Edward Levesque’s Kitchen

Have dined here several times over the past year. On occasion the food and service were very good and sometimes the food could be better. This time we invited some out of town friends to join us for Winterlicious and made reservations for a specific table a few weeks in advance. Upon arrival the desired table was not available and we were told that it was the computer’s fault as it assigns tables (ridiculous). Food was fairly good but we have had much better at this place. Very bothersome was the Winterlicious wine list which described type of wine and country but not the name — when served the wine comes in a carafe (even when ordering a full bottle (what are they hiding?). On leaving our friend took a photo only to be abruptly told by the owner/​chef that he does not like that. We have noticed his abrasive attitude before. We understand he studied cooking at George Brown — however it is obvious he must have missed the ‘public relations’ class. With over 7000 restaurants in Toronto we will dine elsewhere from now on.

Great Winterlicious menu. The food was perfectly done, not too much not too little. Love the intimate atmosphere

Been to Edward’s three times since we recently moved here. First time I had the Meatloaf as it is a Friday special, it was absolutely wonderful, it is made with beef from a special organic farm. Cow is slaughtered on a Wednesday and the beef arrives on Thursday. My friend had the seafood pasta, he said it was delicious.
Second time I came with my husband on a Sunday, I had the coq au vin which was superb and he had Seafood Risotto which he loved.
Just returned and just had to have the Meatloaf again, this time my husband had to have it to see what I was raving about, he was very impressed.
Edward certainly knows how to deal with seasonings and how to pair flavours. The Wardolf Salad and the Beet Salad are both delicious.
We’ll be returning every week and want to try their brunches, which are a huge favourite here in Leslieville.

Nice ambience, I had daily special for brunch which was steak with sunny egg, ok nothing special… French toast was good also

Incredibly bad! My polite suggestion that pita could be served with the middle eastern dips plate ended up with Edward telling us to leave & never come back. You got it! ps our tab for 2 was $ 170 tip incl.

Came here for dinner as part of the Summerlicious promotion on a weeknight. The restaurant is small but not overcrowded. The décor was a wonderful collection of drawings and photos from the past with a mix of modern art. The service was prompt and efficient from both the waiter and the owner Edward. We enjoyed a lovely glass of prosecco to start with our appetizers. I enjoyed the cold beet soup and my husband the sardines. Both excellent, full of flavour. Our main courses were amazing, a chicken Fattoush and Seafood Risotto. The risotto had small scallops and shrimp in a delicious sauce of lemon thyme just bursting with flavours. I ate every bite and could have licked the plate. Dessert was a rhubarb cake and lemon mousse, but elegant and delicious.
Portions were just right, very European, not the giant American sizes. We did not feel rushed or hurried which is a pleasant change from most restaurants. Perhaps because it is a weeknight.
We are looking forward to returning and trying the full menu again another night.

I hosted a big birthday party for my husband on Friday night at Edward’s Kitchen. Edward was not a friend before I planned this party. I called and he answered the phone and was fantastic from the get go. I booked the whole restaurant for the party for the evening on a Friday night, it was incredible. We had cocktails and delicious hors d’oeuvres with a live jazz band. Edward ordered in a massive gourmet chocolate and raspberry birthday cake for us — Edward handled everything, it was so stress free for me. The wait staff were courteous and hard working. We were allowed to bring in balloons. They removed most of the tables. The guests are still raving about the food, the menu, it was 5 star. The menu was creative and so so good! Edward arranged a funky jazz band to play for us for the evening. I highly recommend Edward’s for brunch or dinner or your own private party.

Such a bad experience! We had to wait over an hour for our food because they forgot to put our order in. When it did arrive, the food was average at best. Their steak frites was something I easily could have made at home. I will not be going back.

We waited for 1 hour for our main course. I cannot even begin to describe how horrible our experience was at this restaurant. Do not waste your money and time. Have a nice dinner elsewhere, where they actually care about your time in their establishment.

We went for dinner based on a recommendation from a local friend (we were visiting from the US). We had a very nice dinner. The beef stroganoff was especially delicious. Our waiter was very nice and sufficiently attentive. We had none of the problems other people are mentioning. I’d go back for sure.

DO NOT GO!
Such an awful experience! The place was not even busy and still we had to wait for an hour and 20 minutes for our food. While we waited, no bread in the table. We literally had to ask for the coffee every single time. When the food came; it was below mediocre and all things we asked to replace were wrong. We had people with allergies in the table which was unacceptable. The bill took other 20 minutes to come which made this 2 hour experience even worst. Seriously; WORST place I ever been in leslieville. If you’re even considering, try Lady Marmelade, Okay Okay or any other brunch place around. The menu is also very restrict. Have you heard of a french brunch place that do not serve any type of eggs Benedict? Well they don’t… #worstbrunchever

We came here a few years back with a larger group and had a fantastic brunch. My hub and I came again a few months later and dismissed the poor meal as perhaps the chef having an off-​day.
It’s been a couple years since and we went back today… clearly for more punishment. He ordered steak frites with a side of eggs, I had a dish the menu called «Italian Sausage» and a side order of mushrooms bc my daughter loves mushrooms.
It must have been the same chef we had years ago bc every dish had something glaringly off: the steak was the size of my 3 middle fingers, which I dismissed since perhaps it was a brunch-​size steak ($ 18). My Italian sausage was about 3 inches long and overcooked to the point that when I cut into it, it fell apart ($ 16). The mushrooms were cool to the touch and the cornbread muffin was very dry and brittle. We returned both the mushroom and muffin but the new muffin wasn’t that much better and colder inside than the first muffin!
The service was good but the kitchen staff needs an overhaul. Our fault for going back for a second round of abuse.

Had a wonderful meal here a few nights ago. The Chive/​cheddar biscuits as an appetiser were served warm; they must have been made fresh for each table. Crusty on the outside with a sweet spread. A great starter to share.
My wife ordered the Seared Cod Loin and I had to ask her not to lick the plate. My order was the Lamb Lofta and the presentation was a bit of a disappointment because of the monotone of colour but the flavours made up for it. Wonderful textures in it.
Dessert was a Carrot cake without raisins, hooray! and a chocolate mousse parfait that was basically rocket fuel. Yes, that’s a really good thing.
Thanks to everyone. Great service. I’d like to go back and try again when it’s busier next time.

Tiny sausage, not a lot of ketchup, some potatoes flying around and an egg covering grilled bacon: it was my full monty brunch at Edward Levesque.
It could have been a little bit more sexier for a 15 $ brunch. Two sausages would have been great for instance. A bottle of ketchup could have add some fantasy and make my potatoes happier. You know how much sausages and potatoes love ketchup right?
The coffee is terrible in north america anyway so I was not expecting something amazing. It was coffee and you can order liters.
The sweet charming piece of love came from the 6 $ orange juice: not tiny and just fresh and tasty. I love oranges. Thanks Florida.
Two stars for the full monty brunch.
If you go there, bring your sausages

I hadn’t been here in years (mostly because they seem to be closed whenever I walk by). We had brunch here the other day. It wa delish! I ordered the full Monty which came with everything! The toast was thick and nicely toasted. It came with roasted tomato, mushrooms, eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage and beans! My DC ordered the huevos ~ she lived the bread that was a thin pita like thing but tastier and arced with all the huevos toppings. Definitely worth stopping in to experience!

went for brunch Saturday. Great french toast on challah bread with awesome berry compote.
boyfriend had eggs with smoked trout and salad that was great too.
loved getting coffee while standing in line. nice touch
line up was about half an hour long but i waited because i saw the lovely food being made. decent prices and nice brunch. not going to line up like that Every saturday but once in a while worth it

2.5 average
Everyone seems to agree about this place. It is not worth it. There are many other brunch places around. Why the heck did I pick this one today? At least at 2pm there was no line and food was fast to come. One of the waitresses was nice, one was not and not helpful. I did not find egg benedicts on the menu. Bread, eggs, etc were not more than ok. Frites and aioli are good… but you want more from a brunch place.
I hate false leather blanket [skai]. So noisy when you move :)

So so food.
So so service.
So so sorry but I won’t be coming back.

Since it’s a long-​time favourite, it pains me to write this update… but I have to agree with so many other reviewers this time around… our most recent experience was not so fantastic.
We had dinner here last weekend, and so much just seemed off. Our waitress was a bit odd — she sometimes interrupted mid-​story… other times she would appear so quietly that it would be awhile before we noticed her standing there listening. She mostly seemed a little distracted, but overall she was okay.
Then, my Mom ordered the guacamole as an app, having had it before and loving it. But this time, the portion size was teeny tiny, and she said that on previous visits it had been much bigger and better for sharing with others. Another thing she noted about it, was that it had a ½ fried green tomato in it, which filled a large portion of the dish, and made even less room for the guac. So it seemed like they cheaped out by filling the bowl with filler.
Then there was the chicken pot pie, which I ordered for my main. It was alright, not spectacular. But I discovered a large, sharp and jagged chicken bone in my mouth mid-​chew. Very scary in my opinion. Luckily it was big enough that I noticed it right away. But I found myself hyper-​aware of the fact that there could be more bones in the dish, and couldn’t relax for the rest of the meal.
My Mom and brother both ordered the steak, which were the last dishes to arrive (no problem, we assumed it meant they were hot off the grill), but my brother quickly noted that his plate felt cold and that it was cooling the steak quite quickly — his meal was only lukewarm, definitely not hot. He felt a warmed plate would have made a huge difference.
It was a good, but definitely not great meal. I was very disappointed, as I felt Edward Levesque’s was a place of consistency… but clearly it is not.

Très sympathique restaurant de Queen East. Non monsieur Levesque né parle pas français, mais sa cuisine est imaginative et savoureuse.
Né faites pas l’erreur de commander les ‘jerusalem artichokes’ croyant avoir trouvé un mets rare, ce né sont en fait que des topinambours !

I walked into Edward Levesque’s Kitchen on my random A Day of Leslieville. Turned right on Greenwood and Edward Levesque’s Kitchen is the first decent looking eatery that was still opened for late lunch. The chefs busy working in the front was the another reason that pulled me in.
Tuna Melt ($ 7) has a generous serving of green salad with a light dressing. The open face sandwich itself was light with just a touch of cheddar cheese. The ingredients were fresh and I felt healthy after eating that!
I found the lighting a little dim for a lunch/brunch.but overall it was a great experience!
footnote: they ran out of the multigrain bread and substitute with something else…