Cynthia-Nadirah Jordan
+5
The Hot House Restaurant is in a class of its own because the owners' philosophy is that they (Andrew and Elinor Laffey) � "treat their customers as if they were guests in their home." WOW! When I called to express my appreciation and thanks for the awesome service my family, friends and I received at my 65th Birthday Celebration Party which was held there on Sunday, August 13, 2017, these are the words that greeted my ears and warmed my heart from Mrs. Laffey. In a hurried world where Customer Service has been relegated to the bottom of the totem pole it is a breath of fresh air - and a most refreshing one - to find people and companies that care about their clientele. The Hot House Restaurant was recommended to me by a friend and my first dining experience was in 2016. The Sunday Brunch exceeded my expectations in terms of the quality of the food, the variety - the desserts are over the top - and the genuine friendliness and helpfulness of the waiters and waitresses. In 2017 I returned for two (2) more get-togethers with my friends and each time there was overall consistency. Based on these observations I felt very confident in selecting the Hot House Restaurant as the venue for my party. I have had nothing but rave reviews from everyone who attended. Everyone promises to visit and recommend the restaurant to their friends as well. A million thanks for this true gem tucked away at 35 Church & Front Streets.���� Blessings, Peace and Love.��
We had our wedding ceremony and reception dinner at the Hot House on April 15th and I don't think we could have picked a better place in downtown Toronto. Our guests are still talking about the wonderful menu, wine and in particular how friendly and professional the team in the Hot House are. Andrew, Erin and the staff there helped us from start to finish to make our day stress free and enjoyable. I would highly recommend the Hot House, the atmosphere in there is wonderful and the food is delicious.
My first experience dining at Hot House was in 1998 and it remains a regular favourite. I had to come on to say was so impressed with the service we received Saturday evening. We arrived at the door just after 6 pm with tickets for the 7 pm Leafs game. The staff were amazing, knew we had to get to the game and made sure we had an amazing meal and made it to the ACC with time to spare!
Been coming here for years and LUV it. Mainly for Sunday Brunch. The food is amazing !! If you can't find something on the buffet that suites your pallet, then I wouldn't know what direction to point you to. The staff is ALWAYS friendly and the atmosphere is cozy and inviting. Luv the jazz band during brunch.
The staff were welcoming and courteous. We had the winterlicious menu. originally not enthused by the appetizer selection when the chef's soup was a chowder with double smoked bacon we were all in. It was a wonderful meal
Diana Filipe Baltazar Tomasella
+5
Had my 50th birthday party there yesterday. Great waitress served us! Great food! Loved the space we were in. Excellent experience!
We are from Rochester, NY. We dined on Saturday April 8th. Not our first time in Toronto but was our first time dinning at The Hot House. The Bartenders were fabulous, our waiter was fabulous and our meals were to die for. We will be back 💓 Thank you
Best food! Unbelievable server (Mark)! He was incredible!!!!!! If I could give it 10* I would!!!!!
One of my fave places to eat..always good food good service great location
Took my son for dinner on a not-particularly busy Saturday evening. As we waited for our drink order, a couple was seated next to us. They got their drinks before us. They got their appetizers before us. They got their entrees - and we never did. We finally had to leave and never did get our dinners.
Enjoyed the brunch experience in this wonderful restaurant! The staff was super friendly and the lunch sandwiches seemed delectable from the menu. I went for the vegetarian mushroom zucchini sandwich and the carrot, pear and ginger soup. Loved both of these! I also shared a piece of chocolate fudge cake which turned out to be mouthwatering and one of the best I had in a long time! Will go there again for sure.
Great seatings , friendly stuff. Ordered chipotle steamed mussels for lunch. Came with sourdough bread. The mussels were well cooked and very juice. Sourdough bread was perfect for the sauce. Although it was delicious, the mussel meat size was small. Coming from downunder, very much used to the succulent green lipped mussels.
I have passed this restaurant a lot of time and have always observed crowded. So I thought of celebrating my birthday here. We tried Wednesday dinner buffet and every penny we paid was worth. They have so many options and well a spread buffet. Live pasta counter is amazing as you can try all types like red , white , green or mix sauce pasta. My favourite was white pasta with spaghetti which was served pipping hot. They have good spread of cheese and different cold salads which was yummy. Best was ravioli pasta with cheese stuffedA in it. This is also part of their alcarte menu and would surely come back to eat only ravioli. Pizza was also part of buffet and loved that too. Lavish spread for deserts of more than 10 options in pastry and fruits. Enjoyed this place and would recommend Wednesday buffets.
A nice, classy restaurant with buffet style option for All You Can Eat on Wednesday evenings for only $22 definitely make HH a good option.
The selection is fantastic with perhaps the best cuts of roast beef I've had along with steamed mussels, live pasta station, other lasagne and gnocchi options. The blackened chicken is particularly my favourite and don't miss out the desserts. The craft beers they offer are also fantastic
A great option with a great selection so my advice is leave enough place for dessert
This place is perfect for Sunday brunch variety of salads ,foods and deserts I love the lasagna the most ,one of the most delicious lasagna that I had in toronto 😜
When my schedule permits, I come here for Sunday buffet brunch. A family friend place & the servers have alway been great. Lots of variety, including an egg station, carving station, nice cheese options, hot & cold desserts. Best part, the cakes. There's a server on stand by to cut pieces of cake for you. I love the fact that they can cut really thin prices...gives me a chance to try many different cakes without wasting everything or making a mess. Great idea!
If you come for New Years Day Brunch, there's even a live jazz band.
So far this places hasn't disappointed.
Went there for Christmas dinner with friends . Loved the area and restaurants environment . Staff was friendly and service was good. Prices are good with the location. Ordered vegetarian meal.
Great brunch place on Sundays with live band, must reserve, otherwise you will wait min 1 hr to get seating and sometime you will end up being at the bar table. Please make sure you make reservation ahead of time and get there at-least 15 mins before your reserved time. Great food and you would want to go back again and again!
We come here every so often for brunch. For 22.95 per person and all you can eat you can't go wrong. The omelette bar is always good and there is a good selection for all. The only drawback is that year after year it is the same. It would be nice to see perhaps a roast turkey instead of the over done beef. We'd also love to see Toronto get the boozy brunches like NYC!! Again you can't miss here for their brunch. Management is also very attentive
Came here for the Wednesday dinner buffet. Not bad. A good selection of foods; everything from carved beef, to fresh cooked pasta, and even rice with bbq chicken. And as Toronto's #1 consumer of cake, I was also happy about the 7-8ish cakes they had to choose from. Would recommend.
That's wild boar Fusili... Seriously....wild boar Fusili... Great food. Great service... Must try their Bruschetta. The chicken Supreme is probably one of their best dishes. But the boar was just out of this world. Great job guys
Always walked by here, so I'm pretty happy that I finally get to leave a review!
I chose the special buffet dinner on Wednesdays @ $19.95. I tried to taste a bit of everything, though there wasn't a huge variety of food. Some were meh (their chow mein, roast beef), but there were some awesome stuff (bbq chicken, lasagna).
They also have a live cooking station, which is pretty fantastic! I ended it with a chocolate chunk cake, which was good, but nothing spectacular.
Overall, the experience was typical for a buffet; good but not great.
The Zomato team were nice enough to treat me to a meal here, and so I decided to go to Hot House on a Sunday since I remember going here last time for brunch and really liked the food. Although I made reservations we still ended up waiting almost an hour before getting seated. That part was a major thumbs down for me, but once we finally were seated it was smooth sailing from there. Brunch was just as I remembered it being - yummy, unlimited, and unleashed my inner glutton demon. I have to admit I enjoyed their deserts more than the meals though (what can I say, I got that sweet tooth). I had a good laugh with the baker when I mistaken "chocolate fudge cake" with "chocolate fish cake"...don't ask. Thanks again @Zomato!!
I went here with a huge group for their Sunday brunch. Great food selection with breakfast favourites and more hearty selections. They have a live band during brunch which makes for a unique dining and classy experience. Their mimosas are also a great compliment to their brunch. The staff is also very accommodating.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
[Thank you Team Zomato for the complimentary meal! :)]
Overall: Exceptional service, $10 for a pound of delicious mussels on Mondays, Hearty & Satisfying food
Based on the reviews, I knew this place was known for their Sunday buffet, so I wasn't really sure what to expect for their non-buffet food. But I could tell you straight up that I had a very pleasant experience here tonight (Monday, April 27th 2015). Firstly, on Mondays, they have their Mussel Mmmondays ($10 for a pound of mussels). I got their Chipotle Mussels to start- the mussels were fresh and the sauce (tomato sauce, garlic & chilli) had the right amount of spice/tick to get you addicted to it. We finished the plate clean with no sauce left, thanks to the generous waiter who brought us bread to go with it. I had their Puttanesca (tagliatelle with tiger shrimp, scallops, capers, olives)- the pasta came in such HUGE portion (very filling for me, and I am pretty known for eating a lot), the tomato-basil sauce itself was pretty light, but the tiger shrimps&scallops made the overall taste thicker and richer (great balance). The restaurant itself was very spacious with the right level of lighting, which made this place great for most settings. Also, my waiter today was really accommodating; his personality really lightened up the experience as well. I am really glad I was able to come to this place not for the buffet but their regular dinner (Thank you so so much Team Zomato! I am grateful for your kindness and the foodie-spirit).
Attentive service, delicious salads. We were very early for lunch, but we received a friendly reception, were waited upon attentively, and were served beautiful and delicious salads.
Stopped in for a late dinner after an early show at Rainbow Market Cinema. The restaurant was only about half-full so we were seated and received our food fairly quickly. I had the Butternut Squash Ravioli, which was divine. You could taste the smokiness of the garlic and the tangy flavor of rhy sundried tomatoes in the sauce, and the ravioli were nicely tender. I also has the Hot House Juice which was quite nice. My partner had the Asian Chicken Stirfry, which was a large portion, and he enjoyed it. I had a bite and it was nice, but I found it a bit salty. A pleasant dining experience, but nothing extraordinary.
Sicilian Gnocchi. Gnocchi with a white cream sauce and mushrooms
Was really amazed with the quality of food. Gnocchi was excellent as were all meals we had. Waiter was very attentive and very helpful. Good suggestions. Great attention to detail. Anticipated many of our needs. Very accommodating of children.
Good Pizzas, Not Great - But Great Location & Selection. Me and some friends recently went to Hot House after checking out the Bier Market. I remember going to Hot House years ago, but had totally forgotten about it since. And after eating here again, I can totally remember why I had forgotten about it. Its more or less an okay restaurant, with okay customer service, okay food quality, and an okay price.
There really isn't anything special about Hot House at all - and definitely nothing that you can find that will keep you coming back for more. I think it will be a few more years before I return again.
Satiating Sunday Brunch. -------------------------------------
Food-7.5
Ambiance-8
Wait-Staff-7
Reception Staff -8
Value-9
We thoroughly enjoyed out brunching experience. Food was tasty and fresh, selection was plentiful and diverse, and even with the line ups for the various stations the restaurant had a relaxed and cozy atmosphere. For $22/person you can't go wrong!
Enjoyed it. Relaxed but classy atmosphere; good pizza and cocktails; great location.
Great for groups and lunch. My group went for summerlicious in July 2012 (this review is copied from another one I posted). Overall, it was a pleasant experience with most of our dishes being very tasty with the exception of the steak which was left behind, but the salmon entree and side dishes were delish.
My husband and I went there for dinner. He ordered a steak dinner and I ordered the margherita pizza. Overall we enjoyed the food and the service was great. But I heard they were famous for their Sunday brunch buffets. I would like to try it one day.
Pleasantly Surprised. I didn't have high expectations of Hot House Cafe. We needed to find a restaurant close to Union Station, hopefully with a patio and this was one of the restaurants that we found. Surprisingly the food was really good. I had the eggplant pasta, my sister the gnocchi and my cousin had the veggie pizza. The plan was to share the dishes but as soon as we started to dig in we didn't do a lot of sharing-wanted to keep it all for ourselves. Our server was fantastic and very attentive. I would definitely go back.
Ice had the Sumday brunch a few times and it is always brilliant! Live Jazz band is decent too. Waffles are divine. Shrimp is good. Pastries and salads are very good. Make sure you get the waffles and strawberry sauce
The Sunday brunch was fabulous! However, make reservations! We were lucky enough to get seats at the bar. I was full for hours.
We went for the brunch. The brunch was awesome
Great Sunday brunch, went with family, lots of choices on the brunch. Suggest you make a reservation in advance, as we saw lots of patrons waiting in the lobby to get a table. If you are going for the Live Jazz, make sure to request a table near the band, as this is a very large restaurant. Typical brunch fare with the breakfast staples, and the hot dishes like lasagna, baked cheese tortellini's, rice, cheese tray, and lots of delectable desserts. All in all a great experience!
Best Sunday brunch in the city.... Just sayin
Fantastic brunch! Live jazz, the most delicious cakes and pastries, and yummy food. Love it!!
Awesome awesome brunch. The jazz was as fresh as the food. A really great place.
Very nice. Nice, relaxed, clean & friendly. Not to mention an extensive menu. I would recommend this restaurant.
Sunday morning brunch all you can eat $17! Hell yeah. Make a reservation first though, two days in advance to be safe
Sitting on the patio at hot house cafe is pretty cool
Also known as the Hot House Cafe, the Hot House Restaurant & Bar has been around for over 20 years. The restaurant offers an eclectic a la carte menu focusing on Italian cuisine; however, on Sundays, the 9:30am – 3pm brunch buffet is a favorite among Torontonians!
Went to the Hot House Cafe on a blustery winter night in February that included freezing rain, snow, sleet and rain all at once (the only thing missing were locusts). We spent some time in the St. Lawrence Market (a fresh food market near the restaurant) before coming here, so we were hungry when we arrived. The waiter brought us some bread in a basket with butter. We began by ordering a nice French Merlot. Then we ordered fried calamari, with a hot sauce and creamy chive dip. They were crispy and we liked the hot sauce. My wife had the crispy chicken stir fry with broccoli, strips of chicken, red and yellow bell peppers, bean sprouts, and snow peas in a sweet and sour sauce, served over basmati rice.
My second Summerlicious this year. The menu here was very attractive so we gave it a try. I started off with the soup of the day – curry stew. It was not bad, very flavourful. Next off, the main course – Surf & Turf – 8oz Angus New York Strip loin grilled with Canadian lobster tail topped with chive truffle butter. Doesn’t just the description just sound yummy as it is. Well, the taste is as good as it sound.
Their food is quite average for buffet style restaurant. I just wish omelette station didn't take so long, and would like a hot crepe or waffle station. Food is refilled constantly which keeps it fresh and never empty, which is important for buffet restaurants. Make sure to call for reservation!!!
Located at the corner of Bay and King Street in the St. Lawrence Historic District, Hot House Cafe's patio isn't too noisy nor too isolated. As we were seated, I had a feeling I was going to enjoy my visit!
This place was awesome for a weekend lunch! I thought that this meal was worth the $15 price, and I really enjoyed the meal. I started with the Louisiana Crab Cakes with Chili-Lime Aioli, fried to a golden brown served with a tangy Aioli sauce and crispy
The night before my big marathon (well, I was only running 7km of it as part of a relay), we went to Hot House Café. I discovered this place when my friends and I wanted to go to Richtree for a post-exam celebratory dinner. Unfortunately
Two words: SUNDAY BRUNCH!!!
O-M-G
The selection is crazy, and tasty!
They have an omelette bar is always fresh, there are so many options!
They have fresh baked goods and pastas! Cheese and fruit, the options are there which is exactly what I want for brunch!
I've frequented this place quite a few times for a comfort meal, and to indulge in their dessert! Hot House is a great spot for a dinner with friends, they have expansive (not cramped) seating, and huge windows which makes it an ideal spot to people-watch. I've tried most of the menu, the Waikiki Pizza and Sicilian Gnocchi are particularly good, I would skip the burgers. They also have a fairly decent wine selection, and their prix fixe menus are a good deal. They also offer their lunch portion sized pastas during their dinner service, although not advertised. One highlight for me - the dessert! Hot House is home to my favourite Sticky Toffee Pudding in the city. Definitely worth it!
In the summer / early fall, Hot House has an amazing patio. Nestled on the corner where Church meets Front & Wellington, expect wonder views of the historic Gooderham Building. A great spot to people watch as well.I went with the jambalaya and was quite impressed - tiger shrimp, blackened chicken breast, spicy Italian sausage, bell peppers, red onion, chili peppers and tomatoes on wild rice pilaf. There is also a decent wine selection and Citadelle gin (my personal 2nd favorite).
Went for brunch. Great experience. Would be 5 stars, but coffee refills had to be requested. Best roast beef I have had for a long time. Ate too much. More expensive than before, but that is dining out everywhere. The staff were exceptional, especially the bus persons. Very quick to clear, very polite. They did a great job sanitizing in between parties.
Absolutely amazing! Live music, great patio decoration, all the food are cooked in perfection. There’s nothing we can complain. It’s not like normal buffet where you see huge selections, then the food is so so, that you don’t feel satisfied in terms of quality. Everything we tried is like a la carte, great quality! For sure, we will go again!
Great amazing brunch Sunday buffet experience. So glad they brought this back since the pandemic lockdowns. Service was excellent and always friendly. Omelette station was a treat as well as the big meats. Large variety of buffet style foods ranging from traditional western breakfast to Italian lunch pastas and baked goods. Dessert station was also no slouch. Mix of delicious treats and sugary goodness. Would visit again soon. Live jazz band extra touch!
My first experience at Hothouse was great. Our server was super nice and attentive. Food was tasty but we didnt like our appetizer much. Also just a small thing is it would be good to have coasters for drinks.
Came here for a date night and we enjoyed every moment. They have a wide selection of food here so there are lots to choose from (that is, from pasta to curry… it’s really diverse)!
I had the salmon with noodles which I believe was from their ‘global inspiration’ menu and it was so delicious. Truly perfection!!! Ambience was also lovely.
Great time for a birthday brunch on a Sunday! It's best to make reservations if u can. Omelette station, meat carving station And some great other options like pastries, fruit and desserts. Our server was GREAT we had a big party of about 20 and we were in a room. Would recommend
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