Reviews of Shaw Cafe & Wine Bar (Coffee Shop)

Lilith Evans

Beautiful patio downtown Service, food and wine was delightful!

Akbar Butt

Our server was super kind and polite & the atmosphere is nice. The food was honestly terrible. Almost laughable. I got the falafel wrap & because I don't eat dairy couldn't have the red pepper sauce. The wrap only had falafel, onion and lettuce... It was also so small... Restaurants that don't cater to at least some plant based/vegan options are kind of out dated aren't they? It really isn't hard to make a veggie wrap that also still tastes good... My friends sent their mussels back because they were basically just empty shells and there was hardly any sauce served with them. All of the ramekin containers with condiments (ketchup, hot sauce, vinegar) weren't even a quarter of the way filled so we had to keep asking for more. It made me think the restaurant owners must be really cheap. The restrooms were also dirty. TOURIST TRAP. Go somewhere else for real food.

Rizwan Asad

A lovely location with one of the prettiest patios in the area. It can get quite busy during peak hours, but is often empty at other times (which may be the best time to go). The service is pleasant and quick. The food is good (not amazing), but stick to the basics - think of it as a pretty pub, and avoid anything you don’t think would be made well at any local pub. Pricing is fair for the portion size. ————————— For more food and travel, follow me on Instagram @yamisohungry

Mohammadreza Ektefa

Looks truly are deceiving. It is a beautiful restaurant and has been on my list for quite some time but I was quickly let down. Food options were limited and mediocre. Sangria mostly juice. The charcuterie board is far from presentable with prosciutto that was clearly going bad with a stale odour. I spoke with the waitress and she claimed it was fine even though it clearly was not. From my table I could hear her telling other staff members about the incident which was pretty uncomfortable for me.

Corinà Bleoca

Food has slipped a bit over the years. Cheese platter is served with tiny squares of average cheese. The compote accompanied with it was nice. Burger has dwindled also and for $18 a plate lacks taste and size. It's an ok option with a great patio but with more restaurants opening, I will choose another.

Emma

Meal type

J.C M.

Service

Tai Ho Shin

The food was mediocre, not bad but not exciting either. Vegan options are very limited so I just had a salad and some fries. Worth it for the scenery and the ambiance but the food is nothing special. The server was very nice though!

Kasia M

Absolutely gorgeous. My boyfriend and I popped by this weekend and the staff were so lovely and the food was yummy. Limited menu but with COVID thats to be expected. Was so happy with our time there!

Paul C

Was very underwhelmed. I ordered the Caesar Salad $14.95 plus extra chicken breast $6.95 extra...chicken was good but Caesar almost tasteless and grand total of 5 croutons and maybe a handful of bacon bits on the salad...not impressed. My 2 friends ordered the Broccoli Cheddar Quiche while tasty they felt for $18.95 was a little skimpy and the supposed salad that came with it was micro greens (weeds) but that was it no onion, tomato, cucumber...nothing nada very unappealing...while the ambience is nice this restaurant needs to step it up with what they're giving their customers...The Epicurean down the street was far superior in food selection and taste...price wise comparable...would not recommend unless you don't care what you're eating

Glen E. Grant

Last minute drop in for a quick bite and friendly chat found this Cafe a good choice. Terrace outdoor seating and menu and drinks service was snappy with a good selection of friendly note worthy selections. Fish and Chips special day and hence my meal choice which was delivered with a side. Upper terrace seating provided view of the Old Town street which added to the ambiance of the dinning. Prices are reasonable, service was stellar and finally tally easy on the wallet. A great choice for anyone.

Glenn White (Glenn White Real Estate)

Had a lovely late lunch here. A nice variety in the menu with many of the choices able.to be made gluten-free. The service was attentive and the good was good with a good portion at a fair price. I had the pene with added chicken, and my wife had the quishe. They have a nice wine list with lots of local choices. The upstairs patio is nice (if a little rundown). While we are, we enjoyed the view and listening to a woman who.played the cello on the boulevard below.

Lee Lee (LeeM)

Beautiful place, our waitress was polite and caring, but two others at front door were not! Food was ok, but overpriced. Would not go there again.

Charles Kaiser

We had a great server and enjoyed dinning outside. A few bees tried to ruin the meal but they stood no chance. The portions were relatively good and each of us felt what we each ate was in fact yummy

Barron Cedric Tan (Cedric T)

Lovely patio right by a little fountain and the statue of Shaw himself. Prettiest flowers in town. Friendly service and good food. Highly recommended!

Lina Di Giulio

Great lunch at the Shaw cafe. Friendly staff. The place is unique and cozy.

Ian Bradley

Mediocre. Don't get fooled by the beautiful facade. Prices were way too high for the quantity and quality of the food, as well as the service. Burgers contain the bare minimum (bread and steak, no cheese). Icing on the cake, the plate was disgusting.

Dee J

Located in Niagara on the Lake. Little further down the road but worth the walk. Staff was fairly young over all but all were attentive and working hard. I ordered fish and chips, I was happy with my order. This location has multiple floors, we went to the highest floor and did not experience a dip in service. Walking up the steps also smelt amazing! Also ordered a sangria, very good. I recommend this location

Danny Da Ponte

We went there for a late lunch. The hostess and the waitress were very nice and helpful. We ordered pear and chicken salad, quiche, a glass of wine and a beer. Everything was delicious. Niagara Blond was perfect, cold and crisp, exactly what I needed on a super hot day. We set by the B. Shaw fountain which was very romantic. The salad was a nice portion, but could have had a piece of naan or toast or some fancy bread to go with it. The quiche was fresh and very tasty. Would always go back when in NOTL.

Adina Diaconescu

Enjoying a nice meal after cycling the Niagara parkway. Patio seating, not super busy, friendly service. Ordered the pan seared salmon and braised lamb shank. Food tasted delicious. Not sure why the bad reviews on Yelp and here. Certainly more reasonably priced than another resto up the street that wanted $36 for a chicken breast entree.

Reem Karam

Service

Rob B

Dine in

Giacomo

First time visiting Niagara-on-the-lake and stumbled upon this great Cafe in the heart of the city. It's a wonderfully curated place with lots of flowers and a stunning outdoor patio. The servers are super friendly except the person who welcomes you once you wait to get seated (pretty snobby individual). The food is very tasty and fairly priced. This spot is very good for a date lunch or to sip a drink during the day. I'd go back should I end up visiting this location again.

PauCen

I rarely write bad reviews, but this restaurant’s food was truly awful. I should have known better than to order a cheese board at a random cafe, but for the price point, at least try to make it look like you didn’t cut up Black & Diamond cheese blocks from Loblaws served with Digestive cookies. My girlfriend ordered the penne pasta and, I kid you not, it tasted like the sauce was made out of straight mayo. She could barely eat it and she’s really not picky. I got the fish and chips. They were okay but super skimpy on the portion. The one thing going right for this place is the service. The waitress was very nice and the food arrived rather quickly. For a bill that was over 100 dollars you’d expect the food to be at least sub par. It wasn’t close to that. Don’t waste your money.

Janice C

Meal type

Michael Brosius

December 26, 2021. Time 1:40 pm. While I understand the many covid restrictions, I went in and asked the woman behind the counter for a washroom for our little 2 year old girl. It was urgent... we were denied and sent to a public washroom. Disgusting.

Eboni Harris

The customer service was excellent. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable, and very friendly. The food was excellent, hot and fresh and well seasoned. The mayo with the onion rings is a real stand out. The resturant reminds me of dining out in Paris. The style of the building and the vibe. Absolutely gorgeous and the flowers are just beautiful.

Cassandra Lemon

Dine in

Natasha Quinn

Quaint wine bar with nice food. Good service and the option to try local wines. Sit outside, on a pleasant day, and watch the world go by.

Alex Andrews

Brunch

Mia

Lunch

Helen G

Terrible service, tiny portions, sub par quality, very expensive. Don't be fooled by the nice patio. 15 dollars for a "Caesar salad" served on a HOT plate and 7 for a "large" plate of fries. Also, my glass had lipstick marks from a previous guest. Save yourself time and money - don't eat here!

Nigel Buck

prettiest patio ever! staff were so friendly and the food was amazing—the fish and chips were so good.

B Alg

We had the fish and chips, the quiche, mussels, and onion rings, and all the food was amazing! Seems they are really good at fried food. The service as also fantastic, and I definitely recommended this place whenever you're in the area!

Dana Goldberg

Stay away, NOT worth it at all and the staff is arrogant and rude. Came here for a few drinks and appetizers before an event. We arrived as a group of 6. We were informed that we had to sit separately as they only accepted groups of 4 due to the pandemic. We complied, and sat at a table of 4 and a table of 2. Despite having not moved the tables, we were VERY rudely asked to move the table right up against the window as we were “too close”. I let them know we hadn’t moved the table, but they insisted that we were obligated to move it a few inches away. Of note was that we were now closer to a table of folks we didn’t know than we were to our family members. You know, since that’s obviously much safer than being too close to fully vaccinated people who we drove here with. Then, they had the gall to include an automatic 18% gratuity since we were “a table of 6” despite the very mediocre service and poor treatment we were subjected to. I will never set foot in this restaurant again.

myla go

Had a great mid afternoon lunch. Staff was the perfect balance of attentive and friendly. Thanks folks!

Alexa FV

This is my second time at this place. I had an excellent experience the first time hence I decided to take my whole family this time, unfortunately the concierge lack warmth and enthusiasm. I requested if we could to be seated by the balcony, her reply was “there is no difference being seated here at the patio or at the balcony”, no greetings, no smile. Begrudgingly, she took us to where I requested to be seated. It took away a supposedly a pleasurable experience for my family. But Kudos to our server she did an excellent job!A very pleasant and polite lady!

Sook Chang

Wonderful place with great food. Beautiful seating outdoor! Ordered rose wine, fish and chips, quiche, mussels, and onion rings. Wine was fairly priced and not so sweet, which was good. Quiche was amazing. The fish and chips and onion rings were wonderful as well. Mussels were great as well. The vibe and the service was excellent. I would give 4.5 stars if I can as the washroom was not clean. In my opinion, this place would be good for young people and families as the serving size of food was very generous.

neelan dsouza

I'll start by saying it was Christmas Eve. I had fish and chips. The chips were dry and over cooked. The fish looked good but tasted terrible. I am sure the grease they used was old and rancid. The taste kept repeating for the rest of the day and night. I may of caught them on a bad day but I will never return

Marion Ryerson

We dined here the Saturday before Christmas during the pandemic. Our group of 5 were split up into a table of 3 and a table of 2 due to members of different households not being allowed to form a big group and share a table. Contact tracing was duly documented as well as the proper sanitization measures. I commend the kind of customer service we experienced during our time here. From the time we were received through the door, to the time we were placing orders, when we were eating, up until we were finished with our meals and are ready to leave, our whole meal time we were adequately attended to. I have no complains here. The food presentation and taste were fine. I specially enjoyed the sauce dip that came with the onion rings. What left a sour taste in my mouth, figuratively, was that the price of the meal orders were a little high compared to the food portions. I do understand that the food establishment is not just a restaurant, but also in equal parts seem to also specialize in drinks and wine. Theme of the place and the level of classiness they try to go for is also something to consider in the pricing of the food. What just does not sit well with me is seeing the number of staff they have which are on several occasions idle and not presently occupied then also seeing the limited menu and its associated high cost.