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JAMcafé
Category: Restaurants French French [Edit]
195 Carlton StToronto, ON M5A 2K7
Neighbourhood: Cabbagetown
(416) 921-1255
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
12 reviews for JAMcafé
12 reviews in English
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Review from Emily H.
3/7/2012
What an unsuspecting restaurant! I had never heard of it until its name popped up on the Winterlicious menu. It was a great discovery :)
We made a reservation for dinner on a Friday night. We were greeted right away by the hostess, shown to our table, and our coats were hung. Our waitress, on the other hand, was a little hard to read. Her words sounded like they were pleasant, but the tone of her voice and expression were a little cold. Strange.
Anyway, for appetizer we ordered the Elk Slider and Popcorn Escargot. Slider was nothing to write home about, but the escargot was DELISH. It came in a row of eight little guys, lightly breaded with a light curry sauce over it with some enoki mushrooms. Recommended! For our main, we had the Grilled Iron Steak (amazing) and the Elk Bourguignon. I am such a sucker for bourguignon so I was very excited to try one with elk. It was enjoyable but definitely not your traditional bourguinon. Not so much stew as there was mash. Don't get me wrong, I was not disappointed. Just surprised. Strangely, I do not recall much of our dessert... Of course, by then I had finished a bottle of wine. Forgive me, dessert lovers.
I enjoyed the dining experience and the atmosphere a lot. See you again soon, Jam Jam (I hope).
Atmosphere - 5
Service - 4
Food - 4.5
Price - 4 -
Review from Joanne S.
Toronto, ON
5/18/2012
Badly executed food at foodie prices. The first time my meal was salty, so I just ate around the salty parts. The second time my meal was salty and when I returned it and ordered something else plating was not thought out so I ended up getting it on my shirt. My boyfriend ordered something with rosemary in it, and boy was there rosemary in it. Enough so that you couldn't taste anything else. What are you hiding Jam Cafe, expired meat?
The service can be very snobby at the door on a busy night. Instead of the hostess saying: Sorry, we're full right now. If you like there may be a table available at x time (or something shorter but not rude and abrupt). We were told: We're full. That's it, like they didn't want our patronage. We pretty much had to force her to give us a time frame.
If I had to sum up this restaurant: pretentious with nothing to show for it. -
Review from Michael W.
Toronto, ON
10/16/2011
JAM Cafe is a lovely little cafe. The food is excellent and reasonably priced for the quality. Wine selection was OK; not too many choices or anything too exciting. I started with the Caprese salad with Buffalo Mozzarella; it was a nice light start and the balsamic was top quality. For my main, I had the French equivalent of a Smorgasbord; several meats each more delicious than the last severed in a pot with mashed potatoes. As with most higher end dishes the portions are a little small for someone with a healthy appetite, which just means more room for desert! The Italian donut (4 deep fried "timbits" actually) with raspberry sauce were amazing.
Jam is a great value, serving excellent food in a cozy and casual atmosphere. It's a great place for a date, or a top-notch meal (or both). -
Review from Danielle F.
Toronto, ON
3/20/2011
Ladies night!
Got a cozy table at the back and had quite the meal here. It's a small place and crowd is a little older but nevertheless, great. A glass of white wine was had and our waiter had a stunning memory, being able to recall at least six different specials and everything that went into them.
I got the flat iron steak with fries. I said what the hell, pile it on when I was asked if I wanted freshly ground sea salt and black pepper. Good choice for this dish! The steak was a perfect medium rare and came with a slab of butter on top. It was a little strange in that way- I don't see how anyone could possibly need that much- but I did melt some on the meat and integrate it a bit. The fries were AMAZING. Shoestring cut and with the fresh sea salt, really great. Everyone was eating them along with me; it was a well sized portion.
For dessert I had the apple crumble with ice cream. It could have been warmer to make the dish a bit homey-er. Plus, then you get that melting ice cream effect which is always welcome in my books. I stole several bites of the creme brulee and I think it was the best that I've had in this city! Every component was spot on and even though it's a rich dessert just by nature, anyone could and should finish it.
It was a wonderful dining experience and one that I would surely go back for! They do lunch do and are just fleshing out their new summer menu now so I can't wait to see what else is in store. -
Review from Kevin D.
Toronto, ON
8/24/2009 ROTD 4/9/2010
I love it when you Google "Free Corkage + Sunday + Toronto" and you discover an awesome restaurant like JAMcafé...
Literally, that's how I found this place, and we were thrilled with the experience. JAMcafé is nestled between Sherbourne & Parliament, with a great patio and lovely interior. The staff are amazing (Joe & Deb especially)..
Our tasty dishes were served with impeccable timing and Joe gave our 2005 Margaux the respect it deserved. (Sometimes restaurants don't respect your wine when you bring it in, but here was not the case. ) We ordered the risotto and Caesar salad for starters, then savoured the Muscovy Duck and Organic Chicken for the mains. The risotto was outta sight (creamy, nutty, yet not too filling) and the salad just lovely, with a hint of 'je ne sais quoi' in the vinaigrette-style dressing.
Boy oh Boy was that chicken exquisite! Just the right amount of seasoning and crispy skin done perfectly. The duck was decadent with our Bordeaux, and the chef accommodated my companion's dietary restrictions with creativity and flair (She's lactose-intolerant).
All in all, a perfect dining experience, and with the no-corkage Sundays, our bill was under $150!
JAMcafé: Welcome to KD's "Top Restaurants" list! -
Review from Angela L.
11/8/2009
You wouldn't know it from walking by (I didn't after living just down the street for three years), but JAM Cafe is an adorable little boite on the inside. The ornate decor is accented with warm lighting and delightfully atmospheric music. Seating options are along the gorgeous dark wood bar or in extra cozy two person booths in the front room or at larger tables suitable for groups in the open back room.
The extensive list of house and specialty wines are served in delicate, over-sized stemware. The bartender and staff are knowledgeable and genuinely interested in food pairings and mixology. The attentive service was wonderful. Regulars steadily coming through the door were even addressed by name.
The menu card is a dream come true for dedicated and conscientious carnivores. Besides steak and organic chicken, the "substantials" of the menu also feature Ontario rabbit, lobster, quail and squab. The much buzzed about organic elk burger ($15) arrived beautifully dressed in gorgonzola, roasted peppers, and mushrooms. The confit of Muscovy duck ($24) could have been a little juicer, but was perched atop of a dense satisfying haystack of poutine made with 2-year-old smoked cheddar.
The basement bathrooms have a very low ceiling and will make you feel like giant Alice. Though, even this will be charming after a fine bottle of quality vino! -
Review from Chris E.
Toronto, ON
11/24/2009
I've been reserving judgement on Jam Cafe for a long time. I've been several times since it first opened 2 years ago, and have had mixed feelings each time I went.
After tonight though, it's time I made up my mind.
I love the look and feel of the place. The staff are attentive, and the owner really tries to make you feel special and comfortable. But tonight I sat, straining my eyes to read a magazine as I waited for my order. I finally asked if he had a candle, and he apologized. This is when I realized every other table had one, but not mine. Fine, no biggy. I got my candle.
My first course came quickly and was relatively yummy. Mediterranean soup, for 7 dollars. Not a huge portion, but was adequate.
Then came the caesar salad, also promptly, for 8 dollars. It was very nice. Fresh lemony home-made dressing. Great cheese sprinkled on top.
I then waited half an hour for for my main course. Many people who had arrived after I had, were receiving their meals. I waited. I was getting kind of ticked because I was there earlier than most.
Anyway, along it came. A very tiny piece of fish (seriously, about 1 centimetre thick, and about 7 x 7 centimetres. (No, I did not measure it!...this is my estimate). NOT big. It sat on top of some pan-fried potatoes that had no flavour and were dry as could be. There were also some beets. This was a very small dish, not inspiring in the slightest. Not as good as my mother used to make. It cost $26. I couldn't believe it. Total bill, with no desert or wine, was about $46.
The wait was too long. The food, average at best. The music, by the way, was far too loud and pounding for such a quaint little place.
The place is popular, and I admit I have had good times there. But it's been too hit and miss for me.
After trying over and over, I just can't bring myself to go back. Sorry Jam. I gave you lots of chances.Listed in: Restaurants
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Review from Kat T.
1/21/2011 ROTD 4/25/2011
Jam Cafe is one cute, cute, cute little corner bistro. The website suggests that the food is locally sourced (100 mile elk) and changes with the seasons. I was initially there in the summer when a watermelon and feta salad was on special. It was so well-done, I wish I had been able to stay for more than just an appetizer. My friend tried the calamari with a light, breading. The dipping mayo was delicious. The bread and hummus was great the day I was there.
The wine and drink list is good. The wine recommended by the server was so good, I got a second one before heading out early for an event.
Although there aren't a lot of seats, we were able to sit in these comfortable chairs and the table height was just right.
Wine is obviously a focus here, and well-done, too. Wine events with paired h'or doevres are held periodically. If you want to bring your own wine (BYOW) Tuesday and Sundays during the winter are no corkage fees. So, not too pricy, AND delicious, AND local? JAM CafeListed in: ROTD's
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Review from Leeor J.
8/22/2010
Ok, the only thing that makes me give this place 3 stars instead of 2 are the drinks and the atmosphere.
First the bread with hummus they bring you. I've never had such flavourless hummus in my life! I ordered the confit of muscovy duck. Its basically a duck poutine. Should have been crazy tasty in my estimation. It had almost no flavour. very disappointing. My friend ordered the flat-iron steak with frites. Again, no flavour. Its surprising to me that a restaurant like this with a limited specialty menu and expensive prices would serve such lackluster dishes.
The drinks on the hand were nice. We has some lemoncello martini's that were pretty decent. The other nice thing about the place is the cozy atmosphere.
If I ever went back it would only be for drinks. Might qualify as a decent date option for apps and drinks if it wasn't in such a sketchy neighbourhood. -
Review from Nick M.
Toronto, ON
1/6/2012
Laurel and I loved the service - very attentive without being intrusive. Food was great and well priced. Lovely, cozy semi formal atmosphere.
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Review from Steve N.
Toronto, ON
5/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you have not gone to this cozy restaurant, you are missing out on some fantastis ambience and wonderful food. the wait staff are so friendly and accommodating, then even set up a table to have have drinks waiting for a friend who I was treating to dinner for her birthday. the wonderful selections and daily specials are so appetizing. they even use local produce and meats. please go and treat yourself to a fantastic meal. on sundays, you can even bring your own wine.
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Review from John G.
Toronto, ON
5/22/2010
This place is hard to get to anyway but by car. The food was ok, price was good, service was ok. I would say nothing special. I won't be in a rush to return. There definitely are better places. I had the elk pasta and it was underwhelming. Lots of wine by the glass, but the wine list was printed so small I had trouble reading it.
