I had a really weird experience at Richmond Station.
Friends were in town for a company off-site so we stopped in here for cocktails and appetizers.
They did that thing where they made a big fuss about us arriving without a reservation in the middle of a weekday. The whole place was empty when we arrived. It was still empty when we left.
The food was fantastic. The cocktails were fantastic. The service was awful.
They seated us in the back and made it very clear that we had to leave soon because the table was reserved. Seemed fine at first, but it was a 4-top and we were in a sea of empty 4-tops, even when we left.
This is clearly a business dress sort of place. They were practically hyperventilating that my friend was wearing (gasp) shorts and we had t-shirts on. With visible tattoos. Cover the eyes of the children.
I defend Toronto as a start-up hub, but experiences like this prove me wrong. Don't bother if you're not wearing a tie or they might make you eat in the kitchen.