Antler Kitchen & Bar

Antler Kitchen & Bar offers a unique dining experience, especially for those looking to explore game meat/cuisine. The restaurant has a cozy, rustic atmosphere that aligns well with its focus on locally sourced and foraged ingredients. I started with the charcuterie board, which was a delightful mix of cured meats and accompaniments. The wild game meats were flavorful, though some items felt a bit on the salty side. For the main course, I tried the pan rroasted venison, which was cooked beautifully and paired with seasonal vegetables that added a nice touch, but I found the portion size slightly smaller than expected for the price. The service was attentive and friendly, but nothing special. Food service was quick. Dessert was the highlight for me—the Paw Paw w/ Toffee was decadent without being overly sweet, perfectly capping off the meal. Overall, Antler Kitchen is a great spot for those looking to try something different and appreciate the effort to highlight locally sourced game meat and flavours. While it’s not an everyday dining destination, it’s worth a visit for a special occasion or when you’re feeling adventurous. What stood out to me the most was the plate sizes and portions were quite small for the price you pay (>$100 for shared appetizers, main, and dessert - no drinks), but the quality of the meat and food was good! Rating: 3.5/5

December 30, 2024 on Google

First time there, service was good. Atmosphere was alright. Nothing memorable. Food was ok. I enjoyed the salad it tasted good however confused about the hen part, thought there would be more meat in the salad not sure where the hen was. My partner enjoyed the game burger and fries. I did not enjoy the pasta. I ate it but it wasn’t my favourite or something I would ever order again. I didn’t like the taste. There was a weird strong aftertaste and not very saucy. I wasn’t satisfied. We decided we would not return.

December 16, 2024 on Google

Follow @bredgyeats for more food pics! Bison >>> Cow, it's official. Antler is famous for its masterful skills, elevating wild game to a level that makes me want to forever ditch traditional meats. Their bison ribeye has a beautiful smoky sear, cooked to a juicy perfection inside that bursts out a strong beefy flavour, without the overwhelming fattiness some cows can get sometimes. It therefore creates a tasting experience that doesn't decline with each bite, in fact, it's a crescendo when paired with the buttery polenta, sweet pearl onions, crisp rapini and juicy wild mushrooms all swimming in a pool of delicious meat jus that's suitable to drink. Their venison loin is also unbelievably tender, so the exterior sear imparts a subtle contrast of textures in each bite that delivers a more mellow, meaty bite that is complimented with a tart and sweet caramelized apple mustard. The slight bitterness of the charred Brussels sprouts also tones down the sweetness so it doesn't subtract from each bite, while simultaneously being masked by the sweet potato mash that's as smooth as silk. The mousse is, as promised, the smokiest and smoothest bite of chocolate I've experienced to this day. One touch on your tongue quickly exudes a pleasant but strong smoky flavour, followed by a rich dark chocolate taste that harmonizes with a fruity berry compote and the walnut crumb underneath for a nutty contrast in textures. The torched meringue is a great addition to introduce a bit of extra sweetness and make each bite heterogeneous, as the mousse itself isn't overly sweet which is just to my liking. Service was also nice.

December 13, 2024 on Google

Great first experience at Antler: Excellent food, great service, nice ambiance & fair prices given the food quality. A small place but well organized. Although there are a couple of meatless options on the menu, it is best to come with an appetite for meat (especially game meat). Beautiful presentation & well paired flavours.

December 8, 2024 on Google

Went for dinner and had the family style menu. Everything was amazing! They have their own cedar gin which was so delicious we bought a bottle. Only con was that it was a bit overpriced (over $600 for 3 people and the bottle of gin with drinks) and the restaurant is very small and intimate.

December 8, 2024 on Google

We came to this restaurant to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday. We both had high expectations due to how highly this restaurant is rated. The experience overall was good but few things about the restaurant were not ideal. 1) Food: we ordered Venison tartar (due to how popular it is), bison steak and duck breast. The venison tartar tasted extremely mustardy... we couldn't taste any of the tartar as it seemed to have been highly marinated with mustard and no other flavor was coming through. My boyfriend loved the bison steak and I liked the duck breast. Again duck breast was great but nothing extraordinary. The food is probably the best review of this place. 2) Drinks: we asked for wine recommendations and the waitress provided us with recommendations and when we tried the wine, it tasted like cheap boxed wine. The disappointing part was that the waitress did not ask us ONCE how the wine tasted. When you provide a recommendation, usually it's common courtesy to ask how a guest likes it. 3) Service: this ties in to my previous point... our waitress simply seemed like she did not want to be there. When it came to the food she never asked how any of it was either. When people come to such a well known and highly rated restaurant, they would expect a little better service. We felt like we were inconveniencing her. 4) Atmosphere: the place is TINY and loud. You hear everyone's conversations as everyone is so close together. I understand rent in Toronto is expensive but if you are charging higher end prices, maybe limit the number of guests. When a place is so crowded and loud, it personally kills the vibe no matter how good the food is. Overall the place is not bad. It's just when reviews are so high, expectations were obviously a little higher.

October 3, 2024 on Google

I have mixed feelings writing this review. We placed a reservation and when we came inside, we believed we would be seated almost immediately. However, we stood in the entrance for around 10 minutes unnoticed. Once we finally got seated, we were all ready to place our orders(we looked at the menu online) and we told our server we were ready and he just walked away. He came back around 10 minutes later and took our orders. Food came around 40 minutes later. The quality of the food was good, and the taste was excellent for most dishes(compliments to the chef). We ordered a trout dish and when it came looking like salmon we asked the server if we had gotten the wrong dish and he told us that it was trout and walked away again. After some extensive googling we learned that it was in fact steelhead trout(flavor & appearance very similar to salmon). We wished that he took the time to explain it to us. Overall a decent spot, but our evening was ruined by the poor service.

August 29, 2024 on Google

Antler is my favourite restaurant in Toronto. My husband and I come here whenever we have an occasion to celebrate. Even though we love trying out new restaurants, when we want consistently amazing food and a pleasant atmosphere, Antler is our go-to place. The food quality is always exceptional. We love the seasonal menu and the fact that ingredients are sourced locally. We often get pleasantly surprised by the unique ingredient combinations or an unexpected way to cook something. Protein portions are generous, so the main dishes are quite filling. We usually end up sharing an appetizer and a dessert. The wait staff are professional, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. They make great recommendations and certainly enhance our experience at Antler.

July 29, 2024 on Google