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| - Food is good - unique menu with some classic O&B flair but the service is awful. This restaurant is not inexpensive and the service was unlike anything we've ever experienced at a high-end restaurant. We were forewarned by friends who had a similar experience - they said "the food is great but service is horrid, we won't return unless someone else is paying for it." We had dinner at Lena last Saturday evening. We had a 7:45 reservation for 3. When we were greeted by the hostess, she barely spoke and didn't offer to take our coats, we asked if we could check them. She seated us at a cocktail table beside the bar. The table was cramped and the restaurant was less than half full so we asked if it would be possible to move to a proper table. The server obliged. When the server took our drink order, we ordered a few appetizers while we perused the entrees. Two of the four appetizers were delivered in a reasonable time. Two were missing. The server said they would be back with the other two. After 10 minutes the server asked if we'd like additional drinks, we ordered another cocktail and asked about the other appetizers. After a few minutes she returned to the table, apologizing, saying the appetizers would be out momentarily and we would not be charged. She forgot the cocktail we ordered. Another server brought the second set of appetizers to our table - one we had ordered and one we hadn't. We pointed this out to the server. They left and returned with the correct appetizer. Our entrees arrived a few minutes after the appetizers were served. Still no cocktail. The server asked if he could remove our appetizer plate that was clearly not finished. The server mixed up our entrees and gave the rare steak to the wrong person. Not a biggy - easy to switch - but again, not what you expect from a $400 meal. When we left, we approached the hostess station - she hardly acknowledged us. We held out our coat check token and a young lady asked if she could get our coats. We asked the hostess if that was the manager, she indicated it was. The manager returned with our coats - she was pleasant but said nothing, didn't enquire about our meal.
Regarding the food...we ordered the salt cod fritters, charred rapini, shrimp and empanadas for apps. Strip loins and organic chicken for entrees. The steaks were prepared beautifully. The chicken was delicious but had too much sauce - it was smothered. The appetizers were delicious. I loved the empanadas.
The food is well prepared, of fine quality and delicious. However, there are plenty of fine restaurants in Toronto that offer better service.
The staff are all quite young and obviously inexperienced or unaware of the level of service expected in high end restaurants. We get better service at the Keg. We can't see this restaurant lasting if they don't address the service. Unlike our friends, we won't return regardless of who's paying.
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