Bar Goa Toronto — Restaurant in Toronto

Met friends for our annual winter dinner. We were a party of 6 and before I say anything, I need to take responsibility for 2 of our party being 20 minutes late for an 8:30 reservation. To begin, the food was delicious and cooked perfectly. Flavours were well balanced for the most part and it was all very fresh. The service on the other hand was questionable. It started out fine with our waiter explaining everything to us- we ordered 2 drinks from the “secret” cocktail menu-!which kind of just feels like no one could be bothered to type it out. Drinks were fine. At 9:00 we were told by our waiter that this was the absolute last time that we could order the tasting menu if we wanted it- we had all planned on that and we wanted the drink pairing. So we called our late party and they confirmed that they were also in for the tasting with drinks. We confirmed with the server. All of a sudden food started to rapid fire arrive at the table. Our last party of 2 arrived so we were saying our hellos and getting seated again. Then another course had arrived- we hadn’t even touched the first one and none of the accompanying drinks had appeared. This is how the meal continued until we finally asked the waiter to slow down as we weren’t really given the opportunity to enjoy anything. It was literally a rapid fire tasting menu. The course before the main course was a prawn toast that was super spicy and completely of blew out our palates for the main course. I love spicy food but this was not appropriate for a multi course meal. 2 people were offered a mini mango lassi to cool their mouths down- this should have been offered to the entire party as a palate cleanser to prepare for the main course. Main course was delicious and the basmati rice was perfectly cooked- beautifully fluffy. Naan bread was delicious and fresh. We watched the entire kitchen staff leave for the night at about 10:00 and noticed that our desserts were already plated and sitting on a counter. The sparkling water fill ups were fast and plentiful- but be aware that you are charged by the bottle- I understand how it works but the filling was total overkill. It’s a crummy way to run up someone’s bill. Dessert came and the chocolate cake was warm and mushy, cheesecake was tasty but the berry coulis had formed a matte skin because of how long it sat. We were not offered coffee or espresso with dessert. We were informed by our server that the restaurant closed at 10:30. I have spent many years in the service industry and restaurants close when the dining room is empty. This restaurant has been recognized by Michelin Star so my expectations were substantially higher than the experience we received. It was disappointing- we could see that our server was irritated and that seemed to set the tone for the night. My suggestion to anyone planning to go to Bar Goa is to book an early reservation to avoid the restaurant closing and feeling like you are being kicked out. We paid $500 for 2 of us which would have been fine ordinarily but this felt excessive for the service we received. Also important to mention that the bills were presented to us with a 20% gratuity included. Do not expect a Michelin style dining experience service from Bar Goa- they just...

The restaurant seems so lounge-like that my expectations for their food was low. Another surprise, their 3-course Summerlicious menu ($55) was actually good… and they don’t hold back on the spices.

The prawn balchao toast looked rather tame, until I bite into the soft bread and was greeted by the diced shrimp covered in a tangy fiery chili. Luckily, there were cold shots of beer to help soothe the tongue, which we’re told to have a sip of with every bite. Um yes, you’ll need it.

For those who don’t love the spice, their lamb chop was delicious, cooked to medium and covered in a salty herb crust. Accompanied with three sauces (fenugreek mint, strawberry chili chutney, and Bengali mustard), they were all very different condiments. Personally, I found the meat was flavorful enough and tasted best without any sauce.

The lamb chop was better than the charcoal smoked tandoori steak, which was overdone and the salan (a peanut and chili curry) so spicy that I just couldn’t enjoy the beef. Despite trying to savour the sauce’s elements, I had to reach for cold ice water after the first bite. Bar Goa should consider putting chili ratings on their menu to warn customers.

Thankfully, the branzino fish curry was tasty without the overwhelming heat. Its flavours stem from the aromatic ingredients used in the coconut curry and finishes with a touch of spice. I loved slathering the sauce on top of the basmati rice, almost finishing the entire bowl. You’ll want the rice for the sautéed greens as well; on their own it was much too salty.

Unlike the steak, the branzino was cooked well, left flaky and as a full filet. Still, it needed something acidic, even a simple squeeze of lime, to bring a freshness to the dish.

The mango lassi panna cotta was a popular choice for dessert. At first bite, it reminded me of a mango pudding found in Chinese restaurants, except rather than being doused in evaporated milk, the dairy was already incorporated into the panna cotta, so it tasted creamier. It was a hit for our group.

Being called Bar Goa, I wasn’t surprised that they offered a host of cocktails. They’re certainly unique, so you’ll want to bring a group to experiment. The royal yacht club Goa ($25) was refreshing from the peach, lemon, and mint despite having a host of alcohols (gin, Hennessey, and champagne) that had me feeling good after one. More up my alley than the panni puri martini ($23), which was too salty and water down tasting for my liking. At least the drink arrives with panni puri...

Unprofessional and pushy service: Me and the girls were expecting to enjoy a lovely time enjoying cocktails and some great Indian snacks. However, our experience was turned sour by an extremely unprofessional and distasteful service. Before I go on, I would like to give a shoutout to the most amazing bartender, the cocktails were the best part of our experience at this place.

Soon after we had ordered our first round of drinks and a couple of appetizer, the server kept lingering around and pushed us to order more. And it became very awkward and uncomfortable when we were asked that we HAVE to order more food because we had spent an hour at the place. The server told me that he was asked to kept the order flowing. The cocktails we ordered were $28 each, crafted wonderfully, and we were really enjoying them. So, this request was a bit aggressive and I had never heard something like this before. However in spirit of supporting an Indian place, we ordered some food as we were still waiting for another friend to join. This became worse because the server kept coming around pushing us for more drinks even after we ordered our 2nd and 3rd round. We were feeling uncomfortable sitting and catching up when we're constantly pressured to order more against our choice. The point is to have fun and we would obviously order more. We still had a bill of $400 for 5 people for 2 hours and that's not bad by any standard. However, we left feeling very awkward.

If the owner will read this review, I would encourage you train your staff to act the part of a high end Indian place and provide the hospitality that befits the price. Don't push the customers to buy more, it's not a duty free store, let them enjoy the beautiful cocktails and savour the amazing food. Don't expect customers to order a $28 cocktail within 20 min of their first their first one. Most of all, train your staff to be professional so they don't embarrass themselves by forcing a customer to order mains because they have been there an hour while they're waiting for someone to join.

Observation on the food: Food was alright. I had expected a little more twist or something more delectable for the price and the positioning.

I support the business because we need more high end Indian places in Toronto downtown scene but please...