Azure Restaurant & Bar

The food was really tasty but all our glasses were dirty, one even with lip-marks still on it, and our cutlery were dirty as well. Really gave a sloppy impression. The table next to us also complained about the glasses. Our server did a good job recommending wine paring.

The food was very average sand a little bit of a dissapointment in term of taste and texture. The veal I had was so dry and chewy. The manager is a very nice lady and she managed tailor to our needs, everything else is 5/5 but the food is questionnable.

I visited Azure Restaurant and Bar for Summerlicious lunch, and while the service was absolutely amazing, our server was outstanding. I can’t quite recall her name, which speaks to how smoothly everything was handled. The cauliflower and pear soup was the highlight. It was absolutely delicious and beautifully balanced. However, the entree lacked seasoning and was just okay, and the dessert looked pretty but didn’t stand out. Overall, I probably wouldn’t return based on the food alone, but the top-notch service really made the experience memorable.

Nov 2024 Main lobby resto of the Intercontinental Hotel in Toronto that is the central food and beverage option for guests staying there. The food is updated modern continental cuisine with very professional execution. Menu is compact and catered to business travellers and diners. They also have daily specials worth trying. The service within the outlet is friendly and very service oriented and are very well knowledgeable about the dishes. Room service is also prompt and proper. As for the layout it is architecturally wide and spacious though it does reflect dated styles of past hotels.

Typical overpriced high-end hotel lobby restaurant. The decor is lovely, but there is nothing the least bit distinctive or original about the bland, generic food that lacks spice and flavor. It's not terrible and the service and presentation are polished. But you could be anywhere. My wiener schnitzel was a large portion, but a bit dry, over-cooked and over-breaded...with only lemon and no sauce or applesauce. Spiced fries were excellent and not greasy. Others in my party had the half roast chicken and said it was "almost as good as Costco." There is no particular reason to eat here, other than convenience for hotel guests. Far better options are available.

05/26-26/2024 - Visited the Azure Restaurant & Bar during my stay at the hotel it is located in. Beautiful restaurant that resembles a chic, modern, livable loft-like greenhouse engulfed by glass as walls and ceilings. It’s is decorated with live plants used as decor throughout the restaurant. They also grow and use eatable plants in their ingredients for their food options for guests/customers to enjoy. Great service (thank you, Christina). Comfortable chic dining. State of the art bar with cool lighting (both artificial and natural). Nearby parking for a fee. Decent prices.

A nice stop before the Jays game for a quiet and delicious dinner with great service. Mushroom soup had amazing flavour and perfect temperature. Well done! Aracini balls were perfectly crispy on the outside and tasty! Good vegan options and overall a good dinner. Super convenient to have this great restaurant at the hotel for every stay!

I went here for Mother's Day with my son. Parking was $35 since its at Continental Hotel and its downtown Toronto. Our servers are great and very helpful with selecting our teas and explained what we were having for our afternoon tea.The food was amazing and everything was made there. I highly recommend this place.

A nice hotel bar, pretty laid back and chill option when the competition is trying to pump up the jams. The prosecco - not too sweet - and that is a win in this reviewer's book

I went back to AZURE at the Intercontinental Hotel yesterday to try their new menu, and while the food was solid, the service was what really stood out. Both the manager, Lowell Neill, and our server, Johnny, went above and beyond to make our experience memorable. I ordered the Tourtierancini with a side of Caesar salad, and my colleagues got the Whiskey BBQ Bison Sando and the Azure Power Bowl. The Tourtierancini came out in a mini skillet with three crispy arancini and some raw watercress on top. The arancini had a nice crunch, and the filling, inspired by tourtiere, had a mild meaty flavor. I thought it could've been seasoned a bit more, but the blueberry jus on the side was a great touch--it added just the right amount of tartness and sweetness to balance the dish. That watercress, though, felt a bit random; arugula would've probably worked better. The Caesar salad was where things got a little interesting. I'd ordered it as a side, but they brought out a full-sized portion instead. I didn't think much of it at first, but when I asked Johnny about the size, he explained there'd been a mix-up with my order. He immediately let the manager know, and that's when Lowell came over to personally apologize. Lowell didn't just fix the issue--he went the extra mile. He told me I could take the salad home (after checking with the kitchen) and then offered complimentary desserts for the table as an apology. He even said, "If you want to try the mousse too, why not?" I mean, how could I say no to that? My colleagues both went with the Chocolate Mousse to-go, and even though I'd already ordered the Sugar Tart, I added the Mango Passionfruit Mousse to the mix. The desserts were a highlight! The Sugar Tart was buttery and just sweet enough, while the Mango Passionfruit Mousse was light, tropical, and refreshing. My colleagues said the Chocolate Mousse was rich and indulgent--definitely a win. As for the mains, the Whiskey BBQ Bison Sando was bold and smoky, and the Azure Power Bowl was fresh and light, perfect for someone looking for a healthier option. The ambiance was as nice as I remembered--calm and modern, with great lighting for photos. While the food is a bit pricey for what you get, the way Lowell and Johnny handled everything made all the difference. Their level of care and attention really stood out and turned what could've been a small hiccup into a great experience. If you're near the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and want a classy spot with amazing service, give AZURE a try!

Hands down, some of the best lobster poutine I've ever had! Perfectly balanced with just the right amount of gravy, so it stayed crispy. The lychee martini was made to perfection, too! Located inside the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown--definitely recommend making a reservation during busy times. The shrimp salad was fresh and crisp as well!

Dill tomato soup. Loved it. Mixed greens. Side order. Waitress questioned the amount I ordered and suggested I only get a side salad. Afterward, I mentioned it was delicious and wished I had more. Made me think of the scene in pretty woman, where she wanted to buy something, but the staff wouldn't allow it. The female host was also unfriendly and seemed annoyed, I was offering business. Poor service. Good food. The ambience was cute.

Typical hotel lobby food (Azure is located in the lobby of the Intercontinental). I ordered the roasted salmon which came with mushrooms, fingerling potatoes and broccolini. Was not good at all: they didn't even attempt to season the salmon and the potatoes were entirely too salty. The atmosphere is pleasant and the staff if very kind. More of a casual vibe. I likely won't be back, but they were a safe option if you're in a hurry.

I stayed at the Toronto Intercontinental Hotel for 5 days over Labor Weekend 2025. Unfortunately I hurt my knee and could not do my original plan of trying several high end restaurants downtown. I was pleasantly surprised with how good the hotel's Azure Restaurant was. I had 4 excellent dinners there. The Veal Schnitzel was delicious and a such a big portion that finished it for breakfast. The 8oz Ontario Beef Tenderloin was probably the most perfectly cooked Medium Rare steak I've ever had. The Half Roasted Chicken was like mom's Sunday Dinner but maybe better. The 10oz Bone-in Ontario Pork Chop was also very good. The sides with them were all excellent, too. I had Ontario wines with every dinner and loved them all. I enjoyed the Eggs Benedict with Salmon one morning. The service was very attentive and the food came out rather quickly. I had desserts that I took back to my room on 2 nights. They were both very good but I don't remember exactly what I had. Sometimes hotel restaurants are just mediocre but not the Azure. It's excellent. Even if you are not staying at the Intercontinental, you should consider eating there. I have one suggestion for Azure. They should have an "Immediate Seating" sign showing to the street for when there is a line at the restaurant across the street.

I was overall really impressed by the food and service quality. It surpassed my expectations for a restaurant located in a hotel. It's easily accessible via go train, subway and street car. There are also a few parking lots around the venue ranging from 15-25$.

After a very frustrating travel into Toronto, literally 5 hours from Niagara Falls NY to parking and having to reschedule our dinner at 360, we decided to get dinner here instead. It made the crappy evening so much better. It has been such a long time since we've had a server actually make our evening an event to remember! Rhodina was awesome to say the least! She was super attentive and really made me forget the pain of the traffic. She really took care of us! Food was delicious!

Staying at the Intercontinental for a concert and thought we would stop down at the hotel restaurant for a quick snack at lunchtime, we were blown away by second to none service from the restaurant staff and the absolutely delicious food we received! We had already made dinner plans and were immediately regretting the decision to eat somewhere else after the few items we tried on the brunch menu. as everything else at the Intercontinental, it has a very upscale atmosphere "even though we showed up in shorts and T-shirts" with comfortable seating and plenty of it, a large bar to accommodate guests and as I mentioned earlier plenty of friendly staff waiting to help!! next time we are staying at the Intercontinental we will not make the mistake of not getting dinner reservations! Thank you!! Zeke

Great breakfast experience with excellent tasting food, very helpful service staff and a calm morning atmosphere. Pleasant surprise for a hotel restaurant.

The ambiance here looks upscale but it actually is casual dining. Many different selections on the drink menu. I recommend the Hypnotiq Cosmo. Look at the pic posted here. The Salmon was excellent and thanks to our waiter Rhodena Walk-ins are welcome. Come after work or after sightseeing around the CN tower.

While in Toronto for the weekend my fiancée and I were staying at the InterContinental Downtown (lovely by the way) and this restaurant was downstairs so why not try it out? We managed to make it here for a breakfast on Sunday and participated in their buffet. Atmosphere/Appearance: Built right off of the main lobby is this gorgeous gem. It's a wide-open space with this huge angular glass roof that flows right into the windows. It's absolutely beautiful. There's so much natural light that flows in. The seemingly infinite ceiling helps reduce noise as well since all of the voices flow up and dissipate. It's brilliant. Service: Coco took care of us with coffee and water while letting us ransack the buffet like savages. Lol. She was cool, a little apprehensive regarding a coupon we were told we could use, but actually couldn't, but she took care of us and it was very appreciated. Food: Everything you could imagine was on that buffet. Sausage, bacon, salmon lox, cereals, waffles, I could go on and on. My favorite part was the custom omelette station. You could add mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, cheese, bacon, I mean whatever you wanted! It came out great and was super filling. The fruit was also very fresh and even though we came at the end of the buffet time (7:00am to 11:30am) the food all still tasted quite fresh. Value: All prices in $CAD. The buffet was $29.00 and was totally worth it. It was a bit pricey like some Las Vegas buffets, but the food was very food and expansive. There were so many options. Plus, it's inside a hotel in downtown Toronto. What else would I expect? This place was straight. I'd eat down here on a regular basis without a problem. There were enough buffet choices to have something different throughout the week.

The wait staff were attentive without being overbearing. I noticed lots of business people were having dinner here. This is a convenient location that's close to everything downtown. I had the brisket pasta and it was a tad on the salty side but delicious with a good amount of meat. Many times I find that a pasta dish is made up of at least 90% pasta with little else. I had been debating between the brisket pasta and linguine with shrimp and calamari. Next time I'll get that. My cousin thoroughly enjoyed her dip and salumi platter and even took the leftovers to go.

Restaurants located in hotels tend to disappoint. Azure, located inside the InterContinental Hotel, has the look and feel of a nice place, but unfortunately the drinks, food, and service don't live up to first impressions. Service in the lounge area is painfully slow. I waited over twenty minutes for my first cocktail, and even longer for the second. No apologies either time. Breakfast is generally hard to mess up, but the poached eggs I was served had an off taste, as did the bacon. I could barely finish my meal, but still had to shell out about $35. (I know hotel restaurants are pricey, but $6 for a tiny glass of OJ?) Since there are many other dining options in the area, I would recommend skipping Azure, unless you're on expense account and don't feel like leaving the hotel.

Came here after Fan Expo for dinner. Was not expecting the food to be so yummy so it was a pleasant surprise! We got the pepperoni pizza; corn soup and kids penne pasta. Pizza is big enough for two and the kids penne pasta was huge for a kid. Everything tasted amazing- i almost ordered a second bowl of the corn soup- it was that good. The pizza had a crispy crust, honey drizzled and was not burnt. Deelish! The only let down was the waiter we got but the food more than made up for it. We're so happy we didn't have to wait hours to get a table at the other restaurants down the street and the prices are about the same. The hotel ambiance is elegant, quiet and luxe. Highly recommend this restaurant and i will be back for more....

My best friend from out of town always stays at the Intercontinental Toronto Centre when here for a Toronto Blue Jays home series. Tonight, after the game, we dined in the Azure Restaurant & Bar; his favourite place since it's right inside this luxury hotel. I really like the ambiance, friendly restaurant staff and top notch chef. Our server Paula was professional and attentive! We began with a Calamari $14.75 and a Mezze Dip Platter $16.00 of spinach & artichoke hummus, olive & sundried tomato relish, roasted eggplant, olives, naan and crostini. Flavourful & amazing! My entree was the Maple Ginger Glazed Trout $31.00 and he chose the Beef Tenderloin $42.00. We both enjoyed the main course! Dessert was homemade ice cream with fresh berries $4.00. An absolutely terrific dining experience !

Excellent service and food. Ambient was good, good host and very clean and friendly. Definitely recommend it and will go back.

I only had dinner at the hotel restaurant...although my hotel-mate ordered pizza from room service multiple times so maybe that's good. The dinner selections read more interesting than they tasted. I had the crab escabeche and the gnocchi. The crab dish was OK...well balanced but the crab just wasn't that flavorful. But perhaps I am spoiled by the blue crabs of the gulf. The gnocchi could have been really good. The blue cheese was on point and the gnocchi was well made but then both were drowned in a really heavy creamy cheese sauce. The complimentary fresh bread was delish. The staff was lovely and attentive but not pushy. They let me sit and enjoy a moment alone with my book. I also had a very tasty old fashioned.

I was first made aware of Azure by the drop-dead gorgeous Chinese Maitre'D I saw in the summer of 2010 while staying at the InterContinental Toronto Centre, ever since I've been curious to visit, but the appropriate opportunity never came up. I finally got the chance this year during the Toronto Sportsman's Show. The beautiful Maitre'D was nowhere to be found =[ A table for one at 9:00am, I ordered the Belgian wallfles. I was seated at the middle of the restaurant with a view of the lobby rather the preferable view of the restaurant's backdrop. To no fault of anyone because I did not specify where I wished to be seated, and I was alone which called for a smaller table. The décor is very much open concept, and most of the space was enclosed in a window panel against Front Street, the windows rose many stories high allowing for natural sunlight, which is a very nice and rather important element for hotel restaurants in my opinion. I felt that the carpeting and upholstery is slightly dated, and that is as much as I can complain about the décor because its not like they can change anything else. My food arrived and I was surprised to see that my waffles were not actually Belgian. Belgian waffles are characterized by their taller and larger size, and the ones on my plate were miniaturized. Four mini waffles served with more butter and jam than I knew what to do with. I was served a jug of coffee, which isn't unusual, what was unusual was the incredible smooth texture of it. I've never had such delicious coffee in any hotel in Canada! Not even in the other InterContinental hotels! No creams or sugar needed, brilliant! But back to the waffles, I mean I was hungry and these things didn't look like they could do the job. It was covered in pieces of strawberries, blueberries, and other fruits. Check the photo album ^ It was okay, I wasn't too thrilled about the plate which it was served on, those long rectangular ones. Those plates are meant for sushi aren't they? It's difficult to discriminate the service because it's mostly the same in all the international hotels. Very courteous staff, very attentive. Supposedly Azure has live jazz in the evenings? I never seen it passing by the hotel lobby a million times. There's a full bar slightly sectioned off from the main dining floor. It would be difficult to judge to give it four stars having come here only during breakfast, unless of course that Chinese girl showed up again..then I'd roll over sideways on any review website. Need to update décor slightly, need to get the Maitre'D back.

My husband and I decided to come here for date night. The restaurant itself has a nice atmosphere however, that does not compensate for the rest of the evening. After ordering an appetizer to share and an entrée each, we soon realized that the food was not worth the price. I wanted to get a steak but when I ordered I was advised to get some thing else because apparently the steak is bad. The waiter said it gets sent back to the kitchen very often. After eating, my husband and I immediately started to feel unwell. We both had food poisoning and felt awful. I was very sick and we were not pleased with paying $95 for an ok meal that made us feel unwell. We were very disappointed as we expected a nice dinner. I wouldn't come back here again.

My 2nd and last Summerlicious of the year was at Azure Restaurant & Bar located inside InterContinental Toronto Centre (@ICTorontoCentre) at Front and Simcoe. Although do like the natural light coming through the glass ceiling, I thought it was a bit dated with an 80's feel to it. But thought there's some small touches that can be done to update it a bit, like the blue water glasses and the blue vases should go. On the other hand, Azure features contemporary Canadian cuisine by Chef Grace Di Fede who is an advocate for using local and seasonal ingredients. Azure Caesar ~ pepper infused vodka + Tabasco + Clamato juice + olives Grapefruit Tree ~ vodka + fresh basil + fresh grapefruit juice + simple syrup ~ Although the presentation doesn't say much, it's a rather large glass of cocktail compare to what you get at most places these days and it tasted very good. Simple but well made. I loved both of them a lot, the Caesar parked quite a bit of heat which I love while I am a sucker for basil cocktails... will probably try to replicate both at home ;) Summerlicious Dinner at $45 pp ~ At first I thought the price was a bit high for summerlicious but in the end, it's all worth it with the yummy good quality ingredient and the rather large portion. ~ Def no need of McDonald stop after =P . Sweet Corn & Saffron Bisque (vegetarian) ~ Goat Cheese Crouton, Tarragon Oil It was incredibly smooth with just light sweet corn flavor instead of the full on yellow overly sweet corn soup. ~ This was a rather large portion but we had no problem licking the bowl clean =P East Coast Crab Cake ~ Lemon & dill aioli, summer fruit salsa ~ With a thin crunchy shell, this crab cake was packed with lots of crab meat with minimal filler. Canadian Farmed Beef Striploin ~ Rosemary & Garlic Potato Puree, Baby Vegetables, Chard, Pork Jus ~ I ordered mine rare but it came out medium well and the waiter seeing that I didn't really like it, immediately took it back and got me another one. ~ And while waiting, he even came by to ask if I wanted a salad or anything while waiting (^_^) ~ the 2nd one came back perfect and I enjoy every bit of it. Pacific Organic Salmon ~ Orange & Shaved Fennel Slaw, Raisins, Pistachio, Asparagus, Pernod Tomato Puree ~ I usually don't like cook salmon at all but this was cook very well and the slaw and sauce goes perfectly together with the salmon. ~ Everything on the dish just compliment each other so perfectly. Bailey's Chocolate Torte ~ Vanilla Mousse, Summer Berry Compote ~ It sounded heavy, look and tasted decadent but was surprisingly light. Ice-Wine Strawberry Panna Cotta ~ Fig Compote, Caramel Tuille ~ I am usually not a fan of panna cotta but this definitely won me over, especially love the fig compote. Genoise Cake ~ sour cream mousse, doubled smoked candied bacon ~ This was not included in the Summerlicious menu but bought to us by our waiter. ~ This was definitely sweeter than the previous 2 desserts but was offset by the saltiness of the bacon... ~ Everything just taste better with bacon (^_^) ~ This dessert is now officially on their menu Verdict : ~ Love the attentive service and was very impress with every dish ~ I haven't had such a great Licious experience for ages Summerlicious have ended but they have extended their prix fixe lunch & dinner menu through August 31st. *** This meal was complimentary. Opinions are my own***

A great place to have a business meal. The restaurant still keeps that traditional way of serving and they are all very attentive to your table. The food selection for lunch is not huge but the quality is great. The Arctic Char I had was absolutely perfect, from the presentation to its cooking. If you also want to maintain a business conversation this place is great. The only critique I have is that they don't have electrical plugs near the tables so if you need your laptop make sure you have enough battery.

This is a lovely modern restaurant within the Intercontinental Hotel. The servers were friendly but the prices are high and the entrees lacked seasoning. We enjoyed a second night at the bar a lot more. Nice bar menu, friendly bartenders and delicious drinks. You can choose from cozy seating or at the bar and the TVs had hockey on and a lively crowd with both locals and out of town guests.

A group of my girlfriends and I grabbed drinks here on a Sunday night. We chose this bar because it was very close to our hotel and one of the only bars opened at night. Surprisingly, when we walked in, there were still a few patrons dining and a large group just starting to order seated close to us. Although it was late, we still received great service and our drinks were delicious! We were grateful to find a place so welcoming in the eleventh hour!

Came to Azure during Summerlicious for dinner with my girlfriend, and had a great experience. We ordered the Old Fashioned and Maple Manhattan to start, which were _extremely_ boozy. Now, I like me a stiff drink, but these were on the verge of being a little too much. However, I appreciate that the bar made us some crazy strong drinks, and that's a plus in my books. To start, we chose the crab & sweet corn fritters and truiffle honey fig & prosciutto tartine. We were informed that the honey figs would be substituted for blackberries that evening, which was a slight disappointment but that was fine. The crab & sweet corn fritters had a great crab flavour and crispy exterior, and the sauce it came with was a fine balance to the fritters. The tartine had a delicious soft bread with the blackberries and prosciutto on top, quite a tasty way to start the meal. For mains, we chose the pan seared pickerel and Dillon's rye BBQ glazed duck breast. The pan seared pickerel could have used a little more seasoning and a better sear on the skin-side for more crispiness, but the potato darphin really stole the show on that dish. The duck breast was tender, delicious, and very well cooked, and the salsa and wheat berry really complemented the dish well. For desserts, we got lucky because our server saw our indecision with the desserts and graciously allowed us to have all three. The chocolate s'mores parfait was rich and very flavourful, and I really liked the graham crumble caramel. The peaches'n'cream cheesecake was light and refreshing, with great sour notes to complement the richness of the cheesecake. The limoncello cherry pie was very homey and comfortable, providing that great contrast between hot and cold elements with the pie and ice cream, and it tasted great. Overall, our dinner at Azure was a very positive experience. Punctuated by the attention and care provided by our server Coco, I'd love to go back sometime and eat a regular meal there.

Just landed and checked in for a convention, decided to hit the hotel restaurant because my 7 year old was getting hungry (and that means FIOD NOW!) Pleasant surprise to find a great truffled sherry mushroom soup, my wife enjoyed her hummus w crudités throughly and the staff was cool to improvise a Pizza Margherita that my son was craving... Very pleasant experience, great staff and prompt service.

Amazing. No words to say. Elegant and classes and with the best menu in Toronto . I enjoy so much.

Came for a late night snack. Best location for us because it's right below in the lobby of the hotel (Intercontinental hotel) which we stayed in. However, food is just so-so.

I have gone to this places a few times, both with work and with family. I have only been there for lunch. The time I have been with work was for a Christmas lunch where they had an AYCE. I will admit the food was really good. They had a salad bar which was fresh with lots of variety of cold foods. Their hot portion was really good too. They had mussels, and large cold shrimps, turkey, beef, potatoes, beans (to name a few), all of which tasted high quality. This AYCE lunch buffet is certainly not all year round, as I believe its only during the Christmas season. The second time I went was a terrible experience. The food was good but the wait time and service was horrendous. There were 3 of us having lunch and after quite a long wait (probably 30 mins or so) only 2 of us got our food. The waiter said the 3rd dish would be coming out soon, but it didn't arrive until we had finish our food. Needless to say, person #3 was super mad and all they did as an apology was offer a glass of wine. To top it all off, I don't know how often live music is played there, but a jazz band set up and played music towards the end of the lunch, and it was so loud we couldn't even hear each other at the table. Sometimes one really bad experience stops a person from going back to the restaurant despite how good the food is. This is one of those times.

(lunch at 12:45) Slow, slow, slow. Got our drink order wrong. Took half an hour for our food to be ordered. Staff seem clueless that they are performing a customer service job. Food was good but not great. It was served quickly once we finally ordered. Perhaps they were simply over busy but our waiter had little pep in his step. Had no expression or consideration for our time. The quick service upon ordering picked up most of our initial wait. Had the service been better at the front end an easy 3 star maybe more. I will give it another try and re-review if the experience is better.

If you stay at the Intercontinental, be sure to add the breakfast for 2 to your reservation. The best buffet I've had in years.

I am not a big fan of hotel restaurants in the first place, and this one is one reason I am not. Food was mediocre, and the drinks were less than stellar. Service was lacking as well. Add to that the fact that everything was overpriced, I cannot recommend this place at all- there are much better places right outside the front doors...

The Azure Restaurant and Grill is located inside the Intercontinental Hotel within the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This is by far the most convenient sit down and "relax" type food establishment as the centre is surrounded by primarily food courts. I had the opportunity to order a Caesar salad as a starter and a salmon dish for my main course. The salad was poor and lacked enough dressing and fresh lettuce. The salmon was dry and overdone. The sides, a mashed sweet potato, was cold in temperature. Not the best lunch offering. The service was good and more importantly I enjoyed the ambiance. There is an incredible amount of natural light that streams through the glass adorned restaurant. This is the place to host a meeting or quiet lunch should you desire while attending an event at the Convention Centre. Enjoy and good luck!

We visited Azure for lunch during Winterlicious. We were exhibiting at a conference in the convention center and were surprised to find that the restaurant was not at all busy during the lunch hour. I suspect this is due in part to their service. We waited at least 5 minutes to be seated. No one appeared to be interested in seating our group of 6. We ordered a bottle of wine and the server returned to the table nearly 10 minutes later to state they were out of this brand. A man in our party attempted to order a glass of beer and the server seemed very unfamiliar with the beer they offered. The saving grace was the food. I ordered a delicious (but small) squash soup and a chicken dish that was perfectly prepared. A delicious caramel bread pudding topped off this Winterlicious menu. Perhaps an "off" day for service. We aren't certain because we rarely visit this restaurant.

My husband and I were staying at this hotel for our anniversary and had dinner at Azure. We had reservations and were seated without any wait on a Saturday evening. The restaurant was small with a trendy atmosphere and jazzy music. The tables were very close to each other so that we could hear the conversations of the people around us. Our waiter, I believe his name was William, was the nicest guy and always had a big smile on his face, but the service we received was incredibly slow. We sat at our table for about 10 minutes before our drink order was taken and our bread basket was brought out very late. We didn't get drink refills and waited forever for our food to arrive. We noticed that all the tables around us had the same slow service but no one seemed to mind so we believe it was probably just that we (Americans) are accustomed to quick restaurant service. I started with the crab cakes and having grown up in New Orleans, I know what a good crab cake is. They tasted more like tuna and were nothing special. My husband had the Caesar salad and thought it was great. We both had beef tenderloins as our entree and it was excellent. I recommend this as it was very tender. Unfortunately, I have to say the mashed potatoes tasted like instant potatoes and the vegetables were a disappointment. I ordered the banana dessert that had banana flavored fritters and ice cream and was very tasty. My husband had the maple dessert which was an apple crisp that he loved with ginger ice cream that he did not care for. Overall, we had a nice dinner but probably wouldn't return unless we were staying in the hotel.

I went last night and the place was closed with people sitting there and music playing. OK, fine, they directed me to a nearby bar. I went there Thursday night and the place had people and music and they told me that the place was closed, go to another F-ing bar. (And I'm freaking Uranium Ultra-Ambassador status with this hotel...not to be a jerk but I stay here for expecations, lucky with my job for the perks for a poor person, so no arrogance intended.) So tonight Saturday night the family is here, clients, I go to the Azure bar at 11:15 p.m. and I am told by the guy (with a cadre of folks at 40% of the tables and music playing) that we're union and if we don't get off at a certain time we can't catch public transit home and he said "it's a $70 cab ride home", end quote. So essentially go to another (F-ing) bar that is NOT in Hotel Intercontinental. Also, Hotel Intecontinental Toronto has NO elevators in the parking garage that they don't own. Do not come to Azure day bar. In college I worked midnight shift cleaning bathrooms on Chicago Toll Roads, daytime I worked at a department store as a stock boy, weekends my 3rd job as mowing lawns...tell these union F|_|cktards to get 3 jobs then and provide the customer with their glass of wine in their union hostage bar. SAD. ULTRA-friendly staff, sad parking and bar issues. (And look, I'm #1 on 5 starring folks on Yelp, it just sucks being negative but truth-be-told here.)

28$ for breakfast buffet is kinda expensive specially when there is nothing special in the buffet. If you can, try any local restaurant around (there is plenty of them)

This was my second stop on the Summerlicious tour of 2012. Lucky me, I was sent downtown for a few weeks to work in the summer time and I quickly tried to book as many lunch hour deals as I could. This one was super easy to obtain and after dining there, I can see why. The InterContinental hotel is fairly nice but there are places here that are starting to show it's age. Though it is renovated and updated inside, the exterior is hard to keep up with the growing new swankier places nearby (Trump towers!). When you move towards Azure, you're pretty much hit over the head with the actual colours. It makes for an interesting environment as your meal does take on a blue undertone... most of the time it's not alarming until you get something yellow like a sliver of yellow pepper and then it starts to look greenish on the edges. Service was genuinely pleasant and very personable. He deserves 2 of the 3 stars for the review alone. He was always quick and never rude... even when the other table near us were jerks (sorry, but why on earth would you have a phone conversation at the table while trying to order and then hold up a finger to the waiter to hush them is beyond me). He handled all his table really professionally. I wish more hotel restaurant staff was like him. As for the food, ugh... I hope it was just a Summerlicious bad day because it was pretty rough. I started with the smoked salmon rillette. The idea sounded really tasty... smokey flavourful salmon that is cooked tender till it's like melt in your mouth. In reality, it was really really salty. Almost inedible. I couldn't finish it after 2 bites. My main was the short rib with root beer au jus. Sweet and savoury pork would be amazing right... flavour was ok but the ribs were over done. They weren't tender and if anything, I would say they were a bit skimpy on the meat as well. It was disappointing. I ended with the sorbet and it was ok. It didn't blow me away but it didn't turn me off like my first two plates. Overall, I wouldn't come back for the food at all but what saved my experience was the really great staff. I would be willing to try it again ... but maybe after the smoked salmon salt lick experience goes away from memory.

Considering the prices I would expect a server to know how to cut wine seal, pop cork and pour wine properly! Dishes were not cleaned off in sufficient time and for some odd reason other people's drinks were added to my tab despite me not the host of table nor with my permission! Overpriced for the quality of service! Waitresses unkept looking; hair and nails a mess not acceptable for this establishment nor for a breakfast truck stop!

Thank you Dr. Kanner for hosting a party here. It was a fun time. The drinks were on the light side for alcohol but I guess that means I should have a few more! Too bad the bartender got a little overwhelmed by our party of friends. It was so good to see my old friends from Residency again. We ate Samosas, Calamari, skewered chicken grilled were delicious. I love appetizers! Again, Thank you Dr. Kanner.

A hotel this nice (InterContinental Toronto Centre) should have a better restaurant. I came home from a conference STARVED after an evening jog and was REALLY ready for a strip steak. Poor quality, lukewarm, unseasoned, half-cooked vegetables. The "sweet potato mash" is regular white potatoes with a little bit of sweet potato mixed in for color. I called to complain and must say that the staff and management really took care of me and offered to comp the meal and give me another dinner on the house to try them again. For that, I increased the star rating.

PARTIAL REVIEW From the moment my sister and I had our coats checked to when we retrieved them at the door, we felt welcomed and well taken care of at Azure. The service is professional, yet personable, so it doesn't feel like you're dining in a stuffy hotel- definitely a plus for me. We were spoiled with impeccable attention- our water glasses were consistently refilled, our cutlery replenished, and the meal moved at a comfortable and well timed pace (about 1 1/2 hours in and out). This past December, the hotel welcomed Executive Chef, Shawn Whalen to the team to work alongside Chef de Cuisine Grace di Fede and General Manager, Stephen McGaw. The restaurant's food menu is very inviting and approachable- creative enough for a foodie, but familiar enough for a picky palate. Expect to see a handful each of seasonal salads (like Niagara Poached Pear, $12-14)), elegant appetizers (including Scallops, local Beef Carpaccio, $9-14), Pastas and Risotto (mmm... like a beautiful sounding short rib tagliatelle, $21-25), and main courses from land and sea (Gamay Noir Lamb Shank? Yes please! $25-39). One thing I especially love about the menu is that there are suggested wine pairings for every dish- a really nice touch for those looking to imbibe on a full-out foodie experience. There are about 20 local and International wines by the glass ($10-28) and another 60 or so by the bottle ($40-1750). Their cocktail list of 11 offerings fuses trendy ingredients and classic recipes with a wide variety of house made syrups and purees going into each one. My sister opted to start with a peppery Australian Shiraz ($14), while I went the cocktail route. Pear & Vanilla Sparkler ($12) Vodka, Lime, Vanilla Pear Syrup Mexican Screwdriver ($13) Tequila, Passion Fruit Puree, Jalapeno Ginger Syrup Snowflake Martini ($14) Vodka, Elderflower Liqueur, Lime, White Cranberry Three very different cocktails for potentially different palates or moods. The Sparkler was the mildest of the bunch - light, refreshing, but a little muted in flavour for this girl. In contrast, the Screwdriver was quite the kicker with the booze. It was smooth enough for those who like strong drinks, but I was expecting more fruit flavour from the puree and heat from the syrup, and I didn't really get either. The Snowflake was my far the best in my opinion. It was floral, refreshing and way too easy to drink- definitely my first go to next time. For our Winterlicious dinner, we had a choice of 3 appetizers, 3 mains and 3 desserts, available for the reasonable cost of $45 plus tax. Everything sounded delicious. It was so hard to choose, we ended trying all three desserts! Parsnip Bisque Roasted Pears & Double Smoked Bacon The creamy, smooth puree was complimented by the pieces of sweet supple pears and salty bacon at the bottom. This is such comfort food for February weather. Dried Cranberry & Apple Salad Brie Cheese, Honeycomb, Almonds, Baby Greens & Sherry Vinaigrette Yum, yum, yum. A nice balance of super tangy vinaigrette with sticky sweet honey and milky brie cheese. A lovely winter salad. Ontario Grain Fed Veal Osso Bucco Potato Gnocchi, Root Vegetables, Kale & Gremolata The gnocchi were light and pillowy and soaked up all the delicious meat juices that accumulated on the bottom of the plate. The meat was perfectly rendered and tender, but it could have been a little more moist. Butternut Squash Risotto Arborio Rice, Mascarpone, Sage, Truffle Essence Super creamy, luxurious, and cooked a perfect al dente. I did find it a touch overseasoned, and maybe would have appreciated some textural contrast (like bacon?), but that didn't stop me from wanting to finish the entire bowl. Azure has clearly mastered the allure of comfort food. Café Mocha Chocolate Cake Almond Wafer The cake itself was very moist, and the flavour was rich and pronounced with the coffee bringing out the subtleties of the chocolate. I'm not a chocolate lover myself so this was my least favourite dessert of the three, but this might be a good pick for those who love that slightly bitter edge on their sweets. Apple Caramel Cheesecake Calvados Sour Cream & Praline Crust Best cheesecake ever. This was the absolute best part of the meal and I could have happily eaten two more of them and not felt a hint of guilt. The cheesecake was light and creamy, and the caramel was thick and luxurious. I also loved that in the middle there was a little piece of poached apple hidden inside. Order this dessert. Just do it. Banana Walnut Ice Cream House Made Biscotti & Rum Toffee Sauce The lightest and simplest of the three, but a very tasty offering for those who like banana- based desserts (me!!). The ice cream was sweet and aromatic with a nice crunch from the nuts and an addictive sweetness from the sticky toffee sauce..

Nice place in the intercontinental hotel. Food is very good, but very pricey. Good serving staff.

I had lunch with some colleagues and found he overall experience fairly average, food was probably a little below average while the service and wine selection a little above. There isn't really any reason why anyone would go here unless their already at the hotel.

Came here for Winterdelicious 2011!! Beef Carpaccio Mediterranean linguini (vegetarian) Pear tatin with candied ginger ice cream (vegetarian) Was very happy with my selections. I particularly enjoyed the Beef Carpaccio and ginger ice cream. Nice place. Service is left to be desired.

We caught some drinks here after a conference. I was starving so I had the French onion soup, before deciding what else to have. After the soup I decided not to try anything else and just have a few more drinks. The soup was ok, not really fitting of a 4star restaurant. The skylights were all frosted over with condensation, so the great view of the city lights wasn't really in view. It's ok in a pinch, but there are many other better places within walking distance.

My friend and I came here for appetizers and drinks for his birthday. It's more of a special occasion place for most since it was pretty pricey. Drinks: The only word to describe their cocktails was strong. We ordered 4 different drinks and they didn't skimp on the alcohol on any of them, which is both good and bad because you don't end up tasting much of anything else. Their beer selection was okay. Not a lot of choices but mostly craft brews. Apps: fairly good. Our oyster platter was really fresh, and at $18 for a half dozen, decently priced. Sliders were pretty alright. The pork belly was nice and fatty and dressed well. Beef sliders was disappointing as it just tasted like a miniature burger that had nothing special about it. The patty was good though, really moist and a nice texture to it. Chicken brochettes were delicious, but just a tad on the dry side. Service: service was attentive, and not intrusive. They brought out a chocolate torte for my friend as it was his birthday, which was a nice touch. Good ambience, which is what you pay for. Overall would recommend for a special occasion

I went there for a company event, and the food quality & services were way below my expectation !!! And I believe that this may still be truth. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/01/15/reality-didnt-always-match-the-menu-at-toronto-restaurant.html

I've eaten here numerous times, probably eight. The food is very good to excellent. Once I had a rude waitress when I had a party of four after the Blue Jays baseball game when she blew us of before we could order dessert.. Otherwise, I've had excellent service, especially by Elizabeth, Let's start with dessert. The sorbets are outstanding. One my kids had the smores sundaes and they were overwhelming to the point where I didn't order them but they did. Simple is often better. The chocolate dessert I've had and creme brule wee outstanding. Caesar salad was always good. The appetizers have always been excellent. My daughter says they make the best chicken wings around Toronto. I've had there club house sandwich and is was good but a slice of cheese wasn't necessary in a club house sandwich. Again, simple is usually better. People I've been with have had their burger and said it was excellent. As for mains, I've had fish dishes twice and both times they were outstanding, both in taste and portion size. The steaks I've had were very good as well. The also do a really good cheese platter. Pretty had to mess that up as long you choose good cheeses. I did do Summerlicious here and a pork terrine, fish dish and chocolate dessert and it was outstanding and a great value.