Hermanos Restaurant & Wine Bar — Restaurant in Winnipeg

As someone involved in hospitality and culinary critique, I approach every dining experience with attention to detail and fairness. I recently accompanied my parents to Hermanos to celebrate their anniversary. Unfortunately, what should’ve been a standout meal was tainted by a surprising lack of service quality and professional conduct from the staff.

Service began with James M, who handled the table with minimal engagement. While we don’t expect constant interaction, there is a level of attentiveness and professionalism one anticipates at any establishment, neither of which were present. Midway through the meal, James quietly disappeared and was replaced by another server, with no explanation or acknowledgment of the change. This lack of communication disrupted the dining experience and left the table confused.

The conclusion of the meal was handled by Josh, who processed the bill. He did not inquire about our experience, offer closing remarks, or show any hospitality, a basic expectation in any service environment. After receiving a gratuity that was reasonable for the level of service provided, Josh’s demeanor noticeably shifted to cold and dismissive. This was a disappointing, if not alarming, moment: a subtle expression of “entitlement” that runs counter to what defines professional service.

To be clear, tipping should reflect the “quality of service,” not function as a guaranteed supplement. In our case, the gratuity was not withheld, but the attitude that followed suggested it wasn’t “enough” to warrant basic politeness. That kind of transactional, performance-based approach to hospitality reflects poorly on the training and culture within the staff.

In upscale dining, professionalism doesn’t begin and end with the plating. It must carry through in every aspect of the guest experience, from start to finish. That includes clear communication, respect for the guest, and a consistent sense of care, regardless of tip size or party demeanor.

This visit was intended to be a prelude to a potential team dinner I had been planning for our group, which frequently books high-end venues for both internal and client-facing events. Following this experience, I’ve decided not to move forward with Hermanos as an option. I also won’t be recommending it to any of my associates or professional contacts moving forward.

Unfortunately, that standard was not met during our visit, and it’s an area management should take seriously if they want the experience to match the pricing and ambiance the restaurant...

• Love the atmosphere here. They usually always have a live band playing South American style music. The restaurant itself is beautiful. It is one of my favourite restaurants to go to in the city as a group. Great for sharing and exploring new dishes and tastes. *

I had the following dishes (see attached photos) and I would rank them:

Empanadas - so good and has never let me down. I also like the beef ones, but this time around I had the chicken.

The Sausage and Pepper board. Onions perfectly caramelized. The two side sauces are really good. I dip the bread in the chimichurri and then put the other sauce on top with a little piece of the pepper, onions and slice of sausage.. all in one bite and it's so good.

... This time around, I did not like

The shrimp was cooked perfect but the sauce didn't taste much of anything. I have had this dish before and the last two times it hasn't been great.

The Paella, I'm sad to say that today was bland and had no flavour. The rice was hard almost undercooked crunchy. Full disclosure, I order this also everytime I come (which is about once a month, minimum. I do like it here.) And even though it wasn't great this time, I'd still order it again cuz I know it always ends up better the next time. I think I've only had a disappointing Paella 3 times including today and I've been coming here since it's opened so that's very rare for it to come out bad.

Gave it 4 stars, the atmosphere is great. Menu options are plenty. Food and drinks are good. It lost a star because half for the two dishes being bland and not seasoned well and the other half for the service which was lacking in the end.. We had questions that went unanswered. The re-asked and the server needed to go to the back to get the answer.. which is fine although it would seem assumed that she should know her menu.

Also after being rushed into eating our food ( the buser was like a hawk and as soon as I picked up my last shrimp came to scoop up the plate which has all the sauce that I still wanted to dip into) ..Had to still wait 20 minutes for our bill. Our server just never came back to check on our ending. She did come throughout the meal and was prompt getting us extra dipping sauce for the empanadas but then after kinda disappeared. It may have been because it was busy for Valentine's, so I'd like to give her a break.

Ultimately I always love to recommend this restaurant to family and friends, so I have no problem giving up 4 stars...

This is a difficult review to write, since my experiences have been so wildly different. Twice I've been for dinner and had excellent service and great food. It's a bit pricey for what you get and often quite loud, but overall highly recommended.

My last visit was entirely different and very, very disappointing. We visited on a Sunday. I e-mailed the restaurant (using the address provided on their website) that night and now, on a Wednesday, haven't heard back.

We went later in the evening for drinks with another couple. I had two cocktails which were fine, though the negroni was a bit unbalanced. My wife ordered a decaf coffee. First she was told that the coffee maker was broken, but then she was told that it wasn't. She got her cup and we chatted a while. It was 45:00 until our server returned. My wife asked if she could have a fresh cup since hers had long gone cold. It was another 10:00 wait for her cup, during which our waitress was on her phone at the bar. We asked about desserts and were told, "This one is good, this one isn't." We appreciate honesty, but would prefer information, rather than evaluation. At no point did our waitress make any comment about keeping us waiting.

I guess I committed a mortal restaurant sin by not tipping. Normally we tip between 10-15% if the service is good, 20% if excellent. When we're really disappointed - and especially if we haven't ordered a meal - then I feel no compunction about skipping the tip.

The other couple tipped and was not thanked, but as we left, our waitress (for once on time) rushed up to my pregnant wife and said, very sarcastically, "Thank-you SO much for the VERY generous tip" and then walked away.

I had hoped to hear from the restaurant that this was out of the usual, but hearing radio silence, I wonder if we'll return. Certainly not with that particular waitress. We're always polite, even when service isn't good, so this was undeserved and unprofessional. As I mentioned, we've had good...