Deer + Almond

I heard this spot is listed among the Top 100 Restaurants in Canada 🇨🇦, but the reviews are pretty divided. Some people rave about the food, while others feel the flavors don’t quite justify the price. Their dinner menu is 4 dishes for $90 per person, which felt a bit steep for me, so I asked for the à la carte menu instead (still pricey though 😅). Since I wasn’t too hungry after having a drink earlier, I went for two small plates: 🥣 Pepe’s Grandma’s Chicken Soup This one is on the more affordable side. It tastes like a Mexican-style chicken soup 🇲🇽 with a hint of jalapeño—but wow, the spice really kicks in 🌶️🔥. The broth didn’t fully impress me… it had a slightly “gamey” aroma, like something wasn’t cleaned properly. But the chicken itself was incredibly soft and tender, which saved the dish. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 🦌 Deer Carpaccio It’s rare to see venison on a menu, so I had to try it. The plate comes with fresh fruits, blueberries, and greens, plus a crunchy texture from nuts—almost like puffed rice. The venison was so delicious, and you absolutely have to eat everything together for the full experience ✨. Halfway through I realized… isn’t this basically their signature dish inspired by the name Deer & Almond? And honestly, it deserves that spotlight — beautifully balanced and truly memorable ❤️. Food-wise, it was a great experience, but I’m giving the restaurant 4 stars because the service lacked some attention to detail. With better service, it could’ve been perfect.

1/5 Stars – Disappointing for a Fine Dining Experience I visited Deer & Almond expecting a memorable fine dining experience, but it fell short in several ways. Upon arrival, the hostess, Jenna, made us feel profiled by directing us to a far-end table. Worthy to mention that most tables remained empty throughout.She could have given us a better option , then her immediate mention of the $90 four-course set menu felt pushy and unwelcoming, which set a poor tone. The decor was decent but underwhelming for a fine dining venue—nothing particularly elegant or noteworthy. The seating was a major issue: the wooden chairs and benches were uncomfortable for a 2.5-hour meal, which detracted significantly from the experience. The menu itself was limited, making it difficult to select appealing dishes for each course. Thankfully, the food was a highlight—well-prepared and flavorful—and the cocktails were equally enjoyable, which saved the evening to some extent. However, our table faced the washroom, and every time someone exited, the door was left open, giving us an unpleasant view of the toilet. This was a major oversight for a restaurant aiming for sophistication. While Jenna’s attitude remained off-putting, her colleague provided excellent service, explaining each course thoroughly and professionally, which we appreciated. Overall, Deer & Almond needs significant improvements in ambiance, seating comfort, and staff approach to justify its fine dining claim. Wouldn’t recommend unless these issues are addressed.

Since seeing this place rated highly on Canada's Top 100 Restaurants, I've been eager to pay Deer + Almond a visit. For my 30th, my fiancee and I decided to finally make it a date! D+A stood out from the outside with its rich pink lighting. When we arrived, our hostess was kind and accommodating given we had arrived for our reservation close to 30 minutes early. We were seated towards the back of the restaurant which allowed us to see all of its interesting decorative elements. Our table was ready to go with cutlery neatly positioned over a ceramic, c-shaped cutlery stand which was a cute touch. We ordered drinks followed by our 4 courses with no add ons. The drinks we had, a martini for her and a peach rum drink for myself, were fantastic and had us ready for our meal which began with a small but tasty tuna cracker treat. The food overall was good, however there was one standout dish on both ends of the spectrum. The Bison & Pork Tortellini Dumplings were amazing. Excellently spiced meat filling in a rich and creamy broth that both me and my fiancee adored. The Deer Carpaccio, however, was underwhelming, especially given it came with an upcharge of $10. The deer itself lacked flavor and while the beats were tasty, the dish as a whole left us wanting more. Throughout the service, we were asked numerous times if we were good on drinks despite having said we were after the first one, which felt a little pushy. While it was a special occasion, I wasn't keen on following my cocktail with more alcohol, especially given the former had lasted me through my entire meal! Deer and almond was a solid high-dining experience and I could definitely see how it earned its reputation, though some elements of our night could have been improved. I would be interested in trying it's other food options if I find myself returning!

1 of the best meals I've ever had, I wish I was staying longer in Winnipeg so I could go again. We did the 4 course dinner service, it was perfect. I think the beef tartare was the best bite of food I've ever had.

The 4-course menu was decent, but I probably won’t come back given the steep price. Salmon, albacore tuna and steelhead trout were the highlights. Other dishes were just OK. Another highlight was the pottery plates and utensil holder. We were so intrigued that we looked up the artist online.

Mandel Hitzer and his team are brilliant. Yes, it's not the cheapest place to eat at, but I am quite tired of paying a hundred dollar for a forgettable meal. This is everything but forgettable. Every piece of the tasting menu was delicate, and intricate and perfect. Mandel delivered each meal with heartfelt explanations. He told me that it's not only about creating a perfect meal, it's about making it consistently. Nailed it. Bravo.

The best steelhead trout and oysters I ever had. The tuna was also very good. Dessert in comparison is a bit mediocre. The restaurant is quite small and a bit noisy.

Our first time at this establishment. Our server Andrea was friendly and helpful. The food was very tasty, good portions, very satisfied after a lovely meal. I could probably eat 10 of those chorizo & queso quesadillas, so unbelievably delicious.

Great experience. Came here while visiting Winnipeg. Wanted to take my niece as an early Christmas gift. We made an early reservation at 5pm. Cool looking place not big, located right in the Exchange. We did the tasting menu which was a lot of food for two people about 8 dishes plus some extras. My apologies it's been a couple of months since I've eaten here and have now forgotten most of the details. But notables were: Green pappardelle it was both of our fave. Overall we both had a great experience. I highly recommend it.

I really wanted to love this restaurant especially at $90 per person for their tasting menu. I wouldn't classify us as foodies, but as regular people who like good food and don't have a problem dropping this kind of money for a dinner if the food is amazing. And we've been to some places where we have spent this amount and had an absolutely incredible dinner. Unfortunately this was not the case for Deer and Almond. The amuse bouche of celery with anchovy butter and dill flowers was just strange. The anchovy gave zero flavour so it was like butter in celery with a strong hit of dill. Course One - caviar and whitefish dip was quite good. One of the high points of the meal. The crab on toast with hollandaise was so drenched in hollandaise that everything was soggy and I left at least 1/3 on my plate as it was inedible. Course Two - Salmon and Citrus was not particularly memorable. Grilled peaches with zucchini and raspberries was a strange combination punctuated by the bitter flavour of a herb that I cannot recollect the name of now. The peaches at the bottom of the dish were really good but the rest was not a pleasing flavour combination. First two course came in a reasonable amount of time, then we waited a full hour for course 3 which was a painfully long wait. Our reservation was at 5:15pm and we were some of the first few people in the restaurant so there really should not have been this big of a gap between courses. Course 3 was dropped at our table, but the person delivering it left so fast we couldn't mention we needed cutlery which had been taken away when they cleared Course Two. So we waited a few more minutes to flag someone down for that. Course Three - This was the best part of the meal. My husband enjoyed the chicken schnitzel and the fish I had (cannot remember the full details) was quite good - at least enough that I could say I enjoyed part of my meal. Course Four - Italian Coffee which was disappointing on first bite, but did grow on me and I would say I enjoyed it. Exactly as its described - frozen coffee with a milky consistency. Whipped cream and almonds on top were a good addition. Banana and Walnut tart was not much of a looker but did taste pretty. Overall a few dishes were good, but none that I could say were great. Aside from the bread which we got as an addition and I would have gotten more of had the server come back at any regular intervals. It was really really amazing and I could have eaten another serving of it no problem. After all that, we left hungry and went to Baked Expectations to get cake to finish off the evening.

*This is a 4.5 stars review* We were recommended by several people to have dinner here. Our dinner was a four course menu which changes every few months. We started off with a beet and blueberry salad then grilled wild prawn with green tomato followed by pickerel and peanut semi-fredo . My definite favorites were the prawn salad and pickerel. Amazing flavours and texture which really rest was good but not quite like the Overall we had a really nice experience. Staff was very friendly and attentive. Worth checking this place out if you're in Winnipeg ;-)

Great place for a date but not a lot of things to choose from! Limited menu. We went for brunch and they were out of almost everything we wanted to eat:(

A great place for a date. The restaurant is intimate. The staff are very good. The food is wonderful. A great place.

This is one of the most famous restaurants in Winnipeg. We visited there some times before but it wasn't open. This time we checked the time and booked a seat. The menu said there were four courses per person and you could choose from four categories .My favorite food was the steak which was tasted very delicious. The service was great and the price was a little bit expensive.

Huge yes! My boyfriend and I stopped here on our roadtrip. It was the best introduction to Winnipeg we could have had. We also had the potatoes and white fish dip, which all got gobbled up before I could snag a picture. I loved the mix and balance of Asian fusion, which I wasn't expecting. If I was from here, I could definitely see myself frequenting this place and/or making it my date night spot. Staff was friendly, the vibe was relaxed, and the food was on point. If I'm back in Winnipeg, definitely stopping off here.

Everyone is so welcoming, the very best hosts in Winnipeg! Great environment, warm and cozy spot to enjoy a dinner for two or as a group. A Winnipeg treasure forsure!

The tasting menu is absolutely divine and a steal for $45. The amount of food you get will be much more than your stomach can handle and you will leave very satisfied! So prepare by not eating anything beforehand! Although the restaurant was fully booked, I managed to walk in and grab a seat on the side. There was curry popcorn served with the menus. Very tempting to gobble it all, luckily a patron next to me warned me to ease off as the tasting menu will be very filling. #1 Helluva dip: a crowdpleaser for a reason. A complex flavour profile of onion and dill, delicious. Very addicting. Wanted some to bring back to Vancouver. One area of improvement would be the kettle chips, mine were a tad stale. #2 Sweetbreads: the server was able to let the kitchen know I really wanted to try this dish. Very tasty, good amount of greens with a nice amount of pistachios. #3 Tomato salad: I unfortunately do not like tomatoes (forgot to relay this to the kitchen), but there was a fried rice thing which was nice. Like a rice hashbrown. #4 Deer tataki: really liked it, flavours worked well with the mustard. It was a very generous portion of protein!! #5 Pork belly on crispy rice: Would have preferred a contrast of textures, as the pork belly and the crispy rice were both crispy and hard. Pork belly was standard, nice and fatty. This dish was just okay, but maybe also because I was very full at this point. #6 Ravioli: at this point, I thought the kitchen messed up and accidentally gave me one dish too many. I actually felt like my stomach was already past capacity. I could not enjoy this as much as I should have. It was good though. Don't miss this place if you're ever in Winnipeg!

a few things to consider is location parking and chef. this place is hit or miss depending on night.

Not know as a destination city for dining, or really much but wildlife and hockey based on research while planning a three day visit, it was around 8:00pm on Wednesday that walk-in availability was found at Winnipeg's deer + almond, one of only two Manitoba Restaurants on Canada's "Top 100" in addition to Segovia which would be experienced the following evening. Located downtown near the Exchange District, a low-slung building amidst modest skyscrapers easily found as it appears to be the only inhabited space in the area after dark, guests approaching deer + almond will start to notice the thump of bass from some three meters out, the opening of doors immediately telling of just what sort of "experience" the Restaurant is trying to create. Toqued by Chef Mandel Hitzer and considered avant-garde for Winnipeg, the menu best described as fusion and presented as "Tapas" by servers, it was immediately upon seating in a room built for 68 but holding just seven that specials were described, the server pleasant but unpolished as she recited directly from a blackboard clearly visible to the left. Certainly no place for those skeptical about big flavors or loud sounds, thumping Rap seemingly growing louder as time progressed, it was with a small bowl of heavily-seasoned Popcorn and Water that nearly twenty minutes passed before the arrival of requested plates, the first a tangle of charred Carrots whose intrinsic sweetness found balance in Hazelnut Butter and grated Cheese plus crunchy specks of Granola while earthy Celeriac thankfully took a backseat. Deciding next amongst diverse items ranging from Soba to Weiner Schnitzel, Mandel's German first name which translates to Almond explaining both the Restaurant's name and dish, it was mostly childhood memories of Walleye that led to a selection of Pickerel amidst umami, the Grits a bit watery on their own but a nice contrast to Pumpkin and Pickled Vegetables plus lightly spiced Cheese. Intentionally saving room for Dessert, the meager Canadian Dollar offering three choices at bargain prices, it was on the Waitress' recommendation that "From the Earth" was selected, a blend of textures and flavors befitting early Autumn proving better than both savories largely on the strength of an elegant Pavlova and creamy housemade Pumpkin Ice Cream.

Hands up to Deer + Almond for having an avant-garde, ever evolving menu. Our favourite dishes of the night were a tie between the deer tartare and the duck meatball linguine. The deer tartare had so many flavours, colours and textures in it that no description could do justice to this exceptional dish. To give it a bigger twist, the vessel for the tartare wasn't the standard bread, but rather it was crispy potato chips! We would have the same words of praise for the duck meatball linguine. I've never had duck meatballs before, so I couldn't imagine what it would taste like. The balls were incredibly tender-almost melt in your mouth tender. But it still had the full flavours of duck! The linguine, you could tell, was freshly made. It soaked up the creamy sauce so nicely and paired marvelously with the succulent mushrooms and juicy cherry tomatoes. The yam tortellini stood out as unique. It was delicious, but not the highlight of the meal. The least favourable of our four dishes would be the grilled octopus. There was nothing awful about it, but it didn't have any unique or exceptional qualities. It did provide a bed of stir fried veggies to help us reach our veggie quota, though. Be forewarned that it'll be a pricey meal for what feels like a casual restaurant with fine but impersonal service. We shared (and finished) four dishes, and it came to $90 BEFORE drinks, tax or tip. Still, I would recommend treating your palate to their menu at least once!

The Deer+Almond is an excellent choice for a tasty, comforting dinner. My colleagues and I stopped in for a dinner about 6pm on. Thursday night. With no reservation, we were able to get seated right away in a cozy corner of the restaurant. Our waitress was a real delight; and though they got busy pretty soon after we arrived, there was the right level of checking in with us and attention. Though the menu is designed to be shared, I wasn't in the sharing mood and was pretty hungry, so I ordered the beef tenderloin special. It was excellent. In fact, both of my colleagues also ordered the beef special and we all ate every bite--and was a pretty healthy sized portion! The flavours were really delicious and balanced and the beef was perfectly prepared. I highly recommend this dish. I didn't get a chance to try anything else on the menu, though it all looked really delicious. When in Winnipeg, I'll definitely come by again.

This place is amazing. Just came back from dinner here. And it was a delightful meal. We were a group of 3. So we tried many items on the menu. house made bread and cultured butter - The bread was really good and the butter was very tasty too. beets & orange salad - was good. It had beets, orange, green apples, feta, iceberg lettuce, tahini and walnuts. The dish was much better than it sounds. fried Brussels sprouts - it was fried brussels sprouts with parmesan, capicola, poached egg and caesar salad. I didn't try it, but others loved it a lot. s & p calamari - it was grilled calamari with blistered onions and peppers and chili vinegar on the side. It was the best appetizer we tried on the menu. fried cornish hen - it was fried cornish hen with coconut crust and glazed with maple. It was served with the mint chutney. It was pretty good. thai style duck - brushed with soy sauce served green papaya, onion, basil and mint salad, which was amazing. salt of the earth - it was a very quirky and playful dessert. It was beet ice cream, pickled blueberries, feta served mushroom & cocoa cookie crumble. Each ingredient itself was okay but the dish came together really well when each item was tried together. It came out really well. semifreddo - it was a chocolate cake with peanut-butter cream, sea salt and caramel. It tasted a little like tiramisu but not quite. Very different than anything we had tried in the past. The red wines that we tried were pretty good too and paired very well with the food.

I loved this small tapas bar and restaurant. It was our first meal in Winnipeg and my absolute favourite. I enjoyed every dish; especially the pork belly & watermelon and the baby potatoes with tobiko. The pork belly flavour with the sweetness of the watermelon was exquisite. And the potatoes were the best potatoes my family has ever had. Slightly crunchy on the outside and super soft on the inside, the mayo and tobiko mixed in was perfect. Would definitely come back again on another visit! The staff was really friendly as well! :) Side note: the drinks are a bit off. The "sacred garden cocktail" tasted a bit like soap.

I wanted to like this place, i really did. I spent 4 days in the lead up to my reservation waiting for the day to arrive, I had been making my way thru some of Winnipeg's best restaurants expecting this one to top them all, sadly, it didn't come close. We were seated immediately, and met our server. It was like he didn't want to be there, pleasant is not a word I would not describe him. Asked about the specials on the board, he read them out, and said they were "pretty self explanatory". Thanks. He perked up a bit when my sister asked him about the wines, clearly a passion of his, but it would have been nice to see that side of him thru the whole dinner. Our party of 3 shared three small plates and 2 big plates, and it was more than enough. I think of the 5 things we ordered, 4 had dill on them, the last dish, which i believe was the arctic char, had a pile of dill 3 inches high on top. Being the last dish, the mountain of herb left an unpleasant aftertaste that wouldn't go away. The yellow beans were delicious, crunchy, with a bit of heat. None of the other dishes stood out at all, nothing memorable. I asked about dessert, hoping in part that they would have something to wash away the taste of the everlasting last dish, and mentioned i had spotted something on a table near to us that the diner was raving out. Servers response? "People love it here, but it no one would eat that in Australia." Way to up sell. We left, disappointed. Reading other reviews I'm getting the sense there are issues with consistency of the food and the service, we had negative experiences with both.

As far as I am aware, this restaurant has a new location but my last dine-in would have been years ago at the location at the Exchange District in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. The food was bomb & outright delicious. I had one of my favourite drinks here, called a whisky sour which is topped with frothed egg whites. Of course, it was my favourite drink then and these days I opt for something less sweet. Would dine again!

Selected this as a special treat for my mom and sister who were flying in to Winnipeg to wrap up my conference week. Not something my mom would normally do but since she was travelling all reserves went out the table! We started with the complimentary truffle popcorn, deer tartare, eel and octopus fusion bibimbap, the beet salad and a couple of whiskeys. Huge portions for being tapas style. The choices of top shelf were good and well selected. Everyone of the started were worth every penny... loved the eel bibimbap (mixed rice bowl) especially... with the crisp of the battered and fried eel to the char of the broccoli and octopus, freshness of the radish slices and the delicious sauces through out the dish...we wiped the bowl clean. The fresh potato chips were a great pair with the deer, which had little dried blueberries in it. For mains we got the lamb pappardelle and the half chicken... the pasta was mushy but the lamb was good. The chicken was delicious with the wild rice but way too much food at that point so after a few bites we packed up to go. Could have given up one of our mains for dessert since those looked great as well. Wanted the salmon but as they are locally sourced and seasonal so limited portions, they had just sold out. Would definitely recommend this spot with reservations for groups or couples! Service was also top notch, especially helping me charge my phone at the bar.

This was an amazing meal! We really wanted to get a taste of the local food here, and this was the perfect place for it. Our server gave us a sampling of five different small dishes, all with very unique and complex flavors. She did a fantastic job of telling the story behind the menu and we walked away feeing like we'd just taken a tour of Winnipeg. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone, especially visitors looking for a unique experience.

Visiting from Toronto and this was a good recommendation. I appreciate the chef's use of fresh herbs - dill, cilantro, and basil all used liberally. The best dish of the night was the special - seared scallops and fresh pasta in basil pesto garnished with dill (sounds a bit odd, but wow - perfectly cooked, salty scallops, eggy al dente noodles, really lovely). Mushroom toast too rich to finish (butter overload). Impressively mixed cocktails. Excellently cooked seasonal yellow beans (love that crunch!) with an inventive gremolota (garlic, ginger, and dill again). Not to be too "Toronto" about it but we eat good food out, a lot. This was on par. Could see it being a bit expensive for the locals. Mostly Canadian wine list with some B.C. standouts. Service great.

Fancy, yet welcoming. The family style share your plates is great to try a whole bunch of different kinds of things.

I can only add to the accolades other reviewers have given this restaurant. While I was disappointed several of the dishes mentioned by others were not on the menu, I assume this is because the menu is seasonal and based on availability of ingredients. That said....the food was excellent....innovative, interesting, well presented and wonderfully flavourful. We had the beet and orange salad, grilled octopus and deer tartar. All were extremely enjoyable. Interesting mixes of flavours that just work. Service was excellent, prompt, attentive, polite and helpful. My wife found the salt and vinegar chips served with the deer tartar too vinegary (I thought they were perfect), so our server quickly had the kitchen warm some really great tasting bread to accommodate her. Fun place, great atmosphere, fabulous food, Red Racer IPA....can't go wrong.

This is the first time I have gone to this restaurant. It was with a fair size group and they were quite accommodating. I ordered their truffle fries which are thin cut, homemade french fries with some cheese sprinkled on top, possibly Parmesan? At any rate they were quite good and it was nine dollars for a bowl which we shared amongst three or four people. I also ordered a pickerel poke bowl which was taco and rice and finally sliced or shredded vegetables and was very very tasty. Essentially the foodIs primarily on the later side so don't go there very hungry. I would say that those in our party who were very hungry probably left a little bit unsatisfied but because of the quality of the food, I would go to this place again. Others ordered sandwiches and one had a veggie burger. Everybody really enjoyed the food.

Combinations are the key to a successful life. Whomever decided to combine the disparate flavours of Tuna, Bacon and Olive into one sandwich should win the Nobel peace prize. It's that good. It's the kind of lunch item that could instantaneously create world peace. People would drop their weapons. Brother would not turn against brother. The wounds of the world would close up and all would rejoice as fast as you could warble out those eight magic syllables. Tu-na Ba-Con O-Live Sand-Wich. Practice these words before you walk in the door. I did not eat any deer or any almonds.

Outstanding experience at deer+almond. The food was exceptional. Each course was aesthetically pleasing and absolutely delicious. My husband and I ordered different items than each other from each course so we could taste multiple things. The portions were perfect where we didn't feel like we ate too little or too much. The cocktails were beautifully prepared and were delicious. We didn't order the wine pairing but one of the server's brought us a taste of the wine for our main course which was so thoughtful. One of the co-owners came out to speak to us at the end of our meal and it really showed the dedication to their customers and the overall experience at the restaurant. Our main server was phenomenal and took such great care of us to ensure we had a fabulous experience. All of the servers work together to help each other and they all were so kind to us during the entire dinner. Highly recommend this restaurant for outstanding food, outstanding customer service and outstanding vibes. Kudos to you all for such a great place!

Dined here recently and had a much better experience than my first. Granted the first visit was just a few weeks after their opening. I think that time has helped this place turn into a more consistent restaurant. The service was much improved with great knowledge of the food. And the food we ordered had great flavour, fun & funky inspirations and was executed very well. "Benny & the Jets" - 2 poached eggs, hollandaise, w/ bacon on brioche and side of parlsey salad. Perfectly poached eggs! I love how the parsley salad helped cut the richness of the bacon, eggs and brioche. One of the specials was agnolotti (ravioli like pasta) stuffed w/ valdeón cheese and topped with arugula and shaved parmesan - this was a really yummy dish with great flavours (love valdeón - Spanish blue cheese). The Mexican prawns had great flavour and were cooked perfectly and the black cod with nori potato latke, green beans, grilled romaine, roe & horseradish cream was a hit. The black cod was delicious and the nori/potato latke was an interesting mix. The vibe was really relaxed yet fun. A place where you can hang out with a small group of friends and still carry on a conversation easily. Food service was paced very well and service was friendly and efficient.

This place saved my life when I was working a lot in the exchange district, Seriously. I would go there for Tea and lunch a few times a week and get this open face seared tuna sandwich and you know what ... it's F****** good. One of my favourite sandwiches to this day, at it was like 12 $. So after discovering I loved the restaurant I started doing dinner there a lot and man... I thought lunch was good. The food at Deer and Almond is exception... crispy Brussels sprouts, brilliantly balanced potato dishes, meat that makes your hair stand up it's so delicate. Their wine list does the job and then some, you can always find what you want and their cocktails are really well-crafted. It's obviously that the team there really cares about food, drink and service and I feel like it's so worth it every single time! It's money very well spent Also, the audio books in the bathroom are such a a fun touch... cleaver people, good eats, don't settle for less, check em' out.

Food is really flavourful, interesting and fresh here. Risotto, char, orange beet salad -- all delicious! Don't forget dessert here; we had the beet ice cream w/ pickled MB blueberries. Surprisingly good! We got a little worried when dessert order took half an hour, however the waiter communicated well so we were fine. That wait landed me at 4 of 5 stars.

Our party of 7 were totally impressed with a fantastic tasting menu of tapas. All dishes from the menu but of the chefs choice. Stand out dish: Steelhead Trout - beautifully crisp skin layer over a amazingly soft fish, nestled in between mango & greens. So delicious. Highly recommended for groups who want to chat, enjoy each other's company, letting each dish be a pleasant surprise.

Just stopped by on a whim, staff is very attentive, menus are fresh and unique as is the cocktail service. Great for couples. Even have a good brunch from 10a to 2p. Gotta give it a try.

This is a great restaurant located in the heart of the exchange district, all the items on the menu seem to be tapas or appetizers, so be prepared to be trying and assortment of different foods, this restaurant can get quite busy as it is a small space but well decorated, so to avoid a line up in sure you make a reservation, the owner of the restaurant is very kind and the staff friendly., I like on the menu that a lot of the food comes from local suppliers that's a big plus as you know it's fresh, The risotto is amazing go order some now, Lamb shank beyond heavenly delicious

Excellent restaurant with attentive yet casual service and truly innovative food . This is my third time eating here over 2 years and it impresses me more each time I've eaten here . Living in Toronto and traveling the world extensively, Deer + Almond is one of the most innovative cooking styles I have ever eaten ,and the Chef and all the kitchen staff deserves greater accolades for its cuisine .

After traveling through Winnipeg 10-15 times for single night stays, I finally made it out of the hotel for dinner this past Monday. Based on recommendations from friends I found myself with a couple of coworkers at Deer + Almond. I don't think either of my coworkers had ever been to a tapas bar before, but I think they had a good time sampling the different dishes we ordered. It was a relatively slow night so the service was prompt and informative. Between the three of us we ordered the foie gras, blackened striploin, the trout, and the wild boar. I found the foie gras to be the tastiest of those four, and surprisingly the best part of that dish was the bread it was served on. Each of the others were all very tasty as well. The trout was a very small amount of food, but the wild boar on the other hand was a ton of food. For dessert we all ordered the honey ice cream which was outstanding, but pushed me into the "too full to eat for the next day" fullness level. Overall, I'd like to do some more exploring of downtown Winnipeg before returning here, but if I had more time to spend in the city I'd be happy to return again eventually.

Today was my Birthday celebration and we went to enoteca first and cause there was an hour and a half wait we decided to call ahead and see if we could get into D and A. I wish I had waited. We arrived around 715pm and the person on the phone was nice enough to accommodate us and have a table waiting for when we arrived. We were introduced to our server who was great at the start and we got drinks and our food order taken, things were off to a good start. Then the food started arriving. Years ago was my first experience at this restaurant and it was arguably the best in the city, the food was seasoned well, the dishes worked well and there was surprises in the bites that made me want to go back for that next bite in hopes of finding that next surprise. This time it was food dressed up with things that seemed to be there to finish this dish not cause they worked. We order nearly the whole menu between our group and it was said multiple times that I wish I had salt at the table, we would have gladly asked if the server had come around more than once every 30-45 minutes. All I can say is that this was a huge miss, We had empty drinks all night without anyone asking if we want more, we would order 4 courses at a time and they would take upwards of an hour to come out during the worst part, and the servers/bartenders were polishing cutlery while we looked over awkwardly hoping that somebody would apologize for the wait and let us know what was going on and possibly bring us something to drink. All I can say is I will not be going back there, for a birthday dinner I am so happy that the company was enjoyable cause without that the night would have been a waste of time. With a price tag over over 300 bucks you figure they would at least ask how everything was. What a miss, I suggest you not waste your time until they figure some stuff out. Wait for a few good posts before heading to this restaurant.

We had the best service, cocktails, and meal here for our anniversary! The pasta special was exactly what I was craving and the hanger steak was perfect!

What a great flavor packed meal! This local joint was a great experience for my wife and I. The server took very good care of us, explaining the menu and did an awesome job working with dietary restrictions. I am a big fellow, so I found the portions were a little small. But the quality and care of the food was well worth it. Thumbs up for these guys!

I was in Winnipeg for the weekend and decided to try Deer & Almond. My girlfriend and I showed up with out a reservation and there were no tables. The manager apologized. He then offered me a table under the condition we could only sit for an hour. He tried his best to try to accommodate us the dining experience was fantastic. We started off with the octopus appetizer. Definitely prepared differently then most places. It was delicious. For our entree I had the chicken and my girlfriend had the schnitzel. The schnitzel was outstanding. Crispy and tasty. My chicken was very good. I would def go back and try all the other dishes on the menu.

the service was the first thing that turned us off. It says something on the menu about it being encouraged that you share plates. Then when the server came to take our order, he told us that again. At this point we got the message. Our table had 8 ppl and we just wanted to order our own entrees and appies. Halfway through taking orders he re-explained the whole reason why we should share plates.. AGAIN and also added that it would be hard for the kitchen.At this point it was not "encouraging" anymore. it was straight up, pushy. His friendly demeanour faded a bit after we told him we didnt want to do it this way. He said that family style was recommended... if this is so recommended then why dont they make family style plates?!We didnt appreciate the aggresion on how to order when we told him we'd prefer not to. We ordered the beef cheeks and charred octopus. both DELICIOUS... but then i found a hair in the octopus. It was hard to track down a server to Replace our dish. Our server was also the bartender so he was busy. NO OTHER server would even look at us and if they did they clearly ignored us because they werent our server. When he finally came he did promptly replace it. All in all, great tasting food. Absolutely will not return because of the service.

Had an excellent evening at Deer + Almond. Food was different and fantastic. Great ambiance too. Service was A+. What a great surprise!

Delicious meal. Shared family style. Kale beignets were great as well as the mushroom appetizer. Rotating menu makes me eager to return for another visit. Ambience great occasionally loud but not crazy. Will definitely return.

Excellent food! Fresh and eclectic. The celery-flavored ice cream with feta cheese for dessert was unusual...but a really delicious treat. Waitstaff was friendly, helpful and courteous. Highly recommend the fried chicken (and aforementioned dessert - with port wine, of course)

Local ingredients, seasonal, inventive, delicious and reasonably priced. Best restaurant in The Peg.

The best food in the city for a date night. You'll always get something new and the place is cozy. I wish I could recommend a single dish but honestly they're all amazing.

Amazing food,, every single effing time. Great service and cool interior add to the mix to make this place on par to Segovia for consistency, tastiness and an all around great atmosphere. The pork belly tacos and octopus appetizer are particularly amazing.

Glasses of wine selection had been open too long.. definitely not good. The potatoes were good but I should have been told they were a plate for 2 or 3 or 4 , not for a single dining alone. Lettuce tacos - forgettable There are better choices around.

Deer and almond is one of my favourite restaurants in the city. They change the menu up every few months so you're always in for a treat! Wouldn't recommend to anyone who is a picky eater. But if you like something different, great atmosphere and being served food that was made with care you'll wanna check it out!

Nice small place, great food and reasonable price, can be quite loud if it's a busy night,

My absolute favourite restaurant in the city, I could happily eat there every night, especially since the kitchen team looooves food so dearly and wants everyone who comes through the door to have the perfect experience every time :) I'm especially grateful to them for being sensitive to allergies and other dietary restrictions -- I trust them so much that I have lately been inviting them to create anything for me, chef's choice, and I have loved it without exception. Creative, beautiful, flavourful, passionate food! And, vegan friendly :) there is nothing else like it in the whole city :) deer + almond forever!!

We went to Deer + Almond for an early light dinner after shopping around the Exchange District. It was a Thursday afternoon, and the place had plenty of people but wasn't packed or noisy. Our service was fantastic, starting even before we walked through the door - our server waved at us when he caught us looking at the menu the first time we walked past, then remembered us when we came back to eat about half an hour later. We were at first a little confused by the menu, which seemed a little spare on info, but the waiter reassured us that we shouldn't really worry about overthinking it - most of the dishes are pretty straightforward. He was happy to explain the items we asked about, and his explanations were helpful. We ordered 3 plates - the avocado toast, the greens, and one of the daily specials, the arancini. The avocado toast was really fantastic - the avocado itself was perfectly ripe, and the lemon & chili really perked up and invigorated the avocado. The greens were probably the best dish - the goat cheese was creamy and fantastic, the dried fruit was house-made, and the almonds were lightly candied. The arancini were our least favorite, but they were still quite good - perfectly fried, not greasy, and with a peppery/smoky flavored herb at the center. We had a fun little chat with a few of the service staff after the meal, and the experience was overall a great time. We'll definitely go back next time we're in town. We were too full for dessert, but I wish we'd been able to try it. According to the wait staff, their specials menu rotates nightly, and their main menu rotates about every 3-5 months or so.