Braaibar

Braai Bar atmosphere is incredible, as well as the service. My partner and I went to Stratford Festival (August 31st)and between the matinee show and the night show we booked a table at the bar. Our table was initially to dine indoors but the hostess kindly rearranged our reservation and had us sit on the patio. We decided to book a table at the Braai Bar because I'm vegan and we wanted to make sure we went to a place where we could both enjoy the meal. Braai Bar sounded like the perfect spot, as on the first page of the website you have "Our talented team have curated a bar menu that will leave you wanting to try every dish. Whether you're vegan, vegetarian, gluten free or a carnivore, we have something for everyone". My partner called the restaurant Friday night to confirm whether there'd be vegan options, which was confirmed. When the server gave us the menu, I couldn't find many vegan options. More precisely, the only vegan option they had was the Hippy Bowl and 2 vegan salads (options that were not originally in the menu but could be made vegan since I asked). Since we had the table booked already and had a limited time between the shows, we ordered drinks, a tomato salad (really good!) as a starter and the main dishes - Hippy Bowl for me and a steak for my partner. I don't have words to describe the Hippy Bowl. That was EXTREMELY disappointing. The Hippy Bowl was essentially a quinoa salad with vegetables. No dressing, no further preparation, no taste. And $23! I couldn't eat half of the bowl because how tasteless it was. My partner is an excellent cook so we asked for a take-out container and brought it home to use the leftovers for something else (picture attached of the delicious vegan sandwich he made with it). We had a show to attend at 8pm, and would get home (Toronto) only around 1am. Therefore we had to stop by at a vegan diner in town to get me another meal (more $). I understand the Braai Bar menu is focused on steak. However, when you advertise you have options for everyone, including vegans, the customer expects a dish that at least requires more preparation rather than throwing vegetables into a bowl. We all know that Vegan cuisine can be more than just plain vegetables. It was extremely disappointing, considering the place is awesome, the service, and the patio is lovely. I'm not the one to leave bad reviews or express my disappointment. I know vegan cuisine is still on the rise and places are getting used to having vegan clients and catering to them. This is feedback for a place that has potential and I would love to return to and have reasonable options with substance (e.g. pasta, risotto, flame roasted hearty vegetables, toasted crostini with heirloom tomatoes and balsamic reduction. For dessert: vegan chocolate cake, cookie, sorbet). Thank you!

This was my maiden voyage to Stratford but it won’t be my last. After enjoying a walk around the city, taking in all the great sights, we settled on Braii bar. This meal was a highlight of my year. I was unsure about ordering broccoli as an appetizer but it seemed the safest gluten free choice. Wow! It exceeded all expectations for texture, and taste. So did my Malay curry. The vegetables are vibrant in color and unique spices. The portions are hearty and the staff is cheerful and engaged in their clientele. A glass of the Pearce Predhomme Cynsault/Syrah was a perfect finish to the meal. I look forward to eating here again. Thank you. ~esther