spicy Eggplant for $7. Total meal for 2 people was $24 (not including drinks, appetizers, tax and tip). The portions for both dishes were sizeable and we were barely able to finish. Where else can you get a meal for 2, at a classy restaurant at that price?
Prices aside, the food itself was great. We enjoyed our meal very much and the ambience was amazing (minus the macho macho men and the cougars). Although the restaurant can get loud and you may find yourself literally screaming to talk to the person you are with, we still enjoyed the experience.
The first time I went to Spice Route I hated it. The staff were rude and the people pretentious. Not sure why I returned a year later but I did. The second time around the food was great, the staff attentive, but the cougars still on prowl.
Spcie Route has a chic mysterious vibe to it. I've been passing this place on King Street for years and never knew what it was. There are no signs inside or outside indicating what this place is. With it's big ominous looking wooden doors and the 8 ft fence around the patio, it immediately gives you the "exclusive" vibe.
Not typically my kind of place or crowd, we came here for a friend's birthday. Unfortuantely our friend was late so we had to stand around waiting in front of the bar. They have a policy of not seating you at your reserved table until half of the party has shown up...
Spice Route has an extensive list of mediocre beers and wines and a full bar. We were there around 10pm so I didn't get to try any of the food but I was told the shrimp and calamary were tasty, although a little too spicy and salty.
We didn't have any problems with services. Our waiter was attentive and came by fairly frenquently to check on us. Since I was going to leave before the rest of the group, I asked for a seperate bill ahead of time and had no issues with that. However, the music was way, way too loud for a restaurant/lounge. We were a table of 10 and I could barely hear the person across the table. Not only was it loud but it was terrible music (loud mellow club beats).
I was more disatisfied with the the patrons than with the actual restaurant atmosphere and music. This is where to come to pick up some scarby-barbies or a sweaty greasy rich guy. The crowd is a little older than average and the vast majority reak of desperation.
If you're looking for the dress to impress crowd that wants to pay way more than necessary for average food while being hit on by a cougar or desperate 50 year old greasy stock broker, this is your Shangri-la.
Meh, is really the only word that comes to mind when I think of this place. I mean the only reason it's getting any sort of star rating is because I really enjoy the decor, well aside from the gigantic skulls and bones canvases on the walls.
It's got a great feel for after work drinks or just to hang out but if you are seriously considering coming here for food, think twice. Now I know I have a skewed view as I myself am of the Asian decent and have been exposed to many authentic and copycat restaurants, but let me tell you from my perspective this place is definitely not good.
I looked at everything from an outsiders perspective as I try to do in Asian cuisine, would someone who has never had Asian food like it? Will the decor/ambiance override the quality of food? etc... I have to say that the quality of the food is subpar. I mean it's obviously better than say...Manchu Wok but I think it ends there... The reason this place is still thriving? After work drinks and the suburban folk that come down and "try hard" to be with the downtown crowd, "Oooh let's go to Spice Route, that's where all the Ad execs go to let loose after work!"
One thing that really stands out in my mind are the bathrooms. They are massive and open and close with a large wooden sliding door, this makes me nervous on a few levels, these doors are notorious for not locking properly and if you're a little more sauced, you may not even get the door shut to lock it. The back wall is a huge glass window that looks out onto their garden, which I'm told is beautiful in the summer and it is like you are peeing in the great outdoors. Frankly, I'm just nervous if the gardener is doing some maintenance that he'll see more than he bargained for.
But again, this place is thriving because...location, location, location. It is surrounded by marketing and ad agencies that need places to go for after work drinks and/or client meetings. But on the weekends it's pure suburban wannabes. If you are going to try the food, I'd highly recommend that you don't and just go for the flare of peeing outdoors and the ambiance of the decor and more mature crowd.
In a nutshell, overpriced chinese food.
However, in the summertime, the patio is amazing. And my favourite is their Sangria.
That's about it.
We went once just for drinks, and unfortunately their lounge area is small, and wish they gave more non reservation room.
***2.5 Star***
Took a couple broads here for dinner (wife, her sister) and the place is fantastic to look at - esthetically pleasing. I just couldn't shake the feeling that at any moment the tables were going to disappear and the place would turn into Spice Lounnnnnge.
Food was ok - potstickers and pakora were alright for starters, but I've witnessed tastier. Soups were better. Mains were foregettable. After dinner teas were nice.
We all felt a little old being there (thirties), but that isn't the restaurant's fault. Thus the club-feel the place had.
Staff were pleasant, but at the end of the meal we could not get our waiter or the bill for close to 20-30 minutes. I realize that we weren't a table full of females on a bride-to-be's night out, but I have a lot to give.
Too many other places to try before returning.
Great place to go for an afterwork drink. Great decor and good martini selection. For this reason it gets 3.
Food is asian fusion which is good but not as good as your local thai place and it's pretty expensive. I found the service meh - we had to wait longer than I expect for drinks and I found the waitstaff only moderately friendly.
oh and the bathrooms were freezing.
Have been here a few times before and had a pretty good experience. Good food, ok service and great atmosphere.
However have completely changed my opinion on this place based on the complete mismanagement recently. What really blows me away is how any restaurant/bar in a city like Toronto where there is a ton of competition can treat their clientele like cattle. After racking up dinner dishes, apps and drinks, we were told after our second or third round of drinks and not too long after finishing our mains that we had to pay our bill and go to the bar or leave! Are you serious?? Who does that?? I don't blame our waiter who was amazing the entire night but rather the clueless manager who came up and made the request despite the fact that not once had he even bothered to stop by and ask how things were going at any point earlier.
I've worked in the industry in the past waiting tables and tending bar and I can honestly say I've not seen something like this. I would totally understand if we were sitting there with waters or getting refills on coffees but the fact that we were continuing to add to the bill with the overpriced drinks and you force us out makes no sense.
Maybe not overbooking your reservations instead of pushing your paying clientele out the door would be a better idea?
To be honest there's nothing about the menu or the atmosphere that you couldn't find at any number of other spots in the city where as a bonus you would actually enjoy your dining experience.
Dark, sexy, and posh are the three words that come to mind eating here. For a Friday night the place wasn't that busy early in the evening. We were seated immediately and the service was prompt right after we were settled. I found our waiter Adam to be a little inattentive but he met most of the rules of being a good server (i.e. Don't pretend to be my friend).
The food materialized almost immediately after we ordered which was surprising but well received. The duck and chicken lettuce wraps tasted amazing though I was disappointed that cheap iceberg lettuce was used and not something more wrap friendly like green-leaf. The fix to this though was the fact that the lettuce was cut into perfect circles. The crowd was mixed; some were there to be seen, but most were out for a hot date or to have a relaxed dinner with friends.
Overall a great experience!
Best way to start of my review is by saying this place is just over-rated for nothing................
So finally dragged myself and two of my girlfriends to go and check out what the hype was all about at this restaurant. We arrived very early so there was no Bouncer or Line-Up at the door and we were immediately seated I guess since we had reservations. Our table was near the bar (if ONLY we had KNOWN that elbows, butts and bellies would be bumping into us every 30 seconds we would have asked to be moved to a different table)
Place filled up very quickly with all these pretencious wanna be "fashionista's blah, blah, blah.
Nevertheless we were STUCK with the most annoying waitress in the industry..............she rushed us through our dinner that at ONE point I just wanted to say "back off B****) we are trying to enjoy ourselves.
We shared the Mangolian Beef, & Prawns in a clay pot
Mangolian Beef was nothing special
Prawns were just there the only excitement was the Clay Pot we all wondered where we could go and buy one for our kitchens.
Lychee Martini's were watered down........................NEVER ORDER A MARTINI HERE
Malbec, Argentina $12 per glass was very tasty
By the way there is actually one nice thing about this place before I forget and that is the AMBIANCE the designers did a FABULOUS job.
Next time I'm on King West looking for a place to go for dinner I WILL NOT GO TO SPICE ROUTE.
The giant flames at the front door are a bad omen, and for sure, Spice Route is embarrassing from beginning to end. It has no idea of what real modern Asian fusion is all about, and much of what it serves resembles bad take-out Chinese. If you actually want spice (or flavour), go somewhere else. The venue is typical "King Street-trying-to-be-LA": oversized, over-noisy, over-designed, over-rated, up itself but utterly without style. The waiters treat you like an innocent abroad, though I suspect few of them have been abroad, for example, to places like Australia where Asian fusion cuisine is setting astonishing new standards that - let's face it - are never really likely to hit King West. The main concern of our waiter was to hysterically over-hype the really bad food, without showing any real knowledge of either the appallingly confused menu or the drinks list. And while the designers clearly think that the large stylized image of skulls and bone fragments from what can only be the Khmer Rouge killing fields in Cambodia is "edgy", I just found it as tasteless as the food.
If you are unlucky enough to find yourself being fed or watered in this barn, try to escape before 10pm when the clothes you arrived in for dinner are no longer good enough, and the call girls and their pimps arrive to ply their trade (for Spice Route, read Spice Rack).
In sum, for those who take secret pleasure in Toronto at its tackiest and most clueless, be sure to follow the Spice Route.
Now, my view on Spice Route might be skewed because I happened to be there while being slightly pampered. You see, myself and my girlfriend went to check it out because her company was going to potentially hold an event there.
So read my review with the consideration that we had to make sure 180 people would be satisfied spending an entire evening in the joint.
Having read some of the above reviews, I would have to agree that service does appear to lack - it seems as though they have tons of servers but not enough people serving. That's just an observation of other tables, we were served quite well.
One of the things that really stood out to me was that conversation does not travel. Despite the tables being relatively close together, the conversations happening elsewhere don't drift and noise from the other tables doesn't interrupt, so you can focus on the person across from you.
I don't think their food is mind blowing, but it is good. The lamb was delicious both times I had it and the chicken and duck lettuce wraps, with the wasabi mustard is absolutely fantastic and definitely the appetizer you should choose.
Oh man, and the cheesecake lollipop...is just awesome. Its different than any other cheesecake I've had, and easily the best I've ever tasted. I would say that desert alone bumped this place from a 3 to a 4 star rating.
Spice Route is a trendy restaurant with an attitude....a BAD one!
The restaurant itself is beautifully done up inside, with Asian-themed decor, great use of seating space and a huge open area by the main bar for patrons to booze it up right and mingle.
I co-hosted my close friend's bachelorette party there this past weekend and it was a success!
The restaurant made it very easy when it came to making a reservation for a large group and after a quick seating request, they had a wonderful classy booth waiting for us when we arrived.
The food was really good in my opinion. For the 7 of us there for the dinner portion of the evening, we split 4 appetizers and split 3 main entrees and 1 side dish.
Pretty much everything we ate I would recommend. Here is the list:
- Lettuce wraps with chicken and duck filling
- Veggie Springrolls
- Shrimp wrapped in crunchy Asian noodles
- These veggie puffs in crispy crust
- 1 order of veggie pad thai
- 1 order of pad thai with shrimp and chicken
- Lemon Chicken (which was dressed in this delicious funnel cake type crust)
- Green beans and mushrooms
To add some zing into the night, we all split a bottle and wine and ordered several drinks to celebrate.
The food bill came to $28 per person, which I thought was amazing cheap compared to other trendy upscale restaurants in the city.
The only thing I would say is that Spice Route has a very specific code when it comes to dress and etiquette in the restaurant.
First of all, my friend was not allowed to wear ANY of her bachelorette props, even though we gave the restaurant a TON of business.
And secondly, when things got a bit more crazy at the table, our group was singing and dancing and the wait staff would give iffy looks, giving us the impression that none of this was acceptable.
Overall, I would recommend Spice Route if you are looking to try something new and you feel like dressing up a bit, but be prepared to be judged if you get a little crazy.
I have to admit, I like Spice Route.
I agree that it's a bit pretentious, the food is way overpriced for the quantity that you get, but everything I've had there has been quite delicious.
The ambience is great - posh, sexy, trendy - there's no other place like this in Toronto that I know of (closest place might be Ki). I've always had good service. They may not be the promptest - but our waitress never forgot about us and always came back to check on us. I've also never felt rushed there and my last visit there was well over 2 hours! They also automatically bring you complimentary sweet breads with salsa, which is a nice departure from the normal bread and butter most restaurants bring.
Foods I enjoy there: Beef over hot rock, beef carpaccio, and cheesecake lollipop. I also really like the Zengria drink, which is a variation on sangria.
So... great food, great decor and good service - this deserves 4 stars!
The only reason for the 2 stars is because of the food. I went there yesterday and I embraced the Summerlicious lunch menu. I have to admit, it was absolutely delicious. I had the Calamari (amazing), then the Mongolian Beef and to top it off, the Tempura Bananas - amazing. I always love the decor at this venue as well.
Now to the complaints:
-- The waitress was a self righteous bitch. She felt she was above us and when we asked her to correct something, she gave attitude and walked away. - after looking around you can really get a sense of the people hired to waitress here - model wannabes who lack any sort of acceptable service standards
-- The portions weren't even close to being equal. Three of my friends ordered the Lemon Chicken (don't get me wrong.. it was delicious) - and one of them was ripped off. Her portion was the size of one fist while the other two received portions twice the size.. no joke. I also received 4 pieces of calamari and she received 3 pieces.
-- It's too bad this place can't get it together, no matter how hard they try.. maybe they should focus less on the leather ottomans and more on the service staff, and their consistency.
Summerlicious here = good
Everything else = Bad
Listed in: The shamefuls of Toronto
I wanted to leave before I even arrived. This is the type of place where the bouncer sizes you up before you get in line and determines whether or not you shall have the most esteemed honour of setting foot inside.
Like Ultra, Wet Bar, Century Room, Fluid, Brant House and any other bar that has dress code &/or $20 cover and $15 drinks, Spice Route is not for anyone who goes to bars on a regular basis. It's for the weekenders and the types of people who go to bars on NYE and see nothing wrong with dropping $200 for the privilege.
I was dragged here for an acquaintance's birthday drinks and spent most of the time trying to millimetre my way towards the bar (I failed). Service was atrociously slow. Other people who were eating dinner in the restaurant/bar were surrounded by people standing and trying to get to the bar. I would have been incredibly annoyed if someone's back was pushing up against my chair the entire time I was trying to eat. Servers could hardly make their way through the room because it was so crowded.
The outside patio was nicely decorated and not entirely unpleasant except for the hordes of leering guidos looking to score.
Listed in: Bars That My Ex-Boyfriend…
It's OK. I mean, it is absolutely beautiful inside, the decor and everything. But that is all that stands out really. I just don't understand the hype about this place at all. Food is whatever - nothing special. Drinks are just drinks. Average. I mean, it is nice to lounge on their patio in the summer for a bit. I do not see any reason to come there during the winter times. I could fall asleep there!!! This place gets crowded on the weekends - mostly King West party goers who just want to grab a drink before they hit the REAL parties.
If you're looking for an exceptional service and to die for food - this is DEFINATELY not a place to go.
After having read other reviews on other websites about this place, I was a bit worried that the service would be garbage...
But boy was I ever surprised!!!!
We went here for my husband's sister's birthday dinner, and I couldn't have been happier that we went here. My husband and I got here early, around 6pm, and there were no lineups or anything (or bouncers for that matter), but I'm guessing this is because of how early it was. (It was a Friday or a Saturday night...) There were already quite a few people there, but the place didn't start to fill up until around 7pm...
The decor: OH MY GOSH! It was absolutely beautiful in there. The outside was confusing because it didn't have a sign in the front, and we haven't been there before... But the inside, just blew my mind. The washrooms, heeheehee... They're beautiful, the walls have this amazing brick design on them... Really modern decor for the sink and mirrors... The doors to get in slide, which is a bit odd... As people walking by could peek in if they really wanted to... ;) But the best part, was the window as the whole wall in the side of the washroom. It's a full length window right beside the toilet. No one walks through that little area where the windows are though, but still.. It's a bit of a thrill I guess? ;) It's tranquil.. haha...
The inside of the restaurant is beautiful. Dim lighting, and really cool decorations.
The food was pretty good. Nothing out of the ordinary from what you'd get at other good restaurants, but definitely not bad!
The drink I ordered was a mojito, and from what I got... They're drinks are pretty strong...
There was a pretty big group of us (about 7-8 people), so we just ordered a bunch of stuff to share amongst everyone. I don't remember everything we ordered, but what I do remember is that everything tasted really good.
Some people may think it's overpriced, and it is slightly... However, compared to a lot of other places on King West, I'd say it's not any more expensive than other fancier meals.
The service was pretty good, considering I had low expectations from what I've read in the past about it.
I would suggest that people try this place, because it is pretty good... If you don't want to spend that much money, just order a few appetizers to share between a few of you. The quantities of food aren't bad at all, and unless you eat like a pig, you definitely won't walk away from there hungry... ;)
Do note that later in the evening it gets really packed. So if you don't like big crowds, or a "club-restaurant" type atmosphere, try to get in there between 5-6 for the start of your meal... That way, you're out of there before 7-8pm.
Swanky, dramatic, club-like design but the food is only marginally better than Spring Rolls (aka fake and overpriced "pan-Asian"). I went here for dinner on a date and felt like he was trying too hard to impress me with his trendiness. Looking at the other tables, it seemed like others were doing the same.
the best part of the spice route is the decor. it has a really cool ultra-modern, asian feel to it. make sure the check out the washrooms. they're really unique (you'll see).
i went on a saturday night, and it wasn't incredibly busy on the inside. however, the bouncers kept a gigantic line outside. one of the only reasons i got in early was because i tipped off the bouncers $10. pretty cheap, compared to some other clubs i've been to. but considering how un-packed it was, i was really disappointed that the bouncers kept the line so long. the no cover made me happy.
i only went for drinks. my friends and i had bottle service, and the waitress was pretty good. the bar tenders were fast, and i had no issues with them. the food looked good, but considering the pricey drinks, i probably wouldn't order anything more than appetizers.
the music was good, and not too loud. i was actually able to talk to the people beside me. the dj played house and techno, which fit into the environment nicely.
Okay - the decor is nice but that's the only positive about the Spice Route.
Here's how our night went :
Arrived 10 minutes before our reservation - snotty hostess tells us we have to wait and our other guests are at the bar - does not offer to take our coats or walk us to the bar
Get to the bar - ignored by the bartenders (not busy) for over 10 minutes, ask about wine - trust me you don't want to know their response. Drinks arrived one at a time...
I noticed a sketchy looking male standing by a glass door - he's waring baggy black jeans, a bomber jacket and a cap of some sort - since when do fine dining establishments have club doorman inside at smoking entrances ( had to wonder "what his real job was and what he was selling")
Another 10 minutes later and we are seated -no one offers to take our drinks to our table. Next our chairs are so high compared to the table height our knees scrape the table's "under" this is followed by a menu so dark it would be hard to read if there was light never mind the fact we are sitting in the dark ...can they not afford electricity??
As you can see the whole experience has not been good and I haven't even got to the food yet - the food was bland and tasteless. Our waitress told us to order only four dishes as this would be more than enough for the four of us....boy was this incorrect.
Starting at about 10pm they start turning the lights down more and the music up loud so we must shout to hear one another - and the crowd that begins to be allowed...hoodlums and dancing girls - I guess "For your Eyes Only"
I recommend you don't waste your time and skip the Spice Route!
I came here on a Saturday night for drinks with some friends and as far as a bar/lounge goes, this is not bad. The drinks were pretty inexpensive about $6-$7 CAD each but the bartender was measuring each shot, kind of lame.
We got there around 10, no line, no cover, busy but not crowded. The patio is nice and big with couches and tables, but looked like they were table service only, not sure. As the night went on, it got busier and busier and they were limiting the amount of people allowed out on the patio.
The real interesting part of this place was the bathrooms! It's hard to explain but I'll try anyways. Towards the back of the restaurant there is a long hallway lit in red. For the women, the attendant usher's you into a room with a sliding door. This door has frosted glass slates that you can't see through but you can see shadows as people walk by. Each of the 5-7 rooms are very big and clean. The door slides shut but does not have a traditional lock but instead has a switch you flip to lock it.....but the door does not actually touch the wall! There is a tiny gap between the two, not that anyone can see you, but it's still a little intimidating.
Either way, we had a good time and did lots of people watching. Ages ranged from just legal, all the way to men in their 50s.
Attended a party here with some colleagues from work, found that the food was pretty good, nice atmosphere, and prompt service - but that might be a function of the fact that some high-priced stockbrokers were paying for everything. We ordered a broad selection of appetizers, and the food was pretty good overall. It's pretty pricey for what it is though.
Hip and happening after dark this is fast becoming a place to see and be seen. Service is attentive and prompt (thanks Paty). The food is excellent. We had the Cantonese Chow mein (which is incredible), crispy duck (very good) and dim sum platter (not bad). All ingredients exude quality, no skimping here. Wine list is Ok. All in including taxes, tip and wine was like $90 for two. I'll definitely be back!
ok... i know that many people gave this place some bad review... and I might wont be popular for liking it.. but i DO!
the Asian food was very good and the service was amazing! our waiter was very knowledgeable, very attentive to any request. the place was packed, but after dinner we headed to the patio for a drink and easily found a nice place to sit and drink something. the washrooms are very nice as well. (always good).
Another uber hip and trendy bar in King West has opened its doors and its name is Spice Route.
I've been here a couple to times but to be honest, I've never been overly impressed. They obviously spent a ton of money on the decor - flaming candles, exotic door way and huge ass patio with plush seating.
One time I went here for drinks with some friends and the service was TERRIBLE. She came to our table once and never came back to get our drink orders again. The place was packed with your typical crowd of uber trendy working types and college kids that frequent the many bars on the King West strip.
The restaurant itself is really nice - lots of space, tons of seating, great lighting. The menu features a ton of Asian fusion dishes that I have yet to taste.
I wasn't overly impressed with Spice Route. Besides its flashy decor, it doesn't have much to offer in the way of ambiance or service and certainly won't be patronizing the establishment again any time soon.
Who doesn't love a waterfall flanked by several gold fish filled TV's hanging from the ceiling, and that's just the bar. Understated is certainly not the name of the game at Spice Route; whether it be the kitschy pottery barn candle holders or the giant back lit skulls framing the walls. Though I was briefly taken by the matchy matchy decor it was our warm friendly hostess and ultra professional waiter that bumped the restaurant up a couple of stars. Instead of ordering a couple of overwhelming entrees, we decided to peruse a few of the tasty appetizers. On recommendation of the waiter we started with the spiced Indian dips, dim sum platter and the meat eater of the group dove head first into the duck and salad wraps. Though as a vegetarian I did not sample the wraps, the tiny perfectly shaped lettuce wrappers were adorable so I approve. The dips and the dim sum were flavorful and came quickly. Accompanied by our starters the shared pad Thai was quick to follow. Both sweet and sour the pad Thai became one of my flavor faves of the evening. Filled with both generous helpings of tiger shrimp tofu and chicken (on the side) this dish was frankly the only one close in worth to its high price tag. Overall I feel that the prices reflected more the ambiance and professional nature of the wait staff rather than the quantity of the food. However the quality of the dishes was fantastic and almost worth the hefty price tag. As a side note, I learned an important lesson that when the waiter asks if you would like still or sparkling water at your table, this does not include a pitcher of cold tap water, but rather a pretentious exorbitantly expensive Perrier wannabe. Next time I'll know better though...Bottom line definitely worth another visit, earlier the better and bring your best Buddha belly.
The service is so bad that it's bordering on comical. Expect to have the wrong dishes delivered. Or, more than likely, the wait staff (happened to me twice) just forget to order your dish. The decor is a wanna-be Tao of NYC circa 90's. The food itself is a derivative fusion of some Caucasian's wretched version of Asian fusion. The highlight that most patrons cite is the interestingly decorated--or over decorated--washroom. That's a good thing since you'll likely would want to regurgitate what they serve you at this too trendy, over-hyped spot.
Trendy Indo-Chinese fusion cuisine. During a visit to Toronto in March of 2009 a friend recommended The Spice Route. I love to eat, I love fusion cuisine (in my opinion, my city of SF does it best...but...I am definitely open to being persuaded to think otherwise *haha*) and I love contemporary decor. I found the ambiance to be young and modern. The food was good and the service was average. My friend had made reservations for us, we arrived a bit behind schedule, but were seated immediately. We weren't overly hungry so we ordered two plates for family style eating: Thai crab cakes, kobe carpaccio (YUM) and All of our food was well seasoned and delicious. We had 2 orders of the white chocolate lollipop dessert and a mango apple dragon roll. We also tried a cople of their signature cocktails. All in all, we left pleased and pleasantly full and only $57.00 canadian lighter in the pockets (not including gratuity)
I've been here a few times and the service has been pretty slow, but the food is great so it is worth the wait, but if you're in a rush don't bother. The drinks are made nice and strong, so if you've had a rough day at work and want to relax and unwind for a couple of hours, it's a great place for you.
I read the other reviews and I was surprised to hear that people said the drinks were a) strong and b) measured. I went to Spice Route after work on a Friday and ordered a pitcher of the Zengria for $25. I split the pitcher with one friend and even though I hadn't eaten anything since lunch I didn't feel the slightest bit of a buzz even after 3 glasses. I suspect there was little to no alcohol in there. I then switched to the raspberry tea with vodka and same thing. After over $18 in drinks I felt as a sober as a nun and twice as disgruntled. My friends were also pissed at the lack of beer on tap and we hightailed it out of there as fast as we could. I do have one nice thing to say though, the decor is absolutely beautiful. The patio is gorgeous and the bathrooms are a sight to see.
Neighborhood: Queen Street West
Toronto, ON
Toronto, ON
Neighborhood: Financial District
Toronto, ON
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