Geds Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge

We have just returned from France where we once believed that food lovers would never be disappointed. Well, that is no longer the case. It is the memory of poor and indifferent cuisine we were served in France that motivated us to write this review for Geds Restaurant in Brantford. It's like traveling the world and then realising the advantages of living in Canada. We are very lucky to have a restaurant like Geds in our small city. We have ordered dinners and lunches on several occasions and the result has always been the same: impeccable service, excellent, innovative and diverse cuisine at a fraction of the price one would be expected to pay for similar fare in larger cities in Canada or Europe. We are very lucky indeed to have a place like Geds to which we can go for superior fine dining.

We have made two visits in the last few months and the menu had changed between the two visits. Very different menu choices and specials adds a uniqueness to each visit.

Would definitely recommend to anyone that is bored of the everyday restaurant fair and wants to enjoy food cooked by a very talented chef.

The dining room has a very quaint but modern feeling. The only drawback was that on the second visit one of the cooks/chef kept on storming in and out of the kitchen and flaring towards the front of house staff (very noticeable since we were seated directly between the two). Other than that great experience and food.

I don't think I have ever had a better meal. My husband and I have been to many places in the world and our favourite restaurant is Ged's. The chefs are artists and the atmosphere is nice and comfortable we are definitely going back soon

I took an out of town guest to lunch at this restaurant and was pleasantly suprised by how reasonable the lunch menu prices are! I had a gourmet sandwich that came with a lovely little salad for only $14, my friend had a shrimp pasta that had 5 enormous shrimps and it was only $17! We were celebrating, so we enjoyed a whole bottle of wine...$25! Our total bill was under $35 bucks each and we were stuffed. Our Server was really nice, she told us that the new chef makes chocolate truffles and brought us out a sample because we were celebrating a special occasion, we can't wait to return.

I love this restaurant! I can't believe there are any negative reviews on this site, everyone I talk to and send here is more than pleased. Ged's has "set the bar" for me, every where I go, including vacations, I compare everything I eat to Ged's. The truth is most places come up short, in fact, I can't say I prefer any other place to dine. Ask for Lannie or Eva, both of these ladies continously strive for excellence in what they do, and both have on seperate occassions gone above our expectations to make the meal special for us.

The venison melted in my mouth. My wifes lamb was equal to the test. The sweetbreads were a special and I only ordered them on a recommendation by the server. I usually dislike sweetbreads, finding them "livery" and chewy but these were enlightening. Crisp exterior with an almost molten, tender interior. They were served over sauteed spinach and mushrooms with a reduction of the stock they were braised in. In a word..... Awesome! After asking the server why they were so good the owner came to our table and told us that he learned to cook them from the chef at Mario Batali's restaurant in NYC. According to Ged, the key is to not "over blanch the sweetbreads". I love that the owner would admit that he learned from someone else. These days with so many chefs bursting with ego and self importance, it's a nice change.
Everything about the meal was fantastic. The service was spot on, knowlegeable and friendly. Atmosphere was elegant and contemporary without being stuffy. Even the music was great. This is why I find it troubling to see that a few reviewers have complained about the price of their meal at this restaurant.
I have worked in the restaurant business for over twenty years, and because of this, I feel I have earned a certain degree of your trust. This place uses expensive ingredients and cooks them well. If you don't want to pay for good food then don't go to this restaurant; which, by the way, didn't seem too expensive to me. Dinner for two with three courses each and two bottles of wine was around $165 plus tip. Try ordering two bottles of wine and three courses each next time you go to a chain restaurant. If you're lucky it might be twenty or thirty dollars less. For saving twenty bucks you get trans fat laden overcooked food that was reheated from a bag. Cooks that don't know what a whole fish or a primal cut of beef even looks like, let alone how to make a salad dressing. A server that doesn't know if Chianti is a wine or the designer of the shoes she is wearing. And, more often than not, atmosphere that makes the showroom at IKEA look like it's from Home and Garden. I hate when people have an excellent meal at a restaurant, admit that it was excellent, and then complain about the price. If you want an excellent meal you have to pay a little more. You can't trade in your Hyundai for a Porsche without paying a little extra.
Do yourselves, and people who appreciate quality food a favor. Eat at cheap restaurants and keep your opinions to yourselves.

I love Ged's . It is beautiful!!!!!!!! I love to use a whole bunch of exclamation marks when I favourably review another Brantford restaurant not far from Ged's!!!!!! I wonder who I am? Can you put two and two together?

Best place to go in Brantford by far
We have commited to going to Ged's on a monthly basis
Some of the best wines you will ever find from the $20 wine list to the top of the line - all wines are excellent
We have tried most of the menu and has always been prepared the way we requested
Sevice has been excellent never had a problem and was actually the draw for us to go back the second time
Knowledge and professional level of the service was superior!

food was so-so. service was terrible. over-priced. don't waste your money or time!!!

Definitely one of the best restaurants in brantford with good quality food with good proportions. In comparing pricing of the dishes - I would say you definitely get your moneys worth and get what you pay for!