Rock Garden Bistro @ Royal Botanical Gardens

Name: Rock Garden Bistro @ Royal Botanical Gardens
Address: 1185 York Blvd, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L0R 2H9
Telephone: (905) 527-1158 ext. 336
Price range: CAN$31 to CAN$50
Rating: 4.3

4.3

481 Reviews

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Bistro

Make a booking

2 people

22 Dec 2024

7:00 pm

Booked 4 times today

Experiences are available.

Great for scenic views
Great for outdoor dining
Charming

Situated at the historic David Braley and Nancy Gordon Rock Garden, RBG’s newest restaurant features an eclectic menu that boasts fresh, locally sourced ingredients, many picked straight from our gardens! The Bistro’s outdoor patio provides an inspiring bird’s-eye view of the garden’s rejuvenated lower bowl, a perfect spot to relax.
As seasons change, kitchen staff work closely with RBG gardeners to incorporate home-grown ingredients into your garden-to-table culinary experience.

**We currently do not accept reservations for our patio, the patio is on a first come, first served basis.**

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
CAN$31 to CAN$50
Cuisines
Bistro
Hours of Operation
Thu–Sat 11:00 am–5:00 pm Brunch Sun 11:00 am–5:00 pm
Phone number
(905) 527-1158 ext. 336
Website
https://www.rbg.ca/dining/rock-garden-bistro/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
David Favretto

Location
1185 York Blvd, Hamilton, ON L0R 2H9
Area
Hamilton
Parking details
Public Parking
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

All Day Brunch
Multiple dates available
The Rock Garden Bistro will be serving our Brunch menu from 11am-5pm, exclusively.

Popular dishes

French Onion SoupCAD 16.00
Spanish onions, prosciutto, chicken & beef broth, crostini, gruyère cheese
Pickerel CakeCAD 17.00
Remoulade | Slaw
Mediterranean PlatterCAD 16.00
hummus, crostini, pita, marinated olives, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, fried chickpeas
Cheese PlateCAD 23.00
gorgonzola, brie, gruyère, crostini, seasonal compote, berries
MusselsCAD 19.00
White Wine | Bechamel | Herbs de Provence | Grilled Bread

Lighter Side

Chef's Daily FrittataCAD 16.00
Chicken WaldorfCAD 22.00
grapes, apple, fennel, celery, walnut, frisée
Beet SaladCAD 18.00
roasted golden beets, pickled baby beets, whipped goat cheese, arugula, walnut, beet chips
Rock SaladCAD 15.00
baby greens, cherry tomato, cucumber, heirloom carrot, radish
Green Eggs & ToastCAD 17.00
sweet pea purée, two soft poached eggs, grilled country bread, pickled honey mushroom, rock salad
Grilled CheeseCAD 18.00
house-made focaccia, tomato jam, rock salad

Entree

Ahi Watermelon Garden BowlCAD 19.00
marinated watermelon, brown rice, cucumber, pickled apple, walnut, carrot, pickled chili, edamame, sesame seeds
Croque MonsieurCAD 23.00
ham, gruyère, béchamel, brioche, rock salad
French Beef DipCAD 25.00
shaved brisket, baguette, provolone, sautéed mushrooms, balsamic onions, jus, kettle chips
Rainbow TroutCAD 27.00
Pomme Anna | Roasted Broccolini | Caramelized Lemon Butter
Linguini FrescaCAD 23.00
linguini, zucchini noodles, pesto, blistered cherry tomatoes, white wine, grana padano
Maple Dijon ChickenCAD 28.00
7oz chicken supreme, lentil salad, beet gel, maple dijon glaze
Steak FritesCAD 34.00
6oz California-cut striploin, frites, sautéed mushroom, chimichurri

Dessert

Sticky Toffee PuddingCAD 12.00
Dolche Del Leche
Lime StrudelCAD 12.00
Strawberry Rhubarb CharlotteCAD 13.00
strawberry rhubarb syrup, lemon poppyseed pound cake, coconut whipped cream

What 481 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.3

4.3 based on recent ratings

4.3Food
4.5Service
4.3Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Southern Ontario
Great for brunch
Southern Ontario
Healthy
Southern Ontario
Great for outdoor dining
Southern Ontario
Great for scenic views

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Rock Garden Bistro at Royal Botanical Gardens offers a "lovely setting" and "delicious food" with stunning views of the gardens. Patrons enjoy "excellent service," though some note occasional slow service due to new systems. The patio is a highlight, and the "creative menu" features quality ingredients. Ideal for special occasions.

481 Reviews

d
dorothe
Orlando
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Had it been warmer we’d have enjoyed it even more… just 2-5 degrees! Jimmy was a good server and cuisine was excellent!
Is this helpful?
C
Claudia
Toronto
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on 1 December 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
A perfect place for Sunday Bruch with friend. Not too loud, so you can actually have a conversation. As you are in nature, a beautiful setting. Service was friendly. Consider taking a stroll through the gardens. We even saw the holiday train exhibit.
Is this helpful?
D
Dalia
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 30 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The Rock Garden Bistro at the Royal Botanical Gardens is open from 11 to 5 from Thursday to Sunday, November to March. If you are a member, receive 10% off food. Food is well prepared and locally sourced. I’ve been a member with the RBG for over a decade. It is a nature lovers dream to dine beside the upper level of the rock garden and view the gardens in the summer and the lovely foliage in late. One pays a bit more for the food, but quality and service is first class.
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T
Teresa
VIP
Toronto
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on 28 November 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Good great as always Service this time surprisingly slow
Is this helpful?
R
Randy
San Francisco
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 28 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food was very good. The menu items where upscale and had a great presentation. Server was very pleasant and helpful. Great place if you want to get away from the out of the box type of food. Menu offered a good variety. 6 of us at the table and everyone love the food
Is this helpful?
N
Nathan
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 27 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I always enjoy eating at the RBG Rock Garden Bistro. One thing that make dining there so enjoyable are the waiters and waitresses. They are friendly and attentive to their work. I'm a Royal Botanical Garden member so the food is of good value. And of course the ambience of the RBG Rock Garden is outstanding.
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I
Ian
Phoenix
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 26 October 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Lovely desserts which were quite unique. Nice selection of teas and wines. The light flowing into the room is such a joy.
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P
Penelope
Toronto
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on 13 October 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We went for the all-day Sunday brunch over Thanksgiving weekend and the food was delicious. The servers were excellent. It was surprisingly quiet that day but a dreary rainy day so that may have kept people away. We did walk through the gardens with umbrellas. The highlight was the train exhibit. Will go back on a brighter day when the gardens are in full bloom. Overall, I would recommend.
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J
Julia
Toronto
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on 12 October 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent service, and the surrounding rock garden is beautiful. But the food was disappointing. I ordered the trout and my husband got the brisket sandwich. Both were quite bland, and because of that, we felt overpriced. We won't go to the bistro to eat again, but we'll definitely be back to the garden.
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C
CHERYL
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 6 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food and service in a beautiful setting. The staff were attentive and informative. Fresh foods and nicely presented.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Rock Garden Bistro @ Royal Botanical Gardens is rated 4.3 stars by 481 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

22 Dec 2024

7:00 pm

Booked 4 times today

Experiences are available.

Google Map for Rock Garden Bistro @ Royal Botanical Gardens

1185 York Blvd, Hamilton, ON L0R 2H9

Dining areas

Additional information

Area
Hamilton
Hours of Operation
Thu–Sat 11:00 am–5:00 pm Brunch Sun 11:00 am–5:00 pm
Price
CAN$31 to CAN$50
Cuisines
Bistro
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Public Parking
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
David Favretto
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.rbg.ca/dining/rock-garden-bistro/
Phone number
(905) 527-1158 ext. 336

Rock Garden Bistro @ Royal Botanical Gardens

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information

All Day Brunch

Rainbow Trout

Mussels

Lime Strudel

Appetizers

French Onion SoupCAD 16.00

Pickerel CakeCAD 17.00

Mediterranean PlatterCAD 16.00

Cheese PlateCAD 23.00

MusselsCAD 19.00

Lighter Side

Chef's Daily FrittataCAD 16.00

Chicken WaldorfCAD 22.00

Beet SaladCAD 18.00

Rock SaladCAD 15.00

Green Eggs & ToastCAD 17.00

Grilled CheeseCAD 18.00

Entree

Ahi Watermelon Garden BowlCAD 19.00

Croque MonsieurCAD 23.00

French Beef DipCAD 25.00

Rainbow TroutCAD 27.00

Linguini FrescaCAD 23.00

Maple Dijon ChickenCAD 28.00

Steak FritesCAD 34.00

Dessert

Sticky Toffee PuddingCAD 12.00

Lime StrudelCAD 12.00

Strawberry Rhubarb CharlotteCAD 13.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Rock Garden Bistro @ Royal Botanical Gardens restaurant rated?

Is Rock Garden Bistro @ Royal Botanical Gardens currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information