Reviews of Borealis Grille & Bar (Kitchener) (Winery)

Ciara

Great environment, friendly staff. Very good food. Fries were AMAZING.

Sarah

Always good food here. Not the fastest service though

Ben G

Trying to be fancy like the Keg. Food is way over priced and way too salty. Vegetables were under cooked. The fish and chips had 2x batter than fish (it looked like you were getting a big piece). Service was mediocre. Pan seared trout was dry. Won't be back.

James A

Amazing experience! Food was delicious and service was very friendly. We are a family of 5, and we felt welcomed!

Dan Scott

Borealis is our go-to date night spot - priding itself on a local menu that changes seasonally - the food and ambiance doesn't disappoint. We have hosted two large events (baptisms) at Borealis and I am always beyond impressed with their …

B Inthavong

Great food, excellent drink selection, amazing service and a really good atmosphere. One of our go to spots in KW or Guelph

Sorabh Mishra

Whenever we have gone to Borealis, the experience has truly been 5 stars. No matter what we select on the menu, it is always very well presented with excellent flavour and flare. Today, however, we ate from the Valentine's Day menu and found the salmon main to be sub par for what we expect when dining at Borealis. The fillet lacked creativity and flavour and the base was disappointing in both presentation and taste. My wife's bison main was superb. Appetizers and desserts were also very well done. Ambience and service were great, as usual. We will be back for sure but will avoid that salmon dish if we see it again. :) Four stars today.

Fernanda Jakeman

Well done! Great food. Friendly staff and beautiful presentation.

Matt Hills

I can’t say enough about the amazing experience my family and I had at Borealis. We were celebrating my moms birthday and were so lucky to have the famous Luigi take care of us for the evening! We decided to go with his recommendations of …

Julia Kaitlyn

Great food, fast service, our waiter Luigi was the best! Will definitely be coming back here.

Brent Cerqueira

Been a few times. Always enjoyed the food and the visit. Went tonight and it was different. We had Luigi as a server. He was awesome! …

Brennan Hill

Just enjoyed a delicious Mother’s Day brunch takeout from Borealis Kitchener. They haven’t disappointed me with any of the curb side orders during this trying time. Happy to support them. The Chef and staff have definitely got this figured out. Kudos to you!

Nancy Runge

Great food and drinks. Staff is super friendly and attentive.

carl cunningham

Had an awesome time here on Friday evening. Food & drinks were spot on and our server Connie was super friendly.

Matthew Patten

This is some of the best local food you can get!! This is a place me and my family visit frequently throughout the year because of how good it is! One of the best parts about visiting Borealis is their server LUIGI! He is the funniest and most dedicated server I have ever met, there is no one better in this world than Luigi. He will make your night and we always ask for him to serve us and you should to on your next visit, trust me it will be worth it.

Israel Cefrin

Very nice centry place atmosphere. Food was good, not exceptional...which is fine. Fairly limited menu, but based on what they advertise...fresh local cuisine...it covers the bases. Great service and a lovely experience. I'd like to go again in the summer.

Adam Zmudzinski

Excellent, as always. Wonderful wait staff. My wife highly recommends the Short Rib Linguini w/blue cheese sauce.

Morven Bellinger

The servers were all really nice and we had a great time. The food was great and the portions were big. The drinks menu also had some unique options that made getting one actually worth it. They have some great vegetarian options too and I liked that I could add tofu to my meal. Fries were also on another level

Miranda Fox Porter

Food was not hot. Brie cheese was cold when delivered in both brie apps we rec'd. Server must have been on break and food sat on counter for too long before serving. Last 2 visits were downhill from past great experiences. Still good atmosphere

Ron Wright

The food was delicious, the service delightful and the environment super inviting, clean and full of positive energy!

Brittany Colley

Borealis has delicious food that is always fresh and never disappoints. I love the atmosphere and service, and they are doing a great job of keeping guests safe with their COVID protocols. This weekend we visited for lunch and had an awesome server named Luigi. Thanks so much for the great food and service, will definitely be back again soon!

Candace Raymond

Amazing experience. The food was great, very tasty, but our server, Luigi made the night! Will 100% go back!

Able Android

Luigi is always so much fun when we get him. Totally enjoyed our meal as well. Keep it up!

L. L.

Meal type

Jacqueline kobow

The food was excellent we highly recommend the salt and pepper chicken wings, do not order the caesar salad, the veggie tacos were also excellent and the burgers are cooked perfectly, i would definitely come back here again.

Mark Peters

Had an absolutely wonderful time here. This location has amazing prices, delicious food, and a great atmosphere for dining. My server Ernesto was AMAZING and extremely kind and friendly providing great recommendations as well.

Sandi House

I really want to enjoy this place. The concept is so aligned to how I would like to eat however the food was just so salty the last time I went and the couple of other times just not as flavor filled as I would expect for the standard and quality of the ingredients. Many who I have joined for meals speak the same. I do enjoy the kombucha cocktails.

william mcknight

Had the short rib fettuccine with blue cheese and mushrooms. It was tasty but the short ribs were almost non existent. May have been a good thing since I barely made it home with stomach cramps and you can imagine what else. I understand this can happen. Have been happy enough with the food before this. I have to say we had a lovely waitress who was fun, chatty and attentive. Our reservation was at 2 on the patio. My friend had the same dish and so far she is fine. Had cereal for breakfast so I know it wasn't that.

Tayler Morrison

Recently ordered takeout for the first time here as I was driving by Kitchener and saw such a high rating I figured it was worth the stop. At first I was slightly disappointed at the portions, but figured it wasn't a big deal if the food tasted as good as I thought. However to my surprise, when midway through eating my meal, I found a piece of plastic. Looks like some part of my meal was straight from a plastic package. What happened to their slogan focused on fresh, local meals? Overall highly disappointed, and would never go back to this place.

Lindsay Leigh

Nice atmosphere. Service was good. Food not as good as I've had in the past. And wine was room temperature. Have had better experiences and generally good. I like that they support local farmers and will return.

Akumagba Irene

I visited yesterday and it was such a lovely experience. I don't know what I love more, how the place is setup or the dessert. The server and the person at the front desk were absolutely lovely people. I did have to book a reservation and you need to show your proof of vaccination and ID. It's actually fancy looking to an extent but the price of the food here was okay. I had the steak and then we shared the White Chocolate Mousse. The cocktail we had was good as well.

Martin Kunze

Fantastic service! We hosted a function in their private space and the service was above and beyond expectations. Kirsten was extremely helpful in planning the event. Tiffany was a wonderful server. Very warm and personable staff.

Mike Lopez

Very good meal. Cornish hen. My wife had Salmon.

Helmi Ansari

Service and food was excellent, I leveraged the Open Table App to make Reservations, was very easy and simple. I really liked the option for indoor or outdoor seating on the Reservation app. The server was very attentive and friendly. Food was very flavourful, seasoned. I would definitely return. The chocolate bar dessert is three triangle chocolate tortes, very delicious.

Quintessential Energy Focus - Tina BQ Tran

Ensure you get reservation. Seated quickly. There was a large wedding going on innother room, so staff a bit distracted and food delayed. Manager came, and made right. Food was good, drinks very good. Would return.

Angela Bortolus Longo

Good food, prompt service, and strict observance of COVID protocols. They do check to make sure you have your full COVID vaccines, so bring your proof of vaccinations. The fried chicken and blackened chicken antijitos were my personal favorites.

Todd O’Donnell

Honestly the best meal I've ever had at a restaurant. The dessert was to die for. My boyfriend and I went for date night great deal! The service was impeccable, the staff super friendly. Very well set up for social distancing. All round amazing experience.

Karin Lorento

This location has a different feel from the Guelph one bit is still worth the visit. The food was excellent and the ambiance was good. The general location is very surreal as well. There has been a lot of development in the area and it has a cozy feel to it. I would go back without hesitation.

Hasan Riaz

Service

Karen O'Donoghue

Always fresh and delicious. The fried chicken is always fantastic. Service top notch.

Brynn McIntyre

Loved it, amazing service. Totally catered to our large gluten free and Halal group. Thank you Luigi and Chef

Erik Gray

This place is straight up amazing. Totally reasonable price for what your getting. They serve legitimately local produce and do not fail to have some interesting flavors. I don't like to give 5 star reviews, but this is easily my favorite restaurant in the region. The food served here rivals the Cambridge mill, staff is very genuine and friendly. Atmosphere is incredible and very clean. It's actually really hard for me to criticize this place, I'm seriously impressed. Get out there and support your local businesses! F$#k covid!

David Schooley

Went for early dinner/late lunch empty restaurant, yet they seated me in an area where multiple employees passed by bringing up tables and chairs from downstairs for most of the time I was at the restaurant. I ordered the fried chicken, it came burnt, the skin was blackened and had a burnt taste. I was hoping it was just the skin but it wasn't, it was burnt tasting right through.

Topher Ellis

The food is good but what is most enjoyable would be the atmosphere and the craft beers. My wife loves the cocktails that they offer which is always a bonus.

sam Kunuram

Good food and pleasant service. Reasonable pricing. It did take 50 mins for us to get our food which was a bit crazy considering they weren't overly busy. Would go again if in town.

Jeffrey Ng

Service was great. Food isn't special. I ordered the shirt ribs.. not something that I would suggest for anyone here. Not tender. Not soft. Full of gristle. Dessert was two spoonfuls. No value there.

Ben Holmes

Dinner

Okterfdcser Pokfeczser

Best potato chive soup I have ever had! Arugula and quinoa salad was delish as well!

Kim Richter

Great service and food, consistent and delicious everytime

Barb Kirk

Such a wonderful meal, and great service. A totally worth it stop

Karen Oliveira

Amazing, friendly service without being intrusive or annoying, decent beer selection, lots of local options and vegetarian options. Nachos were sooooo good, and a huge serving. Tried a friend's burger and fries, which were also great

Michelle Bellamy

Great service. Good selection. Will def be back

Blade Groleau

The food is always excellent, as is the service. You can't go wrong with anything off the menu!

Patrick Rodriguez

This spot used to be mine and my fiancé’s favourite restaurant. We haven’t eaten here in over a year due to Covid so we were excited to get out again. We found the selections were not as impressive and the portions were much smaller. I ordered the braised short ribs and half of my already small piece of meat was fat accompanied by 4 small potatoes. Most of my meal consisted of the bed of rapini. I left hungry still. For a $30 dish, I thought the portions would be bigger and the quality of meat better. The last time we ate here, they had a much bigger menu with great quality options like PEI mussels and elk. The service however was great, we had a great server so we don’t want to takeaway from that part of the experience. I hope they bring back better options on their menu as we really used to enjoy this restaurant.

Tomas Guidolin

Took the boys out for lunch, not a single drop of alcohol we were told. Odd. Edited after reply from establishment. I could see lots that I would love to drink. That wasn't the issue. The server told me there was no alcohol in the establishment at the time. Won't be returning. Thanks.

Tracy Harding

Meal type

That Gurl

Dine in

Brock Besley

As always, food was great. Great atmosphere.

Mona Ben Aoun

Menu was disappointingly small and there was a shocking lack of vegetarian options. The quality of food at Borealis is used to be what I attribute to excellence and I was a little shocked at the quality. It was Meh. Honestly, I probably wouldn't choose to go back unless they release a fully updated menu.

Charlie Semple

Dine in

Tracey Tink

Lovely place and prices are decent. Services from our waitress Natasha was awesome. We came as a family and everybody liked the dishes we ordered (duck, elk, mac&cheese and veggies curry). Good portions. The BBQ chicken wings as appetizer was a different story though. They tasted like tomatoes sauce got dumped on steamed chicken wings.

Jon Marvin

If you're in Kitchener, skip over the Moose Winooski and go here instead!! Great detail is taken to sourcing and creating exceptional dishes made from completely local ingredients - even the bar list boasts Ontario's finest wines, beers and distillations. Friendly service, well-timed food, didn't feel rushed or like service was compromised for lunch. We will definitely be back!

Jennifer C

Service

Kevin Stemmler

Tiffany our server was absolutely amazing, she fulfilled our specialized order to perfection and ensured we had a wonderful guest experience. The kitchen made our food undeniably delicious and the managers did not hesitate at any request we had. Excellent atmosphere, food, and experience. We can not wait to return

Holly Ballard

The food is consistently amazing. The server we had was impressive in his knowledge of food preparation when determining a dairy allergy... delightfully so. Fish and chips would be a no go, since buttermilk chicken is also fried in the same oil. Grilled chicken sandwich no cheese.. dairy allergy noted ) Keto options ( beautiful burger no bun, and Cesaer no croutons, or cesaer salad with grilled pickerel.. ) The outdoor patio is covered and relaxing. Love supporting Local. Did I mention the food is incredible?

James R

Friendly warm service, cozy atmosphere. Twist on your standard upscale bar food..all locally sources food and drink. Definitely worth a try sometimes they offer 3 course meal dinner deals. Can be on the more expensive side for a full meal out with drinks.

Derek Martin

This one's tough. I want to like the Borealis but after having been there twice, I feel 3 stars is all I can give it. I like the idea of locally sourced food, though I am kinda curious as to how they define "local", because our waitress listed "places like BC" among the local sources. Does 3000km away really count as local? The first time my husband and I went there was in May 2016. My husband asked for the steak but they were out of steak, so he ordered the salmon instead. I don't remember what I had, but I do remember that neither of us were impressed with our choices. The second time we went was for my husband's birthday this year. This time they had steak. Unfortunately it was tough, thin and had way too much gristle. I had ordered a salad with arugula, roasted squash, dried cranberries and a honey vinaigrette with added striploin. The striploin was good but the salad itself was way too sweet. Even half the amount of cranberries would've still been too much. The dessert was good and since it was my husband's birthday, we received a 10$ gift certificate which was nice. However, since we were kinda let down by the food for a second time, we're not in a rush to redeem it.

Alyssa Brian

The baked ricota with caramelized onion is a must try.

Cliff Munro

Amazing food. Portions could be a bit larger. Taste was on point. Good craft beer selection, as well as cocktails. Great experience will return, but not with a big appetite.

Ross G

Nice warm atmosphere , not noisy and tables are nicely spread out

Sean Winter

Good food and friendly staff!

Rachel D

We have dined here on several occassions and have not been disappointed. On this occasion, we had the pleasure of being served by Luigi. He was exceptional. His attention to detail and his ensuring we had a positive experience at the restaurant has prompted me to write this review. It was a great time with friends and we enjoyed our meals thouroughly as well as shared some laughs with Luigi! Well done Borealis!

Breanna Ryder

Dinner

Kyla K

Really great food and phenomenal service. This place is top notch. A great place for a birthday party or other event with lots of friends.

malcolm horton

Dine in

T Drake

Hosted my annual team planning session today at Borealis. They let us in early just after 9am and had breakfast and coffee for us. Room in basement is gorgeous and ideal for a small team. Lunch was great but best of all was service from Heather throughout the day. Great thing is we are back tomorrow with my other office!

Terri-Ann Brent

I walked in and was greated by Neil, a fantastic asset to this restaurant, I felt welcomed as soon as I walked in the door.

Give Em Hell Bell

My husband and I have been wanting to try this place since it opened years ago. We finally got a chance to go and were beyond impressed. Heather our waitress was amazing, the food was exceptional, the ambiance was amazing and Heather and another gentleman staff member gave us a tour and spoke of the incredible history of the place. 10/10 would recommend

Joe M

Service

mark demmery

Always a good experience at Borealis in Kitchener. Chicken sandwich was great. Service was fast and friendly and I appreciate their effort to source local ingredients.