Lobby Lounge at Shangri-La, Toronto

Review summary

1. L

   Lisa

   VIP

   Toronto

   11 reviews

   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Excellent service. Presentation was absolutly amazing
   

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2. D

   Dianne

   VIP

   Toronto

   12 reviews

   5.0

   12 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Friendly staff and exquisite food. Festive setting and beautiful piano music too
   

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3. C

   Cindy

   VIP

   New York City

   39 reviews

   4.0

   39 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   The Nutcracker Tea is a lovely event for Christmas time. This is just a personal preference, but I prefer more savory and less sweets. It was a 50/50 ratio. Otherwise a lovely afternoon!
   

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4. L

   Lesley

   Toronto

   3 reviews

   1.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 1

   The overall set up needs to be improved. There is no obvious reservations desk designated to the Lobby Lounge. There needs to be separation created between the general public and the seating area for the afternoon teas. Random people on multiple occasions sat down at reserved tables or walked through the space. The food was also disappointing. The savoury was the best part. The scones were not what I know to be scones. The desserts, although creative and festive, were not very tasty. Overall, I feel someone should greet you as you enter for this experience and make the space more private/separate from others not attending the tea.
   

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5. K

   Kenzie

   Toronto

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 21 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Had a blast celebrating my birthday there. The staff really treated me nice!
   

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6. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Toronto

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on 21 December 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   Scones and other food items that should’ve been hot were room temperature (we ate them quickly). The chairs were decrepit and ripped.
   

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7. S

   Sarah

   Toronto

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 19 December 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Overall experience is just ok - service felt a bit slow but were attentive when they came to serve us. Food was also ok!
   

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8. V

   Viyada

   VIP

   Toronto

   11 reviews

   3.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on 14 December 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   When you book an afternoon high tea, you expect a quiet and relaxing environment. Unfortunately, it was quite loud as the setting is set in a lobby open to the public. Additionally, two teas on the menu were out of stock, including the signature Shangri-La tea . I understand supply chain issues, but it’s disappointing that preparations weren’t made well in advance like 8-9 months ahead, especially knowing high tea is offered during the holiday season. The savory treats could have been better. They lacked creativity—items like sausage rolls or chicken pot pie tasted quite basic, similar to what you might find at a grocery store. The scones, which should have been served warm, were not. However, the sweet pastries were excellent. Each dessert were impressive and creative , and the flavors were outstanding. The service was professional and pleasant, though the wait for a second serving of hot water was long. Overall, this experience was disappointing, especially considering the high price for high tea. Having experienced high tea at several hotels in Toronto and France, the quality here didn’t meet the same standards. I hope improvements are made in the future. Thank you for listening
   

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9. E

   Eleni

   VIP

   Toronto

   5 reviews

   1.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on 13 December 2024

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   Our experience was underwhelming at best. A friend and I do High Tea annually in December to celebrate our Birthdays. This year I discovered I have celiac, and sent a message via OpenTable to inform the venue. They replied that they’d be able to accommodate. However, I recieve a call 2 days before our reservations asking if we have dietary restrictions. I again informed them of my gluten free requirement, they informed me they only have a regular or vegan option - the vegan would be gluten free. This was confusing as I am allergic to gluten, not meat. Vegan and celiac are not the same. Not only that, the price was the same for an assortment of vegetables vs meat + gluten. While I try to be in understanding when folks aren’t aware of the allergy, this is a top global luxury hospitality company, I’m certain I’m not their first celiac client. I explained the situation to our waitress who was unsympathetic and assured me everything would look just as festive and taste just as good. This was wildly incorrect. While my friend had an adorable assortment of decadent pastries with a holiday theme for the shapes, mine were plain or in the shape of for eg. a banana!? Not only did they look odd, they tasted bland or terrible. The carrot tart was the size of a quarter and tasted like one puréed carrot on a cracker. The scones must have been made with rice, as their taste was unappetizing and their structure crumbled over. I could not eat them. The dessert consisted of one strawberry cut in very small pieces, covered with a teaspoon of yogurt, and put in a shot glass. It was quite honestly an embarrassment to luxury dining and hospitality at large, especially for a price > $100. Unfortunately, our service was no better. A general lack of empathy, attentiveness, and sold out of signature tea, again. Our tea water came luke warm, and another server had to help out as ours was MIA. Please do better. It is 2024, be inclusive, and prioritize customer experience.
   

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10. R

    Riti

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 13 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    We were there celebrating my mom’s 60th birthday and we had such a wonderful time! Thank you for hosting us! The food was so cute and so yummy!
    

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    Lobby Lounge at Shangri-La, TorontoResponded on 18 December 2024

    Dear Riti, Thank you for your 5-star rating and excellent feedback! We are truly grateful that you chose to join us for such a special occassion, it was our pleasure joining you in celebration of your mom's birthday. Your kind words have been shared with our teams as we are delighted to hear your praises. We look forward to creating more memorable experiences with you in the future, and welcome you back to The Shangri-La, Toronto very soon! Sincerely, Director of Restaurants & Bar
    

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