Alobar Downtown — Restaurant in Toronto

Consider yourself warned! We went with some co-workers- total 6ppl- on a Tuesday afternoon for the “Happy” hour. The place was empty and we were asked if we had a reservation to begin with. The service and servers were very confused as we have 4 different servers checking up on us and yet the drinks were late or forgotten. Again the place was empty ! I ordered wine so I can’t speak for quality of drinks but my friends ordering Tommy’s Margarita and they said it was respectable. The menu for happy hour was extremely overpriced even by financial district standards. I ordered “lobster tail” which was basically t total 2 tea spoon worth of cold lobster on a bed of lettuce and nori sheet with some mayo and was charged $24 for it .I am not kidding ! One of my friends ordered the tuna tartar which was basically the same concept. The fries were mediocre at best served in a small cone shaped cup but you could tell it was fried in a dark old oil for the price of $12. I mean McDonald fries would have been far more superior!

Another friend ordered the $40 burger and fries which was the ONLY substantial option for happy hour, she reported it was very salty and really not worth the $40 they were charging for it. The burger came with the same $12 fries. Basically, the entire menu for happy hour is designed in such a way that if you wanted a good food option for drinking you had to take the plunge and order the $40 burger $ fries . The wrap up they messed up our bills 3 times, again the place was empty !!!! Lastly we were told that we need to leave by 5:45 or move to the dining room section to order food! Again the place was empty !!! Are you kidding me ? I think we owe it to each other to write honest reviews as I truly believe business shouldn’t be allowed to conduct business in such a way. We are not going back and I don’t recommend this...

Been to all of Patrick Kriss’ other restaurants so naturally I was looking forward to trying dinner at Alobar Downtown.

While the space is large and beautiful with a nice pawtio, the food paled in comparison to my experiences at Kriss’ other establishments.

We got: zucchini salad, foie gras parfait, grilled sea bream, short rib, twice baked potato, and banana cream pie.

Pros: foie gras parfait was doglicious, the tart cherry effectively cut through the richness of the foie gras, and the nuts were a nice textual contrast. Dogtails were also solid. Loved the loaded potato - can’t say it’s worth $26 nor is it as large in real life compared to media photos… but it is damn tasty. Zucchini salad was simple and light.

Just okay: grilled sea bream was cooked well but it was a bit plain and could have benefitted from more of the pepper accompaniment and more meticulous removal of bones. A number of previous reviews had commented that the sea bream was too salty, but I thought it was fine. Funnily enough, our server came over and asked us, “How is your food tasting so far? Specifically, how are you finding the salt level of your sea bream?” They must’ve had a lot of complaints, but I did appreciate that they seem to take customer feedback seriously.

Banana cream pie was a good effort but the biscoff cookie crust was very thick and hard to cut into and the spiced rum flavour was nowhere to be found.

Cons: short rib was very disappointing - I had greatly enjoyed the short rib at Alder and expected this to be just as good but it was very dry, cold when it arrived at the table, and the sauce on plate seemed to have congealed (very sticky and thick, it was not fluid at all). Would not eat again.

Overall, 3.5 woofs out of 5. It’s alright but you’re better off dining at one of Kriss’ other...

I had the pleasure of bringing my father here for lunch, and it turned out to be such a wonderful experience. We didn’t have a reservation and I hadn’t realized how busy Alobar gets even on a Wednesday lunch, but the team went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. Krissie, the manager, was so thoughtful and kind. When the only table available was a high-top, I explained it wouldn’t work because of my father’s health. She immediately found us a spacious, comfortable table near the kitchen and even sweetly tried to pull out the chair for my father — a small gesture that moved me deeply. Our main server, Olivia, was outstanding. She’s professional yet warm, making you feel as though you’re in the care of a close friend who genuinely wants you to have the best experience possible. We were also looked after by a wonderful team — Stefano, Ben, Darpan, and Jamie. Each of them contributed to making our lunch special. Stefano, in particular, stood out for his politeness and gracious manner. Despite how busy the restaurant was, the whole team worked seamlessly together. It was clear they take pride not only in their service but also in making every guest feel valued. The food was equally impressive. We tried both the à la carte menu and the 3-course set lunch, and every single dish was excellent — beautifully prepared, flavorful, and presented with care. A huge thank you to Krissie, Olivia, Stefano, Ben, Darpan, Jamie, and the entire Alobar Toronto team for turning what could have been just another lunch into a truly memorable experience. We left not only well-fed but also uplifted by the kindness and hospitality we received. Highly recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for not just great food, but also a team that truly cares...