Auberge du Pommier

I recently attended a business dinner here and from the moment we entered until we left, the experience was excellent.
The staff are very polite, accommodating and knowledgeable about all aspects of the restaurant and the menu. They provided us with detailed explanations of the meal, including food and drink recommendations.
As this was a business dinner, we were seated in the ‘Oscar’ room which was quite large and comfortably accommodated our group. There were adequate audio/​visual supplies for presentations and support staff on hand.
Prior to dinner, we were served drinks as well as passed appetizers including canapes and kebabs. For my appetizer the server suggested I choose the heirloom salad which was a good sized portion with fresh tomatoes, greens and cheese, and an interesting sweet crumble made of brown sugar.
As the entrée, I chose the salmon which was presented quite nicely atop root vegetables, and well-​seasoned.
The dessert was a citrus cheesecake which was light and refreshing, and complimented the rest of the meal nicely.
The servers were very attentive in replenishing our drinks, removing dinnerware and ensured that the dishes were brought out in a coordinated and well-​timed manner.
Overall, the ambiance is lovely, the décor is ‘charming’ and elegant, and the customer service and quality of food lives up to its reputation.
Merci beaucoup!

Auberge used to the be best restuarant in the city, and I had the best meal of my life there about 6 years ago.
We had a good time and the place is really nice, but the service has gone downhill in the last couple years. Food as well. Our waitress was great when she was there, but it took SO long in between visits from her. It took 20 minutes after delivering menus to come take our order, and many things just like that about drinks, dessert, getting the bill etc. The food was good, but not nearly as good as a couple years ago. It’s a nice place but value wise it doesn’t add up with the food and service and very high price. I hope they make some changes and go back to how it used to be. I don’t mind paying those prices, but the food and service need to reflect that.

Always hesitant to try out legacy places, they, imho, draw a different type of clientele (upmarket parent’s generation, scenesters, those celebrating a special event etc.) with different expectations. Our hesitation was warranted.
Dinner:
Apps: crab croquette and foie gras 2.5−3÷5
Mains: rabbit ravioli and monk fish 2.5−3÷5
Desert: chocolate brûlée 3.75÷5
According to Joanne Kate’s review, this place charges a modest corkage fee if you choose to bring your bottle.
Service: ⁴⁄₅ friendly
Ambience: ⁴⁄₅ beautiful in a rustic kind of way
None of the dishes were even good. They were all average at best. This place survives probably because Toronto’s fine dining scene lacks umph. Throw in a couple of friendly francophone waitstaff, and upmarket prices and ambience to boot, this becomes the post game hangout for the Rosedale croquet club. The rest I’m guessing can’t wait to tell their ‘laws in Richmond hill how they wined and dined their daughter at a charming midtown Provençal resto :)
Overall for these prices the value was 2.5÷5
Repeat: NO
Take your money and spend it elsewhere.

We came here for my partners birthday lunch — we enjoyed what we saw on the menu and have always loved how beautiful it looked inside we thought we’d give it a try.
We were offered complimentary sourdough bread with butter which was very warm and fresh. We decided to start with their mushroom soup with truffle oil and it didn’t disappoint, it was very fresh and filled with seasoning a good punch of tarragon.
For mains we did Brandade Croustillant and Méli Mélo salad. Both were so light yet packed with so much flavour — the fogo island fritters were very light but with so much flavour. The same can be said about the salad. Overall, the service was exceptional! When I made the reservation I indicated it was a birthday and they came out with a surprise little dessert — a great way to end a fantastic meal!

It was my second summerlicious/​winterlicious visit here and it still remains as one of my top 10 choices of summerlicious/​winterlicious restaurants. It’s a beautiful restaurant and the service is splendid. I’ve always had a good eating experience here and I would come back.
Service and Environment
Like I said before, the service is excellent. They try their best to make you feel welcome and treat you like royalty (as expected in any upscale restaurant though). It’s a pretty quiet environment as my friends and I often find that even talking in our normal voices seemed a bit too loud. Our food items and drinks also came out really fast.
Food
Appetizers:
My friends and I really enjoyed both their Butternut Squash Soup and Pâté. The dishes were plated beautifully and both were very appetizing.
Mains:
The Boeuf Bourguignon was okay. I personally thought the beef was bland. I remember regretting and thinking about how I should have ordered the Atlantic Salmon instead like my friends. The salmon dish tasted much better than the beef dish. The salmon was moist and flavourful and was accompanied with a wonderful Couscous side.
Dessert:
Apple cake with ice cream — This was really really really good! Cake was moist and the ice cream was smooth and creamy.
Meringue mousse — My friend got this and it looked really appetizing! The mousse was nice and smooth and the overall flavour and balance of this dessert dish was wonderful!

Went during normal times and during Winterlicious times on several occasions but I’m here to review the most recent experience, which was Winterlicious 2016.
Appetizer:
We decided to diverge and have both potage a la courge (butternut squash soup) and salade composee (salad). Both were really good but I think the butternut squash won out. It was flavourful and had the right amount of sweet and salty. The wild cod brandade in the soup really was a nice complement to the soup.
Mains:
The boeuf bourguignon was absolutely delicious and that cheek was a melt in your mouth sort of deliciousness. I was so impressed with the dish I almost didn’t share it with my bf. Sadly, the boyfriend chose chicken and it was just so underwhelming. It was a plain piece of overcooked meat — I almost felt bad for him for making that poor life choice.
Dessert:
Both the meringue and almond cake were delicious. However, the almond cake again absolutely won out. It was fragrant, moist, and absolutely orgasmically delicious. Dessert was definitely the best part of the whole meal.
Overall, I’d say that the food was good — a little bit cookie cutter and not so unique — however, I give credit to the fact that this menu was designed for Winterlicious. The times I’ve gone here on non-​licious occasions have been very pleasant with friendly service, etc.
I must, however, say that I didn’t give this place 5 stars because of a pretty rude comment from our server. Don’t get me wrong — she was absolutely pleasant from beginning to end. However, the boyfriend asked her if she’d recommend coming back on a non-​licious occasion and she absolutely agreed. However, what I found a bit rude was that she said that during regular occasions, it’s a better, more real experience because Winterlicious is designed for people who can’t otherwise afford it regularly. Partially true — but lady, filter! I personally found it a bit rude — she probably saw my judgemental face because she stopped it at there. In this latter part, I’m really not looking to get anyone in trouble but I just really hope that proper staff training will be instigated on client interactions.

I absolutely LOVED my first dining experience here. Despite the Winterlicious Rush, our server was surprisingly attentive — we didn’t feel pressured to eat faster because there was a huge line at the door. He even took the time to fold our napkins when we went to the restroom. With the restaurant at peak capacity, his demeanor was extremely laid back which translates into a pleasant dining experience for us.
The prixe fix menu had choices we all loved. My favorite was the braised beef cheek — it was so tender, I didn’t need a knife to cut into it. The dessert was also amazing — I had the meringue, which was played beautifully!
The only complaint I have is about the hostess. She was visibly distressed at the lunch rush and trying to seat everyone based on their reservation time. I just think it would have been more professional if she didn’t snap at the people waiting or those following up with her to check how much longer they needed to wait.
Overall, I had a great experience here and would definitely come back!

The food is out of this world!!! Wow, the service was phenomenal! One of the best restaurants I ever went to. The price is definitely worth it, high quality food, the taste is amazing. Braised beef cheek, duck liver and beef tartar! So tasty! I will recommend this place to everyone. It is also very romantic, and perfect for engagement parties and weddings! If you are a foodie, YOU have to TRY this place !

Wife and I went for winterlicious and it was a very positive visit.
The hostess was polite and the food was great would highly recommend!

To not be disappointed when dining, there are a few things I make sure to avoid. One is Chinese-​run «sushi» places. Another is any restaurant run by a nightclub owner. And the biggie is deals for cheapskates. I’m looking at you, Winterlicious, Summerlicious, Groupon, WagJag, and the rest of them. I am not surprised that almost all the negative reviews for this place are from «licious» customers. Don’t go to a high end place expecting the high end experience when you’re paying East Side Mario’s prices. What you end up getting is their version of wedding banquet food, mass produced on an assembly line (so the place can turn the tables twice as fast) with the quality to match. Don’t be so damn cheap; if you want the genuine experience save up your money and show up when the restaurant is at its best. When it ISN’T serving the cheapskates. You might have to spend 50% more but you’ll get 100% better quality food and service. If I see a negative ‘Licious review I disregard it. There, I can get off my soapbox now.
All that said, Oliver and Bonacini are the undisputed kings of restaurant dining in Toronto. Go to any of their places and (‘Licious notwithstanding) you will never be disappointed. Their flagships are Canoe (great view, modern continental cuisine with local ingredients) and Auberge du Pommier (classical French). I hadn’t been to Auberge in about 5 years so a revisit was long overdue, and once again the O&B team amazed me.
As always, a small bowl of olives as well as freshly baked (and still warm) bread with butter is presented immediately after the menus are taken away, and is always a pleasant surprise. It doesn’t need much butter, it’s that good. For my appetizer I went with the roasted La Canardière foie gras served with Bartlett pear, parsnip purée and almond oat crumble. If you’ve never had foie gras and have only seen it on the Food Network, definitely have it here. The rich buttery liver melts in your mouth, and the accompanying components on the plate balance that out. Main course I ordered Boeuf aux escargots: braised beef cheek de Cahors, garlic & parsley escargot, pomme purée. The beef cheek was braised slowly that the result was a very tender piece of meat that needed light pressure with a fork to cut. No knife needed for this! Rather than dessert I went with the cheese plate to end the meal. This consisted of 5 cheeses (4 French 1 from PEI) served with a honeycomb, quince jam, and crackers which served as palate cleansers. Of the 5, my favorite was the Langres cheese (as the server described it’s so soft they have to cut it right out of the fridge… once it warms to room temperature it is heavenly stuff to eat, with the thickness and consistency of a very rich sour cream).
Although it was several days after my actual birthday, they did bring out a «cake» which consisted of a candle to blow out, two blackberries, two chocolate truffles, two cream puffs, and «Happy Birthday» written in dark chocolate sauce. A pleasant, unexpected treat.
If you have a special occasion to celebrate (birthday, anniversary, milestone…) or want to impress family or friends visiting from out of town, you simply cannot go wrong by choosing Auberge du Pommier. One big positive is that you don’t have to go downtown and deal with the transportation hassles there; this is so convenient being just south of the 401 with free (validated) underground parking next to the restaurant. Just don’t go during Licious.

We came here for Winterlicious, for the first time, and we loved it. As soon as we came in, we were greeted by the very friendly staff and they even took our coats! The ambiance is perfect and the music was just the right volume. We loved being able to actually talk to each other without having to yell over the music and noise. The waiter was also great — he definitely deserved the tip!
We both had the salad and the mushroom ravioli. The salad was good, but it had a bit too much dressing, which sort of ruined the taste for us. The ravioli was amazing though. Everything was cooked to perfection and the creamy sauce was delicious. For dessert, I can’t remember the names, but I had an almond apple cake and my boyfriend had a sort of mousse meringue type thing with pomegranate sauce. We weren’t too excited about that, but once we tasted it, we were so glad the waiter told us to order it!
Overall, amazing experience and we will definitely be coming back.

I had a 2016 Winterlcious lunch here ($ 28 for 3 courses) with my hubby. We had a good experience.
I love the ambiance here, so intimate which makes it a perfect place for a romantic date.
Complimentary bread was warm, very standard, nothing to rave about.
1. Appetizer: we both had Pâté de Campagne (pork pâté). This was quite good and nicely presented.
2. Main course: we both had Boeuf Bourguignon (braised beef cheeks). This was delicious and flavourful. Portion seems small but its quite rich and filing. We both enjoyed the beef cheeks very much. I would strongly recommend it.
3. Desserts:
Vacherin aux Grenade: home made ice cream served with meringue and pomegranate pearls. It was good but it didn’t wow me. The ice cream was good but the pom pearls were a bit «stale»
Gâteaux aux Amandes (almond cake), this was better opinion IMO. I would recommend this dessert.
Service was attentive, typically fine dining.
Overall, excellent service, very good food; price is typically on the high side which makes Winterlcious am excellent deal. I would recommend it for a special event or a romantic date

Winterlicious Review
It’s pretty decent. I guess its not too bad at the Winterlicious lunch price ($ 28), but I’d feel a little unhappy if I paid the Winterlicious dinner price (or the full price). I’d say this was my least favorite «icious» meal to date (that being said, I usually am pretty selective with the places where I go for the «icious» meals).
Appetizer: Pâté de Campagne, which is basically pâté & bread. I did like the pâté in this dish. The bread was nothing special. My wife ordered the salad which looked (and tasted) very mediocre, so I’d recommend avoiding.
Main: we both ordered the beef cheek. This was probably my favorite course. The beef was cooked well… it was quite juicy. Also, its a fairly generous portion. There wasn’t much else on the plate though… a few greens if I recall correctly.
Dessert: these were a bit of a let down, especially considering that this is a French restaurant. Ordered the «Vacherin aux Grenade», which consists of meringue and pomigranate. It was fairly ordinary tbh. Wife ordered the «Gâteaux aux Amandes» (almond and apple cake), which was pretty good… the cake was moist. I think it would have been better with a bit more ice cream on the side.
Service is friendly, but I think they were a little understaffed. It was a full house at lunch, maybe because of winterlicious.

I’ve wanted to come to Auberge for the longest time and I was finally able to come in for a visit during Winterlicious! I really enjoyed the winter squash soup and the sea bass. They were delicious and cooked to perfection. The semifreddo and meringue dessert was also good but it lacked the wow factor for me. Service was quick but at times, we felt like we were forgotten by our servers (it took some time to get our waters refilled). Auberge is a must go — the food is great and the restaurant itself is beautiful.

Went in for winterlicious without much expectation for $ 28/​pp. But boy was I surprised! I enjoyed every dish and even my food critic father-​in-​law give his thumb up and polished everything off his plate which is rare.

I’ve been to Auberge du Pommier once during Winterlicious. I think it was my first «fine dining» restaurant… Great bang for your buck if you go during Winterlicious.
I don’t recall what I had — it’s all a haze right now. But everything was amazing and I loved every bite! For a $$$$ restaurant, the service was humble and attentive. Our server was great, and he even brought us an extra desert when I joked «I wish I could have another». Oh that chocolate mousse… mmm
I’ll have to make a trip there again soon.

We went here to celebrate my husband’s birthday and were not disappointed. The price is high, but the quality is unmatched. I got the steak tartare for my appetizer and it was really good and a decent amount of food. It came with several crustini and various accompaniments such as pickles and radish. For my main I ordered off the tasting menu to get the canard a l’orange which came with roasted sun chokes and grilled endive. The duck was delicious, cooked to a nice rare and the orange sauce was a perfect accent. For dessert we got the cheese tray with 5 different cheeses, one Canadian and four French. It came with some delicious quince jam, a block of honeycomb, and lots of crispy «feuilles» to eat with it. All in all it was a really great meal. After we were finished, they brought out a «Happy Birthday» plate for my husband with some cream puff and truffles on it which was a nice addition.
This is the third time we have been to this restaurant and I would definitely go back again.

3.5 for the food, but rounded up to 4 for the service and ambiance. The setting is adorable. It’s like you’re eating in someone’s house.
In terms of food, I tried all of the appetizers on the menu. The foie gras appetizer stood out, and the beef tartare was good as well. I wasn’t a big fan of the octopus appetizer because of the dried olives. We also had scrambled eggs with white truffle (not on the menu), and it was very tasty.
I tried a few of the entrees — canard a l’orange, lamb shank, beef cheek, and grouper. The duck was tender for the most part, although some parts were tough to chew. I really liked the flavour combination of the grouper dish, as it had a bit of spice to it. Beef cheek was super soft (melt in your mouth) but I would prefer beef cheek in a bahn mi as opposed to as a main dish. I think I’m used to chewing more when beef is a main. The lamb shank was also very tender, but I’ve had better lamb shanks before in terms of the sauce it comes in.
I had the soufflé for the dessert and the orange white chocolate sauce that they pour into it is quite delicious.
They gave complimentary creem puffs at the end of our meal, and those were yums! The stuff inside the cream puffs tastes the same as the soufflé sauce? Mmm

My parents wanted to take me out for a nice dinner for my quarter century — so picked this from the shortlist of restaurants that offered dinner prix fixe menus. The place is tucked away quietly on Yonge between York Mills and the 401 — a wooden cottage with old-​fashioned (in the good way) décor and surrounded by gardens. I can see why people would choose this venue for a beautiful summer wedding. The wait staff was knowledgeable of the menu, and the service was impeccable, which I guess would be expected for this type of fine dining, and the prices charged.
I wish I was equally impressed with the food as I was with the ambiance and service. Unfortunately, we found the food very underwhelming. The one more memorable item was the «du jardin» course — which on that day was a refreshing tomato salad. I thought the escargot was also pretty interesting — though my parents were not fans. For the mains, my mom and I both had fish and my dad the boeuf — we all agreed we had better elsewhere.
Overall, I had a good experience here for the occasion, the service and the environment. I would recommend coming here for summerlicious or winterlicious — you get the experience for a less steep price, which is more reasonable for the quality of the food served.

My summerlicious experience here was as perfect as my server’s hair
Ordered the terrine to start. I thought there was a great blend of sweetness and acidity between the peach and pickled mushroom. The chicken terrine itself was also well-​made, and the app def set my expectation high for the entrée.
That expectation was definitely met by the sea bream which had skin so crispy you could hear it crunching in your mouth. The fish was seasoned deliciously and those roasted grapes complemented the sea bream really, really well. I had a little bit of the steak as well, the medium rare was done right but the rub on the steak was lacking a litlte bit — and I hated the olive tapenade because I hate olives, so thank goodness I didn’t go for that.
The dessert was nothing special, the mille feuille was deconstructed and not what I expected — but it was a decent end to my meal because at least the plating was beautiful. The honeydew soup was surprisingly refreshing and almost made me wish I’d ordered that instead.
If this is what Auberge offered for their icious menus, I definitely would come back for their regular items on a special occasion. I’m a fan