Love La Banane. But wasn't a big fan of their bar location. Food wasn't too great. Steak frit was a weird fried mash snake :(
ROSHNI
Wines by the glass were bad quality and limited. Only one option per style, and cheaper wines at that. The funnel fries were overly salty. The cocktail needed to be diluted because it was all sugar. I had high expectations for this venue and was sadly disappointed
Tiffany
The waitress made our night. She was great! She recommended amazing food and we had a perfect night!
Amber
Ordered the steak frites , lobster roll and churros didn't expect the steak and the funnel fries to be served cold .
Vaibhav
From when we came a year ago to now the food menu and quality and dropped. We at one point almost decided to have our wedding reception here is how much we loved it during our last visit
Italo
The food was delicious and the service was great! Their appetizers or tapas style is nice before a dinner reservation. The room is nice ambiance, but can get very noisy once full.. I would recommend it.. Steak Frites & Lobster Roll was our favourites
Asli Kahraman
Sylvain is the best waiter you can ever imagine! We celebrated our engagement anniversary at La Banane today and he made our day even more special! ❤️ Thank you for taking care of us so well, we can't wait to be back soon! ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
An
Drinks and service were amazing, ambience was great. Perfect for catching up with good company.
Brandyn Tai
More than just good food, La Banane was a proper dining EXPERIENCE. They serve French inspired cuisine with a top tier bar.
They take resos on Opentable and I heard they can get busy during weekends so best to book ahead!
FOOD (5/5)
You can order dishes a la carte or opt for the carte blanche (tasting menu) for ~$175 pp which is what we ordered. The waiter walks you through the menu and asks what you like and don’t like. They serve you about 2 raw bar items, 2 entrees, and a dessert and is at the discretion of the chef. Note there is an upcharge if you opt in to more premium menu options.
4/5 - Brown Butter Scallops. I thought they were gonna be served as full scallops but it comes diced and topped with a brown butter sauce tableside. Fresh and naturally sweet-smoky scallops plus the warm decadent sauce was a beautiful combo.
5/5 - Maitaki Mushroom. SUPER UNASSUMING BUT ABSOLUTELY DELISH. Probably my fave dish of the evening. Big hearty piece of mushroom apparently grown at the base of an oak tree, grilled, and served with the most rich and creamy sauce ever. Absolutely blown away. It doesn’t even taste vegetarian, it had the heartiness and fullsome flavours of a red meat. Absolutely reco!
3/5 - Bass en Croute. Delicate fish baked in a cured croute to give it an even and flavourful cook. They bring out the uncut croute to show you the cooking process then they bring it back to the chef to cut open for presentation. The beurre-blanc sauce comes in a gravy boat and pairs really nicely with the fish. The side it came with was a tomato and steamed egg dish that was a bit too acidic imo. Good food but just didn’t wow me on this dish.
5/5 - Steak au Poivre. Tender, decadent, and mouthwatering. The beef (we ordered med rare) was so juicy, well rested, and maintained all the beautiful flavours of good beef. But the shining star is the black pepper sauce that is so creamy and brightly peppery it elevates the beef. Our side was the gruyere mashed/whipped potatoes that was so really fulsome but not heavy and was a nice contrast to the bright au poivre sauce. Highly recommend!
4/5 - Gateau a La Banane. Their signature Banana flavoured basque cake that has nice crispy edges and a soft interior. Topped with a salted caramel gelato. Lots of great contrasts; warm and cold, crispy and soft, sweet and salty. I’ll add it got a bit too sweet towards the end but still a great dish to share with 2-3 ppl.
AMBIENCE (4.5/5) Cozy interior with a bar and banquette seats. Some of the banquette seats are a tad low for the table but overally really nice candlelit-esque vibe.
SERVICE (5/5) The wait staff was super friendly, helpful, and welcoming. It didn’t feel snooty at all, and made fine dining feel down to earth. Food came out at a very reasonable pace.
VALUE (4/5) Definitely a higher ticket meal but you get amazing food made with great quality ingredients and a memorable dining experience.
LOCATION (4/5) Located right at Ossington and Dundas it’s in a core area with lots of great restos and bars around. Accessible via streetcar (albeit sporadically) and there’s street parking avail in the neighbourhood.
OVERALL (4.5/5) I came for a birthday celebration and we all really enjoyed the food, the ambience, service and left feeling really satisfied with the experience! I love that it makes French fine dining feel so approachable and welcoming. Would love to be back for future celebratory dinners!
La Banane is now one of my top 3 favourite restaurants in Toronto! Normally when you go to a new place there is one to two dishes that don’t hit the mark for you - this was not the case.
Oysters, Scallops, and the fresh Broiche bread set the expectations high with the entrees.
The Maitake mushrooms were divine , the Venison was incredibly flavourful and tender, and the Lamb neck was proper yum!
The mashed potatoes with gruyere was rich, hearty and delicious.
I caved and had to try a desert. The banana cake rounded out an amazing anniversary meal for my girlfriend and I!
The service was great and the staff expressed gratitude for choosing their restaurant to celebrate a special occasion. They even surprised us with a glass of complimentary champagne.
You will pay for the quality so expect a meal over $300 for two people.
I will be back soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Olivia DiVencenzo
This place was amazing, I was blown away by their food! We went with the Carte Blanche option and everything we had was so delicious. Their Foie Gras with the pineapple was such an interesting combination that I didn't know could surprise me the way that it did. It was SO good. The lamb neck also blew me away. 10/10, came for an anniversary and it was very special. The service was amazing, our waiter Ben was so knowledgeable and fun and you could tell he was proud of the food there as well. Definitely can't wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ali Willa Milner
Spectacular experience here. Sylvain took incredible care of us and the tasting menu he selected was so delicious and creative. Would absolutely come back. Really wonderful spot for special occasions.
Love La Banane. But wasn't a big fan of their bar location. Food wasn't too great. Steak frit was a weird fried mash snake :(
Wines by the glass were bad quality and limited. Only one option per style, and cheaper wines at that. The funnel fries were overly salty. The cocktail needed to be diluted because it was all sugar. I had high expectations for this venue and was sadly disappointed
The waitress made our night. She was great! She recommended amazing food and we had a perfect night!
Ordered the steak frites , lobster roll and churros didn't expect the steak and the funnel fries to be served cold .
From when we came a year ago to now the food menu and quality and dropped. We at one point almost decided to have our wedding reception here is how much we loved it during our last visit
The food was delicious and the service was great! Their appetizers or tapas style is nice before a dinner reservation. The room is nice ambiance, but can get very noisy once full.. I would recommend it.. Steak Frites & Lobster Roll was our favourites
Sylvain is the best waiter you can ever imagine! We celebrated our engagement anniversary at La Banane today and he made our day even more special! ❤️ Thank you for taking care of us so well, we can't wait to be back soon! ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Drinks and service were amazing, ambience was great. Perfect for catching up with good company.
More than just good food, La Banane was a proper dining EXPERIENCE. They serve French inspired cuisine with a top tier bar.
They take resos on Opentable and I heard they can get busy during weekends so best to book ahead!
FOOD (5/5)
You can order dishes a la carte or opt for the carte blanche (tasting menu) for ~$175 pp which is what we ordered. The waiter walks you through the menu and asks what you like and don’t like. They serve you about 2 raw bar items, 2 entrees, and a dessert and is at the discretion of the chef. Note there is an upcharge if you opt in to more premium menu options.
4/5 - Brown Butter Scallops. I thought they were gonna be served as full scallops but it comes diced and topped with a brown butter sauce tableside. Fresh and naturally sweet-smoky scallops plus the warm decadent sauce was a beautiful combo.
5/5 - Maitaki Mushroom. SUPER UNASSUMING BUT ABSOLUTELY DELISH. Probably my fave dish of the evening. Big hearty piece of mushroom apparently grown at the base of an oak tree, grilled, and served with the most rich and creamy sauce ever. Absolutely blown away. It doesn’t even taste vegetarian, it had the heartiness and fullsome flavours of a red meat. Absolutely reco!
3/5 - Bass en Croute. Delicate fish baked in a cured croute to give it an even and flavourful cook. They bring out the uncut croute to show you the cooking process then they bring it back to the chef to cut open for presentation. The beurre-blanc sauce comes in a gravy boat and pairs really nicely with the fish. The side it came with was a tomato and steamed egg dish that was a bit too acidic imo. Good food but just didn’t wow me on this dish.
5/5 - Steak au Poivre. Tender, decadent, and mouthwatering. The beef (we ordered med rare) was so juicy, well rested, and maintained all the beautiful flavours of good beef. But the shining star is the black pepper sauce that is so creamy and brightly peppery it elevates the beef. Our side was the gruyere mashed/whipped potatoes that was so really fulsome but not heavy and was a nice contrast to the bright au poivre sauce. Highly recommend!
4/5 - Gateau a La Banane. Their signature Banana flavoured basque cake that has nice crispy edges and a soft interior. Topped with a salted caramel gelato. Lots of great contrasts; warm and cold, crispy and soft, sweet and salty. I’ll add it got a bit too sweet towards the end but still a great dish to share with 2-3 ppl.
AMBIENCE (4.5/5)
Cozy interior with a bar and banquette seats. Some of the banquette seats are a tad low for the table but overally really nice candlelit-esque vibe.
SERVICE (5/5)
The wait staff was super friendly, helpful, and welcoming. It didn’t feel snooty at all, and made fine dining feel down to earth. Food came out at a very reasonable pace.
VALUE (4/5)
Definitely a higher ticket meal but you get amazing food made with great quality ingredients and a memorable dining experience.
LOCATION (4/5)
Located right at Ossington and Dundas it’s in a core area with lots of great restos and bars around. Accessible via streetcar (albeit sporadically) and there’s street parking avail in the neighbourhood.
OVERALL (4.5/5)
I came for a birthday celebration and we all really enjoyed the food, the ambience, service and left feeling really satisfied with the experience! I love that it makes French fine dining feel so approachable and welcoming. Would love to be back for future celebratory dinners!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food with good wine
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
La Banane is now one of my top 3 favourite restaurants in Toronto! Normally when you go to a new place there is one to two dishes that don’t hit the mark for you - this was not the case.
Oysters, Scallops, and the fresh Broiche bread set the expectations high with the entrees.
The Maitake mushrooms were divine , the Venison was incredibly flavourful and tender, and the Lamb neck was proper yum!
The mashed potatoes with gruyere was rich, hearty and delicious.
I caved and had to try a desert. The banana cake rounded out an amazing anniversary meal for my girlfriend and I!
The service was great and the staff expressed gratitude for choosing their restaurant to celebrate a special occasion. They even surprised us with a glass of complimentary champagne.
You will pay for the quality so expect a meal over $300 for two people.
I will be back soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place was amazing, I was blown away by their food! We went with the Carte Blanche option and everything we had was so delicious. Their Foie Gras with the pineapple was such an interesting combination that I didn't know could surprise me the way that it did. It was SO good. The lamb neck also blew me away. 10/10, came for an anniversary and it was very special. The service was amazing, our waiter Ben was so knowledgeable and fun and you could tell he was proud of the food there as well. Definitely can't wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Spectacular experience here. Sylvain took incredible care of us and the tasting menu he selected was so delicious and creative. Would absolutely come back. Really wonderful spot for special occasions.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fine dining at its best.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent food and service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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