Brothers Grimm Bistro — Restaurant in Hamilton

My summary would be: This restaurant is a beautiful space, with good food, but struggles with the details. For a price this high, I expect great food and a nearly perfect experience. I don't mind paying for that occasionally, but the experience at Brogrimm Bistro was that of a meal that was ~25% cheaper than what we paid.

The booking experience was okay, we expected a late table since we made a reservation at around 6PM. I requested a table for 2 on the site, for 7:30PM and sure enough, nothing available. The only option it offered was bar seating at 8:45PM or later. When we arrived there were at least 4 tables available, and we were seated at a booth which was nice, especially considering the price. I'm not sure why it didn't provide table options, but this is something the restaurant should review. By the time we left it was deserted, and no surprise considering the booking service said there were no seats available when there clearly were.

Service was a bit rocky. The woman who seated us, was also doing some table service, she came back to us once, and was a bit short, not looking to chat. The man who ended up serving us felt like he didn't have a lot of experience serving, as again, it was a bit awkward to order from him, and when we were done, I asked for the bill and he said we could take our time, but our drinks were empty, and we had no food. The one guy (who has been mentioned in other reviews) did not stop talking, really loudly, going off about French people or something. He talked to the table behind us loudly for a solid 5 minutes or longer.

Food was good, not amazing. We started with the ceviche and I had the Chicharron and my partner had the tuna steak. All were really good, but not amazing. Considering the cost I would have expected a bit better, but the portions were decent and I'd eat it again.

Wine was $15 for a glass, but it was a hefty pour. Almost all other wines were by the bottle only, so we both got the house pour which was a good wine. No major complaints there. My biggest complaint is the beer prices. $12 for a 14oz of a normal beer is highway robbery. Bars in the area charge $8.50 for a 20oz beer, nicer restaurants on James and King William will charge $10 for a 16oz beer, but $12 for a 14oz beer is absolutely crazy. That's nearly doubled the price of the same beer per oz at a local bar within walking distance.

Music was a bit too loud considering the restaurant was empty near the end of our meal, and something more jazzy would have been more appropriate. Nothing irks me more than eating an expensive meal and hearing mediocre pop music that's a but too upbeat for the setting. This is a fancier restaurant, and so I'd expect a better mood. The bathroom had the music way too loud because it's a small room, and it was again, more akin to a medium priced restaurant. The urinal was falling apart with a crazy caulking job, a light was missing from the light fixture, and the drying method after washing hands was a blow dryer instead of paper towels. I could see the toilet paper in the stall flying around, so I can imagine someone use the stall would get blown every time someone dries their hands. The candle on our table was out and we had to ask for it to be relit. Lastly the default tip options for this meal started at 18%.

Minor nitpicks: the social media could use some work to seem a bit more upscale and mature. The Open sign on the front door could be a bit nicer, there are nicer open signs that don't look like your entering a fancy convenience store. Honestly, could probably do away with the Open sign altogether, it's a bit unnecessary for an upscale restaurant.

The appetizer, two meals, and three drinks came to $166 with tax We purchased the cheapest meals on the menu too. I think BroGrimm need to iron out the details a bit, or reduce the prices to a medium priced restaurant instead of the premium prices they're charging. I would have been happy if the price of this meal was around $125-$130 range. It didn't feel like a nearly $200...

This place was defiantly an amazing find. I went to Brothers Grimm for a birthday, and had such an amazing overall experience, I would go back any chance I get. When we arrived, we were quickly greeted with a genuine smile, and brought to a clean table. We ordered, and got an amazing recommendation of the Brussel sprouts along side the tuna (The Brussel sprouts were cooked to perfection, with a slight char on the outside, and a soft bite on the inside. It came with pumpkin seeds and seasonings. When paired with the sauce that came with the tuna, it melted in my mouth. The tuna itself was also amazing, seared on the outside and perfectly red and meaty inside.). Along with the starters, I ordered a non-alcoholic strawberry mojito, and was pleasantly surprised. It was refreshing, and not too sweet. The mint was present, but not overwhelming. All the other drinks ordered at my table were equally as delightful, while also being unique. While waiting for the food, I had a look around. It felt quite posh, but also lovely at the same time. The lighting is perfect for calm or romantic events, and the interior design pairs with it nicely. I especially loved that each table came with a lit candle in individual, neat containers. The food arrived together, and beautifully plated. I ordered La Terre Et La Mer, a steak, which I got medium well, a lobster tail, mushrooms, kale chips and potatoes. The steak was cooked exactly how I like it, and the lobster was hearty and tender. The kale chips melted when you bit them, and paired amazingly along with the sauce. The potatoes were soft with a crispy exterior, slightly coated with brown sugar and salt to add an amazing and completely different flavour. My table also ordered a dish which came with fries, and needless to say they were gone immediately. The fries were salted to perfection, and along with the soft, fluffy inside and the crispy outside, were mouth watering. To end off the experience, we ordered desert. We ordered the chocolate tarte, and the milhoja. The chocolate tarte seemed dry at first because of how it came apart when you tried to grab some, but after a bite, it is actually quite moist and rich. It came with drunken berries and a heavy whipped cream, all tying the dish together nicely. The Milhoja was light and crispy, good for if you were already a bit full. It came with a light peach sauce, and caramel in between pastries. When you go, I would suggest asking your server for recommendations, because they know what they’re doing. They will give you an honest opinion, and greet you with a smile and some of the best customer service...

Came on a Saturday night for a birthday celebration. Table of 2. Beautiful restaurant, as soon as you walk in your greeted by a great host with a smile. Looking around the place is clean, and set up well, not too tight of seating. Booths are raised a bit along the boarder of the dining room, that’s a great touch. We sat on the very end of the restaurant near the bar, high top in a very nice intimate table. We felt like we were closed in our own little experience at this spot.

We ordered a couple of espresso martinis to start. Then each had our own cocktail which all were done beautifully. We ordered house red wine with our mains and were disappointed, was a tough drink, not smooth at all. although house wine we should have known better.

For food we ordered

Italian cauliflower fritters - 5/5 - these were a great start to our dinner. Very crispy, lots of flavours and the smoked feta aioli was a great addition. (Although I didn’t really get a Smokey element at all in the aioli). Cooked perfectly so still had a bite to it, wasn’t mushy at all.

Portuguese shrimp Mozambique - 2/5 - shrimp was slightly overdone. Broth was nice, but it did lack flavour, even a bit of salt and/or citrus would have brought the dish to life. Bread accompanied with it was very stale. Overall I really wanted to like this dish and have heard great things, could have been just the one mishap but will give it another shot some time.

La mer et la terre - 4/5 huge portion, but worth it. Hug lobster tail with lots of creamy mushroom, strip loin sliced thin, with sauce and kale crisps. I did enjoy this, my only thought was that it is extremely rich and could have used a bit of acidity to help cut the fattiness/richness of this dish, aside from that, fantastic.

Hunters wild game pie - 5/5 - my partner had this and she really enjoyed. Big portion, lots of mushrooms. Bone marrow was a great hit as well, the pastry was perfect, and seasoned very well. Good presentation, would definitely recommend this.

Service was good, bartender was accommodating and knowledgeable with the menu. Our table sat with empty glasses and plates for some time (at least 10 minutes) while people kept walking by.

Overall we really enjoyed this restaurant. A few small things could have been better but the experience was a win and we will definitely come back to try more of the menu. Would recommend for sure, great place for an intimate dinner for 2 or even a small gathering of friends looking for something a bit different than the...