The Epicurean

A shout out to the very compassionate server here who was saw the poor dog get hit by a car and gave a valiant effort with my husband to save him. Those sweet people lost a companion today, but not without this server giving CPR to the dog. Thank you.

Food was ok, I enjoyed the jerk chicken sandwich, my wife had a black bean soup which was good. Portions are small though. Everything is overpriced like most everything else in the area. The most disappointing part was my wife asking for tap water, they said they had none and forced us to buy a bottle of water. I had iced tea, when I went for a refill they did not give refills. Instead they offered me tap water… unbelievable…

Typical tourist food. Over priced, mediocre food, unknowledgeable, unpleasant staff. The Reuben was made with mustard and mayo. The soup was tasteless and the cheese cake was so so. The patio was very pleasant and the best part of the restaurant

My parents come here often while vacationing at NOTL, and they treated my husband and I to dinner while we accompanied them on their last trip. I thought the food was fabulous. The four of us split a gnocchi appetizer that featured succulent braised beef and a gravy to die for. My mom and I got the duck, which I must admit was drier than anticipated but the flavor was on point. The Swiss chard on the side was fantastic along with some other inventive purée that featured white chocolate. My dad had steak frites and my husband had the short ribs and both cleaned their plates. The waiter was incredibly attentive but we were the only ones in the dining room that night. It was sad to see the lack of business even in the off season, and even sadder to read some of these reviews. Most of the bad ones are from a few years back so I’m guessing they’ve made some improvements. Bottom line is I thought this place was delicious and I highly recommend it for dinner.

We enjoyed this restaurant two days in a row — for lunch. Delicious! Reuben Sandwich was great — the Russian dressing had a lovely bite. Scones and biscotti were excellent, as was the shepherd’s pie. And don’t miss the hot mulled wine. Highly recommend!

The food is over priced and not worth it. I would not recommend this resturant. The service was nonexistent and the staff didn’t seem real interested in helping you at all. There are many other restaurants the locals recommended and we should have listened. Nice local and atmosphere ok… Really, don’t go here for lunch.

Very good food and a good selection of healthy options.
Of course I had the chili and garlic bread, but it all looks very good to me, and the prices are very reasonable.
Just a short drive from Niagara Falls where we are staying.
Come do some shopping and have a bite to eat.

On a September evening we thoroughly enjoyed dining al Fresco on the patio. They nicely accommodated our celiac group member and all the food was great. The wine list was a bit out of date but what they found for us was good. Service was excellent.

Not as impressive as it sounds. Warm water in glasses. Half friendly wait staff. Thats a personel issue. The food although sparse one of the best pieces of chicken I have had. It had a very small amount of creamed cauliflower a few carrots and a 1″ potatoe. I would have loved to have had more of the creamed cauliflower, at least 5 fork fills. My wife had the pesto pasta and it again was delicious. Prices were higher about $ 25per person but not for a bowl of pasta or a small chicken breast. I have spent much more on meals but felt like I received my monies worth. Again the food was really good. If you go try the peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake, we took ours to go. I probably wouldn’t go back since there are several great restaurants in the area.

Stopped in for a bite to eat at The Epicurean while doing some shopping on Queen Street. Lots of tables inside and a large, shaded patio out back (and directly out front) draw in a large crowd. Counter service is provided and there WILL be a line during prime eating times. Select your order from the pre-​made options: soups, salads and sandwiches. It’s a little pricy, as most things are right on the main strip on town, but a perfect (can be quick if need be – this really depends on the length of the line) stop during a day of shopping. They do accept US currency and also have some sweets, wine (sangria too!) and beer. The drink system is a little oddly set up. After paying and picking up food, you have to go to a separate counter directly behind and wait in another line for drinks.
I ordered the double salad plate (about a scoop an a half of two pre-​made cold salad options) and tried the caprese salad [lovely heirloom baby tomatoes with small balls of mozzarella soaked in balsamic vinegar, oil an sprinkled with basil] and pesto pasta salad [cork-​screw pasta with sun dried tomatoes, red pepper, red onion and a lovely pesto sauce]. Both were very flavorful and I’d get either again. You also receive a piece of buttered bread with order. The Epicurean will satisfy your lunching needs and it doesn’t hurt that the space is air conditioned, roomy and welcoming.
Dessert Tip: the strawberry rhubarb pie is a TREAT! I highly recommend it.

Had dinner here on the garden patio on what was quite possibly the busiest weekend of the summer in Niagara, the second-​last weekend in August. Our table-​for-​two was only a short wait, however; so far so good. I started with the «grilled spicy calamari» — grilled quite nicely, though (unsurprisingly perhaps) it was just seasoned rather than actually spicy. However, the capers added a well-​placed hit of salty/​sour to compliment the smokey tones. My main was pan-​fried halibut over beluga lentils, with wilted greens and cherry tomatoes. The halibut was cooked perfectly, moist and nicely seared against the pan, while the lentils were cooked to just the right soft-​but-​not-​mush texture and seasoned with what I believe was tarragon, stock and butter — providing a pleasant pairing in texture and flavour alongside the halibut. Overall I would say that the kitchen here has it down right with fundamental skills, given that everything was cooked just as it should be. However, I do think the menu could use more creative flair its content and in plating. I also think that staffing levels are an issue here, both in the kitchen and on the floor. Beer, apps, and mains all came out quite slowly, and while our server did check on the main we did not see her otherwise; however this is not her fault as we could see her rushing around the patio tending to her many other tables — far too many for one person to handle on a busy weekend night at the height of the season. I would likely not recommend it if you are pressed for time (i.e. if you have theatre tickets); but if you are patient and looking for some spot-​on food, this is a solid choice. I would return.

Came here for dinner on the garden patio. The place is located right across from the theater and the garden patio is really nice. It was a little bit dark, which made it hard to see the food. Started with grab ale and I thought it was fantastic. I had steak frites for main. I asked for rare, and it came to me… rare. So that was good. The dish was a little bit under seasoned and the herb butter was also a little underwhelming. Overall, it was a good dinner on a nice patio. It did seem a little under staffed during high tourist season.

My family were told to come here and we went for dinner on the patio outside. The atmosphere was great and the service was good but the food was horrible and expensive. Look to pay mid 20s to low 30s for a plate. My sister and I had the soft crab and it was sickening. She had to ask for something else because she couldn’t eat it. I had the same thing but going beyond that everything tasted deep fried and the crab tasted weird (I left most of it on my plate). My mother had the veal which she described as dry and rubbery. She tried our crab and was almost sick. Only my dad ate his whole plate and he had the smoked chicken. We were not impressed and would not go back. The waitress said they had a new chef so not sure if that is making the big difference but I just wanted to give people a heads up

OH MY YES!
This is the best shop in town! It’s cafeteria style, but the food is to die for! They serve huge portions and have free refills on coffee. The menu selection is ginormous, it took me a while to read through and make a decision. The staff is friendly and is eager to help you in any way possible. The décor is very fun and cozy.
Best tip about this place: best coffee ever.

My friend and I stopped at the Epicurean for a quick meal before the Mumford & Sons concert at the Barracks. It was the ideal place for us to eat. The service was quick, but the quality of the food was not compromised.
The restaurant is divided into two sections. There is a quick service deli that serves fresh sandwiches, quiche, soup and salads. You order at the counter, watch them make your food and then bring it all up to the cashier to pay. They have a nice selection of deli meats, cheese, dressings, veggies and specials of the day. I ordered a roast beef and brie sandwich on whole grain wheat bread. It was very good! I ordered the cold soup of the day as my side: pineapple and peach. It was very different, but I enjoyed it. The restaurant also offers a decent selection of beer and wine. I ordered a half bottle of Riesling. The wine was served a bit warm, which was kind of disappointing, but I was just happy to find a cheap glass of wine before the concert. The quick service section of the restaurant has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.
We both hope to return the next time we are in the area. The other half of the restaurant has a more advanced menu and dinner service. We took a brief look at the dinner menu and it all sounded delicious!

4.5 stars but I’m rounding up b/​c this place deserves more overall stars than 3.
Service: impeccable. Our waters were kept full, our servers inquired as to how we liked the food, dirty plates were taken away promptly, and they kindly offered to take a picture of us.
Appetizer: amazing. We ordered the «Palourdes et chorizo» which was extremely fresh, piping hot, and the sauce was out of this world. Per our request, they brought us more bread to sop it up. I think if we had been eating this at home, we would have licked the plate clean. :-)
Main course: good but not great. I ordered the lobster mac & cheese, which was okay but certainly not the best I have had. My husband had the char (an arctic fish), which was a special of the day. He enjoyed the crispy skin of the fish and the fingerling potatoes.
Dessert: three words: O. M. G. By all means, finish your meal with the Palet d’or. Check out the picture I posted, it is truly beyond words. If you love chocolate, this is absolutely to die for.
Wine selection: A nice cross-​section of predominately Canadian wines, but also a few favorites from both the new and the old world.
Conclusion: this was such a welcome redemption from our horrible lunch (see my review of Cork). definitely a great experience and worth checking out!

Overpriced and very mediocre. We had wanted to eat at Treadwell’s but there was a 2 hour wait so we decided to come here. Despite how starving I was I sort of wish we had waited.
I could write a bunch of paragraphs like I usually do. But I think I’m gonna go point form on this one!
The positives:
–Lovely patio– real backyard like feel.
–Good service
–Fairly tasty accompaniments with dishes
The negatives:
–We had to wait well over half an hour for our food, and it wasn’t even that busy.
–The wine list wasn’t as impressive as I had hoped seeing as we were right in the heart of wine country.
–The halibut I ordered was quite overcooked.
–Nothing on any dish we ordered had a ‘wow’ factor. I wouldn’t order anything again.
My overall impression of this place was a wanna-​be fine dining restaurant, with food quality that did not match the high prices.

stopped by this little tourist town on our way to niagara falls. reminds me of carmel in california. atmosphere of the café is open and airy. nice large patio out back. premade sandwiches were quite good. bread was soft and fresh. turkey blt — meat was thinly sliced and flavorful. bacon was chewy. nice spread brought it together. ham and brie — ham was the right amount of salty and brie was thick and soft.
outrageously expensive, but the food was tasty.

So – nice location in NOTL, and popular but there was definitely a miss on the food.
We ordered our food, I ordered the chicken, and my 3 tablemates ordered the salmon.
My husband also ordered the soup.
They forgot his soup altogether, and the salmon meals were inedible — so dry and overcooked, they sent it back.
The did take them away and bring back new meals, but the restaurant didn’t do anything otherwise. So – can’t say I will ever go back.

This is an innovative and suave cross between a traditional ladies’ tea room and a cafeteria.
It is a little old ladies’ place for very cool cutting edge little old ladies.
The crowd is part visitors but mostly the retired Torontoans that have moved to Ontario’s «sunbelt» (given such sun as there is)
And they are monied and
did they did interesting enough things in Toronto to make it likely they will demand interesting things in their tea shops.
Epicurean delivers.
The cafeteria line itself is the first surprise.
(Echoes of school lunch or awful hospital cafeterias)
They have a large choice of quiches everyday — and these are big generous quiches offered in a panoply of flavors.
There is a long list of sandwiches served on ciabattas — the various salad items and the soups.
Execution is not at all tame.
Italian sausage soup has a real kick to it — but also a lot of vegetables as well and not a drop of grease.
They are not afraid of spice here — but also not afraid of eating healthy.
An apricot chicken ciabatta sandwich had
a) honest homemade real chicken
b) an excellent ciabatta with good taste and texture. There was none of the «cannonball in your stomach» effect of more leaden ciabattas.
c) a great homemade curry mayonnaise.
d) a light but just right touch of apricots and raisins
e) enough vegetables to give taste and interest but not in such quantity as to interfere with the other ingredients doing their work.
(I hate sandwiches that drown otherwise promising ingredients in a Noah’s flood of iceberg lettuce and tomato.)
Add to this a lovely patio with good views in 3.7 out of 4 directions (there is a parking lot out there…)
Best of all — the patio plays alt-​indie Canadian rock bands — but does so at a pianissimo volume so you can enjoy the patio, your company and the food without being blared out.
Not what your grandmother listened to in her tea rooms.
Altogether a big thumbs up.
****
Since I wrote my original review — which is printed in its entirety above — I have read what the other Unilocalers say about Epicurean.
They hate it.
There are two logical reasons why they hated it and I loved it.
The biggest single complaint is the quality of the table service.
I went at lunch where there is cafeteria service and you serve yourself.
When I am getting my own food, I serve myself right promptly.
So there may be an issue with the waitressing.
Likewise I went for lunch while most (but not all) of the Unilocalers went for dinner.
The dinner menu is more upscale and more «pretentious». It may not be as good.
Some writers say the food is bland. — Many of those reviews are older reviews from a few years back.
My guess is that they have pepped up the food.
That said, given how the votes are running it would seem best to go at lunch rather than at dinner and go for self service rather than table service.
Take those precautions and you can do very well at this place.