When it comes to Michelin stars, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, the few 3 star restaurants I’ve dined at have been truly unforgettable meals. On the other, I struggle with how geographically concentrated the guides are and the inconsistency of 1 star restaurants. Nonetheless I respect the Michelin rating system and still seek out their recommendations when visiting a city they cover. While in New York City, home to five 3 Michelin star restaurants, I was lucky enough to add one more to my list of memorable meals.

Atmosphere: Le Bernardin by Eric Ripert was located in the heart of Manhattan, blocks from Rockefeller centre, between Central Park and Times Square. Stephen and I sat in The Lounge to take advantage of their City Harvest Menu, 3 courses for $57 USD/person, an incredible steal to get a taste of Chef Ripert’s French cuisine and supporting a great cause. $5 from each order is donated to City Harvest, the world’s first food rescue organization. The menu is offered only at lunch in the Lounge and no reservations are taken. We arrived 10 minutes before lunch service began and had no issues securing a spot.

The Lounge had about 20 table seats and a row of stools at the expansive bar, showcasing an impressive display of bottles. Modern leather benches and armchairs provided comfortable seating around white square tables. Jackets were required in the dining room and only (strongly) recommended in the lounge.

A 3 course menu is also offered in the dining room for $90/person with a wider selection of dishes.

Service: Service was impeccable from the table side bread basket loaded with treats to the main course being sauced when served. I love when dishes are finished at the table, giving a sense that the dish was just plated and fresh. We were well taken care of throughout our meal and had seconds from the bread basket. I wanted to try everything but restrained myself to just (ha!) 4 rolls. I really liked how diners were seated spaced away from each other, offering privacy even in the tight space.

Near the end of the meal, Chef Ripert came into the lounge to chat with the diners sitting a few tables away from us. We didn’t stay to see if he knew the couple or was making his way to every table but it’s always lovely to see the Chef in person.

Food: Each course of the City Harvest menu had two choices. To start, I opted for the Hamachi Tartare with cucumber and a lemon-citrus emulsion while Stephen chose the Lobster, Saffron-Mussel Potato soup. My hamachi was plated with cucumber slices atop the disc of tartare, surrounded by beads of the emulsion and a side of crostini. Each bite had crunchy, crispy and soft elements with sweetness, acidity and savoury flavour. Stephen’s soup was rich and creamy while being light and incredibly slurpable.

We both ordered the Barely Cooked Organic Salmon with Pea Puree and a Yuzu Butter Sauce. For me, the dish was excellent, Stephen did not agree. The thick rectangular column of salmon was true to the name and just barely opaque up the sides maintaining a perfect silky centre. The peas were sweet and tender while the yuzu butter sauce added acidity and richness. Stephen wasn’t a fan of the combination of dairy and citrus, which unfortunately threw off the entire dish for him. Fortunately for me, this meant I had double. This did affect my overall rating for this post.

Dessert was a selection of Ice Creams or “Tres Leches”, a Crispy Cashew Sponge Cake Sphere with Caramelized Goat’s Milk Mousse and Clementine Sorbet. Ice cream quenelles, heavenly. The clementine sorbet, wonderfully refreshing and concentrated flavour.

Overall lunch at Le Bernardin was a delight and I now look forward to a return visit in their main dining room.

Last year for our anniversary Stephen made reservations at Alo months in advance, as required, for their Kitchen Counter tasting menu. Then we found out I was expecting. I called the restaurant to ask about the menu and sadly over half the courses had raw ingredients that I couldn’t eat. Cry. This year we decided to forgo the ordeal trying to get a reservation and celebrated at their sister restaurant, Aloette. Being on maternity leave, I had the luxury of meeting Stephen for an early dinner, 4pm, without any worry of missing Alivia’s bedtime.

Atmosphere: Arriving at 4pm, we had no trouble getting a table. It was also still Aloette hour (3:00pm – 4:30pm), which meant $10 cocktails and wines by the glass. Sun streamed into the long narrow restaurant adding to the cozy fell of the space. Padded wood booths lined one wall and a classic diner bar ran along the opposite. While the afternoon light made the restaurant feel comfortable and relaxed, I could easily imagine the transformation to bustling bar and place to be by the evening.

Service: I really liked our server, who was friendly and seemed genuinely happy. She explained why their famous uni toast wasn’t on the menu that day (supply issues) and recommended her favourite dishes to try. She separated our order into two courses for us, which I always appreciate when there aren’t clear appetizer/entree delineations. All of the dishes arrived promptly and with a brief introduction. This was our first outing since Alivia’s birth and at one point we were checking on her via her nursery camera. Our server noticed and asked a few questions about her then let us know how baby friendly they were. In fact the other occupied table that afternoon had a stroller pulled up beside it.

Food: It’s been 6 months since our meal at Aloette and I still think about their cheesy brioche toast. The slices of thick, cheesy, sweet bread topped with a healthy slab of butter were heavenly and dinner hadn’t even started yet. This was just the complimentary bread.

For our actual dinner, we ordered the Roasted Squid with pork belly and kimchi, the Parisienne Gnocchi with snails and the Aloette Burger and Fries. Both the squid and gnocchi were spectacular and wonderfully balanced in terms of flavour and texture. The squid was tender and the pork belly crispy. The kimchi added acidity and heat while cubes of compressed melon and slices of watermelon radish made each bite unique and varied. The gnocchi were pillowy and chewy, perfect really and the beans fresh and sweet. I only wish potions were bigger because I could’ve eaten so much more.

The Aloette burger was actually the weakest dish of the meal. This was still an excellent burger. Delicious with a meaty patty and wonderfully melted cheesy layer, but compared to our other two plates not as interesting or quite as special.

I had the pleasure of tasting Aloette’s Iceberg Wedge Salad at the Best New Restaurants 2018 unveiling in October and was surprised by how much I could like a salad. Each bite had layers of texture and flavour from the crunchy lettuce to the creamy avocado and topped with curls of parmesan and puffed wild rice. Needless to say I went back for several bites.

For summerlicious this year I only made it out to one restaurant, partly due to scheduling and partly due to budgeting (we bought a house! Future dedicated post to come!). Looking through the list of restaurants priced at $28 or $38 for dinner, the one menu that jumped out was Biff’s, which also met the criteria of being located downtown and a new spot for me. I have friends who visit weekly for their $1 after 5pm oyster deal and generally all had positive thoughts about the French Bistro.

Atmosphere: Biff’s decor was traditional with intimate lighting, leather benches and dark wood tables. The restaurant was pretty big with a bar area, main dining area and multiple private rooms. I could see this being a popular venue for corporate events during the holidays. With our reservation being just after 5pm on a Thursday the restaurant was fairly quiet, even during Summerlicious, but started to fill up around 7pm. Many of the diners around us at tables were much older while a more suit and tie audience occupied the bar.

Service: Our server was very friendly. He chatted with us, checked in on us often and I felt like he genuinely wanted to make sure we enjoyed our dinner. However, when he came by to top up my friend’s beer, he poured it straight into the glass making it all head to the point where the glass even spilled over once he left. I appreciated the good intention, but it was a bizarre move. Either he didn’t know how to properly pour beer, or forgot the can was beer. Either way, he walked away before we could react beyond being a bit shocked. Aside from that misstep, service was great. Our dishes arrived promptly. The bill did as well, without being asked for, which was again a bit odd. However, our server did tell us to take our time and that it wasn’t a rush. Maybe he was changing shifts?

Food: To start, I choose the Tomato and Cucumber Gazpacho for my appetizer, my go to whenever I see it on a Summerlicious menu. The bowl of cold soup was served with slices of cucumber and a sweet balsamic drizzle, refreshing for a hot summer day. A touch more olive oil would have been nice.

For my main, my friend went with the safe bet of Beef Tri-tip Steak while my curiosity was piqued by the Maple Mustard Pork Croquette. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I do wish I had stuck to the steak. The croquette was made of seasoned shredded pork, battered and fried, served on a crushed potato salad with cabbage and a smoky aioli. I liked the flavour of the croquette, but it was a lot of pork and after eating half, the texture was quite monotonous. I wouldn’t got as far as to say I didn’t like the dish, but I do think I would’ve enjoyed another entree more.

Both of us went with Chocolate Cake for dessert which was dense and rich. Overall, summerlicious at Biff’s was good, not amazing and fairly priced.

The restaurant scene in Toronto has always been hectic with dozens of doors opening and closing each month. In the competitive landscape, many new spots don’t hit their one year birthday. I usually try to visit restaurants only once they’ve hit the 6 months mark, giving them the opportunity to smooth out any service wrinkles and fine tune their menu. Many of the newly opened restaurants have caught my eye including Canis, Grey Gardens and Doma. So far, I’ve been able to visit Doma, a French inspired Korean restaurant located in Little Italy.

Atmosphere: Doma’s aesthetic was clean and minimalist. The white dining room was filled with square wood tables and seats alternated between wood and black metal ones. Both the plates and utensils were simple, unadorned and and modern. I felt a touch underdressed, having come straight from work, compared to other diners who were in more “date night” attire. The restaurant was quiet, perfect for conversation and not too busy on the Thursday night.

Service: My friend and I had reservations for 5:30pm, when Doma opened. When we arrived a few minutes early, service wasn’t ready just yet and we wandered around around the neighbourhood for a bit before returning 10 minutes later. We were seated quickly and a server by to take our drink orders. Once we had some time with the menu, our server returned to ask if we had any questions before we placed our order. Service was professional and efficient with dishes arriving at a good pace in courses. I couldn’t quite place why, but during few of our interactions with the servers, they felt a touch aloof.

Food: Doma’s menu was compact and changes monthly, keeping only 2-3 of the previous month’s most popular dishes. To taste the full menu was $65 per person, a great deal. For the two of us, we decided to share 3 dishes, Tuigim (deep-fried summer vegetables), Grilled Octopus and Uhsun Mandoo (a seafood dumpling). All three dishes were very good and varied in how much Korean and French influence was present.

Before our main dishes arrived, an Amuse Bouche was served, which was a sip of cold gazpacho, sweet, tart and seasoned with lots of herbs. The first dish to arrive was the Tuigim that came with dollops of three sauces. I really enjoyed how fresh the vegetables were, the light crispy batter and the variety of sauces. Each vegetable was cooked to a great texture and there wasn’t any hint of oiliness. Next up was the Grilled Octopus surrounded by a next of julienned vegetables and a Korean mustard dressing. I felt a lot of Korean flavours in this dish in the cabbage, dressing and seasoning on the charred octopus. The octopus itself was tender and had a nice char. I also liked the different textures of the salad and the sweet, sour flavours.

The last dish of the night was the Uhsun Mandoo, served with daily fish, scallop, prawn, spring pea puree, soy chili beurre blanc and radicchio. I have such mixed feelings about this dish. On one hand, this was one of the best radicchios I’ve ever had. The soy chili beurre blanc balanced the bitterness of the vegetable and made each bite sweet and interesting. The seafood was fresh, but none of the components really stood out or wowed. I was a bite disappointed in the mandoo, which was a very Western interpretation and reminded me much more of ravioli. The flavours of the filling and texture of the wrapper was good, but not what I was expecting. I was also surprised at the lack of spice or any fermented ingredients.

Overall, dinner at Doma was solid, but I was expecting more of the Korean side to shine through than it did.

My first experience with the Michelin Guide was in New York, 6 years ago. I had recently graduated university and was still living at home, thus had a healthy amount of disposable income. My friends and I started travelling regularly and I started to really dive into restaurants. That summer, I had dinner at Dovetail, a one Michelin Star rated restaurant next to Central Park for about $60 and thought it was such a splurge. Later that year, I visited Europe with another group of friends stopping by London and Paris. In London, our more affordable (relatively) splurge was a 3 course lunch at a one Michelin Star restaurant that’s now closed. Then we went to Paris and I spent over three figures on one meal for the first time ever. Our lunch at Le Bristol, a 3 Michelin Star restaurant, was actually life changing and made me a cheese fan. Since then, the 3 hour lunch has been the pinnacle of my restaurant experiences. I couldn’t wait to share a similar one with Stephen during this trip.

Looking at all the 3 Michelin star restaurants in Paris, I decided to stick to lunch as it was much more affordable. Most dinners menus started at over €300 base, while lunch was in the €150-€200 range. Originally I had booked lunch at a 3 star Alain Ducasse restaurant, Le Meurice, but a week after making our reservation the 2016 Michelin guide came out and Le Meurice had lost a star. Meanwhile, both Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee and Le Cinq gained their 3rd star. I debated for weeks between the two restaurants, second guessing my decision. Finally, what it came down to was value. Both offered lunch menus priced at €210, but Le Cinq was 6 courses vs Ducasse’s 3. I knew there would be little nibbles and bites in between the “official” meal, but I didn’t want to bet on it. Also, Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee looked just a bit too fancy (and shiny) for comfort. I was already making Stephen pack dress shoes, a tie, shirt and khakis across Europe for just this one meal, I didn’t want even the chance of feeling uncomfortable.

Dress code was something I was worried about, more for Stephen than me. I figured I could get away with a dress, cardigan and strappy sandals. Stephen however would need pants, a shirt, dress shoes and a jacket. I emailed the restaurant to ask about borrowing a jacket and they assured me that wouldn’t be a problem. Awesome, one less thing to pack. Once we were settled at our table, me perched on a wonderfully plush pillow, I had to admit many of the other male diners were dressed down a lot more. Lots of jeans, tennis shoes and “sports jackets”. Still no t-shirts or shorts though.

Service was impeccable. Our table was so incredibly spacious and could easily have seated 4-6 people comfortably, but just for the two of us. My seat was a full couch, which had to shifted every time I got up, and a server appeared every time I needed to. Stephen and I had already decided on the set course but I was looking for a glass of wine to accompany lunch. Looking through the menu, I was a bit confused as there wasn’t any prices listed. When the server came to take my order, I looked to Stephen, but he looked as confused as I did. Turns out only my menu didn’t have prices, while his did, so he didn’t understand my confusion. I left the decision up to the sommelier with the flavours I prefered and price range. He did a wonderful job picking a fruity white for me.

As for food, because the menu changes so frequently, I’ll mostly be sticking to the general meal versus my usual in depth dish by dish commentary. Our first bite was bread, a server brought by a tray of freshly baked goodies for us to choose from, and then returned after the first course. I couldn’t resist trying all of them. What stood out about each dish was the quality of the ingredients. The peas were incredibly sweet and brilliantly green, the best peas I’ve ever tasted. The amuse-bouche was a trio of bites including a gelatinous sphere filled with a ginger citrus syrup and another crunchy sphere filled with tangerine juice. The third bite was foie gras and passion fruit. One of my favourite courses was the other complementary course before dessert, another trio of bites that included a mini wild strawberry pie, bite of kumquat and an almond grapefruit cookie. Exquisite.

The sauces, oh my, the sauces. Every sauce was delectable but the asparagus dish was the best example of their use. Freshly harvest asparagus was served with black truffle puree, green asparagus puree, milk skin and a sabayon. There was creamy, rich, acidic, sweet, and pure umami all on a plate. I was blown away by the deconstructed French Onion soup, where the broth was served in spheres, literally bursting with flavour, with a black truffle sauce and parmesan croutons. For my main, I chose the Red Mullet with fish liver Chinon red wine sauce while Stephen chose the Lamb with Semolina scented with Olive and Lemon with spiced lamb sausage.

Dessert was a slab of Pistachio ice cream topped with Cranberries cooked in their juice with tangerine marmalade for Stephen and a “Chocolate Bar” with salted caramel filling for me. From start to end, lunch was just over 2 hours and near the end of our seating Chef Le Squer came visited the dining room to greet each table, even posing for photos. Overall, our meal at Le Cinq was memorable from the moment we sat down and an incredible experience.

Our second “very French” dinner in Paris was at Comptoir de la Gastronomie. After scouring the Internet for possible dinner spots known for foie gras, I settled on the restaurant because of great reviews from both locals and tourists, mid range in price, and the fact that they took reservations. A few other restaurants that piqued my interest with similar great reviews and price range unfortunately all warned of long line ups. I went with the safer bet, still having to make a reservation weeks in advance, and was very happy with my decision.

Atmosphere: Comptoir de la Gastronomie was half shop, half restaurant. During the day, the shop stocked champagne, foie gras, caviar, truffles and a host of other delectable ingredients. The restaurant portion of the establishment opened at noon with a dozen tables and tall shelves filled with wine. Both parts of the building was charming with chalkboard menus, plush red curtains and wood tables. When we visited, diners were split evenly between tourists and locals.

Service: Stephen and I arrived at the restaurant a few minutes past our reservation, panting, as we had hustled from the subway station. The hostess greeted us with a smile and led us to our table where we settled to catch our breath. We had no issues with communication and an English menu was available for both food and wine. I had read online about tourist ordering Steak Tartare in Paris and being left to season the dish themselves, which made me avoid the dish. In a similar vein, while service was nice, I did feel like we were expected a basic knowledge of French cuisine, ie. how to use the escargot tools.

Food: To start, Stephen and I ordered 6 Bourgogne Snails, which were massive. Each snail was smothered in a garlic herb butter, chewy and meaty. If you’ve never tried them before, this would be a great first experience. Next was Pan Seared foie gras. After tasting the various foie gras at Le Petit Canard, we were ready to have it seared and oh my. The portion served was so thick, almost an inch, and the size of my (albeit small) palm. Perfectly seared, sprinkled with sea salt and served on a piece of ginger bread, each bite was foie gras heaven, and for only €17! Amazing.

For entrees, we order the Duck Breast and in an attempt to get some greens, the Gourmande “Salad”. Although salad in name, the dish had as much meat as vegetable. The mixed greens was topped with more foie gras, slices of smoked duck breast, gizzards, and a duck leg. The duck breast had a perfect crispy skin and a savoury sauce. While both of these dishes were good, the surprise hit of the evening was the bowl of Truffle Cream Foie Gras Ravioli. There was just so much flavour and umami, we pretty much licked the plate clean. I would’ve skipped both the duck breast and the salad for two more bowls of ravioli. This was a seasonal dish, but if you see it on the menu, I’d highly recommend it.

As I was planning our trip to Paris I asked Stephen what he wanted to do, this being his first time visiting the city. His reply was croissants and foie gras. With that in mind, I set out to research restaurants. In general when I’m travelling, I like to limit the number of reservations to 1 or 2 so that our schedule doesn’t feel too constrained. Once reservations are made, I like to bookmark a variety of restaurants in different neighbourhoods, which can be slotted into our itinerary depending on where we are when we get hungry. Lastly, having dinner options near our hotel is key, perfect for heading straight home after or fitting in an afternoon nap beforehand if need be.

Our first dinner in Paris was in response to Stephen’s foie gras request. Le Petit Canard was a cozy French restaurant located just blocks from either Pigalle or Saint-Georges metro station. We stopped by around 9pm, late for when we usually eat dinner but quite normal for Paris, and was seated right away. The restaurant only had about 10 tables, which quickly filled up after us. I loved how charming the space felt from the chili pepper table cloths to the collection of wooden duck figurines carefully balanced along a picture frame. Conversation hummed around us, there was a full wine glass by every hand, and the feel of comfort and happiness in the room was palpable.

I knew service in Paris could be a challenge and set my expectations for cold and aloof. Le Petit Canard was the exact opposite. Our server was friendly, warm, smiled a lot, and our food arrived quickly. An English menu was available and we had no language issues.

To start, Stephen and I ordered the Onion Soup and half a dozen Escargot. The soup, made with red wine, was thick and savoury with a thick layer of gooey melted cheese. Each plump snail was buried under a mound of butter and garlic. The texture was chewy but not rubbery and meaty.

On to the main event, a tasting plate of 3 types of Foie Gras. Duck shaped crostinis decorated the otherwise simple plate with a spoonful each of fig jam and caramelized onions. Usually when I eat foie gras, it’s been pan seared, and I really liked trying out the delicacy in its uncooked state. Each bite was just amazing. A touch of jam added sweetness and acidity to each bite, cutting through the pure richness and rounding out the flavour. With the foie gras tasting and starters, we decided to order only one main to split and chose the Duck Confit. Delicious. The duck was perfectly cooked and just fell off the bone.

Overall, dinner at Le Petit Canard was lovely. After a full day of running from one tourist attraction to another, the homey, delicious meal was the perfect note to end on.

I am a big fan of The Oscars. Every year I try to watch all of the best picture nominees that interest me and usually, I’ve crossed off 1 or 2 before they are even announced. This year however, I found myself playing catch up, having seen none of the nominated movies with only a few weeks to go before the awards. I promptly organized a couple of Tuesday movie nights to rectify the situation. Conveniently, Winterlicious was also underway. Early dinner reservations at La Societe was perfect before walking over to Cineplex Varsity.

Atmosphere: La Societe is located in the heart of Yorkville on Bloor St. I still remember when the space used to be a fancy Chinese restaurant before transforming into the opulent French bistro it is today. Stepping into the restaurant felt like stepping into a different decade and city altogether; from the mosaic floor with gold lettering to the stunning stained glass ceiling. We were settled in a spacious leather booth and I loved having the extra room for my backpack and camera bag. My friends and I were casually dressed or dressed for work, but I could see the restaurant welcoming a wide range of attire.

Service: Overall, service was okay. Since we had plans to watch a movie after, I was paying close attention to the time and was happy that all of our courses arrived speedily from the kitchen. The one hiccup was a delay in our bread basket arriving. I mainly noticed because I was waiting to get some carbs in my body before I sipped my wine as I hadn’t eaten very much that day. Since our reservation was pretty early, 5:45pm, a server came by to apologize and let us know that the bread was still being warmed up. On a normal day, I wouldn’t have even noticed.

Food: From the three appetizer choices, all 3 of us opted for the Winter Squash Soup with toasted pumpkin seeds, caramelized apple and brown butter. The soup itself was warm, thick and wonderfully creamy. In the center of the bowl was a mound of caramelized apple that was covered by the soup. Digging in with our spoons, we were all surprised by the unexpected punch of sweetness. I didn’t love the two component separate, but stirred all together, the caramelized apples mellowed out and was quite tasty.

For entrees, two of us chose the Steak Frites, myself included, while my other friend tried the Pan Seared Salmon. The steak was at least 6 ounces and cooked perfectly medium rare, just as I had ordered, with a dark char on the outside. My knife cut through the steak easily and each bite was tender and juicy. The side of fries were crispy, lightly seasoned with herbs and served with ketchup and mayonnaise. All together, a very satisfying dish.

While all three dessert options sounded delicious (Lemon Tart, Chocolate Cremeux, and Creme Brulee), our table unanimously went for the La Societe Classic Creme Brulee. I always delight in breaking into my creme brulee with my spoon and making sure each spoonful of custard has a piece of the sweet, crystal layer. At La Societe, the custard was creamy and sweet, a perfect texture just before solid. The sugar topping was caramelized with just a touch of burnt, which added a depth of flvaour without being bitter.

After wine, tax and tip, my dinner added up to just under $80. For a normal dinner out, this was on the pricier side. For a nice dinner out, pretty on par. Overall, I enjoyed my Winterlicious meal at La Societe and would return to try out their regular menu in the future.

I first visited Le Baratin back in June when the restaurant first opened and became a big fan of Chef Jean. Le Baratin’s menu was filled with dishes that were homey and comforting, but with all the sauces and flavours that teleported me to France. From their house-made gravlax to duck confit, I was blown away by the quality of food truly good value price point. When Fastvenues.com invited me to try out their service, which included a set menu at Le Baratin, I couldn’t refuse.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Fastvenues.com is a new online service in Toronto that connects diners with restaurants to make special occasions easy. From “just a night out” to a “working lunch”, users can choose from a variety of set menus created by restaurants specifically for the website and filter for amenities like “full bar”, “patio” or “rooftop”. If you’ve every tried to make a reservation for more than 10 people in Toronto, you know it’s incredibly difficult and involves making a lot of phone calls. Fastvenues simplifies the process a ton by laying out all the information needed to book a venue from menu to cost to capacity in a single place. Their selection of restaurants and set-menus are continuously growing and evolving. I also liked that the restaurants are the ones setting the menus and availability, which allows them to update as needed and over great deals for non-peak values. I booked a prestige dinner for two at Le Baratin ($45 + tax and tip), and the the value of the dishes ordering straight from the menu would’ve been $20 more expensive. Seriously, a great deal.

Now onto the food. With the $45 prestige menu at Le Baratin, my friend and I had our choice of two appetizers, a main and dessert from their full menu. I chose the Blue Cheese Salad while my friend had the Soup of the day. For our appetizers we made the easy decision to split the House Made Gravlax, one of my favourite dishes in the city, and the charcuterie plate. When the boards arrived, the aroma of freshly toasted bread was mesmerizing. My entree was the fish special of the day, which was Mussels with Frites and my friend had the Steak and Frites. The thin cut fries were crispy, seasoned with herbs and I could not stop eating them. My friend’s steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare, tender and juicy. I would’ve loved a loaf of bread to soak up the sauce of the mussels, even though there was already more than enough food for the two of us.

Dessert was a combination of sweet and savoury with a rich Chocolate Mousse and delectable Cheese Platter. Dinner at Le Baratin was a great night out, perfect for catching up with friends or a special occasion. To book Le Baratin’s set menu, which is exclusive to FastVenues.com, check out https://www.fastvenues.com/restaurants/le-baratin.

Le Baratin is a new French restaurant in the West end of town, that features a menu of bistro-style comfort dishes. Karen and I dropped by for dinner to check out the new menu and ended up spending 4 hours eating delicious food and sipping boozy drinks. Prior to dinner, I had expectations of escargot and foie gras, basically the only things I ate while in Paris last April, instead our tastebuds were treated to rich, savoury entrees and the best gravlax I’ve ever had.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Atmosphere: Le Baratin was a cozy restaurant with a slight rustic feel. I liked the wooden serving boards and the heavy mismatched China plates. Natural light flooded the restaurant from the large front windows. Diners were relaxed and many lingered over their meals as well (although not as long as we did). Chef Jean Regis Raynaud came by our table to chat about the menu, his inspiration and future plans. We also had the chance to tour his kitchen and get a behind the scenes look at how he preps. The fridge was filled with fresh produce and trays of house-made gravlax. On the stove, a giant pot of stock was reducing and had been for hours already. The heady aroma was intoxicating.

Food: To start our meal, we choose the Charcuterie board and Gravlax. On the board was pate, prosciutto, salami and the highlight, a ramekin of duck rillettes. I couldn’t get enough of the fatty, creamy rillettes, perfect for spreading on toast. Priced at $11, this platter alone was filling and would be suitable to be shared between two people. Our second appetizer, the Gravlax ($9) was thick cut, fatty, full of flavour and just amazing. I would highly recommend both dishes. If I had to choose between the two, the Gravlax won my heart.

At this point, I was already getting pretty full from just our appetizers, but the fragrance of our mains quickly whet my appetite again. We ordered the Confit de Canard (duck leg confit) and Souris d’Agneau Grand-Mere (5hr braised lamb shank with rosemary and red wine sauce). The lamb shank was incredibly tender, fell off the bone and the sauce was rich and well-balanced. The dish was again, a generous portion and very filling. I was amazed at how well priced the menu was, meat entrees ranged from $18 to $21.

The Duck Confit brought me right back to Paris. The duck leg had a perfect crispy skin, juicy, tender meat and again the sauce was delicious. Both dishes were incredibly satisfying.

After all this food, we still had a sliver of room left for dessert and ordered the Mousse au Chocolat and apple Tarte Tartin. Both desserts leaned heavy towards the sweet side. I would’ve liked a lighter option, but that was only because we had enjoyed so much delicious food already. I did prefer the chocolate mousse that had a strong chocolate flavour and was topped with an airy puff of whipped cream.

Overall, dinner at Le Baratin was a wonderful taste of France, much closer to home. Chef Raynaud’s enthusiasm and talent shined through with each dish. If this review hasn’t been clear yet, I would highly recommend the Gravlax.