Maison Selby — Restaurant in Toronto

UPDATE:

After getting a mediocre response to my review from the Maison Selby staff, I reached out to the O&B corporate office. I was connected to Natalie who took my concerns very seriously. Natalie gave me a call and apologized for our experience and communicated her disappointment. She went over and above to redeem O&B and I am very thankful to her for taking my concern seriously.

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Maison Selby was truly one of the worst restaurants I've ever been to in Toronto. A massive disappointment in service and staff.

Let's start with the good. To be fair, our waiter was pleasant and attended to us as best he could, he was the only waiter for a table of 12 plus another 4 people seated in the same area. It was apparent he was on his own, despite the restaurant not being busy as it was the end of brunch, so I felt for him. Food was generally good, but expensive for what is offered and mine was served cold.

Now the bad and there is a lot of bad. I went to Maison Selby with a group of 12 people for my wife's birthday brunch. My wife called the restaurant in April to book a brunch for June and ensured that a table of 12 was possible. They said this was their max for reservations, my wife accepted and confirmed the reservation. I made a separate reservation for myself and 4 other people joining the brunch as I required a physical accommodation for my back and I requested we be seated at the bar. I had no problem being separated from my wife, we do this often as this issue is chronic.

Part of the party arrived at the restaurant early (including myself and my wife) and we walked through the door and told what I believe was the floor manager that we had a reservation under Sandra. She asked who Sandra was, went over to her and began to chastise her for "being sneaky" and trying to book two reservations for over 12 people. She went on to say that "we will not be doing 18 separate bills and we expect there will be no mingling or hanging around of our large party". My friend in the party tried to smooth it over by saying "don't worry we are well behaved" and she snickered and said "we'll see about that".

After a full 2 minutes of hostility, my wife got a word in and said we booked two separate reservations on purpose and did not expect to sit together. She did not acknowledge it. When I approached the manager again about where my party of 4 will be sitting, she went on to say "oh yeah your reservation said you had a back problem or something, so you wanted to be seated by the bar" with disregard. At this point I still had no idea where my reservation was as she treated us with such distain, so I went to wait with the party of 12.

In assuming the manager had a change of heart after she saw us complaining out loud, she ran over to me and insisted that she let me have a standing table of my own with the party so we wouldn't have to separate and my 3 other guests could sit at the table next to big reservation. Where this came from baffled me as only 15 minutes ago she railed us for "trying to pull a fast one". That they provided me an accommodation, I must say I appreciated.

Once we got brunch, it was clear the waiter was struggling to handle the size of the party. He did separate bills for us (after we ensured whether or not he was fine with it despite his own manager being rude about it) and it took him over an hour to cash everyone out. At that point, the same manager came in to "assist him" and went on to tell me "this is exactly what she didn't want to happen" while not helping him at all.

I don't know what the dynamic is at this restaurant with the staff, but I know what my experience was there, and it was unwelcoming, overpriced and truly unbearable. I wish we walked out when we arrived, but with only a portion of our party arriving at first, we figured we would try and stay and make the best of it for my wife and her birthday.

Perhaps the restaurant should reconsider who they have greeting customers at the front of house because the manager in particular was truly horrible at it.

I'll never return to...

DREAM WEDDING REVIEW! (Long overdue) A million stars! (buckle up, it's a long one)

Thank you Maison Selby! We got married here well over a year ago (so sorry for the slow review, we each thought the other had posted one! OOPS!) With zero caveats, Maison Selby was truly our dream venue and every single one of the staff made our wedding an absolutely perfect event from start to finish.

To start off with, the place is gorgeous (I would live there). It was the exact moody victorian vibe I wanted which required minimal decoration on our part other than flowers, an arch, and some small details. We booked out the whole place, and the staff were so incredible with helping to accommodate a seating plan for our guest list of 48 (plus the two of us), and also allowed for more guests to come after dinner for drinks and dancing, which let us have the perfectly sized event. Intimate but fun for dinner, and a blast for the party! The staff were SO helpful getting this planned out and accommodating all my requests to move things around for the perfect layout and decor set up.

Then, THE FOOD! My god the food! Chef Martin and his team are geniuses. To start, the menu choices are an embarrassment of riches, you'll be able to find some incredible choices. The tasting was beautifully organized and they were so lovely. I have a LOT of food intolerance and Chef Martin was unbelievably kind, understanding, and patient, and was adamant that I would have something special for each course of our wedding dinner, even if it was tweaked just for me, and we were so grateful for that. The food on the day was everything we hoped for and more, and the portions were so large, we had to combat being too full to dance, but no one wanted to stop eating, it was so good LOL. The bar staff also helped so much with decisions about drinks and wine choices, and even mocktails, and were super fun and engaging with guests on the day. And the wait staff were just IMPECCABLE, truly going out of their way again and again to make the day special and our guests well taken care of, including bringing my elderly disabled aunt to the bathroom in her wheelchair in their elevator, and helping us clean and tidy up at the end of the night. Honestly, despite lots of requests and planning details, they never made me feel like a burden, and the staff all just seemed to just want us to have the wedding of our dreams.

Honestly, I can't count the number of friends and family, even to this day, who mention again and again how amazing the food and service were at our wedding. It was some of the best we've ever had. Our loved ones still say that it was the best wedding they've been to, and I know that was because of how great Maison Selby was in so many ways.

Finally, the upside of mistakenly taking so long to post this review is that we've actually had our anniversary since then, and went back to Maison Selby to celebrate in our special place. The staff were just so lovely about it, greeting us with a sweet card and champagne, and staff quietly popped over to say how much they enjoyed our wedding and wishing us well (and that was a year later!). It just made us feel really special, and taken care of, and like this was really our special spot.

All that to say, if you're considering a wedding, please consider Maison Selby. I honestly can't even come up with one negative, and they were incredible well beyond our expectations. (And reasonably priced to for all that!)

A special shout out to Devon, Stephanie, Angela, and Chef Martin for everything you did to make our wedding (and anniversary!) so incredible. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and we'll see you soon for our second anniversary! Again, excuse the absurdly...

Nestled in the heart of the city, Maison Selby charms you the moment you step in. The restaurant exudes classic French elegance with a modern twist—soft lighting, vintage artwork, and a glowing candle at every table evoke an old-world warmth, perfect for an intimate evening. The ambiance leans into romanticism without feeling contrived. Service was another highlight: our server greeted us with a genuine smile and gracious energy, setting the tone for what we hoped would be an exceptional dining experience.

The Orders

For our evening, we curated a mix of traditional and contemporary French offerings: • French Onion Soup • Rigatoni Rosé • Roasted Atlantic Salmon • Accompanied by a rosé wine and a 2022 Château Combel-la-Serre ‘Le Pur Fruit du Causse’ Malbec, Cahors

The Experience

The French Onion Soup arrived bubbling and fragrant, a textbook example of comfort. The deeply caramelized onions brought out a natural sweetness, balanced beautifully with the savory richness of the melted cheese. The crouton, soaked yet still slightly crisp at the edges, was the perfect vehicle for soaking in that umami-laden broth. This dish was a standout—a bowl you’d want on any cold winter evening, or frankly, any evening at all.

The Rigatoni Rosé, while generously portioned and presented with finesse, lacked the distinction one expects from a restaurant of this caliber. The sauce was creamy, the pasta al dente, but the flavor profile felt a bit too familiar—echoing the kinds of tomato-cream pastas found at a dozen mid-tier bistros. It wasn’t bad, just… safe. For a kitchen capable of artistry, we were left wanting something more nuanced, more daring.

Unfortunately, the Roasted Atlantic Salmon was where the meal faltered. The fillet, though grilled well in terms of doneness, was underseasoned to the point of being forgettable. It relied too heavily on a side sauce to bring it to life—never a good sign. The accompanying potatoes were also a disappointment: unevenly cooked, underseasoned, and lacking that crisp exterior or buttery softness that can elevate even the simplest starch. Overall, it felt more like an afterthought than a main.

As for the wines, the rosé was crisp and light, a pleasant companion to the richer courses. The 2022 Malbec from Château Combel-la-Serre, with its dark berry notes and subtle spice, offered depth and character. That said, as someone who doesn’t typically favor Pinot Noir or similar light-bodied reds, I can’t comment extensively beyond surface impressions.

Final Thoughts

Maison Selby succeeds wonderfully in ambiance, service, and select dishes—especially their French Onion Soup. It’s a space where you’d love to linger over wine and conversation. But from a culinary standpoint, the menu veers from exceptional to underwhelming. A more refined attention to seasoning and innovation could elevate the experience from charming to unforgettable.

Would I return? Perhaps—for the atmosphere and that soup. But with high expectations come high standards, and this French affair, while elegant, didn’t quite sweep...