Sample

Have been back here a couple times, including for my birthday, and it’s one of my favorite Buffalo bars. Pricey though.

I was so VERY UNDERWHELMED tonight. I took my son here to celebrate his 15^th birthday because I thought he would love the whole idea of small samples of different foods rather than the typical meal. I love to surprise the boy! I’m just that kind of mom. I also try to stick to some sort of budget most of the time, so when I saw that I could purchase a «restau​rant​.com» certificate for $ 10 that would give me $ 25 off of a minimum of $ 45 I bought it immediately.
Well…that was the first problem. When the waiter saw the certificate he told me that it could ONLY be used for the «tasting menu». Now believe me, I read the fine print on that certificate very well, and it said, «Minimum purchase of $ 45. 20% Gratuity added prior to discount. Valid for Dinner, Dine In ONLY. Excludes: Other Offers/​Promotions. Present prior to ordering. Valid with the purchase of our Chef tasting, per person.» That is an EXACT cut and paste from the certificate on-​line. It did not say ONLY valid with tasting menu. Just that it IS valid with the tasting menu. Also, that tasting menu has many things that neither of us eat… it cost $ 39 a person … it cannot be shared… and if it’s ordered by one person it must be ordered by all of the people at the table. SO MANY RULES! Is this a restaurant or a totalitarian régime? CRAZY!!!
Well… finally the manager came over and offered to buy back my certificate for the $ 10 that I paid for it, but I would still have to spend at least $ 45, but we could order anything we wanted from the menu. Honestly if it hadn’t been my son’s birthday and he was so excited about eating tiny food… I would have walked right out of the place and never looked back. Certificate be damned!
We tried to put the whole «ordeal» behind us and enjoy our meal. And, the waiter was honestly very nice. Unfortunately the food WAS NOT ANYTHING LIKE WE EXPECTED! It wasn’t little. Normally one wouldn’t complain about getting MORE than expected, but when you come for tiny and you get regular sized it kind of ruins the whole experience.
We ordered four dishes expecting four little portions to share. The «Cheese Board» (fennel gratin, house made focaccia bread sticks, house made ricotta, grape salad, artisinal cheese) was tasty enough, but that «artisinal cheese» was just a hunk of plain old bleu. The «Soup Flight» (curried cauliflower & apple soup, roasted red pepper bisque, matzo ball soup) was served in regular size cups and was pretty «one note» and extremely salty. The «Beef on Weck Sliders» (red wine braised beef, house made silver dollar kimmelweck rolls, horseradish vinaigrette) were NOT on silver dollar size rolls… they were on regular size slider rolls, but maybe even thicker. The shredded roast beef was tasty and tender, but there wasn’t even a hint of horseradish. And our final dish, «Famous Poutine Fries» (hand-​cut french fries, red wine gravy, braised beef, cheese curds) was a HUGE portion of frozen french fries literally swimming in au jus, and covered liberally with the same beef shreds as on the weck and lots of melted mozzarella chunks. And, it was also very, very salty!
We ordered two desserts to share (both hoping that at least THEY would be small… and I am not all that good at adding in my head and I was afraid that if I didn’t order AT LEAST $ 45 worth of food the manager would stab me with a butter knife on my way out the door). My son chose the «Salted Chocolate Cake with Marcapone Ice Cream» and I ordered the «S’mores» (house made graham crackers, chocolate-​peanut butter cream, bruleed vanilla marshmallow with dark chocolate sauce, rich caramel and peanut brittle served with dark hot chocolate and marshmallows). The cake slice was… yup, you guessesd it, LARGE… and really nothing special. But that s’more was the highlight of the evening. Kind of small in size, but very large in flavor. Complicated… perfectly balanced… exquisitely executed. If only the rest of the meal wasn’t such a TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT!

It’s hard to know what to say about Sample. First, it’s basically a tapas place, but like to invent its own vocabulary for it. Platters=appetizers, and Small Plates= ¾ entrees. Why not just say that on the damn menu?
I like what the chef is doing with food. Slightly experimental takes on classics. But why add all the confusion?
Also, no wine list, even though they have a fine selection of wines (at least three reds and three whites by the glass).
Service wasn’t great (someone PLEASE tell me where in Buffalo it is great), but once we told our server we didn’t care for the soup flight he promptly took it off our bill. I appreciate that logic, without me having to start being a little bitch about it.
I like Sample, but if they’re going to act trendy, hip, and charge those prices, they’re going to need to get their act together.

Sample size sample bite but nothing out of ordinary!
The regular minature food that reminded me the story of gulliver & liliputs.
It more suits as an pub accompaniment or best is to go as a group of 4 or more to get a bite of each Sample in Ample!
Most of the food is regular antipastis and mini burgers as opposed to what I expected to be some unique collection of arrays of samples after seeing huge names on menu card. The only unique thing was «pepper sorbet» which is starts at a note of sweetness and ends with a peppery flavor!

I LOVE Sample and go there whenever I’m in town. I agree that it’s not an all american dining experience, but that’s one of the things that makes it special and different. It’s fun for a night out with friends or on a date.
The space is posh and creative, the food is delicious, and the drinks are amazing. For food — it’s an experience to be able to «sample» so many items on the menu. I think each item is worth trying. I like some more than others, but I haven’t had many that I don’t like.
For drinks I switch between the raspberry bellini and honey lavender… I just can’t choose.

Food is cute and the concept is ok, but the flavor and quality of the food was just… overpriced. And not very flavorful. And cooked poorly.
Just, not good. I gave it 2 stars because a few dishes offered some redemption, but over all i would never spend money on the food menu again.
The martini i had was AMAZING though!

I absolutely love appetizers and when I first started dating my boyfriend he suggested this wonderful Allentown gem! I had only heard of it and honestly I never was up for trying it because no one had anything good to say. This is very evident from the reviews. People say they leave here hungry, that that food is not good, that there is no creativity… ect, ect, ect. Well to all of you I say this: «Damn it! You are all wrong.» That is the problem with our «All America (did the city not have enough money for the ‘n’?) city… and that problem would be that Americans love over-​sized portions of shit. They prefer quantity over quality.
When it comes to creativity I put this place right up there with Torches. My dear Buffalonians… you don’t get anymore creative than this (except for changing the menu up a little). Both times we opted for the epicurean journey that took us on a 6 course flight through the menu.
Course 1– the cheese board made up of fennel gratin, house made focaccia bread sticks, house made ricotta, grape salad, artisinal cheese.
Course 2– The Mediterranean Plate consisting of hummus, feta & roasted red pepper salad (AMAZING), artichoke bruschetta, olive tapanade, and warm pita.
Course 3 (the only course that changed since our previous encounter) — The Soups: Chicken with dumplings, Sweet potato soup, leek soup (love it!), and New England Clam Chowder — I am not a seafood foodie at all… especially clam chowder, but this came in the cutest lil lions head bowl I had to try it. It was really good, a little thin but good.
Course 4– Fried Chick dinner bits — this was amazing. The cheddar grits and the truffle honey… oh my, oh my! This stuff is just so cute, how could you not like it?
Tiny little mini fish fry served in a house made (everything is) potato chip. Fried jambalaya cake, more like a non crabby crab cake.
Course 5 (my fav!!) — this course consisted of the cutest mini sammies. Mini beef on weck with a creamy horseradish sauce on top of the greatest mini roll ever. A pulled pork sandwich with homemade coleslaw. A strange yet delicious way to eat this. Then a sliver of flank steak served atop mini potato gaufrette. I ate everything on this platter! Oh, so wonderful. Compliments to the chef.
The last course was the dessert. Strawberry balsamic sorbet! Genius, pure genius. A mini pb and chocolate smore which was very rich.
I love love love this place. The only thing I think keeping me from giving it 5 stars (which I rarely do) was that the menu was the same as last time. A place as creative as this and that offers a Chef’s Creation Sample menu and states on their website menu, and I quote: «Sample’s menu is ever evolving and changing» should change at a much faster pace. Either this is false advertisement or they are evolving at the same pace as human evolution. Either way I want them to up their creativity and change the menu!!! I will be back to see their progress.

When this concept restaurant first opened I thought the idea to serve mini gourmet bites was excellent… turns out it’s just not for Buffalo: the over-​eating capital of the world. However, I looked at the menu and I couldn’t resist: french onion soup in a mini-​bread bowl, linguini with clam sauce served in a clam shell… I just had to try it. The problem was as more and more of my friends went there they all hated it. I mean people detest this place. Look at the Unilocal reviews below, there is some serious hatred for this place. Everyone told me they left hungry, and my dad complained that the floor was sticky (I love the man but I can’t hate a restaurant for a sticky floor, especially with the vast amounts of drunks on Allen schlopping their drinks around). Critics be damned I had to try it… and I LOVED IT. I was blown away with the steak and eggs, which was a deftly prepared tiny piece of steak with a tiny poached quail egg on top and the mini beef on weck, which was unbelievable! A house made mini weck roll, with slow roasted meat (more like a braised short-​rib as opposed to the ever-​present top round) and a horseradish cream sauce. After eating here I knew the chef had some serious skills that were presented in very tiny portions. These are gourmet quality treats that are miniaturized… I think it’s brilliant.
After eating there I could not wait to go back, however, NO ONE wanted to go with me. Every time I brought it up, my friends scoffed at me and refused to join in. I eventually was relegated to eating at the bar while my friends enjoyed some cocktails. (FYI the Honey Lavender Martini is very good)
Fast forward a few years and when I met a beautiful and adventurous girl who actually wanted to sit down and eat at Sample (that may sealed the deal… well that and her great butt). As we looked over the menu our eyes were both immediately drawn to the seven course Tasting Menu (how Romantic!!). We decide to indulge and swooned at the feast in which we were presented. The meal started with a tiny foccacia cracker topped with an olive tapenade and a tiny sliver of salty cheese over a balsamic reduction. A perfectly cute tiny bite to whet the palate for the rest of the meal. The next plate was my personal favorite of the series consisting of a roasted fennel gratin, a house-​cured olive dish, and house-​made ricotta cheese served with mini grapes. It was a perfect harmony of flavor, and the roasted fennel was both sweet and savory.
The next course was a series of Mediterranean dips including, hummus, baba ganoush, white bean purée, seasoned lentils, and feta with roasted red peppers. While the while bean purée and hummus were a bit under-​seasoned, the baba ganoush was perfectly smoky and delicious. The lentils were the best on this dish lightly season with (I believe a bit of caraway) and with a perfectly executed brunoise of carrots. That takes some serious knife skills and was so very tasty.
The next course was the soup course in which I was disappointed. There were a series of 4 soups. The chicken with dumplings did not contain any salt leaving it extremely bland. I also found the French onion bowl very dry and not reminiscent of a French onion soup. The best soup was the new england clam chowder served in the cutest mini lion’s head soup bowl with a house-​made oyster cracker. However, it was a bit too thin for my taste.
The next course was the fried meats, consisting of a small piece of fried chicken served over cheesy grits with truffle honey, a fried jambalaya cake, and a mini fish fry (very Buffalo… very lent). These were all amazing, yet the jambalaya did not really taste like jambalaya, more like an arranchini with siracha on it… the presentation was cute though.
The final dish was definitely the second best of the series which had the aforementioned mini beef on weck, a mini pulled pork roll with coleslaw, and a sliver of flank steak over a mini potato gaufrette. All three were amazing!
The meal finished with a series of three desserts including a mini-​peanut butter s’more which was very nice and creative.
My girlfriend and I were blown away by the tasting menu and the skill that the chef presented. We went back around 5 months later to try the tasting menu again and hopefully sample some new dishes. This however, was a disappointment. Only two dishes were new including a sweet potato soup and a potato leek soup (both of which were very good) and the rest of the menu was the same. While everything was excellent, as it was the time before, this severely let me down. This chef is creative, adventurous and exciting and a tasting menu should (and does for the most part) showcase that skill. Part of that however, should be an ever changing menu of new items. Being presented with the same tasting menu was like waking up on Christmas morning and getting the same gifts as last year… total bummer. I love the concept though and will be back!

It was a strange experience, I suppose. I enjoyed my company most, the drinks second, and the food last.
We went during restaurant week…$ 20 for a special menu… a tasting of everything. I don’t really remember much about the food, except for the ramen noodle soup that tasted like I cooked in my hot pot.
I’m rather tall, 5’10…hubs is even taller at 6’3…and our friends are somewhere in between… and we felt awkward and cramped upstairs in the tiny little loft. Once seated, drinks in hand, we got over the giant syndrome though.
It’s fun to go, just to say you’ve tried it I spose. But if you’re a starving college student, save yourself the $$$ and fire up your hot pot.

This is a strange place. It looks swank from the outside, but on the inside, the clientele and staff act, look, and dress the same as in any other Buffalo sports bar. It’s not a bad place to drink, per se, especially if you’re stopping in before heading to the Ol’ Pink across the street for some PBRs and pool, but it is kind of … unsettling.
The Chai Martini’s probably the best reason to come, and the best metaphor for Sample overall. A little bit silly, but it doesn’t taste bad, and it’s fun to drink once.

If you want to pay quite a bit of money for not a lot of food, this is where it’s at! The food is a solid «okay», the martinis tend to be better. Service is lackluster at best. I tried eating here twice, both times left disappointed. Will not return. It’s just too much money for a whole lot of nothing.

Yes, okay, I stopped by to try out the so-​called «Best Martini in Buffalo» and to also try some food. I’ve been hesitant for many years to make a visit. I’m trying to figure out why that has been the case. Too many people who are distinctly NOT from the neighborhood? Barren atmosphere? Negative Unilocal reviews? I can’t quite put my finger on it. Nevertheless, I was ready to give it a chance and bury my hesitation.
Before I get too deep into my review — about the concept. The idea is to try a small portion of a variety of dishes. It isn’t a tapas bar. It isn’t Spanish food. Yes, the portions are meant to be small, and yes you can buy a «platter» and share, but I looked at the menu and couldn’t find a Spanish inspired dish at all. This isn’t a knock on Sample, okay, rather a knock on the idea that the restaurant can be boiled down to something that describes what they do only in part. Toro isn’t even really an honest to goodness tapas bar. This is a place that simply serves mini portions and encourages variety.
On to the booze — the vaunted Honey Lavender martini. Honey-​lavender syrup, lemon juice, gin. Damn, I have to say I liked it. It was sweet due to the honey, the lavender being something that bridges the gap between the sweetness of the honey and the sourness of the lemon. I’ll be damned if I won’t go through an entire bottle of gin, as well as a pile of lavender blossoms and lemons, to learn the recipe. I did it before with another cocktail at another martini bar, but this time I won’t forget to write down my proportions, thus forcing me to start the process over again later on. Very balanced drink.
I’ll admit that I strayed from the food concept. I don’t necessarily doubt other reviewers who claim that (this is my interpretation of your reviews, alright, don’t choke me out) the variety of the dishes ends up being a net negative. I obviously did not have that experience. I ordered the Petit Filet of Beef and it was not bad. The «grilled» zucchini didn’t really look grilled, alright, although it was tasty, and the «dauphinois» potato lacked the cheesy goodness that a Gratin Dauphinois needs. The beef was very good. Cooked perfectly. The tempranillo sauce tasted great and went well with the dish. My impression is that this didn’t suffer from a lack of focus. Quibbles aside, I thought it was done fairly well.
About the atmosphere — I had the mistaken impression this was a date spot, and although there were couples seated around me it seemed not at all cozy, sexy, or anything that would make an impression on someone you’re trying to get to sleep with you. Modern to the point that form wins over function. I wasn’t uncomfortable, but I didn’t think the vibe was all that.
There also seemed to be some inconsistency in what the staff could wear. The lone waiter, for God’s sake, was wearing black on black, looking sharp but sweating like a mother-​effer on one of the hottest days of the year, but the bartender was rocking a dude-​bro jeans and polo. Not a knock on the staff — they were all very nice to me, but what kind of tone is being set? What should I expect?
I can’t really say much about the service as I sat at the bar. The bartender was fine. I don’t expect a bartender to kiss my ass, as I’ve said before. I’m going to have to reserve my judgment on this.
I guess «A-​OK» fits the bill. The food does look pretty. No doubt about it. Presentation is a strength. The cocktail was a strength. I liked, not gushed over, the food I had. Atmosphere that leaves me scratching my head. I’d bet a lot of money this place could do better. I actually left happy, full, but wanting more from the joint. An adjustment here or there could make a big difference and I hope they succeed because the concept is a good one.
So, give it a shot, by all means. I enjoyed myself. Order the freaking Honey Lavender Martini, for Pete’s sake, and not some run of the mill BS mixed drink you can get anywhere. Until next time.

Definitely the most disappointing meal I’ve had in a long time. It is a great idea (interesting cocktail drinks, neat little food items). However, the execution was incredibly poor. There was an incredible lack of seasoning in everything that we tried.
Drinks — A raspberry mojito that was an average, decent mojito. A cosmo that was pretty good, but who can’t make a decent cosmo?
Soups — The sweet potato soup tasted like I would imagine baby food tastes like. I think they may have just pureed a sweet potato and put it in a bowl with no seasoning or anything. The chowder was average at best. The chicken and dumpling tasted as if it was water poured over some mushy vegetables.
Fish and Chips — The fish, chips, and cole slaw tasted as if they just took a larger meal from Tully’s or something similar to that and made it in super tiny portions and charged you what Tully’s would charge you for a large portion of fish and fries.
Cheese Board — There was a fennel portion that was tasty, however there was an olive salad that consisted of non-​pitted olives and some aged-​Parmesan cheese (despite the menu stating that it would be goat cheese), a grape concoction that basically was sliced grapes only, and a pile of ricotta that were all very poor.
Flank Steak — It was almost as if they didn’t season the steak at all. There was a ton of Worcestershire sauce poured over the top, but that can’t just replace the seasoning completely as they attempted.
Since the food was bad, I was looking for at least decent service. To my disappointment, we were seated upstairs where no other tables were in use, and the waitress dropped off our food and left, only to return over 45 minutes later to provide the check. We wouldn’t have ordered any-​more, but it would have been nice to had our water at least re-​filled or maybe even been acknowledged once during the meal.
Overall, very poor evening service wise as well as food wise. I don’t recommend to anyone that you go here. In a city where there is a decent amount of good food out there, don’t waste your time on this place.

On paper, Sample seems like every Unilocaler’s wet dream — a trendy restaurant with interesting cocktails, a cool space, and a menu that features such foodie magnets as «crispy roasted pork belly,» «braised oxtail,» «fried beef marrow,» and «brown butter foam.»
What’s next? Is Richard Blais gonna jump out from behind the counter and pour some liquid nitrogen on a piece of foie gras, smash it to bits, and sprinkle it on a wagyu short rib cooked sous vide?“
Nope.
Instead, Robert Bland forgot to season a bunch of stuff and I spent $ 80 on a lot of forgettable dishes.
Granted, the $ 25
certificate for $ 2.50 was nice, but that meant that my girlfriend and I BOTH had to get the $ 36 Chef’s Tasting, which featured every single item from the «Sample Menu,» a trio of desserts, plus miniature versions of the Cheese Board and Mediterranean Plate. We weren’t planning on getting that much food, but it seemed silly to spend the same amount of money on less food, so we decided to go all in.
I’m worried about going over my word count on this one, so here’s a bulleted list of all the items I tasted. The number ratings are 1 – 5 to remain consistent with Unilocal ratings system.
Here goes:
1. Fried Tilapia atop some sort of diced tomato relish
— Amuse Bouche? More like baboon’s caboose.
— Over-​battered and under-​seasoned.
— 1 out of 5.
— Would not order. Ever.
2. Mini Cheese Board
— Not bad. Not a lot of straight-​up cheese for a cheese board.
— Was hoping for chunks of cheese and bread, not cheese-​based concoctions.
— 3 out of 5.
— Might order again, probably not.
3. Mini Mediterranean Plate
— Good. Not much to mess up.
— 3 out of 5.
— Would order again, only if my Greece-​obsessed girlfriend is with me.
4. Butternut Squash Soup w/​brown butter foam
— Highlight of the meal.
— Rich, flavorful soup, crisp bacon, sweet/​savory foam.
— 5 out of 5.
— Would order a whole bowl next time.
5. New England Clam Chowder
— Meh. My New England palate identified nothing special about this.
— Not clammy enough. Probably used chicken broth instead of clam.
— 2 out of 5.
— Would not order again.
6. Chicken and Dumplings
— Bland, unsalted, blob of mush.
— No identifiable pieces of chicken, dumplings tasted like watered-​down oyster crackers.
— 1 out of 5.
— Would pay not to have to eat this again.
7. «Beef Stew»
— Good. I’m a big fan of short ribs and as long as they’re cooked long enough, I usually approve.
— 4 out of 5.
— Would order again.
8. Sample Breakfast
— Slightly disappointing, though the quail egg and pork belly were a nice combination.
— Belly not crisp enough, French Toast was a little chewy.
— 3 out of 5.
— On the fence about ordering again. Probably not.
9. «Surf & Turf»
— Second best dish of the night.
— Oxtail was beefy and well-​seasoned, scallops though a little overcooked, were not terrible.
— 4 out of 5.
— I’d consider ordering a full plate next time.
10. Fried Chicken Dinner
— Not as bad as the tilapia, but not good.
— I’ve had better chicken at Roy Rogers. Grits were just okay.
— 2 out of 5.
— Would not order again.
11. Crisp Jambalaya Cake
— Unmemorable.
— I wasn’t able to pick out any of the individual components; made it taste like a hushpuppy.
— 2 out of 5.
— Would not order again.
12. Bok Choy Burger
— Dry burger, hardly any bok choy, kim chi flavor not strong enough.
— Black sesame bun was a nice touch, but it was way too thick (that’s what she said).
— 2 out of 5.
— Would not order again.
13. Steak Frite
— It’s difficult to make flank steak tender, especially when it’s overcooked.
— Tough steak, decent potato, pretty good aioli/​glaze.
— 3 out of 5.
— Probably wouldn’t order again.
14. House Made Doughnuts
— Not bad. A little chewy, nothing special.
— Certainly not Bone Marrow Doughnuts (see Hoof Café — Toronto).
— 3 out of 5.
— Probably wouldn’t order again. Unless I transform into Homer Simpson.
15. Chocolate Panna Cotta
— I honestly don’t remember much about this one.
— I think I was so upset about the absence of the popular «Sample Some More» that I ate all of the dessert items begrudgingly.
— 3 out of 5.
— Wouldn’t order this again. Would order the «Sample Some More.»
16. Pineapple Upside Down Cake w/​pistachios
— Not great. Tasted like it was made much earlier in the day.
— Not even warm.
— 2 out of 5.
— Would not order again.
Overall, Sample was a bit of a disappointment. My girlfriend later commented that it seemed like they had a restaurant consultant come in, design the menu and restaurant, and then leave without giving suggestions regarding execution.
Probably the best thing about this meal, and this is sad, was the $ 5, full-​sized bottle of Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence. It goes for at least $ 10 at Wegmans, so this might have been an oversight. Either way, unlike the meal itself, the beer was well worth the money I paid for it.

Sample has recently updated their menu and I’m telling you that I crave the food now. They have added about 5 or 6 small plates. a smaller version of a traditional entrée… you leave feeling satisfied and honestly it’s so reasonable. The other night I ordered the filet small plate and it was truly the perfect portion. We were going out afterward and was nice that we didn’t have to take any leftovers with us. and it was only 16 $! They have a nice draft selection and always always have a good deal goin on. Tuesdays are ½ off menu, Wed 2 for 1 cocktails Thurs half priced bottles of wine… you can always get a bargain there and I will have to agree with Justin M… how can people complain about the pricing? I mean maybe the fact that Buffalo has one of the highest obesity rates has something to do with it. some just will never be satisfied. Sample is fresh. Buffalo is full of amazing restaurants with amazing food… BUT no one thinks outside the box the way Sample does… they are trying to bring a little bit of NY or Toronto to Buffalo. love Sample!
*They catered my baby shower this past summer and it was amazing. fresh fruit bellinis and great food with beautiful presentation and they will work with your budget and very flexible!*

It seems the reviews are across the board. Some love it, some say it’s OK, some not so much. I have to say I wasn’t too impressed. It has some ambiance in that Allentown way. It was almost cold inside, but it is February in Buffalo. They did try to keep the draft down with a curtain over the doorway at one time. It lacks that «creature-​comfort».
The food was OK. I like tapas style eating and this is as the name implies … samples. The food shows imagination but just lacked something, not sure what. I suppose as the one reviewer said that he likes customer appreciation night. Perhaps that’s when you should try it. I would like to it again sometime but I have several other places to try first.
Keep strutting Sample, «I’ll be back»

So, there was pretty much nothing about Sample that I liked. That’s really rare for me to say about a place. I went with three others, and they were disappointed as well.
Our server was having a bad day, and she was not shy about it. She literally scoffed at us when we weren’t ready to order yet, and spent most of the night kissing ass to the larger party that was seated next to us. She never brought us refills on our drinks, although we asked more than once (before giving up, *sigh*). We also waited fifteen minutes after we asked for our check before we actually received it. We were one of three tables in the restaurant – it was not busy.
The drink that I got (not the infamous honey-​lavendar martini) was so unimpressive that I don’t even remember what it was.
We all shared the cheese platter and it was lacking in flavor overall. I did enjoy the fondue part, though.
For our individual samples, we picked two each.
I got the chicken noodle soup and the beef on weck.
The beef on weck was nothing to write home about, but it was okay.
The chicken noodle soup was cold. I literally had one sip of it. I guess that when the samples are so small, it’s difficult to keep them hot on the way up the stairs. =P
When the check came, something seemed askew. It didn’t seem to add up to the pricing on the menu, so we asked to see the menu so that we could see how we miscalculated. The waitress was unhappy (read: bitchy) about this idea, and what do you know? There was not one, but two mistakes on our bill. By the end of the night, I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
Even though the idea is nice and the décor is pretty cool, bad service and bad food is not a good combination.

Sample almost has it right. The setup is good — there is an upstairs dining area (loft style looking onto the first floor) if you want to get away from the downstairs area which has a bar and could get a little more crowded pry. We went on a Saturday night and it wasn’t too crowded but there were a few loud Sabres fans at the bar so the seating upstairs was nice.
The lavender cocktail is great, and the others are too. well priced.
The menu is a little tricky because so many of us are used to tapas style — but this is even less than tapas, each person really has to order 5 – 6 things off the menu (The option where you get 6 + a glass of wine is the way to go I think) We all ordered 4 and were still hungry so had to order something else– ended up going with a small plate which was big enough to split. Oh the cheese plate was very unique as well, but anyways the food is all very good, my biggest problem was really the size. Some things were okay — the beef on wick was a mini sandwich (actually 2 – 3 bites as described) however the steak frites was literally ONE bite. so 4 $ for a bite of steak seems a little ridiculous, the eggplant parm was the same way — barely a bite.
Overall I think they need to work on making everything the same size wise and add a few things to the menu. Noticed a lack of veggies.
Fun place to come with friends but I would not recommend bringing guys!

The food is still «meh» but the Lavender Honey martini is oh my so fucking good god.

Awesome food experience and pretty damn good to boot.
— The food is like art — little, tiny pieces of art
— You get to try a ton of menu options, which is cool and fixes the trap of ordering the same thing
— Everything was delicious. Not the best ever, but really really good
— The food was creative and full ‘o flavor — steak frite, poutine, french onion soup in cute ‘lil bread bowl, and AWESOME bbq pulled chicken sandwich
— A little pricey, but the place is an experience, not a regular dinner spot
— The little portions/​meals are perfect, portion-​wise: you leave full, but not stuffed.
— Super tasty drinks: I recommend the mojitos.
— The seating is a bit cramped, upstairs is nice though, so is the small outdoor patio.
— Good servers and service
Overall: Awesome date joint or for an experience/​special night out