This Bosk Restaurant Toronto Review is part of a trip report on Toronto luxury hotels and dining. For the prior posts, please see:
TAM Business Class Review JFK-Toronto
Beast Restaurant Toronto Review
Trump Toronto Hotel Review
Review: LiveToronto Walking Tour and Photo Shoot
Four Seasons Toronto Review
Cafe Boulud Toronto Review
Park Hyatt Toronto Review
Review: Shangri-La Toronto
TravelSort Clients enjoy Virtuoso benefits including complimentary daily breakfast at Bosk when reserving the Shangri-La Toronto:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Daily full breakfast, for up to two in room guests
- A $100 CAD Food & Beverage credit per stay (not combinable; not valid towards room rate; no cash value if not redeemed)
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Bosk at Shangri-La Toronto Location and Hours
Bosk is located just off the lobby of the Shangri-La Toronto, at 188 University Avenue in downtown Toronto. Breakfast is served 7-10:30am Monday to Friday and 7-11am Saturday and Sunday; lunch is from 11:30am-2pm weekdays; weekend brunch 11am-2pm; and dinner 5:30-10:30pm Monday to Saturday. Bosk is closed for dinner on Sunday.
The Scene
At dinner, most tables were couples, with a few business dinners. My son was the only child in the restaurant during our dinner visit, although I expect that this was a function of it being a weekday dinner, and not during a Canadian holiday period. I was happy that the fairly loud noise level of the lobby did not carry through into Bosk, and it was quiet enough to have normal conversation.
Bosk Dinner Menu, Pre-Theatre Menu, Kids' Menu, and Food
Bosk offers a nice pre-theatre menu 5:30-6:30pm, with 2 courses for CAD $33 (about USD $25 at current exchange rates) and 3 courses for CAD $42 (~$32). Since we wanted to dine early anyway, so I could get my son to bed on time, I opted for the two course theater menu.
There was also a full a la carte menu available. The cover was rather distinctive, in cork:
And finally, here's the kids' menu:
We were warmly welcomed by our server, who was happy to share his recommendations when I asked. After asking our choice in water, he brought complimentary bread and butter, which was very good, although I would have loved for it to be served warm.
My son chose the salmon from the kids' menu, and I must say I was very impressed with it. Obviously for CAD $17 (~$13) it wasn't the wild salmon on the regular menu, but it was beautifully presented and perfectly cooked. It's probably the best seafood meal from a kids' menu he's ever eaten.
My first course was Roasted Beet & Pingue Prosciutto, and it too was plated artistically and most importantly, delicious, particularly with the quail egg. I loved the interplay of the sweetness from the beets, the umami from the prosciutto, and fresh greens.
While I rarely order chicken as a main course, the Roasted Organic Chicken with Confit Leg and date puree was excellent and very satisfying.
Although we didn't order dessert, we were brought these mignardises. We didn't bother with the marshmallows, and the chocolates weren't memorable, but still a nice touch.
Bosk Breakfast Menu and Food
Bosk's breakfast menu is quite extensive, so I had some trouble choosing:
While I was deciding, a server offered some complimentary lemon poppyseed cake that was delicious:
My son chose scrambled eggs, and our server was happy to substitute bacon for ham at no extra charge. The bacon was nice and crispy, eggs were scrambled well, so no complaints.
Our server recommended the Brioche French Toast with macerated strawberries to me. It looked good, but was only ok–I would try something else before ordering it again.
The Verdict
I was pleasantly surprised with how good Bosk Restaurant was for dinner, and found the pre-theater menu to be excellent value. I was less impressed with my breakfast, but I have high standards for french toast. Service was friendly and professional, and always started out strong, although it become markedly less attentive later in our dinner and I had to stand up and go get another server to finally get our dinner check.