The Only On King

A seriously great experience here last night! I can’t say enough good things about this restaurant but I’m going try…
We arrived slightly past our reserved time (not more than 10 minutes) and either our table had been given away or it was the case that other tables sat a little longer than the expected time. The person who greeted us explained that we might have to wait and apologized. We grabbed a seat at the bar and were served sparking wine on the house. Working in the industry, I believe that this is a great way to make amends with a customer when you don’t have their table ready for a reservation. Again, the person working the bar apologized to us for the wait. Not more than 15 minutes later, our table was ready!
The atmosphere of this restaurant is cozy and refined without being pretentious at all. I’d been here years ago before their slight changes in décor and I really like the vibe this place is giving off now– more light and airy that previously!
After finishing our sparking wine, we asked our server for a red wine recommendation. He brought us a taste of something light on our request and when we didn’t love it, he quickly brought us a taste of what he said was his personal favourite on the list. It was great as well as very reasonably priced and we really appreciated his enthusiasm in helping us find a wine we both really enjoyed!
For food: We started with warm olives in chilli oil and orange zest as well as the winter vegetable salad. They were both excellent! A good display of simple food prepared and seasoned just as it should be. I had the cod for my main course, which was cooked to perfection. My partner had the kimchi burger and while it was quite entertaining to watch him eat it, as the burger is extremely messy, it was also cooked well and super flavourful.
We didn’t have room for dessert but I wanted some sort of speciality coffee to end the night and our server whipped something delicious up for me! Overall, this was an amazing experience. We both left full and seriously happy about our visit to The Only and we will most defiantly be back!

Excellent service
Excellent cocktails
Entrée prices are very reasonable, portions are not insanely huge, and why should they be? I was full when I left
The quality of the food, you can tell the kitchen really knows their stuff, lots of depth, but simple at the same time. I was very impressed, and I’ve walked past this place 100+ times.
*** Book a reservation, they are very busy with limited seating. well worth it, can’t wait to go back and try the Kimchi burger !

Really like the new feel to this restaurant. Has a bit more of a casual feel than when I came a few years back. Our server was friendly and always available. A good variety of unique dishes on the menu. Wasn’t overly impressed with my meal but perhaps it was a poor choice. I got the pulled pork fritters with coleslaw. I think it was a bit over priced for what it was. Others at the table enjoyed their meals and they were all very well presented. Would recommend checking this place out!

I have been several times and The Only on King continues to serve excellent food. Everything is fresh and made in-​house, which I appreciate. The bread is fantastic. Excellent flavours in all dishes. Only complaint at our latest visit (July) was the excessive air conditioning. I had to scarf down my fish dish since it was so cold in the restaurant that I was afraid it would cool down so much as to be unappetizing. We did mention this to the server but nothing was changed because of our complaint. We were not offered coffee — surprising they missed out on this opportunity for another 20 bucks!

Went on a date here last night and felt I needed to do a review on this place…
The restaurant was small but pleasant and didn’t feel to stuffy, the way they layout the tables has a good flow to it. Our waiter was very nice, he started us out with some ice water followed by wine, which was delicious, I had the white Sauvignon blanc (New Zealand) I would highly recommend this one if you are a Sauvignon blanc lover. My date had the red Shiraz which he also enjoyed. We enjoyed some conversation over our wine and they the waiter came to take our order, we both started out with a salad which was supplied by soiled reputation (it was delicious) the only thing we didn’t eat out of it were the radishes… We aren’t really fans :). Then I ordered for my entrée the salmon cake, and my date had the pork chops. Reading the other reviews I did notice people had mentioned the food took a while to come out, I did find this as well but I didn’t mind because I was enjoying the company of the person I was with, I wasn’t in a rush to get served and I don’t feel like this is the type of restaurant you go to if you are in some kind of rush for quick service. When the food came out I was very impressed with the placement and overall look of the food.(I’m assuming the perfect placement is what must take the most time) The taste was great, full of flavour, I tried some of my dates as well and it was delicious.
We took our time eating in no rush, even when we were almost done with only a little left on our plate we weren’t bothered or rushed to clear, we finished everything off our plates it was that good. Enjoyed another glass of wine and some conversation afterwards. As it was nearing closing and we were the only ones left in the restaurant my date made a comment on how we should get out of here and let them clean up … I am not sure who the man was who stopped and said no no take your time and enjoy yourself. We felt very well taken care of here and service was great.
Thank you the only for your great food and great hospitality !

We came here today (group of 5) for a friend’s birthday — our goal was to find a fancy tasty dinner with good atmosphere. After trawling through Unilocal reviews, we decided on The Only On King.
Service: ⁴⁄₅
While many reviews here actually have negative comments about the service, I felt ambivalent about it. Their service definitely wasn’t bad — the reason for the ⁴⁄₅ is because it took far too long for our meals to come. Otherwise, servers were attentive and courteous, refilling water without us asking, etc. No issues here.
Food: ³⁄₅
I ordered a basic organic salad with vinaigrette to start, ½ cornish hen with risotto and mushroom in truffle sauce for the main, and the chocolate nemesis cake as the dessert. The salad was average: dressing was too sour (even for a vinaigrette) but the salad leaves were very high-​quality though. The cornish hen was tasty on the outside, but a bit bland on the inside — perfectly roasted though (succulent). The risotto was delicious, though the sauce was a bit on the salty side. The chocolate nemesis cake was far too sweet; big portions though. Overall — average.
Environment: ³⁄₅
A bit too dark overall. Bathrooms were nice.
Price: ²⁄₅
Given the quality of the food, it is a tad on the overpriced side. Portion sizes are agreeable.
Overall, the restaurant is decent — nothing to write home about, but I would return in the future.

Let me start by saying that the food here is excellent, healthy and provided in good portions. The toffee cake is to die for and, in and of itself, is worth the visit to The Only. Ingredients are fresh and sourced locally and I like the idea of a menu that morphs on a daily basis.
Service is not so great. Two of my colleagues and I were in London for work so we gave this place a try as it came highly recommended. The waitress took our coats and then came to take our orders. When none of us wanted any wine, her entire tone and demeanour changed from one of cordiality to one of rudeness and apathy. In the end, we all ended up having to get our own coats from the coat rack.
Will I return to this restaurant when I’m in London for work? I’d reply with a resounding ‘NO’- their toffee cake doesn’t even make up for the lack of adequate service and bad attitudes.

During my most recent visit to The Only, I left with ambivalent feelings. Previously I considered The Only to be one of if not the best fine dining experiences in the city. I would say that The Only has slipped since then.
First the bad:
1. Service: for a restaurant of this stature, I expect the wait staff to anticipate needs. I came on a very slow Tuesday night, and despite this, the waiter failed to notice the «finished with menu» cue to take my order. Additionally, when he brought dessert (cake), he did so hastily without asking if I would like coffee with it. Far below what I would expect for a premier restaurant.
2. «French» onion soup. Perhaps my definition of this dish is too narrow, however in any of the fine restaurants I’ve eaten in, the defining features of this dish include a thin onion broth with immersed bread and cheese that completely covers the surface of the dish (and usually overflows down the sides). What I received was a thick-​brothed soup with some croutons and sprinklings of cheese.
Now the good:
1. Paul Spence’s chicken. A very succulent chicken breast with an awesome and flavourful kale/​mushroom mix. Every bite was delicious.
2. Nemesis chocolate cake. Was amazing with the accompanying coffee!
I considered giving a three star rating based on comparisons to other restaurants in the «premier» calibre, however I’ve given it four because I ordered the prix-​fixe menu, and therefore did not pay a «première» price. Perhaps it was just a bad night for them.

I quite enjoyed the salad, it was full of vegetables and items I don’t normally bring home from the grocery store. The menu evolves which brings an element of surprise if you go here every few months. That its locally sourced is a big plus for a lot of patrons.
Parking is ample on the street, and in the night it is quite often free to park.

While The Only on King seems like classic steakhouse upon entry, it is essentially the leader of sustainable dining in London, On. It doesn’t sound like much coming from London, but The Only On King makes every effort to source locally produced foods which supports local farmers. It was the most educational meal experience I’ve ever had. The manager, Scott, was eager to passionately point out every minute detail in the menu and restaurant.
From the food to historical London art on walls, everything tells a story at The Only. The bread basket is made with flour that makes its way over to The Only after being processed at one of the oldest grain mills in North America which just happens to be outside of London, Arva Flour Mill.
Even in winter, The Only On King’s commitment to sustainable sourcing is impressive. For instance, the menu is re-​invented daily to accommodate the day’s local finds. The winter veggie salad for example, features some of the winter season’s best offerings: roasted beets, carrots and squash. It was so packed with flavour and needed no additional spice or added flavour.
To ease the quest of tracking down local ingredients, The Only on King actually acquires a lot of local produce from the local Covenant Market. For other winter delicacies, the Only looks to local farms such as Everspring and Farben Farms.
The Sea bream entrée and the pan roasted Arctic char are both so fresh, they essentially both wanted to swim away. You could literally taste the T.L.C. that went into the pan-​fried, hand-​made gnocchi that we indulged in for a starter. Served with both pesto & tomato sauce, and topped with local goat cheese, the gnocchi seriously satisfied our winter carb cravings. The salted caramel budino with honey graham crackers and fresh cream was sinfully tempting.
I will be back for brunch when I’m back in London (on a Sunday).
Lessons Learned:
1. Dinner can be an equally educational experience.
2. The Only ensures the day’s daily menus are recycled and return food scraps to farms for use as feed or compost. Here is a business that walks the talk.
3. A little disturbing fact, we were eagerly told that the meat is so fresh, it may be walked from the truck to the basement where it would be ‘processed’, although they do ensure that the meat is used sustainably, in that they go for a nose-​to-​tail type of menu.
4. The sea bream was fished no more than 24 hours before ending up on our plates, and sourced from a sustainable aquaculture farm in Nova Scotia that works with biologists to re-​create a natural ocean environment in which to ‘farm’ fish.
5. Passionate staff can completely change the dining experience.

Interesting menu. I had two dishes: white fish entrée was delicious, but the white asparagus appetizer/​special was only so-​so. Nice atmosphere, nice wine list, good bread.

Every time I visit a new city, I make the effort to find some unique and highly rated restaurants to eat at. This week, I visited London, Ontario. After looking at over 20 restaurant’s websites and the reviews about the place, I decided Only on King was my top pick.
I was really excited to tell my colleagues who live in London about my plans to eat at The Only On King. 5 people gave me a weird look and cautioned me against going. I invited a friend to join me, and she hesitantly accepted my invitation. These clues should have been a clear warning. When we arrived at the restaurant, my friend finally admitted that she had been to the restaurant 6+ times and each time the wait staff and the manager (Scott) were super cold and rude.
We walked in the restaurant and politely stood by the hostess stand waiting for someone to greet us and check us in. *CHIRP * CHIRP * No one came to greet or welcome us. About four minutes passed and we waited patiently, despite one manager (Scott) and three wait staff passing us multiple times. Then next, the door opens and the next couple of guests come in and the wait staff immediately greeted them and sat them in their seats. We continued to wait patiently. Three minutes later, the door opens again and another couple of guests come in and the wait staff immediately greeted them and sat them in their seats. I got a bit disturbed with the poor attitudes of the staff, so I went to the bar to talk to the waitress (Erin) who sat the other two parties and asked her politely to check us in. Here’s the conversation:
Me: Excuse me, ‘Mam. I’ve been waiting here to check in for my reservations and saw that two guests who arrived after me were immediately seated. Should I check in with you to let you know that we are here?
Erin: I guess you could. [Then, she turned her back to me and proceeded to walk away].
** Note: One observation at this point is that me and my guest were the only ones in the restaurant with black hair. You go figure out what I’m thinking at this point.
My assumption was confirmed when the restaurant manager, Scott, came to deliver our dishes to the table. For the two of us at our table, his introduction of the dishes were pretty rude, as he almost slid out dishes onto the table and only took 2 – 3 seconds to introduce the dishes — «Here is your flat iron steak order… here is your chicken dish.» I observed him deliver dishes to two other tables (again, guests did not have black hair like us) and he took approximately 15 seconds to introduce the dish, explain how it was prepared, and told the guests to enjoy their meals. We got none of that.
My appetizer was the Pingue cured meat and charcuterie plate, pickled veggies, mustard, toasts, $ 22. This dish was OUTSTANDING. It included 6+ types of cured meats (salami, hot salami, proschuitto, preserved duck confit, etc) and 5 types of pickled veggies (small pickles, pickled green beans, yellow peppers, etc). The dish was served with about 10 pieces of toast (actually dry sliced bread). My favorite thing in the dish was the preserved duck confit, which looked like seared ahi-​tuna slices, but had the texture of dried meat. Delicious!!! Grade: A.
For my main meal, I ordered the AAA grilled flatiron steak, mushroom and sweetbread ragout, Thornloe blue cheese gravy, $ 30. I was super excited to order this dish because it was a combination of several of my favorite ingredients. The dish was served with 6 – 7 beautiful cuts of flatiron steak. The meat was OVERSALTED, but cooked very well. The cooked spinach tasted like it was cooked in 4−5T of salt. The mushrooms and sweetbread ragout was a nice combination, but tasted like it was cooked in 6−7T of salt. Beautiful concept of a dish, poor execution. I ended up taking 4 – 5 bites of my meal and gave up on it. HORRIBLY SALTY. Grade: D-​.
The saving grace for this meal was our wonderful server, Lindsey. She was super friendly and treated us with respect. She was perhaps the only person in the restaurant with class and grace.
Service Grade from Lindsey: A+!
Service Grade from the manager, Scott: D-​.
Service Grade from the waitress Erin: F. (NASTY!)
Food Grade: D (great concept, poor execution; salty).
Overall Impression Grade: D–
The two of us spent close to $ 200 on our meal, and when we were leaving my colleague turned and said goodbye. Absolutely NO acknowledgement or gratitude from the manager Scott or his staff. We got a blank stare and silence. *CHIRP CHIRP* They looked like they were glad to have us exit their establishment.
Avoid ths restaurant because of it’s poorly executed food. RUN from this restaurant because the major attitude from Scott (Manager) and Erin (waitress).
Scott & Erin, sing with me: If you are unhappy in your jobs, clap your hands! CLAP CLAP!
You may not be treated well at this restaurant if you don’t fit their targeted consumer base (those with light hair).

How come there arent more reviews for this place? I guess Unilocal hasnt taken off in Ontario, Canada like it has in the US. I lived in Exeter for 7yrs and discovered THe Only about a year and a half before I moved back to Cali. I had 4 amazing meals there. In fact, my last meal in a restaurant in Ontario was here. So good. To me, this was the best restaurant in London. Every restaurant should strive to be as good. I still look at the menu sometimes and I dream about this chicken with Morel mushroom dish I had that was so amazingly good. These guys know food and the service is amazing too.

Foodies be warned, you will want to try everything on their ever evolving daily menu. It’s a shame my stomach only holds so much.
Fine casual dining at its finest this place delivers seasonal food that excites and makes me drive from Toronto just to enjoy. Well executed and clean it’s French and local influenced food. Try the classic french dishes they are fantastic. The duck took me back to Perigord. Seriously.