Cafe Nouvelle

You’ll find the traditional French favourites on their menu like escargot and steak frites, as well as interesting dishes like the “St. Tropez” fish soup $15.50. The broth has a bouillabaisse feel spiked with more saffron and thickened with pulverized fish - personally, I would have preferred if the fish was left in chunks, so it’d feel less like eating savoury baby food. The texture improved once I dropped in bite-sized pieces of the toasted baguette topped with creamy rouille a garlicky lemon and saffron aioli and grated Emmenthal to each spoonful. Think of it as a lighter French onion soup that swaps out the onion for fish. If there’s duck confit $32.50 on the menu, most likely it’s what I’ll order. Interestingly, the duck leg arrives with no sauce giving it a lovely rustic homemade quality. You can certainly taste the duck and without sauce the meat has nowhere to hide, it needs to be done perfectly to taste delicious. In this case, it was. Yet, it was the caramelized sautéed garlic potatoes that stole the show. Cooked in duck fat until a sticky and crispy crust forms, the spuds made me swoon with delight. Never swap these potatoes for fries. The meal ended perfectly with a shared slice of tarte aux pommes $13.50. The thinly sliced apples sat on a bed of apple sauce and a perfect pastry crust. Likely the apple sauce helps to add moisture without relying on syrup, which keep the tart light. While there’s nothing wrong with the apple sauce, using crème anglaise or some sort of custard give it a richer element. And get rid of the fruit coulis, it makes the plate pretty but takes away from the lovely apple flavours.

Fabulous lunch! Great service! I hadn't been since before the pandemic and Merlot was the same wonderful place. Can't wait to go again. Croque Monsieur was perfect.

Fantastic French cuisine served by pleasant staff. The escargot and pate were exquisite!Food: 5/5

I have been coming to this restaurant regularly with friends over the past 6 months and we love it! It’s our new go to. The staff is incredibly friendly, provides excellent service and the fresh, homemade food is consistently great and reasonably priced. It’s a cozy little restaurant with a definite French, European feel. Most, if not all, of the staff speak French and are indeed French. Eating there feels like you’ve been transported back to Paris. Parking: Green P out back

I had the pate to start, excellent! Followed by the trio of sausages, really good. My wife had the French onion soup, sever did not know what cheese it was topped with! She then had the lamb chops, kitchen recommended rare, they came out medium!Food: 4/5

I had a great time with my parents for our Business meeting. We had the fresh Fettuccine and the owner Francois was really nice to my parents and I. Will definitely be coming back! 5 stars in every category! -The AmericanFood: 5/5

My favourite restaurant in the Toronto west end when treating myself to an upscale dinner. Delicious food in a lively bistro atmosphere. The bonus is when they open their rooftop patio in summer, serving slightly simpler fare.

Wonderful French classics in a cute space. Lots of gluten free options and excellent cocktails. Gets busy on a Friday evening. Food presentation is old school and simple. Dietary restrictions: Gluten free options

Had New Year's Eve dinner here with another couple who live in the area and dine here often. The ambiance was nice and the restaurant was not too busy. The service was friendly, but the food was very disappointing. Dinner was $100 per person which was expensive for what we had The first course was seafood in a cream sauce in puffed pastry. It was acceptable. Next course foie gras pate was very bland , served with a dry piece of baguette and a bland onion relish. None of us even finished it.The main course was a beef tenderloin or venison. The beef was superior to the tenderloin , but both were tasty. The potatoes "au gratin" were also very bland like last nights boiled potatoes with a bit of milk on them baked in the oven Dessert could have been purchased at a local grocery store bakery. I have not eaten here for about 15 years. Our friends will not return. The other disappointing observation was staff training. , so I can't blame them. Our server did not know where to place the knife or fork on the table. This is a fairly 'fine" French restaurant yet everyone had their utensils placed differently in front of them like a cheap diner. Merlot , even if you still get your regulars , you can do better than this. It was a very ordinary meal and we looked forward to a more memorable evening.

Very nice atmosphere and good choices on the menu. Very busy at lunch and service was a little slow. Food was brought in a timely manner and was great tasting. Will definitely revisit.