cafe belong

i was at cafe belong for an event. my server becky was amazing. she was detailed and on the ball. the food was decent, but a little over priced. my biggest issue was that i overheard the head chef swearing at the servers. i won't support a business that treats theirstaffthat way.

cafe belong was chosen for ourstafflunch for 25 people. from the start, with planning menu options, to accomodating requests and changes, to the room and set up, the really excellent food, very reasonable fixed menu price, and finally to the attentive and lovely service, the experience was outstanding. special thanks go to miguel, the dining manager, and all of the wait staff. very strong recommendation; i will definitely be back!

disappointed. had lunch at cafe belong for the first (and last) time today. was very disappointed! the waitstaffwas friendly, however, even though the restaurant was not busy, it took 50 minutes to get our lunch. the water was soup-warm and we had to ask for ice. my friend ordered a hamburger which was shrivelled and dry. menu has limited choices and food is overpriced.

worst customer service!. worst customer service! after a great visit to this restaurant for brunch, i chose to have my birthday celebration here. i ordered the hangar steak and found it extremely tough. i also did not enjoy seeing theirstaffeat in the back kitchen. i e-mailed cafe belong the next day to give them feedback. here is their offensive response:

the steak you ordered was a hanger steak (our menu changes a lot, more than most, and now we have a striploing and a ribeye) and while definitely not a tender cut, it is extremely flavourful (which is my priority as most guests have teeth and bland but tender meat is readily available all over town) and i'm sorry for two things there - one that the waiter didn't underline the cut of meat for you and explain the cut better and that (i suspect) the kitchen cut it the wrong way after cookiing - it's like a diamond and if you cut it one way vs. another it will be more tender. as forstaffeating, well let me say that i would prefer that thestaffactually like our food, that they don't waste perfectly good food given them and that they are keen to eat the food we make. not sure where in the restaurant thisstaffmemeber was eating but if it was in the back of the house, well then, not sure what your concern could possibly be? if this person was walking around the dining room drinking out of a pot, then i believe i'm on your side. bon appetite

needless to say, a repeat visit is not on the menu!

salvation.... after a reservation foul up thanks to opentable at a leslieville numbered resto, we stopped by to see if there was room at the inn at belong. glad we did. for those who whine about the price or portions, you're entitled to your opinion, which, by definition, is not a fact
we enjoyed a couple of glasses of 13th street rose bubbles with our shared mammoth st. lawrence salad, a beauty of greens, nuts, blue cheese, veg, and a light buttery dressing. ambrosia. followed by duplicate mains of steelhead trout - boring us - plated on wood, and accompanied by smooth homemade ricotta, sausage (!), gnocchi, quinoa, and cress. sounds good, tasted better...along with ontario pinot noir /gris. expensive? well, not cheap, but the quality of the ingredients is reflected in both taste and price, and thestaffare keen to please and find out how to improve.
if you're weary of close tables, same olds, and a loud room, try this innovative spot on bayview. it's all canuck for your buck.