Pür & Simple — Restaurant in Dartmouth

We went here New Year’s Eve day. This was our second attempt at going to this restaurant. The first time was Remembrance Day and we turned around and left as the lineup was out the door. It was the same this day, but we stuck it out. This just shows how desperate people are for a decent place in Dartmouth. Let me give you all an idea of the timeline: Entered 11 am. Were sat 11:30 am. 11:44 drinks orders only. Food orders taken at 11:54 (do the math). Kids breakfast came at 12:25. Table food came around 12:30 Finished by 12:45. Waiting for check Back on the car at 1 that’s 2 hours for lunch.

The hostess was all by herself greeting, bussing, seating, setting up and organizing. That’s ridiculous. There was one bus boy, who looked like he’d been partying early the night before, rolled out of bed and into work. He had two speeds, slow and stop. No sense of urgency AT ALL. The hostess was also moving at a calm rate but probably just because she would have been completely overwhelmed. There were really poor decisions about seating - tables of 4 that could have been put together with a two to seat a bigger group were given to couples. When there were deuces almost ready to turn. Tables sat empty while a massive crowd was standing around waiting to be seated, but given Mr. Bus boy’s lack of enthusiasm, things were not running efficiently. No one was managing the staff at all on this busy day, even thought the owner was there. He wandered through the kitchen, then sat a table drinking coffee giving no direction. I had a steak skillet, which was ok, but when something says it’s a steak dish you expect it to have a steak with it, or at least slices of steak. There might have been 3 tablespoons of steak “shavings” on it. The food was ok, but frankly after waiting that long to even sit down, let alone eat , it would have to be something spectacular to make me want to spend money here again. I know this place is newish, so it’s popular - but really, do yourself (and your stomach) a favour and support a local business that actually seems to care about customer service like Smitty’s or Palladium for quick, friendly, efficient service AND decent food....

What a fantastic restaurant! I don’t usually write reviews, but this one is worth sharing in great detail.

I went to Pur and Simple Dartmouth for the first time over the weekend and did not realize how busy they would be! They have a fantastic system for their waitlist and the host and hostess were spot on with their estimation for how long it would take before my husband and I were seated. They were very helpful in adding us to their waitlist and quickly seated us as soon as we re-entered the restaurant after our wait. Since names and phone numbers were taken for their waitlist, staff asked if the same information could be used for their COVID-19 contact tracing form. I thought this was a great idea, and the hostess was able to do the whole process on her phone/tablet!

Their entire staff base is so friendly and upbeat, and they all seem so dedicated to ensuring that each table has the best experience. My waitress was able to accommodate my gluten sensitivity with ease. You get so much food that I couldn’t even finish my plate... Thank goodness for to-go boxes!

As an aside, I read an earlier review about being unable to use bathrooms in the restaurant; however, it is evident that such a review was given during the time that the restaurants in the HRM area were closed for dine-in. Shame on that individual for being so foolish and giving this hard working establishment a bad review. Their bathrooms were certainly usable during my visit (and might I mention, extremely clean!)

The restaurant itself is so modern and tasteful—and the prices are unbeatable! From the younger generation straight through to retiree’s like my husband and I, I would recommend Pur and Simple to anyone who asks, as it is the perfect atmosphere for any age. Well worth the wait time—I’d wait double the time for this breakfast. It’s the best breakfast in town—Cora’s, Smitty’s, and other local establishments don’t stand a chance. I cannot wait to...

Wanted to stop in to see the new menu. We are fairly frequent visitors here.

I had the rays extravaganza. Missing the seasoned onions as there were not many. Hollandaise was also lacking (compared to usual). I think this made it kinda bland today .

They brought back the Chorizo Benedict that my wife was excited about. She had ordered a medium and received a soft. The Chorizo was not the crumbled chorizo of old but tasted more like a sliced up sausage from frozen. The spicy hollandaise was lacking.

Daughter ordered the Choco Coco which looked stunning but she quickly found out it was too much of a dessert than a meal for a kid. Also was huge. I tried it and can attest this would have made a better shareable desert than a meal. Perhaps making the portion size a 1/4 with some regular pancakes would have done the trick or with a few standard egg and bacon would have fared better.

Price point is fairly steep but it is justifiable based on presentation and the time they put into their meals.

Server was on point today but the interaction very limited even from the greeter. (Not busy 36 people)

The atmosphere here is like sitting in a warehouse empty and full of echos. I get ceilings are expensive but it’s hard to hold a conversation with soo much echoing. All the hard surfaces in the facility don’t help either from a acoustic perspective. Perhaps some acoustic wall baffles would help.

Washrooms are not ideal. I find these after design purchases for toilet paper are the one thing folks should look at against their layout. The washrooms were clean but the mounted toilet paper dispenser was way too close to the toilet and so was the toilet for that matter. While I blame the designer for that one I hope the owner sees this and can correct the issue. Additionally I felt cleaning should include tightening the toilet seat. (Pet...