Hemingway's Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in Toronto

Words fail me when it comes to describing the abhorrent experience I had at Hemingway’s. It was an evening that left me questioning the very existence of customer service. Allow me to regale you with the tale of my encounter with the bartender who believed she was conducting a sadistic social experiment, all under the guise of providing service.

From the moment I stepped foot into the establishment, it was clear that I had unknowingly stumbled into a psychological torture chamber disguised as a bar. The bartender, whose name I dare not mention for fear of inadvertently granting her more notoriety, made it her mission to subject me to a series of passive-aggressive torments that would make Machiavelli blush.

With an air of smug superiority, she approached me, a wolf in bartender's clothing, and immediately revealed her diabolical intentions. She declared that I was unwittingly a participant in her twisted experiment, as if my presence alone was a mere pawn in her game of malevolence. Her desire to witness my discomfort was palpable, and her contempt for the patrons dripped from her every word and gesture.

As I ordered my first drink, I was met with a disdainful eye-roll and a sarcastic remark that could have shattered the thickest of skins. The so-called mixologist seemed more interested in perfecting her art of condescension than concocting a palatable beverage. With each subsequent order, she took pleasure in delivering drinks with subtle imperfections, almost daring me to exercise my right to send them back.

Her passive-aggressive antics knew no bounds. A perfectly mixed cocktail was accompanied by a scowl that could curdle milk, while a request for a simple modification was met with an exaggerated sigh, as if I had committed a cardinal sin against her creative vision. It became evident that she relished the opportunity to undermine her customers, taking perverse pleasure in their dissatisfaction.

In conclusion, if you enjoy being treated as a pawn in a bartender's twisted psychological game, then by all means, frequent Hemingway’s. However, if you value basic human decency and expect to be treated with respect, I urge you to find solace in any other establishment that possesses even a modicum of professionalism and genuine customer care. Your sanity and self-worth...

Came here with a group of four for lunch… Servers were pleasant and the general feeling of the place was nice. I have NO IDEA why they call this a New Zealand/Aussie restaurant? All they have is the lamb, the beer, and one dessert item… I don’t feel like that’s enough to warrant calling yourself anything other than just another casual bar and restaurant in Toronto. There was absolutely nothing special about this place to be honest, and normally that’s fine.

We ordered the chicken tenders w/ fries and the buttermilk chicken sandwich… LOL it’s a joke to call whatever they gave us ‘chicken’. They were so flat? And small??? And let me tell you, that stuff was HARDLY seasoned, if at all.

Chicken was a big pass overall, even though I figured… well, it must be a safe option to order. Wrong I guess. We also order the chicken souvlaki and I… I can’t even express how WRONG it was. Plain white rice, totally unseasoned. Chicken skewer itself was alright. Salad had… bell peppers in it? I have nothing against that, but I mean… I kind of assumed this was a Greek salad, no..? It had the olives and the feta cheese (cut into weird squares no less…) What a joke.

And lastly, the daily special… sweet chili ribs with Caesar salad and fries. Yeah, they got the salad right this time. They even added dressing—none of the other salads had dressing, although the chicken tenders plate came with what I can only assume must’ve been Italian dressing on the side. Anyways, the ribs were… okay. The ‘sweet chili’ was much more akin to ketchup with a dash of hot sauce..? Not even sure, but it wasn’t sweet chili. I also got sick shortly after, which doesn’t help…

By the time we finished our meal, it was so obvious that anything else would just be disappointing… so no dessert lol.

Another note about the salad: tasted something grainy from the lettuce… might have been dirt? So watch out, it seems like they might not be cleaning the vegetables correctly.

Definitely not coming back, and I have no clue why anyone else would, especially given the options surrounding this...

2018: Several more visits over the year with our second Christmas Dinner...who needs to cook right...and we are not disappointed. Aperitifs, Burt Reynolds shooters, calamari, main course with a fine bottle of Trapiche Reserve/Malbec from Argentina followed by pumpkin pie and Port to end our three hour sit down. A truly enjoyable evening with the absolute best Wait Staff.

2017: Wonderful traditional full trimmings Christmas Day turkey meal.

First time experiencing at this establishment and was a bit worried from some of the reviews about the food, service and "you sit on green plastic chairs" comments. One reviewer, Justin Cui writes: nothing to complain about but gives it 2 stars and goes on to complain about this and that. Confused or what?!?

Nothing further from the truth!

Yes the patio has plastic chairs, it's a patio and fully enclosed btw.

Our meal was excellent, Wait Staff amazing and the liquor enabled us to not only be thankful for this time of year but to numb us enough to think ahead to the New Year celebrations.

The service included a search for a specific shooter I had a taste for. Our Server, while on his break, took the time to look it up and pass it on to the Bar Staff. Attention Management, he's a keeper.

The small front door exterior seating is also enclosed and heated. Main floor offers a variety of tables (with real chairs) and comfortable against the wall booth style seating.

We were there four hours and had a great time and for that we thank you. Obviously, we'll be back.

Moral of the story: Don't believe everything you read. And the sky is blue after all.

PS: The cranberry stuffing was great. I even ordered extra.

PPS: I missed not having meat pie with the meal. Maybe next year? :)

NOTE:. Yes tipping is already included in your bill but on a Christmas Day and prior to the minimum wage being raised, maybe extra tipping isn't all that bad. Plus I was informed of this by the Manager at...