Sassafraz — Restaurant in Toronto

Choosing Sassafraz for our wedding was the best decision we made for our wedding planning. The event coordinator's responsiveness was much appreciated and made things very easy. From the initial planning stages to the final execution, their commitment made the entire process seamless.

We decided to opt for a wedding of under 100 people in an intimate setting. We are accustomed to attending weddings at banquet halls but due to all the pressure to provide a flashy wedding, inviting a large amount of people… we were very turned off with the wedding planning process. Sassafraz was like a beacon of light through wedding planning doom.

The staff at Sassafraz were a true highlight, exuding professionalism and courtesy at every turn. The prompt and flawless service they provided was matched only by the exceptional quality of the food. Each dish was a culinary delight, leaving a lasting impression on our guests. Like any bride and groom, we barely had time to eat our meals but the staff went out of their way to make sure we were able to try what we wanted. This included running into the back to get us extra hors d’oeuvres on the wedding day.

What truly set this venue apart was the personalized touch we experienced on our special day. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel special and not just “another wedding”. It's the kind of attention to detail and genuine care that transforms a wedding into an unforgettable experience. On the day of our wedding tasting, the bartender came to our table himself and asked us how he could make the drinks on our wedding day even more special to serve our preferences.

I wholeheartedly recommend Sassafraz to anyone seeking a venue where professionalism, exquisite cuisine, and heartfelt hospitality meet.

At first I was skeptical that having an intimate restaurant wedding could match the impression of these huge capitalistic parades that weddings have become, but I am very happy we chose this venue. We got to focus on the important part of a wedding without the distractions, with excellent hospitality. We had the main dining room and I was concerned about the lack of room for a big dancing area but I think it worked perfectly. The day after the wedding guests commented that because there was no lounge/other rooms that guests can escape to it forced everyone to interact in the same setting and had one big party, rather than “cliques” or smaller groups doing their own thing. I enjoyed that aspect very much.

Our wedding day was nothing short of perfection, thanks to the dedicated team...

This is the most disappointed I've been in a restaurant in my 600+ reviews. Please do not say, "it's our Summerlicious menu". The fundamentals of a great dining experience were missed at every step .

First, we entered as a 4-top, as our reservation was set for. We were sat at a table set for 5 (which the fifth setting was removed by the busser after I asked him to please remove it during the first course; an hour into dinner).

Our drinks came, they were just par. I had a mezcal based drink while my wife had the gin. It took over thirty minutes to get our first drink after we sat.

The food came, starting with first course at the 1hr mark, followed very slowly with second course at the 1hr 45 min mark. Either your kitchen is extremely in the weeds, we were behind a large group, or you just don't flat out know how to pump it out, but this was EPIC slow.

The tuna loin salad was an embarrassment of a salad (only frisee greens by the way which are normally scrunched in a ball atop some hotel banquet salad), 3 slices of tuna and a decent flavoured dressing.

The striploin was too thin to get good caramelization so it just ended up anemic although the main course was well seasoned, with nicely cooked asparagus and greens.

The cheese plate,..wow, how uninspired. Thin slice of cheddar, thin slice of low quality brie (I think it's the square block you buy from broadline distribution), and two stale pieces of untoasted, toasted baguette, with one dried apricot and a couple nuts. Seriously, you couldn't make a little savoury chutney or compote?

The whole meal took over 2.5 hours, and came in at $345 (before tip) for a 4 top.

I just can't believe how a place that is supposed to have this reputation has lost its way. Especially in Summerlicious (or winterlicious) when the opportunity to pull new guests is there and entice current diners to be future patrons at full menu prices.

I can firmly say, not unless it was free, I would ever recommend or return to Sassafraz. I need to stop before this becomes a rant, but that's my level of...

I was really looking forward to sassafraz. I took my family for a summerlicious dinner and I was disappointed in the service and food considering it's located in Yorkville. We arrived at 630pm based on reservation and was taken to our table however there was a mix up and they expected us to stand for 5 minutes to get another table ready. The problem was that there were so many tables available that it wasn't necessary to stand and look like idiots in the middle of the restaurant. Our server seemed like a beginner because he never came to refill water, we waited 10 minutes until we could place an order even though we waved at him countless times. He told us he would come back and take our wine glasses and he never did. The meals themselves were nothing to look forward to. We ordered an array of dishes so let's start with the apps. The ahi tuna was suppose to be encrusted with pistachios and they gave us 3 measly slices on top of a salad. However there was no pistachio flavour. The duck pate with blueberry compote was unfortunate. Not a lot of crostinis to share and the compote was super liquidy with no blueberry flavour. For the main, we ordered the boar chop which was not seasoned and tough. The strawberry puree was a nice added touch however. The beef sirloin was an easy homemade meal. The worse part was the chocolate flourless cake that was just super sweet and rich. For a restaurant that prides themselves in Yorkville, I would hope they understand the balance of flavours. It would have been nice if there was something to cut the sweetness. The cheese board was filled with cheap cheese and the walnuts weren't even candied. I could have even made a better cheese plate then them. I'm honestly disappointed considering we paid $72 pp incl tip and tax. If I had the option I wouldn't pay tip with the horrible service that we got. A little more care about the customers would be appreciated. However I have no plans on...