Review Lemon Bistro - Markham

This restaurant is awesome and definitely deserves more than 5 stars. Everything was top-notch here, from the superb meals to the exceptional service. I will absolutely be returning as soon as possible. I also have to mention how much I really loved the decor in this restaurant. The art is so cool and unique. I highly recommend paying Lemon Bistro a visit whenever possible. You will be glad you did, trust me!

I celebrated my birthday with a group of friends at Lemon Bistro based upon recommendation. Service was not attentive. We had to constantly ask for a refill of water. The food was good in general. Unfortunately, the veal t-bone that I asked to be cooked medium rare came out to be medium well. The server did not come back to check on us after our food was served. I had to flag her down to tell her about my steak. They did apologize and make another one for me that was medium rare without hassle. The chocolate dessert was on the dry side for my taste. However, the lemon meringue dessert was surprisingly good. Overall experience was somewhat disappointing for the birthday girl.

Great food, drink list and service! Had a great dinner starting with two fantastic wines! For dinner we had a beet and lemon salad as a stater and the beef shank and pasta with farmers sausage as mains.

Great dining experience! Food was tasty and service was amazing. Met the chef at the end of the night who made this awesome spicy oil to accompany my lamb shank. If you like spice give it a try, but as the server warned me, be careful with it as it is very hot. Would definately return.

Small restaurant with good service, reasonable price, food were made to satisfy our expectations. Definitely would go again

Love this place, located at Markham historical building. Very cosy setting, perfect for small group gathering. Menu is different every night and locally sourced!!

Came for their Valentine's menu. Appetizers was meh. Ordered lamp for main and it's really good. A bit pricey tho.

The perfect meal. I ordered the pork tenderloin. Every component on the plate was perfectly cooked, seasoned and added to the dish. My wife is a vegetarian who can't eat tomatoes and they made her a pasta she loved. The service was great, our only regret was we didn't save enough space for dessert. We will definitely be back.

Food was decent (thank god for that) otherwise everything else was terrible! My husband and I went there last night for a friends going away dinner. We got there around 8pm and ordered 10mins after. I was pretty hungry so I couldn't wait for the food to arrive, we chatted and chatted...and food was not coming to us. We waited for at least an hour before anything arrived. We had to ask for bread, which was cold and only offered us olive oil to dip. I don't fancy olive oil with bread so I would of liked butter, but they didn't have that...I guess butter isn't high class?? Our food arrived, food was good, no complaints but over priced. I ordered the 10oz steak, it came with fried potato skins. My friend ordered the same and wanted ketchup. So I asked our waiter, and apparently they don't have that either...not only was he rude he was also very unattentive. It took him almost at the end when we were leaving to fill our empty water glass. <br/>We were a group of 10, and with the terrible service we were charged 18% gratuity and crappy bread was $8! Not even complementary when we were starving for an hour. ALSO, don't expect them to split the bill! Apparently that's something they don't do...I don't recommend anyone coming here, unless you don't mind bad service and overpriced food.

I came here on a Thursday night around 7pm. Before coming here, I read the other reviews and I know that I might have some trouble dining here without a reservation. Luckily, a table left as we were entering. After the host checked if they were able to accommodate us, we were seated.<br/><br/>The first thing we got were the PEI mussels ($11) to share. I expected the dish to have more flavour to it. The main flavour I got was the cilantro (keep in mind that I'm not a fan of cilantro but that's not their fault). I tasted the broth and I thought it was quite bland as well. I've definitely had better mussels elsewhere.<br/><br/>Next, my parents and I shared three main dishes. The tagliatelle pasta with braised beef marina ($18) was a disappointment. The braised beef was tender but the pasta was very soft. This dish tasted very Asian inspired. The seared haddock with tomato chutney ($24) was okay. It wasn't as moist as it could be. I thought that the tomato chutney went very well with the fish but they didn't have enough of the chutney in the dish! The best dish was definitely the oven roasted chicken wrapped in prosciutto and mushroom ($23). The chicken was incredibly tender and I loved their pickled vegetables on the top.<br/><br/>Lastly, we shared two desserts. The creme caramel ($7) was standard and tasted good. However, the star of the meal in my opinion was the apple pecan crumble ($7). The top was crisp and the warm crumble was awesome with the cold vanilla ice cream.<br/><br/>Overall, I felt that they did a great job creating dishes that tasted homemade, healthy and not pretentious. I also thought that the price went well with the quality and quantity. However, the taste just wasn't there and I just didn't feel a welcomed atmosphere while dining at the restaurant. They were never rude to us but they weren't overly warm towards us either. I think that it's important to note that ambiance is an important part to an enjoyable meal.

I love knowing that my neighbourhood has this little restaurant to eat at.  I've come here several times and it is everything eating out should be these days. "A small menu that changes daily, depending on what we uncover at the markets", says Dan at the restaurant.  A family full of character along side the food they prepare.  I tell anyone looking for a real experience to visit.

Freshly made mozzarella. Wow!. It's undeniable. This place is producing flavours above and beyond your typical neighborhood eatery. We shared the fresh cheese, which had the best texture and taste I've ever had. The pork chop was prepared perfectly with a twist of fried sage leaf garnish. This was money and time well spent. I'll pop in as soon as I'm back in the area.

Freshly made mozzarella. Wow!. It's undeniable. This restaurant is producing flavours above and beyond your typical neighborhood eatery. We had the fresh cheese, which was the finest texture and taste of mozzarella I've ever had. The pork chop was perfectly prepared with a twist of fried sage leaf. Overall our time and money was well spent. We'll pop in again when we're in the area.

Freshly made mozzarella. Wow!. It's undeniable. This restaurant is producing flavours above and beyond your typical neighborhood eatery. We had the fresh cheese, which was the finest texture and taste of mozzarella I've ever had. The pork chop was perfectly prepared with a twist of fried sage leaf. Overall our time and money was well spent. We'll pop in again when we're in the area.

Beware...very dishonest. My husband made reservations at this restaurant for Valentine's Day 2015 and to our surprise the menu was completely not what he expected. He looked at the menu before booking and found the prices and selection were reasonable. When we arrived and sat down we were told the menu was fixed and we had to choose from 3 choices and that was it. If you were a vegetarian then you would've been out of luck. Worst of all, the prices were way higher for what was being offered. When my husband called he was not informed about the prix fixed menu so we felt scammed. In total we spent over $170 for dinner, no drinks. We tried to look at the menu that evening and it was taken down! It said "coming soon" even though it was there before Valentine's day. What a rip off.....the selection offered was very basic, salad or soup for starter, and cupcake for dessert?!? Portions were small and we weren't even full....it was a big disappointment and a huge waste of money...I could have that meal for probably $50-60 per person at a higher class restaurant. The service was not so good either, we heard the table beside us complain about the same things we were feeling. Scammed and had no choice but to eat there after sitting down. Not a honest business. Would not come back again because of that...I would suggest that people go eat somewhere else.

Small, Cozy with Great Food. I live in Markham and I never tried any restaurants on both Main Streets, Markham and Unionville. I was thinking why not to try one rather than always going to franchise places? Therefore I picked Lemon Bistro based on many good reviews around the Internet. <br/><br/>So on my Anniversary I went there with my husband and I am glad I picked the right place, the place is small but the food, you can tell the Chef love to cook. Everything was well thought, from the time the dishes come out from the kitchen and into your mouth, it was perfect.<br/><br/>My husband had the Pork Chop and he said he never tasted a perfect Pork Chop in another restaurant, and I had the Cod Fillet which I think is kind of difficult to make it tasty but in this restaurant the Chef made it very well, I liked it a lot.<br/><br/>The portion might not be perfect for some people but for us they were perfect. We both had starters and desserts too. Reasonable price.<br/><br/>Their menu changes maybe everyday therefore we are planning to go back some day and try other dishes. You can check ahead on the day you are going.<br/><br/>We went on weekdays and there weren’t many people, which is good for us because we could enjoy our dinner. I don't know how's the place during weekend but I think it would be nice to make a reservation ahead. Too bad they are closed Sundays and Mondays.<br/><br/>I will definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone I know.

Great Markham Dining Spot. Wanted a nice place to have dinner closer to home and found this little gem on Main St. Markham. It's a cozy little restaurant and the paintings are done by Chef Livio himself. If you choose to sit at the rear tables you can watch Chef preparing dishes. The menu is compact with good choices that change frequently along with daily specials. Mussels and the mushroom soup never disappoint. For mains, pasta dishes are always great. The only knock on Lemon Bistro is the steak. I've had it twice in the past and both times I felt it was very mediocre at best, and now stay away from that option. There aren't many drink options but there should be enough to satisfy most diners. Otherwise, this is a great dining spot in Markham!

Wonderful Restaurant!. Found this place off urban spoon and was really happy with it. Really nice, intimate atmosphere, good service, and the food was amazing! I had the pork shoulder and it was one of the nicest pieces of meat I've ever had. Absolutely melted in my mouth, it was so tender and delicious. Highly recommended!

Superb Meal Every Time. My wife and I discovered the Lemon Bistro recently and have gone there three times in the past couple of months. The meals have always been superb, fresh, creative and delicious. The atmosphere is eclectic, it is small cozy and comfortable. It is now our new favourite on Main Street Markham, and we are recommending it to all our friends and neighbours. The steak is highly recommended as is the fish. By the way, I love the background music!

Mmm mm good. This is my favorite little local place to spend a couple of hours. Nice people, good food, reasonably priced, energetic atmosphere, small, comfortable and quaint. The menu is limited but there are always 2 or 3 things I enjoy a lot. Bring back those delicious pork chops! My wife and I go there approximately every 2-3 weeks.

Very good.. The food was excellent, my seared cod fillet was fresh and cooked just right. <br/>the service was prompt and courteous.

Very Disappointing. We chose the Lemon Bistro based on the past reviews and a recommendation from someone who has been there. The best part of the dinner was the bottle of wine. We both started off with a Caesar Salad. The menu said "freshly made" which means it was FRESHLY MADE with substandard ingredients. What was served to us sadly lacked in flavour. The dressing was disgusting and the lettuce tasted like it was soaking in water for days. Even a grind of fresh pepper would have helped but we couldn't get the attenion of the server. Speaking of which, the attire of the wait staff at this restaurant is very casual. I would have assumed upscale/casual but found that's not the case - particularly with one server (or may even be a manager) who was dressed in a ratty t-shirt, exposed tats running down his arm, casual shorts and sandals. Attire suitable for sitting on a dock and slugging back a beer. For our entree we both ordered Tagliatelle with Tiger Shrimp. The pasta was topped with about 5 shrimp, chunks of italian parsley, a small portion of diced tomatoe and some sort of unrecognizable broth which again was greatly lacking in flavour. This time I was quick on the draw as I asked for some pepper. There was no garlic, no flavour, etc. Very bland and uneventful as I was picking the chunks of flatleaf parsley from between my teeth. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. I'm amazed that they're still in business after 6 years. If they were situated any other place but Main Street Markham, they would've had to close their doors after 6 months. Al dente is even a step up from this place. If you read their reviews you'll understand.

Terrible Service, Bland Food, Extremely Miffed. My boyfriend and I went to the Lemon Bistro last night as our belated Valentines dinner. We really wanted to love this restaurant; it had a special meaning to us both because it's where he wanted to take me for our first date. <br/><br/>We went to the Lemon Bistro around 7. It was busy and we hadn't made a reservation, and so the first waitress we were approached by (let's call her Waitress 1), after consulting with another (Waitress 2), informed us that there would be an hour wait. Now we noticed an empty table for two right in front of us, but didn't think anything of it as someone else might have reserved it. Not a problem. <br/><br/>We left, but because we were a bit short of time we decided to call the restaurant not 10 minutes later and see if perhaps they could do us a favor of some sort. We called and asked if there were any immediate reservations available, to which the waitress replied 'yes, there are'. This was interesting news to myself and my boyfriend. We went back to the restaurant, where after waiting for a few minutes, Waitress 1 sent over another waiter to speak to us. <br/><br/>"I know you were here a few minutes ago, but we still don't have a table for you."<br/><br/>"Oh, no. We made a reservation."<br/><br/>"Oh. Okay. That's probably why."<br/><br/>And then the waiter proceeded to seat us at that table we had seen during out first visit. The empty one. I find it highly unlikely that someone decided to cancel their reservation in that time-span. <br/><br/>Once we were seated, Waitress 1 brought us our plates. In an extremely rude tone that didn't sit well with myself or my partner, she mumbled, "Good thing you didn't have to wait an hour." And then she left. Waitress 2 was our waitress for the rest of the evening. She wasn't the best server in the world. We found her to be inattentive and not very friendly. <br/><br/>In terms of the food, the appetizer we had (a cesar salad) was great. It was fresh and the dressing tasted very good. However, our main meal (a vegetable pasta) was a different story. The meal was bland. There was literally no taste and no sauce. It was boiled pasta with a bed of vegetables on top. I was extremely unimpressed. <br/><br/>My boyfriend and I did not feel welcome at the Lemon Bistro, and will not be going back any time soon.

Went for a birthday dinner. Has traditional local restaurant appeal. It had a small menu but suggested items were specialty. We ordered the specials. I had the lamb medium n it was succulent. Veggies were fresh n well seasoned. You could tell care was taken in its preparation. My spouse enjoyed the filet. It was somewhat bland w a hint of lemon but it tasted better in combination w it's sides. The chocolate cheesecake was awesome It had a caramel brittle topping that was a pleasant touch. I would return. Slightly exceeded my expectations but it's wasn't that high due to a relative's review 80%

Lemon has been a favorite of ours for years. Its like a cozy downtown spot in Markham! The food is fresh and delicious, the atmosphere hip and cozy, and the servers are genuine and attentive. My favourites are any of the pastas, the pear salad, the lemon daquois, andthe cosmo made with grapefruit juice is lovely.

Lovely little uptown restaurant. Small, romantic, clean, tasty.<br/>Make a reservation before you go!

Great food.. Amazing food. <br/><br/>never had a bad dish.

Deliciously Intimate. We went for a mid week dinner...the service was excellent, polite and non-instrusive. The restaurant had a few other guests but it was quite and intimate. The menu has a few choices for each course so it was rather easy to decide and I have a feeling no matter which item you select it will be delicious. We had mushroom barley and squid as appetizers, and trout fillet and beef tenderloins as the main course. It was really ambrosial, filling, and the freshness of the ingredients were obvious to our palate. We will certainly be returning to Lemon Bistro and the next time we will be sure to bring friends.

CUTE COZY CULINARY DELIGHT. Hubby and I were introduced to this teeny little gem by good friends, and we rather love it!<br/><br/>Right smack on Main Street Markham, it is a downtown feel in uptown digs. This place is pocket-sized. <br/>I mean, if you walk more than 20 paces, you'll be out the back door. But, thus the charm.<br/><br/>Eating here is like being tucked into your favorite easy chair with a plate of your favorite things; with a good chum to chat with. If you are scoping out intimate spots for tete-a-tete's or small gatherings, this is a delightful place for all of that, so scope no more.<br/><br/>The man-favorite is their colossal pork chop dinner. This is not your boring old dried up scrawny chop from your mother's frying pan. This is a mile high juicy steak chop of pork that may require some patience to get through.<br/>The carnivore cavemen in my circle sure love it.<br/><br/>The menu is original and everything (including the dessert), is all in-house created. It is family owned and run and also displays rather interesting and indulgent pieces of art.<br/><br/>If you get seated towards the back of this galley style eatery, it's fun to sit right beside (I mean 2 or 3 feet away), from the Betty Crocker sized kitchen. It's really only built for 2 chefs and they are a sweatin' while they chef-away. It's totally an on-board experience.<br/><br/>Lemon is sweet, sophisticated and yet humble.<br/>They know what they're doing, they enjoy it and they're good at it. <br/>That's all there is to it.

Comfy Good Food. This is my favourite restaurant in Markham.<br/><br/>The food is always good and every few weeks there are new specials made with what is fresh and in season!

Pefect. Lemon Bistro is all that a bistro should be; small and specific. The menu contains only a few items in each category and each and every item that I have tried has been fantastic. The food style is down to earth ingredients, no pomp and circumstance. Our last visit involved a maple chili trout fillet done in parchment and a braised beef - perfection. Chef was kind enough to let us take home the bone for our beast! Though the front tables are nice for a quiet dinner i actually enjoy sitting near the kitchen and conversing with Chef while watching the magic happen. This is my "go to" of restaurants, one is hard pressed to find anything else around that captures bistro as well.

Markham's Finest. My partner and I moved to Markham about 7 months ago from downtown. We are self proclaimed "foodies" and have been searching for a nice local spot that we can rely on the food quality and atmosphere. Lemon Bistro was a welcome surprise.<br/><br/>We were seated at a high top table right next to the kitchen and felt very welcomed by all of the staff. <br/><br/>The food was excellent, and the service was friendly and prompt. <br/><br/>Our only complaint was the speed of the service. We do enjoy a longer break between appetizers and main course. We watched our main courses being cooked as we finished our appetizers. Our next visit we plan to order our appetizers first and then order our main course to be in control of the timing.<br/><br/>All in all a wonderful experience.. we will be back

Well worth the drive!. This is a great restaurant. Cozy, friendly atmosphere. Short menu. Great food, excellently prepared, presented and served. Smart wine list. We have eaten there on numerous occasions with friends and family and have never been <br/>disappointed. We are bout half-an-hour away and it is well worth the drive.

Best Restaurant in Town!. This is a family owned & operated restaurant with great atmosphere, excellent service and well-prepared food. The menu's not extensive, but everything on the menu (plus the daily specials) are cooked fresh and are delicious. The wines offered are carefully chosen to complement the menu and each is tasted and approved by the head waiter who is the chef/owner's son.<br/>We go there quite often and have introduced the restaurant to many friends and have yet to hear a negative comment from anyone.