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Simple Bistro
Categories: Restaurants French Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch French, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
619 Mt Pleasant RdToronto, ON M4S 2M5
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant and Davisville
(416) 483-8933
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Wed-Fri 11:30 am - 3 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 11 pm
Sat-Sun 11 am - 3 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
11 reviews for Simple Bistro
11 reviews in English
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Review from Tanja B.
Toronto, ON
1/22/2012
Had dinner@ Simple Bistro with friend last week. Mushroom soup was delicious. My main was black cod, with side of lentils and auberge caviar. The flavors were well balanced and the dish was very tasty. The sides were such a nice complement to a perfectly done cod.
My friend had salad as her app and scallops as the main. She was very happy with both, and loved how scallops were seasoned, and also commented on the delicious cauliflower.
This restaurant is neighborhood gem. The service is always friendly and highly attentive. -
Review from Madelaine D.
Toronto, ON
10/31/2011
Living so close to the ever vibrant Yonge Street I too often over look Mount Pleasant's little restaurants. Not this time though, and I'm glad I didn't.
This little french restaurant is cozy, warm and charming with an inviting sign outside enticing you to come in out of the cold.
The restaurant is aptly named with a small concise menu that offers just 7 appetizers and 7 simple main courses. One of each meat really: steak, chicken, lamb, duck, scallops, trout, a vegetarian option.
Each is artistically presented, full of fresh perfectly cooked food and covered in an always delicious sauce. All the main courses cost exactly $25 and the appetizers $11.
My advice, order the lamb!
Typically, I am not a lamb fan but this stuff was melt in your mouth delicious. Everyone at the table agreed it was the best of the meals we ordered (duck, scallops and lamb).
The desserts are equally simple and delicious. Get the sticky toffee pudding. It's sinfully good.
The one complain I had about the restaurant was the lighting. I like my restaurants dimly lit and this one was not. Far from a reason not to go again though. I will return.Listed in: 30-Day-Challenge
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Review from jocelyn l.
5/15/2011
3.5* which i'm happy to bump up to 4* for good service, bottomless coffee and yummy fries
I got the steak frites which was good. the fries were delish (you Torontians really do know how to make good fries).
i also ordered the panna cotta which was yummy.
prices were a little pricey, but not exorbitant
$25 for steak frites and $9 for panna cotta
the restaurant is small and cosy and has a personal, warm ambience -
Review from Richie S.
12/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
On a chilly Saturday, I found my way in here whilst waiting for a Christmas gift to be wrapped at another store.
Host greeted us warmly and let us sit at a table farthest away from the cold. Special of the day were Oysters...awesome; Malpeque-like, but big and meaty. With the house vinaigrette, they were perfect.
I opted for the Onion Soup with duck confit and Benedictin bleu croutons. Not at all the taste I was expecting. It was very light and delicate, but flavourful. My wife had the mushroom crepes. Outstanding. Light and fluffy, but so full of flavour and were just the right amount of filling.
Two lovely wines went nicely with the light lunch - Jean Geiler Pinot Gris (available at the lick-bo) was buttery sweet. The other was a Tawse Chard and much lighter, but a wonder accompaniment.
Small place with great photography for artwork. Kinda pricey for a lunch ($70+), but great nonetheless.Listed in: French Places, French Places, not in France,…
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Review from Kat F.
10/5/2009 1 photo
First impressions are paramount, right? When I arrived I was greeted with the following: "Hey, we're really busy. Either you'll have to put up with slow service as I'm the only person working, or I'll have to turn you away."
?
Talk about a first impression! Now I ask you - if you received such a greeting, would it encourage you to stick around? Would you be more lenient and patient with your server or would it annoy you further? Had he not said anything I probably wouldn't have even noticed or remarked on slow service, as Simple Bistro's version of "slow service" was hardly that at all - in fact, service was totally fine - but now my mind was on it. Otherwise, five stars. Worth the trek to Yonge/Eg for sure - the food was outstanding.
We received a basket of freshly baked bread that was still warm, complete with pats of salt-dusted butter, and the bread was delicious to the extreme. Among the best loaves I've tasted and it was a blessing that they didn't keep bringing it out or I'd be the size of a house today.
I ordered the Florentine Benny ($11 - also available in peameal or smoked salmon) and it was served on top of a fresh croissant. Génial! It was served with crispy frites (pre-seasoned and awesome) and greens. An absolutely perfect little meal with everything cooked to perfection and not too much hollandaise.
They also offered a dessert menu (how French!) but I was too stuffed after my brunch and all that bread to even contemplate dessert. Would definitely return for brunch or dinner. -
Review from MARIANA L.
9/21/2009
Yes, it is a simple sweet bistro. The decor is spare, cozy, spartan.
Brunch was a delight, the croque monsieur was rich, creamy, perfectly toasted. The lightly dressed greens and perfect crispy bistro frites were exactly what I wanted. My mother and husband had the French toast, which also came with frites and greens. The sweet French toast was topped with bacon, they loved it.
Our server was a graceful, handsome gentleman who was sweet and efficient (even though he was the only one on hand for the entire restaurant). We wanted to ask if he was a dancer, but my mother didn't want to look like a cougar... -
Review from Joyees Y.
Scarborough, ON
7/20/2010
Very good food that exceeded my expectations.
The menu sounds pretty typical but the dishes felt very well thought and it paid off. My boyfriend and I had the $30 prixe fixe menu in which I had the smoked organic salmon with tomato, celery. apple, and cucumber salad, Berkshire pork T-bone with sherry maple jus and fingerling potatoes, and the creme caramel for dessert. The boyfriend had potato truffle gnocchi with asparagus and bacon, lobster risotto, and the strawberry crepe for dessert. On top of that I also ordered three oysters (for $8!!!).
As always, the bread basket came first, and was delivered quite swiftly (unfortunately pretty much the only that came swiftly, NOT the fault of the waiters though). It was pretty standard, the bottom was a bit burnt but otherwise it had a nice fluffy and chewy interior and a crisp exterior.
Then came the oysters which I originally wasn't going order due to the price but the waiter was really informative and made it sound very tempting. I think the oysters' origin changes depending on the day. Anyways, it was VERY fresh and not very salty which is good, just absolutely perfect.
Our appetizers came some time later. Few slices of smoked salmon seated on top of julienne apple, celery, and cucumber mixed in a citrus vinaigrette, all supported by a slice of tomato and served with a side of rosemary yogurt dressing. It was perfect for a hot day, the salmon was great (when is smoked salmon not great though?) and the saltiness really balanced with the sweetness of the apples and the tartness of the vinaigrette. The yogurt was nice but not enough of it and since there was such a small amount I'm not sure if it really added to anything.
The potato truffle gnocchi was served with the asparagus, sauteed with bacon. This was definitely a converting gnocchi, it made me love them! The gnocchi itself was so soft and it's like it just fell apart in my mouth like regular potatoes. Also the flavour was really good. I don't really know if they used actual truffles, there were black dots on it but I didn't get a good look and often restaurants just use the cheaper truffle oil (which contains no truffles) but either way I think it contributed to a really nice flavor of the dish. Also the asparagus was cooked really well and bacon is always great. The only complaint is that it was a really small portion, just five gnocchi, FIVE!!
Anyways some more time later the mains came. I asked for my pork to be cooked to a medium and indeed it was a nice pink inside. The meat was seasoned perfectly and tasted great enough on it's own but was really enhanced by the jus. Somehow pork works really well with sweeter flavors. It came with a bed of sauteed onions and red pepper (also sweet) and tasted great together. The roasted fingerling potatoes could have been a bit more crispy on the outside and a bit more soft on the inside but compared to many restaurants, there's were on top, the potatoes were a nice even golden brown color and again seasoned well.
My boyfriend's main had the same problem as his appetizer, it was a bit tiny. There was around 1 cup of cooked risotto, maybe and two sizeable chunks of lobsters. I don't even know why. my dishes was a good amount but his are really small. Also the risotto wasn't creamy enough and I didn't like the herbs they used.
Finally! The desserts. The creme caramel was great, the custard was not too dense and did not overwhelm with the flavor of vanilla, it was subtle and was a good serving platter for the caramel liquid. It came with bananas and I liked stacking the custard on top of the banana and dipping in the caramel.
The strawberry crepe was not as impressive but still good. I think it just could've used more strawberries. Also, it came with a strawberry ice cream but I didn't like the ice cream too much.
The food was a lovely experience in itself but the services really helped as well. The staff was really friendly and they seemed really knowledgeable about the food without seeming pretentious.
So overall, I really like the food, really high quality and the cooks definitely really know how to cook. The only complaints really are the portion size for some of the dishes and the food could have came quicker. -
Review from Hooch M.
Toronto, ON
8/6/2010
Was looking forward to this spot for brunch, but it missed the mark.
They don't serve the French toast anymore. The eggs Benny? Not on a croissant (at least today). The bread was stale, and the milk for the coffee came in a creamer that had chunks of sour milk clinging to its insides. Benny was only OK. Croque Monsieur was better. Service only ok, and a bit nonchalant. Try rebel house at yonge and summerhill. -
Review from M W.
Markham, ON
We had the Omakase, newly added pre fix, in short; simple, elegant and delicious! The service was excellent with a great recommendation on wines to be paired with my meal. The grouper served tonight was just a bit on the salty side for my taste, but was overall excellent. The main course consisted of venison was amazing, no gamey taste, with full on meat flavors! To finish the evening, a warm brownie topped with a scoop of pistachio ice cream. Wonderful!
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Review from murdles i.
Scarborough, ON
1/11/2011
Exceeded my expectations. Friendly staff. Simple menu (didn't have to read a book). I had Steak Frites and Oysters and they were really good! My steak was cooked perfectly to my liking. I will definitely be back.
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Review from Lisa W.
Toronto, ON
9/17/2011
Just had brunch and it was fabulous. The thin crepe with scrambled eggs and smked salmon - so delicate and tasty with the best fries. Not noisy, great, friendly service, yummy coffee. I LOVE this place.
