Shift Restaurant

Great place with a nice view to the river. We ordered the Breakfast shift and the Smoked salmon, leek and gratis cheese ommelette. It was very good. We had the flourless chocolate bundt cake for dessert.

The Food Dining with another couple we started with three appetizers. We had the Crispy Mediterranean Ribs & Charred Calamari, while our friends shared a generous serving of Beef Tartare. The Mediterranean Ribs were cooked to a crispy, juicy perfection and arrived dusted with chili, fried herbs, & parmesan. We’re often disappointed when ordering ribs as an appy so we were a bit uncertain ordering this, but our host assured us that this was a great choice and he wasn’t wrong. These ribs were delicious. The Charred Calamari was the star of our appy choices. Cooked to perfection with vine-ripened tomatoes, capers and brown butter this gem was served with a side of toasted focaccia perfect for mopping up the delicious sauce. Our Toronto condo is in the heart of Little Portugal (where grilled calamari is a religion) so we know good grilled calamari when we have it — and Shift’s is superb. While we had only a small sample of Beef Tartare we can vouch for its deliciousness. The rich beef is mixed with capers, gherkins and Dijon mustard and served with bannock crisps. Both the Polish and Scottish halves of our food heritage were left smiling - and wanting more. Each couple ordered the same two mains: Brick-pressed Cornish Hen and Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder. We were told that portions were generous, but none of us were prepared for the amount of food that was to come. The Cornish Hens were served with a warm potato & green bean salad, caramelized onions and an absolutely delicious chicken jus. We always admire restaurants that can nail a rich, delicious jus and with the exception of a jus we were served at the superlative St. Lawrence Restaurant in Vancouver this was possibly the best we’ve had in Canada - full stop. If you get a chance and it’s still on the menu this is a “must-have” dish. The Pork Shoulder was cooked in a house made BBQ sauce and served with an exceptional macaroni & cheese casserole & green beans. This was a yummy dish, even if the pork wasn't quite what we expected. Usually pork shoulder is served pulled, and given that it was being served with Mac & cheese we expected that this would be the presentation for this dish. In this case the pork shoulder was cut as a boneless, single piece and while tasty we would have loved to have had a pile of lovingly pulled, fatty shoulder meat to combine with the Mac & Cheese. But this is a first-world problem; the pork was tender and delicious while the Mac & Cheese itself was amazing. The five cheeses in the casserole ensured that the “Cheese” was the star of the dish, not the “Mac” - works for us. Ambiance We were fortunate enough to be seated on Shift's gorgeous outdoor terrace on a delightfully warm summer evening. The terrace overlooks the South Saskatchewan River and the walking/cycling paths that border the west bank. Being able to watch the sky being painted with sunset hues while watching groups of people enjoying an evening stroll was a lovely addition to the evening. Service Because of our dinner companions our very competent and attentive servers were supporting cast to Shift's GM, who went out of his way to make our experience extra-special. But we have no doubt that we would have been very well taken care of by any of the Shift team. Price With a round of opening cocktails, two bottles of wine, taxes and tip this fine dining evening cost $100 per person. We feel that the quality (and quantity) of the food, combined with the ambiance and service, make this a very fair price indeed.

Great high-end restaurant that focuses on local ingredients with a fine-dining flair. The lunch tones down the fine dining but not the quality so that you can come for a solo lunch or with coworkers and it won't break the bank. Great atmosphere, great food. The wild rice pudding is phenominal!

Phenomenally impressed with the soup and pie of the day. Sunshine , espresso martinis and some delicious bison pie👌 Can’t wait to try their creative delicious specials in the future!