Best French restaurant

[bistroboy]

What would be the best French restaurant in Toronto?

[sam sobe]

le paradis, la gamelle, didiers and yes just like Kevin, still miss Le Provencal
sam

[duchesse]

I like Batifole (and eat there every 4-6 weeks) but you have to choose, and you have to like French food- that means you are not averse to some butter or sauces. The fish soup (almost always on the menu) is the real deal. The salade verte is fresh and light, with a delicious vinaigrette- try it as a first course if you worry about heavy. The steak tartare is horse meat. If you say "neigh", get the steak, which is a cut chef has done in the restaurant, and it's superb. The cassoulet will be a heavy dish as is intended. The wine list iis extensive and novel... and priced extremely reasonably. I took a friend in the industry, super-knowledgable guy and he said it is extraordinary. The chef is a Breton and his cooking reflects his spirit and roots.

[tuttebene]

I can't agree more with duchesse. If you know and like simple, authentic French, Batifole delivers, consistenly. I can add that the lentils or escargots as appetizers are great choices and their wine list is French, extensive, and very reasonably priced. However, I have been disappointed with the steak frites repeatedly; the meat was generous in portion but tough each time. It's also one of the most affordable meals in town, IMO.

[Sherm_TO]

I would also throw in my 2 cents for Midi? Very good French Table D'Hote near U of T.

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Midi Bistro
168 McCaul St, Toronto, ON M5T1W4, CA

[happycamper]

I am surprised that Provence (near Jarvis) has not been mentioned.
That place is a gem: great wine, perfect service, great atmosphere. I adore it.

I also love
Amuse bouche
Scaramouche

[MeMeMe]

The most consistent bistro fare around, in my mind, is Le Paradis. Always packed, always delicious. And probably the most reasonably priced meal (and wine) in town. Le Select is lovely to look at, but the food has never impressed me. A new kid on the block, Coquine, has also impressed me. (oh how i miss Bofinger!!")

[KevinB]

Not an answer to your question, but I certainly miss "La Provencal" and "Le Chaumiere", two stand-out French restaurants as Toronto was coming of age in the 70's. And, of course, Gaston's. It was at those places as a young teen that I first experienced escargot, onion soup, cassoulet, salade nicoise, etc., and realized there was a lot more to food than roast beef, burgers, and generic Italian. Pardon this interruption..

[hotsauce28]

I tried Thuet a couple of weeks ago and I surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. I'm generally not into expensive places with portions the size for Barbie but this place really surprised me.
I had 3 courses (a tar tar, foie gras and a small tenderloin). All 3 dishes and the other's I sampled from friend's plates were all fantastic. And the service was top notch!
http://www.thuet.ca/home.asp

I wasnt' too impressed with Scaramouche. From what everyone's saying, maybe it's time to give it another shot.

[Apprentice]

Why was it a surprise? Did you have previous experiences with Thuet's cooking? Or was it based on this board's reviews?

I'm definitely in the minority on this board, but Thuet's food (from the King St location) has never disappointed me. It's actually one of my favourite restaurants in the city.

I'm surprised that Batifole is even being mentioned in a thread opining on the "best" in the city, that's a stretch IMO.

Edit - I just realized how old this thread is! Apologies.

[frenched13]

try Fare on Queen east. Classic Bistro food. Really good.

[millygirl]

The one and only time I was at Fare it was horrible. Can't decide which was worse, the service or the food. One of my worst dining experiences ever.

[Paula from Toronto]

Personally, I'm rather fond of Biff's on Front Street. The food is well prepared and mostly unpretentious. They cater to the theater crowd (being almost directly across from the Hummingbird Centre), and they pay scrupulous attention to service and timing.

[CIRCLES_SQ]

I agree, BIff's is incredibly underated, there or Auberge.

[travelismylife]

You are right, Biff's is great. The food is delicious, the service is spot on and the atmosphere is comfortable.

In addition Le Select is a nice bistro/resto. Steak Tartare is very good there.

[meld_la]

Not sure about the best, but Bistro 990 has some great french bistro food at a range of price points, excellent service, and is a fun place to go (you never know which celebrities might stop by). They're also open late.
I've never been there, but Jacques Bistro du Parc on Cumberland has some devoted fans.

[skylineR33]

I like Scaramouche but I am not sure if I would call Scaramouche a french restaurant. So Centro, North 44, One, Splendido, Opus are all French as well ?

[cookie221]

Scaramouche is a modern french menu , have u ever been there? Centro is Cal-Italian, North 44 is american and opus is french as well yes.

[skylineR33]

Yes, have you ? It is more a continental cuisine not French to me same as Splendido, Centro and North 44. To me, I would consider Auberge and Didier french restaurant.

[JamieK]

Scaramouche might use "French techniques" but when you look at the menu, it's not a French restaurant. That's probably why they bill themselves as "continental".

And you don't actually have to eat at a restaurant to figure out what kind of cuisine their menu is based on.

[Bobby Wham]

Not sure if it's the best but I love Gamelle, great food, atmosphere, service and the price is right too. A nice bistro.

[JamieK]

Scaramouche is sometimes an Italian restaurant ;->
http://www.italianseasonsfestival.com

I'm going to throw Batiole out there, even though I've never been, because it seems very very French and has lots of fans on the board. This (dated) link has more info about the Batifole than its own website -
http://www.eastendnoise.com/z_batifol...

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Batifole
744 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4M1Y3, CA

[millygirl]

The italian seasons festival looks good...thanks for posting JamieK.

[Charles Yu]

Based on my dinner at Batifole a few weeks ago, I would rate its current food quality average at best. Meat dishes were too heavily sauced and too rich and heavy. Lacking real finesse. Pastis express has much tastier food.

[millygirl]

I've always wondered what the big attraction was at Batifole. It's lost on me.

[foodyDudey]

It's OK, but nothing special. I have a bunch of friends and my wife also who won't go back when I suggest visiting again.

Has anyone got the impression that some of the dishes are just re-heated in a microwave from frozen when you order? I have. In spite of this, there are some items I like, mainly the seafood soup and certain appetisers.

[Vinnie Vidimangi]

In the land of the blind, the one eyed is king.
The one that I was sorry to see go is Pony. Quite good, and reasonably priced, with no fooling around. I think that was the problem: no fooling around; he thought that he was cooking for adults.
VVM

[ms. clicquot]

I've only gone to Batifole in winter months and felt much the same. I assumed the menu was meat-heavy because of a seasonal focus and lack of fresh local produce. Do they lighten up the menu a bit in the spring/summer?

I'm personally a fan of Celestin but I haven't tried a lot of the places people are recommending so that may be a summer project.

[cookie221]

I agree there are so many various types of French in Toronto, for Classic French try Didier , for modern Scaramouche or Celestin, I would also say that Auberge is always in the running when asked about a great French restaurant.

[JamieK]

I think it's difficult to identify the best French restaurant in Toronto because there are so many different kinds of French restaurants in the city. It'd be easier to name the best in categories, ie, best classic French, best contemporary, best bistro, best Mediterranean French, best old-school, etc, etc,

[smr714]

The Matigon on St. Nicolas is not the best, but I have had good food and it is reasonable.

[Pixela]

+1 for The Matigon... loved their fruit soup, but I think Celestin is still alittle better in terms of variety.

[millygirl]

Don't know about the best, but these are a few of our favourite that immediately come to mind. In order of preference: Scaramouche, Pastis, Celestin, and finally Auberge du Pommier.