Cafe Pleiade

This is a great restaurant. The food is superb, and the prices reasonable. We have never been disappointed. Despite the comments about seniors noted in other reviews, Café Pleiade attracts people of all ages. This restaurant is an institution on Mt Pleasant and has been serving excellent meals for years. If you are looking for a hidden gem frequented by locals, this is the place.
Incidentally, the interesting art on the walls comes from the owners collection. She is the server, so ask her about the pieces.

Very Small — Came in right before the close at 3 pm before they prepped for dinner — the chef’s wife I assume co-​owner talked to me about the menu — everything is made from fresh ingredients completely from scratch. You can see in the kitchen, which was very clean. I ordered spaghetti with Italian sausage — mild — it had a rustic sauce — chunks of tomato, spinach, whole sausage cut into slices. and fresh mozzarella cheese (Cheese was out of this world) the combination of all components = the perfect bite. It was served with the softest Italian bread — she offered me more bread after I was almost done. They were talking about how businesses like theirs was being killed off by corporations that use processed food — (I agree with that, always support the one of a kinds) It over all was like having a meal in Italy with friends and family. I’d suggest giving them a try. I felt like I had to leave a review in support.

My wife and I had dinner here tonight, and we loved it. We were greeted by a friendly woman and we got the table at the front, by the window, and it was really cozy.
We shared the fresh mussel mariniere appetizer and it was scrumptious. My wife had the fresh grilled salmon and I had the supreme chicken and both were phenomenal! The chicken breast was moist and served in a curry, apricot, and scotch sauce on a bed of rice, it was so good. For dessert my wife had the carrot cake and I had the chocolate cake and while both were really good, the carrot cake was definitely better. It was soft and delicious, with plump raisins, and coconut icing. We strongly recommend this place.
The ambiance is like an old cozy house, with paintings on the walls, pillows on the benches, and it’s small size makes it feel very homely. We will certainly be going back.

Torn between 3 – 4 stars, I decided to go with the average of my dinner party of three, which is closer to 4.25. I thought it was just okay, but my brother and sister in law loved it.
We were fortunate to find parking right in front of the restaurant. Which isn’t easy as the entry is tiny. Maybe this is typical of Toronto but being from the US where things are large (and may I say slightly obnoxious at times) it seemed very small and quaint. It sort of reminded me of the entry way to Serendipity in NYC, which is small and unassuming but opens into a large mirade (yes I know that’s not a word but that’s what it feels like to moi) inside.
Upon entry I noticed the darkness of the room. It has lots of paintings, drawings and a variety of artwork on the walls, with barely more than two-​three inches between any two pieces of art. Immediately next to the entryway is their wine rack which features some beautiful bottles. There was an instrument on the wall, I think a clavichord, which was the topic of discussion for a good while before dinner.
The server has apparently been there for about 30 years and the cook for about 20. And they basically run the restaurant like their own — I’m told the owners are different people. They are a bit no non-​sense and when I asked the server what the instrument was called, she just said she did not know in an abrupt manner and walked away.
But one does not go here for the service. Not that it’s bad. But the food is what you go to Café Pleiade for. That’s why we drove in the snow, on the last night of Winterlicious. Each of us ordered something different for appetizer, entrée, and dessert so were able to sample 9 different dishes. The highlights for me were the mussels, avocado, beef brisket, and pork tenderloin. The bread pudding and pear&feta salad left a lot to be desired. But I think it’s really each individual’s call what they order and what they truly enjoy.
Everything is cooked to perfection, and it’s a matter of whether you like the flavorings or not. I liked some, some were okay. But the rest of my party loved almost everything.
All in all, I recommend that you try it out. Is it an old people hang out? Possibly, but the facts are, it’s a small establishment, tucked away where most people would just pass by even though it IS on a main street. And 20−30+ years later, they are still in business and it’s not the service. That’s gotta say something right?

My family made reservations for Winterlicious at this establishment. When I walked in I was greeted by a short, bespectacled woman dressed in all-​white with a look akin to surprise, blended with confusion, on her face. I told her we had a reservation, she asked under what name, I told her, she asked how many people, I told her; seemingly satisfied that I had provided her with the right information she abruptly turned around and said ‘this way’. The other 3 people in our party sat down and I went directly to the washroom, which is through a grey metal industrial door. I swung the door open and it slammed shut unexpectedly quickly, whacking me on my bottom and nearly sending me plummeting to an inglorious death at the bottom of a steep set of stairs covered in thoroughly worn out, 80’s you-know-what-I’m-talking-about dark blue carpet. Oh, and the basement is for hobbits only, I think the ceiling must be at most 6′ high, but to give them credit the washroom was clean. (The rest of the night every time somebody went down there I kept an ear open, sure I was going to hear a blood-​curdling scream eventually…) I came back up to find a bowl of oil & vinegar dip on the table but no bread. The same efficient, unsmiling lady came to take our dinner orders; it appeared she was the only one attending to all 10 tables in the tiny place. After she took our orders (that she seemed to write down grudgingly) we asked about getting some bread; her response was ‘next step’ as if to say ‘keep your shirt on it’s coming’. The bread was pleasantly soft and fresh. Our appetizers were pretty good: the mussels with ouzo were original and the lentil & spinach soup was not bad. The «Carpaccio of Roast Root Vegetables» had a nice squash mash. The main dishes were so-​so; the braised beef was very dry but the baked trout was good. The carrot cake was very tasty and the bread pudding and berry pie were pretty good, too. Service overall was relatively slow but still pretty decent considering there was only one server and one chef cooking everything. The décor is cozy but dated and it isn’t pleasant if you sit facing the open kitchen.
And yes, it is an old people hangout, everyone there was a senior citizen.
So if you’re in the mood for the ministrations of a German nurse, average quality food and a brush with death, this is your place!
(Me, I won’t be going back!)

I can’t believe nobody’s reviewed this yet. It’s been around forever and is awesome, from what I’ve been told. Do the young’uns see it as an old people hangout? That would be very sad.
Ambience: small and colourful without being tacky. It’s a teeny tiny place with walls covered in art, some original and some prints, and all classic European style stuff. The booth seating is lined with pillows and there’s a cubby table in the front window if you like to peoplewatch.
Service: friendly and warm. Seems to be operated by ma-​and-​pa. Not super quick service, so don’t go here for a fast business lunch. Go to sit and relax for a few hours and linger over your food. The only problem I had was that some of my coffee creamers had gone off. I mentioned it to the lady and she replaced it fast. (Hint: if you see a coffee creamer that is sealed but has dented-​in sides, don’t use it. I’ve just figured this out.)
Food: very tasty and straightforward. Sandwiches, frittata, pasta, etc. The french fries come in small portions but are battered and are the tastiest thing I’ve had in a while. Dessert comes in huge slices and I suspect some of the cakes are made in-​house rather than brought in.
This is a nice, quiet, not-​at-​all-​boring place to have a meal and hang out with friends. Sadly not accessible because the washrooms are in the basement.

My first ever online critique or comment on anything. Whoah. Winterlicious to go! I spent my 40^th birthday dinner at home with my wife, and 2 year old. Grilled Lamb Chops: feta sauce verde & tapenade. Now, I’ve always been a meat eater, but that night, I understood how much was wasted unless you spent the time sucking every last fiber of meat from the bone. Up to now there has really been nothing so deserving of an hour of my time. So thank you Café Pleiade for teaching me how to eat the right way. Succulence defined.