We regrettably recently dined at Restaurant School in Toronto, and unfortunately, the experience fell short of expectations. My partner had talked this spot up for weeks, we go for brunch almost every Saturday and Sunday in the city, either as a couple or with friends.

Reservation and Seating
Upon arrival, we had a reservation and were seated in the back room, where the sun was intensely beating down on my partner. We politely requested a seat change, but the server curtly replied, “no, we don’t have any space to move you, other reservations coming in,” without checking with the host. **at this point there were several 4 top and two top tables open a swap could have been made. This left us feeling dismissed. Eventually, the host offered to move us to another table, which we appreciated, but it turned out to be unbalanced. Despite attempts to stabilize it with napkins, we ultimately gave up.

Service
Service was notably slow. After ordering, I waited about ten minutes for the server to confirm our choices, which were not initially written down. We arrived at 11:22 AM, but our food didn’t arrive until 12:18 PM. By this point, I was ready to leave, but my partner, who had fond memories of this place, assured me the food would redeem the experience.

Food Quality
Regrettably, the food did not live up to those memories. I ordered a breakfast poutine, which arrived in a lukewarm mushroom gravy. The potatoes had an unappetizing texture, resembling a soft mushy puck rather than crispy, satisfying bites. While the egg on top was hot, the rest of the dish was a disappointing mix of room temperature and cold components.

Overall Experience
Throughout the meal, we experienced a lack of follow-up from the staff. It took far too long for anyone to check in on us (more than half done our plates) after our food was served.

In the end, we finished our meal out of necessity, we were hungry, as we had planned a busy day ahead. My partner paid the bill and left a tip, but both of us felt disheartened and resolved not to return. The combination of poor service, unbalanced seating, and subpar food made for a regrettable dining experience.

Final Thoughts
While the ambiance and potential of Restaurant School are appealing, the execution on the day of our visit left much to be desired. It's unfortunate, as we were looking forward to a lovely meal.

We regrettably recently dined at Restaurant School in Toronto, and unfortunately, the experience fell short of expectations. My partner had talked this spot up for weeks, we go for brunch almost every Saturday and Sunday in the city, either as a couple or with friends.

Reservation and Seating
Upon arrival, we had a reservation and were seated in the back room, where the sun was intensely beating down on my partner. We politely requested a seat change, but the server curtly replied, “no, we don’t have any space to move you, either reservations coming in,” without checking with the host. This left us feeling dismissed. Eventually, the host offered to move us to another table, which we appreciated, but it turned out to be unbalanced. Despite attempts to stabilize it with napkins, we ultimately gave up.

Service
Service was notably slow. After ordering, I waited about ten minutes for the server to confirm our choices, which were not initially written down. We arrived at 11:22 AM, but our food didn’t arrive until 12:18 PM. By this point, I was ready to leave, but my partner, who had fond memories of this place, assured me the food would redeem the experience.

Food Quality
Regrettably, the food did not live up to those memories. I ordered a breakfast poutine, which arrived in a lukewarm mushroom gravy. The potatoes had an unappetizing texture, resembling a soft mushy puck rather than crispy, satisfying bites. While the egg on top was hot, the rest of the dish was a disappointing mix of room temperature and cold components.

Overall Experience
Throughout the meal, we experienced a lack of follow-up from the staff. It took far too long for anyone to check in on us (more than half done our plates) after our food was served.

In the end, we finished our meal out of necessity, we were hungry, as we had planned a busy day ahead. My partner paid the bill and left a tip, but both of us felt disheartened and resolved not to return. The combination of poor service, unbalanced seating, and subpar food made for a regrettable dining experience.

Final Thoughts
While the ambiance and potential of Restaurant School are appealing, the execution on the day of our visit left much to be desired. It's unfortunate, as we were looking forward to a lovely meal.

My good friend and I went out for my birthday brunch at School, a restaurant I’ve visited in the past and previously had a great experience with. Unfortunately, this visit was rather lackluster.

To begin with, we had to wait nearly fifteen minutes past our reservation time to be seated. The staff appeared to be moving at a leisurely pace, despite several available tables that simply needed to be cleared. For a restaurant known for its brunch, the menu felt surprisingly limited.

I ordered the fried chicken and waffles, which, to my disappointment, were nothing spectacular. The use of honey instead of maple syrup was an odd choice and didn’t quite complement the dish. On a brighter note, the blood orange juice was refreshing, and I did manage to sample a bit of the kale salad, which was quite nice.

Overall, this experience fell short of expectations. While my previous visit left me impressed, this one did not. In all honesty, I’m not sure I would return.

School Restaurant has such a unique and creative layout — it really lives up to its name in the best way possible. The atmosphere is fun and a bit nostalgic, but still classy enough for a night out. The food is great — everything tastes fresh and thoughtfully made. The service was friendly and attentive, which made the whole experience even better. Definitely a great spot for a date

THE POUTINE!!! was hands down the best, but almost equally enjoyed the Krispy French toast. The latte I had also delicious!

There was paid parking across the street. Loved the laid-back atmosphere.

First time here and expectations were met and blown away.
The environment, the staff and of course the food surpassed my thoughts.

The hosts/serving staff get the first nod of approval for their quick service, accomodating nature and their great vibe. Thx for that
The open air atmosphere caters to a patron desiring a seaside cafe. The weather for october is out of this world and being seated in this alive atmosphere was second to none...love the buzz!
Last but not least, the chefs...my oh my. The chefs' attn to detail, the flavours brought out in each dish were spectacular; and for this we were most appreciative🫡
Continue knocking it out of the park SCHOOL team...ill be back when im skipping
To those who haven't been, go.

School hs a seriously hipster eclectic decor and a menu to match but it's uncommonly good. Expect a line up. It's my daughter's favourite and it was her birthday, otherwise I wouldn't choose a breakfast place so over the top. Undeniably the food is great though. My fruit pancakes are the best I can think of anywhere ever. My daughter has the cheesy toast with bacon and I steal a bite because it too is exceptional.

We went for brunch. The service was excellent and we were able to stay longer as our friends were running late. However the burger I ordered was one of the worst I have had. My friend’s fries were oversalted. I asked for a salad which again had zero taste.. how do you spoil a green salad? The 3 stars are for the service and ambiance. Food is zero stars.

Excellent service and food! I arrived here on a Thursday around 5pm solo and was shocked that it was empty (so I initially thought it was closed) but they were open. Service was quick and the food was amazing. Best chicken and waffles that I’ve had outside of the USA!

My daughter raves about this place and I finally joined her and wasn’t disappointed. Everything was fantastic and the service first class. I had the flapjacks and she the cheesy French toast. Perfection! Expect lineups for a place this good.