very nice food and atmosphere. We would like to especially mention our server the evening of Saturday, March 30.- James. He was very professional and attentive without being obtrusive. An excellent staff member. Well done Sassafraz read more

Food was great. Service was excellent. Very nice atmosphere with a living plant wall. A classy place and comfortable seating. read more

Sassafraz - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The best French restaurant in town! Sassafraz is a cozy fine dining restaurant in Yorkville, serving your french classics. This was my second visit and I noticed they have removed their tablecloth dining - something many Toronto fine dining restaurants have done in the past years. My personal favourite is the duck terrine which bursts with flavor. The tartare and salmon were beautifully plated as usual. I highly recommend Sassafraz for groups or a date! read more

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Wonderful atmosphere, and great service. Came in for the winterlicious menu, and thoroughly enjoyed all 3 courses. The stuffed, aubergine was a little subpar and underwhelming, and the most under-seasoned dish of the evening. So, perhaps skip the vegetarian dishes, and get a poultry based item instead, as those were delectable. Overall, the food was delicious, and the dessert was a personal outstanding star dish for me. Their cocktail and wine menu is also quite wonderful. Most definitely recommend! read more

Sassafraz - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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A fabulous lunch on a fabulous July day. The service was great, from the moment we approached the sidewalk based concierge. We ordered from the Summerlicious menu for me, and she had a salad tailored for her vegan tastes. A wonderful bread accompanied the food. A couple of glasses of Chablis helped complete the experience. The sidewalk traffic on Cumberland St provided entertainment. All in all, near perfect. read more

Sassafraz - Sassafraz patio at 2 pm on a gorgeous July Friday. - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I returned to Sassafraz to experience their Summerlicious lunch. The restaurant offers several dining areas that guests can choose from. The outdoor patio is perfect for people watching on warm sunny days. The bar area offers plush sofa seating, conducive to spending relaxed time with friends, while enjoying drinks and the kitchen's creations. The main dining area has a touch of modern elegance, with a live green wall and waterfall feature. Bread was served warm, with nice texture and density. I started the meal with Grilled Miami Cut Short Ribs (Thai marinade, togarashi, mango), thinly sliced beef ribs that spent a long time in the Thai marinade and a short time on the grill. The best part of the dish was actually the mango salad accompanying the short ribs, which was light, refreshing, and had something different from the traditional fare we usually get at Thai restaurants. For my main, I ordered the Atlantic Salmon (chilled soba noodle, ginger ponzu dressing, pickled enoki). I loved it in my previous visit and didn't mind having it again. While I still enjoyed how the salmon was cooked, and how well it paired with the cold soba noodles and ponzu dressing, there was no care in regards to the dish presentation, which was disappointing. I ordered the Strawberry Panna Cotta (mixed berries, toasted coconut, mint) for dessert, and did not enjoy it at all. I love panna cotta because it is usually slightly sweet and a light finish to a meal. The addition of the strawberry to the panna cotta made it sour and unpleasant to my palate. Thankfully the server was gracious enough to replace it with the Chef's Selection of Local Cheeses (brie, gouda, truffle honey, dried fruit, house crisps), which was much more pleasant compared to the panna cotta. Service continues to be excellent; polished, friendly and attentive. Green P and street parking are available nearby. Highly recommended. TLDR; good food, great service, nice ambiance https://thomassu.smugmug.com/Food/2019/190706Sassafraz/n-nNhSc7/ read more

We went to Sassafraz for a birthday party. We are regular but we wanted to enjoy a nice dinner after their renovation. The staff welcomed us like royalties as I mentioned the birthday boy. The manager Ricky responded by offering a desert for him. We had French martini, red wine with beef, max and cheese and burger. Just go for it you cant go wrong. The manager got us a flourless chocolate cake with Ice cream. Very nice gesture and much appreciated. As for the service I would give a top ratings for our server Austin and our hostess who accommodate by finding a table in the busiest time of the night so thank you Jahnell. Thank you All for making this night memorable. PS: Before I forget the live music (Jazz) made the experience very enjoyable as well. read more

Sassafraz - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We had an absolutely wonderful brunch at Sassafraz this weekend. First of all, one of the best thing about brunch at Sassafraz is you can actually make a reservation. Most of the popular brunch places in Toronto don't take reservations so this is a major bonus. Our meal was just perfect. I had the beet & burrata salad and then the avocado toast with a fried egg on top. Both were excellent. Sure, I can make avocado toast at home but it's not going to be as nice as this. The bread was fresh and rustic, the avocado on top was generous and perfectly seasoned, and it was presented beautifully with a perfect fried egg on top. My sister had the leek and cheddar omelette with Fogo crab. She's doing keto right now so that was the only option that really worked for her but she wasn't disappointed. My mom had the fish tacos. Everyone loved what they had. we ended with an amazing selection of desserts since. Wow. I think the creme caramel was my favourite but everything was amazing. Sassafraz is terrific for all meals but the brunch was a real treat! read more

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Good place for a date night. Located at Yorkville, this restaurant has an easygoing atmosphere. Service was attentive...really attentive. We got two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts. Octopus appetizer was bit chewy/rubbery while the pork belly appetizer had decent brown sugar balance to contrast the protein. Entrees - I had bone in veal chop. Asked for medium rare and came out perfectly. Decent dish/portion. BUT I found something better , my partner's dish is Cornish hen. The white asparagus cauliflower purée was really really unique and delicious, definitely elevated the moist chicken breasts. So good I kept taking more from the plate lol Overall, attentive service, easy going atmosphere with decent entrees, would definitely recommend this restaurant. Update: Went here mid-March. The restaurant is re-opening April 20th 2018 after renovations. read more

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Came here for summerlicious. Absolutely delicious food, friendly staff, upscale environment, and very creative with dish creations! Their entrance is rather small, but it's actually quite a big place once you step inside. read more

Sassafraz - Salmon - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I went with a large group for a birthday brunch celebration. Everyone in the group loved the experience. The food was delicious, it's the best eggs Benedict I've ever had. The ambiance and interior designer are beautiful, We were by a garden wall with a waterfall under a large skylight. Our server went out of her way to make our experience special. I will definitely be back, and I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

We visited Sassafraz for my wife's birthday dinner a few nights ago. The ambience, the food and the service was all perfect and we had one of the best dining experiences in a long time. The food is a little pricey but you'll cherish the taste and experience for a long time; so in my opinion it's still a very good deal. The flip-side is that they spoiled the average french fare for me for I'll remember the taste and compare it with Sassafraz. Food - We had Nova Scotia Lobster bites and red oak and radicchio salad to start. The lobster bites were nice and the red oak and radicchio salad was okay. For mains, we had a Quebec magret duck breast and a thai Coconut red curry on server's recommendation. We were slightly hesitant ordering the thai curry at a french restaurant but it was the best thai curry we ever had in our life. It was so much flavorful that it was divine. The Quebec magret duck breast was very good too. We thoroughly enjoyed both of them. For dessert, we had a flourless chocolate cake and a banana custard tartlet. Both were very good. I personally liked the chocolate cake a little bit more. Service - The service was very warm, friendly and professional. Our server Melissa treated us very well and was very much competent. Even the other servers didn't mind checking on each other's tables to see if any patron needed something which was a nice touch too. We were served a basket of freshly baked warm bread with olive oil/balsamic vinegar and warm butter along(complementary) with wine. The bread basket was replaced with a fresh one as soon as we were done with our bread. Price - We had a groupon which had a three course meal for two for 70$. We paid about 55-60$ extra for wine, taxes and tip. It was a very good dining experience for 130$. Ambiance - The restaurant has a very classy and upmarket feel to it. It is very well suited for a date night or an occasion. I wouldn't go here regularly as it's too pricey for that. But they will be one of our top choices in Toronto for dining out of special occasions. read more

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Out of all the groupons in the city, this is the only one that felt like it wasn't a scam. They don't charge you tax on a marked-up "original value of the groupon" like other restaurants. I highly recommend it if it's still available, especially if they ever do the $15 off again (3 course dinner for 2 for $65!) I believe you can also get their prefix menu without going through a third party like Groupon or Live Social. It's 75 regularly. The food was delicious. Service was good. Ambiance was modestly elegant. Don't over-dress, but also don't wear cargo shorts and crocs or anything like that. Everything we had was good (lamb, bison, ceviche, tartar, chocolate flourless cake, creme caramel). They're simple dishes and they're not trying to reinvent the wheel or anything. It's rustic, appropriate portions, no funny business (I mean like none of that 1 dollop of foam in a 12 inch plate type of stuff). I initially thought it'd be pretentious but I was pleasantly surprised. read more

Came here for two 3 course dinners. I tried the brown sugar pulled pork belly, pan seared digby scallops, and their cheesecake. The pork belly was mostly a bed of lentils and the scallops were a bit too salty. You can never go wrong with cheesecake though! The service was good as they weren't pushy or over the top, food was served relatively quickly, but it took a while for them to give us the bill. They also have coat check, which is great in the winter. The atmosphere is clean and upscale, overall a good place for a date or nice family dinner. read more

Sassafraz - Brown sugar pulled pork belly - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Summerlicious visit after much debate on which restaurant to try this year and having heard about the place from a colleague. Overall my verdict is that I should trust my instincts, and regard my colleague's opinion with the same scrutiny as I regard their work - carefully and with a grain of salt. I arrived timely on a weekday evening and the place was bustling. The corner shop had all the windows and doors open for a covered patio feeling, the décor is somewhere between modern, vintage, ornate...think white-gray marble with gold accents and how that's coming back in style. My party of three sat on a white love seat with two round tables between us, and two average black plastic chairs on the other side. The setup was cozy, the music wasn't terribly loud, and the service arrived shortly. The menu was short - seasonal I suppose? Most items were available as part of the Summerlicious menu, so it was the best deal for sure at $48. I went with the grilled octopus, Cornish hen, and chocolate cake. The open rosé had quite sweet notes which suited my palate, at $10. Plating and overall presentation of the food was great - so at least first impressions were promising. The octopus came with a side of Caprese salad - the small portion of octopus tasted blanched then tossed on the grill, soft and fully cooked inside, but burnt on the outside. All I could taste was the charred outer - the ends were a bit crispy but the other pieces just tasted like blackened food. The hen was well presented and not bad - crispy skin with sesame, flavourful inside, the asparagus and cauliflower purée added texture variance and made the dry parts better. The asparagus lattice had a similar texture as the octopus, which I didn't care for. The mixed grains went well with the chicken, though I'm not typically a fan. Finally, time for dessert. Perhaps I didn't look closely enough into the menu but a sliver of mousse cake with a rice cracker base was presented. On the sweet side, but went nicely with my wine. There was a spoon of sorbet? Ice cream? It had an icy texture but appeared creamy, and melted rapidly. Either way, it went well with the cake, but everything melted quickly. Overall, the service was timely and attentive and I had no major complaints - except our waiter never mentioned his name. Fortunately he was always only a step away so that compensated most of the time. The food didn't meet my expectations but matched to the average Yelp rating - I guess I should've known! The atmosphere would be great for a casual glass of wine and a chat, it didn't make for eating as much as I would've liked and the bartender was rowdier than I expected. At one point, odd smells came from somewhere, and the open concept brought in all the flies trying to sip my wine. Given the price point, I probably won't be back. read more

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Decided to come here for Summerlicious '17 and came at 11am for their cafe area. The place was full by 12pm so reservations are recommended if you want a guaranteed seat. We chose a seat that faced the open window so we had a good view of the street outside. To start, I ordered the tealicious. It's a non-alcohlic drink of a combination of infused teas. I enjoyed it! A refreshing drink to start the day. I ordered the blue crab salad as an appetizer. I can't say that I enjoyed it all that much. I'm usually a fan of seafood, crab being no exception, but the taste of the crab salad just left a weird taste in my mouth. It was definitely 'crabby', if you will, but the combination was too much in my opinion. For my main, I had the Cerviche rice bowl. It was a mix of mainly rice, tuna, avocado, walnuts, mixed with some type of vinaigrette sauce. The sauce itself seemed a bit strong and left an aftertaste in my mouth. Paired with the salty tuna, it just wasn't a favourable combination for me. Lastly, I chose the Gotham cheese plate as a dessert. I love my cheese so this was the best part of the meal. It was drizzled with some syrup and walnuts. Loved it! Overall, the atmosphere of sassafraz is great. Nice open windows to help with a hot summer's day and a cafe style feel. The food, however, I didn't love. I can only speak for the dishes i ordered this time around though since it was my first time here. I may come back to try other dishes! read more

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I was here on Tuesday for winterlious dinner and celebrating a friend's birthday. The food is 3 star in average, but service is bad and disappointing. I tried the duck pate, duck breast and cheese board to go with a prosecco. The best out of them is the duck breast. Duck pate is good, but it's a lot of pate for 3 pieces of bread, they should provide a proportional amount. Cheese board was disappointing, they were low quality cheeses. The prosecco didn't taste good too. A complimentary prosecco from four season spa taste better than this. Service is a problem here as others mentioned. The server didn't offer coat check for us, I realized they had it later when I saw others got the service. The server didn't come by for water, not once! One of us ordered coffee and it was totally forgotten until we asked again, yet, no apologies. We have a baby and find that it's a challenge here, this place is Not kids' friendly! They don't have a ramp outside, it's only stairs outside. When we were sitting at the table they didn't provide a high chair until I asked versus Toula, which I just ate on the weekend they were very attentive to my baby, they offered high chair right away. So we were holding baby on lap, struggling with all the winter jackets, didn't really have time to look into the menu then asked to order food. Food came so fast that the 3 courses came one after another before I can finished them. Isn't it suppose to be a French restaurant!? What's the rush? Or they just don't care? There are lots of other places offer way better service and food with this price point. This location is not wheelchair or stroller friendly. If you are celebrating and want to have a pleasant night, you would be more pleasant if dined in another restaurant. read more

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Was touring Toronto with friends and we decided to have brunch here. We got the bean salad and avocado toast with a glass of ice wine. Food was ok but nothing in particular stood out to us. Service was somewhat slow and the place was not even packed. I do have to mention their ice wine was delicious and the interior decorations were gorgeous. However, I don't think I would come back here. read more

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I went there with my husband for supper with a Groupon three-course coupon for two. We were seated very close to a door which opens to some place, (kitchen I guess), on the way of the servers. I was not happy with it at all, and the whole time, I felt uncomfortable. I'm not sure if it had any thing to do with the fact that we were Groupon customers. Our server was very nice though, greeting us friendly and very helpful in giving us tips about the menu. The food was Ok. I didn't like our appetizers, specially the poutine, but I enjoyed the main dishes. The most delicious course was doubtlessly the dessert; the chocolate cake was dense and rich and the cheesecake was perfectly creamy and flavourful. I would have given it four starts for the service and food, but since I was not happy with our seats, I give it three. read more

Yen was our waitress and she was the sweetest and kindest waitress we've ever had! She was so kind and gave exceptional service! She went above and beyond and was so friendly! The food and atmosphere were great too! Highly recommend and Yen deserves a raise! :) read more

I had always been fond of Winterlicious but never went for Summerlicious. Perhaps there's not much better to do during Winter than to fill my stomach up:P Sassafraz is the first restaurant I've tried for Summerlicious accompanied with two other friends. I heard good things about this restaurant and being pretty posh in Yorkville, so I've decided to give them a visit for dinner! The restaurant has a lounge and drinks seating, separated from its dining area with two glass doors. Its interior is decorated very well and modern with a waterfall wall sided with greens like a rainforest. Their tables are also half sofa couches, super comfy. Per usual dining, each customer can select an appetizer, entree, and dessert for their special menu choices. You can always find those items on their standard menus too. Being friends and alike, we all chose the exact same combination (dinner at $45): Ontario Beef Tartare, Ontario Artisan Beef Striploin, and Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake for dessert. The tartare tasted really great! It was seasoned well yet still has its original beef flavour. The sour dip on the side spiced up my taste buds - compensated for the raw beef texture. As the the striploin, I was quite disappointed. All three of us asked for medium rare steaks. What was brought to our table was three medium steaks. Mine pretty much was the only one that had slight blood oozing out when sliced. It was only little bit pink inside and when I ate further from the middle, the more overcooked it was. Not sure if this was their standard or just because of their chefs being overwhelmed due to Summerlicious. The cheesecake was interesting. It was decent but nothing very special. The texture was quite soft and mousse-like in comparison to New York cheesecakes which has a thicker and stiff texture. The raspberry sauce was alright. Service overall was good except for just one tick off. Two of my friends had finished their plates and I was still eating the last bites but paused to talk and had my fork/knife placed in the "I'm not finished yet" position. However, the server wanted to take my plate away too and hesitated right next to me. I had to resume my eating and movement to make him stop. Overall, I think Sassafraz is a nice restaurant but not sure if it's entree is the best. It's more of a 3.5/5 rating. read more

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Ordered off the winterlicious menu. Ok service and food was tasty and sort of inventive. Tad loud as tables are close but perfect spot for downtown dinner. Probably a lot busier in warmer months! read more

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Decent food overshadowed by significant service issues. Certain details of our reservation which had been discussed in advance were missing when we checked in, and our server wasn't particularly friendly. She wasn't very familiar with the wine list, although the wine and cocktails turned out to be quite tasty. A server delivered someone else's food to our table. The dijon aioli accompanying the frites had no dijon flavour. Our entrees took a while to arrive, and when they did, they were not the appropriate temperature. The plates had clearly been sitting for a while in the window, and our potatoes and short-ribs were practically cold. If they had been warm, we would've considered the entrees to be very good. The wrong bill was delivered to our table. Finally, I'm deducting half a star for the card machine starting gratuity at 18%, which is obnoxious and presumptuous. Final rating: 2 stars out of 5. read more

Review on the Run: The first time I was at Sassafraz was during summerlicious. Overall I was fairly disapointed. The Watermelon salad, was.. well watermelons and a sprig of mint and red onions. For the main I had a red curry pork tenderloin. You had to close your eyes and really imagine the taste of curry. For dessert it was short bread, and nobody finished their bread as it was stiff as a board. Overall pretty meh. And for the price, uber-meh. Conculsion: Eat Here? Meh. read more

The food is good, no doubt, but for the price you pay, you may be able to get the same thing else where. Or for the same price, something different. We came here for winterlicious, but I've been here a few times pre-fire a while back. It hasn't changed much, with over priced simple dishes with fancy names, and servers with a pretentious attitude. When we came in, we were greeted with annoyance from the male host, but a friendly female hostess showed us the way in. I do like this room (not the main room) where the sky light create a bright and clean atmosphere, and the waterfall is a nice touch. Today, we ordered from the Winterlicious lunch menu ($25 lunch), we had the option from the regular menu, but it wasn't a brunch menu either. The Arugula Salad was just a salad, and the Smoked Salmon Carpaccio didn't seem like anything different. I got the Potato and Celery soup which tasted better than it looked. It was a creamy soup without the cream (I think). For the mains, the Chipotle Beef Cheeks are definitely worth tasting. It was tender and almost melts in your mouth. The subtlety of the spice was still there in the sauce. The sweet potato hash was just sweet potato small squares with some red peppers. The Haricot Vert were green beans. I hate restaurants who put descriptions on the menu that tries to make it fancier than it really is. The Chicken was good, but seemed a little dry. The Quinoa was good too, but seemed undercooked (or maybe I always over cook it?) The Pasta was yummy. If you look creamy pasta, this is the perfect dish for you. For dessert, the cheese was very good, but perhaps not worth the price you pay. It was a good side dish to sharing a dessert. The Chocolate Pave was amazing. The chocolate wasn't a mousse, nor a cream, but had the texture of ice cream. Perfect for a chocolate lover. The Lemon Lavender tart was good too. It was filled with a Ameretto custard and some milk chocolate in the middle. I was VERY disappointed that the "Toasted Meringue" was actually Whipped Cream sprinkled with some cocoa (see pics). I don't like being lied to. I totally would have mentioned this when we were there, except I only realized it now. The only other complaint, other than the attitude, is that Coffee/Tea is ridiculous expensive. Loose Leaf tea (that comes in a pot) was $5.50 Espresso is $3.75 Americano (which is espresso + water) was $4.50 - water must be really expensive I asked for a regular coffee $3.75 and I was scared to ask him to top it up, I don't know why. Our $25 meal was about $35 a person including tax (not tip). Just like Tony F. said. Meh. read more

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Popular brunch spot and Toronto's posh Yorkville neighbourhood. Decor is classy, and the atmosphere feels very fresh once you get inside. My friend and I arrived at the peak of Saturday brunch time, so there weren't any tables available. We were sat at the bar, which was fine. We shared a Toasted French Baguette with truffle butter and mixed mushrooms, and an Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. The food was pretty good. The baguette smelled strongly of truffles, but it definitely smelled stronger than it tasted. Was hard to taste any truffle at all once you bite into the baguette. The mushroom mix on top was very flavourful though and made up for the lack in truffle taste. Eggs Benedict were cooked perfectly. The yolk oozed out over the plate once you cut into it. I especially appreciated the root vegetables served with the dish. It's a bit different from other eggs benny dishes. Both dishes came with a side salad, which added some nice freshness. Service was quite slow, but they were very busy that day, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Would probably come more often if it wasn't so expensive. read more

Sassafraz - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Breakfast brunch is excellent steak is excellent, but I'm not sure about the pasta for sure I never order pasta there the pasta is tastes, so confuse read more

Sassafraz, I love you. You make my dates more exciting, my company more interesting, and my family bearable. Don't come STARVING, as you won't be particularly satisfied. The portions are modest. However, the quality and taste are quite good. My only qualm is about the servers. Their impression is a tad higher-than-thou. My advice? Dress to impress. read more

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Really nice dinner on the street patio, with excellent waiter service. The food was very tasty, although a bit over-priced (as it usually is in Yorkville). Still, it was a nice treat to go to a nice restaurant. I miss the indoor dining options. Celebrating an anniversary here, and then going for a walk in Yorkville was a treat. Thank you! read more

Sassafraz is a French restaurant located in Yorkville. It has a sophisticated atmosphere. The Victorian exterior is a nice contrast to the modern interior. As you would expect, the service is top notch. The menu is safe but well done. I had the soup, duck and dessert. All of the courses were excellent. However, I would recommend the duck if you have never been to Sassafraz as the duck is a mainstay. read more

Sassafraz - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Came here on a Friday night for snacks and cocktails and was blown away. Ambiance: An amazing pianist was playing through most of the night. Honestly couldn't get enough of his soulful singing. The decor is on point and the lighting is perfect for an intimate date. There was a woman sitting next to the pianist with a book and a glass of wine. You could tell she goes to Sassafraz often for the ambiance. Service: Our waiter was named Jon and we agreed that he was the best waiter we've had in a long time. He was friendly, attentive and really knew his alcohol. He made several drink recommendations all of which were extraordinary. Food and drinks: That brings me to my third point. We only had some fries and dessert so can't comment on entrees. The food we did have was absolutely delicious. The cocktails again were exemplary. We had just finished with drinks and dinner at Scaddabush and were not impressed with their cocktails. Going to Sassafraz afterwards was like comparing night and day. Recommendation: Great date place and go on a Friday night when the pianist is there. read more

Sassafraz - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Came here for the winterlicious menu and I was not disappointed. Environment/decor: This is the place to go where you would go if you want a romantic dinner. It seriously reminded me of a wedding reception. There's candles, flowers in vases, waterfall backdrops, white linens, etc. Food: I had the pumpkin spiced duck pate. It was delicious. For my entree, I had the Ontario veal chop. I got it well and it was still nice and tender. And my favourite part of the meal, the banana custard tartlet. It really tasted fresh. The coconut mouse on top of the banana was a nice balance. Service: Our server was amazing. Very professional and caring. read more

Sassafraz - Ontario veal chop - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I went to this place with a party of 18 for a birthday. It was nice because before we went, the birthday girl was able to choose a prix fixe menu. She was able to make changes to the menu to cater to our groups needs. The prix fixe menu was $75/person, which is more on the expensive side. However, the food did not disappoint. Appetizers: I ordered the wild boar terrine, which started out cold and salted, but ended pleasantly sweet with a red currant geleé. Some others raved about the salad, which they stated had many dimensions. I also tasted the red lentil and carrot soup with pistachio cream, which was rich and savoury. Entrees: I had the Cornish hen with quinoa and double smoked bacon, which was rich and fantastic. My fiancée had the lamb and mushroom risotto, which I had 1/2 of and it was also fantastic. Rich, creamy, and with perfect texture. I also had the NY striploin, which was cooked to perfection and was very good. Dessert: I had the Apple Bread pudding and sour cream ice cream. I recommend this dish any day of the week. It was very rich with a brandy caramel that you pout over your own dish. Others had the chocolate lava cake, which was good, but paled in comparison to the apple pie. Service: we were serviced by a waiter named Gio, who was caring, informative, and very quick with service. I felt like he paid special attention to us, but he was frequently serving other tables, which shows that he is a very dedicated waiter. He made a mistake with a wine when I reordered, giving us a more expensive bottle, but when I brought it to his attention he adjusted the bill in our favour. That was nice. Drinks: The wine was fairly priced, but if you are ordering scotch or hard liquor, know that it's going to cost you. 2 double Glenlivet Scotches cost $96. read more

Sassafraz - Wild Boar Terrine - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Tis the season for Winterlicious, and as Sassafraz for my first stop, the bar has been set high and we'll see how the other participating restaurants fare. I started with the smoked salmon carpaccio, with mustard mousse on top, which left a smooth finish (and I don't even like mustard). I got the wild mushroom stuffed supreme of chicken for my entree, which was at the perfect moisture and was nicely seasoned to perfection. And I finished with the lemon tart, which came out to be nice and light, and not too sweet. In regards to the service, it was impeccable from start to finish. We never felt rushed or pressured when it came time to order, and our server had a lightheartedness to her. She would check up on us occasionally, while still giving us our space, and overall was just pleasant. Hopefully they're participating in Summerlicious, because lets face it, with my starving student budget, I won't be able to afford to go here on any given day. read more

Sassafraz - wild mushroom stuffed supreme of chicken with red quinoa and winter vegetables - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Monica had the chance to visit Sassafraz, a well-known restaurant in the Yorkville neighbourhood for lunch last weekend with some friends. House Cured Salmon Tartar -The pomegranate ginger mousse was supple and the baby greens on the side had a citrus taste, which was really good. It went with the salmon tartar very well. Honey & Chilli Glazed Prawns with saffron risotto - was just delicious! The saffron risotto looks really bland as it's just very yellow in the picture but it doesn't do the taste justice. The prawns were juicy as well. Braised P.E.I beef short ribs on pommes puree (potatoes) - The meat was tender and of good portion - not too big and not too small. The Bordelaise sauce was yummy! Gothan city cheese, served with flatbread and assorted dried fruits - I wish I knew what the jam-like sauce was because it complemented the cheese SO well. It was definitely my favourite part of the whole meal. warm apple compote with oat crumble, maple walnut and caramel cream - The cararmel cream melted in your mouth - just amazing! Overall, I had a great dining experience at Sassafraz. Their service was great, environment, gorgeous and the food, delicious. I'm glad I got to try for Winterlicious and I will definitely go back! read more

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Went to lunch today for Winterlicious with 10 friends and we were seated on the second floor. We had the entire floor to ourselves and we loved it. We got to be loud and silly without having people look at us funny. The main floor was packed! From the get-go I was impressed. Our waitress was nice and very professional. She was constantly refilling our coffee, bringing more bread and butter, and checking-in on us without being overbearing. I would go into detail about each dish, but the fact is that everyone cleared their plate. That to me is rare. For 11 people to enjoy their appetizer, main and dessert is uncommon; we are a picky bunch. I went to Canoe several days ago for lunch and I was really unhappy with their desserts. Sassafraz however knows how to bake! I would not get the cheese plate though. Even though the cheese plate tasted great, you really gotta try their raspberry cream roulade or warm chocolate cake. From all the mixed reviews I had heard and read about, I really felt apprehensive about Sassafraz. I am so glad that I decided to try them out for myself because this lunch has become one of the best meals I have ever had. *Great service, pretty ambiance and great food? Sold! Oh, and another cool thing was that we were all served at the same time and only had to wait less than 10 minutes between courses. You literally saw the line of staff come over to us so that we all got served at the same time. It was nice to see 4-5 servers all come up the stairs together and walk in a line towards our table. So professional! read more

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I had a lovely time at Sassafraz last night. My fiance and I went for winterlicious and were very impressed by the service, ambiance, and food. Ate every drop. We couldn't get enough of the bread. We might have had three loaves. I had the Lamb Meatballs, Lamb Shank and Banana Tart. My fiance had the green tomatoes with mozzarella and balsamic vinegar, the bison short rib pappardelle, and flourless chocolate cake. Everything was great. However, the chocolate cake was too rich for my fiance so we switched desserts. The one bit of the banana tart did taste lovely though. read more

Sassafraz - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Had a really good time the one time I came here. The food and wine were excellent. Definitely a classy place to have a meal for a special occasion... for me at least. I could also see this place being an excellent date place or restaurant to hold a business meeting or meal too. I'm slightly ashamed I didn't get better photos because these ones definitely do not do it justice. read more

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We decided to go here for Winterlicious on Saturday and we surely made the right choice! We sat by the window on comfy sofas (based on request) and each of us ordered different meals. Really enjoyed the trout and chocolate dessert! The portions were larger than expected (considering it's French) so it was easily sharable. You can tell that the staffs are extremely professional, when the timing of every food coming in and being cleared out is perfect. So flawless. Had a wonderful time chatting up with my girl friends :) read more

Sassafraz - French Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Two weddings and a dinner, that's what it took for me to finally pen a review for this iconic Yorkville restaurant. The was a dinner many years ago, and while I'm sure none of the menu items (or staff for that matter) are still the same, I do remember it was memorable. Fast forward to two years ago, we were invited to a friends wedding here and at first when we heard this we were puzzled. How? Well let me tell you how, their gorgeous main floor easily transforms into an event space for a group as much as 100 guests, with people sitting on long tables across the length of the main dining room. Then once dinner was over the remaining space could easily be used for enough room for dancing and drinks. Aside from the food being plentiful and easily the highest quality of any wedding we've been to save for a couple of venues (but definitely at the same level), the staff and venue transforms beautifully to accommodate any private function, even a loft space open from above next to their fantastic live wall for photographers to take amazing even shots once the party started. Fast forward to last year when we were talking to those same friends whose wedding we loved about how tough (expensive) it was to find a nice venue for our own wedding reception (cocktail style with passed apps, stations and open bar). We had been to several restaurants and venues across the city each time being greeted with insane pricing with even crazier add ons for silly services. It was disheartening to say the least. Our friends said that we really should reach out to Dennette and her team at Sassafraz as not only were they a dream to work with but very reasonable. Yeah right! A top restaurant in Toronto's most exclusive neighbourhood? Come on. They insisted we reach out and so we did. Dennette the main event coordinator was lovely from the very first email exchange and phone conversation. Understanding exactly what we needed and what we were looking for, and then providing us with a quote that was not only one of the lowest of any of the EIGHT we visited but also offered the most, with the fewest "add ons". Things like room rental fee, cake cutting costs for bringing in our own outside desserts and even set up fees were not even a consideration. The main objective was to ensure we hit an extremely reasonable minimum spend. We knew on food alone we'd hit that number so we decided to secure our date. Part of the reason why they don't charge a room rental fee is because they have a private event space on the upper floor with capacity for 200-250, so they don't need to shut down the restaurant to host your event (unless you want the main floor - then I don't know what their protocol is). Throughout the planning, our meetings and our eventual menu tasting a week prior to our big day, Dennette was always extremely helpful with suggestions, planning, and quick on response times. Despite the stress of planning any wedding, this was as stress free as you could hope for. Our cocktail wedding reception had us arriving at 3:30/4pm for set up, have a legal wedding in the room at 4:30pm and our guests began arriving at 5pm. It was perfect! Then the food began to roll out, OMG the food, the food, the food. Everything you would expect from a Yorkville restaurant, and more! Our expertly curated menu included the following (and more as I know I'm forgetting some things: STATIONS * Canadian Cheeses/dried fruits/honey comb/nuts/figs crisps * Cured Meats/Pickled Veggies/Chipotle vinaigrette/sriracha aioli/breads * Assorted Sushi (Maki, sashimi, rolls, Nigiri, etc) PASSED CANAPES (single bite) * Smoked Salmon/Dill crème fraiche/toast points * Poached Lobster Medallions/Orange Zest/Fennel * Tomato and avocado salad/Chipotle vinaigrette/tostada * Duck Confit Croquette/apricot orange jam * Wild Mushroom tart/ truffle essence PASSED TASTING BOWLS * Buttermilk fried chicken/creamy grits/waffle/maple gravy * Potato gnocchi/wild mushrooms/Arugula/Parmigianno-Reggiano PASSED CANAPES (more than a bite) * Grilled three cheese on sourdough bread * Mini S Cafe bar Burger/ Canadian Prime Beef/ aged cheddar/bacon jalapeno aioli * Traditional Quebecois style poutine Is your mouth watering? It should be, because everything on this list tasted, smelt and looked as amazing as it sounds. Our special day was made easy, delicious and memorable, thanks to the staff of Sassafraz, and as if to add a cherry on top of all of this, they finished a full renovation of the main floor (see their Instagram) a mere week before our date and guests were all marveling at how gorgeous it looks now! We're planning to be lifelong advocates and customers of Sassafraz, so if you're ever there as for us, we'll have a table every year on our anniversary Eatcrest Out! Pro-tip to couples getting married. The Yorkville park across the street from Sassafraz is an easy choice for wedding day pictures and you don't require a Toronto photo permit according to their list on their website! read more