Le Paradis

A Classic French Bistro in Mid Town Toronto

I was having a conversation the other night about favorite restaurants and the friends I was sitting with agreed that we often are creatures of habit.  I find myself often repeating myself which is a bit strange given that I think that I do have a natural curiosity about trying new places.  Many years ago (prior to living where we are now), we would make the trek to a French bistro called http://www.leparadis.com/  I’m not sure who or how we ended up there in the first place because I’m fairly certain it was quite a long time ago.  Now that we are living in the new “hood” we can literally stumble there as its no more than a 5-minute walk.  We often do find ourselves venturing over there when we can’t make up our mind, or we don’t feel like driving somewhere.  And, since I’m a true creature of habit I will often order the same thing – steak/frites.  Yes, I have written about my obsession with pizza so I can confess that steak frites is another true obsession.  I have had steak frites in Montreal, Paris, NYC and many other places.  Can’t say I’ve really had a “bad” steak frites.  If you google the reviews, you will see a bit of mixed bag.  It’s not the best restaurant I’ve been too but I find it very consistent, steady and welcoming.  I know that its not going to break the bank and I will leave happy and full.  The Globe and Mail wrote the following - Revisiting Le Paradis is like dropping in on a funky favourite aunt who welcomes you with open arms. Walk in the restaurant's front door and you're in a bistro in Paris. Sexy French black-and-white posters, a long bar, low latticework ceiling, mustard walls, green-and-white lino floor. Servers who treat you like a neighbour, who put on smiles instead of airs.

Image credit - Le Paradis

Tucked in on Bedford just north of Davenport you walk in the front door and will see a very nice bar that sits about 10 along with about 6 tables that are for drop in starting at 6 pm.  This often works out great for us because if you don’t have a reservation and you get there just before 6 pm you usually can find a table at the front.  I’m not very good at making reservations – that would involve getting organized 😊   Past the front area you have what I call the back room and the patio that is used in the warmer months.  As you walk down past the bar and turn right you will see another room that is used for reservations.

When you are seated, they bring a full basket of warm, crusty bread.  When we do come here with Ms. Sarah, she will order at least two baskets of bread.  Of course, steak frites must be eaten with a nice glass of red wine and they have some very good choices by the glass or by the bottle.

Warm bread and classic French red wine!

The menu is updated on a regular basis however they do ensure that the best-sellers are not replaced – steak/frites, beef bourguignon and mussels.  The one thing they don’t offer which we would love to see is a French Onion Soup.  My take on that is they probably don’t do it because it would take away from the main courses. 

They offer two versions for steak frites – the traditional onglet aux echalotes and what I consider is an upgraded version with a different cut of meat.  A search for a meaning led me to this review by esteemed chef (now tragically deceased) Anthony Bourdain.

I dug into my first real French steak, pan-seared, at a noisy, smoke-filled brasserie near Pigalle about 20 years ago. It was onglet, and I was immediately struck by its ropy, not-too-tender but not-too-tough texture and its strong, almost kidneyish flavor. This was not your generic slab of sirloin or rib-eye or pallid filet mignon. This was a cut of meat I'd never seen before. Strange, exciting, even a little scary. This, I thought, was eating. Today onglet is better known as hanger steak in New York, and it is so common it turns up in restaurants beyond French brasseries, and even in some meat markets. But the French steaks served alongside the frites can still be a mystery to most Americans, and it's not the meat but the cut that mystifies. These aren't simple sirloins or porterhouses or T-bones, and the differences are not just a matter of translation. For all their flavor, these steaks demand more of butcher and buyer alike.

Daily Menu - from Le Paradis

I just recently moved away from my traditional choice of the “onglet” and I know tend to choose the flat iron steak.  I find the cut a bit tastier.  Sometimes depending on the dessert choices, we will indulge but usually we stay with the main course, some wine and we’re good to go.  With prices under $30 for your main course you will be able to get out for under $100 for two dependant of course on how much you drink.  I give it 4 stars out of a 5 and always give it a strong thumbs up.