Awesome place, great atmosphere, reasonably priced and food that never disappoints!
We shared and enjoyed the lamb kidneys and tripe over lunch, while it flurried outside.
My husband and I had excellent meals. He enjoyed the escargot and I, a very tasty salad. We both liked the tender and flavourful beef bourguignon. Desserts if crème brûlée and a special chocolate creation topped it off.
We love this Restaurant. We are always greeted warmly, seated quickly as we always book a table and show up ON TIME not like all guests. If we are going to be late we call and inform them. Once seated we are always attended to to and the service is exemplary. The food is to die for and the Wine selection is exquisite and reasonably priced.
Best French restaurant this side of the Atlantic!
Colm and Rita.
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In Toronto, few genuine French restaurants serve the real deal and Le Merlot is one of those staple establishments situated in southern Etobicoke.
The owner used to own 2 locations. The other one was sold and regrettably did not survive. The menus were very similar and serve classic bistro restaurant classics that I enjoy.
At Le Merlot, there is also a patio that has a shorter menu focusing mainly on grilled entrees and sandwiches.
I was in the main dining room to get the main impression and found it up to top standards.
Starting with a lovely and generous serving of grilled calamari with not too much balsamic vinegar I was ready for the main course. I normally would have selected pepper steak or rack of lamb among the many choices but I wanted to test out the steak tartare. This is a special item for connoisseurs and is mentioned at the bottom of the menu. It is indeed rare meat but of course prepared with onions, Worcestershire sauce (not too much), capers an egg and other chosen ingredients. Served with a lovely portion of frites, all you really need is a good red wine such as a Syrah to balance all the flavours.
The dessert menu is nicely varied with tarts, chocolate mousse, crepes, fruit, and ice cream. All beautifully prepared, I selected the Coupe Merlot with vanilla ice-cream, fresh berries, fresh fruit coulis, whipped cream, roasted almonds and a touch of red wine. A digestif drink and/or coffee and you finish off a lovely french meal.
The owner is French, most servers have been at this restaurant for a number of years, and the decor is classic bistro posters.....collectively they provide a real experience in Toronto.
My next plan for a small treat will be to have the Crepes "Normande" which are crepes filled with fresh apple compote and served with whipped cream and strawberries. My special coffee will of course be the Cafe Normand which is strong coffee with a touch of Calvados and of course more whipped cream. Feel free to invite me!
First Dinner Out With Our Grand Daughter. We had a wonderful experience at your restaurant with our grand daughter your staff where warm and inviting the food was fantastic and our waiter was one of the nicest we have ever come across in all of our dinning experiences we have ever had he was just a super nice person and that's what will separate your restaurant from most others we have been to your restaurant three or four times in the past and have enjoyed your out door eating patio as well but last night was really great and I just had to thank you all again for a wonderful night out with our grand daughter and celebrated my wife's birthday and we cant wait to come back and dine at your place in the future and will be so glad to recommend your restaurant to all our friends and family!! Thanks again, The Shellys
Fantastic. Always a great atmosphere, authentic french feel to the place, delicious food and good memories.
Enjoyed Merlot. Went for dinner on a Friday night with SO...surprisingly busy for before 6pm. We had the onion tart & escargots followed by the chicken breast & veal paillard. Everything was good, but not amazing, except the chicken which was under-seasoned. Service and ambiance were also good. Overall an enjoyable experience for about $100 (with 1/2 litre of wine).
Excellent time, excellent wine. Party of eight of us went for dinner. Wonderful experience. Extensive wine list. Wonderful food. Friendly, knowledgeable and attentive staff, lovely atmosphere. Well worth the $.
Will absolutely return.
Lazycook. We love Merlot. We go frequently to the rooftop and always have a great time. We even had our wedding rehearsal dinner there! Always great food, always great service. The steak et frites are fabulous!
Absolutely fantastic. The veal was succulent and juicy, basted in a fantastic White mushroom sauce. Dinner took a bit to come out but was worth the wait!
Warm, homey, excellent food, reasonable prices and the hostess greets you like you're someone special. They only have two vegetarian entrées, more vegetarian entrees would be welcome. More choices of wine by the glass would also be welcome. I highly recommend this restaurant it is one of my faves.
This restaurant is an escape to southwestern France right in the Kingsway. The ambience feels like you've left the country.
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You’ll find the traditional French favourites on their menu like escargot and steak frites, as well as interesting dishes like the “St. Tropez” fish soup ($15.50). The broth has a bouillabaisse feel spiked with more saffron and thickened with pulverized fish - personally, I would have preferred if the fish was left in chunks, so it’d feel less like eating savoury baby food.
The texture improved once I dropped in bite-sized pieces of the toasted baguette topped with creamy rouille (a garlicky lemon and saffron aioli) and grated Emmenthal to each spoonful. Think of it as a lighter French onion soup that swaps out the onion for fish.
If there’s duck confit ($32.50) on the menu, most likely it’s what I’ll order. Interestingly, the duck leg arrives with no sauce giving it a lovely rustic homemade quality. You can certainly taste the duck and without sauce the meat has nowhere to hide, it needs to be done perfectly to taste delicious. In this case, it was.
Yet, it was the caramelized sautéed garlic potatoes that stole the show. Cooked in duck fat until a sticky and crispy crust forms, the spuds made me swoon with delight. Never swap these potatoes for fries.
The meal ended perfectly with a shared slice of tarte aux pommes ($13.50). The thinly sliced apples sat on a bed of apple sauce and a perfect pastry crust. Likely the apple sauce helps to add moisture without relying on syrup, which keep the tart light. While there’s nothing wrong with the apple sauce, using crème anglaise or some sort of custard give it a richer element. And get rid of the fruit coulis, it makes the plate pretty but takes away from the lovely apple flavours.
I really had an amazing time there.fabulous delicious food and so nice staff.
I had a great time with my parents for our Business meeting. We had the fresh Fettuccine and the owner Francois was really nice to my parents and I. Will definitely be coming back! 5 stars in every category! -The American
Food is French cuisine. Some protein portions are on smaller side. Restaurant can be noisy. Mussels in mouclade were delightful.
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