After an unexpected event, we ended up at Merlot! Gorgeous ambiance and setting—the romantic lighting and leather menus set the tone for an elegant meal. Service left something to be desired. We waited for quite a while before someone delivered menus and then our drinks (10+ minutes overall). We needed to request cutlery since none was on the table or delivered. After that though, the food was delivered quickly and service was efficient. I'd count this as a one off since something seemed off (like the server didn't know we were her table) but then was remediated. The food quality and price blew us away. The mini milk buns were a good size for starter bread, and we enjoyed the Salade Maison. For mains, my partner had the Poulet and I, the Canard. Delicious! Having Ratatouille as a side dish was fun and a good way to get some veggies. Hot, good portion, and scrumptious. Regretfully, we were too full for dessert, so we enjoyed the last of our drinks. My partner said the cocktail, Merlot Martini, was a standout for him. Overall, we had a lovely meal and we'd return for the cocktails and the main dishes plus the ambiance. The Crème Brûlée is calling us!
Steven
We were very happy with our valentine's prix fix. There were many options and the food was very good quality. The service was friendly and unassuming. Sat at the bar and felt very comfortable. Compliments to our bartender/server.
Jeremiah
We weren't big fans of the valentines day menus but the environment was definitely very nice. Probably wouldn't go here again due to the food being pretty poor for the price.
Holly
My husband and I were in Etobicoke for the weekend and were lucky enough to enjoy a Valentine's meal at this lovely spot. It was packed, but the ambiance was still cozy and charming. The set menu was delicious! Highlights were the pear and blue cheese salad, the bœuf bourguignon, and the chocolate mousse. All the staff there was very friendly and efficient even on such a busy night!
Barbara
One of my favourite restaurants. Just like a little bit of France. Food and service excellent. No rush. You can take your time and enjoy
Chantal
The food was excellent. The suggested wine for my steak/frites was spot on. Atmosphere tranquil. I go to Merlot every time I come to Toronto.
Jerry
Great ambiance, good food but unfortunately came out under-warmed. Tasted great and well done but not hot enough
Chris Payne
New Year’s Eve dinner was a smash!
Originally booked at Heron, we had been moved here and couldn’t be more grateful. We communicated with a lovely lady who even offered us a drink on the house. We had a table at the very back corner and oddly enough were happy with the placement! Great hustle and bustle, busy but not crowded. The food was a prix fixe but was outstanding. I hope to visit again soon to try their food without limitation! We had a lovely waitress who took great care of us, great chit chat! A beautiful evening to ring in the new year, thank you Merlot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Nicole Paulina
Not the best experience for a group event. We celebrated my partner’s birthday in March who sadly was not brought a candle, sparkler, or happy birthday message with his dessert after dinner. At the time it was frustrating because his birthday celebration overall went unacknowledged. I also wasn’t informed when dessert would arrive to the table, in preparation of singing happy birthday, or, having the group enjoy their desserts all together.
I debated writing this review at the time (March 2025) but talked myself out of it as I’m not one to bash establishments for making mistakes. But now, looking into booking a work-related dinner this year, I realize it’s really important for groups to not take reviews lightly and to avoid having a disappointing dining experience.
After dinner (before dessert), I was speaking with a few friends at the other end of the table (as were others — we had two long tables side-by-side in front of the bar) and when I got back to my seat, I noticed all of the deserts had been served to some empty chairs and my partner had been half way through his own. Seems like a small detail but in events like this where you’re gathering 15+ people to celebrate someone’s birthday, you’d expect better attention to detail.
Apart from this slip, the food was also sub par. It seems as though the staff were rushing, disorganized, and had little interest to go above and beyond for a group our size.
The food was pretty well cold when served and lacked a lot of flavour. I remember having the steak frites and recall the gravy not tasting the way you’d expect an au jus to pair with steak but that I can see past. If you’re looking for a good steak frites, I have much better recommendations in the area.
On top of it all, it was also difficult communicating with the staff prior to the event as there was a lot of back and forth and digging on my end to gather the right information about scheduling, deposit, and menu options. This is the screenshot of the worker’s phone that was sent to me with little context or information about what food items would be available or what is recommended for groups — I also never had a name from the person that was asking me to e-transfer the deposit charge for our booking! 🤡
It was just overall a very unprofessional and frustrating experience. I should have followed my gut at the get go but sometimes we learn the hard way!
Very disappointing and I will likely not return for these reasons.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Tullio A. D'Angela
Excellent food and servers were really nice. A real pleasure.
Brandon took our reservation over the phone and went above and beyond to accommodate us with a table, which truly set the tone for our lunch. He greeted us warmly at the door as we were celebrating a friend’s birthday—who is of French descent and wanted to experience authentic French cuisine and wine. That personal touch made the occasion feel extra special.
From the appetizers onward, everything was outstanding. The beef tartare and oysters—ah shucks!—were fresh, balanced, and beautifully prepared. The Côte du Rhône by the glass was exceptional: full-bodied with structured tannins and great legs. For those preferring non-alcoholic options, they even had 0.0 Heineken available, which was greatly appreciated.
The burger was absolutely phenomenal, paired perfectly with mixed greens and crispy, flavorful French fries. The mussels were also fantastic—the broth alone was rich, aromatic, and packed with flavor.
I’m already looking forward to my next visit to Merlot. Highly recommend this restaurant for brunch, lunch, or an evening out. And don’t forget to check out the patio in the summertime—it’s absolutely beautiful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dave
December: Busy time of year for restaurants but we still got great service and great food.
Larry
It was a very nice brunch. All four of us enjoyed our meal. Great, friendly service. Delicious lemon dessert.
Rose
Felt pressured by the waitress when we initially arrived and wanted us to immediately place our order! Found that rude! There for a few hours and the restaurant filled up however not to capacity ! I have reservations there for dinner next Saturday snd hoping it's a better experience! This is the first I have had that kind of service at Merlot!
Tony John
Merlot Restaurant delivers exceptional flavors, warm ambiance, and attentive service — truly a must-visit dining experience.
After an unexpected event, we ended up at Merlot! Gorgeous ambiance and setting—the romantic lighting and leather menus set the tone for an elegant meal. Service left something to be desired. We waited for quite a while before someone delivered menus and then our drinks (10+ minutes overall). We needed to request cutlery since none was on the table or delivered. After that though, the food was delivered quickly and service was efficient. I'd count this as a one off since something seemed off (like the server didn't know we were her table) but then was remediated. The food quality and price blew us away. The mini milk buns were a good size for starter bread, and we enjoyed the Salade Maison. For mains, my partner had the Poulet and I, the Canard. Delicious! Having Ratatouille as a side dish was fun and a good way to get some veggies. Hot, good portion, and scrumptious. Regretfully, we were too full for dessert, so we enjoyed the last of our drinks. My partner said the cocktail, Merlot Martini, was a standout for him. Overall, we had a lovely meal and we'd return for the cocktails and the main dishes plus the ambiance. The Crème Brûlée is calling us!
We were very happy with our valentine's prix fix. There were many options and the food was very good quality. The service was friendly and unassuming. Sat at the bar and felt very comfortable. Compliments to our bartender/server.
We weren't big fans of the valentines day menus but the environment was definitely very nice. Probably wouldn't go here again due to the food being pretty poor for the price.
My husband and I were in Etobicoke for the weekend and were lucky enough to enjoy a Valentine's meal at this lovely spot. It was packed, but the ambiance was still cozy and charming. The set menu was delicious! Highlights were the pear and blue cheese salad, the bœuf bourguignon, and the chocolate mousse. All the staff there was very friendly and efficient even on such a busy night!
One of my favourite restaurants. Just like a little bit of France. Food and service excellent. No rush. You can take your time and enjoy
The food was excellent. The suggested wine for my steak/frites was spot on. Atmosphere tranquil. I go to Merlot every time I come to Toronto.
Great ambiance, good food but unfortunately came out under-warmed. Tasted great and well done but not hot enough
New Year’s Eve dinner was a smash!
Originally booked at Heron, we had been moved here and couldn’t be more grateful. We communicated with a lovely lady who even offered us a drink on the house. We had a table at the very back corner and oddly enough were happy with the placement! Great hustle and bustle, busy but not crowded. The food was a prix fixe but was outstanding. I hope to visit again soon to try their food without limitation! We had a lovely waitress who took great care of us, great chit chat! A beautiful evening to ring in the new year, thank you Merlot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Not the best experience for a group event. We celebrated my partner’s birthday in March who sadly was not brought a candle, sparkler, or happy birthday message with his dessert after dinner. At the time it was frustrating because his birthday celebration overall went unacknowledged. I also wasn’t informed when dessert would arrive to the table, in preparation of singing happy birthday, or, having the group enjoy their desserts all together.
I debated writing this review at the time (March 2025) but talked myself out of it as I’m not one to bash establishments for making mistakes. But now, looking into booking a work-related dinner this year, I realize it’s really important for groups to not take reviews lightly and to avoid having a disappointing dining experience.
After dinner (before dessert), I was speaking with a few friends at the other end of the table (as were others — we had two long tables side-by-side in front of the bar) and when I got back to my seat, I noticed all of the deserts had been served to some empty chairs and my partner had been half way through his own. Seems like a small detail but in events like this where you’re gathering 15+ people to celebrate someone’s birthday, you’d expect better attention to detail.
Apart from this slip, the food was also sub par. It seems as though the staff were rushing, disorganized, and had little interest to go above and beyond for a group our size.
The food was pretty well cold when served and lacked a lot of flavour. I remember having the steak frites and recall the gravy not tasting the way you’d expect an au jus to pair with steak but that I can see past. If you’re looking for a good steak frites, I have much better recommendations in the area.
On top of it all, it was also difficult communicating with the staff prior to the event as there was a lot of back and forth and digging on my end to gather the right information about scheduling, deposit, and menu options. This is the screenshot of the worker’s phone that was sent to me with little context or information about what food items would be available or what is recommended for groups — I also never had a name from the person that was asking me to e-transfer the deposit charge for our booking! 🤡
It was just overall a very unprofessional and frustrating experience. I should have followed my gut at the get go but sometimes we learn the hard way!
Very disappointing and I will likely not return for these reasons.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Excellent food and servers were really nice. A real pleasure.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Brandon took our reservation over the phone and went above and beyond to accommodate us with a table, which truly set the tone for our lunch. He greeted us warmly at the door as we were celebrating a friend’s birthday—who is of French descent and wanted to experience authentic French cuisine and wine. That personal touch made the occasion feel extra special.
From the appetizers onward, everything was outstanding. The beef tartare and oysters—ah shucks!—were fresh, balanced, and beautifully prepared. The Côte du Rhône by the glass was exceptional: full-bodied with structured tannins and great legs. For those preferring non-alcoholic options, they even had 0.0 Heineken available, which was greatly appreciated.
The burger was absolutely phenomenal, paired perfectly with mixed greens and crispy, flavorful French fries. The mussels were also fantastic—the broth alone was rich, aromatic, and packed with flavor.
I’m already looking forward to my next visit to Merlot. Highly recommend this restaurant for brunch, lunch, or an evening out. And don’t forget to check out the patio in the summertime—it’s absolutely beautiful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
December: Busy time of year for restaurants but we still got great service and great food.
It was a very nice brunch. All four of us enjoyed our meal. Great, friendly service. Delicious lemon dessert.
Felt pressured by the waitress when we initially arrived and wanted us to immediately place our order! Found that rude! There for a few hours and the restaurant filled up however not to capacity ! I have reservations there for dinner next Saturday snd hoping it's a better experience! This is the first I have had that kind of service at Merlot!
Merlot Restaurant delivers exceptional flavors, warm ambiance, and attentive service — truly a must-visit dining experience.
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