I was at excited at the prospect of eating lunch at the Skylon Restaurant Revolving Dining Room – 360 Degree View of Niagara – Skylon Tower in the Skylon Tower. A friend had told me that the food and the views were well worth the effort. I counted myself lucky to obtain a same day lunch reservation and looked forward to reviewing both.
The 775-foot elevator trip to the restaurant is not for the acrophobic A Day In (Canadian) Niagara Falls – HER//Excursions (herexcursions.com). The view was stunning otherwise. It was even better in the restaurant. Seating is arranged into two rows on the revolving platform. I was sat on the row by the windows.
I ordered a burger and fries as well as a litchi martini. The waiter asked me if I wanted cheese on the burger besides it being billed as such and me not indicating otherwise. I enjoyed the bread and martini while I waited for the food. Most of all I drank in the phenomenal view.
The burger was an unpleasant surprise. I did not expect to see scorched-black grill marks on the bun. Or an overdone burger. Nor iceberg lettuce. Or aioli in a ramekin and not the burger. And for sure not a pile of unappetizing fries. Let’s not even discuss the random broccoli partially hidden in the fries.
It was NOT what I was expecting, in a fine dining establishment, for $35. To make matters worse, the meal did not taste any better. The overwhelming flavor of this overdone burger was char. I mean, I crunched on burnt grill bits. The aioli tasted like straight mayo (I had assumed it came spread on the bun). The fries tasted as bland as they looked (and I love fries). The burger buns had a vaguely grocery feel about them. I skipped the broccoli. Additionally, I had to use my dinner-cum-butter knife as my steak knife because the waiter(s) did not bring me anything else.
Now, why did I suffer in silence, you ask. Because I did not see a waiter until at the end of the meal. Also, aside from really wanting to like this place, I was hungry, and motivated by the thought of the $35 I was spending. It didn’t work though. I hate to say this but this has to be one of the worst burgers I have ever had. And I’ve had a lot. From fast foot to shacks to chain restaurants, as well as good and bad cooks. And just to highlight this, a lady at an adjacent had a couple of bites of hers before having the plate cleared.
I was very disappointment with the food. That said, I absolutely loved the views. I would even be willing to give the food (different though) another try. I will leave it up to you to decide if a meal at the Skylon Revolving Restaurant is worth a visit. Just be warned.
