the rook and raven

worst service i've ever had in a restaurant. food is decent and well priced. guinness is just ok.

nice place. i went on a date here with my boyfriend. came in and sat at the bar to wait for a table, which we had no problems with. once we sat at our table a few minutes into the meal we we unexpectedly moved to another table as more people were arriving to join the other tables to the right of us. again no problems as we understand that it's friday this place is busy. all in all we had a good time and meals were good. we'll be back sometime soon for sure.

came here on saturday at lunch time, was referred by a friend that the food was good. group of us were shocked at the small menu. the place was dark and dingy, and the music was something you would hear while making up a mini movie about the game clue. we ordered some drinks and the moose head beer that my friend had did not taste like moose head. also, the waitress did not even know the special of the day, and we found out that they do not do that anyways after asking and her having to scramble around asking other workers. we were dissapointed with the menu so asked if we could order snacks which were to be served only after 2pm. she then told us on saturdays they serve snacks all day (why wouldn't she inform us before?) we all ended up ordering the poutine which was so salty we each had to take a take out box. i thought i was going to have a heart attack. not going back

so good. there is nothing on that menu that fails to please. service is good, but sometimes (and this is rarely) they are a little too focused on appearances and will serve the "pretty" people first - but i stress that this is only very rarely.
10/10 would recommend.

the rook and raven is serving up some delicious, classy pub food. they’re not slinging the typical heavy, greasy dishes that bars are known for. they still serve burgers and fries, but they seem to be put together with a bit more care and attention. the space itself is a great environment to enjoy a meal. a ‘seat yourself’ sign greets you as you enter, the décor is warm and inviting, the staff is friendly and helpful, a nice place to take an hour break from the work day. loaded burger: curry turkey burger with sweet potato chips: chickpea lentil burger with garden salad: blackened chicken and quinoa salad: fish and chips: the taste from those sweet potato chips will stay with you all afternoon. a delicious deviation from the ever popular sweet potato fries. all of the other dishes were also quite pleasing. while the lunch is great, this may also be a fine candidate for a spot to have a few drinks after work with some buddies. a snack menu is available after lunch until close, with item

the pickled beat and goat cheese salad is fantastic.  try it!!!  well priced, cool decor, and usually very friendly staff.  great place to walk to while downtown.

disappointed, dispirited and insulted!. i walked away from here disappointed, dispirited and insulted! if this is how they treat a new costumer, what's it like for regulars whom the restaurant presumably has less interest in treating properly.

this place is awesome. our waitress was super friendly and helpful, the menu is exquisite, and the atmosphere is nice. the menu is really exciting because it definitely fits outside the box of typical pub food. it's actual quality food, gourmet for it's environment, and it's cooked to perfection. plus, it's super reasonably priced! i would typically expect to pay at least ten dollars more for any given menu item at a contenders. if you haven't been, you should make a point of going. it was open for years before i actually went for a meal and i wish i had gone sooner.

the rook has spirited away my lifelong hatred of caiflower with their cauliflower fritters, which are to die for. blueberry tea is also very good on a cold/rainy day.

tried. after the great review we tried a saturday. no service, we waited and waited and had an afternoon to fill, but the staff were so non helpful,we were forced to leave, having been served only the menu after nearly 55 minutes.
the owners should consider staffing issues, real soon, before it impacts their bottom line, and they close.

really really good!!! i had only been there for wine and cheese before but 5 of us went there tonight and we all loved our meals and appies, service was waaaaaaay better than any time i have been there before... will go back for sure!

excellent once again.... the beef short ribs and the grilled flank steak were excellent! the group i came with were very impressed by the superb quality of the food.


-----17 jan, 2012-----

well done.. - chicken supreme and risotto dishes were delicious, well-cooked, and loaded with flavour
- atmosphere was inviting, warm, and laid-back (plus the seats are comfortable)
- they're stocked with commendable selection of draft beer
- the bartender (at the time) knew how to pour a pint of guinness

'nuff said!

won't lie: the high quality surprised me. not knowing if this was more of a ‘pub-place’ or ‘sit-down’ dining sort of place, it took quite of few recommendations before i dragged myself here. and i am very glad i did.

the food was excellent, and considering that you’re paying a very fair price makes it even better. my short ribs had the perfect flavors and tenderness that would make zeus look away from his ambrosia. balanced perfectly with fresh vegetables (glazed carrots are equally amazing) and mash, this dish is definitely a downtown deal. maybe the meat was a touch salty, but that’s something that i easily overlooked with every swig of guinness.

similar positive remarks came from other diners, such as “best chicken club that [she has] ever eaten” and “this grilled flank steak is so good i’d sell my first born son!” (okay, maybe one of those statements was slightly doctored). my point is that the food at r&r is of a very high quality.

the server did not bring up dessert. instead we had to ask for it specifically. turns out that the dessert was not something “that people regularly asked for.” their only option, a peanut butter cheesecake, was packed with flavor and came out in a fairly large serving. my main complaint about is that it held a very thick and gluey texture in the mouth. good... but extremely gluey. i fear for any denture patients trying to tackle this cheesecake.

unlike many other reviewers, i cannot say that our service was excellent. i can’t even say it was good. the dining floor wasn’t full and she still seemed forgetful and in a constant daze/rush. i am hoping that our next visit will be different.

overall, rook and raven gives great food for a good price. if my stomach were any larger, i’d have definitely ordered the whole appetizer menu. creativity is certainly alive here. without a doubt: i highly recommend this gastro pub establishment.

wonderful kitchen and feel at home service. we have always enjoyed the menu here and they always have a gourmet dinner special. fabulous value. we were there in may 19th to try the new menu. i tried the chickpea curry in puff pastry at $12, awesome with a pint of sam adams which was the beer special. my wife had the blackened cod with creamy rissotto - wow, fresh and tasty! the service here is welcoming and perhaps the best crew in town. teagan was our server and she was terrific!

i went to the rook and raven on a business trip based on the high rating. had the scotch eggs appetizer and surf and turf feature both were excellent. service was quick and very friendly. i will be back.