Amber Kitchen and Coffee — Restaurant in Toronto

Met friends for dinner here the other night and had a wonderful experience. I’m so glad a great spot has opened up so close to home.

Service: excellent. Svetlana was very sweet and attentive. Both she and the (I believe) sous-chef were on top of our orders and gave great recommendations for both dishes and wine. The chef came out near the end of our dining experience to have a chat and ensure that all of the food was up to par.

Food: Between the 4 of us, we sampled many of the dishes on the menu. While I initially had my doubts about the menu, as soon as the first orders arrived I knew that we were in for a great evening. We had the shrimp and calamari confit and the portobello & truffles with labneh to start. Both are highly recommended. The dishes were well-balanced and very flavourful, and perfect for sharing. Next we had the smoked salmon Caesar and tomato & anchovies. Both were delicious but the smoked salmon Caesar really stood out, so that would be the top choice. We were going to order the buratta with peaches, and as we were discussing this the sous-chef overheard and came by to tell us that they had run out of buratta. So, we ordered the watermelon salad and the two mains that were listed on the menu: sea bream with Lima beans, and the slow cooked short rib. The watermelon salad was delicious: fresh, minty, and salty. The sea bream was perfectly fried and arrived on a delicious butter and saffron sauce. The Lima beans and roasted spinach shoots were a great accompaniment to the fish. The short rib was outstanding, and clearly the winner of the two. If you’re deciding between the two, go for the short rib, you won’t be sorry! While we were eating the final few dishes, the sous-chef arrived with a cheese and peaches dish that they gave to us on the house since the buratta was unavailable. I can’t recall which cheese was the replacement, but it was phenomenal. They truly went out of their way to make sure that we had a great dining experience and we really did.

As for the wine, the rosé that we wanted wasn’t available but Svetlana gave us a white wine to try, which we opted for. It was the right choice for the food, and we enjoyed the wine very much.

We split the chocolate mousse among the 4 of us because we couldn’t leave without trying the dessert. Can’t beat a chocolate and raspberry coulis combo.

Overall, this is easily one of the best places to eat in the east end. It’s casual but sophisticated. The interior is beautiful and the vibe is very European without trying too hard. Everything about the place is very natural and unpretentious. Thanks for a wonderful first time dining experience, we can’t wait to...

Today was my third time visiting Amber cafe after two good experiences there. Before I begin my review, I want to say that the kitchen staff here are great, the food is good, and I’ve had pleasant experiences with the service previously. I am only leaving this review as I believe my server today is a genuine liability to Amber. When ordering today I asked my server if I could make some changes to their chicken sandwich dish as I have several food allergies/severe intolerances due to a genetic condition. In my past two visits, the staff were great about accommodating me, which is why I happily returned. I know it’s not always a restaurant’s protocol to change up a dish, so I always check first and never go in with it as an expectation. Today I was told that they could accommodate me (which I was grateful for) and when I asked if the chicken sandwich had mayo (something I can under no circumstances eat), I was told no and that it was a plain chicken breast. I checked in multiple times as I was concerned it was a chicken salad (a hunch) and was assured over and over that it was mayo free. Anyways - the sandwich came and it was very visibly chicken salad. No biggie. I just walked inside and asked my server if she could check in with the kitchen to make sure there was no mayo. I’m thinking - maybe it’s some alternative? Maybe it’s yoghurt? But I need to be sure before I take the risk. She goes “mhmm” and then as I wait (with my food sitting outside on the table) proceeds to go right back to whatever else she was doing and never asks the kitchen. After at least 5 minutes of watching her take new coffee orders, wipe down the counter etc (while im standing three feet away from her clearly expecting some sort of answer) - I gave up and asked the kitchen myself. I didn’t want to go around her as my server, but she very clearly had no intention of making sure I could eat the food I had ordered. They tell me it’s made with mayo (because it’s a chicken salad) and they can remake it. First of all - this is quite kind and I appreciate the kitchen staff immensely. I want to make that clear. However - a note for my server - if a patron has an allergy, it should not be on them to have to go around you to make sure that you have not given them something dangerous to their health. I’m very lucky I was able to spot my allergy, but anyone where it would be less obvious would be in serious trouble with this server. I get it - mistakes happen, but my gosh if a customer asks you to make sure the food is something they can eat - don’t respond with an annoyed “mhmm” and ignore them. It’s genuinely very unkind and not the service I’ve come to...

I arrived for brunch with my family on a Sunday at 11. The cafe does not take reservations, so we expected it to be busy and for the be somewhat of a wait. Unfortunately we were immediately greeted by poor service. It took at least 5 minutes for one of the staff to look in our direction, and another few for over to actually come and speak to us. When we asked what the wait would be the staff immediately said at least 30 mins. I pointed out to get that there was a table preparing to leave and we were happy to wait if that table wasn't already spoken for. She said it was a possibility and that she'd let us know. After the table was available it took another 10 mins for her to circle back to let us know that she "thought" the table would be too small for us and offered us seats at the bar. As there was no booster seat for my 3y old, the bar was not an option for us. The staff did not offer up any additional timing for another table and just shrugged her shoulders, after which we promptly left. I can understand a new restaurant being busy and still sorting out their service, but it was clear to me that children are not welcome there, I would appreciate being put on a wait list and not having to stand in their entryway with my kids, who were getting increasingly excited about the delicious-looking croissants going by. Really disappointed we weren't able to try out and support this new...