April 2026.
We were in Toronto overnight (otherwise not our favourite place to be) en route to upstate New York and were starving after our cross-Canada flight. We remembered this place from years ago when our daughter lived here and wondered if it would be in the same excellent category as before. It was.
It’s a classy-looking exterior with a garden and lights outside, and a long varied room a bit undersubscribed at 7 PM on a Wednesday. We took a quiet seat at the side and the place felt distantly familiar. Our server was a delightful young lady completely lacking in any of the usual offensive server attitudes. The menus featured classic French bistro fare: moules frites, truite meuniere, confit de canard, bouillabaisse with a comparable list of entrées. A long wine list covered all the French regions although I didn’t recognize any of the producers. Prices looked reasonable.
We started with a negroni and boulevardier – both on the cocktails list – which were done exactly as we requested, straight up, cold and delicious. We shared a nice beef tartare with a bit of raw egg in the centre and little aeoli spots on top, and chatted with the very pleasant sommelier. The wine list online is extensive, the list on the table only representative. It must be a huge cellar. We settled on a Corsican red (100% sciaccarellu – a new one on me) light and fragrant, nicely balanced and persistent in the mouth for $115.
Our mains were wonderful. Robin remembered croque monsieur which was a lunch special and not on the dinner menu but the kitchen consented to serve it. It’s a baked sandwich containing ham and gruyere with bechamel sauce and a wonderful soft brioche, delicious. Mine was one of my always favourites, duck confit, which was served on soft navy-type beans with succulent sliced sausage all cooked in stock. The duck was perfectly tender and the whole effect was aromatic and satisfying.
We finished up with a crème brûlée, nicely set up.
Price with a 20% tip was $340 Canadian, on the rich side but still reasonable for the experience. High recommendation, we would happily return if we ever get stuck overnight in Toronto again.
Food 9.4, service 9.3, ambience 8.9, value 8.6, peace and quiet 8.7
