My boyfriend and I came here for our anniversary on Saturday night.
We originally had reservations at 8pm, but we moved it to 9pm. We called it in around 6:30 and they were very accomodating.
*Observations: Timing is everything. If you're coming from out of town and driving, parking is very tough in this neighborhood. Barberian's offers valet parking, BUT if you're there as people are leaving AND park after 9pm, you just might find some FREE parking. Like I did. =D
We were seated quickly in a corner of the restaurant at "Barb's Table". At first, it spooked me, but then I thought it was pretty cool. The owner's table! What up! They brought out garlic bread and an assortment of veggies (carrots, celery, pickles). The bread was hot and buttery. So tasty (and oily). It definitely held us over till our appetizer arrived.
Appetizer:
Coquilles Saint Jacques: Scallops baked in mashed potatoes and covered in cheese with a creamy dill sauce. Oh my goodness... It was delicious. Served in a shell-shaped dish, it was a little hard to handle since it kept rolling.
Entree:
What drew me to Barberian's as opposed to other steak houses was their "Chateaubriand for two". It's something of an anniversary tradition for us. Anyway...It was a great cut, but it lacked the tableside service "wow" factor. Served with grilled veggies, a sweet potato puree, baked potato (loaded to your liking), and bearnaise sauce.. and that was it. I definitely had high expectations, and it didn't help that my first bite was almost inedible with how hot and spicy the horseradish was. You've been warned!
Drinks:
While the wine list is the most extensive I've seen in Toronto, ordering just one glass still sets you back. Ordering a bottle... too baller for my budget. I ordered a coke instead & I got a small bottle. It was tiny!! And there were no refills because it came as a bottle.
Service:
We were a little confused at the beginning of the night. We were seated by one person. We'll call him "#1". Another person, #2, took our drink order. Another person, #3, came to our table a minute after our drinks were ordered to take our food order. We weren't ready, so person #2 came back a few minutes later. Person #2 brought the apps. Person #3 served the entree tableside. Then another person, #4, came by with horseradish & toppings for the baked potatoes. Then Person #3 got us refills of water and got me another coke (and actually brought be a Diet... wrong order...). At the end of the night #2 cleared our table and #3 gave us the check. Are you confused? Lol. Then, as we were paying the check, #3 struck up a quick conversation w/ my boyfriend about baseball and showed us his iPhone where he watching a baseball game. Really!? Maybe that explains the Diet Coke that ended up in front of me... All-in-all, they were attentive, but didn't seem very organized. It was getting late, so maybe people were just looking for things to do. Eh, idk.
My experience at Barberian's wasn't spectacular, but for an upscale steak house, they've got quality. It's not the most expensive house in town, but it's still on the pricey side.
Not sure I'll be back. There's a lot to explore in the city.