Stone Grill on Winchester

Stone Grill on Winchester 51B Winchester St. 416 967 6565



What a happening! It was great fun with exquisite food. I recall the old Winchester Hotel before this renovation. It was a beer drinking landmark in Cabbagetown. The upstairs rooms are now beautifully renovated and the restaurant is exquisite. My friend and I loved the interior. The grey walls were so soothing. A bar area features lounge chairs facing a delightful fireplace. There is a calm relaxed feeling to the décor. It is a remarkable change from the previous old hotel.

Best of all was the friendly rapport amongst the staff and to the patrons. Brad is the manager. He has been in charge now for 3 years. Our servers, Christopher and Amy were so much fun. They had personality galore and made the evening memorable from start to finish. Everybody seems to have a good time working here and it shows. I can’t remember when I have had so much fun dining on excellent food.

The place is called the Stone Grill because of the type of food they mainly feature. Beef Tenderloin, Sirloin or Salmon are served to you raw on a lava rock that is extremely hot. You cut your portion in slices and it cooks as you eat. All meat dishes come with a mushroom sauce. The fish dishes come with a lemon-ginger sauce.

My friend enjoyed a large piece of the beef tenderloin. My salmon was perfect. I cut slices and allowed them to continue cooking as I ate. Each plate also had warm roasted potatoes and perfectly prepared vegetables. This is an experience. The flavor was superb and the whole exercise was such fun. We both started with a House Salad. Even this was better than most. The ginger berry balsamic vinaigrette was so flavorful. The baby spinach and other vegetables were fresh and crisp.

We were full but when I saw the giant piece of Chocolate Cake I knew I was doomed. I could have left some but on the other hand I couldn’t stop eating this three layer cake. The bottom layer was a dense dark chocolate. The middle layer was a white mousse and the top was chocolate mousse. The chocolate icing on the side of the cake was too delicious to leave behind. We noticed the young women at the next table delving into their Carrot Cake and Cheesecake.

This is a creative menu. Chef Carlos hails from Columbia. He was busy preparing all that gourmet food for the patrons. I wanted so much to tell him that I think he is a master chef and very creative.

Would you believe that Alligator and Boar are on the menu?

We discovered this gem by accident. I was looking in the computer for a different Winterlicious experience. I am not that familiar with the Cabbagetown restaurants. This was a great find. Make sure to stop in next door at Tim Horton’s. The original tin ceiling from the old hotel is absolutely magnificent. Pictures of the old hotel and the street in a different era hang on the wall

I always have fun when I dine with this friend. She is adventurous and flexible. She adores great food and always has great stories. This visit was even better because we were dining in a delightful new spot that provided a delightful ambiance and wonderful satisfying food.