IRENE — Restaurant in Toronto

We visited Irene Restaurant on a Saturday evening, mainly because of its peaceful location away from the busy roads and with a beautiful view of the water. The setting was lovely and relaxing—that's the one thing we truly appreciated.Unfortunately, the rest of the experience didn’t match the setting.When we arrived, we requested an outdoor table, but were told everything was reserved. We agreed to sit inside by the window to still enjoy the view. However, during the entire 2.5 hours we were there, none of the "reserved" outdoor tables were used by any actual diners—just some kids sitting and playing occasionally. That felt unfair and disappointing.The service was very confusing. About five or six different staff members approached our table—one brought water, another brought cocktails, someone else took our order, and others brought the food. It was impossible to tell who was actually responsible for our table, and that disorganization really affected the experience.We waited over 40 minutes for our food, despite the restaurant being only moderately occupied. There were plenty of staff around, but it didn’t seem to help. When the food finally arrived, it was another letdown. We ordered a kids' chicken fingers meal, and the chicken fingers were burned(photo attached). I mentioned it to one of the servers, and she offered to replace them, but by then my child was already frustrated and said he’d just eat them. He barely touched his meal.I ordered the "Irene Salad" with shrimps (picture attached), which came with cold shrimp and a very vinegary dressing. The salad itself was dry with barely any dressing—overall not enjoyable. I also ordered the onion soup and asked for spices, which were never brought to me.The only things we actually liked were the cocktail I had and the beer my husband enjoyed—but let’s be honest, it’s hard to mess up beer.The final bill came to $160 for two adults and one kids’ meal. On top of that, the tipping system starts at a minimum of 18%, so I ended up paying $29 in tips for food I didn’t enjoy and service I found frustrating and disorganized.Overall, the atmosphere is nice, but there's a lot of work to be done in terms of service and food quality. I regret spending almost $200 for a disappointing dinner where my husband left still hungry. Sadly, I won’t be coming back, and I cannot recommend this...

I just had to see for myself what all the fuss was about Irene's restaurant, and let me tell you, the rumours are true! The atmosphere is welcoming, clean, trendy, and spacious, with a breathtaking waterfront view. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting Irene with my husband for the second time, and once again, it was an exceptional experience. Fortunately, We snagged a lovely spot on the patio, offering panoramic views of the harbour front. As we settled in, we couldn't help but enjoy the picturesque surroundings. The drinks and appetizers were so delightful that we ran out of room for a main dish. This time, we savoured the incredibly tasty and fresh Irene Focaccia Bread. We also indulged in Sesame Ginger Calamari and the tantalizing Scallops & Charred Pineapple Ceviche for the second time. Moreover, the waitress had a fantastic suggestion of Fried Green Tomatoes with Whipped Goat Cheese. Paired with the exquisite Blueberry Lemonade Sangria and the refreshing Sunkissed Free Spirits, the combination of flavours and textures was divine. The fusion of delicious cuisine, great lake view, cool music, and great service made our experience unforgettable. We wholeheartedly appreciate the attentiveness and professionalism of the staff. Thank you once again for providing us with another extraordinary dining adventure. Revisiting my initial comment, we were pleasantly surprised by the array of excellent appetizers during our first early summer visit to Irene with my family. We savoured the smoked pork ribs, chilled oysters on the half shell, Mediterranean hummus, and the extraordinary Scallops & Charred Pineapple Ceviche. The cocktails and free spirit drinks, such as the refreshing Strawberry Lemon Mojito and the tropical Colada Sunrise, were a hit among everyone. As for the main dish, I highly recommend indulging in the heavenly AAA Steak frites with chimichurri - an absolute triumph for the palate. And to conclude our feast, we surrendered to the temptation of the decadent chocolate cake and the sticky cinnamon bun - both irresistibly delicious. The generous portions and quality left us utterly satisfied. As usual, the service was amazing, and we...

We had our wedding at IRENE!

If you're looking for an alternative to the big boring conference centres and banquet halls, it really is an excellent wedding venue option. We were seeking something different and less traditional to push more of a fun, social party vibe for our big day while still keeping it classy and this turned out to be the perfect spot.

#1 The location is awesome. The restaurant is right on the water and has beautiful views of the island, but far enough from Harbourfront that it is a little quieter and not as busy as you would expect. It's close enough to union station that transit is an option for guests and there is plenty of green P parking.

#2 The space itself doesn't need much decorative work if you're aiming for a more relaxed atmosphere than some of the more formal venues. We simply added a few florals/centerpieces around the indoor space to push a bit of our colour scheme but the space was great as-is. Tasteful, classy, vibrant, lots of greenery and the patio on the water is a BIG selling point.

#3 The Food is delicious! We did a 3 food station setup at our wedding and everyone LOVED it. Poke bowls/fried chicken lettuce wraps/roast beef were a big hit and the staff was great in accommodating our guests with special dietary needs. The head chef came out to meet us at the canape tasting and worked with us to do some custom late night breakfast sandwiches which really hit the spot as well.

IRENE's staff also helped us serve some custom cocktail creations as well as a few of their own signature options and guests were raving about the drinks all night.

#4 - The staff! Shastine their events coordinator was amazing and helped us work out all the details of our big day. She is great at what she does and will make your planning process that much easier. IRENE's bar staff was so speedy making our cocktails from scratch we never saw anyone wait longer than a minute or two. Kitchen/serving staff had all of our food out on schedule and they were all so friendly to us and our guests.

Overall, 11/10! Many guests went out of their way to tell us it was the best wedding they had ever been to and it was mainly...