Café La Gaffe

I also had higher expectations of Café La Gaffe.
I’ve been here twice for lunch (with coworkers in ²⁰¹³⁄₂₀₁₄) and once for brunch (today).
Service:
— we arrived on Mother’s Day (Sunday) around 11 AM & it was not busy so we got seated right away
— they were understanding when we moved from the front patio to indoor before our food was served and let us have our pick of tables
— came to offer a coffee refill
— accommodating of providing a side plate for ease of sharing dishes upon request
Ambience:
— simple, quaint
— does not feel Parisian
— pretty view from Windows of tree lined quiet street (Baldwin)
— for brunch it’s nice when the sun streams in through the windows
— relaxing vibe if not too full; staff are not overly intrusive
— main floor female washroom has very dim lighting which is less than ideal for make up touch ups
Food:
— banana pancakes (3 slices cut in half) with a berry compote and a slice of honeydew melon; cantaloupe; pineapple. With maple syrup on the side (no idea if it was Canadian syrup etc)
— friend has the avocado stuffed omelette with home fries and salad
— both dishes were good and nice to share a sweet & savory
I would recommend to a friend if they were in the neighborhood but not if they were coming downtown from suburbs. I would go again if someone else chose it/​planned it but if the choice was left to me I would pick somewhere new to try.
As for when I came with coworkers in the past, lunch menu was good and for $ 20 you got an appetizer, main and a dessert. But service can be slow for large groups so order fast if you’re on a time constraint. Can accommodate up to 10 – 12 people at one table. Food was again decent but nothing spectacular from what I recall but was walking distance from work so a good spot.

Delightful date night with a great friend. Immediately felt welcome and settled in. Two male staff were kind, attentive and very aware of their environment.
Drinks and food were timed perfectly felt attended to but un rushed
Must return again soon (please excuse grammatical errors)

Have been here numerous times for brunch and have enjoyed it every time.
Staff is super friendly and attentive. Cute place on a cute little block.
If you’re into it, eggs benedict is the go to dish here. Omelettes are good here as well.
Had sausage and eggs today which was nice but there are better things on the menu. Really enjoy that breakfast dishes come with salad along with potatoes.
Will be back here yet again I’m sure

I came here a few times for their brunch when I lived nearby. The portion was big and food quality was great too. I recommend their fresh orange juise:)

A great place for lunch between classes. Service is prompt and the food is delicious. Everyone around our table loved what they ordered and alot of food envy happened. Friend swears by the charred salmon sandwich, which looked great and everyone seemed to like. I had the seafood pasta which was amazing, perfectly creamy and delicious. Great portions and reasonable price. Would definitely go back again and recommend to friends.

3.5÷5! This place has a pretty ordinary menu, but the food and service is great. I recommend the filet mignon sandwich and the Gorgonzola pizza. Enjoy :)

Size: Went here for summerlicious and sat at the patio. The size of the place is appropriate for the size of a café (i don’t think a huge crew would fit there lol). It is very quaint and can be suitable for 2 or 3 friends to hang out, or even a nice evening between couples.
Quality: for my meal I started out with the soup, then had the risotto with chicken, and ended with the crème brule. The soup was warm and delicious, the risotto was spicy with a lot of chunks of chicken, and the crème brulee was a satisfying finish. To add a little more regarding the risotto, when I said spicy it wasn’t meant as a con but rather it provided a different taste altogether. It was my first time trying risotto spicy and for me it was a surprise but still I enjoyed it. Portion wise, I’m pretty sure I got the bang for my buck (if not a lil more) for this meal.
Service: Our servers were friendly, accommodating, and the food didn’t take too long to make. Our waitress was informational with regards to the menu and it helped with my choices.
Would I go back/​recommend it: Yes. Even if it is not summer or winterlicious, the pictures on Unilocal look very enticing and after eating the food there I wouldn’t mind dropping by from time to time and trying something new.

I decided to let bygones be bygones — by which I mean my friends really wanted to try it — so I came back.
I remain convinced that they are more interested in making money than providing a pleasant dining experience.
There are lots of much nicer alternatives on Baldwin. Don’t waste your time on a place whose principle draw is their reputation from the last decade.

Cute little café with yummy food — will come again.
Came here today with friends for a late lunchette. I was VERY apprehensive about eating here when we arrived to find out that they didn’t have air conditioning. It was boiling hot outside today and the only patio seating they had that could seat our party was in direct sun. Thankfully, the breeze sort of picked up and the trees came to our rescue as the sun shifted. Overall the atmosphere turned out to be very nice!
I ordered the Mussels Marius and was pleased with my meal. At $ 11.50 the dish had a healthy heap of mussels in a broth that was just the right amount of garlic and tang. I asked if there was bread that I could order to go with my meal and was pleasantly surprised to get a few slices of their house cornbread free of charge.
Definitely looking forward to coming back and trying their entres!

For $ 25 you get a three course meal, including a salad, a main, and a desert. The duck salad I had was spectacular, as was the crembrule for desert. The main (I had lamb), while good was nothing special, but combined with everything else, that didn’t matter. Definitely recommended.

Café la gaffe is such a gem in Baldwin village. It’s décor is very quaint and homey and fits in perfectly with the vibe the whole area has going for it. The colour of paint on the ally’s in bright and welcoming. As well as the painting on the walls and colour of table clothes are very interesting and bright. The best part is the summer and winter licious menues which give you a great bang for your buck with a set price for a three course meal. With that said, my fave I always remember from their menue is the tuna steak and steak-​yum! I for it medium rare and the flavour was unbelievably good!!! So scrumptious and juicy it’s mouth watering. The potatoes were a awesome side dish with a lovely flavour .They have a nice selection of wine paired win it made it a delightful meal! Perfect for an intimate evening with friends or an SO.

The food was ok but we aren’t too sure it’s French cuisine. We came with a buytopia coupon but might not come otherwise.

This place is cute as hell. I took my parents here while they were visiting the country and they loved it. Insanely affordable for a big luxurious meal. Seafood was great and the wine was good too. The place is decorated with spooky/​creepy awesome art. Next time I’ll sit outside under the canopy of the trees. Has a very European/​Montréal feel.

Based on the reviews, this place seemed really busy all the time so to be on the safe side, I made lunch reservations on a Friday afternoon for 5 people. When I got there, I still saw a few empty tables so it couldn’t be as busy as what the hostess told me over the phone.
What attracted me here was the fact that this restaurant was classified as a breakfast and brunch place but unfortunately, brunch is only served on weekends so we were a little disappointed. I got the risotto and it was pretty good and the portion was huge! I barely finished half of it and had to pack the rest.
They also seemed a bit understaffed as there was 1 waitress managing our entire section so service was really slow. Took us 30 mins to get our food. Still the waitress was doing the best that she could and was still super nice. The backyard patio was nice too so I recommend you sit there when the weather is warmer :)

small store front and eclectic décor. food is on the pricier side but once you see the portion you won’t be disappointed. I got the duck pizza which was huge but a little on the salty side. from what my friends ordered, pasta and stuffed chicken seemed like good options to go for. overall not amazing but definitely a pleasant experience

winterlicious, 2015
for $ 25 pp, you get quite a lot of food. pâté/​salad was a nice app, lamb shank was very soft and fabulous. steak was a bit on the chewy side, and has lots of oily fatty parts — not my favorite. the desserts both were quite good also (chocolate and the crème brûlée)
cute place. friendly people. nice ambiance. I would probably return and try other things on the menu. well done.

I had much higher expectations for Café La Gaffe for my lunch meal. But I guess according to other posts, they excel in brunch so I’ll have to come here again.
Coming in the last bit of the lunch rush, the restaurant was quite empty, but it gives you a chance to see the full restaurant. It’s actually quite adorable, a little place that looks slightly bigger than you expect it to be looking from the outside.
I ordered the special chicken and veggies, and my friend ordered an omelet with mushrooms and tomatoes with a side salad.
The chicken and veggies were. Kind of normal? It was something you would get at a dining hall. The omelet on the other hand was actually really, REALLY good. Totally should of came for brunch. The side salad was a bit plain, just lettuce and sauce. But that omelet.
I also ordered a caeser. i recommend listening to everyone else and getting wine. It is a French restaurant so who am I to order a Canadian drink?
3 stars for the food (would of been 2 without the omelet), but our server makes it 4 stars. She was attentive, always making sure our glasses are full, and started up a friendly conversation too.
I will definitely come again for brunch and I’ll stick to wine next time.

Dinner
Ambience: ⁴⁄₅
Food: ³⁄₅
Service: ³⁄₅
Value: ²⁄₅
Repeat: Unlikely

Location location. One of the cutest café-​style restaurants in town, looking out onto tree-​lined restaurant row on Baldwin St. Great brunch options at fair prices. Dinners are a little expensive relative to the quality but the atmosphere is worth the premium. Staff are courteous and professional. Sit under the tree canopy in summer and watch the world go by.

Café La Gaffe has been a legendary spot to catch up and drink wine with your best friends and continues to hold its own in this category. Called la Gaffe by locals, I see the category that stands out is for breakfast and brunch, but it is an excellent spot in the evening too. The lack of a crowded dining room on a Saturday night may be a result of that reputation, but don’t let a quiet evening spot like this deter you from going in because the food and wine, along with the service and atmosphere were spot on. It’s so relaxing to drink wine while taking in the artwork there, a perfect combination of an interesting wine list, along with art that is painted directly on the walls going around the corner of the nook by the front door as this is something I could never tire of looking at. The Bouillabaisse I had was beautiful too. Tasty nuggets of seafood in a deep and rich broth was superb! What a way to compliment the wine that evening. And Baldwin Street at night is enchanting with it’s narrowness reminiscent of the horse and buggy day.

First off — my boyfriend had emailed management about our horrible experience with our unprofessional waitress. The manager did respond and said he was aware of the waitress’ attitude and would address it and contact him back. When my boyfriend had sent a 2^nd email to followup he shockingly realized the Manager had BLOCKED this email. How do I know this? Because when sending the email it bounced back saying ‘failed delivery’… when I tried send it through my personal email, I had no problem. I work on Hospital row and our department used this restaurant for many functions and meetings, well NOT anymore!
I can not believe how unprofessional and greedy this restaurant is.
Heads up if you have the waitress that is older, wavy brown hair and glasses. She is the rudest server I have ever come across. I asked for 2 more minutes before taking my order because I hadnt decided and when I was ready she snarled saying «well I’m not ready to take your order now». No ‘lol’ no I’m joking face just plain ignorance. Ignored us the whole time, had to ask for the bill twice and then never followed through, never apologized. She is a complete disaster.
I will never give this place another dime.

Our time at La Gaffe will always be remembered as our most spontaneous, pleasant, and romantic eating experience in Toronto. We had just finished touring the nearby Ontario Legislative Building during Doors Open, and were looking for a late-​morning bite. By simply «walking around» we eventually landed on Baldwin Street, where we found this little French gem.
At first we wanted to sit outside, but since the front terrace had no open tables, we were seated by the main entrance, off to the left of the bar. This spot seemed to give us more privacy plus a nice window view of the terrace, which actually made the experience more intimate. Our server was friendly and very generous. Upon his recommendation, we started with a carafe of chilled Trius (local riesling) while sharing a tasty bowl of Mussels Marius. My entrée, the Omelette du Jour, was something I’d never tried before: eggs packed with chopped salmon, diced onions and peppers, and emmentaler cheese. It was served over a bed of seasoned baked potatoes, alonside a fresh house salad, sliced melons and kiwi. My wife had the Eggs Benedict, which came with the same sides.
For as many varieties of egg dishes we’ve had since, we have yet to find many as good as these. Everything was pure bliss, especially my omelette. Very happy with the bill too. An overall great and unforgettable morning in a vibrant and diverse city. Looking forward to the day we can return.

For the longest time, I thought this place was called Café La Café, because of the cursive on their sign, coupled with my mild illiteracy. I was wrong.
In uni I worked at the other french restaurant on this strip, Bodega. I am going to say, I prefer Bodega’s food (and that’s saying something great, because I ate it daily for a long, long time and never got sick of it!), but Café La Gaffe is pretty great, too. Decked out like a true Parisian bistro, Gaffe is oh-​so cute.
I’ve loved on their brunch omelettes served with a really well-​dressed side salad, and most recently I enjoyed their soup du jour (split pea on a rainy day? you know it!) and their warm brie salad. I wasn’t wild about the salad, but I didn’t carefully read the description before ordering, so I won’t bore you with that. The food is usually superb.
Bön appetit!