Bacchanal
Bacchanal, a French "neo bistro" that aims to offer an updated take on traditional dishes, occupies what was once theshort-livedRecess DinerandFountainon Sudbury Street, just south of West Queen West and north of Liberty Village.
This beautifully designed space seats 100, including seating along a sleek, brass-accented bar. Various areas flow into one another, from a semi-private dining space with a big window displaying the pastry chefs at work to the main dining area with a view of the quasi-open main kitchen.
General manager/sommelier Lachlan Dennis (勒选择小酒馆) has come up with an international wine list (with a heavy dose of France, of course) that focuses on pairing well with the food, and an entire page of the menu is devoted to wines available by the glass.
A French-inspired cocktail menu was created by bar manager Jason Griffin (Maison Boulud and Hotel William Gray in Montreal), and, in keeping withthe spirit of the restaurant's name, there's an off-menu absinthe program as well (just ask for the "green fairy").
Dalí ($13) is a visually pleasing drink that tips its hat to the surrealist artist. Containing gin, crème de violette, herbes de Provence, lemon and butterfly pea flower, this floral and not-too-sweet sour uses aquafaba (a vegan chickpea liquid) instead of egg whites to create its foam.
Le Bon Vivant ($13), a buttery smooth stirred cocktail with gin, sassafras-infused French vermouth, Amontillado sherry and green strawberry bitters, goes down dangerously easily.
Le Landemer ($14) is Griffin's French take on a tiki concoction. It's named after a famous beach-side hotel in Normandy, and is a tropical mix of Calvados, agrikol rum, star anise-infused Lillet, house-made orgeat, celery bitters, fresh pineapple juice and lime.
As for the food, owner/executive chef Luke Donato (Campagnolo) is plating approachable and contemporary bistro fare that's suitable for eating at the bar just as apps with drinks (there's also a raw bar), or for a full-fledged dinner.
He even offers the option of a carte blanche, trust-the-chef, large format dinner ($150/head) served family-style for two or more people.
Perfect for snacking at the bar are a bunch of hors d'oeuvres: pâté de grand-mère ($9), galantine de volaille ($12), champignons à la Grecque ($7), leeks vinaigrette ($7) and oeufs Pépin ($7). A bit of this and that, the flavours all work well together in combination with one another.
As a proper starter, we try the oeufs en meurette ($15), a classic from Burgundy. It's kind of like a classy (and super delicious) breakfast for dinner, with an egg poached in a red wine sauce, bacon, mushrooms and pearl onions on brioche.
Equally satisfying is the agnolotti ($16), with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and garlicky snails in a spinach and watercress sauce.
No French bistro, new wave or not, is complete without steak frites ($24), and Bacchanal's 8 oz. flatiron version comes topped with a Café de Paris sauce.
Truite de Fjords ($29) pairs a crisp-skinned piece of Norwegian ocean trout in a sauce l'oseille (sorrel sauce) with refreshing steamed cucumbers.
Another classic, magret de canard ($31), is a real delight. The flavourful, perfectly cooked duck breast comes accompanied by a tasty trio of poached plums, sweet parsnips and a foie gras espuma.
Pastry chef Cori Murphy (Alo)是hind the desserts here (she also makes the bread in-house daily).
One option is the Paris-Brest ($15), a beautiful donut-shaped choux pastry sandwiching a divine hazelnut praline crémeux with just a touch of salt for contrast. The booze-soaked baba au rhum ($15) is another winner.
One final tip: be sure to check out the wallpaper; animation artistRay Xudesigned theToronto-themed onein the main dining area while illustratorElyse Saundersoffers a NSFW interpretation of the restaurant's name in the bathrooms.
Hector Vasquez