DEQ Terrace & Lounge

Came here for nutcracker holiday tea time in December 2015 and really enjoyed the ambiance. It feels like Christmas when you walk in to the lobby smelling of gingerbread, servers dressed as nutcracker characters, and festive decked around the restaurant.
The service was superb, and food is better than the average available in Toronto. Although pricier than other tea options, hey, sometimes it’s nice to enjoy an experience with a bubbly in hand.

This review is for the outdoor terrace. We ordered drinks only as we had already eaten. We probably would have ordered another round had the pigeons not been there. They were disgusting — walking across the tables and chairs! One even flew right at my husband. Another one flew right at a woman sitting at an adjacent table and the waitress came over to try and get it to fly away. The patio is so nice and ruined by these pigeons. I can’t believe a place as nice as the Ritz wouldn’t find a way to get these birds out of the eating space of their guests. I have never seen this at any other patio in Toronto.

Awesome place to catch up with a friend. Great food and tea quality.
Read my full review on

We were staying at the Ritz Carlton and decided to grab a drink before bed so I can’t speak to the food, but the drinks were delicious. And they should have been for $ 20 a pop, even high by Toronto standards. That being said, it was very trendy with a great outdoor space that was very live. Service was great!

This review gets two stars; on the occasions where I actually did take Afternoon Tea at Deq, their scones had tasted heavenly. Both stars are applied to their scones.
However, though I used to love Deq for taking Afternoon Tea — over the Windsor Arms in fact — their service has gone severely downhill as far as I am concerned.
Calling the reservation desk, I managed to confirm my reservation with the nice lady on the phone. Except that it turned out, my confirmation wasn’t a confirmation at all. A detail I found out when they sent me an email, asking me to send my credit card information over email in order to hold my reservation. If they had asked for it during the initial phone conversation to begin with, I would have been happy to provide them that information.
When I called to tell them I wasn’t happy with the idea of sending them my information over email, they told me that it was their policy for reservations, and they were not going to make exceptions. A week later, they called, trying to get my CC data over the phone.
By that point, I had managed to secure reservations at the Library Bar at Fairmont and while I did love Deq, honestly, I was quite disillusioned by their service by that point.

Came here with some decent expectations for dessert but left a little disappointed. The ritz chocolate cake was good but I ordered caramel ice cream with it but what came out was vanilla with only a little caramel drizzled on it that you could barely taste. Also had the tres leches cake which was just a soggy mess that was tasteless & the strawberries and cream was pretty forgettable.

Excellent lounge atmosphere and service, not to mention location/​view of CN Tower. Drinks carefully made and delightful wine/​beer offerings. Spiced nuts and olives were perfect cocktail accompaniments and evened out the price of the drinks. I hoped to go to tea on the weekend but it was booked — I can see why!

Great for celebrating a special event with your favourite person. A very elegant affair with plenty of food to satisfy all ages.
Make a reservation in advance. You will need to complete a form (with your credit card information) to confirm.
Don’t be embarrassed to ask for your treats to-​go if you can’t finish them. They will pack it up for you, no problem.

Just barely, but what the hay, the Ritz deserves it with the name. And don’t let the name fool you, it is on ground level.
situated way in the back, through the lobby.
As usual, don’t expect much with hotel food, but rhe lobster salad roll were yummy, not sure if $ 25 is OK for the average Joe off the street. Thank goodness client paid this time lol.
Service: impeccable. think her name was Sarah, 6 feet tall of gorgeousness and professionalism for such a young lass. One guy’s jacket fell off the chair, she walked it over to hang.
And she refilled water constantly plus the most amazing olives, which she said were marinated in rosemary, oil and thyme. And I normally do not eat these alone like peanuts. High quality paper picks too.

Review for Afternoon Tea (November 2014)
This review is long overdue, but I needed to stress this is not a place to go if you want high end tea service.
My group expected great service and amazing food because of the location inside the Ritz-​Carlton Hotel, but was very disappointed as it failed to deliver for a reputable luxury establishment.
The décor was very modern and relaxed, like you were at a friend’s livingroom which was nice. Plus they even had a lovely fireplace in the main room. Service was friendly, but was very slow despite not being very busy and at times service was non-​existent. We were waiting for a friend who was late for our 2pm reservation, but in the end couldn’t make it after we waited for 35 – 40 minutes.
During the wait, the server didn’t offer us the tea selection, but only water. And then, to our surprise the server said they had to charge the amount for our friend not showing up because they had «pre-​made» the food.
The tea selections from Sloan Fine Tea Merchants was displayed in a nice wooden box and the server explained the various popular teas, then left for about 10 minutes before returning to take our tea selections. To our dismay, the tea took another 20 – 25 minutes to be served to us.
The mini quiches came out before our teas and what a disappointment because it was not even served lukewarm, but we were all very hungry and just ate it as is.
Next was the savoury selection which was presented nicely on a unique tiered serving display, but we were very disappointed with all the sandwiches. There was definitely a good selection of assorted sandwiches, but all the bread was crusty and stale tasting, plus all the fillings and toppings were bland tasting. We were all hungry so just ate the sandwiches, but not all of us finished every sandwich.
When the server said pre-​made, when exactly was it made? Even if it was the morning or night before the bread shouldn’t have been this crunchy. Even the 5 year old in our party said it was awful and didn’t finish her portion. She had the classic tea selection like the rest of us which was served on an individual platter for her.
The sweet selection was a lot better as it was tasty and had a great variety of different pastries and mini desserts. The sweets were not overly sweet that you had to take several sips of tea. For the most part the sweets were definitely more enjoyable than the savoury selection. Bonus for the unique display than the ordinary tiered platter service.
The scones were edible to our surprise because it was fluffy and buttery in texture. We wondered if this was even made in house or bought at the local bakery. Jams and clotted cream that accompanied the scones were a delight and enhanced the flavour of the scones.
During the tea service, I had to ask the server for a hot water refill for the teapot which was complied, but the rest of my party were not asked if they needed a hot water refill. The server left rather quickly before we can even tell her, but we definitely asked when she returned.
For tea service this was highly unacceptable to our liking because the whole premise of afternoon tea is actually having tea readily available. I guess we were used to other afternoon tea services where the servers automatically comes with hot water to refill the teapots or at least offer if we needed more hot water on several occasions.
Overall, it was definitely not a very enjoyable afternoon tea experience, so my advice is save the $ 40 and go elsewhere. Many other places in the area that offers better afternoon tea service.
Note: The server was definitely quick to produce the bill when we asked for it.

Fabulous atmosphere, excellent food (one of the best high tea food services I’ve experienced), but tea service itself could be improved.
Ambience
The DEQ terrace and lounge is a very spacious and cozy lounge area. One of my pet peeves at certain high tea locations is being right in the middle of lobby foot traffic, and being peered at as people walk by. This won’t happen at DEQ. Comfortable chairs, cozy fireplace, good natural light. IMO, this is the best ambience for high tea in Toronto.
Food
I was super impressed. First of all, quantity-​wise, you can plenty. The food arrived in three rounds: 1) warm mini quiche; 2) an assortment of savoury sandwiches; 3) an assortment of sweets. We did not have to eat dinner after! I was also impressed by the quality of the food. Everything was delicately and distinctively prepared (e.g the mini sandwiches each had its own type of bread and filling, as opposed to the same piece of white bread used with three different fillings). The food really was top-​notch.
Tea
My only complaint is how the tea was served. I was kind of surprised we were each served our tea with a 1L teapot. That is a lot of tea for one person, and hard to drink all of it before it falls below the ideal temperature. Also, we were not given a plate to set the tea leaves aside… so I think the expectation is that your tea will continue steeping for the entire time you are trying to finish that pot of tea. My tea ended up being too strong. My understanding is that no tea should be steeped indefinitely, but maybe I am wrong? It would be nicer if they just served the tea in a small pot, so that the water can be changed more frequently. Or, provide a way to set the tea leaves aside so that it doesn’t steep indefinitely.
Overall, despite the little issue about the tea, I highly recommend DEQ. Without a doubt, this is one of the best high tea experiences I have had in Toronto.

Dropped by here before heading off to the Leafs game and was impressed by the professional and attentive service and quietly luxurious ambiance that cloaks the lounging area. For a high end property known for it’s moneyed touches, the menu at The Ritz Carleton is quite reasonable and the food was tasty and left you wanting to order more. Server kept the beers cold and once we were ready to head off, we weren’t kept waiting for the check. Go.

Deq is my favourite place to go to on Thursday or Friday for drinks. Great atmosphere and service is always impeccable. It’s also one of my favourite spots for meetings and client lunches during weekdays. The menu is decent but perhaps they should get their banquet exec chef Raghu to redesign the menu for them (he’s recently created this fusion menu that looks superb). More than anything else, I like the atmosphere here and the magnificent patio.

Absolutely love this place!!! It’s my personal top choice for afternoon tea. The service is fantastic. The servers are always very friendly and helpful yet not overly «caring». The sandwiches are so good and I particularly love the quiche! Only one drawback is that the desserts are a bit too sweet for me.

Came here right a Jays game ended and was brought in by the fact we could get a terrace seat. Fantastic location on the deck which makes you forget you are in the city. Of special note was the Gin Tonic East which uses the new Bombay Sapphire East gin which has heavy herb overtures which are absolutely delicious on a hot summer day.
Santé!!!

I LOVED the high tea here! Everything about it were up to my expectations. High tea here is so much better than Windsor Arms… First of all, they present you with this pretty box that lights up with your tea selection inside. There are 9 individual smaller containers within the big box that contain different types of tea and you can open up the lid to smell the scent of the tea. On the lid of the big box displays the names and description of each tea.
We started off with a quiche and then the savoury tray of high tea was served which included salmon croissant sandwiches and some other stuff i dont remember (look at the pictures i uploaded) but it was just GOOD! The sweet tray came next and I was so happy that they served macarons! Windsor Arms didn’t serve any macarons so that was a huge disappointment. So the sweet tray included some typical stuff like very fluffy scones, red velvet cupcakes, a miniature tiramisu, minature eclaire and such.
One other thing i really like about high tea at Ritz is the presentation of the food. They serve the food in this round shelf-​like thing and neatly organize the food on each level. One of the main reasons why I like this place, i know this is going to sound stupid, but the presentation of the food. A lot of other high tea places present the food on a tower with a plate on each level and food just scattered on it. I hate that! It makes the food so unattractive and unappetizing. It’s true when they say your eyes eat first.

A great place for a quiet drink and some delicious food. The patio in the back is incredible but a little too crowded and busy for me. I prefer to be inside.
First the GOOD:
— Incredible consistent service. Never had a problem on multiple visits. Love that they use your first name. Easily 5 star on the service… I feel like a VP every time.
— Nice dark calming atmosphere /​décor. Great after a busy day at work. Ask to sit by the fireplace on a cold winter day.
— If your there just for drinks, they provide complimentary kettle chips.
— Gnocchi is excellent… pasta heaven. Priced comparable to a good Italian restaurant at $ 18.
— I always get the beet salad when they have it. Lighter but packs a flavour punch. Pumpkin seeds on top are a welcomed addition ($ 18). The watermelon summer salad is also excellent.
— If you just want a snack to share, go with the flat bread pizza’s.
— Interesting & unique cocktail selections (but please get more beers on tap).
— Beautiful washrooms
and the NOT so Good:
— Only two beers on tap (Mill str. Organic & Mad Tom IPA). They also have 7 – 8 in bottle.
— Beer is a little pricier compared to my other favourite hotel lounge — The Library Bar at the Royal York. Pints are $ 10 — $ 11.
Highly recommend. The service and ambiance will always bring me back despite the limited beer selection.
BK

Review for Afternoon Tea
I came here in a party of five for a pre-​wedding celebration. They do afternoon tea sets from 2−4pm on weekends only — reserve in advance because it can get busy. When we were there there were lots of birthdays, family gatherings, and other groups.
There are a variety of choices from the «classic tea» to sets that have cocktails or champagne. We just went with the classic tea ($ 38 per person). Our server brought out a nice box of teas — 12 kinds. She clearly specified which were caffeine-​free, low caffeine, and regular. There were some herbal teas, oolong, green tea, and black teas. She left the box with us for a few minutes so we could smell the different teas. I went with the vanilla rooibos which was perfectly sweet and didn’t need any added sugar.
Then the savoury bites came out, beautifully presented. My favourites were the smoked salmon croissant and mushroom quiche (there were also meat quiches, I think with bacon). The raisin scones were quite good too, although I’m not a fan of raisins. The portions are mostly bite size and look small, but it’s deceiving… It actually adds up to a lot of food! I was glad I skipped lunch so I had room to eat everything.
Next were the sweets. There were so many things we couldn’t finish… There were a variety of flavours, definitely something for everyone. The winners for me were the opera cake and lemon meringue tart.
Everything was very well done and fresh. I had a much better experience compared to the last time I had afternoon tea which was at the King Edward Hotel. Service was good. We sat inside and when I asked if we could sit on the patio, the server was very serious and apologetic, stating that they do not serve afternoon tea on the patio (something about the wind blowing things away, or the clotted cream melting in the sun… apparently the chef was quite adamant that it’s an indoors only affair…). Overall, a lovely place to spend an afternoon. It’s not cheap but for a special occasion it’s worth the splurge.

One of the hottest days of the year? Check.
Full suit? Check.
Let’s go to DEQ!
:/​
Great patio to the back of the Ritz Carlton. Limited but delicious lunch menu. I had the Italian Country Ham sandwich and it was delicious. Thinly sliced ham and a thick, melted slab of cheese. Side dip was tasty without having too much garlic. The spinach was chopped to an almost pesto consistency.
I passed on the Turkey sliders, but I know what I’m getting next time.
Wine/​beer menu was pretty much to be expected for an RC eatery, including Mill St. Brewery products. Prices were not too much more than surrounding restaurants BUT they were presented well and were scrumptious.
We were first on the patio to avoid as much as the sun as possible, but by 12:30 is was getting a little toasty. Staff were very friendly but it did take a little longer than expected to get the lunches out to us, especially as we were close to the first guests to eat.
Would return in a heart beat. And in the fall.

I love DEQ!
I love my experience so much that I wish my Unilocal Drinking Buddy showing up late so I can keep having my mixed drinks and daydreaming I am enjoying my pre dinner drink at one of the resort!
Waiters speaks with an European accent? Where do they find all these waiters? Polite, friendly and «cough cough» good looking?!!
Those wicker chaise loungers in the patio… oh so comfy… great for daydreaming… A view of CN Tower… Priceless!
I don’t really mind paying a premium for the experience…
Raspberry Collins ($ 15) and Turkey Meatball Slider ($ 18)
And I think from now on I going to meet my always late Unilocal Drinking Buddy at DEQ, he can take his sweet time…