Nota Bene

* Note — This review was written during Nota Bene’s Winterlicious menu selections. This may not be representative of Nota Bene’s regular menu.
Nota Bene was one of the four Winterlicious restaurants I’ve decided to try out this month. I’ve booked a table for 6 people to try out their offerings. We were lucky to be scheduled a day after their entire renovation of the dining space. The restaurant’s ambience was modern and serene (albeit a bit weird with the tumbleweed decorative pieces on the ceiling), with just the right amount of lighting.
The service standard was high end, from the coat check to the bill tabulation. The waiter was friendly and gave great recommendations. The food timing was excellent, paired with multiple waiters setting down the plates simultaneously as the dishes come out. Water was refilled regularly without the «pestering» gestures of some other restaurants.
Now to the food. The 6 of us effectively ordered every combination of the Winterlicious menu. My starter was a venison terrine with crackers and assortment of condiments. The terrine was certainly tasty while having a good balance paired with the condiments of whole grain mustard and apple purée. It would’ve been nice to see some green in there to cut down the richness, but the dish was flavourful nonetheless. For main, I had the duck confit with lentils and jeu, a wonderful dish with great flavours all round. Only complaint was that the skin was quite dry and that the condiments that were on my starter reappeared as a garnish for my main, a lack of creativity it seems. And finally, the dessert was a dark chocolate brownie with whip cream. A finisher that was so-​so due to the cream’s lack of taste, possibly to balance out the sweetness of the brownie.
All in all, it was a great start to Winterlicious. I definitely enjoyed the flavours of the food, as well as the beautiful presentation it came with (Instagram worthy!). I would not be surprised if I find myself back here during the summer to sample their full menu in their modern decorative interior, maybe just without the dry foliage overhead.

Been here a few times and their lobster salad is a must try. Totally recommend this place for their food!

Attended the NYE prix fixe dinner. One of the best dining experiences I’ve had. Scrumptious and interestingly paired food, great presentation and service. Loved the ambiance, though waiter informed us the restaurant would be closed for three weeks due to renovation. Can’t wait to see the finished product.

Ooookay. I was a little scared coming here as the menu on Unilocal is not really super vegetarian friendly, but they definitely did have some options! Came here with a large group of people for an after work meeting.
AMBIANCE: Love the look of this place. It was clean and well designed. Not so loud, but still a fun place to dine.
STAFF: My dad and I were late for the dinner because we walked. The woman at the coat check very kind and cool. Helped us get to our table. Staff were very attentive and very knowledgeable about their menu. Kind but professional. Never left a glass empty.
FOOD: Food was pretty good. Here is what we ordered:
SHISHITO PEPPERS: Had a great flavor. Good take on the shishito pepper.
FRENCH FRIES: Yummmyyyyyy oh my god. These fries were amazing. Fries were really what kept me going on my trip through Canada and these fries were delish. The whole table was thankful I ordered them.
It looks like they have changed their menu since I ate here, so I can’t say exactly what I ate but my appetizer was VERY tasty. Burrata, grilled raddichio, and bread… mm…I loved the flavors together.
I had ricotta ravioli for dinner. Okay portion. Mellow, on the verge of bland. Wish it had some more flavor.
We ordered three deserts. Two of us picked one and then let the waiter pick the third. The desert that stood out to me was some kind of passion fruit desert, which was amazing. I would definitely order this again!
As far as my «fancy» meals go for Toronto, Nota Bene was my favorite. Relaxed, fun atmosphere but still upscale and professional.

I’ve been here three times (only because I’ve been invited three times) and have never tried anything that was above average.
The service was a bit disappointing, and I usually include in all my reviews something positive about the staff. Also, I didn’t enjoy either of the apps I ordered (duck salad and the foie gras pâté). Bread is very mediocre as well.
That being said, I do enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant — it’s quiet, clean, and comfortable. However, I wouldn’t ever willingly choose or recommend this restaurant.

I must say these guys are very attentive to the customers requirements. Been to a few other restaurants in Toronto already like Canoe, Keg Mansion, etc… and I must say Nota Bene has been a best experience so far.
Halibut here is a must try, the lobster and the steak are good too. The prices are very reasonable for the kind of food and service you get here… If you are looking for a place to go to on weekends, try Nota Bene… I promise you will love it here. Overall, its been a great experience, will definitely return.

3 stars because it was just so average. I came here on a weekday for drinks and bar snacks after work. From 4−7pm the bar snacks are $ 4 and after 7pm they go up to $ 7. We orders both of the sliders and also the calamari and one of the cold cuts dishes. The sliders were delish (especially the beef slider)! The calimari was also good and it was served grilles — not deep fried which was a pleasant variation. The dinky portion of cold cuts were disappointing though *womp* *womp*.

I would prob come here only between 4−7pm. Food pretty expensive, taste is good but for the price I expected more. $ 35 for 4 tiny scallops and $ 26 for 4 pieces of tiny lobsters in salad is too much. I rather have a lobster roll down the street with half the price. The happy hour menu looks awesome however!

Came here for Summerlicous lunch. The food was good for the most part (especially the cavatelli pugliese which was to die for), but what soured my experience was the overall attitude of our server. Going by how the older patrons were treated, it seemed like only people over the age of 30 were accorded friendliness and respect? Our server just gave me the impression that she didn’t want to serve us and was only doing the bare minimum… Don’t know if I will be coming back.

I had read a blog post about the 4 – 7 Bar Snacks (there is a $ 4 menu from 4−7pm), and the dishes looked delicious! After reviewing the photos many times, I knew exactly what I wanted to try. I made a reservation for 2, and when I arrived for my reservation at 6pm, I was escorted upstairs. I noticed that there was no one up in the dining room, and the bar area was packed, so I asked if the snacks were also available in the dining area, and was told no. Luckily there was sitting in the bar area and sat there instead. My friend arrived a few minutes later and we began to order. The lowest priced drink items were the beers at $ 8, and the dishes I wanted to try were no longer on the menu. I was incredibly disappointed by this. Nevertheless, I found a couple of decent sounding dishes and ordered those. We ordered the beef sliders, the squid, the pork belly sliders and the air-​dried Cumbrae Farms beef. When the dishes arrived, we got two sliders of each, two small portions of squid, and thin pieces of beef which tasted like prosciutto, so I only had one piece — after visiting a Prosciutto factory in Italy I ate so much of it there that it will be a while before I can eat cold cuts again.
The only item I liked were the beef sliders. The meat was juicy and wrapped in melted cheese, the bacon was crispy and salty, the bread was warm, evenly buttered and the fact that the bread was cheese bread, was a nice touch. The 2^nd dish I liked was the squid because it was well cooked — not chewy or rubbery. The pork belly got lost in the pickles, ketchup and lettuce. Though the fries were delicious though unusual for a sandwich — unless you are in Greece!
Overall it was not a bad experience, but unless I am craving beef sliders, I doubt I will return. Though I have to point out that the service was excellent (e.g., I was flip flopping on what beer to get, and they offered me a sample. They were more than happy to give us separate bills, and they answered all our questions with kindness and a great deal of knowledge).

You know when you hear good things about a place and when you get there, your experience is nowhere near the expectation that was set? Yup. This is pretty much what happened to me.
So I was reading a very positive review by a seemingly reputable food blogger about Nota Bene and their happy hour. $ 4 for various dishes between 4−7pm on a weekday seemed like a good idea.
When my friends and I walked in, it was pretty quiet. We ordered some non-​alcoholic drinks which were alright.
We were somewhat disappointed by the skimpy calamari. The photo I saw, had at least a double portion of what we received. The burrata was reasonable. Two pieces. The bresaola was on the skimpy side too. The flavours were good and the service was fine. I’m sure their regular menu is more satisfying.
In the future, I will not be taking the advice of a food blogger who eats for free and gives advice on food they didn’t have to pay for.
FYI: According to the server, the menu literally changed TODAY. Boooo… No fried chicken… :(

Went here for summerlicous, so it may or may not reflect regular menu ratings. Firstly, I would like to say that I am not exactly a food connoisseur and that my standards are relatively low. I love eating though. On with my review…
For my appetizer my friend and I selected the roast duck salad and seafood salad. The seafood salad was not explicitly written in the menu and it was introduced to us by our server. The duck salad was good, the duck was similar to Hong Kong style BBQ Duck with a crispy skin and juicy duck breast meat. It isn’t as salty as the ones HK style, which is a definitely plus. The salad itself was daikon with mint and other herb greens mixed in. We picked those out because the flavour was rather strong and it dominated the flavouring of the dish. The seafood salad was good with calamari rings and mussels. Very tasty, especially the salad dressing.
Main course we chose the whitefish and the dirty burger. The burger was good since we were able to have it medium rare, more places in Canada should do this. The egg inside added moisture to the already moist burger and the fries were done well. Great dish. The white fish was also good, not overdone. The flavour was good, also quite good.
Dessert, you should definitely choose the walnut choice. I don’t recall the name of the dish but the combination of the warm cake, cold ice cream and caramel hazelnut glaze was amazing. Our other dessert was the piña colada and it was good but defiantly the cake took the cake!
Overall we were impressed by the food and would go again!

Came in here for Summerlicious! I really enjoyed each meal — I particularly enjoyed my lobster bisque. Staff were pretty accommodating. They were a bit forgetful at times (they forgot to bring us balsamic vinegar and they took a while to get our bills) but the tasty food and welcoming ambiance of the restaurant made up for this.

This is my 2^nd time visiting here actually and it’s still one of my favorite places to go. The restaurant has great ambiance. It’s so pleasant to walk into from all the hustle and bustle of the city outside. The staff are always kind and welcoming. I guess I had mentioned in passing that we were visiting for a special occasion, and without even requesting anything they showered us with congratulations and a lovely large piece of dark chocolate with «congratulations» written beautifully on it. The staff are also very attentive and were prompt to serve us and get our bill in the end.
In regards to the food, my favorite is the cavatelli pugliese. The mushroom in it is so good. My family also ordered their burger and said it was amazing, so there’s that. The pricing in my opinion is spot on with the quality and food service. Highly recommend this amazing restaurant in the heart of downtown Toronto.

Not quite what I was expecting. Went here as a pre-​opera option, especially since they have a special menu. I have to say that the food was just OK, hence the three stars. I was not completely blown away by the steak or salad. Would recommend it as a good option for pre-​Opera food, but would have rather settled at something a little less pricey nearby for a more delicious experience.

Met a friend for a pre-​Opera dinner last night and it was a pleasure from the start to the end. Greeting was warm and welcoming… I was early and got a martini ordered while waiting for my companion.
Shortened pre-​theater menu items were a nice mix and we stayed on track. Chilled zucchini soup was velvety and delicious, entrees were perfectly cooked and the dessert of lemon curd pavlova was sublime. Now if only the Opera was this good…

Friend loves it
I liked it but not sure it’s a favorite for me
Friend had veal, I had pasta
Food was good, nice wine selection, price not bad, menu decent, service was good

I got a gift card to Nota Bene and decided to cash it in during Winterlicious. I was eager to try this high end restaurant with my boyfriend. It was a three course meal and we both chose different plates that suited our palate.
Although I could probably make it at home, I enjoyed the Quinoa, Wild Rice, and Squash Salad. It was sweet and much different that a plain old salad. I had the East Coast Fish Pie for my main entrée. It was similar to a Chicken Pot Pie but with fish. The pie was slightly bland but I still liked it. Lastly, the Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie wrapped up the meal nicely because it wasn’t too filling.
The only complaint I had, which I guess was my fault, was their $ 4 bottled water. I thought that when they offered bottled water at the beginning of the meal, it was going to be free. Since that is the assumption when you go to any restaurant usually. My jaw dropped when I saw the $ 8 price tag for the two bottled water we have asked for (still and sparking). $ 8 for water! I could have gotten something else much more worth it for $ 8! After this incident, I will remember to ask for «tap water» the next time I am in a fancy restaurant.
Overall, aside from the water incident, I really enjoyed the quality of food at Nota Bene. The restaurant interior design wasn’t exciting in my opinion. I wished it looked nicer for a high end restaurant. But even so, I still recommend Nota Bene for some delicious (and expensive) meals.

This review is only for Winterlicious 2015 Dinner ($ 45). My experience at Nota Bene wasn’t good and I wouldn’t return in the future. It was not worth the $ 45 price tag for the dinner. The portion size was a hit and miss, service was OK, but the food was bland for me.
*My Friend courses:
–Quebec Duck & Foie Gras Terrine: The entrée came in a delightfully arranged plate of foie gras. There was a piece of pistachio granola that came with the dish. It definitely complemented the taste of the goose very well.
–Tongue & Cheek: The ‘tongue in cheek’ had two types of meat arranged very nicely: the beef cheek and the veal tongue confit. It came with a potato pancake placed underneath the veal and sprinkled feta cheese. I felt that both the veal and the beef cheek tasted a little bland. The feta cheese was really the only source of strong flavor, otherwise it was not very memorable.
–Baked Bruce Peninsula Spy Apple: The Baked Bruce Peninsula Spy Apple was essentially apple crumble with vanilla ice cream. The presentation was very well done. The crumble was warm and tasted delicious. It wasn’t too sweet and the texture was fantastic.
*My courses:
–Crispy Duck Salad: The salad had a spicy touch, yet refreshing with the green papaya and coriander, but nothing outstanding. The duck was cooked well, moist, and how can a fatty crispy duck skin not be good?! I wished the dish came with some dressing, even just some lime to tie the whole dish together as the salad was lacking in flavor. In addition, I prefer my salad to have different textures. With this, you are only getting the crunchy texture from all the ingredients, it got boring after a few bites.
–Grilled Mediterranean Seabass: The fish was cooked to perfection, soft and buttery and the portion was quite generous. The escarole was too bitter for my taste, I believe they over-​cooked it, and the lime didn’t help to reduce the bitterness. (I understand escarole is bitter, but I have had it before when you cook it just right, the bitterness is not as prevalent). The bitterness from the escarole over-​powered the fish. The broth was bland and beans were tough (under-​cooked), just not good at all…
–Clementine Sorbet: The portion was tiny! It’s like the size of a golf ball. The sorbet was very light and refreshing, it tasted like those frizzy vitamin c drink that I used to drink when I was a child :). The yogurt crisp was okay, I wish there was something sweet to compliment the sour sorbet though.

Me and a couple of friends had tickets to the a TSO Concert and my friend suggested Nota Bene. I was so excited to come here after reading some of the Unilocal reviews and BlogTO.
I was actually a bit more excited to leave half way though.
I do have to give the restaurant poitns for the food. I had gotten the Crisp Duck Salad (included sumac-​dusted green papaya slaw, kaffir lime, coriander, and cashews for $ 15). It was a bit more on the pricey side, but hey it was worth every penny. I can taste it right now while writing this review. I’ve had many Vietnamese type slaw duck/​chicken salads which is actually quite a rare dish to find in Vietnamese restaurants, but Nota Bene’s is just out of the world. The crispyness of the duck perfectly compliments the papaya slaw and cashews. It was.MMMMMM.
However the downsides of this was the experience. The waiters were friendly, however it seems like they would rather be serving someone else than me and my friend. It seemed like the waiter thought we were just a couple of young looking, student budget (and student tipping) teenagers and would rather serve any other table but ours.
The ambience of the restaurant was also a bit stuffy. Also a bit too pricey for myself. I probably won’t be coming here any time again soon.