Grey Gardens in Toronto

This is an honest account of my experience here recently. First time here with friends 4 of us in total, reserved the prix fix menu at 95 per person pre-paid is not cheap even by Toronto standards. Service was fine a little fast paced, we had to ask the server to slow it down or we wld be out of there in an hour. Food was nicely presented first course puffs my husband said tasted stale. Very stingy on the portions! this was supposed to be sharing plates experience. Embarrassingly small and flavourless for 4 people( we are pretty foody savvy we did not buy the selling of these small portions). Wine recommendations were very good. Overall we were underwhelmed and will never go back.

Perfect experience at Grey Gardens - food was fantastic as usual and the team takes care of you! Love it!

Wonderful place. Smoked trout dip, beef tartare and tuna bucatini are standouts. All the pastas are great. The Apple sorbet was incredible. Great service. If you are two people, try for a seat at the kitchen bar. Chefs are great to watch. Menu changes frequently which keeps things interesting. Been here several times and never disappointed.

This isnt a restaurant that Id go back to, I wish that I went somewhere else for my birthday celebration. You will leave with a bill of 100$ per person but still have to go somewhere else after since youll still be hungry despite ordering a starter,main and dessert. While the restaurant layout is well done and all but the space clearly has acoustic problems, it is impossible to hear your company or the server. I found the food to be mediocre for a restaurant that is charging 100$ per person. The smoked fish dip was ok, nothing special and the house made chips were very oily. The skate fish was not bad but the portion was small. The beef tartare was decent minus the oily croutons that are mixed with it. The dessert was meh, not worth the 14$ pricing. Also, their wine menu on their website is not updated to reflect their latest selection of wine.

Amazing food and atmosphere. Impeccable customer service and knowledgeable wait staff. I ll definitely be returning.

Phenomenal food, as expected from a Jen Agg restaurant, as well as tremendous service, so knowledgeable and efficient. Room was beautiful and it had a wine list to invite many, many visits.

Great service and great food, would recommend.

Superb meal. Every dish was splendid. Standouts: hamachi crudo, coraflex, bucatini. Good service. Nice wine list and cocktails. V loud though

Hands down, our favourite restaurant in the city. Always a pleasure.

It felt like a warm and cozy space. Service was impeccable, and everything we ate ended up tasting even better than it looked. The smoked fish dip while looking ordinary is absolutely phenomenal, Id go back just for that.

My girlfriend brought me here for my birthday a few months ago. Very cozy spot serving some interesting bites. We found our drinks to be a bit on the stronger end for our liking. The pasta dishes were okay, nothing exceptional, but you can tell there was thoughtfulness behind the preparation of all the dishes we were served that evening. Service was exceptional; staff were extremely attentive and constantly checking on us to see what we thought of each dish, glad they cared about feedback. Overall a decent experience, definitely recommend it for a special occasion.

Loved our dinner at Grey Gardens....we had been meaning to go for some time and Im so happy we finally booked! Small menu but enough choice to satisfy most people. Excellent service, food, drinks....we will definitely return.

The beef carpaccio is amazing with the housemate chips. The fish dip was good. Ambience is cozy. Service is good.

Had an excellent meal here with some of the best service I ve ever received. Our party had a plethora of food restrictions and the waitress took every single one of them back to the kitchen and came up with a catered list of items we could order. Very intimate experience and would recommend.

My partner and I went for a little celebratory dinner and absolutely loved our experience! We sat at the bar and got to see all the chefs at work. The bar wasn t too loud and the atmosphere of the restaurant is really cozy and relaxing. We ordered some fresh oysters and shrimp, the bean salad, the spaghetti and the steak and loved every dish. It was also really cool watching the chefs prepare the dishes we were about to eat and see how much precision and care goes into each plate and that definitely comes through in the quality and taste of the food! Of all the dishes the bean salad was a stand out, the steak was so tender and the spaghetti was flavourful and the perfect portion. The fresh seafood was a great start to the meal but I think next time I will definitely try one of the delicious looking crudos. Our server was attentive and offered recommendations on food and drink throughout the night and brought us over a free sip of amaro to close off a beautiful meal. We had an amazing time and we definitely will be back!

We celebrated my friend s bridal shower here and they told us it would be a prix fix menu for $85 each. We were totally okay with this when we made the reservation but when dinner service started we noticed they brought only 2 small dishes of each dish (total of 5 different ones) for 12 people. I m sure this place is great for couples and smaller groups but we all left extremely hungry and disappointed.

One of the best restaurants I ve been to in Toronto

Wow, wow, wow...what a fantastic place to eat. The staff, service & food...absolutely wonderful. Trout, steak, lamb...delicious. So many great options. Try this hidden gem for sure....awesome!!!

Celebrated our anniversary here. The service was fantastic, and the food was wonderful! I wish it was socially acceptable to lick the plate. The ravioli dish was especially exquisite. Food

First timer here for a birthday. Very impressed with the food and service. The smoked fish dip, oysters and cocktail shrimps along with white wine are a great start to your meal. The main course cod dish is also amazing, perfectly-seasoned and so buttery. Overall, an unforgettable experience! It is also a fine-dining environment that doesnt make your feel overly formal/uptight. Highly recommended for birthdays/anniversaries or any special occasion.

In love Aurora was our server, light to the table touch with the right amount of attention, passionate and knowledgeable on the food and wines. We had the orange Gerwetztraminer (sp? who cares) I think half the time people don t order it cuz they can t say it. Anyway it was crisp and fruity and paired perfectly with the oysters briny saltiness. The carpaccio with little yorkies..mmmm All of our dishes were amazing but I particularly loved the bone marrow pasta. The desert was maple crispies with miso and homemade icecream and cmon, salty, sweet, creamy, crunchy. We had a fantastic evening, what a treat. Thanks staff and chefs, no wonder this is my son s favourite spot.

An unrivaled dining experience in the heart of Kensington Market!

Their food is excellent, especially the seafood dishes! Every time I go, I am impressed by the wonderful service as well!

Cute space! Accommodated my single status without a pause, amazing food.

I love seafood dishes here so much! Especially, the seafood dip that comes with chips is my absolute favorite! :) Highly recommended!

Food : beautiful dish presentation however every dish tasted one dimensional in flavour, the seasonings tasted mainly of salt or pepper on the dishes. The crudo dish flavours were quite mild, I wasn t sure what I was tasting but there wasn t much flavour. Oysters and shrimp cocktail were as per usual as oysters and shrimp cocktails are. Service: There was a hair in one dish to which we sent back, there were no apologies from the kitchen chef or whoever was in charge regarding that however our server was extremely nice enough to comp it off the bill for us without us asking. Our server was friendly and available during our dine in. Dessert was okay, we ordered both to try. Overall, the experience , food, decor and overall service was not bad but it was not delicious or extraordinary either. For $200+ for two people, I would not return or recommend.

I don t go out for fine dining almost ever, mostly because I have a perfect sushi restaurant around the corner from my house and tbh eating takeout from there in my sweatpants is my perfect dining experience - do with that what you will, but it s sure to influence my review of this lovely restaurant. Food and service at Grey Gardens were both excellent. I sometimes find service at restaurants to be obsequious, which can make me uncomfortable - here the servers were attentive and super helpful without being obtrusive. My water glass was never empty! Server helped me choose a glass of wine (which was perfect) and helped us choose what to order as well as how much to order. My partner had the martini which was very different than how I typically have them but was very delicious. We had the bread and smoked fish dip to start, since almost every review recommends them. The bread came out so warm with a crust that was shatteringly crisp, lovely salty butter, perfect. We had the scallop crudo, the bean salad, and the trout. All were very tasty and each had some element that surprised (and delighted) me. The broth with the scallops! The curry oil! The ramp relish! Flavour bombs, all of them. We also had the strawberry sorbet cornbread dessert, and while it too was excellent, I think it could have been a bit smaller (but maybe that s just me, I m a savoury girlie). Playlist was fun, a bold choice to put multiple songs by the same artist in a row lol, we found it fun. We came early-ish (6pm reso) and things were on the quieter side while we were there (our preference) but by the time we left it was bumping, so choose your time and vibe accordingly. A great experience, I look forward to trying more of Jen Agg s places! Dietary restrictions: Great for pescatarians

We popped in w/o a res and had to sit outside. Lovely night but missed out on the beautiful space inside. Service was excellent....and friendly and fun. Food was amazing.

Delightfully tasty dinner with an exceptional wine list. Great service, beautiful atmosphere.

Char Cudo was off and I couldnt finish it. Waiter asked if there was a problem because I only ate half, major stomach problems-this morning I am calling later

The food is perfection, the vibes are immaculate, and the service feels like hanging out with your most generous and thoughtful pals. Every. Single. Time. Hands down my fave in the city <3

Try their lamb noodles & smoked pork chop - good flavour and flavourful. The branzino fish was a must order as well. Would order this again. Hands down. The vibe was good and the meal was worthwhile, love this Toronto spot. They allowed us to sit in for a while and had our time to drink & eat. Food : 5/5 |

If you want a candle lit romantic spot, good food and good service that is the spot

The real stand out was the sea bass entree. The fish could not be cooked better. The pasta was well cooked but the ragu could have been better i think but i still enjoyed the entire meal.

nice atmosphere, food and service

Great meal and lovely atmosphere. Everything we ate was delicious!

Very special little place. Great service, with a curated and enigmatic little menu. Highlights were the pasta dishes, oysters, and ice cream dessert. Came to spend a bit extra and experience something unique but comforting- got that and more!

Ive been longing to try Grey Gardens and Im happy I finally did! While the menu is small, its jam packed with a variety of unique dishes and flavours. The mushroom dish, brimming with umami, is probably the best Ive ever had. The Arctic char crudo was flavorful and well balanced. And the lamb pasta was good and unique. Didnt love the pesto ravioli - a bit too earthy for my liking.

Amazing

This is one of my favourite restaurants in the city! The menu changes all the time so frequent visits wont be boring. The atmosphere is quiet and reserved. Perfect for a night of good food and good conversation. Parking: There is a Green P lot just a block west of the restaurant

Enjoy the atmosphere here. The food taste rich and have different layers of flavor. My favorite is Albacore but I don t really like the dessert.

Absolutely incredible experience from start to finish. Lovely service and gorgeous atmosphere. The smoked fish was to die for and I cannot wait to come back for more. The desserts are not to be looked over, the earl Grey cream is delicious and a new taste sensation for me. Fresh seafood, and exquisitely clean. Cant wait to come by again soon!

Had a lovely dining experience at Grey Gardens about a month ago while travelling in YYZ for work. Dane made our experience flawless from every aspect of service. The room is on theme, relevant to the cuisine and you can tell a lot of thought was put in to the atmosphere. Well done! I loved most of the dishes, but found the cauliflower to be under seasoned. The food menu was fun, and had an appropriate amount of seasonality to it while still keeping dishes interesting and not so predictable. They had alcohol free wine and cocktails, which I appreciated. This made my experience well rounded and thoughtful.

One of the best restaurants in the city. Nothing more to say.

My company The Moody Blooms was asked to flower Grey Garden s party room for a wedding a while back. This space is so intimate and romantic. We created a table scape, mirror and wall sconce installs using all locally grown flowers. Would definitely recommend this restaurant, I have eaten here a few times and it s always perfect. It was particularly special having the chance to create some floral vibes in this space. Thanks for having me! Xo

Had a lovely meal at the bar, which gives you a full view of the kitchen. Cocktails were a hit, but the true stars of the meal were the oysters, smoked fish dip, and the steak tartare. Well definitely be back. Also, they were accommodating of a very tight timing restriction, which we appreciated a lot!

We enjoyed the fixed menu at Grey gardens for new years this year. The food was top notch and the service was excellent. They have standard seating, however we sat at the bar which was very enjoyable as you were able to interact with the staff and watch them make all the excellent cocktails. My only complaint was how full we were when we left, everything was amazing! Definitely look forward to checking out their regular menu on our next visit.

Hidden gem in Kensington Market. Unassuming from the exterior with a pleasant interior with three seating styles: bar seating, tables and kitchen bar seating. The menu is limited but has a good variety fo choices. We had the 7 layer dip (good but pricey; I would probably try the smoked fish dip next time for a more economical starter). The Celery Root and Scallop dishes were amazing. Pretty plating and a perfect balance of flavours. The Tagliatelle was a bit underwhelming compared to the other dishes; its decent but nothing special. I would try the Hand Torn Noodles next time based on other reviews. The Skate on the other hand was amazing - it looked and tasted almost like a brisket and was served in a buttery foam with lots of sauce. Would definitely recommend and would come back again!

Rating: 4.6/5 The vibes at this restaurant captivated us. The space is small but elegant and inviting, setting the tone for a delightful dining experience. The menu boasts a diverse selection of dishes, each one meticulously prepared and bursting with flavor. We shared the smoked fish dip n chips, the branzino crudo, the cauliflower, the agnolotti, the hand torn lamb pasta and the apple galette. The attentive service, specifically our server Jasmine, complemented the exquisite food perfectly, making it an unforgettable evening. She gave us 2 different recommendations of wine pairings and they were seriously impressive, offering a perfect accompaniment to our meal. Grey gardens is a definite must visit.

Staff dressed like bums. Tables arranged to have a sardine can feeling. Tuna tartar had so much balsamic vinegar I did not know it was tuna or bassa fish. Overpriced for the value. A cave in a Forrest has a better setting. How do these guys survive? I dont know. Good luck to them!

This an excellent restaurant. The food is creative and delicious, the wine list superb and the service outstanding. Most of the plates are for sharing which allows everyone to try everything. And you will want to! It is expensive but that must be expected with a restaurant of this quality. We found it a tad loud but overall the atmosphere is warm and friendly.

Came here as a group on a Monday night and it seemed like the staff went out of their way to separate us at two different ends of the restaurant because we didn t want the 100$ pp tasting menu even though there was enough space for us in one spot of the restaurant. Serving 2x 4 people tables is the same if we re separated or not otherwise the food was good, but not extraordinary. The menu was also a bit disjointed, the fish courses were mostly Asian inspired while the rest was more new Canadian/Mediterranean/italian/seasonally inspired. Was glad to have come here but wouldn t necessarily go back or recommend it to anyone visiting Toronto. Great wine list and 10/10 bathrooms though !

A hidden gem located in Kensington with great ambiance and even more incredible food!

Their accolades got to their head. I went to Grey Gardens many years ago and loved it. I was so excited to go back, but was met with a terrible experience. We asked about an ingredient in a dish due to an allergy, and the server told us it was on the side. When the dish arrived, we couldnt see the ingredient on the side. We asked, and the server didnt know which part of the dish the ingredient was part of. She went to the kitchen to ask and then advised us that it was incorporated in the main part of the dish. We asked if they could do anything. The server wasnt sure, so she went to the kitchen to ask. She came back and said she will have a portion made without the ingredient to accommodate allergies. We said great. She then came back and told us we would be charged for it. This was a shock to me. I didnt ask for anything to be comped, but to tell me shell have a portion made and then told us well need to pay for it was unacceptable. We would have ordered another dish if we knew the ingredient was incorporated in the main part of the dish. The terrible lack of understanding of the menu (its not even a large menu!) and lack of customer service was enough to ruin the evening. Yes, the food is good and the atmosphere is okay. But I cant recommend this place anymore.

First off, great service. In terms of food quality - a mixed bag of an experience I d recommend to stick with pasta dishes. The appetizers are rather overpriced and not great, especially the crab lettuce wrap - way too salty, to the point that you cannot taste the crab at all. Extensive international wine list, which is a big plus. For a small place, it can get quite loud, so it s not so easy to have a conversation at times. In any case, cozy and friendly atmosphere. Worth a visit, if you don t mind higher prices and relatively small food portions.

Food was great, service was excellent, but more importantly I was even more impressed at the level of composure communication and teamwork with both front and back. I was lucky enough to observe it all at front row bar seat. The experience was quite emotional for me as I became envious reminiscing past jobs. For that alone I cannot offer any critiques as I am now biased from the level of professionalism and kitchen symphony. My top 3 favourites that s a must try in no particular order: Smoked Fish & Chips, Grilled Sable & Fluke with Saffron Aioli.

Awesome service, atmosphere, and food. I recommend ordering a few dishes to share so you get to try a bit of everything, as the menu is limited and it rotates. The mains were a little disappointing compared to the other dishes. I really enjoyed the chips with dip, the mushroom pasta, and the desserts.

Some of the best cooked trout we ve had in a long time - the entire menu was incredible, 100% recommend!

Our new #1 favourite restaurant in Toronto! Amazing flavours, authentic warm friendly service (especially Jasmin & Lydia) and cozy date night atmosphere. The smoked fish dip and cabbage in chilli oil are incredible! Will be back soon...

Amazing food, exquisite service. Cant wait to come back!

Grey Gardens is a cute date spot with friendly service and a neighborhood vibe. It used to be my favourite restaurant but I feel some of their new dishes are not as elevated . Still tasty but not as inventive as their old menus. My fave remains the hamachi - a must fave. Will definitely come back but was a bit disappointed

Really good food. I took the vegetarian menu and was a little disappointed at first with the first courses, but then the main couses were marvelous! The cacio e pepe revoked a new love for the dish, and the selleri root gave me an unexpected inspiration. The service was very friendly.

AH! Grey Gardens! These Google reviews really fooled me!! 1. They are located in most shady area - do not wear or bring expensive clothing items. I was scared I might get mugged. Thank goodness we found a parking near by the restaurant! 2. Food - what the hell. The only thing that was good was the bread which I had to pay about $8 for it. 3. Food - I ordered a fish and the most entertaining part of that was I sat at the bar looking over to open kitchen and witnessed as my food was made.... whoever was making my fish... he looked like an amateur!! hahaha He literally did not know how much sauce he should pour, how to cut the chunk of the fish, or how to arrange it. Nothing of this place was out of professional cook. It really looked like an apprentice school, getting experiences. Either way, fish was NOT COOKED well and was really fishy. I am just glad I didnt get sick from eating that. The sauce, the food -- all of it was really NOT IMPRESSIVE. so I dont really get this 4.6 rating at all. 3. Again, Food - lets talk about the appetizers. I saw it getting made and let me tell you. Its SMALL. I think it was one of the kitchen help was preparing (you can tell by their workmanship), honestly I thought shes playing a tea party. Tiny pieces of food, cutting into pieces to make it big etc etc. very pathetic, if you ask me. Again, the only thing that was good was the $8 bread. This one, you won me. Only this menu.

The service here is immaculate. The staff are so attentive, and I love that they switch out your utensils and plate after every dish. The cocktails here are great as well. The appetizers (cabbage and the fish dip) were delicious! The mushroom pasta was wonderful as well and oh so buttery. The Cornish hen was a little underwhelming (though the presentation was fantastic and a lot of fun to cut into!) Maybe we were just a little too full to enjoy it. Flavors were good but I think the appetizers set the bar high for punchy flavors and this one was more on the comfy homey end. Dessert was amazing! Would definitely recommend the apple ice cream, textures were on point and the ice cream was just the perfect amount of tart and sweet. The coconut lime ice cream + sweet potato cake was good, but the cake for me didnt really hit the spot as much as the apple crumble. Overall a really enjoyable experience!

Had a lovely dinner tonight! Some of the best service I have had in a restaurant in a long time! Really enjoyed the ambiance as well! Super cozy feeling. The citrus spritz and negroni were both made very well. Highlights for dinner included the smoked fish dip and the agnolotti pasta! We also had oysters, the hamachi dish which tasted fresh, but was missing something to make it stand out. The one thing I would skip that we had was the pasta with broccoli and speck. A little too rich tasting for my palette.

I took my hubby to Grey Gardens for birthday dinner, we had a great time and he really enjoyed the lovely food and wine. For starters we had bread and butter and the 7 layers dip. The bread was warm and butter was nice and soft, the dip was served with potato chips. We also had the Agnolotti pasta, 8 pieces of pasta didnt seem much but they were packed with brown butter, nuts, herbs and the lemon juice rounded it off nicely. For main, we had Cornish hen served with grits and green chard. We fished off with the sweet potato cake topped with lime coconut sobert. The food was delish, if we were to pick on anything, it was the cornish hen was a bit dry after the first cut, but it was still good. The service was great, they had 5-6 servers for about 50 capacity, they frequently filled up water and checked in on drinks, they were all friendly and very professional. The ambiance was cozy and charming, we will come back and try the lettuce wrap next time!

I am never left wanting more from this place - the service is always impeccable and the food is to die for. Was inspired to try and recreate their cabbage dish after my latest visit. Truly a gem in this city and one of my favourite restaurants in toronto!

great vibe! the cabbage dish was amazing paired with the orange wine, the atmosphere and service is great at this spot from the host to the servers to the chefs (Sam and AJ were ) ! would recommend!

Great food. Great atmosphere. Great decor. Great service. Great playlist. Can we add a 6th star? More Toronto restaurants need to be like this. Im mad it took me so long to get here. The food was fantastic. Fish dip. Bread. Trout was cooked perfectly. Very different and delicious wine choices. Sweet potato cake was amazing. I want to go back. I will go back.

I would rate this place 4.5 stars as it is quite decent. Although the menu is small, the dishes offered are well-executed and contemporary. Its an enjoyable experience to explore these dishes with your significant other. The restaurants interior is quaint and cozy, but the surrounding area is a bit uninviting. Nonetheless, its worth a visit for the delicious food and cozy atmosphere. UNIQUE MENU!

Came here for a date night and ordered a bottle of wine, the fish dip, oysters, lettuce wraps, and agnolotti. The server didnt seem too familiar with their own menu or the wine list (more understandable since they have somms). Instead of a somm coming to us, the information was relayed through the server which was a little peculiar. Food wise, the dip and agnolotti were our favorites. The lettuce wraps were nice overall but there was one flavor in the crab (we think lime rind) that was similar to Indian pickle that didnt really jive well with our palates. It was still tasty though. Overall it was a good experience.

A hidden gem

Loved that spot in Toronto! Great for natural wines and small plates close to the centre.

Another delicious dinner here! We had the crudo, shrimp cocktail, beets, agnolotti, trout, beef cheek and both desserts. Everything was amazing, and the service from Lauren was immaculate. Will be back to try everything and anything from here as it never disappoints.

Great flavours within the small menu. We got cocktails, wine and multiple dishes. Our favourite was the lettuce wraps, they were so fresh! We also tried oysters for the first time and loved them. Would definitely recommend, the staff were so lovely and the vibes were calming.

Easily one of our favourite date night restaurants. Food consistently slaps, fish and dip, seafood, and desserts are always showstoppers. This restaurant always receives the best feedback from friends when we recommend it. Service is always good and atmosphere is romantic, moody, and cozy. Reservations strongly recommended.

My new favorite spot in Kensington Market. Great food, service & atmosphere. We started with the delicious smoked fish dip/chips & Bison carpaccio. The braised cabbage was amazing. The gnocchi was excellent. Great wine list too. I would highly recommend you try this outstanding restaurant.

Amazing experience and one of our best meals whilst in Toronto. Cute little resto in Kensington market across the park. Laid back and fun ambiance, great service and fantastic food. Stopped on a whim to relax with some appies and beverages and ended up staying for dinner. The eggplant appetizer is a must. Delicately grilled with well balanced flavor profile. The trout was fantastic too. Cooked perfectly and we loved the potatoes that came with it. Service was great and they even made our little one a yummy lemonade. Oysters were fresh and delicious.

beef tongue was

Fabulous restaurant on Augusta / Kensington market area. Food is truly amazing. The vibe, the decor, the service were great. We were advised to a fabulous wine that was actually less expensive than our first pick. I very much appreciated the thoughtful and honest advice A truly remarkable place!

Super impressed with every dish we had here! The service was very friendly and interiors was very nice and clean. You can see some of the cooking that takes place. We loved the cabbage dish and the ravioli pasta because it was so thin and filling was very tasty. We can t wait to go back!

If you dont like the food, youll like the music. If you dont like the music, the food will definitely make up for that! Great food and atmosphere. Best trout Ive had in a long time. Top 3 restaurant for the year so far. See you soon

One of my favourite restaurants on Toronto. Great food and service. *Amazing smoked fish dip Recommended dishes

This place is fantastic! The ambiance is so nice. The food is absolutely delicious and seafood was all extremely fresh. Our server was so attentive - I had made a note on the res that it was my fiancés birthday dinner and didn t even have to remind them when we got to the restaurant. Highly recommend.

I really like the vibe here. They are lit by candles so it is super romantic. Small menu but everything is delicious. Fantastic wine list. However they close kind of early (10PM).

Great spot for a date

Another cute spot in Kensington, although not easily noticeable from the outside! Loved the ambiance, especially the decorations on the way to the washrooms! Food was good - between two people, we shared the braised cabbage, ravioli, and some oysters/shrimp cocktail. Really enjoyed the cabbage and the oxtail ravioli! As for drinks, not a lot of cocktail options but lots of wine to choose from! So if you like wine and open to trying other types of wine, this will be a good spot for you! Overall, Grey Gardens exceeds the expectation of Kensington. Will def visit again soon!

Why is the red tail bread & butter not an option for dish recommendation? Haha. We were here Thurs., April 20th btwn the hours 6:30-8:00 pm. Of all the fine dining restaurants weve been to in Toronto, this is the only place that has wow-ed us from beginning to end. The food was phenomenal, but the service was even more outstanding. Great recommendations for food & wine, and many thanks to the male waiter for providing us with a more detailed explanation on the dishes we especially liked. Would 100% recommend (& have actually alrdy done so -- my friends were wow-ed too!). Truly deserving of their bib gourmand. Recommend the red tail bread & butter, the ox tail ravioli, & the semifreddo!! ((:

Really cool and lively wine bar in Kensington Market. Extensive wine selections as you would expect for a Wine Bar. The food menu is limited. I would have expected a Chef tasting menu for a place featured in the Michelin Guide in the Bib Gourmand category. I highly recommend he Beef Cheeks for the main and the Raddish Salad. Overall a good experience but not amazing.

Overall a good (but nothing out of this world) experience! Came here on a date night and they recommended us get a few dishes to share. We got the smoked fish and chips (8/10. Chips were meh but the fish was great). Ahi tuna bowl (7/10. Dressing overpowered the fish). Shawarma plate (8/10. Charred asparagus and garlic dip was so good). Salmon (7/10. Wish they kept the fish skin on to add some crisp). We got the semifreddo for dessert (8/10). Wouldve loved some bitterness or citrus to cut thru the richness of the white chocolate. I got the cocktail (forgot the name) w bourbon. I believe it was a special. Rlly nice. The alcohol wasnt too forward and the spice notes were lovely. Service 9/10! Server was attentive and i highly recommend a seat at the bar so u can watch the chefs cook. Overall a good experience but i wouldnt go back to try anything different

Great service, delicious food, fairly priced. Cool vibes - has mix of people: dress casually or be fancy; it s somehow a fancier place yet relaxed all at the same time. Make it what you want and that s what makes this place fascinating. We ordered the chips and smoked dip (must have), beef cheek (tasty) and gnocchi (great portion and bursting with flavours).

Nice relaxing ambiance, service were excellent

Absolutely brilliant! Chef Jen and the crew are masters in the kitchen and the staff are very friendly - flawless service. Must haves - Smoked fish and chips, Shawarma with asparagus (spectacular), Branzino, and the Radish Salad. The Gardnen non-alcoholic cocktail is delicious!We are looking forward to returning

Outstanding food, service, and great Kensington vibe. Fully deserving of Michelin recognition.

absolutely delicious! everything was so flavourful and unique. i wish the dishes came a bit quicker, and could be a bit bigger in size. otherwise would definitely recommend!

We had an excellent meal. We got the oysters, cocktail shrimp, beef tartare, the ravioli and the Campanelle. Everything was delicious, the tartare was our favourite. Service and ambiance was wonderful as well. We will definitely be back :)

Lovely spot in Kensington Market. We walked from our hotel in Downtown through Chinatown into Kensington Market. On the way, we did a little googling of restaurants and found this spot - and amazingly were able to get in at the open kitchen bar. We loved there were two lady sous chefs preparing dishes - and everything we ate was excellent. We got the smoked fish, the radish salad and the gnocchi. The cocktails were fabulous and wine list superb. - A must try and a perfect neighborhood restaurant if you live in that area!

All I have to say . The branzino is amazing.

Delicious food and amazing atmosphere! Highly recommend the branzino!

I loved the food great place In Augusta ave Food : 5/5

The most perfect food and service.

A unique dining experience! The oyster was fresh and the steak is so good!

One of my favourite restaurants in Toronto. The vibe is really relaxed but the food is elevated and the service is great. The menus change regularly and the servers always give us great recommendations. Would recommend getting a few things to share. Great place for wine and oysters as well.

I booked a private dining area for a birthday group dinner, there s an area that doesn t include a minimum spend! We had maybe around 12 people. The set menu was so generous and delicious! So many courses we could barely finish and the price was amazing for what we had. There were printed menus and I had asked to get my partners name printed on the menu as well. The service was also amazing. All in all I was absolutely stunned by how great the night went. Would absolutely recommend to everyone. Service, experience, food was amazing. Great wine list as well. Very elegant night. Dietary restrictions: Very considerate of my friend who is allergic to everything

Super cute restaurant with an expansive wine list . Service was great. The Oyster and yellow tail was just ok imo. My husband liked the smoked leeks. Must gets: smoked fish dip, red tail bread, scallop, cavatelli surf and turf. Food

Absolutely amazing! It was my first time here and it blew away my expectations! The food and drinks were delicious! Loved every single thing we ordered. Can t wait to come back next time we re in Toronto.

nestled in the heart of the Torontos most eclectic food hub lies a humble but most exciting dining spot worth checking out. At first glance its easy to miss but look out for the pop of yellow coming from the patio umbrellas-you have found yourself at Grey Gardens. Once you make it through the doors you a transported into a warm, rustic dining space coloured in accents of warm tones, greens and golds. the dining space is open concept giving you an exciting birds eye view of the kitchen space. The menu is divided into starters, small, medium, large plates and desserts. Food delivers on visual impact, portion and TASTE! Major standouts were the tomato and leek dishes. The front of the house staff were warm, friendly, accommodating and personable. They have an array of drinks and cocktails available. The cucumber spritz was my personal fav-very light and refreshing. Hands down one of the best meals I have had in Toronto in a very long time. This garden is in full bloom-if you are looking for the toronto`s next best restaurant this is it!

What a treat this place is!! First off, fab service. All the servers were friendly and helpful. Our server recommended the kampachi which was a hit for both of us. Out of the park. The smoked fish dip was so good I could have eaten it all day. The oysters were small but delicious. The gnudi was insanely good and got eaten quickly. The Crown though, was the royal treat. We both raved about it for a while. *pro tip* order some bread after so you can sop up all that delicious Crown sauce ;) thank me later We got both of the desserts. The panna cotta was good and all but that basque cheesecake, she was the moment. Expansive and impressive wine list, and some great and tasty spritz cocktail options. Possibly one of the best meals I ve ever had really. Will be back for sure. We will be talking up this place up. Couldn t have been happier to spend an Anniversary meal here!

Wonderful, interesting food and friendly service. Portions are not huge but the variety more than makes up for it. Service is friendly and helpful.

Beautiful and intimate space for a date night or celebration. The seafood is truly outstanding. Wish they had more than 1 alcohol-free cocktail on their menu.

Went here for my birthday because of the Bib Gourmand recommendation. I was very excited and ready to be wow ed. Turned out, totally disappointed. To start, no one helped us with our coats. It felt more like self serving service was pretty casual. Then, The food was just okay. I found the salmon dish, in particular, was not good- salmon was too salty while the greens was too sour. The shawarma was more like a deconstructed veggie pita wrap and had very salty garlic paste, which was very meh to me. The only thing I thought was okay was the ravioli, tho I also didnt find it too special. Definitely one of the most nicest places in Kensington and probably exceeded expectations for Kensington, but compared to restaurants in other neighborhoods, I ve had better. Probably won t come back

Grey Gardens is one of those places you always want to check out. Superb interior design, superfriendly staff and great vibe. However judging the food is a bit of hit and miss. Their smoke and cold section of the menu is top. Special mention to the scallops. As you make progress in the carte, the mains are also tasty, savoury and delicious. However the desert is a total miss, the basque cheesecake is not right and the panna cotta is just ok. Their drink selection has room for improvement. The supposed sumiller has no much idea and the glasses too small. The vibe is cool and good feeling however charging that amount of money, they should aim for better.

Had the crown pasta and it was absolutely delicious! Would recommend!

I have no idea what kind of oysters these were but they were delicious! I liked how the hot sauce came in a little dropper too. Will be back for those and the scallop.

I ate there last week and I found a bug in my food. Horrible customer service and the food tasted like it came out of the microwave.

Horrid all round experience from the food to the service. Not recommended.

We made reservations to Grey Gardens for a table for two a month prior. Between us, we ordered the smoked fish chip and dip, scallop crudo, crown, smoked leeks, apple galette, and panna cotta. They had an extensive wine selection and some non-alcoholic options. Service was terrific, and we loved the ambiance. The food was delicious and paced well - we stayed for almost three hours. My favourite dishes were the scallop crudo and both dessert options. Accessibility: washrooms have an automatic door opener button.

Beautiful restaurant with lovely servers. The food was pretty and delicious. Limited items but wasnt an issue. Extensive wine list. Overall a terrific dinner option. Only cavet would be that its very loud and hard to have conversations.

Wonderful as always - food was outstanding and the ambience might be the best in the city. Lovey candlelight, great music (hits from the 80 s last night!) and all the cozy stuff you d like.

Fantastic locally-focused menu based on fresh and high-quality produce with fantastic saucing. Perfectly balanced flavours, incredibly fresh ingredients, and really kind, welcoming, friendly service. Definitely one of the best places in the city, exceeding its already high expectations.

The pickerel is was great. Creamy savoury with slightly sweet and spicy taste. The crown was rich and savoury but seasoned a bit salty. The kampachi was great with a tangy kick but a bit salty and the swordfish carpaccio had a nice flavour with the eggplant and sesame. The celery root was very interesting but had a bitter taste that I didn t quite enjoy.

This restaurant is always spectacular, simple yet with complex flavors that just hit the spot

Not a big menu but truly excellent great cocktails and of course wine. Easygoing, fun, a bit loud for my old ears but it s part of the energy!

We had a wonderful meal with several stand out dishes like the skate wings, cauliflower, duck, prwans, oysters, bavette and crudo. As a celiac sufferer sadly several items were off limits to me (gluten contaminated fryer) but there was enough I could eat (but sadly I could not have either of the dessert menu options, just a sorbet). Service was excellent, warm ambiance was just what I needed on a cold night. Thank you. Ill be back.

I had an exceptional experience at Grey Gardens in Kensington Market. The service was top-notch, with staff that went above and beyond to ensure our comfort. The shared style family meal was a culinary delight every dish was not only beautifully presented but also incredibly tasty. Grey Gardens has truly mastered the art of creating a welcoming atmosphere with outstanding food. I highly recommend this establishment for anyone seeking a memorable dining experience. Five stars well-deserved!

Great restaurant overall. Food is very tasty and light, so eat away and you won t feel stuffed when you leave. Menu tilts to their white wine list, which is quite an impressive list.

Excellent, cozy place with wonderful food.

The service was very lovely! A bit loud and keeping our coats at our seats made it crowded. Food was good but didn t feel the $70 value was there for the bavette. Would visit again!

The menu is small, however our group got multiple different dishes and everyone enjoyed their food. I say the skate might have been the winner! Service was attentive, kind and quick. The decor is also very welcoming and romantic. Good date night spot i would say. As many other reviews have mentioned the wine list is endless.

The timing/spacing out of the service was impeccable and the dishes delicious. A perfect, cozy date night spot. Stand out dishes for us were the tortelloni and the smoked fish chips n dip. The wine list is also quite extensive and interesting.

Exquisite. Sat outside as was able to get reservations on the patio for two with one days notice. Had the striped bass (fresh, delightful, nice touch of dill) and the tomato dish.... this tomato dish.... ouf. We could eat that every day: luscious red delicious tomatoes set on an eggplant puree with dried black olives... paired with thick bread and salty churned butter. Highly recommend. Makes one sad to think of the tasteless veggies at the grocery stores. Next came the campanelle - very nice, delicious shiitake mushrooms and fresh peas, and the lamb belly, unctuous and well balanced with morels and bitter greens sauteed underneath. Extensive and interesting wine list and nice spritz selection for the summer. Bonus, in a city where service is questionable for the most part (for myriad structural and other reasons), the staff was delightful. Many thanks, excited to return.

Wonderful experience. This spot is a total gem.

Absolutely amazing. Food was incredible, especially the spaghetti prepared by Meg. Aurora was such a personable, pleasant, attentive host. She provided excellent recommendations. Will definitely go back.

this is my favourite restaurant in Toronto. The menu is creative, seasonal, surprising, and best of all delicious. The service is amazing, so attentive and helpful in the menu. Every time I have gone we have asked the staff to support us in creating a menu and suggesting what wine to pair it with - and every time I have been BLOWN AWAY. Last time I was with a group of 8, we had a set menu and it was incredible

No words, one of the best meals Ive ever had, everything was incredible. Highlights were the shrimp tortelloni in lobster broth and the asparagus with crab paste.

Great service, interior is cute and I appreciated the lighter summer seltzers. Overall, food was decent, some more creative than others. Loved the smoke fish & dip. The branzino wasnt seasoned evenly, the top was significantly more salty compared to the part near the tail.

Amazing location with fantastic service! Everything we had was delicious except the raviolis which had too much pepper. The drinks were great too! I would recommend this place to anybody visiting Kensington market!

Came to GG to celebrate a wedding anniversary, was not disappointed. The atmosphere is a fresh, minimalist casual-chic. It s appropriate for a night out with friends or for a romantic dinner. The staff was incredibly attentive and warm. Most importantly, every dish was perfect. The taste, quality, seasoning and presentation was always spot on. It s one of the better meals I ve had in Toronto in a long time. The price was also reasonable, given oh good the food was. Hats off to all the staff! You must try the bread and butter, I know, it sounds simple, but so good. Thank you GG.

Some of the friendliest stuff in Toronto and very knowledgeable chefs. We sat at the kitchen bar and watched how much care was put into the food. Each dish is beautifully composed with good balance of flavors. We recommend starting small and adding dishes if you still feel hungry. We started with an order of six and probably could have stopped at 4 dishes for two people Vegetarian options: Lots of great options. Make sure you get a chance to talk to the chef Dietary restrictions: Gluten and dairy free is a problem. They make their own pasta in house and have a very high standard so they have yet to find a good alternative to wheat.

Great selection of wine, very friendly and attentive staff, highly recommend.

GG is the cutest restaurant in Kensington. Perfect for cute date nights or if youre into fantastic food and wine! I cannot wait to go back. Jen Agg and her team are amazing at what they do!

This restaurant omits key and prominent ingredients from the menu and places some ingredients in an order that implies one ingredient is the major flavor but is not. I strongly recommend asking the server to explain the dishes in detail. We wasted money on food we did not eat and would not have ordered had the plates been accurately described in the menu or by staff. Mackerel should never be a surprise ingredient. The service was otherwise good. Water and wine refilled quickly. Dishes came out in a nicely spaced time. The kitchen seemed at ease. Ambiance was lovely and it was relaxing to be in.

I love menus like the one at Grey Gardens because it s so condensed I don t feel overwhelmed by menu anxiety (it s a real thing). Everything we ate was pretty damn good, with the highlight definitely being the Campanelle and the tomatoes dish dusted with olives. The lowlight was the Torelloni, which had the saltiest broth (probably designed so you consume more wine) that had me chug back the water. As with any Jen Agg establishment, the service was impeccable. I would definitely return because the food was so well presented and most of the flavours were paired beautifully. Easy on the salt for the Torelloni please! The lobster is salty enough without an extra hit of salt with it :)

Bathrooms 10/10 minus 1 cause they are in the basement. Service great, although I dont need my water refilled 7 times during a meal. Whipped fish and chips 10/10, but plate of tomatoes was lacking in everything but salt. Way too salty. Shrimps were meaty but no flavour. Oysters were good but no mignonette. All in all, great talent in the kitchen but the menu leaves much to be desired. The most egregious thing was that the beautiful napkins leave an obnoxious amount of lint on you.

Amazing place, great food and service. The place is so charming and relax

I love the boiled corn and Vienna sausages cooked over a bare gas burner

My fiancée and I had dinner here for her birthday celebration. We both left saying it s one of our favourite restaurants in Toronto. We shared the carpaccio, gnocchi, both mains being served that night (cod and pork) along with the corn desert. Great condensed but diversified menu, friendly and attentive staff, a great ambiance and the food and drinks were delicious. We will definitely be coming back!

Dined here with my girlfriends the other night. A trendy, cute spot for a night with the girls, but don t expect to be wow d by the menu or the wine list. Food was good but not up to its price tag; and the wine also missed the mark. Very lively atmosphere with full tables, however it was difficult for our table to hear each other and have proper conversations. For the best experience, I recommend coming with one other person and sitting at the bar where you can be up close and see the chefs preparing the food.

One of the best spots in Toronto!

Dined family-style with a group of girlfriends while in Toronto. We enjoyed most of the dishes (smoked whipped fish, gnocchi, yuzu spaghetti, cod) but a few missed the mark for us, especially the pork. Both desserts (corn & strawberry) were incredible. Service was impeccable, the cocktails were perfect, and the wine was great and reasonably priced.

Definitely a neighborhood gem! Our server Jasmin and all staff are very pleasant! Lovely atmosphere!

Highly recommend this restaurant! The food was excellent and creative. The staff were all friendly, attentive, helpful, and clearly excited about what is going on in their kitchen. Three of us shared multiple plates, which all had unique flavor profiles and textural elements that we really enjoyed. The ambience is lively and energetic, with good music playing. Be sure to try the sweet potato cake dessert that is on the menu right now! We also tried the corn ice cream. It was interesting but had a slightly odd after-taste that was not for me. Nonetheless, eating corn ice cream, on corn cake, with corn flakes, was a fun experience.

I just wrapped up 2 weeks in France, eating at some excellent restaurants and one 3 Michelin star location . and I have to say that Grey Garden definitely ranks up there in the quality of food, ambiance, and service. Anyone rating this a 3 star or lower does not appreciate food.

Go to restaurant in Toronto!

The food is delicious!! I had the raw scallops with cucumber and green strawberry and they tasted super refreshing. The cod was cooked to perfection. The cauliflower was also delicious and the pasta with mussels was amazing. I highly recommend this place, you will need to make a reservation ahead of time and theres a Green P parking just 3 minutes a walk away. Also the dessert with coconut sorbet with sweet potato cake and lime was so good. Im lactose intolerant so Im so happy they had a dessert that didnt have any cream.

The food was amazing! Shauna was of great help & offered amazing service. Overall great experience.

The waitress rolled her eyes at me because I didn t order a lot of food. I took three friends here as the first stop of our bar hopping. We ordered four drinks and three snacks to start. Then I added two entrees for tasting because we want to save some space for other bars. The waitress in blue said tHaTs iT? then rolled her eyes and left. Oh, the restaurant was empty when I first arrived, I told her that I m not going to order drinks until my friends arrived because it s not polite, but she still asked me THREE times. Also, she took away our plates way too early when we were finishing up the food, and I know it means Get Out! As a customer, I think these are unacceptable. She needs some basic training, if she s a manager/owner, learn a lesson.

The food was mediocre at best. My favourite out of everything we tried was the smoke fish dip. The dip was good but honestly felt like something I can make at home with canned fish and mayo. The service was decent. It s a cute place but I wouldn t go back again nor would I recommend this place. The portions are small and it s pricey, our bill came to a bit over $200.

Love the ambiance!! Great selection of wine & food was great

Secret Grey Gardens. When I first heard about dinner in Kensington, I didn t know that I would be walking into this gem. Fell in love the minute I walked it. Fabulous staff, great ambiance, great wine, and amazing food. Mussels were from PEI, so tasty! Cauliflower dish was really good as well. Be sure to check out this beauty of a spot.

Nice dinner

3.5/5 It was overall good but nothing was wow. - The scallops were very fresh but something in the companion ingredients tasted bitter which did not really go well with the other flavors - The venison was really good especially with the crispy and sweet pear slices and stracciatella - The fish was a straight NO. I dont know if it was the fish itself or the marinate, the fish tasted like pure sea salt. Also, everything was so soft in this dish, nothing offered a crispy taste and no fish skin on this cod piece - The pork with black truffle was flavorful and a bit fatty - Dessert were pretty good, better than what Ive imagined from this place. Also, the two desserts tasted good as one whole thing like a bit of sweet potato cake with a bit of the cream/foam from the Granny Smith

Very cute place in the heart of Kensigton Market. Friendly and welcoming staff. We loved every dish we ordered, except the tagliatelle. Everything we ordered had a unique taste, but tagliatelle was okay, nothing special. Would come here again, since they change their menu regularly. Their sweet potato cake is so good too. Light and delicious.

Food was delicious.

A fine restaurant. The food is great and the restaurant looks great. They need to work on their playlist. Far too much Motown.

Mediocre food. Everything tastes the same as they use the same base sauce for all their pastas. Disappointing experience.

Great little atmospheric wine bar with counter seating letting you watch the chefs. Delicious food and a very exciting (and extensive) wine list.