Barista & Chef Cafe Bistro

I went to Barista & Chef for the first time on Saturday for brunch/​lunch based on the positive reviews on Unilocal and wow, am I glad that I did! I went with my husband and 12 month-​old (I emailed beforehand to make sure that they had a high-​chair and they were extremely accommodating). I cannot rave enough about how amazing it was. As other reviewers have mentioned it was quiet (only one other family and a single guy) so the service was fast and the waitress was very attentive. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and the family at the other table actually struck up a conversation with us (it was friendly, not awkward at all). I had the Eggs Benedict and my husband had the chicken sandwich. These choices sound fairly mundane but they were the most delicious eggs Benedict that I’ve ever eaten. Each bite had me moaning! My husband felt the same way about his chicken sandwich (that had roasted red pepper and the most delicious sauce imaginable). We will be going back! Highly recommend this place!

Had dinner here last night! The best dinner we’ve had in the city for along time. Delicious food and very reasonable rates. Whether you’re in the area or not — go there. It’s worth discovering this restaurant if you haven’t been here yet. YUM!

This was a nice find. We came here in the late afternoon for lunch. We were kind of skeptical at first because the restaurant was empty but we decided to give it a shot.
And we are glad we did. We had the duck prosciutto sandwich and a pasta. Both of the dishes were top notch. Full of flavour, nicely balanced and well portioned.
Service was great as the waiter was attentive without being all up in your face.

Excellent service & great atmosphere. My Tagliatelle Ragu was so delicious. The braised lamb and beef were cooked perfectly. My mom had the risotto and she also loved it. She said it’s one of the best she’s had. Will definitely be back for more!

Outstanding food and service. The food is incredibly delicious and high end quality, beats any restaurant in the area and many in Toronto. I would eat there everyday if I could.

Luv luv luv this place! The people were so welcoming and friendly. I had the TAGLIATELLE RAGU and CAPPUCCINO and while I was waiting warm fresh bread and the best hummus I’ve ever had! Absolutely amazing food, atmosphere and service! The best restaurant in Toronto!

We came here for a snack as I was shopping in the area. Both of us ordered the fries. After receiving our drinks we received a plate of fresh, warn bread & homemade hummus. Delicious!
Then our fries came after & it was dressed with sprinklings of green onion & feta cheese with a side of a creamy sauce. I wasn’t expecting this & since I’m lactose intolerant I scraped the cheese off the fries & gave them to hubby even though they offered to make a plate without dairy.
Long story short the fries were hand cut & obviously homemade. They were scrumptious. We would eat here again when we’re next in the area. The décor is modern & classy yet casual. The owner told us they just opened a few months ago.

What a terrific place! My wife and I came here for her birthday and we were very pleasantly surprised. The service was terrific, we had the Mediterranean platter for the appetizer, I had the tagliatelle with shrimp and my wife had the crepes. Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. I had a nice glass of Black Label Shiraz that complemented my entrée nicely.
The only negative is the décor is not up to the quality of the food and the service. Not a dealbreaker at all but ambience counts for a lot — so four stars.

This place is so lovely: the food is always perfectly delicious. The best chicken beast to be had. Ditto halibut with tapenade. Mediterranean simplicity and flavour. I won’t bore you with inept descriptions, but we’ve not had anything that wasn’t delicious. It’s our favourite new place, superior food to the more known places east of here, in an unpretentious atmosphere with friendly service. So pleased to have found this find in the neighbourhood.

Honestly my boyfriend and I come here every week and we just love it here. They’ve got really good food and the presentation. I strongly recommend the lamp and the crème brûlée, which is surely the BEST in the city. Trust me I have tried so many deserts in so many places. The décor here also gives off a relaxing and refined vibe and atmosphere that makes you wanna linger. The service is great and the owner is nice. Anyway awesome dinning experience I have every time

Just good food in a real restaurant at very reasonable prices.

If you are looking for a laid-​back upscale environment and no massive crowd for Sunday Brunch, this is the place to go! It’s really new, so that’s probably why no line. Amazing service, incredible food and great prices!
Last Sunday we were looking for brunch in our neighbourhood (St Clair and Dufferin) and the regular brunch spots all had 20 – 25 minute wait times for a table for 3. I remember seeing this place while on the streetcar home and we ended up walking in and immediately being greeted by our awesome server and getting a table with no wait.
Service was quick and food was amazing. I had 2 eggs, over medium with potatoes and homemade breakfast sausage. All was great! Husband had Eggs Benny with beef cheeks over potato pancakes and an espresso. He couldn’t stop raving about the meal and how tender the meat was. His cousin, visiting from Holland, had the vegetarian omelet with salad and he was definitely happy. We also had a plate of fries with garlic aioli to share and they have feta cheese on them!!! OMG it was soooo good! I’d come back just to have those again. Then for dessert, we tried the flourless chocolate cake which, as someone with a gluten allergy, I can tell you is just ridiculous. It’s so dense, so intensely chocolatey and definitely needs to be shared. I don’t think I’ve had a better flourless chocolate cake in Toronto.
We left satisfied and pretty much had to roll us out of there. Will definitely be back for brunch and to check out the dinner menu! Give these guys a try. New but worth it!