Lake Inez

From the outside it doesn’t look that nice or interesting, but the reviews are correct! Lake Inez is a very nice spot in Gerrard st. The atmosphere is warm and romantic. That’s what we needed to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The drinks, varied and well prepared. And the food… oh the food! The perfect combination of flavour, kick, and size. The perfect flavour for the size and the bites. We ordered the salmon, the crunchy salad, and the clams in brodo. Great flavours!! 100% recommended.

Thought that was a super interesting restaurant with a short menu, good wine list, and surprisingly spacious spot. The flavours are bold, the dishes are interesting, and there's some great personality in the restaurant. The fennel was a wonderful surprise, with the different flavours (hello pistachio) and textures working well together. Nachos were certainly more than just nachos. Tempura eggplant parm? Very interesting. Good level of spice too. Pavlova and salmon were surprisingly the closest to average, but that's alright since those are already crowd pleasers. Will be super interested in trying their tasting in the future!

Came for a date on Saturday and really enjoyed our time sitting at the bar. The service was excellent and we really loved how creative all the dishes were- totally unexpected twists on the classics. We had the tartar which was surprisingly served with nori rather than crostini and it had an Italian/Asian flavour combo. Making the hand rolls was fun. We then had the chicken liver mouse topped with asparagus and served with those Asian sweet/water crackers. The mouse reminded me of a Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it was savoury and decadent. We had the fennel dish which I think was my favourite, I don’t even know how to describe it. The eggplant Parmesan was my husbands favourite. It was a whole roasted eggplant with a really crunchy Parmesan topping and delicious tomato sauce. The meal and cocktails were perfect. We’ll be back :)

Had dinner here a thursday evening and it was quite enjoyable. We had a reservation, and it got quite busy at around 7pm, so would definitely recommend getting a reservation. Restaurant is very quaint with very unique decor choices and and overall easygoing atmosphere & vibe. Service was pretty good, but they're definitely short-staffed. As it got busier, service became less attentive. They had 3 servers running around doing everything, including bartending; so patience will be important. The food was overall very good! My favourite was definitely the chicken liver mousse and Nachos. We ordered 4 dishes from the dinner menu (they recommend 3-4 for a table of 2). Fennel moment - this was sort of like a fennel sour cream dip with thin crisps to smear the dip on. It was pretty good, but I was hoping for more fennel and fennel flavour as fennal has a strong licorice flavour if eaten raw. Chicken liver mousse - my fav dish of the night. If you've had chick liver mousse before, it can be very heavy and rich. by adding the sour cherry and hazlenuts, it was the perfect combo and when served on the rice crackers, it was delicious! we are depressed thus: nachos: definitely order this, it was VERY cheesy (in a good way) and so delicious. it's slightly spicey but not to the point where you actually feel it... so people who don't enjoy spice (which is unfathomable to me!) can likely still eat it without being torched. wild watercress clams in brodo: this was pretty good, especially the black bird bread and the broth! BUT I wish it was mussels instead of clams, simply because there were about 12 or so clams, and it seemed like a tiny portion after you remove the shells... Clams are expensive and have a tiny yield. Mussels are relatively cheaper and much meatier. The sauce is 100% the star. Lastly, their drinks were quite good. Yuzu margo cocktail was refreshing and unique, and the nothing lasts forever cocktail definitely had a good amount of Johnny Walker black & lagavulin so that you can actually taste it. Big wine selection as well Overall really enjoyed Lake Inez and very solid 4 stars.

Hi Inez! I just wanted to say thank you so much for the wonderful NYE meal. It was so well done and easy to prepare and the wildly delicious and vast flavouring of the foods was decadent! We have two little kids and haven’t been out for a nice meal in a very long time so this was a beautiful way to bring in the new year. Thank you.

A late review but went here a few months ago with three friends and was really impressed. I haven't stopped recommending Lake Inez to friends since and have been dying to get back. The atmosphere is perfect - great for a group of friends or a date night - moody and well designed without being overdone. Love the dim, cozy lighting. The FOOD was amazing and very interesting. It was so tasty and a great take on classic items with some ingredient pairings I'd never seen before. We ordered almost everything on the menu and every dish was delicious. Haven't tried cocktails but they also have good and reasonably priced wine, so it's easy to get a bottle or two for the table (along with bin ends for even better deals, which is great to see!). The service was exactly what you want and it helps that it's not a very large restaurant - just big enough to feel lively and small enough to keep the quaint vibe. Attentive and informative but not overbearing. Highly suggest and will be coming back!

The food is absolutely incredible. I don't eat gluten and I was told they can modify all the dishes except one. We ordered the nachos and the clams -- both were spectacular. The flavours are incredible, and the size and temperature of the dishes are spot-on. The service was very attentive and the wine list is excellent. Don't miss out on this gem.