Fishbone By The Lake — Restaurant in Whitchurch-Stouffville

Booked a table for 2 on a Thursday night, with good weather. It was booked a week in advance, for 8 pm seating. We are local, but had never been to this location - however we had been to the Aurora one a few times. We expected it to be busy, and arrived 10 minutes early knowing we were likely in for a wait due to our arrival time ahead of the booking. It was nice weather so we didn’t mind waiting in the outdoor seating area, however that space filled rather quickly with several other parties arriving for what I imagine were all 8 pm seatings as well. After waiting 25 minutes, people started getting antsy and the host came around to let everyone know that bc it was such a nice night tables were moving slowly and apologized for the delay. She let people know they could get a drink going at the bar while they waited. We watched as every other party (who arrived after us) were seated before us, including other tables of 2 or 3. Not sure why that was, but in all - they seated us 45 minutes after arrival, it was after 8:30 pm by the time we got our table. The sun had gone down, it was dark at this point and it was clear the restaurant was preparing to “close” as staff were cleaning up, and some even leaving for the night. We felt like a bit of a burden - though our server was kind. We ordered a number of items right away, fearing if we took too much time we might miss out - after hearing the server tell the table of 2 next to us that the kitchen would be closing at 9 pm so they may not get the chance for dessert menu if they weren’t timely. We were annoyed by the delay, and felt that management could have acted to clear out earlier seatings to help mitigate making the last seatings of the night late, and then feel rushed in their experience once seated.

The food - we’ve done lots of high end dining, all over Canada, Europe and the USA - while there were some items that were quite good, overall I did not feel it lived up to the hype I’ve heard from friends who swear by this Fishbone location. As the kids say these days, “it was mid”

We ordered the “must try” pull apart bread, it was ok. I personally did not enjoy that it came drizzled in the green sauce, I would have preferred that on the side, it was a bit messy and I didn’t feel it was anything to write home about.

However, the patatas were really impressive as an appetizer - loved the flavours, textures and portion. This was a hit!

Ordered mussels as well, the coconut broth sold this dish. Not a huge mussel fan, but they did a good job here, sadly there were a few “less than ideal” flavoured ones in the batch… it happens…large portion size, good for sharing.

I ordered the tagliatelle - quite good, but not earth shattering. If you like creamy pasta, it’s a win. Does it haunt my dreams and make me salivate just remembering it? No, but creamy pasta is a reliable choice and I’d order it again if I were to return. No complaints here.

Husband ordered the seared tuna. He was warned by the server that it is not for everyone, as it’s essentially raw (given the quick sear). He went for it anyway - and was not a fan. It was cool on the inside, which threw him off. He did not finish it, and described it as having a strong “fishy” flavour that was not palatable.

At this point, after all the appetizers, we were stuffed and did not order dessert though by the time that was happening - we were quite literally one of the last people there. It was clear everyone was trying to wrap up and head home. We actually walked out with 3-4 kitchen staff on our way to our car … that was a first for us in “high end” dining!

The server was personable, and the table service was attentive - however, being so few people at that time of night, I would hope so!

Pros the view (if you get to see it before the sun goes down) the “vibe” (if that matters) friendly service more affordable than going downtown to canoe, or auberge cocktails were well done

Cons way behind schedule, if you want to be on time I would suggest booking for an early seating (like 5 pm) bugs!...

Nathalie the hostess- 0 stars.

We drove two hours to eat at this restaurant and when we arrived at the hostess stand around 1 p.m. and asked very politely for a table of three, we were met with rudeness right from the start. Nathalie responded in a condescending tone, telling us there was “no chance” we could be seated that day and claiming reservations had to be made a full week in advance. This was clearly untrue, as I had checked OpenTable the night before and found several openings. When I asked if there was a cancellation list we could be added to, she again replied condescendingly that they “don’t keep track.”

Minutes later, I checked OpenTable again and found three available time slots that afternoon. When I showed her the app, she dismissed it with an obvious excuse that there “must have been three cancellations in the last two minutes” and refused to book it for us, insisting I do it myself on the app — with a $50 credit card hold. This was frustrating and inconsistent, especially since a man in front of us was allowed to make a reservation right there at the desk with no credit card hold required.

When we returned for our 2:45pm reservation — which I had booked for three — Nathalie insisted it was for two. After sighing loudly, she said she had to go into the system and change it before seating us. As we walked through the restaurant, every table was set for four and many were empty throughout our meal, so her fuss made no sense. She never smiled once, was dismissive, and made us feel like an inconvenience.

Frankly, Nathalie is not fit to be the face of this restaurant. She should be working in the kitchen washing dishes, not dealing with customers. First impressions matter deeply, and hers was extremely damaging.

Thankfully, our server was outstanding and the food was good, but the hostess was horrible and rude which is the only reason this is a 1-star review. We will never return and will ensure we share our experience with all our family, friends and colleagues. Stay away and spend your money elsewhere.

Update: I called the manager directly to explain our situation, expecting at least some acknowledgment or concern. To my surprise, there was no apology whatsoever, and she showed no real care about how poorly the hostess treated us. Instead, she felt the need to point out that she had been away for a couple of days and made sure to mention that she had seen my review. That was the focus of the conversation, not the bad service, not the lack of professionalism, and certainly not making things right.

For a manager, I find this response very disappointing. When customers take the time to share their experience, it should be an opportunity to listen, apologize, and improve. Unfortunately, what I received was indifference and deflection. This only reinforces my original impression of how little importance is placed on customer service here. Which is probably why Nathalie feels she can act so badly towards customers as there is no accountability.

If management cannot handle basic concerns with respect and accountability, it speaks volumes about how the business is run. I would not recommend this place to anyone who values good service or...

Honestly, I don't understand nor do i get what all the hype is about.

It's across the street to campsites and a trailer park? What's with all the inflated pricing? Trying to keep those guests out? I don't see any other explanation because the portions are SO small, prices are expensive and seem to go up every year for the same food. PLUS NO KIDS MENU!?!?! Why would you do that when the surrounding area is campsites and a trailer park?!?! People with families! We ordered an appetizer with spreads, they gave so little bread that more than half the spreads were left over. When we asked for a couple more pieces of bread the response was "we have to charge you". They are so by the book on their menu items too, you can't ask for your steak to be prepared a certain way because they insist it's the "recommended way and that's how the chef prepares it". My steak was borderline raw. It was also VERY cold. We had been there for 60 minutes by the time our mains came out. Drinks are overpriced and watered/juiced up for $13-14 each. My 3rd visit we ordered apps to start one of which was the crab dip. Our server described (with her hands) that the dip portion was the size of a burger for example (we asked how small/large the portion was). When it arrived it was maybe 4-5 tablespoons of dip with over salted tortilla - which she said was a generous portion. NOT the case! We couldn't finish 1/4 of the crab dip because we had no chips left ($14 item!! and only enough for 1-2 people). We asked for more and the reply was "$3.00 for more chips". We declined because NOBODY charges to give a few more so a customer can finish a meal. Yeah yeah, they can't do that for everyone, but if they had put enough in the first place, it wouldn't be an issue. Just like the appetizer on my first visit. This time it was fish tacos ordered. OMG, so small! And only 2 for $15!!! Why did i go back 2-3 time? Invites & trying to give it another shot before deciding that I won't go back! Also, only 1/4 of the tables were taken yet they kept telling everyone that inquired about specific tables that they were reserved. In 2 hours NOBODY sat at the tables they said were reserved. In fact in the 2 hours only 1-2 parties of 2-5 people showed up. I noticed that on a few other review sites this among the other things i mentioned were big complaints. I didn't like the ego or attitude of the girls at the front by the desk greeting guests. Sorry ladies you're not welcoming us to the Ritz Carlton. They were calling out to people that hadn't even reached the desk area to ask if they had reservations. Very unprofessional and not very welcoming. 3 strikes and you're out...