The Beverley

Had brunch here for my birthday two weeks ago. It's a very nice relaxed space for Sunday brunch. We were greeted right away asked for our choice of seating. Decided to sit by the window so we can people watch till the food arrived.

We both ended up ordering the chorizo omelette. I got mine with a salad and hubsie got it with home fries. The omelette was so delicious! Salad was nicely dressed. Their coffee was excellent.

Overall it was a delicious brunch with excellent service in a beautiful space. I would definitely go back again.

I had a lovely stay here while on a work trip. The staff are incredibly friendly and happy to allow you to use the restaurant on the first floor like a hotel lobby.

Rooms are quite small but clean, modern, and large enough for one person on a short visit. Two people would be quite a squeeze, but doable if you like each other enough I suppose. They remind me of the Ikea floor models of how-you-could-live-in-500-sq.ft.

The restaurant downstairs I thought was mostly okay, although you do get a discount eating there as a guest. I had breakfast there one morning and was underwhelmed with my food. The main door is also quite drafty so the restaurant is freezing most of the time. That made it a big bummer. Great cappuccinos and tea though.

I'd stay here again but probably not eat.

We saw this place listed as a new opening on BlogTO and decided to try it out. Reservations were easy to book and we were seated right away. The service was great, they were eager to hear our feedback about everything from the food to the music selection.

To drink, we ordered a bottle of Sangiovese which went well with everything we ordered. We started with the 4Play (I hated ordering that item out loud, but hey, whatever I guess). It consisted of four different tapas-style dishes that were all great. They change on a daily basis, but our favourites were the beef cheek crostini and the scallops with apricot salsa. Yummmmm. Next, we had the fried buttermilk quail. The seasoning was so good, it was a little sweet and the deep-fried-ness wasn't overbearing as it sometimes can be. We moved onto the ricotta cheese which was fresh and creamy.

We finished with the foie gras, which deserves its own paragraph. It was dubbed "torch-on" which meant it was somewhere between what you usually get when you order the dish and a creme brulee (yeah, I know, amazing). It was served on a Waldorf salad, which was a nice break from the creamy-richness of the foie.

We paid our bill and headed up to the rooftop cocktail bar / lounge upstairs. We sampled a few different cocktails. Our two favourites were the Villains and Bosses and the Pimm's Cup. That said, the standout drink of the night was the on-tap Stiegl Radler Grapefruit. It was so refreshing and delicious, and I'd never seen it on tap before.

The chef came by to talk to us a total of four times throughout the meal and post-meal drinks. All in all, it was one of our best nights out in Toronto in quite awhile. Highly recommended.

This review is based on the rooftop patio alone.

U can easily walk by this place along Queen West because the frontage is quite narrow. Good thing they set out a few tropical planters and have a greeter with a menu in hand.

We climbed up a few flights of stairs but I'm sure they have an elevator too. It's a hotel and guests must have luggage... Anyways, the small rooftop patio has these comfy banquettes for 2 or 3 (if you can snag one) and there is some bar seating as well. There were a couple of larger seating formations in the back for larger groups. I can't believe the capacity is for 70 people. They have a good selection of cocktails and Radler on tap. That was a welcome surprise. There's also a grill in the back but the skewers were a bit more charred than I would have preferred so we didn't order any snacks.

Although there were many servers, we had to ask for the bill twice. The first person we asked seemed lost and confused. Since this place was still on their soft opening, I can only expect things will be much more efficient the next time around.

Thanks to Holly for making her drinks with precision and care. We really enjoyed ourselves. Now to work our way through the drinks menu... We will definitely be back for more.

LUNCH

The Beverly Hotel (@beverleyhotelTO) which is a 18-room boutique hotel that finally open after more than 2 years in the making. But of course I was there for the food and was excited to finally try Chef Eric Wood (@chefericwood) creations since he left Hawthorne by the time I went.

The entire first floor was the hotel while the 2nd and 3rd floor house the hotel rooms with a rooftop bar/patio which you can take the tiny elevator up.

We went for lunch on a sunny Saturday but was disappointed that they only served a few grilled skewers on the rooftop patio and I wanted to try items from their menu instead.... so we skip the sunny patio and opted to stay in and we were the only one there.

Free re-fills of coffee and Ben probably end up drinking 3-4 cups which means it's pretty goof coffee.

Charred Edamame $6
~ red chili, walnut, Cape Breton salt, herbs
~ This was very tasty and we can't help but keep devouring it. Unlike the boring steam plus salt version, this had a very nice pan-kiss to them with a very sticky thick sweet sauce to it with the perfect added crunch from the crushed walnut.
~ I will definitely try replication this at home real soon.

Buttermilk Fried Quail $12
~ sumac + savory, fireweed honey, onion sprout
~ I just had to order this since I loved it back when I tried it at Hawthrone (post here) and loved it.
~ But unfortunately somehow, this was less crispy and even a bit soggy although the flavors are still there

4 play @ Lunch $16
~ A quartet of samplings chosen by the chef daily and that day there was a refreshing light slaw + sauteed veggies & mushroom + Caborana pasta w/ bacon + grilled peach for dessert.
~ I was just in craving for pasta that day but would have otherwise miss the meat/protein here.
~ I initially expected really small portion but it was rather large portion, so so that I have to have Ben finished it... guess I couldn't have asked for a more perfect lunch at such a great price.

Beverly Burger $17
~ Guernsey cheese, bordelaise, pickle, watermelon, Kennebec Fries
~ Thought the meat was a bit overcook and dry but otherwise the combination of flavors were great. Love the refreshing burst of texture and flavor from the watermelon together with the strong Guernsey Cheese.
~ I have to say I love the fries here, it was incredibly well flavor with salt, pepper and herbs... you can basically munch on it even without ketchup.

Verdict :
~ Would definitely love to go back for dinner and try more dishes
~ But have to say service was a bit slow given that we were the only table.

I dropped in for lunch, and sadly I wasn't super-impressed.

If I were rating the Beverley solely on the food, this would probably be a 2-star review. That might be a little harsh, passing judgment like that after just one lunch played solo, but I can only go off what I've had, and since I probably won't be back I don't see much reason to hold off in hopes of sampling more of the menu. This is a 3-star review because the service was excellent. The front of house was pleasantly casual and welcoming, while my server was perfectly attentive and wonderfully friendly, without hovering over me to the point of being uncomfortable. The service was great.

When I walked into the Beverley at 1 PM on a weekday, there were only a handful of diners and we'd all come for the same thing - the 4Play. It was the only thing anyone was eating. The idea of a light, four-course tasting lunch at sixteen bucks is a winning concept, and it's clearly getting people in the door. The presentation - four clean white plates on a large matching platter, allowing the plates to be shuffled around to give you access to whichever dishes you want to go at first - is lovely. But the food itself was weak, and elements of the concept need to be tweaked.

Unfortunately I caught my server off-guard by placing my order immediately, so I actually received no explanation of what I was eating when it arrived. When I inquired a couple minutes later, the server wasn't properly equipped to describe all four dishes, so bear with me if I'm a bit vague. This was the only flaw in the service - when you plunk four mystery dishes in front of a guest, please be able to tell me what I'm eating. My 4Play consisted of:

-Nappa Cabbage Slaw In Vinaigrette - This was delightful. I was craving something light for lunch, and the slaw was crispy, fresh, and flavorful with flecks of red bell pepper, green onion, and a sprinkling of nuts. I'm a sucker for a good salad and I really enjoyed this.

-Mushrooms and Sweet Potato - Served over a splash of unfortunate tomato sauce, the mushrooms were flavorful and the sweet potatoes were a standout, grilled to a pleasant black crisp. This was a weird little dish because none of it worked together, though none of it was outrightly unpleasant. I could definitely come to love those sweet potatoes in a different dish entirely.

-Duck Confit Taco - Topped with a bit of nappa cabbage, cucumber, and red bell pepper, the duck was flavorless and the unnecessary wad of sour cream melted through the tortilla like thermite. This was mucky, cold, and not very good.

-Pear and Caramel Cake Thing - A small piece of cake accompanied by a couple pieces of poached pear and a whole whack of caramel sauce, this was nothing special, but doused in so much caramel it was passable. Throw enough caramel on anything and it can pass. This isn't something I'd want to eat again, but that's due in part to the fact that I ate it with the same cutlery that had just passed through tomato sauce and vinaigrette slaw. This was my main quibble with the 4Play execution - you really need a dessert fork here, guys.

In addition to the 4Play I just had to try the duck fat kettle corn, which was sadly super-underwhelming. There wasn't alot of flavor going on with a definite lack of coating to each piece of popcorn, and while the portion was huge, the brown-paper-bag presentation was kind of difficult to approach gracefully once I'd gotten about halfway through it. Was I supposed to tear the upper half of the bag away, Chipotle-style? It seemed uncouth. I opted to tip the bag over and reach in sideways instead of plunging myself in to the elbow from the top. Hysterically, there was so much kettle corn that it outlasted the rest of my lunch, so by the time the elegantly presented 4Play was removed, I was left snacking out of a greasy paper bag wondering not if, but precisely to what degree, I looked like a homeless person.

Restaurants of Toronto, please stop plying ironic low-class presentation for whimsy. It's been done to death and now it's officially just awkward.

I want to love this place. The service is wonderful, and the space is nice. But the food needs to improve drastically, or they're going to have some problems moving forward.

The Beverley Hotel is one of the newer restaurant/hotel combos that has opened up in the Toronto area. After reading about their 4 Play combo, I decided to gather a group of fellow foodies to check it out!

Nice, sleek, modern décor. Friendly staff.

My 4 Play consisted of the following:

Brisket - served a bit cold. Brisket was spicy. Nothing too special.
Lobster Crostini - quite yummy, I wanted to devour more!
Smoked Sturgeon - delicious flavours, smoked perfectly.
Pear & Pork Belly - good; nothing outstanding about the dish.

I had a Sangria and it was tough to get through. The fruit was mushy and was like a giant mush of pulp getting stuck in my straw. I would NOT order this again. They had previously made the Sangria available in pitchers, but when we came, they were in the midst of changing the cocktail menu so luckily that saved us from getting a pitcher full of pulp.

Desserts were hit & miss. I highly recommend their version of a smore, it is a bit spicy but it works really well with the dish and was one of the highlights of my experience there. The torched marshmallow rocks. Yum.

The donuts were bland and I wouldn't waste putting those calories in my mouth again.

We took a peep at the rooftop patio and it was quite small and cramped; I wouldn't go there for drinks anytime when it is busy.

2.5/5. Overall, I think the Bev Hotel definitely has some room to grow, but has potential! I would give it a second chance in the future.

This was by far, the worst dining experience I've ever had. Read on.

Last weekend, my partner-in-crime and I were starving, wandering Queen St W and looking for an interesting place to eat.

We stopped at The Beverly and looked over their menu. The food sounded excellent. We went in.

It was close to 3pm and the place was dead. One guy on the bar, and another one who appeared to be a waiter? We were seated...but it took a rather long time before anyone even came over to ask if we wanted something to drink. This didn't bode well.

We each ordered the same thing, beef brisket eggs benedict. Hollandaise sauce FTW! My lady friend asked if they could remove the beef and make it vegetarian. Our waiter said he'd see what the kitchen could do, maybe add something to make it more substantial, he said.

A while later, our food came out. Remember this was supposed to be beef brisket on eggs bene?

This was more like...

...grey, dried out, bland, thin, sad #$%@-ing looking "brisket". It looked closer to beef JERKY, and even that is a stretch. Jerky is at least dark in colour and is highly flavourful.

I sat there dumbfounded and pissed. But I was so famished, I thought I'll take off this pathetic excuse for brisket and slowly eat what's left. The hollandaise sauce looked more like they broke the yoke on the eggs. It was a teeny, tiny glob of hollandaise. Not generous in the least.

About 10 - 15 minutes went by...and our waiter came to check in on us.

"How is everything?"

I took a deep breath, containing my disgust as best as I could:

Me: "This is the saddest beef brisket I've ever seen in my life."

Him: "OMG. REALLY?"

Me, in my head: Dude, seriously? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT BRISKET IS?

Me, outloud: "Brisket is moist and tender, slathered in bbq sauce. This is BEEF JERKY."

Him: "Do you want something else?"

Me: "No. I'm starving."

He said something about talking to the chef, when his other coworker who'd been at the bar this whole time came over.

Him: "You don't like the brisket? Let me talk to our chef."

WHY DO TWO PEOPLE HAVE TO TALK TO THE CHEF?

When he came out a minute later, he walked right past our table, flicked his hands up in the air, and as he passed, cattily said "Sorry about that...sorry"...not even giving me the time of day to look at me like a human being and apologize to my face. Like *I* was the one with the problem. You work in the HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY. Is that how you treat your customers? Are you @#$%-ing kidding me?! DID THIS JUST ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

He and our waiter stood together by the bar mumbling to each other. I ate the rest of what was on my plate, now doubly pissed because of the disgusting "apology" I received. They took off my meal from our bill. We paid, used their washroom, and left.

I don't know if the chef was truly having an off day, or simply doesn't have a clue in Hell what beef brisket is. But I also know most people's standards for food are pretty low, especially in Toronto. They'd eat shit if they knew it was organic, gluten-free and vegan.

I cannot believe the vomitous actions of the bartender and his excuse of an apology. Oh, I'm so sorry I complained about your craptastic food. Our waiter on the other hand, was gracious and very apologetic. I believe his name was Josh.

Thank you Josh, for doing your best as a waiter and human being in a lousy situation. Your coworker needs a crash course in Human Decency 101 through to 400, How Not to be a Diva 101, 102 and 103, and Empathy 101, 102, 103 through to 400. It's going to be a while, sweety-pie.

The Beverly is one of my favourite brunch spots simply because it's affordable, delicious & the staff is super laid back.

This restaurant is located in the boutique hotel The Beverly (at Queen & Beverly). It's in close proximity to the Art Gallery of Ontario & the "trendy" Queen Street west neighbourhood. We especially love coming here before heading out for a day of shopping or at the gallery.

The menu has the usual breakfast & brunch fare. My favourite dish is the smoked salmon Benny ($15), which comes with home fries, perfectly poached eggs & delicious smoked salmon on a buttermilk biscuit. The generous serving also comes with a side of fruit. They also have a peameal version which is equally pleasing. If that is too much food, they also have the Beverly breakfast ($8) which is a steal.

Definitely check this place out if you're in the area & are looking for a great brunch spot.

Completely basing my review on the steak entree. Possibly one of the best steak meals I've ever had. The frites were great and the house made ketchup was very complementing. Service was decent. Small place but good for intimate gatherings.