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Café La Gaffe
Categories: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants French Breakfast & Brunch, French [Edit]
24 Baldwin StToronto, ON M5T 1L2
Neighbourhood: Downtown Core
(416) 596-2397
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 12 pm - 11 pm
Sat-Sun 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
17 reviews for Café La Gaffe
17 reviews in English
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Review from Micki M.
Toronto, ON
5/22/2012
A group of us headed here this past week for a little birthday brunch.
While the food was not short on taste, it was also not incredibly standout. I had Eggs Natasha (benny with smoked salmon hash) which was nice. The hollandaise would have been better with some taste to it...it was incredibly flat. The meal still worked though. I will say that all of our meals were really nicely prepared and not one person had a complaint!
Everyone enjoyed their freshly squeezed mamosas (7.95 each) and I was wishing I would have tried their fresh grapefruit mamosa! Next time!
Similarly to Susan G., we had some awkward confusion when we tried to split the bills. Next time we will mention it at the start (agreed Susan, it is always annoying to have to remember this!) but now we know.
I would recommend La Gaffe overall! The birthday boy especially enjoyed the banana french toast and the banana chocolate cake (this is really amazing..and huge!!) -
Review from Susan G.
11/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came to Cafe La Gaffe for a work dinner on a Monday evening, with a group of six. While I wouldn't classify this as a "french restaurant" as they do, it was still a good (*cough* ITALIAN) meal, at a reasonable price, with good service.
We did make reservations for dinner, but realistically at 5:30 on a Monday, we could have had the entire restaurant. That being said, by the time we left (7:45 - 8) it was definitely filling up - mostly with couples or small groups of friends, which this place has the perfect atmosphere for.
For dinner, I had the special pizza of the day off of their monstrous menu (I just stopped looking when I found something good, otherwise I would have looked forever!) which was sun dried tomato, caramelized onion, and smoked duck. I have to admit I had pretty high expectations for this pizza, and while it was a bit salty, it fit the bill. I had also ordered the lobster cakes for an appetizer, but ALAS they were out! I'm not sure how it's possible that they were out at 5:30pm, but they were. For dessert, I indulged in the New York style cheesecake, which was delicious but nothing special. Also important to note, the dessert portions are HUGE and should definitely be split!
My colleagues all enjoyed their meals as well, except for one who had ordered the escargot appetizer, which was far too garlicy, to the point that she had to send it back. Even people on the other side of the table could tell how intense it was - you could smell garlic everywhere. So if you're not a huge garlic fan, perhaps avoid it.
The service was really great - our waitress was quite helpful, and even recognized one person as she had been their the previous week. The server gave us plenty of suggestions, and was very attentive - at least until the restaurant really started to fill up, at which point she seemed stretched a little thin.
My only big negative about this place was their inability to split the bill - they did eventually, but only after complaining a bit that we hadn't told her prior to ordering. They also couldn't split items, which I find so annoying!
Overall though, this place is decent. But I'm not about to become a regular. -
Review from Megan R.
Toronto, ON
10/25/2011
It was 8pm on Sunday night and my friend and I were debating where to go to dinner...he suggested Baldwin St. and I immediately thought of Cafe la Gaffe. Final decision.
We had been to Cafe La Gaffe about a year ago and were expecting a high level of service and memorable food- we got just that.
To preface, Cafe La Gaffe's decor is somewhat "Parisian" inspired with a grand wooden bar (selling point- they have coat hooks under the bar...in my books, this is well thought out and adds the extra touch, even though I did not sit at the bar I did notice them) lining one wall and a row of pews and tables lining the opposite side. There are also two tables directly in front of the windows, one on each side of the door, which we were lucky enough to snag amidst this semi-busy late dinner crowd. The kitchen is in raised area directly at the back and viewable from the rest of the restaurant.
Another big plus, the soundtrack playing at this restaurant was incredible...both for a romantic date and also for friends catching up over a beer, as were the group of 4 girls sitting at one of the tables lining the side wall. Think Amelie soundtrack, Nick Drake, Patrick Watson...I kept wishing I could whip out my iPhone and shazam every single one of the great "dinner party" songs...I refrained, mostly.
Cafe la Gaffee has an extensive wine list and also "feature wines" listed on a chalk board hanging above the bar. As the "feature wines" were about double the price as the wines listed on the menu, we opted for a Pinot Blanc from the menu. We had some questions for the server about the wine list and he was kind enough to come back to the table with the bottle to give us more information on our selection (i.e. I've read the back and realize that this may be a bit fruity for your taste...can I recommend something else?"...Great service if you ask me. We also never felt rushed to order which was great as we had a lot of catching up to do first. We went with a Pinot Gris. Delicious.
As for food, my dinner date ordered the Mushroom Crepe as an appetizer and I ordered the $5.50 Garlic Bread au Gratin (with cheese). Although I was in the mood for bread (judge all you want, it's cold and the carb cravings have hit full force), I did not consider that I was ordering bread on top of the free warm fresh bread served with hummous. I'd hold off on the garlic bread next time, although it was extremely fresh and had the perfect amt. of cheese. My dinner date loved his crepe...it was stuffed with garlic and mushrooms and smothered in a mushroom sauce. It was also served with a roasted tomato...amazing. Great value too at about $10. When I go back I will order this, it was delish.
Entrees (approx. $22 each) consisted of Fettucini with Digby Scallops, PEI mussels, Gulf Shrimp, roasted red pepper, spinach and portobello mushrooms in a white wine lobster sauce served as a very generous portion with a side salad. ORDER THIS. My dinner date ordered the Bouillabaisse with PEI mussels, clams, Digby Scallops, shrimp and served with couscous. As soon as our meal arrived we barely spoke to each other. We were so enamoured with how frickin' amazing the food was. mmmm.
As if the food couldn't get any better, and we couldn't eat another bite, we had to try the flourless chocolate banana cake with creme anglaise so we finished off with the most delectable dessert I may have ever eaten. I would go back just for this dessert. Actually, I probably will because I can't stop thinking of it.
Service was stellar...which from the other reviews leads me to believe that may be because it's too cold for a patio, but nonetheless our server was very attentive and he was also funny, just sayin'.
Moral of story: I will return. Great spot for an actual date if you want to impress your date with amazing food and a charming atmosphere. Also, they don't rush you here so you can spend hours "canoodling"...or ignoring each other while falling in love with your food. -
Review from Jen S.
Toronto, ON
2/5/2012
I love the food. I mean, lardons and brie and salad! BEST SALAD EVER! I love the atmosphere too. And I loved our server. But she was desperately overworked. She was nothing but sweet but I got the distinct feeling that the management of this place thinks it's ok to let the customers wait. Until they want to flip the table, that is. Then they are on us like flies! Which is the only reason I dont give 5 stars. Of course, it is a french restaurant. So maybe they think that "French" means "Understaffed". A Management problem, IMHO.
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Review from Vivek S.
Customer service would seem to be the hamartia of Café la Gaffe. Me and my DC wandered in around 7:30pm for dinner. Their front patio was full, but I learned they have a Smoke Free Back Patio which are probably four of my favourite words in the english language.
We were led to the back (pointed, really) along is a route that takes you through the narrow restaurant, past the kitchen, through a ramshackle corridor and finally on to the secluded garden patio. They actually manage to cram in quite a few tables considering the modest size of the space. The partial roof means plenty of shade and they have a gas heater for colder nights. It's a lovely spot.
A few moments after sitting down, our server politely asked us to move from our table (which was at the end of a row of two tops pushed together) to a separate table for two since they often get busy during dinner. This is an understandable position, but if they are particular about this they could have seated us properly, instead of waving us toward the back of the restaurant.
Anyway, we were famished so we got set to order. There was a full page of specials as well as a road-map sized menu. There were a lot of compelling selections. I chose the penne with beef, sausage served in rose sauce, and a starter of mussels in a Thai-inspired curry broth after I saw a girl furiously devouring these on the way in.
The portion sizes are generous and this is not helped by the fact that our meals were really, freaking, good. The mussels' broth was brimming with awesome flavours, and I couldn't help sopping it all up with bread. It would have made a killer soup all on its own. The penne was just loaded with delicious stuff: spicy sausage, mushrooms, and slices of tender steak. My bowl of pasta was enough for two servings and I ate pretty much the entire thing.
Foodwise, I had no complaints but getting served was another story. They are dangerously understaffed, or at least, disorganized. Our server was managing both the front patio and the back patio (and no doubt getting flagged down in between), which made her visits painfully infrequent. It took more almost half an hour after we finished eating to procure our cheque. I noted by the receipt that it had been printed ages before we finally got it, but clearly she hadn't had a chance to bring it our way. We waited another 25 minutes with the credit card sitting on the table before I hunted her down myself. When she conceded that "she hadn't been back there in a while" like the back patio was a college bar or the neighbourhood she grew up in, I realised that this type of thing probably happens a lot. I think they need another server on during suppertime, or at least divide up the dining room sensibly. Imagine working the extreme ends of a restaurant!
I can come here knowing I can rely on their excellent kitchen, but only if I have copious amounts of time to burn. Perhaps off-hours is when they really shine.
Obligatory Title Pun: Their only GAFFE is tardiness.
Menu Readability: The menu is the size of a wakeboard, laminated and slathered in the worst calligraphic typeface, all bold.
Need to mention: While it did get busy that night, not enough that we really had to have given up our seats. Too bad. Being corrected shouldn't be a customer's first interaction with your staff.
What this place teaches me about myself: I probably do have copious amounts of time to burn, I just don't know where it is.Listed in: Baldwin Village
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Review from Sahra G.
3/6/2011
It was my first time at Cafe La Gaffe after eating at most of the lovely places on Baldwin (vege haven being my fave). My dad and I ate here for our monthly meet up meal.
I had the caprese salad and creme brulle and my dad had the salmon. My salad was ok, there was lots of boconccini cheese, roasted red peppers and tomatos, however I found the dressing to be very oiley and there to be a lack of balsamic. My dad however really enjoyed his salmon entree. The creme brulle was amazing and perfectly done... bottom super creamy and the shell was perfectly golden crispy caramelized sugar... the text book creme brulle.
The service was excellent, our server was friendly attentive and I actually hadn't had service like this in a restaurant in a really long time. I'll be back. -
Review from Melinda M.
Toronto, ON
11/21/2009
After spending a morning participating in the fabulously fun Mystery Art Sale at the OCAD, my husband and I thought we hit up Cafe La Gaffe for brunch. It's a cute little bistro tucked on Baldwin Street, and we were craving the brunch food they serve.
The woman who greeted us was very nice and friendly and gave us a choice of seats, took our coats, and gave us menus. She came back soon with glasses of water. A very positive start! Unfortunately, that was the best it got at Caffe La Gaffe.
There were only a couple of other tables, not too bad. We smiled when our server came over, so I don't think we did anything to set her off. The word my husband used to describe her was surly. Apt description.
She came over to the table and said "do you know what you want?" while scowling. She only half turned toward us while taking our orders, and when I passed her my menus, she looked me up and down and never looked at my face! I couldn't believe the rudeness. And it never improved from there.
I really would have given them a break if the food was better. Unfortunately, I had to pick the seeds out of my mimosa. I appreciate fresh squeezed o.j., but use a strainer for God's sakes. My first sip was chock full of seeds. As I didn't have a spoon or a side plate, I proceeded to pick the seeds out with a fork and pile them on the table. Final count? 14 seeds. Disgusting.
My eggs benedict were not much better. The first bite had an overpowering taste that did not belong. After picking it apart and analyzing each element, I realized the peameal bacon was sickeningly sweet, and the hollandaise sauce was way too lemony. The egg and english muffin were fine, but I barely ate it. The salad was delicious, however, and so were the homefries, and the toast that came with my husbands eggs, so I was able to make a meal of it.
There is absolutely no good reason to go to Cafe la Gaffe. The service was bad and the food was either really good or inedible. In a city with as many restaurants as Toronto, there is never a need to go to a bad one.Listed in: Places with patios
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Review from Erin H.
Toronto, ON
9/15/2008
I was in need of some long overdue girls' time this weekend so brunch was scheduled and the next thing I knew my ass was planted in a lovely, little, seat on the patio of Cafe Le Gaffe on the adorable Baldwin St.
Now my friends and I are ladies of particular taste -- we like our talk, loud, our language, dirty, and our food, well, the way we like it. So Lord help the lady who has to take our order.
On this specific morning, the Lord seemed to have forgotten about our waitress and everything that could have gone wrong on our order did. Omelets were yellow that should have been white, potatoes were given instead of salad, orders were switched but the biggest mistake of all:
SHE FORGOT THE CHEESE!
uh-uh honey that's when ma' bitches get angry!!!
Alright enough of that. In all honesty I think it was the server's first day and she must have committed a variety of sins the night before to be stuck with our horror of a table. When all the mistakes were cleared the food was actually quite delicious and I would return but I don't want the waitress to suffer flashbacks from the Post-traumatic stress she no doubt was given by our table. -
Review from Trish N.
Vancouver, BC
6/16/2011
I quite like this place. I find the menu though, a little overwhelming in terms of sizes and the portions are a little ginormous for me. But I guess it's in true French Bistro style that a salad equals a mountain of romaine lettuce with a whole lot of heavy stuff on top of it. Light is not the order of the day here, though on my last visit I had some delicious mussels which fit the bill quite well. One of my favorites on baldwin.
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Review from Angela L.
4/9/2010
Everything at Cafe La Gaffe looked great. The brightly painted walls were adorned with assorted pieces of curious art, all of the tables including the patio section out front were filled with chatty guests, the small open kitchen in the back was churning out over-flowing plates of vibrant brunch fare, and there was even genuine sunlight filtering through the storefront window to boot.
The only intangible problem (if you didn't notice the constant head turning and the increasingly impatient waving of nearby guests) was in the service. It took an extremely long time for our orders to be taken while we hungrily watched surrounding tables get served. The lone server frantically trying to keep up with all of the orders would repeatedly ask the same questions and was running around so hectically, that I felt bad when I needed to ask for ketchup.
The food was quite good. I chose one of the handful of omelets-de-jour that featured cremini mushrooms and polished off every last morsel on my plate including the incredibly ungreasy home fries and tantalizing side of greens. The extra page of brunch specials really added a lot of tempting options to the mix. There surely would be no shortage of dishes to come back to try next time. I hope that they hire more servers soon, but they better be nimble cause the tables are squeezed in tight! -
Review from Ian C.
Toronto, ON
4/23/2011
Nice, quaint little spot for a brunch - its like being in someones country home. Food was good and is fresh and vibrant. The only thing letting it down was the service - the lady was definitely grumpy to be up so early.
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Review from Tammy Y.
5/11/2010
This place is a little hit and miss. The first time I went for brunch - it was a slamdunk hit. Service was prompt and friendly, and our plates were overflowing with sumptuous eggs benny, crisp garden salad and freshly roasted potatoes.
The second time, unfortunately, was a bit more of a miss. The poor waitress who was left to serve the entire restaurant - packed even on a weekday with hip families, morning-afters, and classy ladies (oh yeah, that was us) - was running around the entire time. But undoubtedly, one gal can only do so much. The odd thing was forgotten and we had to regularly ask for refills on water and coffee. Things were a little slow in the kitchen as well, as we waited just long enough to notice that we were, well, waiting just long enough. Luckily, the atmosphere of the place and the company were charming enough to keep our 'tudes at bay.
The food is good, and something that I love about La Gaffe is that their whopping sides of salad are a welcome alternative to more greasy goodness. Eggs are done just right, and their fancy sausages definitely hit the spot. I would see myself coming back here to give 'em another shot, but a word to the manager - please be sure you have more staff on hand when it comes to morning brunch times! -
Review from Reynold X.
4/15/2010
4 star for the brunch.
This is my regular place for weekend brunch. I usually order the steak and egg or the banana french toast. Their steak and egg comes with 4 ounces filet mignon, two eggs, freshly baked toast, salad, and fruits. The banana french toast is a sweet opening for the day. I haven't found a better place in Toronto that offers the same degree of ambience and food quality.
The lunch/dinner is not as unique. You can find lots similar options nearby. -
Review from Aaron B.
7/11/2010
I came here for a brunch date and it was a good choice. We got a seat on the patio and ordered two dishes that were way too big for us. Nothing really special, but good standard brunch foods. I had the fresh grapefruit juice which tasted fine but they put ice in it...which is just wrong and forced me to drink it quickly before the ice melted. It's a bit on the steep end of the pricing scale...over $15 per person and that's just a brunch menu item and juice each. Not outrageous for the ambiance and location, but keep that in mind if you're planning on coming here. And they don't accept bank cards.
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Review from Brian S.
Toronto, ON
12/12/2009
This place used to be one of my old favourite places in the city. John Baby was a restauranteur i respected, but that was 15 years ago. I was in here a few weeks ago for brunch and wow, it's changed. There are still some great things about the place including the fresh food, and the quantity of the food, but the service and general precision has really dropped off. I was there one morning a few weeks ago and experienced surly service, drinks mis-prepared, and no attention to any detail. I couldn't really speak too badly about the food, but I'm just feeling like no one cares about this place. It could use a change of ownership and some love to bring it back to the place it used to be.
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Review from Stacey S.
7/9/2009 2 photos
We landed here on a Saturday afternoon, drawn in by their fantastic brunch specials menu. There was a variety of exotic and tasty-sounding omelettes, and one of them in particular caught my fancy: mushroom, caramelized leeks and Emmental cheese. Yum! It was absolutely loaded with yummy goodness, and came served with potatoes and a salad featuring fresh fruit as well. Washed down with delicious fresh-squeezed lemonade, it was nearly perfect. But in such a quantity I couldn't even finish it. My partner had a grilled salmon sandwich which looked equally fantastic, and he was pretty satisfied. The atmosphere was also lovely, with a few tables out front. We were offered seats at a patio out back, but upon trekking through the kitchen and down some dark corridor, found ourselves in what resembled a park picnic party set-up, with plastic coverings and tents and not much sun. We opted for indoors, which was plenty cute and cosy.
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Review from Kevin N.
6/7/2009 1 photo
I was looking to go to Vegetarian Haven but they didnt open til 5pm so I walked a few doors down and saw Cafe La Gaffe. It was 4pm on a Thursday. I asked to sit outside and eat. It was nice they have 4 tables in front. I had the Med. Pizza. It was real nice. The pizza was great, the crust was Excellent, the toppings very nice. Too much for just one person. In between the pizza slices on the plate is a very nice salad. I had water with lemon. The prices were nice too. $15 plus tax. I put the picture up of the pizza. The street is nice and quiet enough to sit out and eat. It looked like a nice bar inside. The waitress was attentive.
