Merlot Restaurant — Restaurant in Toronto

Merlot has definitely gone down hill with ownership change. We were long term customers for the past 20 years. Four of us went today to celebrate an important birthday. Two ordered baby beef liver and onions-both meals returned as the liver was bitter and not baby beef, no onions either. Ordered hamburgers no cheese as replacement meal-one arrived with cheese and both were burned 42 minutes later. We were honest with the waitress when she asked us how the food was. The manager then came over and told us they just had the liver and they loved it. Later she told us the former owners of Merlot opened a new restaurant in Lorne Park. Very bazaar. Did not attempt to save the customer experience at all and ruined a birthday celebration. Never again.

I am now editing this review since Merlot has replied. It is clear from Merlot’s reply that they take no ownership for the horrible experience we had on what should have been a special lunch. Their blame the customer attitude is clear in their reply. No apology-it is apparently our fault that the food was horrible, not as described and took too long.

Specifically, in reply to Merlot’s commments, we are well aware what a confit onion is as stated on menu. There was one pearl onion on one plate as shown to waitress. The other plate had none. We ordered replacement burgers with NO CHEESE on both-very loud in restaurant so perhaps the waitress did not hear-however, the four of us did hear the order. We don’t eat cheese ever. Nevertheless, the replacement meals arrived 40 minutes later. One would think that when two customers return their meals that the kitchen would strive to prioritize the replacement meals and deliver them in a timely manner. We do not get uncomfortable when a restaurant changes hands if the food is good. This was a special occasion and Merlot let us down and were aware and made no effort to save the day. Merlot, I see you have a blame the customer attitude and definitely were ambivalent when we were there at lunch. Even the salads had burned pecans on it. The four of us agreed this was the worst meal we shared in a...

You’ll find the traditional French favourites on their menu like escargot and steak frites, as well as interesting dishes like the “St. Tropez” fish soup ($15.50). The broth has a bouillabaisse feel spiked with more saffron and thickened with pulverized fish - personally, I would have preferred if the fish was left in chunks, so it’d feel less like eating savoury baby food.

The texture improved once I dropped in bite-sized pieces of the toasted baguette topped with creamy rouille (a garlicky lemon and saffron aioli) and grated Emmenthal to each spoonful. Think of it as a lighter French onion soup that swaps out the onion for fish.

If there’s duck confit ($32.50) on the menu, most likely it’s what I’ll order. Interestingly, the duck leg arrives with no sauce giving it a lovely rustic homemade quality. You can certainly taste the duck and without sauce the meat has nowhere to hide, it needs to be done perfectly to taste delicious. In this case, it was.

Yet, it was the caramelized sautéed garlic potatoes that stole the show. Cooked in duck fat until a sticky and crispy crust forms, the spuds made me swoon with delight. Never swap these potatoes for fries.

The meal ended perfectly with a shared slice of tarte aux pommes ($13.50). The thinly sliced apples sat on a bed of apple sauce and a perfect pastry crust. Likely the apple sauce helps to add moisture without relying on syrup, which keep the tart light. While there’s nothing wrong with the apple sauce, using crème anglaise or some sort of custard give it a richer element. And get rid of the fruit coulis, it makes the plate pretty but takes away from the lovely...

My friend and I were given gift certificates for Christmas and last week we went to Merlot restaurant on Bloor Street near Royal York Road for lunch I must say this restaurant was quite nice and the food was tasty. The cesar salad was expertly prepared and the ingredients were very fresh. I had the french onion chicken which was delicious and my friend had the pasta of the day which was made with a beet sauce. I tasted the pasta and man that sauce was out of this world and I am not a huge fan of beets. Kudos to the chef for trying this recipe for the first time. That chef certainly knows her way around that kitchen! I guess you can say she made me a beetliever-HA HA

Our server was a tall, good looking chap and was very attentive to us two ladies. During our lunch, we both dropped our cutlery and before we could retrieve it, our server was right there with new cutlery. Hard to find good servers these days. Even little things like this are noticed.

The restaurant seems to be very popular but seating is limited. I would suggest you make reservations to make sure you don't miss out on a good time. The food was excellent, the prices were reasonable and the server's suggestion for the wine was impeccable (I think he is a secret sommelier) . I will be going back there again real soon and if its during the summer, I will aim for seating on the rooftop patio. I love...