$$ French American
Address: 1087 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1H3
About
Located in the heart of Toronto's vibrant Queen Street West, Astoria in The Great Hall, directly across the street from Bar Poet. beckons with its French-American charm. Beyond its brunch delights served on weekends from 10 am to 3 pm, Astoria transforms into a haven for late-night revelers, offering an enticing array of cocktails, shareable plates, and their signature Astoria burger from 11 pm to 2 am. Whether you're seeking a leisurely brunch or a lively evening out, Astoria promises a culinary experience that embodies elegance and flavour in every bite and sip.
The Atmosphere
We arrived for our 5:30 reservation just on time, it was a sunny day and the corner of Queen and Dovercourt was busy with young people making their way to the many bars and restaurants that line Queen Street. We entered Astoria and was quickly seated by a host sitting right by the entrance. The space was already a buzz with customers celebrating, eating and drinking. The room itself can be described as a rectangle, but the space is filled with curved booths, rounded tables, arched mirrors that give the space feel cozy and elevated.
A long bar lines the back of the restaurant, lamps illuminate the space, and the floor is tiled white. The ambiance reminds me of Poirot era - between WW1 and WW2. The restaurant is beautiful and so will the food, plating and hardware be as we take a look further down in the article. My only criticism of Astoria is that the space can get quite loud with voices as there aren't many fabrics in place to absorb volume. There are coat racks sitting in the corners of the room, but in the winter, it might be a little difficult to accommodate all guests. It should be prioritized for the seats on the curved tables, which has guests sitting on stools leaves no room for guests to keep coats near them. The racks were quite full when we arrived, so kept our coats on for the duration of the meal.
The menu is inscribed onto one sheet of paper that doubles as a placemat. It can take a moment to understand the menu as it isn't so straightforward, but once you go through each heading it does become clear. It is a bit quirky, unique and pretty but it does take moment to navigate.
What We Ordered
Before we get into the food, I'd like to share that Astoria does have a $10 Martini Happy Hour from 5-7pm. I'm not a big martini girlie, but I am a BIG Olive girlie, so I ordered a dirty martini. My brother, ordered the Astoria Lager ($8). They do also have quite a selection of beers on tap, cocktails, and bubbly. The Astoria Lager (which my brother ordered 2 of) tasted exactly like a Molson Canadian and the dirty martini was alright, not my favourite - there was something about the olive brine that did not agree with my stomach, but I don't hold that against Astoria.
French Onion Soup. ($17)
I just want to preface this by saying there is no shame in sharing a french Onion Soup. We both wanted to try it, and it was under shareable and a bit expensive at $17, so we figured - Hey, why not just share it. This soup was delicious, the broth rich, the cheese cheesy and the bread perfectly toasted. I will say there is significantly more onion in this soup then I usually have. Usually it is a bit more like a broth, with a large portion of the onion melted away. I am not upset by the large amount of onion still in this soup; however, it would have been a lot for myself or my brother to eat in addition to our mains and dessert. Overall, absolutely delicious - my only warning is that we did find a small bone in our broth, which could be dangerous. This tells us that they make the broth and stock by hand, however they did miss this little bone which can be a serious chocking hazard.
Braised Short-rib ($31)
I ordered the Braised Short-rib, sitting in mash potatoes, a brown sauce and topped with pearl onions. The braised short-rib melted with each bite, the potatoes flavourful, I enjoyed ever bite of this dish.
Steak Frites ($35)
The Bavette (Flank) Steak was perfectly cooked to medium rare, the butter pared well and was not overpowering like what we had experienced at Le Swan. I appreciate that they provided salt on the side allowing the individual to control the salt content. My brother did put a little to much salt, but it was still delicious! The fries were crispy and flavourful.
Chocolate Mousse ($14)
Lastly we ordered their Chocolate Mousse, it arrived in a ramekin topped with whipped cream and pistachios. The contrast of colour made for a very beautiful presentation and the nuttiness of the pistachio added another level of dimension the creamy sweetness of the mousse.
The menu also includes East Coast Oysters, Duck Confit, Escargot and other french classics that will make you feel like you've gone all the way to Paris. I'll definitely be back to try some of these favourites and to try their brunch. Let me know what you thought in the comments below!
Conclusion
Astoria in The Great Hall was an absolute delight and has done well to bring French-American cuisine to Toronto's busy Queen West. From its classic ambiance to its delectable dishes, it offers a dining experience that captivate the senses. While the space can get lively, and for the little hazard with the bone, the quality of the food and the sophistication of the atmosphere make it a must-visit destination.
How To Get There
Address: 1087 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1H3
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