Hemispheres Restaurant & Bistro

Right inside the Double Tree Hotel in downtown Toronto. The staff was great. The food was great. Calm
Atmosphere. I just wished they stayed open longer. Other than that the dinner was a great experience. Must do again.

Burger was great, chef had a problem with me requesting pepperoni in addition to a pizza on the menu. Pretty expensive meal. $ 9 for a large bottle of water. Get the f out of here

The service is really bad! They take forever to come back to your table and if you flag them down they ignore you and bus tables instead. $ 10 for 6 slices of fruit! Also they leave a big pot of coffee with you so they don’t have to come back. I only went here once because I was staying at the doubletree over the easter holiday and decided to walk and find somewhere else after going here on the day I arrived only to be disappointed.

I came upon Hemispheres when I was out on a Winterlicious expedition with some people from my school. While the experience itself was decent, I can’t in good conscience give these guys better than a ³⁄₅.
Here’s my general breakdown, but we’ll go over each course as I continue. I give them 1 for the presentation, 1 for the quality of the food, and 1 for the service.
I give a –1 for a sheer ineptitude to accommodate for allergies in their dessert choices («we can’t guarantee because the entrees are made offsite» is no longer acceptable to me, as I had a pleasant experience in every other place I’d attended without hesitation from the waiter); having to eat «the only option that was guaranteed to not have peanuts» was a fruit platter (pictured below). I really dreaded it, since the papaya yogurt tasted bland and the fruit itself had a distinct lack of freshness — as if it had been cut ages ago, but was left out to dry for whenever some unsuspecting patron would have to eat it, because the other two options were unavailable to them.
I give another –1 for the value-​for-​money ratio. I paid $ 35 for a tiny appetizer, a mid-​sized entrée, and one «option» for dessert. This is not something I would recommend if I had to pick a place to go again, but that’s mainly because the ribeye steak I’d ordered had way too much fat on it, and little to no actual steak. While I realize that ribeye definitely has some fat trim on it, in my instance there was almost a ¹⁄₃^rd portion that consisted of this fatty material, none of which I ate.
The portion sizes are unreasonably small — it felt atrocious overall. I would be totally OK with paying $ 25, maybe $ 30 (that’s pushing it, let’s be honest) for this three-​course meal, but I would not recommend this place to go to for a Winterlicious excursion. This is probably a great restaurant otherwise, but here is my unfiltered experience as I interpret it.
The reason I say that the portion sizes are unreasonable is because I actually did not feel full after eating here. While it may have been because of the «presentation of the food» is what a patron is paying for, you’ll know from my other reviews that value-​for-​money is important to me. While the taste wasn’t terrible, it was barely average. Saying the taste was «above average» is definitely pushing it outside of the appetizer. The smoked salmon appetizer that I picked was actually quite good in terms of overall flavour and taste, but as with the other courses, the portion size was pretty tiny.
Overall, I didn’t feel as if paying $ 35 was worth it for the extreme lack of food I was given to eat.

Location is correct but the hotel is now the Doubletree. We had a late dinner there — there’s an excellent selection of food and drink, featuring local products. Several vegetarian options but when the waiter found out the soup of the day had a chicken broth base he had the kitchen make a special vegetable soup for my husband. All of the bar and dining staff were very gracious. Definitely one place where the food, service and atmosphere are worth the price

Amazing appetizers (Caesar salad with shrimp, tuna and salmon rare in miso) and desserts (chocolate volcano, lemon brulee tarte). Main was nothing special (ribeye, salmon). Service was great.

The meal came with a nice presentation. Rib eye with a flavorful au jus sauce, yukon mashed & vegetables. It was a perfect blend of taste & colors. Meat was cooked to desired doneness and tender.
The dessert was a very light Mango Mousse Charlotte perfect to end the meal.
I had a local lager Keys.
Ambiance very nice with a bar that is inviting to meet for a drink.
Service was attentive & prompt.
One bad thing are the chairs. Pretty bad shape with raggedy edges. I did complaint about them and I was told they are bringing new ones. But, why wait till they are in such bad shape. It’s detrimental for the place and bad management.

Great little bar and the bartenders are super friendly!

This review is for my dessert only experience at Hemispheres Restaurant & Bistro.
Everything in Hemisphere is a little old school, nice enough but nothing too amazing!
We each picked one dessert to share but this is one of the few times I want to just eat my own choice! Green tea crème brulee wth ginger cake is one of the better one in the menu, maybe I just love Green Tea and Ginger!
NY Cheesecake and Chocolate Hazelnut Marquise are both a little boring. Good to fulfil one desire for sweet and nothing else .
Service though is amazingly attentive! Our waiter which is older man is cheerful and friendly and professional at the same time. I might come back here for a night cap or pre dinner drink as the deco itself is quite cozy and love those sofa armchairs!

Me and my boyfriend just went to Hemispheres for the first time for their Winterlicious special. Upon entering we were greeted by who I assume was the host, he was very polite and promptly showed us to our table. It wasn’t terribly busy that day, but the atmosphere was pleasant and cozy regardless. For the price, the food was very well worth it — we got the braised lamb shank and bourbon glazed scallops; both were fantastic and well portioned. The dessert was delicious and plating design also very pretty! As others have said the service is impressive — our drinks were refilled without ever having to ask, and they move at a good pace without seeming pushy, which we really enjoyed. Overall it was a lovely dining experience, and I’m a little surprised there are so few reviews for this place. I would def recommend and go back for a second time.

I’m not convinced that this is a great restaurant. OK, granted I wen’t on XMAS day, the waitress was bitchy until she warmed-​up to us or it could have been the two bottles of wine that masked her attitude. The steaks where good but way over priced for Toronto. There are better restaurant’s in Toronto.

One early Sunday morning I was attempting to have an early breakfast with a friend. The restaurant we had originally picked out didn’t open until 10am, so we ended up at Hemispheres.
To my surprise, the restaurant was half-​full. The majority of the crowd seemed to be businessmen, but there were some young families having breakfast as well. Although they were fairly busy, the restaurant was still quiet enough for conversation and the tables were laid out well so you have some privacy.
As Emma B. mentioned, the service at Hemispheres is impressive. Upon arrival they greet you and open the doors for you. At the restaurant they will gladly answer any questions about the menu and take special requests. My coffee cup was never empty and we weren’t bothered too often during our meal.
The smoked salmon I ordered was very fresh and well-​presented. The portion size was generous for an early breakfast, yet I still devoured my entire meal. The coffee was fresh and hot, but nothing spectacular.
I agree that Hemispheres is pricier than most places, but appreciated the excellent service and left with a full stomach.

This is a restaurant that is serious about its service and its food. I have been numerous times and never been disappointed,
The service itself is top notch… I’ve had the same waiter every time I’ve eaten there and he’s remembered some of what I like and dislike even if it’s several months between visits. He’s knowledgeable, kind and super attentive, even when it gets busy (including during Winter and Summerlicious).
The food itself is a little on the pricey side and the menu is not very extensive; however, there is a surprising variety of dishes available and the portions are large. There are always specials in addition to the menu and you can’t go wrong with whatever the pasta of the day is… always tasty. My current favourite off the menu is the butter carrot and marscapone ravioli — to die for. Another favourite is the delicious sea bass (with risotto). The presentation is always impressive and, for something like steak, done to your specifications. The dessert is always a good bet too — especially the molten chocolate soufflé!
The only thing that keeps me from giving it 5 stars is the décor… the restaurant is in the Metropolitan Hotel and looks like it. That is it’s fairly unoriginal, boring and «hotel-y»…with lots of light wood, beige, etc. and could use a little more personality and edge. The atmosphere does a great disservice to the food and service.