The Old York Tavern

Fantastic food, service, and ambience. They gave us a free dessert for no reason. Everything was so good I felt like the bill should've been higher. Would I say it's the best spot in Toronto? Yes. The restaurant's writing made the pain perdu look like meatloaf, the chocolate syrup like gravy, and the ice cream like mashed potatoes. It was the best dessert we tried.

December 31, 2024 on Google

I was very disappointed with this tavern. We chose it for brunch because it was nearby, but the experience fell short. The brunch hours go until 3 PM, and the place was packed, making the small space feel even more cramped, especially in winter with everyone’s bulky coats. We arrived at 2 PM and were seated quickly after being told brunch ended at 3 PM. The menu had limited food options but plenty of alcoholic beverages. I decided to try their Tavern Hash, thinking it would be a signature dish, but it was a letdown. The presentation was unimpressive, and the portion was tiny for $29. The dish consisted of a soft hash brown base (about 10 cm in diameter), spinach, beef, and hollandaise sauce on top. It was soggy and lacked flavor. My partner and I ordered two portions along with soft drinks, and the total came to around $80—far too expensive for the quality and portion size. While the servers were friendly, they seemed rushed, likely because they were nearing closing time. The tavern itself feels casual, not high-end, and the tightly packed seating made the experience uncomfortable. We were in and out in under 30 minutes, which speaks to how quickly the food arrived, but overall, it wasn’t worth the visit.

December 14, 2024 on Google

Great service, best in the city. Very attentive and friendly, our food was taking a while and they came over to apologise and offer us complimentary drinks without us even saying anything. We told them we would normally got for dessert but we were just too full, they gave us a complimentary dessert anyway. Needless to say I was extremely full leaving that place. The food overall was tasty however the veggies that came with the halloumi were over seasoned and very oily. I’d definitely return to try different dishes though!

December 7, 2024 on Google

Bacon strips are thick, long, and juicy! 🐷 Smoked Salmon Tartine was a great choice! 🐟 Lobster Benedict for $36+tax and tip is expensive IMO. Not enough lobster pieces to justify this insane price 👎🏽 🦞 French toast was perfect dessert closure! 🍞 The place is usually crowded at brunch during weekends, so plan accordingly.

December 2, 2024 on Google

Came here for the first time on a nice sunny day in September for lunch on the patio. The food was phenomenal, we will definitely be coming back!! Everything was amazing, the calamari is a MUST GET! The server was very attentive and kind. The cherry on top was running into Anthony Mackie dining at the restaurant too 😅

November 2, 2024 on Google

Went here for dinner and had a great experience. The food - delicious, flavourful, and cooked to perfection. Unique French take on gastropub food, with a great medium rare burger and pork belly. Service was also fantastic, very fast.

October 7, 2024 on Google

I had an absolutely wonderful meal last night with my wife. The ambiance is absolutely perfect for a date night or catching up with friends. The food was amazing which is matched by the service. Definitely a hidden gem.

October 6, 2024 on Google

Beside the very hard to get into, Edulis is The Old York Tavern. We went with a group of 5 during a busy Saturday night and it was great! I’d highly recommend their Ceasar, it’s probably one of the better ones I’ve had in awhile. They do some fun pickle backs which are always great when you are celebrating. Let’s talk about the food! It’s good! We got an assortment of dishes to accompany our group and they hit everything on the nail. Calamari was suprising for me since I’m not the biggest fan of ordering them, but they held up and had a twist on them with shishito peppers! The burger is their crowd pleaser. I don’t get wagyu if I’m being honest, so I wasn’t too crazy about the burger. However the fries were good! One thing I need to mention here is service. Specifically our service experience overall. Our server was fantastic, a little quick for 5 people but great. The important point I wanted to say is that we wanted to bring a cake we made for a birthday. They wanted to charge 10 dollars a person to serve the cake. Now folks, no way in hell am I doing that. I get adding a charge to cover the missed dessert but, it came at a very high price with not accommodations (ie adding a little whipped cream or ice cream). I feel we could have worked something out, given that they knew we were celebrating a birthday. Instead, we were told in a nice way, pay or don’t bring it… This didn’t feel the most accommodating and is therefore, deserving of a 3/5. Check it out, it’s cool!

October 5, 2024 on Google