We were very impressed by the Maple Leaf Tavern. I've gone twice for dinner, with two different groups of people, and everyone thought the place was great both times. Service is friendly, prompt and helpful. Both times we had excellent service, both at the bar and later at the table. The food is excellent. In particular, the tomahawk pork chop, the lasagna, the fish, and the mutton chops were very well received by our group, as well as the sides, the Caesar salad (the smoked bacon on the salad is beautiful) and the burrata. One of my friends had the ribeye steak and said that it was delicious, but not outstanding. I'm quite conscious of value for money, and did not find the prices expensive for what we got. Yes, the tomahawk pork chop is $48, but they recommend it for two people. And it is truly a wonderful entree. As far as I am concerned, the prices are fair given the quality of the service, the food and the surroundings. As far as I am concerned, the only major failing is that there is no vegetarian entree on the dinner menu. read more

Maple Leaf Tavern has become a local favourite. The venue is nice and spacious, well decorated, there is an outdoor patio in the summer, booths, tables, private dining rooms and a nice bar - something for everyone. Tremendous breakfast, lunches and dinner - the food and drinks are consistently great - have never had a single thing to complain about. Quite enjoy their spicy pickles! I was uncertain if I should give 5 stars but I really cannot find fault in anything about this well oiled operation. The staff are all knowledgeable and they clearly have top talent in the kitchen. Will continue to visit this establishment and would highly recommend it to others. I have heard others complain about the prices but I think they are entirely fair for the standard of fare and the venue. read more

Big fan. Been several times for dinner, brunch and with groups as well as just myself and my husband. Food is always excellent, great service and great drinks. Very classic / classy. Can't go wrong! read more

Went for Mothers day dinner with my girl and daughter. The host was very accommodating especially since we had a stroller. Really nice looking restaurant with a great vibe. Very welcoming. Food was excellent. Had the seasonal soup and the sausages for a starter both excellent. Sausages tasted fresh and hand made with great flavour. Finished off with the tomahawk pork, the cauliflower side and hassleback potato. Pork was awesome, juicy and really tasty and with the rosemary apple sauce. Sides were even better! the cauliflower was the winner with the potaoes coming close second. Service was really good our table was touched only when needed and everything came out in the perfect time. Recommendations were spot on. Definitely will be back to try the rest of the menu. read more

I was excited to try Maple Leaf Tavern as it seems to be a popular staple of the east side of Toronto. When you walk in, you're greeted with a friendly hosted, a beautiful bar and interior, and a quaint patio. Judging a book by its cover, I expected this to be a great meal. Unfortunately, what we experienced was disappointing customer service coupled with below average plates. My table ordered the burger, the cod, and the lasagna. The lasagna was very good, however both of the other dishes were very undercooked. The cod was so undercooked that part of it was fully raw. Our waiter avoided our table, so we told another server that two of the dishes were undercooked. They said they would tell our waiter. Our waiter never followed up, as he would sprint past our table, Another waitress even had to take care of our bill. When she asked about our meal, I explained again the issues. She said she had her our waiter (who never checked with us) discussing this in the kitchen. So to be clear, he knew there were issues and unhappy customers, yet he didn't even check in with us. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

Great food and services with nice wine selection. We had a course menu, and I had lamb croquette for appetizer, strip loin for main, and rice pudding for dessert. Strip loin tasted amazing and went well with red wine. Croquette was good, but was purely made up of meat and was bit dry; it would have been better if it had more vegetables. Rice pudding was another surprise, as it came deep fried. Although it did taste good, I would prefer more refreshing dessert. For wine, we had a Cabernet Franc from Niagara. It was an interesting full-body wine that has mix of sweetness, smokiness, and spiciness that gives complex flavour. The staff were attentive and overall the restaurant had a nice atmosphere. It would suit various occasions for couples, workplace dinners, and families. read more

Well here's my review for what it's worth. Really great: - The atmosphere and attention to detail. This place is really nice to be inside. Great attention to detail and lots of effort being made to stay classy and cozy. I won't list everything but overall it feels very polished and refined. Our hostess and bartender were professional and courteous. Kitchen is openly visible and immaculate too, nothing to hide there. I think ultimately it's just good old fashioned professionalism. You can't really get that at big chain pubs because everyone wants to just finish their shift and get the hell out. I'd say this place is the opposite, everyone seemed very invested in what they were doing and on-point. After the kitchen closed (late night menu available though) we were noticing how the staff were tasting and testing wine in the back. At any rate when we were there the overall experience was very impressive, wife and I were very well taken care of. Also great: - The beer and drink selection and quality. I think they really shine here. Mugs and glasses are kept chilled, bartender applies the proper flavorings with peel/zest etc. I was sitting at the bar and as far as I could see they don't use that watery fountain soda gun most places use, they use freshly opened cans and the drinks are mixed by hand by the bartender. Even the ice is embossed/stamped with their logo and they have their own Maple Leaf Tavern stir-sticks. Details details. Noteworthy: - Private dining rooms available downstairs - Patio appears to be in the works and hopefully opening soon Seating: - Dining tables (dining room), bar seating, wall booths, couple of large bar tables in the middle for groups and as mentioned they have private rooms. Food: Had the cheeseburger and then the fishcakes. Everything was great. They do have several starters under 10 and apps under 20. I felt the quality was great. Overall price point: A little on the high side but that's simply what it is. Price is one side of the equation, taking the service and atmosphere into account I felt I paid a fair price for the overall experience and got my value. It is probably a special occasion type place if you're going to go all-out with full course dinner and drinks. Dress: Casual attire is fine but you may even want to dress up a little, it will add to the experience and you won't feel out of place because the staff are all pretty spiffy. We wished we'd dressed up a bit. NB: One more great thing about this place, no life-sucking conversation-killing TVs! Just music and atmosphere! read more

Stopped in for drinks Sat. March 11 to round off birthday celebrations with my fella. So glad we made the Maple Leaf part of our night. Had a warm welcome at the bar. Really felt that neighbourhood bar vibe. Great conversation throughout the night with our trusty bar keep on everything from Scottish-Irish politics, tequila, theories on local resto openings and closing to championing the longevity of "My Bar"...thanks for to fun end to our evening!! P.s. The Canadian Coffee is a perfect cold weather warmer-upper!!! read more

Overall great restaurant. Cozy atmosphere and very good service. Their on-tap Manhattans are quite unique and very tasty. Everything from their wood fire grill is great - and maybe the best whole fish I have had at any restaurant In Toronto. All the sides are good. Some of the apps are hit and miss especially the Buratta which they server with chopped peppers and overall a peculiar dish - but other than that excellent!! read more

I didn't know this restaurant and I discovered it not long ago thanks to one of my a friend! I especially recommend the cheeseburger, I really liked! The service was fast enough! read more

Great service, vibe, menu, food. The basic burger had a char on it that added interest, house salad was fresh and light.

So great to have this spot in the neighborhood! Just had the first of hopefully many great dinners. Beautiful room, varied and unique menu and terrific service. Thank you for taking over this space. read more

For dinner I would give the restaurant 4 stars but this rating is for brunch. Just terrible. No balance of carb and vegg/fruit. I would rather line up at Lady Marmalade for an hour and pay less for a way better and varied plate. Will not go back for breakfast again but would for dinner. read more

We have been more than satisfied with our past dinners at the MLT and it has become our go-to place for special occasions. The menu is imaginative and the food well-prepared, the ambiance is sophisticated and the service is professional and attentive. Recently health issues required us to cancel a trip abroad to celebrate a special wedding anniversary. MLT to the rescue! Todd and his staff stepped up and went beyond the call of duty to accommodate our situation - the meal was excellent and it made for special anniversary memories! read more

Amazing. Good food. Service was so-so, not as attentive as I would like. Great atmosphere. Went there for a late brunch.

I was horribly disappointed by this place. I love the idea of it -- walked by the Maple Leaf Tavern many a time during my decades in south Riverdale and always thought that it looked like such a cool old bar. The renovation is spectacular and there is a wide variety of fun cocktails. This is about all I have good to say about this place. The Maple Leaf Tavern is over priced, the service is aloof, bordering on downright snotty and the food is terrible. I had the lasagna which I was really looking forward to but it was completely dried out. When I knocked on the pasta with my fork to demonstrate to the server how dried out and nasty it was, she just shrugged and said, "too bad you didn't like it". Yuck! Not just yuck, but an overpriced yuck. read more

So we went back and I'm thrilled we did. Again, the service was fabulous. In particular this time the interactions with the Executive Chef were interesting and fun. He brought us some delicious house made sausages to star; The Caesar salad was beautifully presented and yummy (the thick slab of grilled bacon certainly didn't hurt!). Steak Tartare and Halibut were fresh, simply prepared and beautifully presented. They surprised us with a peanut butter chocolate dessert that might be one of the best desserts I've ever had! Pleased to say we will most certainly be back. If you love watching food prep, sit at the Chef's bar. It's a really wonderful experience! read more

My second time here for brunch. Service is excruciatingly slow and it was not that busy. Do not order the hamburger it was not worth $20.00. Very disappointing. read more

I spent the better part of my early 20's here in the late 90's. My friends and I came for the karaoke on Friday nights with Kim, but ended up staying for the staff and regulars. We could go and drink for cheap and never had to worry about getting hurt or taken advantage of. At what other bar would the owner drive a drunk girl home just so she would make it safe? I made life long friends at The Leaf, and, some times, I miss it. read more

Really exceeded expectations. Best cheeseburger I have ever had- and I've had most of Toronto's finest. Everything about this burger was exceptional, but the bun was perfection. Striploin steak was very simply prepared and perfectly cooked to order. Cauliflower appetizer was outstanding. Cocktails, also very good (especially the Hotel Nacional). Only downer was the "breakfast radish." Well presented, but the hummus was too runny and mild in flavour to complement the radish. Menu is much bigger than what is on their website. Lots of options. Very nice decor. Hope this place succeeds! Give it a try. read more

Great restaurant. We've dined here a number of times and their food has been consistently above average.

If the food matched the decor they would have a winning formula. Sadly, it does not. I wish I could describe the food we had as mediocre, but that would be embellishing. You will spend a fortune and walk away saying, "for what we spent we could have gone to (insert the name of your favourite restaurant where you actually enjoy your meal)", instead of a forgettable one. If an entire table of people could not find one item they enjoyed, that pretty much sums up our evening. read more

We went for our first time last week. Was so disappointed. I was going to order a glass of wine but not $12 for 5 ounces. I had the halibut fish for $28. Too expensive and I was hungry afterwards. The portion was not worth the price. There are many better restaurants around with better food options and good value. The Brooklyn Tavern is close by. The food and wine and great with great prices!! I will not be returning to this place:) read more

Beautiful renovation of this building. You really feel that you are in a dark private club room with lovely booths and banquets and a very hotel style bar in the middle. We went on a Saturday night and it was quite buzzing - a great atmosphere. Service was prompt at first but got slow later on. Beer is reasonably priced but comes in a US pint glass (around $8) - a recent trend in Riverdale. House Wine was $12 a glass. Bottles of wine started at $55 (3 or 4) then a $60 bottle then you're at $69 and above. I felt our waiter was pushy trying to get us to order the small things - like the bread plate ($6) or a caesar salad ($15) for the table or the upgrade from fries ($7) to Hassleback Potato ($13). It felt more like he was trying to pad the bill than offer us the best things available. Food was pleasant if unremarkable, - portions certainly on the smaller side. Cheeseburger & Fries were good ($20); Medium steak was a bit too cool with no side but decent ($24); the lasagna has been reinterpreted and was interesting but dry ($22) and came with an afterthought child size chef salad that was garlicky; the Salt Cod was fine ($26); Carrots ($9) were carmelized and really tasty but the creamed brussel sprouts ($9) were disappointing. We all thought the food was enjoyable but have no desire to return. Compared to other restaurants we've enjoyed, the experience didn't feel like a good value. When you get into the price range of $400 for a meal for 4 (with alcohol and tips) you want to be wowed a little and this place didn't wow. read more

This place was recommended by friends. It was really amazing. The food off the wood grill was fantastic.

Excellent ambience and service. Beer selection was great and sauage appetizer excellent. My wife had an excellent cod dish, my swordfish was good, fries were supreme. Great place! read more

Had the worst experience dining at the Maple Leaf Tavern, everything from the greeting at the front door to the service to the food. Had the cheeseburger which was undercooked and all the waitress and the hostess could say was "sorry". And it was expensive for what you got. I've been there a couple of times and each time it gets worse, I will not be going back there. read more

Was excited to try this place out after seeing great review in Toronto life. Went group of 8 on good Friday . What a disappointment! Me and a girlfriend both started with beet salad- her shaved beets were so doused in vinegar they were inedible, mine was missing this part of the dish altogether. For mains 2 ppl at our table ordered lasagna and for 22$ all you got was a slice about 1.5" thick that was almost all pasta- they must have run out in the kitchen or something it was that bad- I got the 3 sausages and they were all quite dry again because sliced so small. We had the peanut butter mousse for dessert and it was like a warm liquid that wasn't set at all- more like hot chocolate than mousse. We couldn't complain because our server was barely at our table the entire night- would just drop off food and leave never asking if people liked it but probably didn't care because she had already added her 18% tip on all the cheques. My husband ordered a beer to go with his entree and didn't get it until after dessert was finished. The only positives of the whole experience is that the ambiance and decor was awesome and my husband liked his cod dish. Avoid this place at all cost and don't believe the hype - go to thirsty duck nearby instead - much better service, way better value for money and more consistent food. read more

This place has been open since Spring of this year. We finally made it there this evening for dinner. Great atmosphere, this used to be a dumpy watering hole back in the day. Now the place had a major over haul and it's really beautiful and modern inside. I had the lasagna which is a whole new twist to the traditional type. My partner had the burger, tastes like a big mac however made fresh with real ingredients. Our desserts consisted of cheddar cheesecake and fried crispy rice pudding. The food was spectacular, the chef is top notch and the food is not like you ever tasted before. I'm already looking forward to my return in a week or two. It's kind of strange when you walk out of the restaurant after your dinner you're like in a different world. You just had a wonderful dinner adventure in the maple leaf and then you walk out on to Gerard street with Gerard Scare Mall (square) in your line of focus. Weird but wonderful. We'll be back soon, our new favourite supper club. read more

We went here for lunch and it was delicious! The food was tasty, presented well, and of excellent quality. Our server was very attentive and we thought the ambiance was bright and airy, while still having the pub feel. I'm looking forward to going here for dinner next time. read more

I went here with a big group of family, we were 7 in total. The restaurant was packed, even though it was a Wednesday. The drinks were fantastic. Decent value for the price. The wine list was quite short, and expensive if bought "by the glass". As a big group, were ordered lots of starters and mains and shared. The burrata was perfect, and made with grilled peaches and a balsamic vinegar. The pickled pepperoni was average, as were the fish cakes. For mains, I had the lasagna and it was unlike anything I've eaten before - rich flavours with the tomato sauce on the outside. The striploin steaks were quite large, but you need to order a side (mains are a la carte). Service was good but the mains were slightly slow to come out. To be expected with a large group. It was a wonderful experience and I'd definitely recommend it! read more

Amazing brunch. The $14 breakfast is an amazing deal for the quality. Best of all they take reservations, so no silly line ups.

Surprising find in the east end on a grungy strip opposite Wal-Mart! Lovely decor from a classy and careful renovation. I liked the small oil lamps on each table. Mixture of tables and booths. Not too noisy and so could have a decent conversation without shouting. Wait staff were very attentive but 3 different people attended us and so I'm not sure who OUR waitperson was. Wine/beer offerings were limited but interesting and off the beaten track. Waitress offered us tastes of 3 beers I didn't know. Nice. The food was standard fare but with interesting ingredients and side touches. We had the roasted vegetables - mixture of hot and cold with unusual seasonings and a different cheese (halloumi). Then the striploin (VERY tender and moist) and lamb shoulder. Good coffee. Will definitely go again and recommend to others. read more

Was expecting good but everything was actually really really great. Lamb croquet the was excellent, bread service was amazing, whole fish was amazing. The only thing I didn't love was the burger, which was dressed like a big Mac, but not specified on the menu - still good, but just wish I knew. read more

A really nice space and beautifully renovated. Came here for brunch with husband and baby. The restaurant wasn't busy around noon time on a Saturday. The service was great and we found the restaurant to be quite baby-friendly with high chairs and changing table so I was pleasantly surprised. The food was awesome. We had the MLT breakfast and the corned beef hash which exceeded our expectations. read more

I've been a few times. Go if you're comfortable paying a little more for quality food and atmosphere vs. some of the other cheaper but mediocre places in the area. It's a nice, welcome addition to the neighourhood along with Pinkertons bar. The burger is tasty, not too big, juicy with very good fries. I also liked the fish cakes which were flavorful and light and the ceasar salad. I've always found the staff to be friendly and attentive. read more

Caught me by surprise and blew my damn socks off. Steak, truffle potatoes, lasagna, whiskey sour and stealth margarita perfection. I'll be back and don't you get in my way. read more

Fantastic service, fantastic food, you must get the hasselback potatoes as a side. This place is perfect for a "date" night.

Um... for brunch just simply " no ". We were excited about trying this restaurant as we had read good things on Yelp and heard it mentioned on BT. Upon entering we were pleasantly surprised - they've done a great job on the interior. It was a birthday brunch so there were 6 of us. We started with a 2 orders of scones (2/plate), pickles, and shrimp. The scones were strangely squares of some sort of cake/bread (so disappointing - definitely NOT scones), the 3 shrimp at $2.50/each were served like like something that should have come from an old school truck stop. We should have stopped there, but we didnt. My "Whipped Yoghurt, House Granola, Honey, Fruit Preserve For $12 was a small scoop of not-whipped Greek Yogourt, a little bit of raw oats with a few sunflower seeds, a few diced fruit??? and a drizzle of honey. The red thing I found floating in my container of cream was a little odd - they brought a replacement, though. The other meals were mediocre. The avocado toast - though good, just didn't cut it as it literally is one small piece of toast with a chopped avocodo. $160 later (and that only included one alcoholic Caesar), we were sorely disappointed. IMHO its way overpriced, bland, very uninspired food served in a lovely refurbished old pub. Will definitely not return. read more

Another solid addition to the hood. The place is gorgeously refurbished, sexy and welcoming. I went once for drinks and a snack of beef tartar (with their tasty hot sauce) and then came back a days later with my SO and my two kids. My youngest had a sausage and some of their amazingly tasty homemade bread (three different kinds when you order it off of the menu) SO and I had the roast chicken for 2 which my kiddos ended up sharing with us too. So moist and tasty! Was surprised at how high end the place was but the vibe isn't at all stuffy. The servers are laid back and on their game and will happily navigate you through any menu questions. I felt badly for the bartender when I was there both times it seemed like she was flying solo for the entire restaurant and didn't stop moving. We'll be back for sure just not as often as I'd hoped going in as its far fancier (pricier) than I had hoped. read more