Bistro Six One — Restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Went with my family today. We had chicken pesto pasta, mediterranean pizza, and a bbq beef burger. The pasta was extremely greasy (soaked in oil more than pesto), very little chicken which was undercooked, and had so much onion. The person eating the meal stopped eating shortly after starting because it was unpalatable. The burger was apparantely good, but not exactly like you can mess up a burger and fries. Were the fries store bought? The Mediterranean pizza didn't have much flavour except for the roasted peppers, and was soaked in oil with bits of pesto. The pizza also tasted store bought, that being said, I've had better store bought pizzas. Why are waters brought automatically without asking the diners what they want to drink first and why do all the drinks have ice? I was surprised that the decor and lighting looked like a sports bar and grill, and had a curious atmosphere. The menu was also interesting in that the number of drinks were equivalent to the number of dishes. The vegetarian options in the restaurant were at most a handful (~5 at best), and the online there were more vegetarian options. The employees also didn't seem to want to be there, but I can't blame then. Advice: fire the chef, avoid using a microwave, stop buying store bought and frozen foods, and make unique dishes rather than copying dishes from somewhere else. Do NOT recommend. Avoid this location...

I had a disappointing experience at Bistro Six One during my recent visit. While dining, I overheard an interaction between a waitress and a table nearby that was both inappropriate and unprofessional. The waitress approached the table and loudly stated that the customers had not left a tip—loud enough for me, at a separate table, to clearly hear.

First and foremost, regardless of whether a customer leaves a tip or not, it is not acceptable for a server to publicly confront them about it. The customer at the table explained that they were from a different area where tipping customs might differ, to which the waitress responded, "This is how I make my living." While I understand servers rely on tips, it’s important to clarify that in Ontario, servers are paid at least minimum wage, contrary to what the waitress implied.

What struck me most was the visible discomfort and embarrassment on the faces of the customers, and their family members. It was a highly unprofessional and awkward situation that should have been handled much more discreetly, if at all.

I truly wish I had approached management about this at the time, but I wanted to ensure others are aware of the atmosphere at this restaurant. I hope the staff receives better training in handling delicate situations with respect and professionalism...

Hubby and I sat on the patio with our baby in a stroller with more than enough room to navigate. The food looked great but entirely bland and they didn't even have fresh black pepper or Parmesan - if I closed my eyes, I would be able to tell the difference between my husband's bbq chicken pizza and my shrimp pasta. Service was pretty quick considering how just they were but it was a mission to find utensils. The table wasn't set with utensils and the waitress didn't bring any with our meals. I had to navigate the patio and street traffic to get into the restaurant. Once inside, there was no hostess and instead a waiter hollered over his shoulder that I had to wait for someone to come help me, as though I wasn't already doing that. Eventually, someone spotted me from the back of the restaurant and I yelled and motioned that I was looking for forks. They checked 2 different places before they could find us utensils. All in all, I spent nearly 10 min trying to get a fork. Our waitress didn't check in with us at all during the meal and didn't offer us dessert either. To say I wasn't impressed with the NOTL service, considering their reputation, would be an understatement. If you have to wait in line for a restaurant, like we did here, choose another restaurant that will be worth your...