Had a lovely evening here! Ordered the $35 prix fixe dinner that included curried mussels (good portion, fresh and tasty, bread wasn't great), steak including mashed potatos and vegetables, and creme brulee (really creamy and delicious). Also ordered a pizza with olives, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, and a good amount of arugula. The crust was thin without being floppy, the toppings were quite salty, good if you like salty olives. Atmosphere felt both intimate and casual. Our server was excellent. The food and atmosphere are both a casual and accessible interpretation of French and Italian food. read more

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It took them forever for the staff to come and get us the menu. Then it took them forever to take our orders and serve us any food we ordered. They are totally understaffed. I dont think I could come back here. Food wise was more like home food you can make at home. read more

A Baldwin street standard for decades, Cafe La Gaffe is a great place to people watch on the arty thoroughfare. I hadn't been there in, um, decades, so I was pleasantly surprised that new(?) management had kept the vibe consistent and offers a nice brunch. We sat on the patio and felt very much a part of the Queen west and art gallery milieux that so permeates the neighbourhood. Brunch was good. Eggs done to taste and fresh salad with a subtle vinaigrette apt for the morning hour. Coffee was basic but good. A lovely spot for a sunny afternoon. Dawn your beret, head over to Baldwin, and take it all in. read more

My friends and I definitely wouldn't come here again, despite the very kind service. The waiters were new and apologetic enough, but it took us over 1.5+ hours sitting down before we even got our appetizers. While the food was good, it was nothing special enough to warrant such a long wait time. The people eating beside us had finished their main courses before the appetizers even arrived, as their orders had been forgotten about. Seems highly disorganized in a very old and outdated atmosphere, even during the busy Summerlicious season. read more

Café La Gaffe - Pesto and smoke salmon salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Wanting to try something new during Winterlicious, we chose this restaurant for its affordability and the variety of homey French cuisine options. It was the first day of Winterlicious and we made reservations online two hours prior. When we arrived, the restaurant was full. The restaurant is filled with contemporary art and is very colourful with Mexican table cloths. We were quickly seated and when we ordered the food came out very quickly. Together, we ordered the PEI mussels, escargot in curry sauce, deluxe seafood linguine, coq au vin, chocolate cake and creme brulee. The meal was wonderful and the portions were generous but not excessive. We were able to enjoy just the right amount of food per dish and by the time we were done, the next course was ready for us. Overall, it's a homey-french meal that you're getting. read more

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With summerlicious coming back soon I'm revisiting pictures I took from the last round I went to! Cafe La Gaffe had a lunch menu at the lower price point, the food was not bad but you can tell they kept things very basic and most portions pretty small (look at that thinnnnn slice of cheesecake.) The duck leg and mussel dish was decent though if you're looking to save money! read more

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I have always loved this place. But the new ownership offers fantastic plates. I had the chicken salad. The dressing was perfect. The size was ample. My mother had the Mediterranean Pizza. It was very tasty. Thank you. read more

This is my review on Cafe La Barf....I mean La Gaffe. Perhaps it was a mistakes to invite my family for a meal together on the first day of Summerlicious 2016. The restaurant was packed. It was oppressively humid at our dining area. Everyone at the table was extremely disappointed at our meal. We were very hopeful at the beginning of our meal, especially after the delicious beef carpaccio with shaved cheese and capers; however, the meal took a sharp turn after the appetizer. The original grilled filet of yellow fin tuna entree was swapped with tilapia. It was a disaster. The Tilapia with mango, red peppers, lime & cilantro mojo, served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes & seasonal vegetables was luke warm. The fish was cold with many bones. The dish sounded great on paper, it was, however, a lackluster execution. My family also did not enjoy their entrees - marinated grilled chicken breast with an orange, honey & dijon glaze, served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes & seasonal vegetables and fettuccine with tiger shrimp, leeks, roasted red pepper & baby spinach in an herbed white wine tomato broth. The dishes were dried, overcooked and uninspiring. To add insult onto injury, dessert was the worst part of the meal. The poached pear was replaced with peach with vanilla ice cream & chocolate sauce. The peach tasted like canned peaches. The creme brulee lacked the contrasting layer of hard caramel. The cheesecake tasted like it was from a box. Goodbye Café La Gaffe! Will we ever meet again? "Eek! Methinks not." - Yelp read more

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One of my Baldwin Village favourites! It's a well-established and well-loved spot. ATMOSPHERE: Very warm and inviting. It has a cosy atmosphere, almost like a homey french cafe. There's lots of paintings on the wall and the wall themselves are in lovely earthy tones. It's quite a large restaurant with a dining room and an enclosed patio at the back of the restaurant. This is a great place for business lunches, dates, or casual meet-ups. SERVICE: Good. Pretty standard. Servers are polite and not disruptive during the meal. PRICE: Very affordable. And due to large portion sizes, I think it is worth every penny, and easily beats out any competition on the street. FOOD: They have a VERY extensive menu. Even their Daily Specials menu is a full page long with many, many options. So anyone can find something right for them. I haven't tried anything I did not enjoy. Ranging from soup to salad; pastas to grilled chicken; fish to sandwiches - nothing leaves you wanting. I have a soft spot for pasta - so that's my usual. It comes with a large helping of pasta, plus a side salad. Their portions are also quite generous. So bring an empty stomach - or be prepared to pack away half of your entree to save for another meal! Their brunch and breakfasts are also delectable! So if you're in the area on the weekend, it's a great spot for a hearty brunch. I highly recommend it: Yes, 5 stars! read more

Adorable decor, friendly staff Great for large groups. No line on a Sunday! Serves brunch until 4pm Banana French toast was awesome, would recommend an option of whip cream on the side. Croquet Madame had perfect poached eggs, the bread was a little rough to chew. Had a great time! read more

Café La Gaffe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

As soon as you walk in, it smells like someone cleaned all the tables with a mouldy rag. It smells sour and was very off-putting. It was the least popular/busy restaurant on Baldwin which says something. I got the onion soup which was really gross and had a slice of processed cheese on top and tasted like Lipton onion soup and the bizarre smell in the restaurant was so overwhelming that I wont be back. Also the tables are extremely crowded and cramped together but again that wasn't an issue because i was literally the only person there for lunch on what should be a busy day! This was a miss. read more

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One of my favorite neighborhoods in the city, Baldwin Village. In this tucked away bloc surrounded by houses along this stretch of road is Cafe La Gaffe. A French inspired place with some cute, urban decor that's serving some classic Francais dishes! Competing with other French restaurants such as a Bodega Starter was escargot with a butter herbed sauce served with crostinis. Beautifully presented and definitely my favorite. Mains: Duck confit with an orange glaze served with potatoes and vegetables. Succulent and full of flavors! Dessert was a Belgian chocolate cake was okay didn't WOW me, but overall a great meal. read more

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Food (2/5) The food was sub par. I started with the red lentil soup which was probably the best part but nothing spectacular. For my main I had the seafood pasta which was something I could have made better myself. The noodles were from a packet, the scallops were tiny (about the size of my fingernail) and there were literally only 2 shrimp and they tasted like they had been in the freezer for too long. The creme brule was okay but it was cold. Service/Atmosphere (1/5) We booked this place for an office Winterlicous lunch (aprox 15 people) and since we didn't have alot of time, we had asked if we could preorder so the food would be prepared but Victor assured us that everything would be quick. This was not the case. The food came out slowly, and often times one group would be done their course before another group had even started. Water was not refilled and no one came to check on how we were doing. We were at on the patio which had been closed up for the winter but it was raining and a few people were constantly getting dripped on. They also did the "bait and switch", something I had heard of before for winterlicous/summerlicous but never experience. Upon arrival, the entire winterlicous menu had changed from what was posted. On the original menu they advertised things like tiger shrimp in the rissotto or salmon fillet, but when we arrived we were offered pink shrimp or tilapia. To top it all off, we were charged 20% auto-gratuity ontop of tax which we were all unhappy about. read more

Café La Gaffe - Cold creme brûlée - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Nice place to go for weekend brunch. They have a good variety of choices for different tastes and cravings and I've always enjoyed my meals there. This time we had eggs benny with smoked salmon and farmers sausage breakfast. Both meals come with a good portion of salad with a nice light vinaigrette dressing (perfect for brunch not too heavy). Also well done Home fries with peppers onions and a slight kick. And some fruit slices to finish. The smoked salmon was not the usual slices but what looked like shredded and maybe fried? bits of salmon. Threw me off at first as I didn't expect that but taste and texture were good. Eggs were poached perfectly and the hollandaise was nicely done. Sausages in other dish were nice, three big links and a sweet/salty taste. Coffee (Americano) was very good but a bit small. The kind of cup you get at hotel banquets and luncheons if you know what I mean. After many Grande Americanos this cup felt like I was getting coffee in a shot glass. Service was good but resto wasn't super busy even for a Sunday afternoon. Decor is charmingly rustic (we sat on the back patio where you can get some breeze sun, shade and occasional leaves and other green bits falling from overhead trees. Note that the patio is not perfect -- chairs are old and worn, table cloths have had better days, the floor is uneven near the tree (um yes there is an actual tree) which makes the table rock ALOT. Despite those things the patio is actually very nice (and way better than most Toronto patios where you get a side order of car exhaust with every meal) if you want to eat al fresco but they have tables inside too if you prefer. We were there in summer but from what I recall they have heaters for cooler weather. If you are ok with a few imperfections the food is good the portions are big and the prices are reasonable. read more

Café La Gaffe - Eggs benny with smoked salmon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Came here for summerlicious, other than the fact that there was no AC which made it less enjoyable, the food was amazing. They had so many different items to choose from so I had trouble choosing; they all looked so good. The curry cream escargot was amazing which the server mentioned they were trying a new recipe since they usually serve it with garlic. The server also mentioned that typically people really enjoy the seafood risotto so we got that and it excellent; came with decent amount of mussels. The chocolate cake I got for dessert was also very velvety. Portions were a decent size. read more

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My friends and I came here for Summerlicious. Considering it was a Summerlicious menu, it had an good variety, and even had excellent choices for my pescatarian/vegetarian friend. We were all very pleased with our food; everything was delicious. The sauce for the curry cream escargots was so good, soaking it up with bread was awesome. My lamb shank was tender, and fell off the bone, which was exactly the way I like it. My friend was extremely happy with his mushroom risotto, and we all thought it was one of the best risottos we've had; not a lot of places can get it done right! My boyfriend really loved the sauce that came with his duck confit, and he enjoyed his dish very much, too. Although our desserts (gâteau créole, crème brûlée, sorbet) weren't anything special, it did not detract from our experience. Something to consider is that the restaurant does not have A/C at all, and they only have weak fans. We were lucky that it was evening, and there were seats in the patio, where it was a little cooler, once the sun went down. If we had stayed indoors at the restaurant, we probably would've sweated profusely, the entire time. Would come back for the food, though. read more

Café La Gaffe - Summerlicious dinner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This is my absolute favorite cafe in Toronto. The food is absolutely amazing - everything we tasted melted in other mouths. Absolutely the best Linguine with seafood we had in years. Servers are also great and always efficient, happy and polite. Can't wait to return and wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for somewhere to eat in. read more

Summerlicious Lunch 2016 - $18 The first thing that drew me to selecting this restaurant was the Summerlicious menu according to http://www.toronto.com/guides/summerlicious/articles/cafe-la-gaffe-summerlicious-menu/ and still showing incorrectly on their own website http://www.cafelagaffe.com/menus/summerlicious-lunch/ I've corrected the menu below to reflect the changes (to what I can remember) so that other customers won't be disappointed when they arrive. The restaurant's interior was cozy, but the furnitures seemed worn out and the chair seats outside the patio were ripped. Maybe it was to create a bazaar atmosphere? Who knows? Liked the table cloths though. It was their "Yellow Fin Tuna." in the Summerlicious menu that brought me here in the first place. However, much to our disappointment we found out it was changed to "Tilapia." (a detritus/bottom feeder) instead. When we asked the waiter whether there was some sort of mistake, he just said there has been a "slight change." Being pescetarian and having knowledge of the prices at fish markets, that is around ~$8 to $15 depending on the weight. Basically from a high-quality fish to a waste-eating fish is NOT a "slight change" at all. But since changes were subject to the restaurant's discretion, we stayed as it would seem rude, so we gave it a chance... Let's talk about the food. The ginger and carrot soup was delicious and possibly the tastiest thing on the lunch menu. Now, it was a good thing that we were able to change the Chicken risotto back to the Seafood risotto on an ex-gratia basis. The sauce was tasty, but the risotto was overcooked and was super mushy instead of having an al dente texture. The black tiger shrimps were also overcooked-- we only received 2 pieces; that's what you get for asking for a substitution. Also, it was not even black tiger shrimp. Didn't taste the pork chop, but my friend told me only the sauce was good; the chop was pretty bland. Being optimistic, thought dessert would redeem the bad experience? Nope! The sugar on the crème brûlée was not completely caramelized properly, nor did the canned peach & icecream spark any joy. Really wanted to like this place, but the Tuna to Tilapia was just inexcusable. The only done right was the service; the waiter was attentive and nice. Guess you get what you pay for. Don't think we will return again. Hoping they would update their menu though. read more

Café La Gaffe - Summerlicious 2016 Lunch menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

For the longest time, I thought this place was called Cafe La Cafe, because of the cursive on their sign, coupled with my mild illiteracy. I was wrong. In uni I worked at the other french restaurant on this strip, Bodega. I am going to say, I prefer Bodega's food (and that's saying something great, because I ate it daily for a long, long time and never got sick of it!), but Cafe La Gaffe is pretty great, too. Decked out like a true Parisian bistro, Gaffe is oh-so cute. I've loved on their brunch omelettes served with a really well-dressed side salad, and most recently I enjoyed their soup du jour (split pea on a rainy day? you know it!) and their warm brie salad. I wasn't wild about the salad, but I didn't carefully read the description before ordering, so I won't bore you with that. The food is usually superb. Bon appetit! read more

Café La Gaffe - Brie salad and chèvre sandwich. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I had much higher expectations for Cafe La Gaffe for my lunch meal. But I guess according to other posts, they excel in brunch so I'll have to come here again. Coming in the last bit of the lunch rush, the restaurant was quite empty, but it gives you a chance to see the full restaurant. It's actually quite adorable, a little place that looks slightly bigger than you expect it to be looking from the outside. I ordered the special chicken and veggies, and my friend ordered an omelet with mushrooms and tomatoes with a side salad. The chicken and veggies were.. Kind of normal? It was something you would get at a dining hall. The omelet on the other hand was actually really, REALLY good. Totally should of came for brunch. The side salad was a bit plain, just lettuce and sauce. But that omelet. I also ordered a caeser. i recommend listening to everyone else and getting wine. It is a French restaurant so who am I to order a Canadian drink? 3 stars for the food (would of been 2 without the omelet), but our server makes it 4 stars. She was attentive, always making sure our glasses are full, and started up a friendly conversation too. I will definitely come again for brunch and I'll stick to wine next time. read more

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Very disappointing experience tonight. My parents made Winterlicious reservations on Jan 10. Whey they called on Jan 27 to confirm, the manager had no record of it and said he might be able to fit us in if they had a cancellation. No apology for losing our reservation. They called back saying they'd had a cancellation and could accommodate us, but when we got there, they had given our table away yet again. We were seated in a corner by the kitchen, right by a cold draft from the back door. When asked about our lost reservation, the manager made a weak excuse about having fewer seats available due to not being able to use the patio. Who the hell uses a patio in January? Pro-tip: When you make a mistake, don't make excuses. Apologize and make it right. We got a measly $10 off our bottle of wine, which the manager seemed to think was a grand gesture. I will not be eating there again. read more

tl;dr: This is a dope place. Café La Gaffe is the Batman who saves Gotham (aka Toronto and its string of crappy brunch places). The events that lead to the discovery and my subsequent falling love with Café La Gaffe are analogous to the famous Greek epic of homecoming story "The Odyssey". "The Odyssey" tells the epic story of Odysseus, who after fighting in the battle of Troy, must make his way back to Ithaca, where he is the king and ruler. Odysseus' journey is difficult and laden with obstacles. Meanwhile, his wife, Penelope patiently waits. After a while, people begin to think that Odysseus has died, and suitors start lining up, hoping to win over Penelope's heart and (more importantly) the seat to Ithaca's throne and unlimited access to Odysseus' money. But Penelope KNOWS her husband is still out there and rejects all the suitors. Odysseus' trek home becomes a ten-year voyage filled with hardships and death, but he FINALLY makes it. Penelope realizes her hubby is back, big O slays all them fuckboi suitors, and they live happily ever after. In this metaphor, I am Penelope, Café La Gaffe is Odysseus, and all the crappy brunch Toronto places (trust me, I've been to a TON) are the suitors. It's a Greek epic filled with hardships that lasts ten years (or in my case, two years). It took me a long time to find a GOOD brunch place but, like Penelope, I never lost hope because at the back of my mind, I knew that my Odysseus was out there. Anyway, I came here for brunch and I'm convinced that Café La Gaffe doesn't hire chefs - they hire artists. I don't really think about death and I'm not sure what happens when you die, but I've got a strong hunch that Leonardo Da Vinci's soul has reincarnated into the body of whoever is responsible for baking Café La Gaffe's breakfast potatoes. Because those potatoes aren't just regular potatoes, they're oily soft delicious piece(s) of art that deserve a whole wing in the Louvres museum. Also, adding caramelized onions AND caramelized red bell peppers to the potatoes? Iconic, innovative, groundbreaking. Give the potato maker their Nobel prize. And don't even get me started on the salad. Who was in charge of coming up with that perfect blend greens and sweet-but-not-too-sweet dressing? Was it someone with a chemistry PhD, or a wizard with top-notch potions skills? And you know what else is great? The aesthetic. Eating perfect eggs benedict and sipping on my cute café au lait while Feist croons about the love of her life in the background? Magical, surreal, out-of-this-world. Lately, I feel that a lot of places will put all their energy in the overall vibe, at the expense of the quality of the food. Luckily, Café La Gaffe goes hard on everything, and every aspect ends up being top-notch. Look, this was a long list of accolades with an even longer backstory, but I feel like it was necessary to fully encapsulate the big picture. I've spent way too long in the dark over Toronto brunch, settling for below-average places. No more. read more

My friend and I popped in for a late lunch here the other day. The service was great and the place has a good atmosphere, but we were both not very impressed by the risotto we ordered. I think it's more appropiate to call it "rice with vegetables" than anything else, if I'm honest! The rice was overdone and together with the overload of pesto and cream, it had a very mushy texture. The flavour of the pesto cream sauce furthermore was overwhelmingly strong. The vegetables were cut very crudely, were badly paired (particularly the chunks of leek and pepper seemed out of place) and would have been much better off being fried or grilled separately. As for the calamari risotto, the grilled calamari would have benefited from a more flavourful marinade and smaller bite sizes. The massive chunk it came in would have more been appropiate if served as a stand-alone dish. The beetroot risotto sounded very promising, but the beetroot was overcooked, should have been made into smaller chunks and would have been much better if grilled. For a dish that usually stands out for its simplicity, this risotto really seemed to compensate for its shortcomings with an overload of ingredients. I really expected better from a restaurant that specialises in Mediterranean cuisine. read more

Came here for lunch to try this spot out as I always see it busy. Super cute decor and the back patio was really nice however DO NOT SIT on the patio chairs after a rainy day. My butt was damp for the rest of the afternoon - not the greatest feeling in the world. I decided to go with their prix fixe menu; food was mediocre (not sure if it was because of the dish I ordered). I picked the pork tenderloin and Creme Brulee. The main dish was quite dry and bland, however, the apricot sauce helped a little. It also came with veggies and mash potatoes. The dessert was okay, nothing special. The portion size was pretty generous for the price. Service was okay; food took a lot longer than expected even though it was pretty empty when we went. Maybe I'll have a better experience next time however not going back anytime soon. read more

I really enjoy Baldwin Village. It reminds me a bit of my childhood as I had several friends and family actually live there. Some of those houses are now trendy shops and restaurants, but I can remember a time actually being in them when people lived there. Yes I'm THAT old. But there's always character and charm in a street that seems to have a bit of history, narrow, tree lined and packed. It reminds me a bit of St. Marks in New York, although less busy. Cafe La Gaffe is fittingly one of those charming places. We came for the Summerlicious lunch, to which I've basically stopped going places with a summerlicious prix fixe (another discussion for another time). This time around, the service was toot quick. Beef Carpaccio, Grilled Salmon, and a Creme Brulee to boot were all decent, but nothing spectacularly memorable. My only complaint was that the Brulee was obviously rushed. The other bit of disappointment was my friend's scallop pasta only had one lonely little scallop in it. So, even though it was probably a three star experience, the place manages to charm me into giving it one added star. read more

Four of us went to Café La Gaffe. Originally we were there for its risotto. It turned out that Café La Gaffe only serves brunch during weekend. We ordered the standard brunch on the menu - something that you would expect from anywhere else in Toronto. It actually tastes very good!!! (and great portion). It is above the level and I personally think that it is even better than Insomnia and Aunties & Uncles. read more

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Came today for Winterlicious lunch with my research team and was so pleasantly surprised by the Winterlicious menu (many options) and unique, homey atmosphere! The ambiance is very cozy (cute tablecloth!) and intimate and so take advantage of the indoor patio out back! It was a bit cold though sitting there today, but it is supposed to be heated. Advice: make a reservation if you're coming as a large group because it's popular here and seats do fill up. Food 3.5/5. Well presented, generously portioned (even for Winterlicious) comfort foods. Think French cuisine, but Italian portion sizes. Aw yes. I ordered the vegetarian pumpkin soup to start, the vegetarian (not vegan- it has cheese and probably butter) risotto as my main, and chocolate cake to finish. The soup was 3/5 - it was warm and adequately viscous (I hate watery soups), but was very bland. I almost reached for the salt shaker, but instead just stuck with adding some pepper because trying to watch my sodium intake lately. The risotto was also bland, but quite an indulgence 3.5/5. Not the best risotto I've ever had as it was also quite bland, and even though it was sticky as it should it wasn't exactly creamy if that makes sense. I wonder if they used olive oil instead of butter. The portion size was large, some of us couldn't finish. The chocolate cake was dense and contained bananas and nuts 3/5. It was between a brownie and a banana bread, interesting but perhaps too dry and bread-like for folks who might enjoy more moisture. All the food were nicely presented and I appreciate how the Winterlicious menu actually had way more than just 3 entree options! Lost one star for a lack of vegan options. Basically don't come here if you are strictly vegan :( Will be back for the atmosphere and to try the seafood pasta next time! read more

Came here for winterlicious dinner. Was a set menu for 28$. Apps salad 4/5 - very refreshing dressing, just the right amount and a kick to it, walnuts added a great texture Escargot 5/5 -definitely one of the better escargot had, very good texture and flavor highly recommend Main Duck 3/5 - mediocre. Cooked well and very tender but the sauce was a bit sweet for me personally Lamb 3/5 - cooked very well and comes right off the bone, the marrow was very good, but personally the meat was not seasoned strong enough and was a bit bland. Dessert Gateau creole 3.5/5 mediocre chocolate cake, moist with a subtle hint of rum, but nothing spectacular, can probably find at grocery stores Creme brulee 3/5 - very good flavors, only complaint is it was a bit cold Drink House red 2/5 do not recommend even though very cheap,it was almost lukewarm and did not even taste fresh. was a cabernet merlot blend but did not have the flavors at all, not impressed for a french restaurant. Service 5/5 very friendly staff, very quick to prepare and serve the food, no complaints Overall 3.5 nice and small french restaurant on Baldwin, good experience but nothing amazing enough to try again for repeat visits. But recommend for those who havnt and looking for an affordable, tasty french cuisine,especially their winterlicious set menu if they offer again, just for the value, $28 for 3 courses. read more

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I've been here for both dinner and brunch and would recommend both. The atmosphere is cozy, service is good, food was tasty. I had the florentine benedict at brunch. Funny thing happened. The sugar container was full of salt so that first mouthful of coffee was pretty awful. We thought we were being punked. Told our waiter, who understandably freaked a little, then they ran around removing all of the sugar containers from the tables to be checked. No big deal, but it did make us laugh. read more

I visited this restaurant with my girlfriend mid week to celebrate her birthday. After a days excursion to the AGO, we found that Café La Gaffe was relatively close and has received rather good reviews. That bring said, it would be a great way to close off an evening. I much like the atmosphere in this restaurant. It's small and cozy, and the staff was very friendly. I didn't feel any pretentiousness in the air as I had for some reason expected. The food was delicious, but still somewhat disappointing. Particularly, the salad included with the meal was limp and boring, looking as though it had just come out of a pre mixed bag from the grocery store. I know, it's just salad, but sometimes it's the little things that count. Just after we were seated, I privately asked our server to bring a slice of chocolate cake as desert at the end of the meal, just as a small "surprise" for my girlfriend's birthday. After we had finished our mains, we waited about fifteen minutes - during which time I thought the desert was being prepared - until our server came to the table with our bill. Somewhat disappointing to say the least. All in all, a decent place to eat, and delicious food, but a little overpriced in my opinion. read more

Café La Gaffe - Beef pasta with mushrooms and rosé sauce. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I wrote a review prior to this and it was deleted. I assume they didn't like what I had to say and reported it. However here I am again :) My first experience was so horrible with service I actually wrote to the manager. He did reply the first time and 'apologized' offering me to come back and he would mail me a voucher. When I replied my email was blocked. Quite comical. The second time I gave La Gaffe a shot was during Winterlicious. My dad and I were the only ones in the restaurant at the time and then a big group came in. We were wrapping up and I had asked for the bill. Instead of grabbing our bill and take care of us, our server continued to ignore us and served the table of 14 people. Let's just saw I was not impressed. On a side note to represent my coworkers, a group of them had gone for a lunch date. We work in one of the hospitals on University row. When they came back from lunch (the majority of them ordered a mixed tuna salad), one by one they were dropping like flies going home sick. There are many other restaurants on the Baldwin street that take pride in their quality of food and service. Sadly I gave this place too many chances. read more

Visited Cafe La Gaffe for Winterlicious with a group of 6 friends as it was nearby. The Winterlicious menu was pretty varied and had many different meat options. I had ordered the smoked salmon salad, seafood pasta option and creme brulee. No dish was particularly bad - or good, nothing had really stood out or was particularly unique; although the salmon portion of the salad in particularly was very underwhelming. It was all very okay and slightly disappointing. It's a quaint restaurant with home-y decor, the service was pretty good as the server was attentive to filling our glasses with water when we ran low. The lunch price for Winterlicious was $28 which I felt was a bit high for what was a very generic meal. If you're in the area, it could be an option if none of the other numerous restaurants on Baldwin St. offer what you're after. However, it definitely would not be my first choice - maybe the regular menu is better? read more

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We came by around 4pm so the full menu was not available. We tried two of the veggie pizzas and they were great (with the exception of the ingredients falling off which was annoying). We ordered bruschetta which came out much smaller than I expected and the pizzas were more pricey than I would have liked. Not accessible for wheelchairs or strollers. This place is popular and I can see why but I find it too pricey to make it worth going back with all the other options in the area. read more

Oh wow, I'm very disappointed. I actually just came back from France four days ago and this restaurant is really not like a French restaurant. Not just the decor, but the menu too. On Yelp it says French, on Google it says Mediterranean. This restaurant is actually French AND Mediterranean. My experiences with restaurants on Baldwin are usually good, but this wasn't that great. (I probably should have checked out Bodega instead.) I came here for brunch on a Sunday around 11:50. There were barley any patrons at the time and there were TWO waitresses working. One of the waitresses was talking so loudly to the other waitress that I heard every bit of her personal life. Something about dating a guy younger than her??? Maybe keep it down a bit? (This was all in the span of me ordering a drink and getting my drink). I got the Eggs Benedict Florentine. The portions was pretty good. You get salad, fruit, and home fries, but the taste was not that good. Both of my friend's poached eggs were overcooked and so was one of mine. Nothing worse than cutting into a poached egg and not have the yolk run all over the place! I didn't think the muffins were that fresh - they were incredibly hard to cut into and eat. I didn't think my potatoes were cooked through either. They were very hard. My friend's home fries, for some reasons, were really spicy even though we both got Egg Benedicts. Overall, I thought the dish was poorly executed. I think the Non-Loud waitress was new or something. She poured us water and a good splash of it onto my friend's plate! WHAT. It's okay, she made one small mistake, but good thing we were done with our food at the time. I mean, he didn't notice, but yeah.... At one time, I also heard the Loud Waitress control and tell the Spilled Water Waitress what to do and not do. I dislike seeing this kind of behavior in a restaurant and in front of patrons because it just reminds me of Kitchen Nightmare. I don't think I would recommend this restaurant. There are so many better places to go to where the food tastes good and the waitresses aren't talking about their personal dating life. (I only save the terrible service and food for a 1-star rating). THEY ALSO ADD THE TIP ON TOP OF YOUR BILL. It was 18% I think. Wow. TLDR; Just weird, the place was strange. The decor was strange, the waitresses were kind of unprofessional, and the food wasn't anything great. At least the portions are big. read more

My boyfriend and I came here for the 3-course prix fixe dinner menu. The menu choices seemed pretty good, and the price of $35 didn't sound bad at all. The front patio was a little bit filled up when we arrived (around 8 pm), so we sat at the back patio, which had cute decor and lighting. We ordered bruchetta and grilled calamari for appetizer and both came with small amount of salad as well. I don't like fried calamari that much, so this grilled option was really great for me. The calamari seasoning was good and the portion was very generous. We got seafood risotto and salmon (with potato and veggies) for our main. Again, the portion was pretty generous, and the staff were nice enough to substitute the side option for my boyfriend as well. We ended up not being able to finish and took the rest home. For dessert, we both got lemon cheesecake with raspberry coulis. I am generally a fan of cheesecakes, so I enjoyed it. Raspberry coulis definitely made the cheesecake better. Overall, I would recommend this place. Perhaps I could agree with other reviewers that their food in generally tasted a little "bland", but I am definitely okay with that. read more

Our time at La Gaffe will always be remembered as our most spontaneous, pleasant, and romantic eating experience in Toronto. We had just finished touring the nearby Ontario Legislative Building during Doors Open, and were looking for a late-morning bite. By simply "walking around" we eventually landed on Baldwin Street, where we found this little French gem. At first we wanted to sit outside, but since the front terrace had no open tables, we were seated by the main entrance, off to the left of the bar. This spot seemed to give us more privacy plus a nice window view of the terrace, which actually made the experience more intimate. Our server was friendly and very generous. Upon his recommendation, we started with a carafe of chilled Trius (local riesling) while sharing a tasty bowl of Mussels Marius. My entree, the Omelette du Jour, was something I'd never tried before: eggs packed with chopped salmon, diced onions and peppers, and emmentaler cheese. It was served over a bed of seasoned baked potatoes, alonside a fresh house salad, sliced melons and kiwi. My wife had the Eggs Benedict, which came with the same sides. For as many varieties of egg dishes we've had since, we have yet to find many as good as these. Everything was pure bliss, especially my omelette. Very happy with the bill too. An overall great and unforgettable morning in a vibrant and diverse city. Looking forward to the day we can return. read more

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I also had higher expectations of Café La Gaffe. I've been here twice for lunch (with coworkers in 2013/2014 ) and once for brunch (today). Service: - we arrived on Mother's Day (Sunday) around 11 AM & it was not busy so we got seated right away - they were understanding when we moved from the front patio to indoor before our food was served and let us have our pick of tables - came to offer a coffee refill - accommodating of providing a side plate for ease of sharing dishes upon request Ambience: - simple, quaint - does not feel Parisian - pretty view from Windows of tree lined quiet street (Baldwin) - for brunch it's nice when the sun streams in through the windows - relaxing vibe if not too full; staff are not overly intrusive - main floor female washroom has very dim lighting which is less than ideal for make up touch ups Food: - banana pancakes (3 slices cut in half) with a berry compote and a slice of honeydew melon; cantaloupe; pineapple. With maple syrup on the side (no idea if it was Canadian syrup etc) - friend has the avocado stuffed omelette with home fries and salad - both dishes were good and nice to share a sweet & savory I would recommend to a friend if they were in the neighborhood but not if they were coming downtown from suburbs. I would go again if someone else chose it/ planned it but if the choice was left to me I would pick somewhere new to try. As for when I came with coworkers in the past, lunch menu was good and for $20 you got an appetizer, main and a dessert. But service can be slow for large groups so order fast if you're on a time constraint. Can accommodate up to 10-12 people at one table. Food was again decent but nothing spectacular from what I recall but was walking distance from work so a good spot. read more

Café La Gaffe - Cappuccino in May 2016 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Delicious food.... super tasty... let the pictures speak for themselves. I was scared that the mussels will be spicy, but no... i dont eat spice and they were reaaaaallly good. Great service. read more

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I've been here numerous times as I used to go to UT for undergrad and worked at UHN but unfortunately my experience as been getting worse and worse. I had the duck pizza last and everything was just too dry and blande. The prices have also been going up. It's too bad as I used to like coming here for casual dates, but I won't be returning any time soon. read more

Café La Gaffe - Duck pizza - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Very good French cafe on cute Baldwin street. They have brunch all day on weekends. Good food, fair prices and great location. Cute atmosphere to boot. I had the grilled chicken sandwich that comes with a side salad, and my husband had the fish sandwich. Both tasty! read more