The Table

Called here in February to have catering for later in the week. I tried to call like 5 times and no one ever answered the phone. On the 6^th call I left a message saying what I was needing and to please call me back. I waited until the next day and called back, someone picked up the phone and then it «disconnected» I called right back and no one answered. That put me over the top I called a restaurant across the street and they happily catered our small event. Will keep me away going forward.

I had been dying to try this place out as the premise of this place sounds like something you’d expect from a restaurant in Toronto. Organic, Vegan, Vegetarian options made from scratch using seasonally available ingredients, sourced from local gardens. As a city transplant obsessed with original food living in the Durham area, this place was a must-​try.
First off, it’s disappointing to find that this location is in Oshawa because this isn’t the sort of area in Durham that you would associate with foodies. I would expect to find a place like this in a newer area like Brooklin, but this is just my impression. On the upside, the venue is very accessible with parking available behind the venue. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere when you walk in — the entire venue is decorated with green paint, low lighting and a rich brown harvest table which is located at the back of the restaurant. At the front of the restaurant is a sitting area with lots of comfortable armchairs where I noticed a few people had set up with their laptops and coffees. It’s very quiet inside — so if you arrive and the place is mostly empty it will feel a bit like an echo chamber.
The menu is exciting. Lots of healthy, handmade food with the most options I have found so far for anyone with gluten sensitivities, vegans, vegetarians and so on. What’s confusing is the difference between what’s on the menu (perhaps the full range of options?) vs what’s on the board (currently available). This is an easy fix — more service from the staff when you arrive to explain what to expect from a mostly seasonal-​ingredients-​only menu, when you arrive to save from disappointment. I ordered a vegetarian soup which was delicious. I tend to find a lot of vegetarian meals made in the Oshawa /​Whitby area are made to taste pretty bland, so I can appreciate the layers of flavours in a few of the dishes that I tried in the two times that I came here. I also tried the muffins both times that I visited and enjoyed every bite. Moist, rich and delicious. Not to mention that the flavour combinations are exciting for anyone looking for something outside of the standard flavours that you’d expect to find anywhere else.
What didn’t improve both times that I came to this restaurant was unfortunately, the service. Both times I was served by cashiers who didn’t seem completely familiar with what was on offer that day, and came across as though it could have been their first hospitality job. What makes me say this is more so the way they interact — the enthusiasm is definitely there, but things like yelling out to another staff member to start cleaning the soup buckets after just taking my order was a turn off. Who really wants to hear that their soup is coming out of a bucket when the selling point of the restaurant is hand-​made? It sounds like a little thing but for me, I like going to restaurants for the experience so this is a big part of the reason for not giving a higher rating. If you are the kind of person that can visit a restaurant just for the food (not including the service and menu confusion issue) then I’m sure you’ll find yourself rating this restaurant a lot higher.

Fantastic spot! Great food served fresh. A must try and great addition to the downtown eats.

A restaurant with a twist — one long table. This is a great idea to encourage the patrons to share. The patrons are not boxed into a table. There is a communal feel to the restaurant. There is a guitar that any one can play.
The menu caters for anyone with open mind. Fresh ingredients. Great vegetarian dishes. Delicious homemade soups.