Rating des Ortes: 5 Queen Street West, Toronto, Canada
Made our reservation online through The website last minute for 4 people prime time on a Wednesday in June. We were celebrating my father in laws 70th and Father’s Day. From the moment we arrived to the time we left service was spot on. They were able to accommodate us upstairs in the terrace, and it sure made it feel much more special. Wine was reasonably priced not crazy over priced. We started with splitting muscles and they were spot on. Excellent size portion, and the flavour was incredible. I ordered the halibut, and was not disappointed. It was perfectly cooked, and seemed super fresh. They surprised the birthday boy with a free pana cota for desert. Really nice touch. We wanted to go some where that felt authentic not just like everywhere else and we found it. Cheers. Will be back for sure!
Benz P.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Vancouver, Canada
Great place to hang out if you like wine. Their wine list is great and flights are fun to try. The food was pretty good but the service was outstanding. For appetizers, the Humboldt Squid and Fresh Steamed Mussels were prepared well and were quite tasty. The Pickled Pineapple & Pork Belly dish could have been a bit more flavourful and we wished the veggies had been tossed with some sort of dressing. Our entrees included the Wild Local Salmon, Duck Confit, Game Hen, Halibut, and Smoked Sablefish Gnocchi. The Game Hen that I ordered had nice flavours and the portion size was generous. Worth noting though is how attentive and friendly the service was– the manager made frequent appearances to check in on guests and the waitstaff were top notch!
Barnali D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
This review is for post-dinner drinks on a Friday night. Chris the bartender is amazing, and he made us some amazing individually tailored cocktails! Great drinks, good music, and awesome vibe. We popped in here after dinner at Blue Water Café at the recommendation of our waitress(Nastasja) and were not disappointed! Chris is a skilled bartender and given a few key adjectives about one’s preferences, can concoct a personalized drink! I requested a «spicy, refreshing, and summery» drink, and got a rum-based cocktail that contained habanero bitters, coconut cream(I think), and ginger syrup. It was absolutely delicious! My husband loved his tailor made beverages as well. Chris is a great bartender, and also very personable and charming(and handsome, in full disclosure!). We had a great time sitting at the bar and having him take care of us. The bar itself is awesome. Exposed brick and air ducts provide a classy yet industrial look, and the music is cool too. The place was popular, but not too packed, which was a nice balance. Overall, an awesome place for a nightcap(or two!).
Margaret S. J.
Rating des Ortes: 5 White Rock, Canada
I was at Brix & Mortar for a wedding reception May 212016. It was an excellent venue and the food and staff were exceptional too — especially the barman, who was above and beyond anything I’ve encountered for a long time. Although very busy, he remembered my drink order(IPA) the second drink I went for — and there were more than a hundred attendees. Very pleasant and able employee. A lovely evening all told. Margaret S. Jackson
Steve L.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Vancouver, Canada
Brix and Mortar has an ambitious menu that fails to deliver. We had a selection of tapas that included a very salty selection of bread, salty Squid, and a salty pork belly dish that seemed dry and not really cut in a way to be easily served. For my main, I order the tagliatelle bolognese which was also kinda salty but also had way too much sauce to pasta ratio. I think it’s the first time I’ve said that about a pasta. It was relatively decent but, after all the salty dishes, I had to consume 2 litres of water to balance it out. On the plus side, the service was excellent, the ambience was warm and inviting, and, after giving some feedback to the owner(?) I felt genuine concern and appreciation… although, after reading other reviews regarding the salt levels, I’m not convinced they take action on any critiques. I’d also quip that the price point seems way to high for the quality of food. I think it reflects the location more than the menu. Yaletown ain’t cheap!
Jocelyn T.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Vancouver, Canada
Someone by the name of David H. from Brix and Mortar messaged me after I posted my last review. He said the last thing they want is to be perceived to be deceiving and offered me a gift card. Bad on my part for taking a while to respond, but it’s been 2 months since I responded and I still have not received the gift card. So much for not being deceiving…
Nora V.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Bethesda, MD
My friend and I enjoyed everything about this place. It is a nice upscale place in the middle of Yaletown/Vancouver. The service is outstanding. They have a good collection of local and international wines. We both ordered the special of the day: «Rockfish», it was a delicious grilled white fish with a vegetable and sausage stew. The highlight of our dinner was actually the side of Kimchi Rice that we ordered… it was the most AMAZING rice I have ever tried! I Totally recommend this place for a special occasion in this beautiful city.
Krista K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Vancouver, Canada
My partner and I decided to go to this restaurant because of the romantic décor and positive reviews. We were not disappointed at all! We requested to be seated in the courtyard area where is heated and fully covered — they mentally prepared us that there could be a influx in temperature because of the doors that open and heater above you. It was hot at times cause of the heaters directly above my head… oh well. they warned us! The moment we were greeted by the staff it was an amazing experience! They brought us complimentary champagne as it was our anniversary and a lot of staff came by to congratulate us. They had the common food selection but it was presented and cooked beautifully. I got the duck breast and unlike most places, it didn’t take like ham with too much syrup. Our server(Aaron) was very good about timing the food and making sure it was coming out at the pace we wanted. Our glasses were never empty and always topped off every time he came by. Highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who has not been! :)
Glorie B.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Richmond, Canada
I came with a couple of friends visiting from the States for dinner. We got seated at the patio because they were fully booked. Sorry I have to mention that their heater was extremely hot and unbearable. Unfortunately, they cannot adjust the temperature so I just had to deal with it. We all ordered the pickled pineapple with pork belly to start. A bit too spicy for my liking but it was pretty decent. We tried each other’s entrée, the duck breast and beef tenderloin were delicious but my salmon was overcooked. I thought the panna cotta will make up for everything but sadly, it didn’t. I don’t know, maybe I was just having a bad night but I was a bit disappointed. Overall, It’s still a good and cozy place to dine. Maybe next time I’ll try something else on their menu.
Tiana C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Coquitlam, Canada
A little bit more on the expensive side but 110% worth it. I would go back again. Got seated right away, waiter, Aaron, was fabulous. Waters were ALWAYS full. He was kind, curious, and informative. Very personable too. We had gone out for a ladies night and it was nice for a waiter to be so personable with us. The food was spectacular. We chose off the Dineout Vancouver menu, which at first I was worried about because I’m a picky eater but Brix passed all my expectations. Pork belly appetizer was phenomenal. Salmon entrée was to die for. I had to finish it! And for desert, the blueberry custard… no words. So good. I’m a waitress myself so I always look for perfection since I understand how serving works, I have no complaints for Brix and Mortar. The only thing that would have made the evening perfect is if we were sitting in the courtyard. But since it was full, the lower floor did just fine. Ambiance was still very nice. I also noticed that, when taking plates away and when bringing plates, the restaurant made a point to take care of the entire table at once. I didn’t have to wait for my food as my friend would awkwardly eat. Or let her food go cold. We ate all together. Really nice detail. Best qualities: food, service, ambiance.
Jenna L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Vancouver, Canada
Brix & Mortar’s ambience is truly breathtaking. It reminded me so much of Europe. There was a live singer playing the guitar. The walls filled with vines and the ceilings are incredibly high. It was romantic with candles lit on every dinner table. It makes an incredible place for a date. My partner and I came here for the dine out menu. I have to say, it wasn’t much of a deal like the other restaurants. $ 40/$ 48 depending on the menu. We tried both. Our meal was good but not great. I enjoyed it but nothing we had jumped out at us for us to come back for a future visit. Service wasn’t as attentive as we would expect from a higher end restaurant either. Took a while for the server to even come by and clear our plates for the next course.
Bruce B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Vancouver, Canada
Great food and fantastic service. I was running early and as it was quiet ended up chatting to the barman who was not only friendly and happy to chat about his art, but also incredibly knowledgeable about what he was serving; going so far as to fetch various bottles down so I could get the nose off of them as we discussed them. We ended up ordering from the Dine Out Vancouver menu that was on that night and whilst it was expensive, the presentation of the food along with the taste was top notch. I had ordered the lamb bacon salad for a starter followed by hanger steak(rare). Both were superb, especially the steak which was cooked to perfection. I was also able to try a few other dishes that my party had ordered and whilst I was happy with mine, I wouldn’t have been disappointed by anything on the menu that night. I’ll add that typically I’ve not been impressed by Dine Out menus in the past as they seem to be trying to meet a price point and volume at the expense of quality(fair enough, but still it often means I’ll write a place off for the future). My only criticism is one I would level at many restaurants in the city. I’m typically out for a meal with friends, I am there to talk to them, background music should be that, not something I have to talk over. Maybe I’m just getting old and cranky. However, I will definitely be going back again in the future.
Jessica C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Vancouver, Canada
Came here for my work xmas dinner and i love it here. We booked the whole place for our office and we had a live DJ in front of the bar area and after dinner, they moved some tables away near the door and we had a dance floor. The food was great. I ordered their crab cakes for appetizer, the beef tenderloin for main & at the end of the night there was a dessert buffet. Their beef tenderloin was very tender and juicy. The service was amazing, especially the bar tender. They really know what they are doing. I asked for a sweet & delicious drink and the bar tender made me this sweet strawberry alcohol drink. The interior was very dim which gave it a very relaxing ambiance. The interior was very rustic with the brick walls. It is a very romantic setting and its great for romantic dinners. I was told some people also held a wedding there too!
Cec C.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Greater Vancouver, Canada
Examine your bill closely. The place is very nice and beautiful. We were seated at the basement which is equally beautiful as upstairs. The food however was awful., especially considering the price. They were very salty. This was the comment of almost everyone. We had a mix of early 20s and over 50’s as guests and everybody was commenting the same about the food. The most annoying part is when they handed our bills. We all had separate bills. We were charged 18% gratuity and another 18% something service charge. Yes, you better watch your bills and examine them closely. When we inquired about it, the server said that they are shown twice but if we do the math, the amount is only taken once. So of course we did the math, and YES the service charge and the gratuity were added twice. Interestingly enough, the descriptions are different and amounts are slightly different too. So bottom line, they charged us 36% tip. The server then issued us an amended bills after much discussion and time proving to them that we were charged twice. When my sister was coming back from the washroom, she overheard the servers saying«they caught it». On top of that, they charged $ 2 per person for slicing the cake we brought even if someone did not have cake. I opted not to have a cake but my bill showed $ 2 charge. Overall, my experience at this restaurant deserves no stars at all. I will never come back.
Suzanne C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Richmond, Canada
Sitting in the courtyard. listening to live music and eating good food! What more can you ask for? Every Monday night they have live music! Everything from the appetizer to the dessert was delicious!
Hanson D.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Vancouver, Canada
Now, the service at our table was great. Food came within 15 minutes and waters were frequently topped up. What I didn’t like was how we were put in a corner of the restaurant after I had made a reservation and was told that the courtyard table(AKA the Homer Street Room) I had specifically requested would not be happening due to a birthday party. Normally I’d be okay with this, but I never received a call or an email from the restaurant about this change, so I did not get to relay this information to my friends who had been looking forward to sitting in the courtyard. I made my reservation two weeks ago where the man I spoke to said«Yeah, I can [put you in the Homer Street Room].» so I thought we were good to go. I felt like a jerk letting my friends down.
Jessica L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Vancouver, Canada
I had a small dinner with a couple of good friends for an early birthday celebration and my oh my, it’s been 3 years since I last visited Brix(and for another one of my birthdays in fact) and it did not disappoint. Everything from the service to the food to the ambiance, it was fantastic. I indicated on my OpenTable reservation that I’d prefer a table in the courtyard for 6 if possible and that I was celebrating a birthday, and although I know you can’t reserve the courtyard, we showed up to find that amazingly enough, we had a table for our size reserved and waiting for us right underneath the chandelier. Every drink and dish we had was magnificent so it would take too long to explain each one. Our unanimous favourite of the table was the cauliflower chickpea risotto actually, which was a huge surprise. I never order dishes without a protein so I was skeptical about how good it would taste but I would honestly order that dish everyday for a month and not get sick of it. My rockfish was delicious with the crab and the fantastic grits, so so SO good. My friends half hen was HUGE, twice the size of regular portions, yet it was still so juicy. And the mussels were a STEAL for $ 13 or $ 14. The portion was huge and 3 people shared each order and nicely filled up with that. The matchstick potatoes were sooooo tasty, reminding me of hickory sticks. And the house-made pancetta along with the very smokey and perfectly priced white wine broth, you will die and go to heaven. Our waiter, Colter was so attentive, extremely friendly and very knowledgeable. Needless to say, it remains one of my favourite in vancouver for a very high calibre meal without the price tag. If you haven’t tried, I definitely recommend coming here. You don’t know what you’re missing. After 3 years, it’s only gotten better and I didn’t know that was possible! Thanks Brix and your wonderful staff for making my birthday(MONTH, ha!) such a memorable one.
John C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Bothell, WA
Special birthday dinner, but we would eat here any day of the week! Attentive and friendly staff. Well run restaurant. Bartender is special. We had the silver salmon with a spicy red curry sauce and mango. Great balance of spice and flavor, not overwhelming the salmon. Great wine choices. Understand they have a 50% off bottle pricing on Monday’s. Now that is a plan!
Andy D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 North Vancouver, Canada
We were greeted by multiple people on arrival and shown to our table even though we were 20 minutes early… our waitress is so nice and took our order fast and waiting now for the albacore tuna and mussel appys!!! So the appys were awesome. the sauce on the mussels was amazing… the albacore tuna was very good with a tasty delightful salad of arugala, sprouts, radish and jalapeño. In a wonderful wine peanut sauce… The main course was very well done… by that I mean my 12 oz rib eye steak came perfectly rare… my wife had the same but medium rare and perfect… the syrah wine went perfect with the dinner… A wonderful experience on a very hot day in Vancouver…5 stars from us… Cheers #Brix.
Kait M.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Richmond, Canada
4 stars for the food. One star off for the service/experience. Came here as a party of 4 to celebrate a birthday. When I made the reservation online, I indicated the name of the birthday boy as most restaurants usually acknowledge the birthday during dessert. When we got to the restaurant we were escorted through the doors past the gorgeous courtyard and into the restaurant. We asked if we could sit in the courtyard but was told they were booked. Luckily we were seated right away. We had one server who first came around to take our drink orders. He really pushed the wine and cocktail menu on us way too much it was uncomfortable saying no. We had plans to go to a club after so we didn’t want to start drinking too early. It seemed like our waiter didn’t want to waste his time on us so another female server came by to take our orders. She again asked us for our drink orders and we had to politely decline. Dragonboy ordered the duck and I had the flat iron steak both from the features menu. We also ordered the pork belly and scallops to start with a side of fries. The food was amazing. The skin on the pork belly was so crispy and delicious, the scallop was huge and tender. My strip loin was cooked perfectly and was paired so nicely with the chorizo sausage. Dragonboy’s duck had a delicious maple glaze on top that was sweet yet complimented the duck so well. As soon as we were done our entrees, the server had brought us the bill without even asking us for dessert. We had to ask her to bring us the menus again. Just because we didn’t order drinks, doesn’t mean we’re cheap people — come on! For dessert, we shared the panna cotta. It was light and paired well with the cherries on top. The couple we were with also ordered a dessert. You’d think the restaurant would have at least written happy birthday on the plate. Or maybe it was my oversight and I should have said something. Nevertheless, it just shows the lack of attention to details which could have set this place apart. Overall a beautiful restaurant with amazing food. I understand it’s a wine bar but hey, it’s also a restaurant too. Don’t judge us just because we didn’t order drinks.
Carole P.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Grand Falls (Grand-Sault), Canada
Superbe! L’ambiance est extra, surtout lorsqu’on a une table à l’extérieur. Le service est extra et la nourriture excellente! Le tout à un prix raisonnable.