Best French Restaurants in Toronto

This effortlessly cool destination could easily be mistaken for a cocktail bar. It's certainly as lively as one, but it's also so much more. Seafood figures prominently here. from chilled lobster with lime aioli to rack of lamb with niçoise olive, the kitchen delivers a kind of refined approachability that suits all occasions. 

The kitchen team here seamlessly merges European and Asian sensibilities onto a single tasting menu with dishes like creamy Koshihikari risotto boosted with porcini emulsion or rack of lamb with Thai green curry. They can cook the classics too, like Dover sole with caviar beurre blanc. Showcasing flexibility and talent, Alo is the rare high achiever that never takes itself too seriously.

No obvious signage, curtains drawn, and the front door frosted top to bottom. What could this cozy French bistro be hiding? The answer is indulgence. Situated on the first floor of a narrow townhouse, Dreyfus is the kind of dinner you have before hibernation and after an annual physical (servers will explain that the fries are for the pâté and that the doughnuts are for the smoked trout dip garnished with roe.) 

Start your evening here at the elegant bar where a perfectly chilled shrimp cocktail makes for a nice companion. Salt Spring mussels with Normandy cider and crème fraîche are plump and delicious, and the flavorful broth will have you asking for a second brioche to sop up it up. Gâteau à la banane, a sweet cake accompanied by salted caramel ice cream and caramelized bananas, does its name proud.

Lapinou pulls its weight with a fresh spin on classic bistro fare. Shrimp cocktail is a simple but elegant starter, as is the perfect disc of beef tartare topped with an egg yolk and sided by sourdough toast. Duck confit is comfort in a casserole dish with buttery white flageolet beans and garlicky andouille sausage. The delightful tarte au cafe rounds out the enjoyable experience.

Chef/co-owner Martine Bauer's menu is a treasure trove of French dishes dolled up with a contemporary flair. A dollop of smoked roe jazzes up a tartlette with cauliflower mousseline and smoked sturgeon, while creamy cured egg yolks lend creativity to traditional leeks. Profiterole, with a tableside dousing of hot chocolate sauce, is a classic parting. 

Guests come here for the views and stay for the traditional French cuisine. Don't expect modern twists, as dishes such as foie gras terrine with a sour cherry reduction and rabbit loin wrapped with bacon sided by a fricassee of sweet peas and fava beans, are as classic as they come. Savor the dark chocolate mousse with cherries for dessert, or take home one of their signature coconut cream pies.

Chef/owner Teo Paul once worked on a farm, and his menu is a love letter to the region's seasons and its local suppliers. Lunch is perfect for a quick bite, while dinner is more of an event. Dishes are rustic with a refined edge and pack a flavorful punch. The same effort and care goes into an omelette as steak frites, and if servers are busy, expect the chef himself to serve your plate, along with an explanation of what's on it.