Peoples Eatery

What can I say about this place that stands out for me?
How about the words LET DOWN!
They pre set meal was lame, lacked flavours, variety and creativity. How many ways can you slice and pickle fish and make it interesting to your customers?!
We sat on the top floor so good luck getting a drink that didn’t take more than 20 min. If you wanted to go to the washroom you need to leave bread crumbs behind you to find your way way back from the basement.
The only positive here was the one staff member who was left to serve our group of 12, haul food up a «hill» and fetch drinks from down stairs.
Not my type of place. Skip what ever hype this place has and go to a place that can deliver satisfaction.

I ordered the «big healthy salad» through Über eats. It came to about $ 15 after tax and delivery. The food didn’t look ANYTHING like the picture. The picture showed a big heaping bowl of greens, and what I got was a tiny takeout paper box with soggy wet kale.

Great food, excellent cocktails! Very unique dishes, and thoughtful drink ingredients. Staff are excellent at helpful with all choices. What a gem on Spadina!

I ate here for a small party for a friend. The food was delicious, they even accommodated me with a wide variety of vegetarian options. Drinks were awesome and so was the service. Definitely going back!

The place is trendy and service is great. In terms of food, it is the popular tapa style. We ordered two platters and two appetizers. The dishes are Asian fusion combining Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean and Japanese. The taste was good, but not good enough to wow. The tofu was a bit over cooked outside. There are better places of similar style in town.

Awesome place to go to when u just want to have a couple of glass of wine or beer and snack on awesome flavour filled food. It’s a hip chilled place with awesome music just to lounge on and have a good time. It is a bit pricey… well it’s a tapas kind of place so it might be cheap looking at the menu but it comes in smaller amount and can add up. So just keep in mind to go to a good Chinese restaurant for dinner first if ur not willing to spend big bucks for drinks and snacks.

We really enjoy this place. It’s more of a restaurant where you can dine and have a conversation as opposed to its related counterpart, 416 Snack Bar, which is our go-​to spot for late-​night comfort tapas, cocktails, and extremely loud hip hop music.
This place is casual, dimly lit, with a good ambiance. We’ve only been on a weekday night and it’s always been perfectly occupied (busy enough to be happening but not too busy to wait to be seated). We haven’t been on a weekend and a reservation may be needed then.
The plates are not for the less adventurous eaters and are meant for sharing — each dish seemed ideal for 2 people. Our favourite was the Tagliatelle with crispy tongue and chanterelles. We loved the latkes with trout. We also liked the butter lamb croquettes.
I would highly recommend this place for a date or for 4 people. It looks like there’s a table at the front that seats 6 or 8 people. We’ll be back to try the rest of the menu.

My partner and I enjoyed a great dinner at Peoples Eatery. Our service was fantastic — every single recommendation our server gave was spot on from wine, to starters to the duck platter.
Our favourites included:
— butter chicken lamb croquets
— kibbeh
— crispy pork
— this might be sacrilege but my favourite part of the duck platter was the duck fried rice — scrumptious.
A long time fan of Chef Dustin Gallagher — I noticed that they even have a steak frites on the menu — could this be the famous one formally of Grace?! I think so. Tip — best steak I’ve ever had, now I know where to get it.
Also worth noting — great music! Loved the atmosphere. Its fun and refined without being stuffy and pretentious.

I made a reservation for a Friday night using tab. We decided to try the July 2015 tasting menu for $ 65 per person (for those who want wine pairings as well, it is an additional $ 35).
Food — All the dishes were fantastic. Some stand outs from this tasting menu include the liver pâté, the tuna sashimi and the dessert was amazing (a strawberry shortcake with compressed strawberries). Although each dish was tasty, I was surprised by the lack of Asian influence in the dishes for this tasting menu. Despite the higher prices, I feel that the quality of the tasting menu is worth the higher price.
Service — Great. Our waitress brought over extras for us to try during our dessert, including a dessert rose wine. I thought that was a nice touch to end the tasting menu.
Ambience — We were seated on the second floor, which feels less lively compared to the first floor. I would recommend asking to be seated on the main floor if you want more of the trendy/​lively atmosphere, especially on weekends.
I will definitely be coming back to People’s Eatery.

An awesome addition to Chinatown.
If you want evidence that the Spadina is evolving, People’s Eatery is proof served on a silver plater. This hip bar is unlike most of the restaurants that it calls neighbour.
Came here on the weekend and they had a DJ playing. The place was packed and it’s obvious why. The food was amazing. I tried the Thai chicken wings for $ 7. Got about 5 – 6 pieces of chicken. Each dish is meant to be shared with the table just like a traditional Chinese meal. Cocktails were also delicious and ran in at about $ 10 a drink. They also give lucky Chinese candy in lieu of mint candy when you get the bill at the end which is a nice touch.
The décor and atmosphere was a pleasant surprise. Great to hang out with friends or for a date. Music was on point and the real taper candles at each table was a nice touch.
The one knock against them was the slow service as it took awhile to get my drink (ordered food and drinks at the same time and the drink came just after the food). They are really nice though so it makes up for the speed.
As you leave the People’s Eatery at night, you step out back on to the quiet night street of Spadina and leave the music behind.

People’s eatery is one of those cool non Chinese restos popping up on Spadina Avenue
Came here for lunch on a Tuesday and was pleasantly surprise that they have a very affordable lunch special.
$ 15 for soup + sandwich +salad.
I was not a fan of the matzo ball soup. I found it to be too salty for my taste.
I did however really enjoy the chopped kale salad and the roasted beef sandwich that was served in a pretzel bun.
I like that they have their windows and doors wide open during the summer as It gives the illusion of eating at a patio.
The staff is nice and friendly.
Overall solid spot if you are looking for something other than Chinese in Chinatown.

An evening of good beats and vibes, inexplicably tainted by a passive aggressive female server (pale skin, long brown hair) who tragically thinks service is her job. Apparently, the People’s Eatery is a throwback to the Eastern Bloc, where the gatekeeper of provisions will mete out starvation and slow service as a punishment to anyone who dares ask for a menu of the unlisted things that is being describing too fast and unappetizingly. «Syrup with ice»? Ergh.
It is possible to get a 4.5% watery Chinese $ 5 bottle beer, or $ 13 cocktails. Bar skills looked promising, food looked great (as we were seated in front of a cook preparing salmon croquette with lots of care). But sadly, the service prevented us from finding out.
Good thing we had friends there with some provisions, and were willing to mitigate the hunger and thirst by sharing.

One of my best friends was recently celebrating an important milestone and they decided to go to People’s Eatery. It is definitely very hipster, which is fine with me as I frequent and enjoy a number of places on Ossington, even if I don’t fit the bill. This place takes hipsterism to a whole new level of arrogance.
It wasn’t that busy that midweek night. Our table was certainly the largest in the place. There was no mistaking that we were celebrating a special occasion because my friends had brought balloons. Throughout the night, the guest of honour’s drink kept on running out and we waited so long for the waiter to come around again that we went up to the bar on a number of occasions hoping for faster service. Nope. With three staff behind the bar, one on the computer, one polishing glasses and one obsessing over an espresso, all making eye contact with us but not acknowledging our presence, we waited… and waited. Eventually, I had a few words with the bartender and his face told me that he took great offense to me asking for slightly prompter service. He grudgingly poured our mixed drinks and inexplicably delayed our round of shots.
My friend is a chef at a top 20 Zagat rated Toronto restaurant in its cuisine. When I eat with him, I take his advice. That night we ordered oysters for our table of 10+ guests. He took one sniff of the oysters and didn’t eat one. Some other people had some but I didn’t join them. The wait staff didn’t even notice the majority of them went back and charged for them nonetheless.
If you enjoy high-​priced, mediocre food and drinks served at a pace that is convenient for the staff, this is your place. Or, if you know the secret hipster handshake, you may get better treatment.

Not really impressed with this place. I guess I was misinformed but I arrived thinking this was going to still be a relatively cheap eats kind of place, given the previous restaurant and it´s Spadina-​Dundas location.
The food was reallllly expensive, I could have eaten at Patria or Byblos for the same price. The portions were ridiculous. I ordered a sashimi salad for $ 14, and it literally came with 2 tiny tiny pinky-​finger sized pieces of sashimi on top of maybe half a cup of various greens. It blew my mind.
They also billed us incorrectly, we had ordered 4 orders of the chicken dish which was priced at $ 12, and on the bill they charged us $ 14 each. When I pointed it out, they mumbled something about how they had recently adjusted the price of that item.
Anyway the décor and ambiance are great but just don´t go here without knowing it´s going to cost a lot. We each had two dishes, so about $ 25 or $ 30 per person plus tax and tip, and I basically went home and had to make a second dinner afterwards.

The atmosphere is really cozy and intimate – this is a great place for a quiet dinner or a special date. The food is billed as small plates, but the portions are perfectly sized for a single diner (so nice to be served exactly as much as I want to eat!) The staff was accommodating when we added an extra person to our reservation, but they did mess up the bill and we had to flag them down to have them correct it. The menu is small, but I understand it changes regularly, so it would be interesting to visit in a few weeks and see what they’re serving.

A good first impression from the people who brought us Snack Bar.
The food was good as expected. I didn’t have a chance to try too many items, but the persimmon ‘salad’ with parmesan oil was a most refreshing in idea and taste. As with Snack Bar, the great staff definitely add to the experience.
The cocktails were also on point and I can always appreciate a bar with a pisco cocktail on the menu.
The venue was quite packed and very loud for a Sunday evening. Overall, a great place if you are looking for a happening place with good music. but maybe not the best for catching up with an old friend!

Came here with a few friends after a concert.
The décor is nice, cozy and the staff are lovely and quick to tend to you.
Our friend had a coupon for a «free snack» Our free snack was the latkos which are little cakes with trout to top. They were delicious!
We ordered a few more things off the menu including cow tongue sandwiches –with a pretzel bun and delicious mustard. I have never had tongue before and was slightly skeptical but would eat it again and again after this! So good.
I had the chardonnay which was so lovely and buttery.
We also had the sweet bun which was okay but I would definitely take the tongue sandwich over it.
There was a great vibe here that felt really chill even though the food was amazing. Not too often you find the best of both worlds. Chill atmosphere+amazing food. Win for me!

4.5 stars. We went for the October 2014 tasting menu upstairs. One word: amazing. Two words: perfect pairings. The dishes were a festive mingling of flavours across the spectrum of taste that flowed together naturally. Wait staff were friendly and very knowledgable. I’ve been raving about the meal and recommending it to friends ever since.
First course was a Sicilian salad paired with vermut negro — lovely pairing. I’ve been getting into bitters lately so this was a nice new taste for me. The salad was a beautiful balance of salty and sweet flavours, soft and crunchy textures. Vermut bitter was a real extension of the dish.
Second was miso scallop and Chardonnay. Presentation was fun — over a single serving hibachi (I’m sure there is another name for this but I don’t know what it is). Scallop, radish, eggplant. One piece of each. All very complimentary along with the dry sweetness if the Chardonnay.
Third course was corn bibimbap. Pairing was a wheat beer. Another fun dish! My first time trying this traditional Korean dish. The bowl exploded with flavour and was velvety soft and warm. Comfort food for a cold day.
Fourth was veal brisket and a gigondas. This dish was so rich and hearty. The brisket fell apart easily with the touch of my fork and melted slowly in my mouth. A light sauce accompanies the dish as well as a rich and creamy pave potato. And I’ve never met a gigondas I didn’t like and especially one paired with slow cooked meat.
Dessert was a sweet meillefeille coupled with a mixed cider and gingerbeer. A crisp finish to a decadent meal.
My favourite meals stick in my head forever and this meal is one more do those; very memorable. We’ll be back monthly to try everything this team of people puts together. Bravo!

Sounds like a place Dwayne «the Rock» Johnson may visit.
The people’s champ may go to feast a variety of snack foods. He may choose the delicious tso-​fu which was the best thing I had on the menu. In fact General Tso-​fu sounds like a great wrestling name who’s finishing move might be the «PETA pit» or something like that.
The char shiu boa (pork bun) and oysters also deserves honorable mention.
The sabich and panipuri were average.
The pineapple with coconut crème and lime was a finishing move more like Hogan’s lam leg drop as opposed to the electrifying people’s elbow.
They have a nice beer selection but none of the cocktails raised my eyebrow.
As for the staff, I found they had a Rock-​like arrogance although not nearly as annoying as other places. For example, after inquiring about beer choices off the menu I heard the bartender telling his co-​worker about the great new beer they got which he didn’t even mention to me. I could hear the voice of the rock in my head emphatically stating that «It doesn’t MATTER what beer you want!»
I’m stuck between 3 and 4 but will go four since the food in general was good and I’m intrigued by the set menu and some of the other items on the menu. I just hope next time they don’t act like a bunch of Jabronis.

I am impressed. And I am Chinese. I am not usually impressed with overly trendy spots but I know good food when I taste it and combined with the funky décor, it somehow works. Not to mention the good drinks. I was told that the drinks weren’t anything to write home about but I have to disagree. I think it was the best Dark & Stormy I’ve had in the city. And I had about 5 different ones that week.
Everything was a gourmet twist on Chinese food and dim sum. The tongue sandwich was so tasty that we had to order more. The twist on Peking Duck worked for us — everything from the five spice to the sauce to the Asian pear. I was sure that I wasn’t going to like the fish platter because I come from a city with probably the best sashimi in North America, but I really enjoyed the different flavours. Loved the seared mackerel.
Definitely bring a group and order everything!