Spice Route Asian Bistro & Bar

My Favorite Restaurant!

I've been to Spice Route a few times and every time it has been a lovely dinning experience. The servers are helpful and knowledgeable about the menu, and have helped me picked some delicious dishes I wouldn't normally try. The food is great! My favorite would be the wasabi crusted shrimp and the pot stickers. The prices are very reasonable for a king west restaurant! love the room, the decor and the bathrooms! YOU MUST CHECK OUT THE BATHROOMS! Great place for after work drinks!

Didn't know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised

Reservation: I was worried at first about hosting a lounge night for a large party of 30 (bad experience previously) and I had never reserved at a resto-lounge or been to Spice Route before so I wasn't sure how the atmosphere was going to be and whether the diners and other lounge guests would be mixing together, etc etc. However, a few of my friends were excited about me booking Spice Route already because they've heard good things about it and how nice it is and really wanted to come so I felt a bit better about it already. I was reassured on the phone that I would have a semi private area to myself even in the main lounge area (I didn't want to get a party room as it didn't fit as many people and I was not eating dinner here). When I went to check it out the afternoon before the event, I was impressed with the decor and the way the area was somewhat secluded even from the rest of the bar and lounge guests. It was along the back wall just next to the door but there was a thick curtain that blocked the door traffic and wind from the space. The rugs under the tables and the way the walls lit up was really pretty and really gave off this Asian/Indian contemporary look instead of just chic like many other lounges. I was also reassured at this time that the waitress would be able to keep track of the tab so that it would not skyrocket which may be common amongst other lounges and such but NOT from my prior experience with previous bookings. Night of: The bouncer let us in once we said that we had booked and didn't ask again whether we were 25+ or not. Two servers were servicing our table that night and although the service was slower than desired at times, it was understandable because it was a Friday night and quite packed both in the dining and entire bar/lounge area. Some of my friends were hungry and were able to order full out meals which was convenient. Others ordered finger food along with their drinks. The tab minimum was very reasonable to me and we were able to meet it easily and reasonably without ordering excessively. My friends enjoyed the night overall and I was happy everything turned out for them. We were able to get more space when we realized that our party wasn't going to fit in the space allotted. The crowd was older than my party but we didn't really mingle together and they all seem to be young professionals who were relatively well behaved so there were no disruptions of any kind. There were a lot of comments about the washrooms and how it had a ceiling to floor glass that looked outside (but still blocked off from the actual street). Instinctively I felt like someone was going to look in on me, but I know it was psychological because I looked twice to make sure no one could see us from the outside!!! Great experience overall...I would definitely book again for the lounge!!

second time coming....

felt lost the first time I went to spice route a couples months ago. I decided to give it a second shot since I really enjoyed their decor and environment although felt a bit lost at times. the place is exquisite in terms of decor. the service had improved which was a huge factor that made the night run more smooth.

Trendy Hot Spot in Toronto night life.

Pretty cool night spot to kick it on the weekend. For a place that is so nicely designed, i'm surprised that they do not have any ads that showcases the fantastic decor. They don't even have a website link or anything like that. All and all pretty good place.

I went to Spice Route last night with friends for a birthday. Our reservation was at 10:30 and there was heavy traffic on King (busy clubbing night). We called from the cab to make sure they knew we were coming, and were informed that they would hold our reservation from a half hour. I believe we got into the reception area at 11:02 and the snobby blond hostess rudely informed us that we were late and our table was gone because of it. She told us to get a drink at the bar while we wait (15-20 min) and she turned her back dismissing us. If it wasn't for her, I would have given 5 stars for service, because our server was really great. He was knowledgeable about the food and was able to suggest items for us when we had trouble. The rest of the evening went very well, however the food wasn't all that wonderful. I was expecting top notch from all the hype about this place. As for tip, we gave 20 percent on a 165ish bill...I think 15 percent for the amount of things that the guy below me ordered is probably a little undertipping, but the server had no right to flip out over it.