The Berczy Tavern

I haven’t written a review for a while, but this restaurant deserves the spotlight! Let’s start with the food—every recommendation was outstanding. The octopus was the star of the meal, though the dinner rolls and fish crudo were equally impressive. Even the glazed carrots, a simple side, left us amazed. We wished we could try more but kept it modest to avoid waste. The service was exceptional—attentive, warm, and personal. They celebrated our newlywed status with special touches and complimentary items, making us feel truly valued. The ambiance was perfect: intimate with tasteful décor. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to experience the live music but that simply means we must return to try more food and enjoy the music. This restaurant exceeded our expectations on every front. Amazing food, top-notch service, and a wonderful intimate atmosphere—we can’t wait to return!

December 23, 2024 on Google

Enjoyed my time during our visit on Saturday! We booked a reso for 4 for the Piano Bar (basically the front of the restaurant where there is a live piano player!) It made for great ambiance, and the piano player was excellent and sung a few tunes too. Thoroughly enjoyed the classic pancakes - the lemon flavour really shone through nicely, the blueberry compote was excellent and the pancakes themselves were super light and delicious. My partner enjoyed his bennies and my partners step dad loved his eggs in purgatory but did need to ask for more bread to finish it off. Loved the interior of the restaurant and I’m excited to come back for dinner.

December 16, 2024 on Google

Made a reservation here at their ‘Piano Bar’ for brunch. The live music in the background was a nice vibe. The lady playing the piano was also singing, which was nice. I noticed the interior was familiar and think this restaurant used to be Le Papillon. Didn’t notice much of a change with how the place was laid out. Had the lobster and shrimp eggs benedict. The smashed potatoes had a great texture - crisp skin on the outside and a good cook on the potato - not too mushy and still retaining some bite to them. The lobster and shrimp themselves could have both gotten more seasoning because they tasted bland without the hollandaise. I liked the brioche bun as the bread for the benedict. It added a sweetness to the dish and I liked the texture.

December 8, 2024 on Google

Th decor here is beautiful and the service excellent. The food was tasty, but the portions slightly smaller than average. The fries were not great, a little too crispy and hollow. One of us ordered steak, medium well, and it was very rare so he wasn’t pleased. My biggest problem was that I ordered 2 cocktails, “something borrowed”. The taste was fantastic, however, there was virtually no gin in them. As someone who doesn’t drink alcohol often, when I do, I feel it immediately. With these cocktails I felt absolutely nothing which suggests they had very little alcohol, and they were $18 or $19 each so that was disappointing. All in all the food was tasty, it was just disappointing with a few things. The back dining room was full of large tables and very loud so if you want quieter, stick to the piano bar in front.

September 21, 2024 on Google

Would recommend Berczy for the ambiance, it’s a good spot for drinks! Service was amazing and the live music/piano is something different! Loved that you could submit song requests :) We got there around 10pm so they had a smaller snack menu. We tried the tuna tostada which only had a few pieces of tuna (3/10) and calamari which was a tad rubbery, not crispy, and was half veggies, so for $28 I wouldn’t recommend (4/10). The dessert we ordered was yummy though! We had the praline profiterole and the espresso sauce made it worth it. Overall would stick to drinks here!

September 21, 2024 on Google

Had an amazing time here and tried their brunch - Executive Chef Michael Angeloni really has curated some impressive dishes 🤍☀️ The ambiance is super sophisticated yet laid back, and takes you into a fun jazz era realm with a contemporary twist. The brunch was phenomenal and the highlight here definitely was the pancakes & eggs bennies 😍 Make sure to request your favourite songs at the Piano Bar while indulging in delicious dishes & crafted cocktails 🎶 It is a super unique experience in TO and highly recommend going here!!!

September 11, 2024 on Google

We found the location itself to be beautiful and well decorated. Can see the remnants of the former Le Papillon on the interior but overall very well decorated with a fun, trendy atmosphere. We made a reservation at the recommendation of our neighbours and ordered two of the signature cocktails, the crab cakes, lobster and shrimp salad, pork chop, octopus, and chocolate rocher for dessert. The cocktails were pretty good albeit a bit generic. Lobster salad had a nice bright flavour to it. Pork chops on the bed of polenta were very very rich and heavy - they did not sit well with us. Octopus entree left something to be desired and was lacking any distinct flavour. It just tasted like the grill. We did love the chocolate rocher and would maybe return to try more of the desserts. Service started off really well but we were forgotten about by the end and had a difficult time flagging someone to get our bill. Overall the food was very underwhelming for the price. Some of the menu prices were shocking. Felt like we were paying for the appearance of the food and the ambience in the restaurant. Everything was nicely plated but lacked in the flavour department

August 11, 2024 on Google

The Berczy Tavern is an impeccable dining experience in downtown Toronto. We visited as a special treat for my wife’s birthday and everything about the meal was excellent. The staff were extremely knowledgeable and the service was first rate. The kitchen produces plates that are both beautiful and delicious. The room has a super cool vibe, without being pretentious or up tight. The live jazz piano was a great touch. Every detail, down to the silverware and warm and inviting decor was thoughtful and very well done. If you want to impress someone special and make it look effortless, take them to the Berczy.

July 11, 2024 on Google