i really wanted to like this place. i loved the fine art cafe and was excited to see that another cafe was taking its place. however, this place is terrible. other than about the waitress, who was very friendly, and the maintaining of fine art's chalkboard menus, i have no positive comments about d'lish. the colour and the painting technique, when coupled with the dark, harsh ceiling beams, makes the "blue room" cold and austere: it is reminiscent of a centuries-old manor which has been left abandoned, dusty, and peeling. the main room's walls and trim just look badly painted. the art was not aesthetically pleasing -- a rarity in this city. most of the furniture was not comfortable-looking, other than two wingback chairs in the corner of the "blue room." the bathrooms are tacky -- nets on the ceiling of a pirate themed men's room, and more pink than i've ever seen in my life in the women's (which, regardless, made the room look cold and harsh).
then there was the food. the turtle cheesecake was sickly sweet. the actual cheese layer was very light and fluffy, but i could not taste it through the two 1/2" thick layers that surrounded it -- the top, a hard chewy caramel topping, and the bottom, a hard chocolate-esque crust. trying to eat it just made everything fall apart. the latte i had was unremarkable, again, a rarity in a city with so many new and wonderful cafes.
the final straw came when i checked out the cafe's facebook page (their website) and saw the owner'sloveof yelling at her customers -- all-caps throughout, exclamation point upon exclamation point. most of her comments are very flaky. it all combines to cause a sense that, as my dining companion noted, this coffeeshop is trying so hard to be whimsical that it ends up being nothing.
i really do miss the cozy fine art cafe with its delicious, understated cheesecakes and drinks, funky atmosphere and staff, beautiful art, and relaxed setting. a genuine loss to saskatoon and the nutana area.