For many, the idea of "French cuisine" may conjure up images of sitting outside a charming neighbourhood bistro, people watching Parisians strolling along the Seine. Or maybe it’s white linen tablecloths and chefs and waiters whose attention to detail borders on obsessive. Our list of Toronto’s best French restaurants offers a little of Column A and Column B, so whether you’re looking for an intimate bistro experience or a slice of Old World fine dining, you’ve come to the right place. Entrez-vous.
Auberge du Pommier
In case you needed a reminder that downtown doesn’t have a monopoly on fine dining, Auberge du Pommier may be tucked away in a charming 19th-century cottage in North York, but has been a veritable Toronto institution since 1987.
Auberge du Pommier interior
Recently voted one of the "Best Restaurants for Visitors to Toronto" by Where.ca, the Oliver & Bonacini-run standout has long been a favourite with locals as well, thanks to its modern takes on French classics—from roasted foie gras with Bartlett pear, parsnip purée, and almond oat crumble to Cornish hen with caramelized chestnuts, grape, and Cognac jus—and its rustic, yet upscale ambiance.
Boeuf - beef filet, summer vegetable ratatouille, basil, fingerling potatoes, olive tapenade
Chef Marc St. Jacques’ rotating seasonal menus pair perfectly with the elegant country inn setting: cozy in the winter with its wood-burning fireplaces and making full use of a lush patio in the warmer months, resulting in an incomparable experience no matter what time of year you visit. Combined with the restaurant’s impressive wine selection (which features more than 500 offerings), it’s all helped Auberge du Pommier to become a constant feature on Zagat’s Best Of lists, and a long-time Toronto favourite.
Île Flottante - Ontario rhubarb compote, Champagne sorbet, citrus génoise
Le Sélect Bistro
With its stamped-metal ceiling, subway tile floor, French movie posters on the wall, and Édith Piaf crooning out of the speakers, stepping through the doors of this King West spot is like being transported straight to an authentic Parisian bistro.
The chic Le Select Bistro
And that fantasy isn’t dispelled at all by sampling chef Albert Ponzo’s menu, a veritable tour of classic bistro fare, from French onion soup to escargots, terrines of foie gras, tender duck confit, traditional favourites like cassoulet, boeuf Bourguignon, and, of course, steak frites. In fact, there’s even a special late-night menu featuring a steak frites dinner prix fixe, or, for late risers, there’s always the restaurant’s ever popular weekend brunch.
Weekend brunch at Le Sélect
Of course, no French meal could truly be considered complete without wine, and Le Sélect boasts a wine list that may very well be the city’s biggest and best. With over 1,200 choices in their cellar, including vintages dating all the way back to 1947, Le Sélect’s extensive selection is less of a wine list and more of a wine novel. But on the off chance you can’t find a bottle you like among the approximately 15,000 on hand, you’re also welcome to bring your own for a modest $18-25 corkage fee.
Pumpkin Brule for dessert?
Scaramouche
Website: scaramoucherestaurant.com
Ever since it first opened its doors in 1981, Scaramouche has been a fixture on 'best of' lists like this one, consistently ranked not just as one of Toronto’s best French restaurants, but as one of the city’s best restaurants, period. A true fine dining experience, it’s difficult to say what’s more impressive—chef/owner Keith Froggett’s haute French cuisine, or the restaurant’s stunning views of the downtown Toronto skyline.
2 thoughts on “Top French Restaurants in Toronto”
I just LOVE Café Boulud. It’s the best, most inovative french restaurant in town. Would recomend everybody to try this one.
The list appears incomplete at best, the following entries are sine-qua-non…
La Palette
Cluny
La Société
Colette Grand Café