Symposium Cafe Restaurant Ancaster in Ancaster

Food and service was fantastic. You have to try the Short Ribs.

Great food great service fair pricing. We will back! Update we have now been back three more times. Zoe has been out standing, warm, genuine and funny. I believe we are becoming regulars for Saturday date night special. Wheelchair accessibility: Ramp out front and same level entrance with double doors.

We always have a great meal here. Zoe and Kaul are always attentive and friendly, it makes our visits here more enjoyable.

Great food and experience would visit again

Went to get gift cards. Place was very busy with not much staff. Person helping me with cards had a bit of a hard time because of the added bonus. Customers were coming up to them to say they had been seated for 10 minutes and no one had come to them yet

Two gals out for a lunch visit... We ordered the Mussels... They were a long time coming out... They were tasty but Luke warm and the garlic toast cold and hard... Halfway through our wait .. I added an order of Calamari... It came out minutes after the mussles and piping hot... Our server was scarce to bee seen and a coworker helped us as much as our server...

Food, service and Atmosphere is really good for breakfast

Service was fine, but we were disappointed by the Tuesday fish special.

Zoe was best. Awesome food as always.

Food and service is awesome. We ordered spinach dip and wings and it was very tasty. Highly recommended.

Thank you so much for excellent service Everything was amazing , everyone enjoyed the food and the atmosphere was fantastic. It was a pleasure to have the retirement party at your restaurant.

Great relaxing environment, amazing service, and menu options. I highly recommend this establishment.

Breakfast was horrible! Fruit looked like it had been in the fridge for awhile! Melon and cantaloupe didnt even have their color anymore. Avacado on the avacado toast was brown and had an odd taste. Not impressed at all will never go back.

This is a great place for a first date.

Our server Zoe (?) was super lovely and the mussels were to die for :)

We use to love going to Symposium Ancaster for breakfast! Although we have no complaints about the food or service, we have stopped going because of the prices.

Staff were very attentive and customer focused , which made for a delightful dining experience. The food was excellent , well prepared and presented, temperature was exactly as it should be and all meals were well received and enjoyed. Parking: Lots of spots and disabled spots in close proximity to the entrance.

Ive heard it said that if a restaurant is empty on a friday during dinner, set your expectations accordingly. That definitely proved the case this past friday. A large group of us came without a reservation, but they were able to accommodate us (likely because there were only about 6 other people there). Were all pretty low key individuals, and not the sort to kick up a fuss but everything was so incredibly slow I felt obligated to write a review. Entrees came out one at a time, staggered, that by the time the last person got their meal (which was a salad I might add) most of us were already finished. The wait for food was also roughly an hour. I understand a surprise large table can be a challenge (worked in a family owned restaurant) but the server neither warned us it would be slow, explained, or offered any apologies. Keeping people informed goes a long way, and it would have been easy to do. The food was fine, which I expect had something to do with the fact we were all very hungry by the time it showed up. The final thing; as we were large table, an 18% gratuity was added to our bills, yet when I was passed the machine to pay, the tip screen wasnt bypassed. I dont object to tipping, but it looks like youre trying to double dip on an already lackluster experience. Not a great way to end the outing. Skip this one; there are plenty of other restaurants within a stones throw.

Very nice we enjoyed

A last-minute decision to meet an out-of-town friend for lunch. First time here and love the decor. Our friend loved the fish and chips, said the fries were excellent, nice and crispy. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the flatbread and Mediterranean salad and my first bite of the Cuban sandwich brought a big wide eyed smile. Perfect combination of flavours and textures on fresh Ciabatta. It went very well with the Tuscan bean soup. Well be back.

Great meal at symposium with excellent service. Restaurant is clean and nice with a great atmosphere and fantastic food. Large patio for good weather. Highly recommend this place!

Start to finish a wonderful time

A good breakfast, really nice lattes, with quick and friendly service (at this particular location).

Horrible smell. Horrible coffee. Not even close to a coffee..wouldnt give any stars. Waste of $.

The good was excellent, service was good, and the atmosphere was amazing

Ordered the Salmon and Salad, because I am one cultured SOB. but I substituted the Salmon for a Hamburger Bun, and the Salad for a Hamburger patty. Was delicious

Came here to try their Mojitos and it was amazing. Most places would water down their drinks not here, apps were great too. Very spacious and clean, nice little date spot.

Staff are very friendly, and they were very accommodating with my friends dietary restrictions!

I had the fish, and chips are amazing! The price point is very competitive. My son had the clam chowder he said it was

Very good

Went here for my birthday dinner. Had never been before and will not be back. The server was very friendly and that was the only plus as well as the fries. The food came out in stages from the kitchen. There were 5 of us. 2 meals would come out and then we wait. Then 2 more come out and we wait. Finally my meal was the last to arrive. Strange. Are heat lamps not a thing anymore? The salmon was over cooked. The pad Thai had a sweet taste to it. Not how it s supposed to taste. The Caesar salad didn t have enough dressing. Finally the fried chicken was supposed to be 2 breasts and coleslaw. Never saw the coleslaw and the breasts looked like that of a quail. Never saw such small chickens in my life. Definitely not worth the price. A rather disappointing birthday meal. Will not be back.

It was ok. The food was good. Lots of choice on the menu. Nice artwork on the walls.

Fantastic Happy Hour share plates! Recommend quesadillas, calamari & bruschetta. Macchiato were delicious! Food

I was with a party of 21, on Wednesday June 12/24, and reservations were made well in advance, in addition there were 6 other customers in the restaurant. (2 dinning in and 4 on the patio) Our server ZOE was EXCELLENT - if it wasnt for her I would have left. That evening Mussels and Mules were the special, there were NONE to be had at 6pm?! The manager had to go to Fortinos to purchase some for our table. aside from that I waited 11/2 hours for my Fish n Chips the rest of our table (96%) had been served and had completed their dinner before the rest (4%) received their entrees, no apologies no discounts no complimentary anything. I will NEVER return. Thank you Zoe for all you did to make things as pleasant as you could it was appreciated.

Food and portioning was great, service was wonderful. My only takeaway was the host (owner?) had some pretty strong body odour. Food : 5/5

Burger had no taste and very sloppy soup was terrible Portuguese chicken was not cooked I will never recommend this to anyone that I care about

My friend and I went here for some delicious cake and we were not disappointed. The carrot cake was amazing . Super friendly service great open atmosphere definitely put this place on your must try list.

We had the schnitzel. Gravy was supposed to be on the side, it was not. However, without the gravy the meat would have been dry. It was not real schnitzel, it was pressed pork. We should have had a burger. They looked great.

Decent food decent price. Nothing to write home about.

Wheelchair accessibility: Food

Reason for a one on atmosphere was l sat down in the chair & the back came off completely. I was very shakened up by this. No one offered anything for the what happened..no free lunch or drink. My back is quite sore do to this incident. Going to Dr to see about my lower back. Poor management & no courtesy to the customer.. Obviously they only care about money...

Very clean restaurant and great breakfast

It was a wonderful experience

Nice place, good food

Service was very slow and food was bland,asked for a chicken wrap but was given a chicken ceasar salad, didnt want to wait to get what we ordered since food already took too long, was charged way more than what we ordered, this was the first and probably last time we will come

Went tonight for dinner, only one other table being served in the restaurant during dinner hour. Food was average for the price nothing special, service was poor had to ask for take out containers, bill etc. when we were leaving staff continued talking to each other didn t acknowledge us leaving.

Service was great

The atmosphere was weird. Too many people looking at you at once. Service was mediocre. Food was good but very white washed in the sense of not much flavour going on. Decent portions though. Its good place to please everyone in your party

Great food and great value!! Came 2 days in a row and would recommend any time. Great variety and selection

Service was great.

Great food and service ! Nicole was our server and she was friendly and attentive. Will definitely be back :)

Today was my first time at this location and it didn t disappoint! Our food was great and our server Nicole was so sweet and funny and gave phenomenal service, we will definitely be back soon!

Food and service are always excellent !! Dined in today and had the butter chicken and veggie flatbread and both were delicious ! Will definitely be back

Great service!

We had not been in a while. It has really gone down hill! They seem to have cheeped out on the food (fries were like McCain baked fries). They had 2 or 4 cakes in the display case. The furniture was beyond its last legs.

First time eating here I d give it more than five stars if I could. Excellent menu with a plethora of options, takes a while to decide what you are desiring. Nicole was our server and was full with hospitality, setting a very wholesome experience. This combo of service paired with food is unmatched for the price in the Hamilton/Ancaster area. Do not sleep on this restaurant!

The place looks Classical but the only problem,was their food...I ordered steak for breakfast but its cold not warm.

Great atmosphere. Fun staff.

Sid was great! Quick service and lots of options

We enjoyed our visit, our waitress, Emaan, was attentive & accommodating. We would love to come back! Wheelchair accessibility: Although there arent any automatic doors, the inside is very accessible. The staff were able to accommodate our wheelchairs.

Clean, well managed and good value for the money. I like my pork not so well done but I understand that restaurants have to be cautious and not everyone likes pork on the pink side. The portions were good and they have gluten free rice-based pasta that my wife enjoyed. They even had GF bread to make a garlic toast! We each had a drink and found them to be reasonably priced too. So many establishments are gouging on that element now. We werent expecting much from initial impressions but we ended up pleasantly surprised and would definitely go back if opportunity presented it. Dietary restrictions: Gluten free dishes available in addition to the usual standards of salads {Cobb, Greek/Garden).

Huge menu selection of frozen food that will be warmed up for you in a decent amount of time. Décor is nice and the service was good, it may be the only thing keeping this place in business. Unbelievably, the food here is worse than Southcote 53 and more expensive. If youre in the area and hungry, just pick a restaurant on the other side of the street even if that means McDonalds. Yikes.

I have a new love for Avocado toast now thanks to Symposium. They make a great one and also their coffee is delicious. Our waitress ( same one on more than one occasion was awesome.

Very nice! Great for date nights!

Great service by Emmah! Very attentive and patient when taking our order. We just came to this area today to have brunch before trying on wedding dresses.

Had hot chicken wings and they were delicious. Great staff, great food! What else can you ask for? I guess I should visit more often. Thank you Vanessa!

Absolutely love coming here whether it s for meetings or personal events. All the servers have been on point including Emaan

Trish was the best waitress. Thank you Trish. Vegetarian options: We love the service Food : 5/5 |

Decent size servings, had the eggs breakfast with sausages.

I wont be back until the Summer time. It was absolutely freezing in the restaurant. We sat and ate with our winter coats on. Other customers also had their costs on or over their shoulders.

Okay food if you don t care about how it was made. Needs a health inspection. Servers are nice but they look like they hate their jobs, no wonder because the management is horrible and treats them badly. Its a shame that management fails to prioritize the well-being of their team, as it ultimately reflects in the overall dining experience. I will not be returning and cannot recommend this establishment to anyone.

Terrible service, even worse food.

Food was great, service prompt and got to spend a few hours catching up with a good friend.

Teriyaki Grilled salmon was delicious. Seafood pasta was ordered by my friend and she loved it

We totally enjoyed our dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Excellent Vegetarian Pad Thai and Chicken Quesadilla. The two desserts were superb! Our server, Zoe, was pleasant and friendly. We are definitely going back.

Pasta was over done in all our dishes. Appetizers were not appealing! Everything else was fine and a wonderful atmosphere. Food

Atmosphere was really nice staff were fantastic and food was good.

Vegetarian options: Great ! Dietary restrictions: Good options and knowledge Food : 5/5 |

Good place for brunch. Emaan is a great waitress!

I decided to give them another try after they forgot to feed me a few years ago. The service was attentive.. I ordered stir fry steak. It looked and tasted like a botched science experiment. Back to the no fly zone for you.

I just paid $12 for a milkshake...no booze, just milk & ice cream. I mean, it was a good milkshake but I can get one anywhere else for $5-$6, not sure why its so much more here. Special milk? Who knows... Food

All very adequate

Good service from Emaan. Very pleasant and efficient. Our orders were delivered promptly and accurately. Bill was accurate too. Thank you Emaan

Super relaxed area and great food to pair. Emaan was an amazing server and was very attentive and quick Kid-friendliness: Very friendly to my children

One of my favourite places to eat and get a latte. Thanks Emaan for being a great waitress, your customer service was excellent! Dietary restrictions: Dairy free

Great service from Sid and Chandan! Thank you!

Excellent food and service from Trish as usual!

ZOE was great Vegetarian options: Salads Food : 5/5 |

Perfect and amazing place . Will definitely come back. ZOE and the manager are outstanding.

Amazing food and service as always. This is our go to breakfast place! Sid is the best!

Nice lunch date with my niece; we did get bothered several times asking how the food was (I typically just like being asked once). Servers were kind and friendly! Bathroom vents were broken which made it really uncomfortable and hot but they were trying their best to make it better.

Emaan is amazing.

Servers happy and coureous.

Emaan was awesome! Great service!

Service was amazing.Our server Emaan was absolutely a delight

Food was the best thing I order was flatbread was very tasty the rest food I order was okay service was excellent Olivia she is the best. thank you. carrot cake was amazing beer was nice and cold wine was nice latte was very nice and great atmosphere

Trish was fantastic and the food was so delicious. We will be back!

Trish was wonderful!! Food was delicious and service was lovely! A great atmosphere as well.

Sid was and excellent waiter

Amazing food and great drinks. Lovely service by Zoe

Parking: Large Food

Great service & good food with solid attention to detail. Price is a bit premium.

Came with the wife for some dinner, drinks and dessert. We sat out on the patio as the weather was nice, they had music outside which made the experience more pleasant. The service was quick and polite, our servers name was Sid, he was very friendly and quick, always checking if everything was ok and if we needed anything else. Fairly big menu for a cafe style location, lots of tasty food choices, drinks and deserts. The food and drinks were great, desert and coffee topped it off for a great evening out. I recommend the place, the prices are decent and extensive menu selection topped with good atmosphere.

My server Emaan was lovely and very attentive. All staff at the

Great food, great service! Sid was excellent!

Beautiful ambiance, staff was lovely , food was great

Emaan was a lovely server. Quiet and relaxed place for good conversation.

Great food and amazing service

We enjoyed our meals, the apps and drinks! Sid was amazing thank you for your service.

Olivia g was my server, she was amazing and on top of it!! Excellent service and got our food out quickly. She even helped my son clean his dessert he spilled everywhere. Lovely inside and out, the atmosphere, the food, the drinks & the lovely people working!!!!

Olivia provided great service. Fish/chips delicious, nice and dry. Pesto flat bread was also delicious. The AC was on so it was a bit chilly in the restaurant, thus the 4 for atmosphere. Great value.

We had a lovely lunch. Syd was our server. He was delightful.

Olivia was very attentive and responsive to our needs.

Great service, great atmosphere, terrible food. Mediocre at best.

The food we all had was good.

Warning to diners..... Dont order the Lightly Dusted Shrimp unless you like little fried rubber balls Parking: lots of parking

Hard to rate no cook showed up in the morning!!! Went to Sunset instead!!!

Trisha is always phenomenal. Good food and good service.

Iman was very warm and accommodating to my family and I. She was really knowledgeable and nice would definitely come back :)

Emaan provided great services...was very patient with our group of ladies and very attentive.

Wow it s Been a while Experience went from Awesome to Awesomeness. Christopher Simoes Food

My family and I enjoyed an exceptional brunch at Symposium today all because of our server, Shannon! She carried herself with a high regards of respect, compassion, and professionalism. She was very knowledgeable of the menu and provided exceptional customer service. We will definitely be back to fine with Symposium because of Shannon!

Shannon our server, was amazing! She made our experience at Symposium truly wonderful! The food, the ambiance, and the culture was delightful, lively, and accommodating. Thanks for making our experience a great one Shannon!

Great place to go for a date or to just hang out with friends.

A great experience with fabulous service and delicious food - thank you Sid!

Celebrated my Mom s B-Day, Sid the waiter took good care of us. We will be back again!

My friend and I have enjoyed going to Symposium for a bimonthly breakfast for over a year. Last time the breakfast was quite bad and we were told they were training a new chef. Yesterday was not good at all. We waited quite a long time for our food and then both omelettes were thin and flat and the ingredients added were big chunks. My Mediterranean omelette had one olive a chunk of tomato and two tiny bits of zucchini. I think they forgot the cheese. I could taste the singe of the pan. Sadly we have decided to move along. Servers are always lovely but $20 for inedible breakfast. No thanks.

Very nice lunch & atmosphere. Thanks!

Excellent experience with sid and had a goo bon- appetite

Always great service, good food and presentation. Patio is lively and being dog friendly makes it a regular stop for us! Great service from Vanessa.

It was a great place.

We went in for tea and left having had some delicious flatbread and ice cold summer style drinks. Lovely service from Sid who made sure we knew the specials and without pressure steered us to an afternoon snack. I highly recommend this restaurant!

Dietary restrictions: The gluten free bread disintegrates, there is not real Maple syrup,, Everything else es usually delicious and waitresses are great Recommended dishes

We came for a late night bite to eat and have to say we were greeted with such warmth and friendliness from the hostess/server Zoe! She was fantastic!! The manager Chandan was also so accommodating in that he actually made our meals as the kitchen had already closed!! The honey garlic wings and spinach dip was top notch and the atmosphere was amazing!!

Terrible experience. When I initially called to make a reservation, the host picked up the phone and answered hello . I did not know if I called someone s home or a busy ness. I had to ask if this was the Symposium. When I asked if there was a wait ti be seated, the response was a what? What do you mean a wait? I had ti explain to the restaurant employee what a wait was so he explained there are tables and to just come in without asking how long it would take me to get there. Upon arrival, we got a table, but within minutes the restaurant was full. I ordered a medium to medium well fillet. My fillet was well-done and was tough. I only ate 2 or 3 bites. I was told what the vegetables were, but I did not get what was offered. My girlfriend s chicken tasted like a ribette from a frozen box of meat from a grocery store. The quality check was done by the host after 2 min of the meal being served, so I barely touched the filet. When I told the waiter, he spoke with the manager who gave me a 50% discount on the fillet meal only. I told him that this was unacceptable as I did not eat my overcooked meal and was not even offered a replacement meal. The food was very slow to be delivered. The complaint was slow to be addressed. The bill was also slow to be given. I have been a good customer of Symposium and have ate in these restaurants often without issues. I am unimpressed by the quality on all fronts. I will not return.

Emaan was an amazing server!

Great service and food. Couldn t Recommend more.

Great service from Emaan! She was very friendly and quick

Great food, great service. Our server Emaan was fantastic

I visit Symposium regularly, it is a favourite of mine. It has also become a favourite of people I brought there. The menu has many options. I can say that nothing has disappointed me. All the staff are very pleasant and attentive. Call out to Emaan!

Excellent food and excellent service. Sid was an excellent host- extremely friendly and helpful. Vegetarian options: A surprise vegetarian special on Mondays was a delightful surprise.

Had a great lunch there today. Im definitely going back. Great menu with tons of options. Service was great as well.

Sid was our waiter, we have had him a few times. Service is fantastic and the dishes we had were excellent.

Wow! What a large selection on the menu. We sat on the patio. Was nice but close to a busy road. The food was great. Had the pad thai with chicken. The server was very nice :)

Chairs need reupholstered. Dark. Appetizer Spinach dip salty beyond. Mediterranean salad lacked value. Although waiter brought additional toppings. Feta cheese crumbled beyond recognition. Butter chicken poutine appetizer three bite size pieces of chicken for 19.95. Value minimalistic. 5pm and empty. Now know why.

This restaurant is a very clean and family oriented place. The food and portions are amazing. The service (Waiter Sid) was very tentative to my dietary needs and ensured my order was accurate. Highly recommend for even even just a simple get together with friends or family. High quality and taste of all the food, and definitely not greasy at all. We found a great new place to dine. Vegetarian options: Lots of options Dietary restrictions: Has keto, low carb options, fresh fruit and veggies.

Our server Emaan was very helpful and cheerful. Checked in on us often. It was great service.

Very disappointing food. Waffles were cold. The ham was tough and flavourless. The eggs had a funny taste. My spouses burger didn t even look like real meat ? It was mushy. Would never go back here.

Took a few of my friends and enjoyed the food and embiance . Food and service was great. My rear medium Petit Filet was not recommended They were right, my order was deducted as was my dessert and not charged and a glass off wine was provided to me A classy place, highly recommended and the service was great. Would go again tomorrow Ken

Want good food? Good value? and GREAT service? This is the place to come. Came in for breakfast today, the value for money (Early bird special) is amazing, the breakfast potatoes are a must. And if you want the best server in the world ask for Trish. Enough said, go there.

Not my first Symposium visit but my first time at this location. The food was delicious as always (love the California sandwich!) and the staff are friendly and welcoming.

I was very excited about everything

Emaan was very attentive, we enjoyed her service very much

The clam chowder is superb.

Have been here several times and always loved it. Not sure what has happened but it was absolutely disgusting. Spinach dip tasted like hot Mayo with spinach. Bruschetta was hard and soggy at the same time. Also ordered two quesadillas. One came out cut into about 20 pieces with little to no toppings. The second one came out about 5 mins later cut into 4 also no toppings. Took a bite out of it and had it sent back. We were then informed by the waitress that it was then put back onto the grill and had more cheese added and came back out with the bite missing piece. This is absolutely disgusting. I can t even begin to imagine what else Is being put back on the grill. I would absolutely not recommend this place to anyone anymore. Which is unfortunate because I used to love this place.

We were served by Eman, she is so polite and sweet Dietary restrictions: Halal options Food : 5/5 |

A large, varied menu and the food was pretty good. Our server was wonderful. Prices arent bad, but the atmosphere leaves a bit to be desired it felt like a warehouse with some ambient lighting.

I got the belgian waffle. Not very good compared to other places. Waffle was too dry and the toppings were mediocre. Wont be coming again.

Fantastic Symposium Burger

Decent enough food but kind of expensive. The restaurant was slammed when we were in there so I m sure that affected a lot of what was going on. Sort of annoyed I paid full price for a burger when there was a burger special on. I didn t see the sign until I left but you d think the server would mention that. Again, could have been due to the high traffic in the restaurant at the time. Server was decent but super busy. My wife had the zucchini noodles, which she said were bland, but honestly that s what you get for ordering zucchini noodles.

Friday night special....50% of a bottle of EXCELLENT Ripasso. Yum. Our server Sid was attentive and charming. Fish and chips was well-prepared in a light breading....delicious. We will be back for sure.

Came in this afternoon for a late lunch. We were seated for about 20 mins and watched 3 different servers walk by our table with no acknowledgement. No water or anything. It was not busy at all. As we stood to leave, one server actually thanked us for coming

The coffee was cooked and they denied it and said it was fresh!.The meal was perfect and hot.The server asked if the water was ok? Was that a joke or sarcasm?

The food was not very good. The eggs were overcooked, and the bacon was very fatty. Not only that, but the server we had was very rude. I asked her for another pot of hot water for my tea because I said the first pot was cold. Her reply was well I m not going home to boil the kettle. I think that was extremely rude and I will not be going back there.

Enjoyed lunch special of broccoli cheese soup and Caesar salad. New server Nicole was friendly and attentive. Hope to go back soon.

We dined here as a family after our grandsons music recital. We were warmly welcomed and seated promptly. The menu was varied and accompanied all tastes. The food was most enjoyable. Our server, Emaan, was personable and attentive. We will dine here again. Parking: Lots. Kid-friendliness: Kids ate free on Sunday.

We had a great lunch, Very nice place, friendly atmosphere good food and the service from Vanessa was superb. Parking: Easy to park Wheelchair accessibility: Right close to the front door.

Awesome atmosphere. Very relaxed and comfortable. Ive had Vanessa as a server a few times now and she has been great! Would highly recommend!

Emaan was a delightful and attentive server - thank you for making our meal special! Kid-friendliness: Very patient with little ones!