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Vertical Restaurant & Bar
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
100 King St WToronto, ON M5X 1E1
Neighbourhoods: Financial District, Downtown Core
(416) 214-2252
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
14 reviews for Vertical Restaurant & Bar
14 reviews in English
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Review from Billy K.
Markham, ON
5/13/2012
I really enjoyed this place. Service and atmosphere was great. I had the Gnocchi pasta which was delicious - I loved it. Only complaint was that the portion was a little small. We started with the Prosciutto appetizer which was also very good. Lunch courses were in the $20 - $30 range. I would go back for sure.... highly recommended.
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Review from Basimah S.
Toronto, ON
4/6/2012
The best service I've had in a while. Was there last night for the first time. Was very impressed by the waitresses and manager. Even got a free appetizer for a so called 'inconvenience', that neither of us realized. The chickpea fries are so good! Wine glasses were always full, and the atmosphere was business like but relaxed. Will be going back for sure!
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Review from Alison C.
2/4/2011
Our clients specifically requested that we hold our corporate lunch at Vertical, which was one of their favorite restaurants near their offices. I was surprised to discover that this hip and stylish restaurant was actually located just off of a large food quart within a building composed of shops and offices. In a mall-like facility such as this, I would have expected to find more chain restaurants, like say a T.G.I. Friday's than a place this elegant. We walked through the elaborate entrance, past the bar, and our onto the sprawling outdoor patio. We were escorted to our party's table and relaxed ourselves into the comfortably cushioned chairs.
I started my lunch experience with a smile on my face due to the beautiful dining environment and slices of fabulous whole wheat olive bread. Sadly, this sentiment did not last very long though. My Scallop starter contained a measly 2 pieces, both of which were very chewy. They were served over a salad of sliced brussels sprouts, cranberries, and pistachios, and then finished in a lemon and garlic brown butter. The slaw of accouterments was decent, but could not make up for the rubbery scallops.
After such a lousy seafood appetizer, one would hope that I would have learned my lesson, but I proceeded with the Rainbow Trout entree. The fish was not particularly fresh, nor did it have much of a flavor. It was served with an earthy blend of dandelion, cauliflower purée, Jerusalem artichokes, olive tapenade, and sprouts. The healthy blend was an improvement on the rest of the meal, but still left me unsatisfied.
Though my clients and co-workers apparently enjoyed their meals at Vertical, I unfortunately had to disagree. The decor might have been high-end, but the cuisine was more indicative of the mall atmosphere that surrounded it. -
Review from Robin D.
7/16/2011
Wahhh... view here is amazing.
Came here for summerlicious with some coworkers for lunch. Waitress was extremely helpful to attend our needs for a satisfying lunch with our one hour time constraint.
Arugula, crosata, and panna cotta... yummm!! Would definitely come back! -
Review from Jordan T.
Toronto, ON
12/18/2010
I was shocked to see that Vertical was getting such positive reviews. I have been there twice for a meal and a number of additional times for drinks.
Both times I ate there I was totally unimpressed and that's using a pretty low standard given that I wasn't paying either time. I found the food to be average and the service to be the same, while the prices are anything but average (even by Bay Street standards). I suppose the ambiance is pretty nice, but it's really nothing to write home about.
They do have a good patio for drinks in the summer, but be prepared to pay at least $7 for a pint. A friend ordered a glass of their house white on the patio one night and it was something like $14.Listed in: The Financial District
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Review from Ambrose C.
8/3/2010 10 photos
This restaurant could be one possible reason why the upscale restaurants in Toronto are actually a lot better than the upscale restaurants in Boston. I came here for an evening dinner for my cousin's wedding party and I thought the dinner was excellently tasty. Although we had a fixed menu, the dishes are definitely on the regular menu. Here is what the people on my table and I got:
Appetizers:
Seared East Coast Scallops - The dish had two pieces. $16 CAD (I ordered this dish).
Tagliatelle - A pasta that consists of lobster, scallop, grape tomato, basil, olive oil & garlic. On the regular dinner menu on the "Pasta" section. - $26 CAD on the Dinner Menu.
Main Dish:
Kerr Farms Ontario Ribeye Steak - This version came with Cipollini onions, fingerlings, sautéed greens, and Sicilian olive oil. Also known as just the "Ribeye" on the regular menu. Everyone on my table got this, knowing that this was probably going to be the most expensive dish. The Dinner Menu said "PA" for price. I ordered it medium rare.
Desserts:
Mille Foglie - Consists of stracchino & mascarpone cream, Saskatoon berry & apple. $9 CAD on the Dessert Menu. (I ordered this dish)
Milk Chocolate Mousse - Contains House made strawberry preserve, caramelized pears and rosemary. $9 CAD.
Lemon and Almond Tart - Contains Sweetened Ricotta, Candied Lemon zest. $9 CAD.
Bread was decent and fresh, nothing much to write about, but a good start to the meal.
I started to eat the scallops. They were freshly cooked, excellently tasty and flavourful. I thought they put the right amount of seasoning and oil, making it one of the tastiest scallops I have ever eaten. I had a piece of the Tagliatelle pasta and I thought it was tasty as well. A lot of tasty Tagliatelle pasta can make an amazing meal.
Next, was the Ribeye steak, cooked medium rare. I cut a piece, placed the piece in my mouth, closed my eyes and slowly began to chew. My taste buds and palate began to communicate with me...
"MMMMMM..... this is so good... incredible juiciness and tenderness... whoa... so tasty... so meaty... so chewy... must... need... more..."
Yeah, my taste buds and palate experienced an incredible and pleasurable feeling of bliss and exhilaration after eating that steak. I have not eaten steak this good since having an awesomely tasty Ribeye steak back in the Boston area. The Ribeye steak was probably the best thing out of this restaurant so far. All of the cooked vegetables I had mentioned on the dishes I ordered were really delicious. They were almost perfectly cooked with the right amount of oil and seasoning, that made them excellently tasty.
As for the desserts, I liked the presentation. Although all of them were tasty, I thought they were the only flaw in this restaurant. The Mille Foglie was probably the tiniest dessert I have ever eaten, but the berries inside were sweet, juicy, and tasty as the cream provided an excellent flavour to the tiny cracker shaped pastries. I had a bite of the Milk Chocolate Mousse, and I thought it was incredibly rich and creamy with a good amount of fruity sweetness. I regretted not ordering that. I had a piece of the Lemon and Almond tart, and it was just okay. The tastiness and sweetness almost tasted like something you could possibly get from an inexpensive pastry shop. The desserts are not high on my recommendations, but I think the only thing worth getting is the Milk Chocolate Mousse.
As for the environment of this restaurant, the patio is nice, the sofas are comfortable, and it can definitely be used as a great venue for an amazing outdoor night party, when the weather is a 20 degrees Celsius minimum. The washrooms are ridiculously spacious and clean for a restaurant washroom.
Although the food in this place is really pricey on the regular menu, this could be an excellent and comfortable place to splurge on a really tasty dinner once in a while. And it is not a bad choice for an entertainment consulting group to use as a venue for fun nightlife in the city. Overall, I thought I had the best scallops and ribeye steak in Toronto so far. -
Review from Cisilia C.
Scarborough, ON
8/28/2011
This is a LONG overdue review that I never really gotten around to writing. I came to vertical with my ex for our valentines day dinner and it was around $60 each?
My bf had the LOBSTER candy cane beet & mache salad, horseradish vinaigrette and i found it really good and i had the L O L L A R O S S A S A L A D roasted pear, candied pine nuts, big ed cheese, chianti vinaigrette which i really didn't like, i picked out all the pine nuts, cheese and pear to eat but the vinaigrette ruined it for me. Next my bf had the P A S S A T E L L I sausage, arugula, tomato which I found REALLY not special at all but on the other hand my R I S O T T O pioppini mushrooms, thyme, lemon
zest, ricotta 'infornata' was AMAZING , good flavours, perfectly cooked. Next my bf had the V E N I S O N S T R I P L O I N puntarelle, pecan, grapes, cicerchia bean stew, red wine jus it was really tender and juicy. pefectly cooked. and i had the O R A T A mediterranean sea bream, turtle bean, tomato & caper, watercress purée The sea bream was SO GOOD and i learned im not a fan of capers and watercress puree. I COMPLETELY avoided it lol . Lastly, my bf got M I L K C H O C O L A T E C H E E S E C A K E raspberry black pepper sauce, it was dense and fluffy haha but so rich in flavour and i can tastate the black pepper, it was a nice combination. and i had the L E M O N T A R T candied lemon zest, blood orange sorbet , THIS WAS DEFINITELY the high point of my dinner. the dessert was so nice and refreshing. just talking about it makes me want more lol -
Review from Karen G.
8/25/2009
I just came back from lunch on Vertical's patio. It was thoroughly enjoyable. Our waiter was excellent and knowledgeable and the food was outstanding. I ordered the Seared East Coast Scallops with wax beans, FAA beans, house made bacon & lemon for $16 as an appetizer and although there were only 2 scallops, it was the perfect size for an appetizers and the flavours were delicious. The tiny pieces of bacon were perfectly crisp and the scallops were seared and crispy on the outside and moist inside. Yummy!
For the main course, I had the seared rare tuna which was also outstanding. It was served on bread salad, red wine poached onions & green olive pure for $28.
The food was certainly on the pricey side but the entire dining experience was very enjoyable. -
Review from Benoit L.
Boucherville, QC
4/9/2011
Great contemporary restaurant with excellent cuisine, service and overall quality. Hot bread with oil, I was offered a complimentary drink, service was top notch. I had the clams to start, they were very fresh, tasty and cooked perfectly. Risotto was good but not seasoned to my taste, however it was well cooked and satisfying. Nice cheese selection. I liked the wine selection, two sizes offered by the glass, prices were reasonable. I would return anytime!
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Review from An N.
Scarborough, ON
9/23/2009
I had the prosciutto as an appie and it was yummy. I had the Ontario Duck as my main and it was delicious and savory. It was filling, I must have received 7 slices of duck. Even though I sat on the patio, I made sure to check the inside and its got a sexy ambiance. It's pricey but the servers are very attentive and patient.
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Review from Rich T.
Toronto, ON
1/23/2010
I really like this spot, it's too bad it's really only a weekday place given its location. Love the chic decor. Would say it's a great high end lunch spot if you're so inclined. Usually where pitches or deals get struck Drinks after work --- absolutely. On Thursdays, especially (in the summer) but don't expect happy hour prices. It's one of 4-5 Bay Street watering holes that have gold digging types trolling for minnows. But what about the food? It's a go. Had the fish stew this week - very tasty. I only wish I had ordered 2 portions! Definitely give it a try for lunch / dinner on weekday...especially in the summer --- great patio in the heart of Canada's financial hub. +ives: decor, service, food; -ives: furthest from casual
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Review from Larry L.
Toronto, ON
11/7/2009
I had dinner at Vertical the other night. They feature are great selection of whole fish. I had a grilled Branzino (Mediterranean Sea Bass) and my friend had the braised Orata (Sea Bream). The fish were amazingly fresh! The servers were great they present the fish at table side and offer to debone it for you (which they did amazingly well). Overall it was a great value and a great atmosphere.
When we got the bill it came with a great postcard and on the back it mentioned that they do Regional Menus on Friday and Saturday nights. It's something like $45 for 4 courses and $60 with wine pairings. Sounds like a great night out. And after the experience we just had I think that's going to be our next weekend out! -
Review from Hassan A.
Toronto, ON
8/19/2010
I went there for dinner last night. Great lounging type of environment. Perfect location in the heart of the financial district on King West. Their fish was not too fishy and they had great greens. Will be going back again for sure in the future!
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Review from CE C.
9/21/2010
We really had a fantastic meal here, service was a little questionable though. We started off with the tagliatelle with lobster and scallops which was delicious. The homemade pasta was great, and the sauce was so simple and refined. For dinner we had the lamb rack and ontario duck The lamb rack was cooked perfectly. So the duck was cooked perfectly, however the duck breast was cut too soon. The duck did not have enough time for its juices to redistribute which made it kind of dry. The plate had red juice running all over it from the duck!
