Downtown Bistro & Grill

I went here for my dining groups birthday dinner. We had 12 foodies in all.
Atmosphere- Really lovely patio ( our group was too big for that) and nicely decorated rooms inside a brownstone. I brought a cake , plates and forks to.celerate the birthdays. I was told it would be $2/person to plate the cake. Really? Why are places doing this. They lose out on coffees and teas afterwards. I said we would walk to Coffee Culture on Brant to have cake after our meal.
Food- Apps included 1) French onion soup- Lots of flavour and loads of cheese 2) berries and field greens salad- Yum . I had this but I substituted the blue cheese for goat cheese. The amount of cheese looked like cauliflower on the salad. Excellent. 3) Mussels- Big portion and great tasting 4) bruschetta bread - ok. Just ok Mains included 1) Pork shnitzel with a garlic sauce- My husband said this was the best sauce on shnitzel he has had and the meat was sooo tender. 2) Penne gorgon zola - Two ladies had this and felt more sauce was needed. They requested it and sauce was made for them to pour onto pasta. They both said that made the dish perfect. 3) Penne Ala vodka - Chicken was so tender and sauce was scrumptious 4) Jumbalya- everything was so delicious in this dish. 5) Special sea bass - Melt in your mouth. 6) pork chops - tender and nice. 7) Chicken linguini - there is a nice heat to this dish. We were all happy with our dinners and portions . ( a lot of us took half plates home)
Service- Our server was friendly and efficient. It did take quite a while to order ( 45 min wait) and to be served but it was worth the wait. The only thing I have against this place is the $2/ person to plate cake. In the end they waved this because we were going to a coffee shop to eat cake. They made more than that in coffee and teas so why are these places doing this?  It isnt because they didnt make enough money off of us. this place is not cheap. My husband and I had 2 mains, one salad, and one appetizer with no alcoholic drinks and our bill alone came to $100 +
Impression- I will be back but not for a while. they did make an exception but in my practice I wont recommend  places   that charge to plate birthday cake  ( even if you   bring your own plates and forks)  This leaves a sour taste in  your mouth.

Still good. Last time I took my parents to this location it was called "Ivanka's downtown bistro" and we had a great meal.

This time, it was even better.

Simple lunch on a Saturday afternoon with my 4 year old and my parents. Despite my daughter spilling her water all over the floor, and the 100 year old floor sending the water towards other patrons, all was good.

The server let us know immediately that the chef would do whatever was needed for our 4 year old, which was very nice to hear. This doesn't happen often enough in good restaurants, and as a parent this makes me come back.

The lunch burger is fantastic and huge. My parents were very happy.

I had the grilled veggie salad and the Hungarian goulash. Both were very good and plentiful. Their wine menu is concise, but I had no issue finding a suitable glass.

Overall it was a very good meal. It is an intimate restaurant with tons of character. We will be back very soon with a larger group.

After checking out several options in the downtown Burlington area (or the block around Village Square)we stumbled upon Downtown Bistro and Grill. What a find. The place is not big...a good thing. We were met by the owner's stepson who was both charming and an attentive waiter...also a good thing. The food was delicious and plentiful...a very good thing