Hotel Gelato — Restaurant in Toronto

I was disappointed in the customer service, there is a sign on the window offering a 5$ sign up bonus. It will not work so unless you live close don’t bother. I was brushed off when I asked and proved I signed up And confirmed my email address. Told it takes a couple days. We had waited outside to download and sign up and register. I automatically ordered the s’mores cookie ( which was amazing, the texture was so good ) Also order the fruit and nut breakfast Cookie, as a vegan it was horrible not even edible. So beyond dry I couldn’t even swallow it. I am positive it was old and not fresh. I was confused as the website said vegan Gelato. They have gelato and sorbet. So I asked if I could try it, the same employee was rude again didn’t respond to my husband and I. He turned around and walked away. The owner I believe is who returned ( after we could hear them talking and knew I had asked for a sample spoon ) He said what is the question? Both my husband and I knew he already knew I asked to try the dark chocolate flavour sorbet. So I attempted to explain I was un sure if a sorbet would taste like gelato, as the owner began to answer the same unknowledgeable rude employee (Jan or Jen) cut him off and spoke over him. I said sorry to the owner looking to him to answer me. He said yeah what he said was fine being rude. I was speaking to him yet the his employee spoke over him answering for him. At this point my husband didn’t want to order. We had looked up the place and drove out of our way for dessert so I ordered anyway. 20$ for 2 cookies and 2 small gelato/sorbet. I should have followed my gut instinct the dark chocolate sorbet was disgusting. I will say even thou I got 2 flavours the whole cup was filled with the dark chocolate and not even 2 tablespoons of the coconut was whipped across the top. The coconut was much better but still a huge waist of money. My husband’s gelato first flavour strawberry cheese cake was amazing with gram cracker throughout, the salted Carmel second flavour was either a mistake or not good it tasted like coffee that portion was thrown out as well. The whole experience was a turn off. For that price a sample spoon would definitely be helpful cause for someone Vegan or with allergies it tasted NOTHING like gelato. The customer service was horrible the employee taking the order also rolled his eyes. I was not speaking to him, he couldn’t answer the question. He went to his boss who is the one who returned then followed behind him and when I spoke to the “boss” the employee cut him off and answered. I should have taken my husbands que and went else where! Majorly...

On a Saturday in April, I entered Hotel Gelato at about 10:30 am and let the staff know I would be in a party of three for brunch. It was nearly empty except for one other customer. I was told I absolutely COULD NOT sit on the long padded bench and I was forced to sit at a table at the end of the bench with only hard plastic chairs (near the bathroom, cash and gelato bar). I found this directive utterly ridiculous given the restaurant was virtually empty. It’s the second time I’ve been there where bizarre rules were inflicted on customers (I was with my friend another time who was told she wasn’t allowed to have her gelato in a ceramic dish rather than the mandatory wasteful disposable one). I stayed and ate since I was meeting my husband and son there, but in hindsight I should have just left. Draconian comes to mind when I think of Hotel Gelato — I have been coming here for years and have never been forbidden from sitting on the bench area. I’m going to start calling it Hotel Draconian until I can think of a better adjective. Seriously makes me wonder if it’s worth bothering with this place again when it seems inflexible rules like these come first over common sense and customer service. Giving three stars anyway for the fantastic food, which is high quality, as well as the gelato, which is top-notch. As someone else notes, staff rate one star for lack of interest in...

Neighbourhood Gelato Anytime. Boutique airy classy feel inside. Forest Hill pricing.

But must mention a Gelato No No Moment:

Nothing like being a not happy sales ambassador of happy desserts that typically elicit happy feelings for otherwise happy customers in happy moments and happy weather months. Seems most staff are teens/students/summer stints. Management needs to train some staff on at least putting on a smile, providing welcoming customer service and knowing their product offerings enough. Multiple observations.

On one latest occassion early Summer 2024, after asking if they had a gelato deal, an obviously unwelcoming staff simply ignored and swayed me towards a pistacchio scoop among others (pistachio is my fave, no issue there). But right after I took a lick of the gelato, I overheard this person then tell another customer they had a better deal. When I asked why she didn't just mention that to me, she then brazenly blamed me that I should have asked her in the first place.

The heat of my internal reaction in the moment would have certainly pizza oven-melted the gelato on the spot ----- but I chose to express my dismay in a gelato-cool ambassadorly diplomatic, but firm, manner. Won't describe the person, but yes that was not a happy gelato moment...