Auberge du Pommier — Restaurant in Toronto

This was a truly disappointing experience and the only restaurant where we had to send a dish back. I had high expectations for this place—it’s a well-known, long-established French restaurant that I had even recommended to my friends before visiting. The ambiance is elegant and refined, and my friend mentioned that many people choose this venue for weddings and birthday celebrations. The service was impeccable, with attention to detail—one notable touch was how the server personally placed the napkin on our laps upon seating.

Soupe aux Champignons et Oignons (Mushroom and Onion Soup) A completely uninspired dish—just a bowl of soup with no additional ingredients. The flavor and preparation were so monotonous that it was hard to believe a restaurant of this caliber would serve something that tasted like canned soup from the supermarket. The roasted mushroom oil only added to the greasiness of the already heavy cream-based soup, rather than enhancing the flavor.

Salade Frisée (Frisée Salad) The vinaigrette was overwhelming—my friend described it as having an intense white vinegar taste, making it unbearably sour. We ended up returning it and replacing it with beef tartare, which, though also quite acidic, was at least enjoyable for my friend.

Terrine de Canard (Duck Terrine) A classic preparation of cherry sherry jelly layered over a smooth, mousse-like duck terrine. The terrine itself was rich and velvety, but the jelly added little to the dish—it was the charred aroma of the toasted bread that stood out the most. While technically well-executed, the dish wasn’t particularly exciting.

Bœuf Bourguignon (Burgundy Red Wine Braised Beef) This was the dish I was most looking forward to, yet the result tasted almost identical to the version I make at home. The beef was tender, infused with a robust wine flavor, and the ingredients were well-defined with an enticing color. However, the sauce had been strained out for the sake of presentation, which was a real letdown. The only standout twist was the addition of mustard seeds.

Farfalle (Bowtie Pasta) A surprisingly enjoyable pasta dish—the natural sweetness of pumpkin purée paired beautifully with the nutty aroma. It ended up being more popular at our table than the beef.

Marmite Dieppoise (Dieppe-Style Seafood Stew) A dish that was rich in flavor but not overly heavy, with plenty of umami depth. Leeks played a key role in enhancing the taste, giving the dish a well-balanced, layered quality. This is the kind of dish that has a high floor—it was well-executed, but not particularly memorable.

Apple Tarte Tatin The caramelized apple tart had a distinct hawthorn-like flavor, with just the right level of sweetness—any more would have been overpowering. Interestingly, the nutmeg ice cream stole the show. At first, I mistook it for ginger-flavored ice cream, but it had a unique and intriguing taste that stood out more than the tart itself.

Tarte au Citron (Lemon Tart) A standard, by-the-book presentation—nothing remarkable.

Torte au Chocolat (Chocolate Cake) A complete disappointment—the texture was far too dry, crumbling into powdery bits with every cut. Not recommended.

Overall Impression The menu lacked standout dishes and felt uninspired, failing to convey any real craftsmanship or passion from the chef. While the service was excellent—the staff not only replaced our overly acidic salad for free but also removed it from the bill—I was highly dissatisfied with the food itself. From a culinary perspective, I’d attribute at least 80% of the negative experience to the chef.

However, if you’re simply looking for an elegant French restaurant to check off your list or have a date night, this place does offer a refined and upscale setting. Just don’t expect the food to be...

If you’re familiar with any of my previous restaurant reviews, you know that my wife and I are firm believers that excellent food means nothing with superior customer service. The reputation of the food at Auberge du Pommier is well established, under the masterful curation and guidance of Chef Solomon Mason, but it’s the service that makes the dining experience truly worthwhile.

My wife and I had attended a wedding here last summer and were blown away by the quality and preparation of the food, and the genuine care and attention with which it was presented. So when the opportunity to attend this year’s Summerlicious arose, we jumped at the chance..

The atmosphere is both rustic and elegant at the same time, making you feel as if you’re in a special place designed just for you.

For our starter, we both chose the Beef Tartare with hazelnuts, brown butter mayonnaise, and baguette. The flavours were delicate, subtle, but luxurious nonetheless.

For our main, we chose the Duck Confit, with Hudson Valley duck cassoulet, lardons, and pearl onions. But before it could arrive, our delightful server, Krista, brought us an additional main to share since we’d mentioned it was our anniversary the following week; the Ricotta Mezzelune pasta dish, with walnuts, arugula, stracciatella, and lemon. It was a beautiful, delicate surprise.

Now back to our main, Main: I love duck, but have never had a duck confit before. And if I was ever going to try it, I wanted it done right. And man, was it ever done right. Rich and flavourful meat, with a light, crisp skin that melted in your mouth, leaving only a well-balanced salty goodness.

For dessert, we both had the Chocolate Torte, with cocoa nibs and garden mint. Very rich and satisfying. BUT, because my wife had had trouble choosing between that and the Lemon Tart with torched meringue and basil, they also brought us a serving of that to share. It was beautiful to look at, and maybe a bit on the sweet side, but delicious nonetheless. (Perhaps these bonus dishes are all a matter of course for the staff, but for us, they were greatly appreciated.)

As I mentioned, as excellent as all the food was, it would have meant nothing without service to match. Not only was Krista extremely pleasant, knowledgeable, attentive, and genuine, but I could see the general attention of all the staff to the customers’ needs was of paramount importance. Even when Krista couldn’t attend immediately to our needs, she sent her colleague, Sylvio, to check on us. And he did this not as if it were a burden to be tolerated, but like it was a pleasure to be part of our dining experience.

And that’s the key. The entire staff, from Chef Sol right on down, seemed driven by one goal and one goal only: to provide the customer with the best experience possible. And that is what we had. It’s not cheap, and that’s not always a guarantee of quality. But if you ever feel like pushing the boat out for a special occasion, Auberge du Pommier is an experience truly...

Auberge du Pommier is an Oliver & Bonacini mainstay for French fine dining. It's been around since the 1980s but the building is far older, largely built around two cottages dating back to the 1860s. It's probably often described in ad copy as having "rustic charm", and frankly that's an accurate assessment. There's literally white glove service - this is the sort of restaurant you would consider for making a marriage proposal (I considered it!) or as a wedding venue.

We went for a date night, taking advantage of an O&B gift card I bought on Black Friday. Even then, it was expensive - this is the definitely a place to splurge a bit and treat yourself.

We had the Bread & Butter, Salade Déesse, Beef Tartare, Hudson Valley Canard, Asparagus, Fork-Mashed Potato (i.e. Pommes de Terre à la Fourchette), and espressos for dessert. I'll describe each dish in turn.

The bread was delightfully warm and soft, and the cured butter was outstanding. I'm not going to belabor the point - it's bread and butter - but it was executed at the highest level. Along with the bread and butter we were given an amuse bouche (gratis) that was essentially a cheese tart. It didn't have much flavour but was a pleasant start to the meal.

The Salade Déesse was comprised of lettuce leaves stuffed with avocado, topped with dill and cilantro, and dressed in a lemony vinaigrette. It was really tasty: I love the idea of adding dill to what are otherwise conventional taco ingredients. I'll probably be making homemade iterations of this dish for months/years to come.

In terms of the beef tartare, I sometimes find that restaurants will go overboard with bold flavours, perhaps to distract from lower quality meat, but fortunately that was not the case here. Some Dijon mustard and greens on top rounded out the dish nicely, but the beef shines through.

The asparagus was essentially the perfect texture, whereas I often find it too firm or soft. The mashed potatoes were also good. Both dishes were well-executed but conventional (which, to be honest, is basically the O&B modus operandi)

The Hudson Valley Canard was easily the standout dish of the meal and is one of the best duck dishes I've ever eaten. It was outstanding, I can't recommend it highly enough. The duck was really succulent, and the orange and candied citrus (!) added such an interesting complementary flavour. We were almost licking the plate we enjoyed it so much.

Lastly, we ordered espressos for dessert and were given complimentary cookies and fudge. Both were pleasant and went well with the espressos.

Overall, Auberge du Pommier is a beautiful restaurant to enjoy well-executed (albeit not especially inventive) French fine dining for a...