The Elm Tree Restaurant

Did a business lunch there and was not impressed. Place was empty with only one other table occupied. Our «tapas» while we waited was a single sesame seed bagel cut up with a small portion of olive paste offered. The pasta special was simply a linguine noodle with a bit of cheese sprinkled on the top. For that I had to wait 20 – 25 minutes. It was freezing in there but they left the roll-​up patio door wide open. All and all no reason to go there again.

Great atmosphere and amazing food. We had the rack of lamb and the salmon, and both were awesome. The toffee cake was also superb. Not the cheapest place, but well worth the price!

I was not very satisfied with my experience with the restaurant considering how good the reviews were. The food here was just not that great for me, and we had an awkward encounter with one of the waiters.
The waiter who served us was very nice. He was attentive and checked up on us often during our meal. My friend and I were looking at the menu, and decided that we would order the duck confit and lamb shank for our mains and share the beef carpaccio for starters. While looking at the menu and waiting for our waiter to take our orders, a different waiter came to us and randomly said «duck confit and lamb shank». At first we were confused as to what was going on. I thought he overheard us talking about what we were going to order. For about a second or so both my friend and I stared at him with confusion. Then he said «Do you guys even understand English?». We then both looked at each other with more confusion and we were both speechless and did not know how to reply to that question… Then he proceed to say «Duck confit and lamb shank is what I recommend.» Then we suddenly realized what he was talking about and he walked away. We then both stared at each other again with the «what just happened» look. We thought it was kind of rude of him to ask us if we understood English — he probably asked that because we weren’t Caucasian. But anyways, that didn’t really affect our experience at the restaurant… I’m sure he didn’t mean to be offensive.
The appetizer was my favourite part of the meal. The beef carpaccio melted in my mouth and the flavours from the dressing, cheese, and arugula salad all blended well nicely together. The main course was what I was disappointed in. The lamb shank was nicely cooked but the whole dish lacked flavour and tasted boring. I love lamb, and the ‘lamb’ taste from the meat just wasn’t really there. The duck confit was also quite disappointing. The meat was dry on the outside and was quite salty. Again, it also lacked flavours. The risotto was nice and creamy but the whole dish just did not go very well together.
As we left the restaurant, we were greeted again by that water who randomly came to talk to us. He said «you guys ordered what I recommended so I don’t know why it was so awkward when I went to talk to you guys.» My friend explained that he came to us out of no where and we just got confused. Then he proceeded to tell us that it is his job to talk to other people as he is in the service industry. I mean I understand that but I just wished he could of approached us differently.
Overall I didn’t have the best experience at this restaurant. It seemed like a lot of other people really enjoyed the duck and lamb dishes in the reviews but both my friend and I were pretty disappointed with it.

The food was amazing, service was really good. Ambiance was nice and calming. I highly recommend this place.

I enjoyed my time at this restaurant. Andres is a great waiter and the food was delicious. The menu items I had during my two visits here were grilled octopus, duck confit, lamb shank, and toffee cake. My only tidbit is the overwhelming flavor of the lamb shank sauce that could be easily fixed by placing the sauce on the side.
I had a great time and will be back on my next visit to Toronto. Thanks Andres and Jonathan.

The lamb shank is the best… believe the hype. The duck confit was pretty good too but the duck was a bit dry, the risotto on the other hand is one of the best I had. We had warm toffee cake for dessert which is delish

Everyone else seems to be enjoying this place so much that you should ignore this review and give it a try. If you’re like most people, you’ll like it here. Me? I know I won’t be back. This place just doesn’t tickle my fancy.
A warm mushroom and arugula salad was my favourite dish. It reminded me that anyone could really make this at home without breaking a sweat. Scallops in a sweet pear sauce just didn’t quite work for me. The pear sauce was too sweet for my liking and didn’t really enhance the scallop flavour. However, there’s no denying that the scallops themselves were high quality and seared perfectly.
The same cannot be said about the duck confit. I had to spit out the first bite because it was burning my tongue. Was it microwaved? It was certainly overcooked and quite dry. The confit was very good though. I also tried the leg of lamb with couscous. The lamb was perfectly cooked, but, like the scallops it was in a sauce that was a bit too sweet and perfumed for my tastes.
Service was extremely friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was very comfortable. Music was enjoyable R&B classics and not too loud. It’s a busy room, with lots of diners packed in tight, so conversations require a bit of voice projection. But you probably like that kinda thing. So, enjoy!

Amazing food and drinks with super friendly staff! Definitely a spot I would recommend, keeps me coming back and wanting to try the entire menu! Nice change from some of the typical restaurants in the area!

Wonderful meal here! The waiters Leif and Miran were awesome — spot on descriptions and suggestions including a perfect wine match! We had the arugula mushroom salad to start — delightful with grilled mushrooms topped with a bed of arugula and shaved Parmesan cheese and dressed in a very light but tasty vinaigrette. The rack of lamb on a bed of mashed potatoes were delicious — the duck confit over mushroom risotto was amazing with crispy duck skin and oh so tender duck. The chick peas with sweet potatoes and harissa were outstanding! Portions are very generous — great to share things so you can try many different things. The homemade chickpea spread with the baguette that is given to you at the start of your meal is terrific as well! Definitely will put this on my list of must return to places!

We were so pleased with our experience at The Elm Tree! We heard about this place online and after I had read positive reviews I decided to call to make a reservation. I reserved a table for six of us at 7:45, but our party was running late and upon calling to push the reservation, the host was extremely understanding and was flexible enough to move us to 8:15.
The starters were all fabulous from the moment the bread and house made humus arrived. The octopus — so tasty, and the mushroom arugula salad was not only delicious but absolutely inspired me to get creative with the za’atar spice I have at home which is a lovely subtle flavor in this salad.
I thoroughly enjoyed my sea bass main and as long as you like saffron, which I do, then you’ll love the rice. The staff was friendly throughout the entire dining experience and Sean, our waiter described the dessert menu so well that we all ordered something off of it. The chocolate mousse is like eating the most amazing science fiction mousse from the gods! The toffee cake was light, just sweet enough and pleasantly satisfying without being too rich — perfect. They also surprised my grandmother with personalized dessert plate and a birthday candle and sang along with us to celebrate. Very, very sweet.
Sean assisted all of us with our coats as we prepared to leave and thanked us kindly while engaging in genuine conversation and laughs. We will definitely be back.
If I have one suggestion it would be the eggplant dish (one of the sides) as the flavours were a bit bizarre, almost cinnamon like or chamomile-​like notes. It wasn’t awful, just a bit strange in terms of the flavor combination. One of the staff members did say it is something that they are working on. The quality of the rest of the food and service was so superb though that the eggplant really wasn’t a big deal.
I recommend this place to anyone who wants a fantastic meal to remember. It was a great alternative to doing Italian or steak-​house type fare.

Came here based on the huge Unilocal rating… And I’m not quite sure it lived up to the Unilocal score.
We tried the following:
Beat and goat cheese salad: A solid salad. Good presentation. Fine flavour.
Pan seared chilean sea bass: the fish tasted good but still felt it lacked something to put into a higher tier
Duck confit: kind of underwhelming, though I’m not sure what could have been done to improve it
Brownie for dessert: amazing brownie, the dessert was excellent. Highly recommend. But I am a huge brownie eater.
Overall, it was a good experience but I don’t think I can give it ⁵⁄₅. Felt like it was missing something to achieve a ⁵⁄₅.

3.5 stars for me. Everything was good but not mind blowing.
I finally tried this place after seeing stellar Unilocal ratings.
I had a Duck Confit main dish for lunch. The wild mushroom risotto was super delicious! I didn’t enjoy the duck piece as much. It was dry and a little burnt. I didn’t like fat parts so I only ate what looked to me to be meat. That may have been how the duck was supposed to be cooked but I like my meat juicy and tender.
The atmosphere is warm with wooden chairs and crème-​coloured walls. The service was good. The waiter, though he was the only one working at the time we were there, was attentive. There are a couple of coat racks.

Must try: Duck Confit with Mushroom Risotto
The atmosphere was relaxing, with the rustic lightbulbs and shimmery candles. Not to mention the pillows! Adorable touch. It’s good for larger parties (I saw many long tables) as well as a nice date night.
The service was pleasant. Our waiter was lively and conversational. One thing that almost soured my mood was how his tone and facial expression would change when he heard that some of my party didn’t want an app but instead a drink, or that two of us wanted to share an app instead of getting one each. Cmon sir, not all customers go for the traditional full courses, especially on a weekend when they just wanna loosen up and not bother with the formality, you just gotta roll with the punches. But this was immediately redeemed when he took the effort to ask the kitchen to modify a dish for my friend’s picky taste bud. Kudos to going out of the way to accommodate!
The food was wonderful! I definitely enjoyed it from start to finish. The (1) bread with baba ganoush was great, I could just eat that as a meal! Wish the bread was warmer though. I also tried the (2) Grill Octopus to start and it had a good texture and interesting flavouring. The highlight was without a doubt the (3) Duck Confit with Mushroom Risotto, with the crispy skin and tender juicy meat on top of a bed of wild mushroom infused rice. I don’t usually order risotto but this is decidedly going to change my mind in the future. It was perfectly al dente, buttery but light; and complemented the duck perfectly until the last bite. I will definitely crave this.
Will definitely come back, and will make sure to not be too stuffed for dessert.
WYWH

If you read my previous review of the Elm Tree, you would know how much I adored this restaurant the first time I dined here.
My best friend from my childhood was in Toronto today, so I wanted to take her somewhere where she would have a good dining experience: the first restaurant I thought of? The Elm Tree Restaurant.
The food as always was superb, but sadly, the service was awful.
I really hate to take off 2 stars from this restaurant, as everyone at the restaurant was really approachable and pleasant, except for our server. I can say from my previous dining experiences, that my experience today was most likely an anomaly, but even so, after today’s dining experience I am not sure I would come back again.
It started from the beginning of our meal. I went to the washroom, while my friend sat and the server came by. He asked her whether she wanted water and she said «yes» without thinking too much about it. He came back with two glasses of iced cold water.
I came back from the washroom and since I had a slight stomachache and was extremely cold, asked the server whether I could kindly have hot water with lemon. My friend then added that she would want hot water too.
The server then said in a very snarky tone, «next time do PLEASE tell me if you do not want water, that way I do not have to go through the trouble of running back and forth». Please, if it was not clear, I am the customer. My friend and I did not mean to go to a restaurant, pay over $ 60 to be patronized about how we inadequately ordered our water. I am sorry if getting a glass of hot water was such a big hassle for you.
In addition, when we were paying for the bill he just propped our bill down on the table without saying a word, like a child throwing a fit.
Maybe you were having a really bad day, if that’s the case, I am really sorry– but really, I just wanted to take my friend to a dinner, have a nice chat and catch up, but the service today really ruined it.
Writing this review makes me really torn, because I do love the food at this restaurant. Sadly, today’s service was extremely sub-​par.

Menu:
What we had: calamari in ratatouille, pan seared scallops, duck confit with risotto, and stewed lamb shank with couscous, orange cheesecake
Taste: 9.5÷10
The pan seared scallops were super tender and juicy, lightly seared on the outside. They were the highlight of our dinner. The calamari was just a grilled calamari (seasoned with just salt) on a bed of ratatouille, did not taste particularly special. The lamb shank was decently flavourful, but it wasn’t as tender as I expected. It wasn’t dry or tough, but tender is a word we are very conservative about and that lamb was not tender. We ordered it based on raving reviews on Unilocal and we conclude that it’s decent but not a must-​try. The duck was fried and very crispy on the outside while tender on the inside, delicious. The risotto was very flavourful, and mixed well with the duck.
The cheesecake was served in a cup where the cream cheese layered with cake pieces. It was much lighter than a normal cheesecake, but still full of flavour.
Value: ³⁄₁₀
15 $ for the scallops, 10 $ for the calamari, 19 $ for the duck, 22 $ for lamb shank, 8 $ for cheesecake. Unlimited bread and hummus dip. We were both full after the meal, although we had 2 basket of bread and hummus (which were both excellent).
**Average cost per diner: 40 $ After Tax+Tip
Service/​Convenience: ⁸⁄₁₀
The place is fairly easy to find. The waiters are generally attentive and timely in bringing the food, water, clean utensils etc. However we asked for warm water and it never came. We made a reservation, it was pretty full throughout our stay there so making a reservation is definitely recommended, especially at peak meal times.
Would go back? Maybe, for special occasions, after we tried some other restaurants.
Would recommend to friend? Yes, just order the scallops.
Similar places: None that we know of for now
**Disclaimer: Average cost per diner constitutes the amount (per person) we eat to get full without drinks. Total cost is usually divided between 2 diners, one of whom can regularly eat 7 slices of XL pizza (16″) in one sitting.

My boyfriend took me to The Elm Tree Restaurant for dinner. The atmosphere is romantic and classy. Service was excellent — a server would bring out our meals, then our main server came over to tell us the dish ingredients, cooking style etc.
DRINKS:
Sauvignon Blanc, Eradus (for me) — more on the sweeter end, which I preferred.
Pinot Grigio, Serenissima (bf)
APPETIZERS:
PAN SEARED SCALLOPS (³⁄₅)
(Seasoned with curry salt, green apple purée)
The scallops were seared perfectly — very delicious. Unfortunately, I didn’t think the green apple purée was a good match with the scallops. l, it was too sour. 3 points goes to the scallops though!
MAINS:
DUCK CONFIT (⁴⁄₅)
(With wild mushroom risotto)
Mm the duck confit was delish! The skin was very crispy with just the right amount of fatty and duck meat. The mushroom risotto was also great — it gets salty after a while but still a great mix with the duck leg.
PAN SEARED CHILEAN SEA BASS (⁴⁄₅)
(Saffron infused rice, caper meuniere sauce, diced tomato)
For those who would like something more healthy tasting, this is a good choice. A very light dish — the sea bass was tasty and fresh. I enjoyed this dish very much.
DESSERT:
TOFFEE CAKE (⁵⁄₅)
You would be missing out if you didn’t save room for this dessert! I looooved this toffee cake. So good — there was a crunchy glazed toffee on top of the vanilla ice cream and the toffee cake is at the bottom. I would come back again just to order this dessert. So so yummy, great end to our meal! :)

As the amazing waiter said, this place provides the real food!
My friend an I came there around 1:30pm at weekday. Only two tables people were having their lunch. We picked a seat near the window but felt a little cold. Then the nice waiter helped us to close the giant window so as to avoid changing seats. The man also know customers’ need very well. I just lifted my bottle once and called him, he didn’t answer but brought water a few minutes later. Overall, he was very nice and friendly.
We ordered one lamb stew and daily special. Actually we waited for a really long time and felt a little disappointed. They provided bread and butter before served the main dish. The bread was ok but the real food were their morocco lamb stew and grilled trout. The lamb was so tender and almost fall off the bone. The couscous below mixed with the sauce was full of flavour and so delicious! Best lamb I ever had! The trout was fresh and grilled till the skin burnt and crispy. Yes. We ate them all! Maybe we were both too hungry because of waiting till 2:30pm to have lunch. But this place was deserved to go. Nice decorations and reasonable price for their good-​quality food.

Hands down my favourite meal in Toronto so far. I cannot stop raving about this place.
We were making our way down Elm Street and a man greeted us outside in the cold to bring us in. He was outside the entire evening, welcoming customers. Our main server was very pleasant and attentive. Other servers were happy to ensure that our glasses were always full of water. Great service altogether. The ambiance was also nice. Not too dim so that you can actually look around and see things; and there was soft pop playing in the background.
But most importantly… what about the food? TOO GOOD TO MISS!
We started off with complimentary fresh baguette with housemade hummus. Boyfriend and I ordered 2 appies: the beef carpaccio and grilled calamari + ratatouille. The beef carpaccio was huge, nicely presented and very well flavoured. The real winner (though honestly every dish was a winner) was the calamari. I actually am not a fan of squid or octopus, but this calamari was amazing. When cutting it, the knife slides through like butter. Eating it, it was so soft and far from rubbery. We were blown away and never had anything like this. How on earth was this prepared?! And it was only $ 10!
For mains, I got the roasted pork chop, which literally could feed a dinosaur. If this was Masterchef, Ramsay would be sure to say that this portion size was ridiculous. But I ain’t complaining! The pork, although thick, was juicy and cooked through. Again, how did they treat the pork? Mushrooms and fingerling potatoes were also delicious with the sauce. My boyfriend ordered the Chilean sea bass, with saffran rice. The sea bass flaked off so easily and melted in our mouths like butter. Amazing. Its skin was good as well, and the rice was fragrant.
Given the generous portions, we were both stuffed at the end of the meal and couldn’t find any room for dessert.
Go to Elm Tree Restaurant for a wonderful meal in downtown Toronto! You won’t be disappointed.

I came here on my birthday with a few of my friends and I had an awesome time! We had a reservation on a Monday night, which wasn’t really necessary as it wasn’t too busy but better safe than sorry right?! We were greeted from outside of the restaurant where the waiter welcomed us and tok us to our seats inside. The atmosphere was perfect for us — not too loud, dimmed lights, warm and suitable to dress nicely.
We ordered some appetizers which I recommend the carpaccio! For the main dish, I order grilled salmon with the side of sweet potatoes glazed with maple syrup and topped with pines. Surprisingly, the portion s were pretty good. I got a nice, beautiful salmon belly and was stuffed after eating the whole dish without even starting on my sweet potatoes! I absolutely had no room for dessert although I really wanted to try some. If you’re going to get appetizers, don’t order any sides with your main dish!
Our waiter was super friendly and was glad to help us take many pictures of us for the ocassion until the end of our meal. After rejecting dessert, he was curious as to why we came here for dinner and we told him it was my friends and I birthday. We asked for the bill and it took him quite a while to bring it to us. We didn’t really noticed since we were just talking and catching up until he came out with two desserts for us! He sang happy birthday and gave it to us on the house (ofc, we gave him much more tips!)
Really great experience and service, will come here again for sure.

For a beautiful September Friday night, this restaurant was surprisingly NOT packed. Much appreciated as a diner without a reservation, but curious because I had such a great experience here!
The atmosphere is set for intimate dining, filled with ambient lighting and throw cushions against the upholstered booths. I think the ambiance could be improved on if the candles were a BIT brighter, but the effect was there
Bread was served first with some hummus with olive oil — very nice indeed, and the hummus was delicious.
My girl friend and I ordered a glass of wine each, and tried the duck confit with mushroom risotto ($ 19). What I like about this dish is that a lot of restaurants will serve you the risotto on its own entrée, but here you get to try both the excellent (succulent and crispy skin) duck AND the risotto. I love this dish, it’s fantastic! My friend got the braised Moroccan style lamb shank with couscous ($ 22) and found that it was intensely flavourful. This may be the style of the dish, but we were simply downing bread with this dish to disperse some of the flavour.
I’ll have to return again to try their desserts! Definitely warrants a return trip!

Llega con hambre y pide la hamburguesa, carne deliciosa pero grande la porción. El filete mignon es una muy buena opción también.
Come hungry and ask for the hamburger, great and juicy meat but quite big. Filet mignon is a great option too.