Aberdeen Tavern

I am hesitant to write this review of the Aberdeen Tavern. It’s been almost two months since my visit but I’ve finally decided to come clean about it. With the exception of the visit I am describing, I have only ever been to the Aberdeen Tavern one other time for drinks.
We, as a group of four, visited the Aberdeen Tavern on January 13^th for a birthday lunch. As you may anticipate, we’d heard great things about this restaurant. The décor is a modern take on a classic dining room, i.e., white-​washed walls/​crown moulding with dark wood accents, and the atmosphere is relaxed yet sophisticated.
Normally, I like to order one of the daily specials because, odds are, this will contain the freshest ingredients and may be prepared by a more enthusiastic chef. Of the several specials listed, one was an egg-​white omelette stuffed with smoked salmon, avocado and goat cheese (if you love smoked salmon you’ll understand why this sounded so appealing). Three out of the four of us ordered this special while the other ordered a Teriyaki Tofu bowl. The meals came beautifully plated and the wait staff was very attentive to our needs, i.e., check-​in, coffee, water, etc. The omelette was inedible (hate to say it). Honestly, I am not a pickey eater and this dish came as a real surprise to us. Each of us (with the exception of my mate who ordered the Teriyaki Tofu) barely touched our meals and, in good form and because it was our friend’s birthday, did not complain; although looking back I am feeling that we should have. The waitress cleared our table, clearly noticing that ¾ of us barely touched our food, and did not probe into «how was the meal?» We left with a bitter taste in our mouths, especially because this is a high-​end restaurant, but we did not feel the need to cause additional fuss.
I dislike reading and leaving polarizing reviews but I thought it was important to highlight my opinion for several reasons: a. Even high-​end restaurants can make mistakes, but I believe those mistakes should be remediated before the customer exits; b. Despite the daily special, the Tofu Teriyaki was delicious; c. The atmosphere and location are excellent.
All in all, I think we may have been one of a few dissatisfied customers who visit the Aberdeen Tavern; will I return for another try? Absolutely (based upon the reviews below). Are my friends willing to return? Most are not, but I’m working on it and will update with a new review once we do.

Lunch –outstanding –best bowl of mussels I’ve ever eaten – broth made of the chef’s own curry, lime leaves and garlic. I ordered the frites as I was very hungry, but it came with a delicious piece of grilled naan on the side. Had I known wouldn’t have ordered the frites as they were rather ordinary and unnecessary. Otherwise, a fabulous experience. And in my hood – another bonus.

Food:
–Fish Tacos: such freshness in the ingredients! I wouldn’t order this dish, though, because it is pricey for what you get: two tacos on a plate. Each taco contains a piece of deep fried cod and assorted veggies to be wrapped in two small orange-​coloured tortillas.
–Lamb Bolognese Orecchiette: amazing pasta! This dish was served very hot. That’s how I like my food. I usually like pastas that don’t use a tomato sauce, yet found this dish excellent. I liked the taste and texture of smoked ricotta.
–Roasted Mushroom Pappardelle: I got to sample this dish thanks to my significant other. It was my first time trying pappardelle pasta and I really liked it. It worked very well with the mushroom and whatever sauce that was used in the pasta.
Service:
Our waitress was professional and efficient. She came by often to fill our glasses with water and to ask how our food tasted. One thing I found a little strange and unnecessary was she asked me, «are you still working on that?» so eager to clear away when my plate still had plenty of pasta in it.
Other:
–Warm, intimate atmosphere. They do light a small candle on each table, which would be great for a romantic dinner. There are portrait paintings hanging on the walls and this reminded me of eating in places like UofT dining halls. On the first floor, there are one marble table and other wooden tables.
–They help you with hanging your coats at the entrance.
–Parking may be difficult because there is no private lot reserved for the restaurant.

Yet another awesome restaurant in Hamilton. The place is a bit pricey but the food is amazing. We ordered the fish tacos to start. They give you two measly fish tacos for $ 12, but they were pretty good and unique. I probably wouldn’t order it again though since it was not filling at all. For $ 12, I’d hope to get at least 3 fish tacos. For my main, I got the roasted mushroom pappardelle and it was fantastic. I rarely order pasta at restaurants because I always get a case of «I could’ve made this», but the chefs here truly did some fine work. The flavours worked perfectly. I highly recommend it. My girlfriend ordered the lamb bolognese orecchiette, which I got to try a bit of. It was good, but nothing particularly special. The atmosphere is great for a date night, and the service quick and efficient.

Can’t talk about the food because I never sat down. Arrived with my wife and 5 month old (in a car seat). Place was more than half empty when we walked in. Were asked if we had a reservation, which we didn’t, and were then told that they were full (which I can understand, even though as I said, the tables were half empty).
But then the young lady at the front desk, instead of giving us a wait time just offhandedly remarks, «oh, you can sit at the bar if you want, or at this table». She points at a small round table in front of the entrance (practically in an aisle) with 2 individual chairs.
I can understand that your restaurant isn’t child friendly. But I considered her attitude as borderline offensive, showing evident lack of knowledge. Where was I supposed to place my son? On top of the bar? In the aisle on the floor? At no moment did she offer to make any arrangements for him. I would have preferred her just saying they were full and given me a wait time to see if I was willing to wait.
Not going back there again.

I was so lucky to have the opportunity to come here with my research team for dinner. We reserved the room upstairs, so we had the entire room and a giant table to ourselves. There was also a set menu for dinner, which included an appetizer, entrée and dessert. I loved the homey, cozy but lovely decorated setting, complete with a corner kitchen and sofa area.
Service was fantastic: there was someone continually pouring wine (white or red), and asking if we needed anything. They also take your coat at the door, which I love.
Food: AMAZING! I was extremely impressed with the caliber of our dinner. Out of all the restaurants I’ve been to in Hamilton, Aberdeen Tavern is definitely my favorite. With an option of the shrimp & avocado, caesar salad and buffalo mozarella crostini, I just had to order the Shrimp & Avocado as my appetizer, which includes: avocado, herb vinaigrette, pickled celery and toasted panko ($ 15). They give you half an avocado heaped with a generous portion of shrimp on top. It was a refreshing but satisfying opener to a great meal.
For the entrée I ordered pan seared steelhead trout, which includes: heirloom carrots, grapes, avocado purée, watercress, cilantro yogurt, cumin vinaigrette ($ 25). The trout was perfectly cooked, tender, flaky and flavorful. I loved the accompanying avocado purée and the carrots. This was a great dish and a must-​order for people who like trout.
For the dessert I ordered the white chocolate cheesecake which comes with blueberry compote, lemon curd and brown butter graham crumbs ($ 10), based on the suggestion of our server. This was probably some of the best cheesecake I’ve ever had, and beautifully presented.
My meal was really amazing, I would love to come back here for brunch. Not only is the food delicious, but I like the cozy, classy ambiance, great service and quiet atmosphere that facilitates conversation. Quite impressed!

Used to live in Hamilton 20 yrs ago. Things have changed and this restaurant is a great example. Good food, good service and great vibe. Recommended for sure.

Love the Tavern! Have been for Brunch and Dinner multiple times and haven’t been disappointed!

Hamilton. Who knew.
Actually, a lot of people know. I have a handful of friends who just can’t handle the idea of suburbia nor the downtown housing costs, to they’ve taken refuge in the Hammer. A happening little city in its own right an hour from the big smoke. I texted one of these cool cats on my way home from Niagara Falls to ask for a restaurant recommendation. They had three or four, but Aberdeen was by far their favourite, for a great reason. It’s fucking awesome.
They were full inside with reservations, but we were pretty early and the patio is first come first serve. We really enjoyed their incredibly well-​curated little leather menus. I had their corn soup and a big salad, while my dining companions had their burger and truffle frites and an angel hair pasta. Seriously great food.
In some ways, I think this is what Toronto is missing these days. Everything has a cool gimmick attached to it to get attention, and this place is just what it is: a pretty restaurant with nice servers and terrific food… This being said, I won’t be leaving my downtown hovel anytime soon.

I have had several evening meals and one lunch at the Aberdeen Tavern now. The food is always excellent and innovative and the menu changes regularly. The food uses high quality fresh ingredients and presentation is excellent. The décor is relaxed formal and in a converted bank building with high ceilings that give the place an old European feel. The wine list is good and there are excellent retro cocktails. Its higher prices are well justified. Its an experience that’s worth going out for, and ideal if you have an occasion or want to show off Hamilton to visitors. Not a place for a quick lunch in your work lunch break though — our group of 7 waited an hour for our mains so would pay to talk to them if you’re time limited.

Fantastic ambience and service. Delicious and clever dishes and a wonderful cocktail menu. Is a bit pricey but worth the money for a lovely evening out.

We went to dinner as a group of ten and the service was fairly impressive. We had a slow start due to a lack of menus, and it took a little while to get our drink orders in, but everything was uphill from there. The food was delicious and rich, but not over the top. I had the best salad to start, followed by the tiger prawn tacos, and a bit of the bread pudding. Everything was great.
Our server was very enthusiastic and I felt very comfortable dining here.

This place has exactly the kind of brunch food I’ve been looking for in the area: creative, good flavours, and nice presentation!
I was really impressed with my tostada rancheros (two poached eggs and black beans on tostadas with guacamole and lime crema with a side of home fries). The flavours were delicious and everything was perfectly cooked and seasoned.
The prices are obviously a little higher than your typical brunch restaurant, but I’d say it’s worth it. I’d rather pay a few more dollars for this quality of food instead of getting cheap cold potatoes and egg goop from a bag.

Pros:
Food, drinks and atmosphere were excellent overall.
There were a good variety of beers and wines to choose from.
The service was outstanding.
Cons:
Cocktails and appetizers are overpriced.
Round marble tables near the back are too small for eating lunch or dinner at.
An upscale establishment where I had a very enjoyable dining experience.
I would dine here again, looking forward to trying more dishes.

We went to the Aberdeen Tavern for the first time last night. The experience was almost perfect. By far our best dining experience in Hamilton so far (we’ve been here 4 months). The food was very well prepared and extremely tasty. We also had some very good local wines. The staff were very attentive and welcoming from the minute we walked in. I can guarantee we will be back soon and would recommend this spot to anyone.

I’ve been twice now and first time food was good, burger definitely not best in the world but not close to being the worst either. Overall the table enjoyed their meal and service. Recently went back with my wife and definitely not the same experience. I don’t know if not having a reservation entitles service to be indifferent and food over done and not flavourful but that’s the experience. Both fish dishes Halibut and Salmon we had were dry, server apologized for not being attentive but when you pay 120 plus tip for 2 (we had 4 beers, 2 apps, 2 dinners) I’d expect more on both ends. It’s a busy place and glad it’s doing well Hamilton needs to have places people want to come to and talk about but it wasn’t a good experience for us this night.

Went there for dinner last night and while I enjoyed the company I was not happy with the meal. The service was very slow and everyone’s food was cold. I enjoyed their Meat Bread and Cheese platter for the appetizer and I had the seafood linguine. Others had the Tavern Steak, the Gnocci, and the Southwest Napolean as their main. In general the appetizers were good but the mains fell short. The linguine dish was cold and bland, and based on the toast the dish had been sitting for quite a while before being delivered. We waited nearly an hour to get the main dishes. The seafood was properly cooked including the scallops which is hard to do but it didn’t save the dish. The steak was medium rare but it had been ordered medium and apparently tasted a little disgusting to the person that ordered it. It was a good size and a good thickness but it was tough and chewy. The other two at the table only commented that they did not like the vegetarian dished they ordered and that their food was also cold. In Aberdeen Tavern’s defense they became quite busy after we sat down.

In Hamilton for business and I found the Aberdeen online. What a find! Food was fabulous and the staff was friendly and engaging. Even got to meet the owner. Don’t pass up the pecan pie for dessert. Definitely recommend this for foodies. Great ambiance — an outdoor patio if the weather cooperates.

I have been for brunch and dinner and both were excellent! We went for brunch on Father’s Day and everyone enjoyed their meals very much, but the Huevos Rancheros were the standout! My husband and I went for dinner this evening and again I was impressed. Stunning atmosphere, friendly and efficient service and delicious meals. We had the grilled calamari to start, full of flavour and cooked perfectly, as well as the crab cakes — which were good, but even better with the mango salsa on top — so fresh! We both had the organic halibut and it was incredible. Melt in your mouth and paired perfectly with the buttery risotto that it sat atop! And for dessert — I had the cinnamon bread pudding. Yum, yum and more yum. So moist and warm. Tasted like fall on a warm summer evening. From start to finish everything was wonderful and we will be back! We just bought a house in the neighbourhood and are so happy to have such a great restaurant close by. The only thing that could be improved upon would be to add a Riesling to the white wines by the glass — they were all on the dryer side and I prefer sweet. Otherwise absolutely perfect meal.