Aanch — Restaurant in Toronto

Is this how food is served??? Felt like they didn’t want to serve me appropriately and gave me the leftovers.

Detailed review below: I visited this place along with my team. We were a party of 30 people and understandably it took considerable amount of time to prepare the food and serve it.

Good part first: staff: polite and helpful. ambience: nothing extraordinary

Now coming to the bad part. Food presentation: Disgusting. The way they served the food was absolutely not acceptable. It was like throw bits of this and that on the plate and be done with it. It felt like we were served the leftovers in leftover plates/bowls (all of different shapes and sizes).

Take a look at the picture posted by me and you will understand what I mean. Even I (not a cook let alone be a chef) can present food in a much better way. Food Taste: Kebab: we had ordered the chicken plate and the kebab was very dry and hard to chew. I guess they prepared it before and served it after heating it in microwave. Not good and avoidable. Naan: I guess this was the best part of overall experience. It tasted fresh and soft. Butter Chicken: Just okay and it tasted the same as any other regular (not Michelin recommended) Indian restaurant.

I don’t think I have the courage to visit this place again. After all who wants to eat leftovers!!!

Edit (post response by Aanch):

I really do not want to argue, but I shared my feedback based on "MY" experience alone and not someone else's. Ideally, if the restaurant did not have the capability to ensure their customers are given the best experience, then they should have declined the booking. It was mentioned very clearly that we were open to cancel the booking if 30 people cannot be served.

Again, as you already mentioned, food order was given at the time of booking and it wasn't a "surprise order". But unfortunately the restaurant preferred money over the experience and that's what I was trying to focus on. Thanks for bringing it out for me. The photo, of the way food was served to "me", is worth thousand words and describes...

Aanch Restaurant at 259 Wellington Street isn’t just another upscale Indian dining destination—it’s a heartwarming trip down memory lane for those of us who cherished the culinary excellence of 259 Host. As a longtime patron of the former restaurant, stepping into Aanch felt oddly familiar—until the flavors confirmed what the ambiance hinted at.

🌟 Nostalgic Discovery When I noticed the menu at Aanch bore striking resemblance to what 259 Host once offered, my curiosity was piqued. From signature items to subtle menu descriptions, the similarity was more than coincidence. Upon asking the staff, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the executive chef from 259 Host is now the owner of Aanch. That revelation made so much sense—this wasn’t just inspired by 259 Host, it was its true culinary successor.

🍽️ Timeless Flavors What truly blew me away was how faithfully the original flavors have been preserved. Some highlights:

Mutton Galaouti Kabab: Soft, aromatic, melt-in-your-mouth—just like the ones I remember.

Butter Chicken: Creamy, balanced, and rich, with that perfect tandoori depth.

Tandoori Salmon: Flaky, perfectly spiced, and still the best I’ve had in the city.

These dishes didn’t just taste good—they took me back to countless dinners at 259 Host, reminding me why that place used to be my go-to.

🛎️ Service & Ambience The staff is attentive and knowledgeable, and the vibe is modern yet cozy. Whether it’s your first visit or you’re returning with a palette trained by nostalgia, you’ll feel at home here.

🥂 Final Thoughts If you loved 259 Host, you must visit Aanch. It’s not just a restaurant—it’s a reunion with culinary memories. And if you’re new to either name, Aanch will impress you with its top-tier Indian cuisine and warm hospitality. A rare find where old flavors meet new beginnings—highly...

Went on a Sunday eve around 3 pm. We were the only guests at that time. We ordered Mango Lassi, Perm Kulcha, Garlic Naan, Lamb Rogan Josh, Delhi Butter Chicken, Lamb Biryani. The food took about 25 minutes to be served, a bit longer than I expected to come given that the restaurant was not busy at all (to be fair, there could be call in orders coming, I don't know). When it did come by, they were missing the Biryani which the server said would come shortly. at the same time I ordered another Garlic Naan. The Biryani eventually came another 15 min later by which time the other food already got consumed and we were just waiting. Then it took another 10 min for the additional Garlic Naan to come over. The restaurant did start getting busier by this time as it was already past 4 pm. The food was average. The Lamb Rogan Josh was unacceptably sour. Lamb Biryani was good. Butter Chicken was ok. The ambience of the restaurant was very nice and enjoyable, except the choice of music being played. But that could be my personal choice as well, although at a seemingly decent high end restaurant I would expect softer music rather than loud Bollywood Pop music songs. Overall, I may be tempted to checking out on some other Indian restaurant in the DT Toronto for my next experience. I do have to mention that when I made my comments to the server manager, he was polite enough to take the constructive criticism and offered to serve me another main entree of my choice or pack something else for home. When I declined the offer, he actually took off the price of the dish from the bill since I did not enjoy it. Just this professionalism is enough for me to give this place another try next time. Will I be back here?...