It was sunny day outside but their patio was not ready yet. Luckly I was seated by the window and enjoyed the meal and still could look at outside view. Dishes that stood out for me was fries & creme caramel. Thin cut beef fat fries were so divine and Creme caramel was very rich and enjoyable with a hint of grand manier. Roasted chicken leg with cream sauce($21) It was literally one chicken leg with rich white wine cream sauce. I guess to complete meal you can order salad($9)or ratatouille($9)and fries($8)on the side. I read so many good feedback about beef tartare($17) but unfortunately I did not even notice that it was mixed with salted egg york until I read it on the menu later on. It was done very classical way which was nice but it did not blow me away. Lastly for chocolate mouse($12) it was very rich dark chocolate with a big portion. Overall atmosphere was very comfortable. Only thing was their open kitchen is right at the bar side, you can smell everything they cook. I loved to smell gruyere cheese from gougères so much however when they were grilling pepper steak, it made us and next table sneezing so much. Just be aware. read more

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French comfort food at ok-ish prices for the setting. Standout dishes to me were the steak tartare (the salted egg yolk gave it an interesting bite) and the mussels (got the one with the apple cider, bacon and onions, and it was delicious). I found the beef bourguinion just ok (small portion, beef only tender-ish, would have liked more sauce) and would pass on the bread (pricey and average tastewise). Dessert (chocolate mousse) was small but really rich, so I liked it. Place has an elevated casual vibe to it. Service is friendly and efficient. It gets crowded so reservations recommended. read more

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Came here tonight for a nice dinner with the family Food Excellent: Chicken Liver Mouse, Steal a Poivre, Beef Fat Fries, Apple Tart Good: Steak Hache, Frise Salad, Creme Caramel Meh: Cornish hen, mussels with butter and saffron, beet salmon. Service : Host was nice and friendly. busser was very attentive. Our waitress was a bit short with us. Ambiance: Busy and Buzzy on a Saturday night. Would come back for a cider or to try brunch. read more

Cozy little French bistro. As it was recently featured in blogTO it was quite busy when we visited, even with a late reservation. Located in a nice neighborhood, many people walking by will be curious, check the menu, and fill up the restaurant. The seating is quite limited so at this time I would recommend making a reservation in advance. They both have tables along the wall as well as at the bar which essentially works as a chef's table too as you can watch them prepare dishes there. They a a great drink menus with several fun cocktail options. There are also some local options for God Speed brewery, located in the area. Was a nice way to start off the evening. Their tar tar was excellent. It also was interesting as it was a bit spicy too. The baguette slices on the other hand seemed a bit "soft". They texture seemingly on the edge of stale. The tar tar was so good however I'd go back to ensure I get the full experience. The mussels were standard and the sauce quite delicious. I'd consider trying other sauce options in the future. All their entrees sounded simply amazing. It was really hard to narrow down what to get, despite the menus being a very reasonable size. I'm the end we took the recommendation of our server and got the beef bourguignon and steak hache. Both were extremely delicious and every bite flavourful. I would definitely recommend these dishes for beef lovers. We even gave in and got the fries cooked in beef fat. Though fries might not sound special, after trying them I would say these are a must have. They were extremely crispy and just a great accompaniment for dinner. Though the dessert was good I would not order it again. This was the only point of the meal I felt one might be able to make on their own at home with a reasonable amount of success and similar taste. Overall it was a great experience. I would definitely recommend this for a wonderful French meal. I'm excited to go again and try more of their menu in the future, perhaps their roast chicken and ratatouille next time. read more

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We finally tried this spot this past September. We reserved in advance. They do have patio space on the side in the summer. If you could give a .5 my review would be 2.5 not 3. I wish I could say I loved this place but I didn't. We had two different pates to start. I have to say for 2 of you, I personally think one is adequate. Would have been nice to have been guided on that score. Hubby's was a special of the night. I had the one on the menu. They come in pots and the size is deceptive ( note - they will bring extra toasts if you ask). Hubby did not like his, so we ended up sharing mine. We both had mussels and shared some frites (one order is plenty for 2 people). The frites were very good. This is where things started feeling cramped. Lol too many bowls on the table. I ordered a special of the night which had mustard as an ingredient (and for me, was too strong). C'est la vie! The service was ok, just felt the place lacked a welcoming vibe if that makes sense. Anyway, might have just been an off night but not sure we'll return even though it is in our hood. read more

Service: 3/5 Late review as we visited a month ago. We came on a night as a snowstorm and blizzard hit full throttle. When we arrived, we were seated promptly at our reservation time, followed by another couple a few minutes after at the table next to us. Right away, a conversation started between the host and the other table about the weather. As we had already looked at the menu beforehand, we were ready to order. However, the table beside us were taken care of first repeatedly (by the same server as ours), and received their drinks, apps, and mains before we received our ordered drinks. This unfortunately set the overall mood for the rest of our meal, despite the host/server being quite friendly. Food: 3.5/5 For appetizers, we ordered the chicken liver mousse with dark cherry compote and the steak tartare. The mousse was good, but nothing exceptional and a little on the sweet side even without the compote. The steak tartare was also tasty and had a kick to it, though I wish they would have included a regular egg yolk rather than the shaved salted egg yolk as I couldn't taste it over the spice of the tartare. Unfortunately, the baguette that came with them were over-toasted and hard. We had the steak hâché with raclette and the steak au poivre for our entrées, and a side of beef fat fries. The steak and sauce were delicious (portion was on the small side), while the steak hâché was good for the winter weather but also nothing special. As my French partner explained, the dish is essentially a burger on a toast soaked in jus. The added raclette slice was very thin, so it didn't add much to the dish overall. The beef fat fries were crispy and complimented the meal. Atmosphere: 4/5 Taverne Tamblyn has an open kitchen and a dark, cozy atmosphere that makes it feel both casual and upscale. We were seated at a table near the window which were packed close to neighbouring tables. Without anywhere to hang our jackets but the back of our chairs, it was a little uncomfortable as they were already soaked from the snowstorm, although this wouldn't be an issue under normal circumatances. Drinks: 4/5 We ordered a Sidecar (brandy, cointreau, lemon) and La Fleur d'Or (elderflower, gin, lemon). Both were refreshing and nice with simple ingredients. read more

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We went tonight May 13th for dinner, 4 of us. Order: Gruyère Gougeres : 3/5. These are more like a scone then a gougere. Ok but not my fav. Shrimp Avocado Marie Rose Sauce : 4/5. Needed a tad bit of salt. 1/2 loaf of mini sour dough : 4/5. Very good. With nice salty butter. Chicken liver mousse : 5/5. Can't fault it. Excellent flavours. Filling. Steak Tartare: 4/5 so good with a spicy after bite that was surprisingly good. Could have had a tad more acid. Served with nice crostini's Champagne Shallot Mussels : 5/5. Can't fault this dish at all. The freshest mussels I've ever eaten. Fries in beef fat. 5/5. Memories of Mcds fries back in the day. Steak Hache : 4/5. Needed a tad more sauce. But excellent with the raclette added. Striploin with a peppercorn sauce: 5/5. Very tender for a striploin melt in your mouth. House salad. 5/5. Perfect palate cleanser. Not over dressed. Crème Caramel with Grand Mariner: 5/5 Perfect ending we all shared because we were so full. 2 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc Les Sauterelles, so crisp & clean. 5 Godspeed Pilsner 1 Sparkling water. Service excellent! Shout out to Rebecca. smooth transition of all courses. Not rushed. Photos & bill attached. read more

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I've been here to eat a few times, and feel like I've seen enough to give a review. Overall, I feel like the ambiance is lacking any sort of warmth from the owner/ waitstaff, and the food is pretty mid (portions for most dishes have shrunk since the opening unfortunately) for the price point. It's not my first choice for dining on the Danforth. read more

Highly recommended the place. We ordered the chicken liver, beef tartare, mussel and steak hache. Chicken liver and mussels are my favorites. Nice cozy place ! read more

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The idea seems to be minimal bistro: the simplest essense of french cooking. I'm fine with that, but you pay for every single element, down to $5 for bread. The portions are fine, but the effort is minimal. Sloppy plating, poor seasoning. The prices are low, yet seem usuourious when you see what is infront of you. The maitre d' doesn't even ask you about your experience. He spoke to us several times (nice person), but seems to avoid the actual food. The waiter was under-supported. Terrible, slow service, but complely understandstandible considering how little support she had. I left angry. Still. Lovely room. read more

We've been twice. The food was excellent each time and the service was also excellent. I'll be going again.