Saturday
Batifole
744 Gerrard E, at Howland, 416-462-9965, batifole.ca. Though this unconventional bistro bills itself as the best French restaurant in Chinatown East, owner/chef Jean-Jacques Texier’s modish south Riverdale room – pale taupe walls with a large, sweeping bar down one side, tables topped with brown kraft paper, moulded plywood chairs, Carla Bruni on the CD player – is easily one of the best bistros in town. Bonus: all starters are priced at $8, mains $18 and à la carte sides $6! Deep wine cellar, too. Best: from a regularly changing card, to begin, escargot fricassee from a secret family recipe smooth chicken liver brûlé with black grape and Armagnac preserves entrees like pan-fried Provimi veal liver with green olives, roasted garlic, capers and lemony brown butter white bean cassoulet with duck confit, sausage and crispy pork belly hand-chopped horse sirloin tartare seared veal flank steak with roasted shallots on the side, chunky pommes frites with tarragon mayo simple green salads to finish, pecan crepes flambéed in Jack Daniels crème brûlée tarte tatin. Complete dinners for $50 per person, including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $18. Open for dinner Saturday 6 to 10:30 pm. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN
Jules Bistro
147 Spadina, at Queen W, 416-348-8886, julesbistrocafe.com. Now in its 12th year, Eric and Mahasti Strippoli’s laid-back brick-lined bistro is always a zoo at lunch. But come back at dinner and find a relaxed room lit by chandeliers that makes a great backdrop for a first date, especially when the three-course prix fixe – French onion soup, Caesar or cold chèvre salad followed by seared 8-ounce flank strip peppered with herbes de Provence, grilled chicken or salmon sided with sea-salted fries, house-made mayo and mixed greens in apple cider Dijon vinaigrette, and traditional desserts of crème brûlée or chocolate mousse – goes for $24.95. Best: traditional thin-crusted quiche with Swiss cheese, bacon ‘n’ broccoli or eggplant ratatouille and chèvre foot-long sandwiches on Portuguese pada, like Le Parisien with Black Forest ham, Swiss cheese and tart cornichons, or creamy Brie with tomato and greens, all with puréed soup, mesclun or fries for dessert, house-baked tarte aux pommes. Complete dinners for $40 per person (lunches $25), including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $18/$12. Open for dinner Saturday 4 to 9 pm. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNNN
Le Sélect
432 Wellington W, at Spadina, 416-596-6405, leselect.ca. After nearly three decades on Queen West, Jean-Jacques Quinsac and Frederic Geisweller’s intimate French bistro relocates to more spacious digs four blocks south. Almost every detail, from the original’s art nouveau facade to the welcoming zinc bar and the posters plastered to its pale faux-nicotine-stained walls, has been duplicated. But who forgot those legendary hanging bread baskets? Best: to begin, an assortment of Alsatian charcuterie or puff pastry vol-au-vents with escargots mains like the house bavette – an aged 8-ounce flat-iron – topped with shallots and sided with fabulously skinny house frites braised white bean cassoulet with lamb, pork belly, Toulouse sausage and duck confit daily specials like oxtail ravioli with salsify, sweetbreads braised in Madeira, or lamb shank and marrow bone in risotto mussels steamed in Quebec Maudite ale with smoked pork belly and frites gently beer-braised tripes à la Tripelle oreille de cochon, strips of crispy sow’s ears sided with lentils du Puy and watercress crêtes de coq, braised cockscombs with mushrooms, pine nuts and artichoke-stuffed tortellino $19.95 two-course steak frites prix fixe. Complete prix fixe dinners for $35 per person (à la carte $55/lunches or brunches $30), including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $21/$13. Open for dinner Saturday 5 pm to midnight. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Sunday
Camp
244 Jane, at Horshaw, 647-346-2267. The Beaver Café’s Megan Whiten returns with a compact family-friendly spot in the wilds of Baby Point. Though its more leisurely during the week for lunch and breakfast – and comfort food dinner Friday night – the cozy 26-seat room’s a zoo come Saturday and Sunday brunch. Deservedly so. And here’s a rarity in a restaurant: interesting art, some of it created by celebrated sculptor and Megan’s mom Colette Whiten. Best: the Canadiana breakfast sandwich on grilled ciabatta layered with thinly sliced peameal, cheddar, tomato and fluffy scrambled eggs steamed Italian-style on an espresso machine those same fab eggs sided with beefy Butcher Shoppe sausage and retro scalloped potatoes quiche du jour with shredded brisket, sharp Havarti and caramelized onions, house organic greens in a honey vinaigrette on the side to finish, gluten-free chocolate brownies. Complete brunches for $20 per person, including tax, tip and a steamed hot apple cider. Average main $10. Open for brunch Sunday 9 am to 3 pm. Closed some holidays. No reservations. Licensed. Access: one step at door, one step to washrooms. Rating: NNNN
Hammersmith’s
807 Gerrard E, at Logan, 416-792-9043, hammersmithsbrunch.com. No longer the Logan Grill, Brittany Peglar and Colin Reed’s east-side brunch spot is a godsend for south Riverdale even if the renovated white-on-white interior looks like they ran out of money halfway through the job. Laid-back during the week, the former diner causes lineups every Saturday and Sunday. Best: from a constantly evolving menu, starters like halved baby heirloom tomatoes dressed with fresh burrata, basil pesto and Maldon sea salt basic mains like steak ‘n’ eggs sided with crispy bacon, onion and fried-potato hash chunky chicken salad sandwiches with fresh arugula, grainy mustard and Sriracha on baguette free-range omelettes du jour with sides of Sausage Partners links first-rate baked goods like ex-Drake pastry chef Peglar’s sugar-crusted raspberry and blackberry scones, Soma chocolate chip cookies and local sour cherry muffins to drink, house-made strawberry lemonade. Complete brunches for $25 per person, including tax, tip and a coffee. Average main $12. Open for brunch Sunday 9:30 am to 4 pm. Unlicensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Voodoo Child
388 College, at Borden, 647-748-1011, voodoochild.ca. Former Liberty Belle Bistro owner/chef Aidan Pascoe comes back swinging with an extremely limited weekend brunch card in a laid-back coffee house close to Kensington. Latte art by former Bulldog barrista Bruce Ly makes the inevitable gaps in service more entertaining. Best: to start, house-baked muffins stuffed with cream cheese herbed baguette piled with truffled ‘n’ scrambled free-range eggs sided with white Sanagan’s breakfast bangers and deliciously dilled potato salad thick slices of challah French toast one of two ways, either sweet with caramelized banana and Nutella or layered with sweetly pulled Mennonite pork and maple hollandaise, the latter additionally sided with a very good arugula salad tossed with walnuts and strips of apple in fruity vinaigrette. Complete brunches for $30, including tax, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $12. Open for brunch Sunday 10 am to 3 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
