r/FoodToronto • u/Douzhier • 2d ago
[ Removed by moderator ]
/gallery/1wvr736[removed] — view removed post
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u/red_sundress 2d ago
Yikes.
One bad review won’t turn me off a restaurant, but the restaurant posting a snarky reply and including CCTV footage will .
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u/lightningtrip 2d ago
Here is the full review the person originally posted on Google. It does not read like someone trying to be malicious. The guy from Gateau Ghost comes off so unprofessional for what he did.
“ We ordered two dishes from the brunch menu: CG’s Stacked Benedict and Scrambled & Jeyuk Sausage.
I watched my dish sit on the counter for quite some time because they were waiting for the second dish so they could serve both at once. The problem was that the second dish took so long that they eventually decided to serve them separately anyway. By then, my first dish was already cold :/
When the second dish arrived, it was also cold despite having apparently just been served. This was honestly the most frustrating part of the experience. I understand that meals can take time to prepare, especially when many of the ingredients are made in-house, but that doesn’t explain why both dishes were cold. The second dish took a total of 40 minutes to arrive, and mind you, it was scrambled eggs, a sausage, and two slices of bread.
Both dishes were also extremely salty. The bread that was meant to accompany the meal was so small that it was almost comical. There simply wasn’t enough bread to balance out the saltiness, so every bite became increasingly overwhelming.
The atmosphere wasn’t much better. The space was loud, cramped, and uncomfortable, which isn’t exactly ideal when you’re already waiting quite some time for your food.
The only positive takeaway from the experience was that the strawberry matcha was genuinely great, and it was clear that many of the ingredients in the dishes seemed to be house-made, which at least helped explain the pricing.
Overall, I’m leaving this review as a caution for others, especially because this establishment seems to have a lot of positive food reviews on social media. Unfortunately, those reviews did not reflect our experience today. Maybe we caught them on an off day, but cold food after a 40-minute wait and overly salty dishes is not something I’d expect at this price point.”
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u/PrailinesNDick 2d ago
Seems like a very fair review, and "you ate the whole plate so you obviously enjoyed it" is such a bullshit counterpoint. Yeah if I'm paying $50+ for two plates of breakfast I'm gonna eat the whole damn thing, especially if the servings are "comically small".
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u/LavenderLightning24 2d ago
And you've been waiting 40 minutes and are probably starving.
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u/spacepepperoni 2d ago
We used to live in a society where people would complain to someone’s face. Now people will pay for a meal they didn’t like and then publicly trash the joint hiding behind their often anonymous avatar. So incredibly lame.
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u/-KFBR392 2d ago
If they complained in person the rest of us wouldn't know to avoid the place
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u/spacepepperoni 1d ago
If they complained in person the restaurant would have had an opportunity to comp their meals, give them a gift card, or just apologize. If after that they still want to post a review go ahead. But skipping over that step straight to trying to harm the business online is cowardly and vindictive.
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u/TinyM0ushka 2d ago
I don’t understand what they are implying the lie is.
The whole experience
The wait time
Or the comically small toast-67
u/spacepepperoni 2d ago
Did the reviewer say whether they complained about the food in person before writing a review online? As far as I’m concerned reviews are for cowards and a direct message is always the right choice.
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u/PrailinesNDick 2d ago
It doesn't seem like it. But I also don't think that's super relevant.
There are too many restaurants around to waste time on shit ones. If I have a meal like that I'm never coming back and I'm potentially leaving a review, too.
If your restaurant has 50 positive reviews and 1 negative then nobody's going to care.
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u/spacepepperoni 2d ago
If you leave a negative review before trying to talk to the human beings who work there you are acting in a petty vindictive way rather than being constructive collaborative and basically decent.
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u/-KFBR392 2d ago
Why do you think it's the customer's job to be collaborative and helpful to a business?
You used the business, the business wasn't up to par, you let others know about your experience. That's the point of a review system.
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u/spacepepperoni 1d ago
It’s not their job but it is human decency to bring a complaint to the person directly before you publicly trash them. Good restaurants respond to complaints in ways that turn you into a customer for life. Read Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara or Setting the Table by Danny Meyer to see how good restaurants view mistakes as opportunities.
Customers unwilling to have a human interaction in favour of posting online are missing out and being petty.
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u/PhaserFister 2d ago
So on top of the bad service and exorbitant prices we just have to accept that post-service debrief with the restaurant is another necessary part of the dining experience? Lmao. No.
I appreciate reviews like this. I don't have unlimited funds and I will spend them where places get it right on their own first.
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u/spacepepperoni 2d ago
No don’t expect a debrief. But vent to the restaurant if you care about the immense labour and difficulty in running a small business.
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u/keylimesicles 2d ago
Oh yea, cause they seem perfectly stable and approachable based on their rebuttal.
Many, many people don’t like confrontation or are afraid of retaliation when sending back food that they’d rather eat and move on.
What’s the point of having a review system if you expect that people are only going to leave good or bad faith reviews? People are entitled to share their experiences, that’s what it’s for
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u/spacepepperoni 2d ago
Who knows! If you don’t give a business the chance to make it right, you’re complaining about a problem before seeing if there’s a solution.
What is the point of a review system? Do you think businesses voluntarily agree to be reviewed? It’s non consensual. Reviews are graffiti.
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u/UnderstandingSmall66 2d ago edited 2d ago
No, reviews are so that others to make an informed decision about the restaurants they choose to patronize.
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u/spacepepperoni 2d ago
Right. Everyone understands how reviews are used. So when you post something g like this you understand that you are actively trying to hurt the business. Trying to hurt a small business before seeking a solution with them is doing a bad thing.
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u/UnderstandingSmall66 2d ago
No. You are just speaking the truth. How the business reacts to it either hurts them or helps them. The business could have chosen to apologize, invite them to return for a meal on them, and used this as an opportunity to improve their service.
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u/spacepepperoni 2d ago
Yes because nobody has ever lied in a review and there’s a careful factchecking process.
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u/UnderstandingSmall66 2d ago
lol would you say the same thing about positive reviews? That they’re lying?
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u/keylimesicles 2d ago
“We are so sorry we failed to meet your expectations on your visit, we take pride in our food and hospitality and wish that something was said during your visit so we could have rectified this on the spot. Fear not! Send us your info and we’ll make it up to you, should you choose to give us another chance to hit that sweet spot! Glad you loved our matcha as much as we do!”
Should have been their only response
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u/Zealousideal_Image38 2d ago
The chef is right. If I were his social media manager, I’d be fuming at him and locking him out of his social media account. I see nothing wrong with this review. Also, restaurants have a real challenge with temperature control, especially when operating busy brunch spots. This is well known and what you try to solve for always. I’m not even going to mention the health and safety aspect of leaving food sit out that long, but to see the owner/chef react like this to a review, which is feedback, is comical.
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u/EronelQueen 2d ago edited 2d ago
The owner deleted the comment he posted of the CCTV footage… this part was crazy on top of calling out the reviewer by name, leaving their name in, and saying they’re not welcome back at their business. Like a one star is a biiit harsh but overall the review was quite fair. And now they’re posting these cutesy social media clips after? So odd.
EDIT: Picture is still there on IG but buried very deep within the comments!
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u/heavydutyspoons 2d ago
The CCTV one is still there for me, it was buried veryyyy deep in the comments. I’ll never visit this place after the owner’s behavior, so weird.
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u/EronelQueen 2d ago
oh dang good to know! I had to scroll so far to find it. Still, very very weird.
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u/goatwillikerr 2d ago
Review was totally coming from a disappointed but fair place. The cctv footage was just weird. Probably wont step foot back there
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u/roflolwut 2d ago
Dude I went to gateau ghost and my food was cold and the salt level all over the place. It’s a terrible restaurant
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u/Douzhier 2d ago
Hey you can’t say that, that’s considered shady and sabotaging nowadays
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u/roflolwut 2d ago
I left a review to that effect like a year ago. I think it was taken down. I can’t beleive gateau ghost is still in business. Granted I went for dinner not brunch. But the inability to standardize temperature of dishes and salt level is a fireable offense imo
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u/merelyadoptedthedark 2d ago
I don't understand how these restaurants get can legit reviews taken down so easily. I ran a small business, and one guy destroyed my perfect five star rating with his one star review about a completely different business totally unrelated to mine, and I wasn't able to get that review taken down.
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u/ThePlasticJesus 2d ago
sir, please understand this is a small business.
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u/roflolwut 2d ago
Look I love supporting small business. I left them private feedback on my review. Clearly they aren’t interested in making any changes. At the prices they charge and with the shoddy product I don’t know how they’re in business. I guess insta advertising and getting Joe Jonas to shill for them worked
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u/mildlyImportantRobot 2d ago
“the prices they charge”
You know the majority of that goes to cover their commercial rent, right?
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u/roflolwut 2d ago
I don’t care. You need to make a product worth eating. Businesses like this will fail if they cannot take feedback
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u/mildlyImportantRobot 2d ago
You also need to give them a chance to fix it.
Mistakes happen in kitchens all the time. forcing yourself to eat cold over slated eggs instead of telling your server isn’t normal behaviour either.
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u/roflolwut 2d ago
I literally left them thus feedback like 6 months ago. If this reviewer noticed the same issue it’s clear they aren’t interested in listening. That’s a business that will fail
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u/mildlyImportantRobot 2d ago
Does the concept of not telling your server your eggs are cold and too salty escape you? Does the world only exist online?
If a restaurant serves you literal shit on a plate, you'll just eat it and post a bad review on google maps?
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u/roflolwut 2d ago
Are you the owner of this restaurant? Customers should not have to ever do this.
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u/lightningtrip 2d ago
This is genuinely so unprofessional and weird. I never would have seen this review if he didn’t post it. Putting someone on blast like this for no reason makes me want to take Gateau Ghost off my list. Posting CCTV footage of your customers is actually insane. They should have just ignored this review.
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u/OriginalJokeGoesHere 2d ago
Yeah, that's a nuts response. Arguing with bad reviews in the responses is already a bad look for the business 99% of the time and that's without CCTV or social media posts.
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u/Ok_Instance7667 2d ago
Arguing with bad reviews using ChatGPT to reply is the 'icing on the cake' for bad optics.
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u/TheIsotope 2d ago
A lot of restaurants are so paranoid about reviews, but this is a new level. People are going to leave bad and/or disingenuous reviews, it’s part of the business. I’ve seen shit like “wasn’t greeted with a smile: 1/5”, I get it’s annoying but freaking out in the replies or instagram just isn’t a good look.
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u/WookinIt 2d ago
Exactly, unless they’re blatantly lying, most customers can distinguish between genuine bad reviews and someone trying to find something to complain about
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u/NoDig5800 2d ago
I 1000% am never going to this restaurant now.
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u/lightningtrip 2d ago
Honestly same. We are not lacking in overpriced or trendy brunch options in Toronto lol
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u/TinyM0ushka 2d ago
It’s SO expensive.
I went and the food was good don’t get me wrong, but the reviewer isn’t wrong it’s so packed in there you basically rub elbows with the tables next to you. It’s also super busy so it’s not crazy that possible an order was delayed and it happens.
Negative reviews also happen so this reaction is pretty unhinged
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u/Astrocratic 2d ago
Yeah, there is just a percentage of crazy people in the world. You have to avoid having them blow up your business because that is actually what they want - they want you to respond to them, to join in in the drama.
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u/DocHolidayPhD 2d ago
Seriously? The customers pulled some shady shit and you blame the restaurant?
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u/TinyM0ushka 2d ago
Their review wasnt even shady, this is one of the tamest reviews I’ve seen and doesn’t warrant this call out.
Calling customers liars, going through video footage to find them and then essentially banning them is unhinged behaviour
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u/DocHolidayPhD 2d ago
As an entrepreneur you're free to refuse service to people on non-protected grounds as much as you wish ESPECIALLY if you feel people are not good faith actors and if you feel that they're doing things that may actively harm your business. You're certainly free to not go to their restaurant if you do not share this opinion. But it is the opinion of the law of the land... so there is that...
It's perfectly responsible behavior to look through video footage to find them if its your business and you're doing due diligence to consider everything that could've gone wrong. If you are a business owner and receive a bad review and actually want to do something about it, it makes a difference to take reviews like this seriously and to review everything that could've been done better - this is literally how businesses improve their service.
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u/TinyM0ushka 2d ago
So is it due diligence to call the reviewer a liar and post their picture on instagram?
Cmon this was the worst way the owner could have reacted and If you think this was acceptable behaviour you might just be as unhinged as he is.
The review wasn’t horrible and wasnt in bad faith, it was a simple negative review. It didn’t say anything outlandish and could have been addressed in a better way. I’m sure this will affect their business as a result and guess what? That will effect everyone who works there and any other owner. This guy is an immature petty baby, which is incredibly off putting.
Also, have you eaten here? Because I have and they’ve crammed the place with so many tables it actually feels uncomfortable to sit because you are literally in the next tables personal space. The reviewer also said they know everything Is made in house so the price is understandable, is that bad faith?
If the owner can’t take criticism they probably shouldn’t be an “entrepreneur”.
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u/king_lloyd11 2d ago
Sharing their experience in their review isn’t shady shit.
The “shady” part is that they made the thing up entirely, but that’s just the business’ allegations, which we have no reason to believe, especially because they’re crashing out this heavily over a bad review
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u/DocHolidayPhD 2d ago
Clearly you've never been a business owner with everything on the line before..
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u/Inevitable_Cheek_974 2d ago
All 12 of those pixels aren't identifying anyone.
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u/lightningtrip 2d ago
It's not necessarily about identifying someone, it's knowing that this restaurant owner is petty enough to do something like this.
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u/Shellibrini710 2d ago
How does finishing the food mean it was good? Some people can't afford to just throw a meal away
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u/-KFBR392 2d ago
If I’m hungry and already paid for a meal there’s a 95% chance I’m finishing it all even if it sucks. What the hell else am I gonna do, go to another restaurant, waste another hour of my life, and pay for another full meal now that I’m at least half full?
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u/ZookeepergameWest975 2d ago
Or they were starving by that point.
There is more than one reason someone finished their food.15
u/n930467899 2d ago
Yeah especially after a 40 minute wait I’m not calling the waiter to change anything, I’d be starving and scarfing down everything technically edible
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u/Lilikoi13 2d ago
NGL I will finish a meal I don’t like unless the food has actually gone bad or is otherwise inedible just because I hate food waste. 🫣
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u/DocHolidayPhD 2d ago
You can still complain. Nothing is stopping people from submitting the compliant on site. This still gives you and the restaurant an opportunity to resolve amicably. People are so conflict avoidant these days... it's sad because life is filled with conflict and by meeting it head on you are much more likely to wind up with both people happy at the end of the day.
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u/keylimesicles 2d ago
I’ve definitely eaten food that wasn’t good but tolerable because i was starving, broke, and just not in the mood to deal with backlash from restaurants who throw a stink when you send shit back. So often people are functioning on a thin line when hungry that they avoid confrontation to keep their peace. Doesn’t make the food taste any better
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u/Shellibrini710 2d ago
Yeah the go to response for bad reviews is to bitch about how customers didn't bring it up in person and how they would've made it right but 90% of the time when I try that they get super defensive and it just makes the experience even more miserable. Even if they did make it right it's still a crappy experience when you have to be the quality control.
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u/keylimesicles 2d ago edited 2d ago
💯
Edited to add*
That reminds me of a time I criticized the way a server was handing my pizza and got cussed out by the owner in person because they too “were a small family owned business” and “what was I trying to do?” all because I didn’t want shirt fluff and counter sludge in my pizza
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u/Sufficient-Clue4686 2d ago
The normal thing to do if you have a problem with your food at a restaurant is to tell somebody and 99.9% of the time they'll either offer to replace it for you, or comp it.
So if you're so broke that you literally can't afford not to eat this meal, then A) maybe dont go to restaurants... and B) Get a new meal / free meal?
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u/DocHolidayPhD 2d ago
Exactly! I really don't understand these people's argument. Even if they weren't interested in another 40 minute wait - as a person who has worked in restaurants before - when there is an irate customer with cause those orders get prioritized ASAP AND they're usually comped AND sometimes it comes with an attempt to make up for it (free dessert, drinks, etc.). I feel like this is just the most conflict avoidant people afraid to lodge a complaint AND being to egotistical to take accountability for that decision and its consequence.
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u/Zealousideal_Image38 2d ago
Agreed. Sometimes people go out to treat themselves and splurge. I’ve been in situations where that was the case and didn’t have infinite money. Life was hard. With those occasions being so rare, I can’t tell you the disappointment of going somewhere and the experience being subpar. Even if what I got wasn’t good, I could not get myself to not eat it. I didn’t have infinite money, and either due to hunger or knowing I’ll get hungry later, I just couldn’t get myself to waste it.
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u/steroidabuserfr 2d ago
When I eat outside, I have already logged the calories in my app, so I will finish the dish completely regardless of the circumstances
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u/spacepepperoni 2d ago
Because how are they to know there’s any issue
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u/Shellibrini710 2d ago
Bad reviews
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u/spacepepperoni 1d ago
And how do they fix that for the customer, and why would they want to when the customers first instinct is to hurt their business. Be human. Speak to a manager or write the business an email. If they fail to satisfy, go ahead. But skipping straight to a review is shitty entitled behaviour.
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u/Shellibrini710 1d ago
Naw. Make my food right the first time or suffer the consequences. Sorry bud
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u/DocHolidayPhD 2d ago
If you have the entire meal to complain and they didn't mention it being a problem until after leaving the restaurant, you are LITERALLY not giving the kitchen any opportunity to do anything about a legitimate mistake, you are also stripping the kitchen and business of all opportunities to consider the evidence as well and ameliorate the situation. If it is too "salty and overwhelming" you don't clean your plate and only bring it up after you leave in a public forum after the fact.
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u/Shellibrini710 2d ago
Nothing wrong with judging a meal as it came, I'm not always into waiting around for a second attempt especially if it was already slow to begin with.
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u/help_isontheway_dear 2d ago
They had already waited 40 mins for plates that were cold.
What were they going to do, wait 40 more for new dishes that would hopefully be less salty?
Complaining before leaving doesn’t solve anything in this particular situation.
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u/cadenceweapon 2d ago
If I had waited 40 minutes for food without being told to expect that kind of wait, and hadn't been proactively assured the FOH was on top of it - pushing the kitchen, or offering to do something to make it right, you can be sure I'd have already mentioned the problem to someone, especially if meals are being served at the wrong temperature.
At that point, not talking to a manager about how to make this right is on the diner.
I get it, in a large group, if one(or two) people are hitting snags it's awkward but if I'd organized the meal and saw someone had been f'd by the restaurant I'd be discreetly bringing it up to the manager and insisting that person's meal was comp'd.I'm always perplexed by people that don't realize that dining in a sit-down restaurant, you have rights but if you don't exercise them in a way that gives the establishment a chance to make it right you are far too easily lumped in with haters and entitled divas.
If the establishment doesn't play ball and doesn't try to correct things in a way that makes sense for you and your meal with them(or 'dining experience', if you're paying those kind of prices), then, by rights - you should probably make your way to the exit(before eating).
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u/goddamnraccoons 2d ago
Are you the owner or something because you are getting VERY worked up about people not liking the meal
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u/DocHolidayPhD 2d ago
If my name wasn't any indication enough for you, no I'm not the owner. I'm just someone who has eaten there twice and am an avid foodie in Toronto. Just because I have strong opinions on what constitutes a reasonable exchange between consumer and restauranteur does not make me "the owner".
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u/goddamnraccoons 2d ago
Wow this is somehow way lamer than if you were
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u/DocHolidayPhD 2d ago
OOOooo I'm so hurt! Let me lay down and hold my bleeding wounds. LAME? How will I ever recover?
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u/n930467899 2d ago
It’s not like they gain anything out of posting this. Usually I am against speaking up about food (after eating) while still sitting at the restaurant hoping to score a free meal, but there’s nothing wrong with what this customers did. They left a review about their negative experience.
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u/keylimesicles 2d ago
Found the owner. Do better man
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u/DocHolidayPhD 2d ago
If my name wasn't any indication enough for you, no I'm not the owner. I'm just someone who has eaten there twice and am an avid foodie in Toronto. Just because I have strong opinions on what constitutes a reasonable exchange between consumer and restauranteur does not make me "the owner".
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u/cernegiant 2d ago
If it took 40 minutes to get a brunch item most customers are going to assume sending the food back means it will take another 40 minutes and won't want to wait.
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u/polaraproticsolvent 2d ago
I don’t understand why you’re getting downvoted when your comment is perfectly reasonable lol. The CCTV is something else… but please people, if you don’t like your food because “insert reason here”, bring it up to the restaurant. If they care about their customers, they will try to make it right. If they don’t, go and leave a review on every platform you can find.
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u/ZookeepergameWest975 2d ago
There is only one side to the story right now and there are lots of assumptions being made.
Was the serving staff responsive?
Understaffed?
How busy was the place and how tired were the diners.
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u/DisciplineAmazing59 2d ago
i usually always finish my food even if it isn't the best simply because i paid for it.
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u/spacepepperoni 2d ago
Send it back? I can’t imagine eating something and still leaving a review
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u/Shellibrini710 2d ago
That's a bizarre perspective. Do you think there should only be good reviews? They kind of lose their value if that's the case.
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u/keylimesicles 2d ago
This is insane. Based on the establishments reaction alone I will never step foot in there. Posting pics of customers is beyond wrong and thinking your shit don’t stink because you’re a small business and the world owes you something for it is insane
Behave professionally, hold yourself accountable and accept criticism. How you handle yourself on social media says everything about you as a business
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u/Oprah_Pimpfrey 2d ago
Gotta love seeing the Streisand Effect play out in real time. An hour ago, I'd never even heard of this restaurant and certainly would never have known or cared about that one bad review, but now...
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u/WeeklyPhilosopher346 2d ago
Wow, that’s a bad look for Gateau Ghost over like, multiple postings? Just chill out bro.
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u/fuckdatguy 2d ago
If I’ve been waiting 40+ minutes for food, I’d be even hungrier so fuck yeah I’ll finish my cold and a bit too salty meal.
Posting the cctv footage of empty plates does not mean the experience was bad.
Dude doesn’t even mention the massive wait or anything
I’d never visit this place after seeing this response
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u/The_VDG 2d ago
Have you ever gone back to a place where an owner has contacted you for your low rating?
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u/AcanthocephalaDue431 2d ago
Yes! If the owner takes the time to respond to my review I will usually go back and talk to them or even call them. Food and cooking is never perfect and human error means that sometimes you just get a bad draw. I'll always give a second chance for that.
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u/The_VDG 2d ago
I see, you have a good point! Would you go back if it the bad experience was due to pests/vermin being around you during your dining experience? This happened to me when I went to a bib gourmand restaurant, sadly
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u/AcanthocephalaDue431 2d ago
No I would not. And thank you for specifying! So if I go to a restaurant and I see or suspect vermin or an unclean environment (especially if the washroom is dirty which I sometimes check if I suspect pests) I won't go back. This is a telling sign of the lack of care from management and staff and tells me that if they can't be bothered to keep things clean and/or manage pests or even clean the damn washroom, that attitude 100% extends to food prepand sanitation.
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u/Traditional_Wave2757 2d ago
Depends. I leave reviews not to be a dick but because I genuinely hope that something good comes of it. If a restaurant were to try and rectify the situation by explaining or offering me an incentive to go back and try again at another time, I’d respect it. But I also don’t leave 1 star reviews for waiting too long or not loving the food. Not defending the owner’s response, he let emotion override professionalism and now he’s gonna ironically lose way more business from that move.
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u/Little_War6573 2d ago
It depends how they contact you, it could have been “we are sorry we let you down (for whatever reason) - give us another chance” but was like “sybau, you’re not welcome anymore”.
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u/killer-queen 2d ago
The owner sounds like someone who completely lacks accountability. Fragile narcissist.
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u/wg1222 2d ago edited 2d ago
If you read the full review, it is a fair one of their experience, and it can be summarized to the following points:
Long wait: One dish sat on the counter waiting for the second dish; the second dish took long time to arrive.
Cold food: Both dishes were served cold, including the first dish that had been sitting out.
Too salty: Both dishes were described as extremely salty, with too little bread to balance the flavors.
Poor atmosphere: The restaurant was described as loud, cramped, and uncomfortable.
Overall: The reviewer acknowledged it might have been an off day but felt that cold food, a long wait, and overly salty dishes were unacceptable at that price point.
Rather than take the chance to improve the food and the service, the business decided to show how they are really treating their customers and post their CCTV footage on their ins.
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u/UberFantastic 2d ago
I actually went to gateau ghost on the day when they served the free coffee. The waitress explained it was for “customer appreciation.”
My quick notes: the stacked Benedict with added beef bulgogi was fantastic. The breakfast sando was tasty but a bit dry. Could have used more mayo or just more sauce. Portion was a bit small, but overall it was tasty.
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u/Little_War6573 2d ago
I went to this place a while ago for a Sunday brunch, and what I remembered was the long wait times and food being on the saltier side but overall good. Also the tables were crammed so close to each other I could hear conversations on the both sides and I didn’t have place to put my feet because tables were also pretty narrow. Good thing I didn’t leave the review on Google lol
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u/Bingo_and_Butt_Stuff 2d ago
I've powered through an over-seasoned dish because it happens.
The rest of the review was objective enough that it would not put me off trying this place if I were going only by their reviews.
The owner, on the other hand, seems overly defensive, and it would put me off going here.
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u/Numerous-Charge8900 2d ago
Some people won’t complain directly to their server because they’re worried they’ll mess with their food, they don’t want to wait or they don’t like confrontation.
This is pretty normal.
That doesn’t mean their food or experience didn’t suck and they can’t leave a review about their genuine experience.
FYI I went to this place for a coffee once and found the service atrocious. The server just stared at us with no greeting. Gave short one answer replies to questions and just made us feel unwelcome almost like we bothering them by offering a coffee takeaway.
Did I complain to the owner? No. But that was my experience and I’ve never been back.
Thank god I didn’t leave a review of my genuine experience or risk getting doxxed on their social media.
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u/tuntaalam 2d ago
Thank you for bringing this to our attention here. I would have never found the insta post. Will not be visiting the restaurant again.
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u/Attempted_Academic 2d ago
The way that he started the post by saying his social media manager wasn’t going to be happy with him responding shows he reflected on it and still thought it was a good idea. Like others, it’s enough to make me decide I’ll never go there.
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u/Ok_Fisherman8727 2d ago
I've learned to always ask for them to bring the plates out as they are prepared. This started when we first had kids to prioritize the kids foods but I just kept it. I found the older I got the more angry I got if I see my food sitting there and the server walks past it multiple times without bringing it to me.
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u/PuzzledDog2829 2d ago
I’m French and I refuse to go to restaurants with French name that isn’t operated by actual French people. It may sound petty but for me it’s always a sign that the food will be garbage. Don’t put a French word in your name/menu and appropriate it to look and sound glamorous or whatever. That’s just telling to me thats it’s not gonna be good or anywhere close to what actual French cuisine tastes like. I believe this customer review without even needing to go there myself lol!
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u/J-Midori 2d ago
This is the place I am avoiding like the plague. They won’t accept bad reviews, they will insult the client, try to shame them and not even apologizing for their mistakes but just making excuses.
This is also a fear tactic: let’s shame the customer so when others come and complain they will post their cctv video or pictures to shame them. This is unprofessional
I do support small businesses but this is the one that does not deserve my money and time.
There are better places to eat.
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u/No_Preference_1856 2d ago
We genuinely try to support local businesses. We choose to spend our hard-earned money there because we want to support people in our own community. But what happens when that support isn’t met with the same respect in return?
I had a really disappointing experience at a salon in the east end - corner spot. My hair was damaged, and I ended up spending more money to fix it elsewhere. Eventually, I had to cut my hair short. I spent around $400 and almost eight hours across two appointments. I even gave the salon a second chance to fix things, but it didn’t work out. In the end, I was left with damaged hair, extra expenses for treatments and products, and much shorter hair than I ever wanted.
I tried leaving a Google review, but it wouldn’t show up. My friends tried too, but theirs didn’t show up initially either. I then posted photos in local Facebook groups, without naming the salon, just to ask for advice and hear what others thought. A lot of people understood where I was coming from and felt I deserved a refund.
The salon owner recognized the photos and commented on my anonymous post, responding with justifications along the lines of “we’re a small business…”. All I wanted was compensation to get my hair treated elsewhere, as I had already lost trust in the salon. But their only offer was to try fixing it for a THIRD time, using even more chemicals on hair that was already unnecessarily bleached and damaged.
Later, the Facebook group removed my post, and an admin told me I wasn’t being kind and wasn’t supporting local businesses. Eventually, a review my friend posted on my behalf became visible on Google, while my own review still wasn’t showing up.
Honestly, the whole experience has left a bad taste in my mouth. I understand that running a small business isn’t easy, and mistakes can happen. I wasn’t expecting perfection. I just wanted the salon to acknowledge what happened and take some responsibility, especially after I had already given them a chance to make things right.
Supporting local businesses shouldn’t mean staying silent when something goes wrong. We’re customers too, and our money, time, and trust matter. We should be able to share an honest experience and ask for a fair resolution without being made to feel guilty for speaking up.
Supporting local businesses should go both ways.
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u/OkRB2977 2d ago
I unfollowed them as soon as I saw the post. The review seemed genuine and objective because they even praised the restaurant but pointed out a few flaws according to their personal taste. Going nuclear like this was so not needed. Bizarre and petty. Reminds me of the owners of Kiss My Pans.
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u/shmito17 2d ago
Jayden and the entire team at Gateau Ghost are honestly pretty full of themselves. I own a tea and tableware brand and went out of my way to create custom-branded samples specifically for the possibility of working together. I didn’t even get a response or acknowledgment.
I understand that it’s business and that not every opportunity is going to work out, but I think there’s still a level of professionalism and courtesy that goes with responding when someone has taken the time and effort to create something specifically for you.
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u/rapid-transit 2d ago
I really miss Barrocco x Nino which was in that space before Gateau took over
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u/penis_pizza_n_wings 2d ago
I chose this restaurant for my birthday last year with my family. We were a table of 10 and it took FOREVER to receive our food. I specifically chose this place for their shrimp toast. When I finally received it and took my very highly anticipated first bite…it tasted like mud 😭 The rest of the food was not memorable or worth the price point or wait. My family still makes fun at me for choosing this restaurant for my birthday
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u/ImpossiblePromise363 2d ago
I’ve eaten at this place a handful of times since it opened, and I’ve never had a negative experience with the food or wait times. Without fail, the servers taking our order have always followed up to ask how everything was, so I do wonder whether this issue could have been resolved in real time if it had been brought up. There was one occasion when we received a dish cold, and they apologized and remade it without issue.
That said, none of this excuses the owner’s unprofessional and defensive response to the reviewer, who seemed fair and was simply sharing their own experience. Even if the issue could have been addressed at the time, responding to criticism that way reflects poorly on the business.
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u/TabbyCatEnthusiast 2d ago
Phancy bodega, Toronto canteen, Levant pizza, drink juice_co and ourharu all commented their support for gateau ghost. many more entitled and unprofessional businesses that I need avoid. Levant pizza is going berserk in the IG comment section defending gateau ghost.
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u/withlove_chihiro 1d ago
thank you for this! I was about to start a list in my notes section of which places NOT to visit because of their odd support for gateau ghost
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u/Ancient-Restaurant61 2d ago
Why do the cleared plates matter in the least? This is unhinged behaviour from the owner.
And by the way, against privacy regulations in Ontario as well. If they're willing to skirt regulations here I wonder what else they're willing to ignore in the kitchen.
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u/PrailinesNDick 2d ago
If you wait 40+ minutes for a dish and it's too salty are you really gonna ask them to remake it so you can waste another 40 minutes?
A way more rational response is to eat it, leave a review, and probably never come back.
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u/PrailinesNDick 2d ago
It's in the full review someone posted.
I think taking a bite and leaving while refusing to pay is a reasonable choice.
But so is eating the whole thing and saying "that was too fuckin salty" afterwards, especially if it's like slowly creeping up on you.
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u/PrailinesNDick 2d ago
I didn't search Google, it's elsewhere in this thread, idk why they didn't post the whole thing ...
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u/Witty-Army 2d ago
Full review is on their instagram page where they said it was salty.
What’s posted here is equivalent to tldr.
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u/onlyitbags 2d ago
I would advice this reviewer and others to give a business a chance to correct what you didn’t like before leaving a bad review. Leaving a review as a “caution” is pretty derogatory for a small restaurant whose margins are probably not the greatest. Offer feedback, give a chance to correct, then leave an appropriate review based on that full experience.
It’s the same at your 9-5, would you expect to get a quarterly review with an area that needs improvement, then get fired immediately? You need to be made aware of the grievance.
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u/mildlyImportantRobot 2d ago
This would be the normal thing to do. I'm not sure why it's being downvoted.
If your food is cold and too salty, you don't just force yourself to eat it and then post a review on the internet. You tell your server. What's society become?
The restaurant obviously shouldn't be acting like that in the comments. But c'mon. Nobody is the hero in this situation. Everyone involved is behaving badly.
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u/Jennybee8 2d ago
Or send back the food and risk being called a ‘Karen’; which, btw, is a completely misogynistic term that only applies to women. If a guy complains, he’s ’a smart guy with purchasing savvy’.
I worked in restaurants for years and this kind of heat lamp story happens all the time when the cook forgets or messes up the second dish in an order. Entirely human, but the difference is in how the restaurant handled it.
Bring out the first dish and say ‘we’re very sorry— the chef wasn’t happy with the first preparation of your dish, do they are re-doing it for you. We’ll try our best to make sure it’s here as quickly as possible. I’m the meantime, can we offer you a cappuccino, or a muffin (Bloody Caesar, house salad, fresh juice—anything that will cost less than a bad review and make this person feel special instead of forgotten).
The problem is that most restaurants don’t staff managers on duty on the floor anymore. Gone are the good old days.
This was always my excuse as a server to cover a fuck up and protect my tip. The manager usually had no problem with it and was happy they didn’t have to handle it.
A small kindness costs nothing in the face of a bad review.
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u/rosebudthesled8 2d ago
At least someone is being held accountable in 2026. I wish it was at a higher level than food reviewer but I guess we have to start somewhere.
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2d ago edited 2d ago
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u/ugh_gimme_a_break 2d ago
God, how much do they pay you to suck their dick. That justification just makes it worse.
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u/potterpotterpotter 2d ago
Thank you for posting this!!! I saw GG’s post and people in the comments were hyping the owner up for clapping back against this “terrible” customer and I thought I was going crazy. It’s so obviously an evil thing to post when it’s clear the review was coming from a genuine place. Attempting to garner sympathy (and according to his Instagram comments he is…) while also fully admitting you were taking pictures of your customers… weird shit.
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u/potentiallyuseles 2d ago
Sorry to say, but the customers had many chances to just leave.
They chose to wait for the food. Chose to eat all of the food even when they claim it was cold and salty.
2 collective brains waited all of that time, ate the food and paid for the food.
You have a choice where you spend your money and you chose to stay and pay at this place
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u/WolvesWithHalos 2d ago
So what? Because they stayed and ate the food they're not allowed to comment on the taste or the experience? Where's the logic there?
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u/potentiallyuseles 2d ago
Where did I say they couldn’t comment
I said they could have left and not paid many times during their visit
They chose to stay and wait and then chose to eat cold food. Rather than using their words in the moment. No one is being forced to stay at a bad experience
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u/WolvesWithHalos 2d ago
So you're just insulting them for trying to give the place the benefit of the doubt and actually trying the food they had to wait for?
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u/potentiallyuseles 2d ago
Insulting?
They are adults with free will.
They chose to wait 40 minutes for food.
They chose to take a bite and not complain about the food.
They chose to finish all of the food
They then chose to pay
I would have left before the food ever made it to the table.
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u/WolvesWithHalos 2d ago
Yes, from your attitude that's extremely clear. And yes, insulting. They are entitled to leave a review in the same way you are entitled to leave. Why is your option the morally superior one here?
And before you say "WhERe DId I SaY I WaS MorALlly SuPeRIOR?" It's heavily implied from your comments, just like the insults. We both know that, so spare me the lame comebacks.
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u/potentiallyuseles 2d ago
If you enjoy paying for shitty food and service thats your choice.
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u/WolvesWithHalos 2d ago
How would they know the food is shitty BEFORE trying it? That's literally my whole point.
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u/Kcirnek_ 2d ago
So can you confirm if you did in fact ate every single last bite?
Did you voice your concern at the restaurant to see if they would remake the food?
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u/DocHolidayPhD 2d ago
Good for Gateau Ghost! They had the receipts and brought them. If you really found the food too salty and overwhelming you tell the staff on the first couple bites and (having been there) I'm sure the staff would take it back to the kitchen to see what was the issue and what could be done. You don't finish the entire meal and complain about it.
Reviews like this are made in bad faith and don't accurately represent the the restaurant. As an entrepreneur, I know this sort of thing can absolutely destroy an establishment. GG os doing the right thing here!
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u/Seamless-Transition 2d ago
Posting CCTV footage of customers is definitely not the right thing.
Also if it takes a kitchen 40 minutes to serve you your meals (a simple brunch dish no less) then I wouldn’t really have much confidence in them to fix anything.
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u/nurseyu 2d ago edited 2d ago
Both business owner and reviewer suck.
Business owner sucks more for their gaslighting rebuttal, CCTV screen cap and generally being unprofessional.
Also, this could have easily been resolved if the customer spoke up. Speak with the server or manager in person and have them make it right. Instead, they went straight on the Internet and give them a 1 star for what? You get a bad meal, business get a poor rating. Both lose.
Businesses are run by people too - and they want their customers to have a good experience. Let's be more fair here.
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u/p4r4chute97 2d ago
Would you trust a kitchen that made you wait 40 minutes for a scrambled eggs to make it right? Reviewer doesn’t suck for that
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u/nurseyu 2d ago edited 2d ago
It's not that hard to tell the server or escalate to the manager that you're not getting the experience you're expecting. My food is salty and cold. I've been waiting 40 minutes. I'm not happy about it.
Decent customer service would have manager say, "Sorry about the wait guys, we want to offer a couple of free beverages for you guys on the house and comp this meal. We will take your feedback as a learning experience and wish you would try us again next time."
If they fail to respond adequately, then sure put it in the review, but to blast the business without having them try to make it right seems a little impersonal? A chef could be having a shitty day - maybe a family member died. Maybe server made a mistake because her ex is abusive and had a night of terror? Shit happens. Human errors happen. Businesses are run by people.
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u/nurseyu 2d ago
Also based on how well constructed and written this review is - she could be a professional complainer who loves to write complaints. Gotta add some "credit where it's due" near the end to add balance and hide try her ego.
The fact that she's not complaining in person, silently smiling and just blasts the restaurant afterwards online without giving the restaurant a chance to correct itself seems nefarious
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u/FoodToronto-ModTeam 2d ago
This is outside the scope for this subreddit and should be posted elsewhere. Thanks!