We were guests staying at the hotel and decided to try The Oval Room as we had a long day driving from the US. The Oval Room was atrocious. The rudest hostess I’ve ever met gave us a time limit on how long we had to dine instead of just saying that they were booked up. We arrived at 4:15 PM and was reminded 4 times that we HAD to be done by 6 PM. We figured that dinner shouldn’t take almost 2 hours, as we just wanted to eat and crawl into bed to relax. The waitress took our orders and then just gave up and never served us after giving us a drink and our appetizer. We ended up just slapping cash down at 5:30 PM for my coke and shrimp cocktail and leaving before our food (two medium rare steaks) arrived because we were so disgusted with the service and attitude of the staff because we were getting dirty looks from the hostess as it kept getting closer to 6 PM. We went to the Italian restaurant 30 feet away and had the best service and food. Horribly rude staff and unwelcoming environment.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
mohammad almaleki
I threw a surprise birthday party for my partner at the Oval room as it’s one of our favourite spots in the city. It’s not the food that brings us here as it can often be underwhelming for the money you are charged for it. (That’s a different story and there’s enough reviews on that). We come because the atmosphere is stunning and the servers always do their best to make your evening special. I ordered a cake from la grotta to surprise my partner with after dinner which the server was kind enough to bring out on a plate however for such a large cake we only received paper thin slices for 6 people. What added insult to injury was finding out after we got the bill that there is a $68 surcharge for them slicing a cake that they did not make! I get corkage charges for a wedding venue but we’ve been to many restaurants in the city and have never experienced something like this. I find it baffling that they thought it’s appropriate to charge as much to slice the cake as la grotta charged to make the cake! But the worst part is after we paid they did not provide us the left over cake to take home. We had to come back and ask for it only to find 3/4 of the cake left over!Long story short, if you want to enjoy the atmosphere and have a fancy drink this is the place for you. If you’re looking for a nice dinner or to host a mini birthday…prepare to be over charged and underwhelmed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 2
Marieta Masesar
I have been coming to Fort Gary Hotel, as a matter of fact all 4 of my kid's baptism reception venue and their first birthday reception venue were all held in one of the ballroom upstairs and even our first year anniversary, all occasions were all superb in everyway from the planning of the menu to taking care of our guest's request. But the Oval was no different, the food was delicious, I specially love my salmon, they were crunchy on all sides and top but moist in the inside and the sauce just perfectly paired with the salmon. The service staff was very well informed and attentive. One thing I noticed was that they made suggestions but were not pushy. I like that. The room has that romantic vibe in it. It's perfect for a datenight or birthday dinner. We have already made a plan to come back with the whole family and to try their breakfast next time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Caesar Salad, Onion Soup Gratinee, Seared Fresh Yellow Fin Tuna Provençal, Brioche French Toast, Calamari, Cheesecake, Eggs Benedict, Butter Tart with Ice Cream
Rita Thompson
Always happy to dine at the oval room. Great service and food is worth the cost. Well crafted drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jwana X Plorer
We went for dinner and tried a few from their menu.I wish that their balthazar salad has a vinaigrette that more of the taste/aroma of a lemon instead of being more of an olive oil.I like the local farro salad compared to the balthazar ones. It has crunchy toasted pistachios that at first you would thought of mung beans but no they are not.The roasted chicken was dry and we couldn't enjoy it. Had some left over.The Veal Meatloaf was juicy and appetizing. It was well presented and the texture was great. (In photo)Their prime grade steak is luscious! Perfectly seasoned and tender. (in photo)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Meatloaf
angelouisee azcueta
Went here on a thursday lunch. It really wasnt busy when we came in. Our appetizer was the calamary and it was ok, it came out about less than 5 mins after we ordered it. The subs were litterally on a toasted hotdog bun, lacks taste/balance. It was an expensive subpar meal tbh. I expected more for a 30$ subs& appetizers. The fries were good tho and the breadsticks as well. Costs me about 90$ for everything. Would I recommend this to my friends?, prolly not. Would I come here again?. Maybe not in a long while.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Fries
Brandy-Lynn Woodcock
The best burger ive ever had. Done just right and juicy. I had Joanne as a server. She w as very knowledge able about the wines as well the food. She was friendly , polite and went above and beyond.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Caesar Salad, Burger Week Burger, Fries
Lisa Robichaud
Fran is a wonderfully witty and attentive server. Drinks are sublime. Cheese and charcuterie board with olives is a must. Renovations are stunning. Loved our staycation. Go to the spa ask for Emily and go to Oval room and Ask for Fran!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I absolutely love the oval rooms atmosphere, which is why I keep going back. The prices have gone up so much but the food quality isn't reflected. They got my husbands order wrong and my salmon came in random chunks, not one big piece of salmon. I would stick to breakfast.
Jovie
We were lucky to have been chosen for a complimentary night and breakfast as part of the HFG 110th anniversary celebration! The breakfast options are numerous, and our meals were delicious. The ambiance in the Oval Room Brasserie is lovely and the service was great - with a focus on the fine details. Definitely have the fresh squeezed orange juice!
The food was delicious and service was on point for breakfast. The oval room had lost a little of its character, old and charming had mostly been painted over. We missed the old wood beams that showed you this prestigious hotel's age. Was disappointed also that parking wasn't covered given the high prices. Nothing unusual ordered costed just under $75 without tip. If the price doesn't surprise you, then enjoy. The service and food were excellent. We were not hotel guests at the time, just locals on Valentine's Day.
Mikaela MacDonald
Beautiful by proxy!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
TonyU
Outstanding evening. Food and drink were excellent. Staff were attentive throughout the evening and very knowledgeable about the menu. Sommelier was bang on with their recommendation.
Andrew Yin
A stunning place for brunch; I love how the room is so beautifully restored. I ordered a French toast and it was excellent. However, the service I experienced was not on-par with the restaurant’s opulent setting and price level. It was not very attentive; we waited about half an hour after ordering for the food to come, which is on the high end among the brunch restaurants I’ve been to, and it took me some effort to flag down a waitress to get the bill. Overall, given the historical significance and beautiful décor of the restaurant, I would still recommend eating here at least once during a visit or to celebrate a special occasion. At least there are plenty of architectural and design details in the restaurant that you could marvel at and photograph while you’re waiting for your food or bill to come!
We were guests staying at the hotel and decided to try The Oval Room as we had a long day driving from the US. The Oval Room was atrocious. The rudest hostess I’ve ever met gave us a time limit on how long we had to dine instead of just saying that they were booked up. We arrived at 4:15 PM and was reminded 4 times that we HAD to be done by 6 PM. We figured that dinner shouldn’t take almost 2 hours, as we just wanted to eat and crawl into bed to relax. The waitress took our orders and then just gave up and never served us after giving us a drink and our appetizer. We ended up just slapping cash down at 5:30 PM for my coke and shrimp cocktail and leaving before our food (two medium rare steaks) arrived because we were so disgusted with the service and attitude of the staff because we were getting dirty looks from the hostess as it kept getting closer to 6 PM. We went to the Italian restaurant 30 feet away and had the best service and food. Horribly rude staff and unwelcoming environment.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I threw a surprise birthday party for my partner at the Oval room as it’s one of our favourite spots in the city. It’s not the food that brings us here as it can often be underwhelming for the money you are charged for it. (That’s a different story and there’s enough reviews on that). We come because the atmosphere is stunning and the servers always do their best to make your evening special. I ordered a cake from la grotta to surprise my partner with after dinner which the server was kind enough to bring out on a plate however for such a large cake we only received paper thin slices for 6 people. What added insult to injury was finding out after we got the bill that there is a $68 surcharge for them slicing a cake that they did not make! I get corkage charges for a wedding venue but we’ve been to many restaurants in the city and have never experienced something like this. I find it baffling that they thought it’s appropriate to charge as much to slice the cake as la grotta charged to make the cake! But the worst part is after we paid they did not provide us the left over cake to take home. We had to come back and ask for it only to find 3/4 of the cake left over!Long story short, if you want to enjoy the atmosphere and have a fancy drink this is the place for you. If you’re looking for a nice dinner or to host a mini birthday…prepare to be over charged and underwhelmed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 2
I have been coming to Fort Gary Hotel, as a matter of fact all 4 of my kid's baptism reception venue and their first birthday reception venue were all held in one of the ballroom upstairs and even our first year anniversary, all occasions were all superb in everyway from the planning of the menu to taking care of our guest's request. But the Oval was no different, the food was delicious, I specially love my salmon, they were crunchy on all sides and top but moist in the inside and the sauce just perfectly paired with the salmon. The service staff was very well informed and attentive. One thing I noticed was that they made suggestions but were not pushy. I like that. The room has that romantic vibe in it. It's perfect for a datenight or birthday dinner. We have already made a plan to come back with the whole family and to try their breakfast next time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Caesar Salad, Onion Soup Gratinee, Seared Fresh Yellow Fin Tuna Provençal, Brioche French Toast, Calamari, Cheesecake, Eggs Benedict, Butter Tart with Ice Cream
Always happy to dine at the oval room. Great service and food is worth the cost. Well crafted drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went for dinner and tried a few from their menu.I wish that their balthazar salad has a vinaigrette that more of the taste/aroma of a lemon instead of being more of an olive oil.I like the local farro salad compared to the balthazar ones. It has crunchy toasted pistachios that at first you would thought of mung beans but no they are not.The roasted chicken was dry and we couldn't enjoy it. Had some left over.The Veal Meatloaf was juicy and appetizing. It was well presented and the texture was great. (In photo)Their prime grade steak is luscious! Perfectly seasoned and tender. (in photo)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Meatloaf
Went here on a thursday lunch. It really wasnt busy when we came in. Our appetizer was the calamary and it was ok, it came out about less than 5 mins after we ordered it. The subs were litterally on a toasted hotdog bun, lacks taste/balance. It was an expensive subpar meal tbh. I expected more for a 30$ subs& appetizers. The fries were good tho and the breadsticks as well. Costs me about 90$ for everything. Would I recommend this to my friends?, prolly not. Would I come here again?. Maybe not in a long while.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Fries
The best burger ive ever had. Done just right and juicy. I had Joanne as a server. She w as very knowledge able about the wines as well the food. She was friendly , polite and went above and beyond.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Caesar Salad, Burger Week Burger, Fries
Fran is a wonderfully witty and attentive server. Drinks are sublime. Cheese and charcuterie board with olives is a must. Renovations are stunning. Loved our staycation. Go to the spa ask for Emily and go to Oval room and Ask for Fran!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I absolutely love the oval rooms atmosphere, which is why I keep going back. The prices have gone up so much but the food quality isn't reflected. They got my husbands order wrong and my salmon came in random chunks, not one big piece of salmon. I would stick to breakfast.
We were lucky to have been chosen for a complimentary night and breakfast as part of the HFG 110th anniversary celebration! The breakfast options are numerous, and our meals were delicious. The ambiance in the Oval Room Brasserie is lovely and the service was great - with a focus on the fine details. Definitely have the fresh squeezed orange juice!
Restaurantji Recommends
Food and service were great!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Eggs Benedict
The food was delicious and service was on point for breakfast. The oval room had lost a little of its character, old and charming had mostly been painted over. We missed the old wood beams that showed you this prestigious hotel's age. Was disappointed also that parking wasn't covered given the high prices. Nothing unusual ordered costed just under $75 without tip. If the price doesn't surprise you, then enjoy. The service and food were excellent. We were not hotel guests at the time, just locals on Valentine's Day.
Beautiful by proxy!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Outstanding evening. Food and drink were excellent. Staff were attentive throughout the evening and very knowledgeable about the menu. Sommelier was bang on with their recommendation.
A stunning place for brunch; I love how the room is so beautifully restored. I ordered a French toast and it was excellent. However, the service I experienced was not on-par with the restaurant’s opulent setting and price level. It was not very attentive; we waited about half an hour after ordering for the food to come, which is on the high end among the brunch restaurants I’ve been to, and it took me some effort to flag down a waitress to get the bill. Overall, given the historical significance and beautiful décor of the restaurant, I would still recommend eating here at least once during a visit or to celebrate a special occasion. At least there are plenty of architectural and design details in the restaurant that you could marvel at and photograph while you’re waiting for your food or bill to come!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3