By the Way Cafe

Name: By the Way Cafe
Address: 400 Bloor St. West, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 1X5
Telephone: (416) 967-4295
Price range: CAN$30 and under
Rating: 3.9

3.9

39 Reviews

CAN$30 and under

Mediterranean

400 Bloor St. West, Toronto, ON M5S 1X5

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Great for outdoor dining
Good for groups

In the heart of Toronto's Annex, By the Way Café is a popular bistro among local denizens and out-of-towners. Since the 70's By the Way has grown with Canada's most cosmopolitan city and has become a local landmark.

Under the stewardship of Amir Benedikt, By The Way offers a relaxed fine dining experience of unprecedented quality and unassuming prices. So focused on surprising it's clientele, By The Way changes it's exquisite dinner specials… daily! Examples of such fare are a Tamarind-marinated roast half chicken served with buttered asparagus or chicken breast with Mexican "Molé". Vegetarians can enjoy a hand made Phylo Strudel layered with spinach, tofu and sweet potato or our great vegetarian lasagna. From the fixed menu, enjoy our brie à la shum (garlic) or spicy calamari to begin and follow up with middle eastern seasoned lamb chops served with grilled vegetables and aromatic rice.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
CAN$30 and under
Cuisines
Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Vegetarian / Vegan
Hours of operation
Breakfast: Monday - Friday: 9:00 am - 11:30 am Brunch: Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Lunch: Monday - Sunday: 11:30 am - 4:00 pm Dinner: Sunday - Tuesday: 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm Wednesday & Thursday: 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm Friday & Saturday: 5:00 pm - 11:30 pm
Phone number
(416) 967-4295
Website
http://bytheway.to/
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Amir Benedikt

Location
400 Bloor St. West, Toronto, ON M5S 1X5
Neighborhood
The Annex
Cross street
Brunswick & Bloor
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Beer, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Soup of the DayCA$8.00
vegetarian soup always available, ask your server
Spicy & Crunchy Calamari CalamariCA$10.00
served with our signature dill sauce
Crispy Mini SpanakopitaCA$8.00
baked phyllo triangles stuffed with spinach & feta
Brie à La ShumCA$10.00
melted brie cheese with garlic & apples, served with whole wheat pita
Whole Smoked Baby EggplantCA$9.00
with tahini, chickpeas and walnuts

Middle Eastern Mezes

Add grilled vegetables, chicken or lamb to any of the above entrees + $4

HummusCA$8.00
pureed chickpeas in a zesty lemon garlic tahine sauce
BabaganoughCA$8.00
pureed smoked eggplant in a zesty lemon garlic tahine sauce
Israeli SaladCA$8.00
diced tomatoes, cucumbers & peppers with a lemon herb dressing
Falafel BallsCA$8.00
crispy chickpea balls (ground chickpea & herbs) on a layer of tahine sauce
Marinated BeetsCA$8.00
middle eastern beets with roasted walnuts and orange zest
Meze PlateCA$12.00
a delicious combination of hummus, tabuleh, babaganough & israeli salad served with whole wheat pita

By the Way Salads

Add Lamb Or Chicken: $5, Add Tofu: $4

Btw SignatureCA$12.00
quinoa, arugula and chickpeas and balati cheese, tossed in sesame oil and scallions
Beets, Goat Cheese and WalnutsCA$12.00
tossed with arugula and orange zest
Warm Tuna NicoiseCA$12.00
greens topped with potato, green beans, hard boiled egg & chunky tuna loin in an herbal dressing

Middle Eastern Grill

Chicken Kebobs
- RegularCA$12.00
- LargeCA$17.00
Lamb Kabobs
- RegularCA$13.00
- LargeCA$18.00
Kufta KebobsCA$18.00
minced lamb and beef kabob with middle eastern masala spice
Btw Juicy BurgerCA$15.00
served on a whole wheat bun or pita with fries
Sea Bass
whole pan fried sea bass served with lemon tahini sauce
- Market Price
Vegetable Side PlatterCA$8.00
chef's assortment of roasted or grilled seasonal vegetables for the table

What 39 people are saying

By the Way Cafe reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

3.9

3.9 based on all time ratings

3.9Food
4.2Service
3.7Ambience
1.6Value

Noise • Moderate

39 Reviews

j
jenniferb
Toronto2 reviews
3.0
Dined on May 10, 2017
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
This restaurant is a little bit noisy and the tables are too close together. The waiter was very friendly, but knew nothing about the wine. The fish special came with the head on without warning which kind of threw my daughter off. It was not great for the value there were probably about four bytes of actual fish on the plate. The lamb kebab with slightly tough on the portion of salad was quite small. Overall not a fabulous dining experience.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Toronto3 reviews
4.0
Dined on April 8, 2017
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Casual. Popular with locals. Great value. Healthy. Relaxed.
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R
Rastaozzie
Toronto2 reviews
4.0
Dined on April 8, 2017
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
A great pre-theatre dinner. The restaurant is small but the menu offers numerous tasty offerings. The service was very friendly.
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S
Seashell22
Tampa8 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 15, 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We loved everything about this cafe. The Middle Eastern food choices were delicious and the servings were generous and well presented. The service was great. It is a small cafe and was full the evening we were there. Reservations recommended.
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KM
KimberlyM
Atlantic Canada1 review
5.0
Dined on February 18, 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The atmosphere was welcoming and inviting. The food was incredible, fresh and hot and seasoned well and the plating was beautiful. We enjoyed many apps and all of us had different entres, everyone at the table was raving about the food. Super happy we chose this place. The service was great and the waitress was very friendly. I would totally recommend By The Way Café. The
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g
ginab
Toronto2 reviews
4.0
Dined on February 10, 2017
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Been going to By the Way for years and this was the first time the food was just ok. The weather was dreadful and people with reservations, myself included, came very late. Always the best place for dinner in the area, even when it's not up to par.
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n
notvegen
London8 reviews
5.0
Dined on January 26, 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The staff greeted us with a warm welcome. The fare was delicious and Mediterranean healthy too. Perfect for the January "cleanse". The waiter accommodated diet restrictions graciously. Love the warm pitas and the hummus reminded me of Turkey. We should consider going there more often.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Toronto1 review
3.0
Dined on December 6, 2016
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
I found that the portions were meagre and the food was mediocre
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CF
ChrisF
Toronto4 reviews
5.0
Dined on November 3, 2016
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I'm a regular. Lovely staff, a nice ambiance and excellent food make By the Way Café just right for a quiet dinner with a good friend or special someone. The menu is fresh, tasty and healthy.
1 person found this helpful
N
Nancy
Toronto9 reviews
3.0
Dined on October 6, 2016
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
A decent casual place if one is in the area. Patio was pleasant in spite of busy Bloor St. Management should make the effort to see that hot food is served hot (not tepid).
1 person found this helpful

FAQs

By the Way Cafe does offer delivery in partnership with Skip The Dishes. By the Way Cafe also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (416) 967-4295.

By the Way Cafe is rated 3.9 stars by 39 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

400 Bloor St. West, Toronto, ON M5S 1X5

Additional information

Cross street
Brunswick & Bloor
Neighborhood
The Annex
Hours of operation
Breakfast: Monday - Friday: 9:00 am - 11:30 am Brunch: Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Lunch: Monday - Sunday: 11:30 am - 4:00 pm Dinner: Sunday - Tuesday: 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm Wednesday & Thursday: 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm Friday & Saturday: 5:00 pm - 11:30 pm
Price
CAN$30 and under
Cuisines
Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Vegetarian / Vegan
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Executive chef
Amir Benedikt
Additional
Beer, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://bytheway.to/
Phone number
(416) 967-4295

By the Way Cafe

About this restaurant

Not available on OpenTable

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Menu

Starters

Soup of the DayCA$8.00

Spicy & Crunchy Calamari CalamariCA$10.00

Crispy Mini SpanakopitaCA$8.00

Brie à La ShumCA$10.00

Whole Smoked Baby EggplantCA$9.00

Middle Eastern Mezes

HummusCA$8.00

BabaganoughCA$8.00

Israeli SaladCA$8.00

Falafel BallsCA$8.00

Marinated BeetsCA$8.00

Meze PlateCA$12.00

By the Way Salads

Btw SignatureCA$12.00

Beets, Goat Cheese and WalnutsCA$12.00

Warm Tuna NicoiseCA$12.00

Middle Eastern Grill

Chicken Kebobs

Lamb Kabobs

Kufta KebobsCA$18.00

Btw Juicy BurgerCA$15.00

Sea Bass

Vegetable Side PlatterCA$8.00

What 39 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

Does By the Way Cafe offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is By the Way Cafe restaurant rated?

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information