Recently had a lovely meal at Merlot restaurant with friends. It's located steps away from Royal York TTC station, so handy to get to. Lovely ambiance, and for the holidays they had Christmas trees in both the front and back so very festive. (it also was not too dark inside which was great. I really like to see my food. That's part of the enjoyment, and not a fan of these restaurants where it's so darn dark you can hardly see your own hand.) As it happens, we all decide we were gonna have the steak frites which turned out to be a winning choice. The steak was flavorful and tender, and the fruits were nice and hot and crispy, which is just the way they should be. Service was attentive without being overbearing. We ended up having our water jug, replaced multiple times and the server stopping by periodically to see if we need anything else. Couldn't resist having something to finish. The chocolate mousse was excellent, and my friend who had the lemon tart said it was really wonderful as well. It was even quite lively on a Monday night, which we were surprised at, but happy to see. Obviously a local favorite. Highly recommend. read more

See all

I joined a couple of friends for lunch here today. It's not my first time here and I always enjoy the decor, the French inspired flair, and the great conversational atmosphere. Our servers were very attentive. Yes, servers! We were there for 2 1/2 hours catching up. We were not rushed out and even after paying the bill, we were offered more water. Although this is a French restaurant, we felt like having comfort food - burgers! They were delicious with extra mustard on the side. We shared a lemon tart which was perfect! Definitely will be back! read more

See all

I walk by Merlot often and it looked really cute. They are trying to look like a little bistro that you would find in Paris. My sister and I dropped in for lunch on a weekday. It was quite busy, which I found surprising. During this time, there was one person on the floor who served as bartender, waiter and host. He did the best he could, but service was very slow. Our lunch ended up being quite long. As for the food, it's pretty average. I want to return in the summer as they have a nice rooftop patio. Good for: lunch, dinner, drinks, French cuisine read more

Merlot Restaurant - French Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

You'll find the traditional French favourites on their menu like escargot and steak frites, as well as interesting dishes like the "St. Tropez" fish soup ($15.50). The broth has a bouillabaisse feel spiked with more saffron and thickened with pulverized fish - personally, I would have preferred if the fish was left in chunks, so it'd feel less like eating savoury baby food. The texture improved once I dropped in bite-sized pieces of the toasted baguette topped with creamy rouille (a garlicky lemon and saffron aioli) and grated Emmenthal to each spoonful. Think of it as a lighter French onion soup that swaps out the onion for fish. If there's duck confit ($32.50) on the menu, most likely it's what I'll order. Interestingly, the duck leg arrives with no sauce giving it a lovely rustic homemade quality. You can certainly taste the duck and without sauce the meat has nowhere to hide, it needs to be done perfectly to taste delicious. In this case, it was. Yet, it was the caramelized sautéed garlic potatoes that stole the show. Cooked in duck fat until a sticky and crispy crust forms, the spuds made me swoon with delight. Never swap these potatoes for fries. The meal ended perfectly with a shared slice of tarte aux pommes ($13.50). The thinly sliced apples sat on a bed of apple sauce and a perfect pastry crust. Likely the apple sauce helps to add moisture without relying on syrup, which keep the tart light. While there's nothing wrong with the apple sauce, using crème anglaise or some sort of custard give it a richer element. And get rid of the fruit coulis, it makes the plate pretty but takes away from the lovely apple flavours. read more

See all

It was a birthday dinner ruined, place wasn't even that busy for a Saturday night. The servers were polite but inattentive, and the food arrived late with a solid hour between apps and the main course. My wife sent her fish back, and I had the overcooked venison special. Typical Frech cafe ambiance, loud and bustling. For dinner we hadAmerican: "French" Onion Soup, this American dish is caramelized onions ans beef broth with melted Sdissolvingwiss cheese and is usually quite hearty with French cut or *Frenched* onions and a hearty beef broth. It was flavourless! How is that even possible? Gaspacho - flavourless mush, I haven't tried dissolving cardboard and mixing it with some food colouring, but I suspect it would taste the same. The Venison special - like everything, flavourless and overcooked, perhaps it was microwaved? Sole Meuniere - It was cooked beyond recognition, and it came with rice that was overcooked and had a consistency like a paste. We sent it back. The staff were polite, but we had to complain, and even after that we waited a long time. They comped our wine which was nice, but we got the bill and had to instruct them to take the sole off the bill. Guessing Chef Alain Rechter called in sick that night! read more

Stopped in for drinks. A can of soda was $7 and the cocktails were so so and were $17. Not worth the ambiance or price of drinks. Won't be back. read more

Since being acquired by new owners the place has changed. While key menu items remain, many are gone and there are not the seasonal specials there once were. Quality of the food has significantly dropped as well While prices have gone way up. I understand food costs have increased but for quality to go down at the same time doesn't work. Finally, the service has fallen off completely. There is one really great waiter (Pablo) but the others are not capable and the floor manager isn't watching or pushing them to get better. It was overall a very expensive disappointment. read more

While food was ok I can't comment on the service because it was non-existant! Service was slow without explanation and the staff never once came to our table to check on us. read more

****HORRIBLE WAITRESS ALERT**** My wife and I visited this "place" one time only in what must have been February 2014 for winterlicious (fixed price menu). At the time my wife and I weren't married yet. We were boyfriend and girlfriend and we were living together nearby in Etobicoke. Prepare yourself for this fiasco....like truly terrible and all around disturbing experience. We came in for winterlicious dinner at a local French restaurant, because, hey they're offering this special and the food is supposed to be good, let's do this! We were seated near the back of the restaurant. At the time we sat down, the table to our right was empty, and the table to our left had an nice older couple. It wasn't tight at the time, it was comfortable. Plus my wife and I aren't big people, so yes, we were OK in that regard. The waitress comes by, an older lady, but in good shape. Slender and quick on her feet. We told her at the beginning that we are interested in the winterlicious menu. She provided us the price fixed menu and offered us wine to start. We declined. My wife and I (remember we weren't married yet at the time) were quietly talking with each other, hardly calling over anyone to see about us, just taking our time. The waitress was at first polite enough, but something about her rubbed me the wrong way. There was this....steel in her eyes and mannerisms that left me feeling a little bit cold. Throughout the time we spent, she was pushing wine options on us. While she may have been "knowledgeable about wines" she was aloof to our preferences - no wine please. She did not seem pleased that we didn't want to pair wine with the food we had chosen to eat that evening. Both my wife and I noticed this, not just myself, but we left it at that, and kept on enjoying each other's company. Again however, there was something about this waitress that I could not shake.... in the back of my mind she seemed....off, if you will. It not so much that she didn't smile or make us feel welcome (even though that didn't help at all), but underneath her skin and behind her eyes she felt to me like we were hardly worth her time. This is where is starts to get interesting At the end of the dinner, the waitress brought the check, and considering that we were on a limited budget (hence winterlicious and declining wine during dinner), I paid what was owed and did not leave a tip. This is common in the industry. Sometimes as a server you get tipped, and sometimes you do not. It comes with the occupation. If maybe I hadn't gotten a gut feeling that she wasn't a terrible person, I MIGHT have tipped. Alas, I am EXTREMELY grateful that I did not tip to this person. Get this: she came up to the table we were seated at while there were some other people now sitting beside us, and she said very clearly "Was there something wrong with the service because I noticed that you didn't leave a tip". - She actually said this out loud and yes, just about everyone within earshot heard. I just replied "No" meekly as of course I was embarrassed at the time, and so was my girlfriend/wife. We got up shortly afterwards, and my girlfriend/wife had to use the washroom. I stood up, and waited in the hall that leads to the doorway. Said waitress was walking around and obnoxiously said loudly, "Bye! Have a good night!" (what the hell?) I pretty much was fuming at this point with the audacity of this....person. As it turns out, I found out recently that the waitress said to my girlfriend "he's not a good guy, and you shouldn't stay with him".....believe it or not, this actually happened. This waitress attempted to *sabotage my relationship with my girlfriend!* My girlfriend and I ended up staying together, getting engaged, got married and have a wonderful life together. I had a gut feeling about this waitress, and I was absolutely right!! Sooooo glad I did not tip her. What a cold-hearted, vindictive, self-entitled bully. Like I wrote NASTIEST WAITRESS EVER. read more

A most disappointing dinner, absolutely tasteless & is best forgotten. Adding insult to injury, dishes were overpriced & underwhelming in quantity; we had to go to another restaurant to have another dish to feel satisfied. read more

This place was disappointing. I had heard some good things from it and we decided to check it out one night. The place isn't large. It's dressed nicely and the staff were great. No issues so far. We have a drink to start and finally order. I ordered the Onion Soup and the Boeuf Bourginon or beef in red wine. It's a personal favorite of mine and my wife had the soup of the day and salmon. Well my soup was disappointing. Not enough flavor to it. A French Onion Soup is supposed to have caramelized onions. These weren't caramelized. And the cheese on top I swear was mozzarella. It didn't have the bite that gruyere or emmenthal have. It also didn't taste like onions. A shame especially at $13.50. My wife's soup was good she said but maybe a bit too much salt. The entrees come out and they look good. The veggies were decent. The potatoes were okay but my beef was kinda bleh. The sauce tasted commercial like it was all or in part something from Sysco or some other food distributor. I've made this dish many times but that strange flavor just didn't fit. My wife's salmon was okay. Could have been better but it was only okay. We skipped on coffee or dessert. read more

Love this place Remind me of home !!!! Staff is super nice and really helpful if you have any allergies. Highly recommend it if you're looking for a real French cuisine :) read more

Note: Winterlicious Review The atmosphere was nice and cozy, with candles lighting up the space. The servers were for the most part attentive and warm. I liked the daily soup I ordered as my appetizer, which was a red pepper and tomato soup. The fruit flan I had for dessert was also good. The steak I had as the main was a miss for me. It was quite thin and broke apart easily, which is not something I expect from a steak dish. Nothing about the food was extraordinary, but nothing about it was bad either. A plus is that the plating was done nicely, and enjoyable for the eyes (pictures attached). read more

Merlot Restaurant - Dessert - the fruit flan I ordered was the best imo. - French Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

See all

Friday, December 20, 2019 - I booked a table three weeks ago for a reservation at your restaurant for today at 6:45 pm. Two days ago, I received an email asking for my confirmation, which I did. Today at lunchtime I received an email saying that your restaurant had cancelled my reservation for tonight. I called the restaurant and left a message. I also tried calling about 5 times and no one answered. Since then, I sent an email regarding my complaint and have still have had no response. Needless to say this has caused a huge problem and has ruined our Christmas celebration plans. I phoned many restaurants that afternoon and no one was able to accommodate us at such a late date. I have been a regular customer over the years but I will never return again. I am disgusted by the lack of professionalism and disrespect for your clients. read more

DON'T LET UBER EATS DELIVER!!!! The food and service in this restaurant is excellent but delivery from Uber Eats was a DISASTER! I never got my order even though Merlot gave it to the driver on time. It never arrived, the driver wouldn't respond to me and I was charged the entire amount on MC, even the tip!!!! I am currently disputing it with MC but they won't investigate for 15 days. Be very careful about giving Uber Eats your credit card info!!!!! read more

A few servers (mine) were wearing these tiny chin-affixed shields that just covered their lips and the bottom of their noses. I was not comfortable that they were adequately protecting others. The food was good. I won't return though until covid has passed entirely. read more

Etoibicoke; land of chicken wings and Molson Canadian . Really ', can it be explained that not a single dining establishment of merit can be found? West , North - interesting ethnic,. The rest best, found in downtown( loosely ). Given current transportation issues where could the East be? As a French restaurant , this was a bad joke. Tasteless steak, same for chop; consistent with my other trials. Frites Good. Dumb wines. Wealthy Kingsway: the bland leading the bland? read more

Went there with my wife and friend. My wife ordered the steak and frites, medium rare and basically got a piece of raw meat. Of course we sent it back and I think they basically nuked it! I ordered a fish dish and half the fish wasn't cooked properly . It was very disappointing, likely we will not be going back. Cost of meal including tip $300 !! read more

Went here on the Winterlicious menu on Friday night. I had the French Onion Soup for an appetizer - pretty good but I found it a little bland. Don't know that it's supposed to be spicy but I'm Indian so I like a little spice in pretty much everything I eat. For the main I had the Chicken Merquez; I really liked the provencale sauce that was on there, it had a bit of a kick to it. The fries were light and crispy, just how I like them. For dessert, I had the flan which was ok, nothing to write home about. The fresh cream that comes on the side is really nice. Loved the ambiance, there are French paintings/posters covering all of the walls. Service was also attentive and friendly. Overall, it was good, but definitely not the best French food I've eaten. read more

Fine French dining - it almost epitomizes the restaurant experience. When you think of fancy restaurants, it's what usually springs to mind. Merlot doesn't disappoint in this respect. It's a trim menu of very traditional French food as Merlot clearly subscribes to the edict - do a small list of food really, really well. Plus they also offer some fresh seafood as daily specials. Even with the short menu, there's something for most. So if you'd like to enjoy the ambiance (walls lined with French art gallery posters) but eat a steak - they can accommodate you. I had the trio of sausages, which were a little over-cooked for my liking, but still tasted good. The rest of my party was a mixture of surf and turf and all seemed at least pleased with their meal. As someone else commented the wine list is a little short - but the wine we did choose was delicious so I'm wondering if the limited wines they do carry were expertly chosen as the best. I'd recommend this restaurant to anyone looking to experiment with traditional French cuisine and get your feet wet. The prices are reasonable and the service was good even on a busy night. read more

Went on a Tuesday evening, the place was pretty quiet - probably 5 or 6 other tables in the main dining room. The lights were dimmed early making for a nice atmosphere. Smoked salmon appetizer was great. The escargot were done in Provençal style without the usual garlic butter overload. For the main I had the trio of sausages, which was ok. It certainly wasn't spectacular, but this could be expected given the price. However, chocolate mousse desert was very very good. All in all a good dinner for a reasonable price. read more

One of my favourite places for dinner in the west end! The staff is really nice and I love the fresh made pasta.

Very disappointed with the "salad" that came with my quiche. Basically it was greens, nothing else! Would be much better to say the quiche comes with greens. The quiche was good but not worth the price. Too bad! I will NOT be back. read more

Party of eight of us went for dinner. Wonderful experience. Extensive wine list. Wonderful food. Friendly, knowledgeable and attentive staff, lovely atmosphere. Well worth the $. Will absolutely return. read more

Hostess is an impeccably lovely older lady. Pity the rest of the staff don't measure up. Apparently the waitresses here don't do table checks. If they did they could have learned a great deal about the steak frites they were serving. Or perhaps they knew the fries came out cold and soggy and were too clever to ask? An alternate theory is they knew it was the chef's first night cooking and thoughtfully wished to avoid destroying his confidence with the news that his rare steak was blue and his medium rare steak a tough medium well. Perhaps this style of neo French cooking is done without the aid of such modern implements as thermometers, instead choosing the classic technique of screwing up hundred and fifty dollar meals until the customers finally learn they're better off just heading to the Swiss restaurant down the street. read more

I have been dining at Merlot for a few years now. I was very disappointed when I dined here with my family a couple of days ago. The food was over salted and overcooked. My daughter was severely ill for several hours after our meal. The service was lacking. We will not be returning! read more

Found this place by recommendation from our hotel. Ambience was nice, not too crowded when we arrived. Food was just okay though. A bit pricey and nothing spectacular to mention. Service was very friendly though, which helped offset the average food and higher than it should have been cost. Don't think we would return based on taste and cost but didn't hate the place either. read more

I was super pumped to try this restaurant and overall it was nothing special. The selection was slim, the staff seemed very junior and the food was ok, but definitely not worth the $$$. read more

Great dinner, horrible service. 4 girls, lots of excellent food and wine. Had to ask for bread, water and then we weren't even offered dessert. read more

Came here to celebrate my husband's birthday last night. It's unfortunate that some reviews online had me questioning whether we should go here at all, but thankfully my husband said he wanted to try it out given that it was so close to home. This is the sweetest little restaurant. Very cozy, and filled to the brim with French posters from art galleries, etc. Loved the black and white tiled flooring & everything else about it was charming. If you are a fan of privacy I'd recommend making a reservation and asking for a secluded table as there were a few scattered around the restaurant. Otherwise the tables are placed rather close together. We came early enough so it wasn't too busy, and what I did like was that they spaced people out around the restaurant so that you weren't seated next to anyone until they absolutely had to. Our waitress was very pleasant and helpful regarding what to order! For the wine we shared a cheap half litre of Merlot. The one thing that always gets me at restaurants is how much the wine is marked up. Their Cabernet special of the day was $30 for a half litre. While it was delicious (we tried it before we made up our minds) I'm glad we didn't end up ordering it as a quick Google search told me one bottle went for $14. This isn't specific to this one restaurant as all restaurants do this but if you're not looking to be wowed by your wine, the cheapest option usually does the trick ;) For the appetizer we split the onion tart and the escargot. The onion tart was creamy, melt in your mouth heaven. The escargot wasn't the best I've had and the puff pastry was a bit soggy at the bottom but I do tend to enjoy it more when drowned in butter and garlic. Next time I will ask if this is an option, if not I think I would pass on the escargot. For dinner we got the Trio of Sausages & the Lamb Loin (ordered medium). We loved the sausages paired with the dijon mustard (which was a whipped delight!), each one had its own flavour and for two meat lovers you can't really get any better than a plate of sausages. The lamb was one of the BEST I've had! Cooked to perfection it was very tender and melted in my mouth. Each dish is paired with a nice serving of veggies and we were both stuffed to the brim once we finished our meals. For dessert we shared the chocolate mousse which was delectable, I wanted to lick the bowl clean. It did have orange zest in it though which you could taste, so if you're not a fan of orange-y chocolate I'd pass on this one. Price-wise this place is a steal. You get a lot of food and for $122 we had a 1/2 litre of wine, two appetizers, two main courses and shared a dessert. Definitely worth checking out! We will return. read more

Merlot was a happy accident. I was out looking for a place to chow with my dad and ended up happening upon this nice little spot. The house made gerkins and pate are great, and the onion soup is in my top five... I was happy to find a French place cranking out decent fair within striking distance of my place... will certainly be back. read more

Merlot is a great restaurant that, while a bit formal, has a number of rustic French dishes. They're known for their pommes frites, which have a lightness you don't usually get in plain old french fries. Perhaps they use better oil for frying. The rooftop patio has full service, but a slightly different, and less expensive menu and more casual atmosphere. The calamari (whole squid on a bed of greens and vinaigrette) makes a good appetizer, and there are a number of entrée-sized salads. Of course, if you're going for authentic French, the Salade Niçoise is a good bet (although it has a bit too much dressing for my taste). read more

Unpretentious and tasty. Classic French cuisine in a room small enough for that extra bit of attention. Order wine.

Went here for the first time last Friday. Sat on the rooftop patio, which is quite large. Food was good, but nothing that made me go "Wow", that could be because a smaller menu is offered on the patio. Great wine selection though, and our server was really good. Had a drink in the main restaurant at the bar before leaving. Nicely decorated, be a nice place for a date. ( I was with a girlfriend) I'd go back for sure. read more

My favourite restaurant in this neighbourhood. Terrific atmosphere and fantastic specials. Hardly ever order off the menu as I can't get past the weekly specials. Never had a meal I didn't love! We eat there twice per month read more

Great local French place! Love the food. Service could be better and a bit crowded and lout when full but good atmosphere. I regularly go back. read more

This restaurant is wonderful, the staff, the food, the service, the wine, even down to the bread the serve complimentary. I highly recommend it read more

Love this place we go here every week practicality. Extremely friendly staff and amazing food. Huge portions especially for the pasta dishes. Gets very busy so dine earlier if you enjoy dinning in a quiet atmosphere read more

Yelp doesn't allow for a 4.5 rating but that's my true opinion of this place. The food is orgasmic and the smells of each dish is intoxicating. Everything is made with fresh foods that are in season. The portion sizes are just right. The wait-staff is very considerate, polite, and accommodating. I went with a large group and the only problem we had was that we neglected to let the staff know that each person was covering their own tab so they combined all the orders into one and could not reverse it. The only reason why I could not give this place a 5 is because it is not accessible. The entrance has double doors that would be nearly impossible to navigate for anyone with a mobility issue. The washrooms are located downstairs which is also a problem for those with mobility issues. The space inside the restaurant is tight so there isn't much room for those with wheelchairs, walkers, or rollators to get around and be seated. read more

Absolutely delightful, and especially so in the summer. One of my favourite spots in the west end. I've made an effort to try a new dish every visit. So far I've tried a few of their quiche varieties, the onion soup, their escargot dish, the grilled salmon, and their filet mignon. Once I felt that the salmon was a little dry, but they prepared me a fresh one with no questions asked. I do enjoy the décor and atmosphere. A great place to bring friends or even clients. read more