Toronto Food Fan Nov 28,2009

I dont know who is writing all these rave reviews for Starfish, but they are probably owners, investors or employees because nothing could be further from the truth.
Lets start with CUSTOMER SERVICE-AWEFUL
As soon as we got in the restaurant one of the waiters was playing the "host" he asked if we planned to STAY LONG??????? What kind of question is that to start the night with????? im spending money at your establishment so I am planning to stay for as long as I want...what do u need a timeframe??? WIRED
FOOD & PRICING-NOT WORTH IT THAT'S FOR SURE
I ordered the Irish mussels as a main while my husband did not order a main just the calamari (appetizer)
The mussels had an awful smell and after taste. The broth that they were served with was very watery and overpowered by the taste of onions. It seems like a quick mix of onions, garlic, water and some cream for color......didnt look very appetizing and didnt taste good at all. ($17.00)
My husband did not choose a main he decided to go with just the calamari. First of all there was only 2 pieces of calamari on the plate, one olive, and some other unnecessary garnish...which is fine for a starter but the price was as high as the main dish that I chose ($14)

DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMENDED AND I WOULD DEFINITELY NOT GO BACK.

Steven Pernkey Dec 13,2008

Bland food with gross sauces, the small portions were a blessing. Awful, uninspiring service. Noisy plumbing.

anna Sep 17,2008

made reservations from oTTAWA myfourth visit to this restaurant..never again ...the waiter was awful no hello no smile no welcome etc asked for drink order and left menus...food ordered by 4 of us my venison I asked for rare came very cold even the outside where it was seared..waiter received this as a imposition my guests were finished and he offered to redo it I said no he did take my appetizer off the bill and my venison ...no warmth at all ...will not return

DP Aug 24,2008

Extremely BAD Service

What makes the customers enjoy dining at a restaurant? Good food and good service. At Starfish you may find fresh seafood. However, it is not the case when it comes to customer service. The waitress who served us was NOT professional and incompetent. It all started with a quiet night at Starfish. Starfish was not busy and the waitress only had to serve 2 tables, which includes our table. She only had to serve the 6 of us at our table with our main courses and the “oysterlicious plates”. She was doing okay all along… until BILLING time. She had orders on the bill that we never ordered. We informed her in a polite manner regarding that matter, so she can re-do the bill. She immediately swore and stormed off to re-do the bill. I do not consider her manner as being professional. When we received the bill back after correction (“supposedly”), we found another mistake. On the menu it stated ONE oysterlicious plate costs $44, but on the bill she charged $45. We addressed the issue to her so that she is aware of it and will not make the same mistake to other customers’ bills. She was really frustrated with her own mistakes and gave us some extremely rude comments. Not only did she storm off again after those comments, she did not follow up with the issue. Tips should be given according to the food and service. We paid the tips according to the waitress’s performance… of her being unprofessional and her incompetence. After she received our bill she complained to us that she was startled with the tips. Will I ever go to Starfish again? NO. NO. NO.

Here is something for you to think about: Dishonest with the customers regarding false pricing on the menu or was it just an honest mistake on the billing? Mind you that she did NOT give us an explanation when we addressed the issue……

empiredisplay Jul 20,2008

Went for summerlicious and I called twice, the first time the owner put me on hold (cell phone on the side) and he was having a conversation with his friend which I heard, very unprofessional!!! Second time I called and advised him that I couldn't make it, he was rude about it. We went anyways the next day, and the service was horrible, she advised us you could only have a limited time to eat, also a mandatory 15% gratuity, I would have given 20% if the service was good, but the plates were just dropped on the table and we had to pass the food around ourself(not busy btw), they didn't feel like they had to work for the tip, in my opinion if I pay in a restaurant I would expect to be served!!! A Rude comment was made by the waitress!!! "We'll be right with you" and she never did!!!(empty still) The oysters were good, if there weren't any shells in them, I understand that they have the fastest shuckers record, but hey I have to eat them!!! The shucker didn't even smell them...Shells is a NO NO!!! The shrimp chowder, well shrimps are tiny no bigger then your nail, you can buy them for $2.99 for 500pcs. I found 4 pieces, and you call it shrimp chowder...mmmhhh funny!!! Bread was as hard as a ROCK!!! You could have broken a window with it!!! Pork belly, you mean just FAT!!! Risotto mussels, 4 pieces again, small as your nail, I see a trend going!!! Deep fried Quail, mmmhhh can I say dry as @#$T!!! Seared Arctic Char, very dry and flavorless...the dessert was okay, the best thing was their famous ceasar and the Patrick stout!!! Overall I would never go again due to their poor service!!! Food was very poor!!! If I had to rate it out of 5 stars...0 stars!!! Worst summerlicous ever!!! Tips should never be included, you need to work for it!!! Value for your dollar...Don't expect it!!! Good luck!!!

dinin and dishin Sep 18,2006

Starfish is excellent. I find the non-oyster offerings far and above Rodney's. Their mains are excellent. If you've already done Rodney's, you have nothing to lose, and I don't think you will be disappointed.

apple Sep 18,2006

Personally, I am a huge fan of Starfish - the oysters are divine. The menu is fanatastic and always beautifully prepared and cooked well. I always make room for dessert. They are really cap of the evening...

If I had to be picky and choose one thing - there is one draw back, i would say the menu is a little limited - there is a small handful of fish dishes & a small handful of "turf" dishes - but I have never had difficulty finding something I enjoy there. I would say if you like Rodney's - you would definitely like the food & quality of Starfish.

pinstripeprince Aug 16,2006

just went this past saturday. they have a tarahiki which was nice but not quite my thing since it's a really meaty whitefish and i find those a chore to chew on plus i like something a little fishier. ended up with the cod (came in a beautiful broth) but the sockeye salmon was also quite good. i appreciate that all the mains come out with a proper serving of leafy greens (broccoli rabe, bok choy, etc). chowder was very good. not thick but just creamy enough with a fair portion of lobster pieces and nice diced vegetables.

the fin de claires are in top form and will only get better when we hit september. slightly creamy but with a bit of a metallic melony edge, fantastic.

james Jul 13,2006

I have to agree with you - the chef at Starfish certainly knows how to cook! We were there a few nights ago, and my friend had the Tarakihi (which was wonderful), and I had the Cod, that came with a brandade de morue (basically, a little salt cod cake...heavenly!). What I enjoy as well is the way in which chef prepares vegetables: they're not cooked too much, so they've still got a nice crunch to them. I'd like to find out who their supplier is, because the veggies are so amazingly delicious that I wish I could eat them every day.
Guess I could, if I went to Starfish every day. If only I could afford it! *One final word: flourless chocolate cake!!!!

pinstripeprince Jul 13,2006

i would rate that flourless chocolate cake as the best one i've had so far. if you enjoy something smooth, rich, melt-in-your-mouth and far from chalky... perfecto. even though the serving seems tiny in comparison to the creme brulee, i'm not even sure if a chocolate fanatic could contain any more.