Gare de l'Est

Great atmosphere, delicious food, nice patio. Perfect spot for celebrating a birthday on the east end!

I've only been to the restaurant twice, but my first visit was more impressive. The portions were a bit bigger and the service was better. I was disappointed on my second visit with the bread (not warmed like the first time I was there and it didn't taste as fresh) and was charged for it. I don't recall being charged for bread the first time round. Also, the dish I ordered (Champignons Bourgignon) was very good, but not as good (or the portion as big) as the first time I went. Overall, it's a nice restaurant with a great patio, but I found everything the second time round a little inferior considering the prices.

We had a lovely date night here. The oysters were delicious. My husband’s trout was awesome. My coq au vin was very good, except the white meat was dry. The berry millefeuille was good, not exceptional. Overall, a very nice dinner.

A new favourite local spot fit for foodies with an excellent wine list and great food and service. Have had two meals now so far and the quality was great both times.

Had a great dinner there with another couple. Great wine list, and yummy french classics. We had oysters, steak tartare, steak hache and moules frites. Everything was yummy, but a large portion of the mussels weren't open (not usually a good sign).

Would definitely go again, but not running back there.

Disappointing experience. It was our 56th anniversary and we went for dinner after a drink at a local hotel.
We were 5 people- ourselves,our adult children and a teenager. We were offered outdoor seating as the indoor table was only for 4 (casual ambience). There was an hour delay before the main course was served,no bread offered. The meals were brought at different times. Food was good but by the time that we were finished,it was too late for dessert. There was no acknowledgement of the anniversary celebration and we left feeling a bit let down.
I would only have dinner there again pre theatre but would not make a special trip just to dine.(we don't live in the area). Maybe inside would have been better.

Beautiful restaurant, incredible service and delicious food! What more can you ask for? Definitely coming back and so happy it’s in my neighbourhood!

Love this place. The staff, the food, the service, are the best.

Good food, great wine list, and charming managers!

Me and my husband are big fans of Ascari so when we heard about their sister restaurant we had to check it out. Totally different but just as amazing. The food was so good, had the champignons and my husband had the steak which was cooked to perfection. Our server was very attentive and knowledgable, she also brought over the manager to talk about wine. Aaron took us through the menu and gave us plenty of options. This is a real Leslieville gem, will definitely be back!

Lunch was great, best burger in the city. need to come back for dinner. service was so approachable. Server seemed like he was having fun, really nice group of people made us feel welcomed.

Lovely evening at Gare de L'Est. The food was spectacular; the steak frites was cooked perfectly medium-rare, the oysters were fresh and well-shucked and accompanied, and the desserts - bread pudding and lemon tart - were indulgent and refreshing, respectively.

The staff were attentive but approachable and unfussy and our server, a lovely Irish woman, helped us with our selections.

Dined in bar area. Great bartender Dan and waiter George. Host was very flaky and underdressed, like he needed to do his laundry and shower. Food portions small, my skirt steak was dwarfed by the amount of fries and no veg. Watch our for liquor prices!

Excellent. Second time in two months and it did not disappoint. Best duck confit I have ever had. Nightly recommend.

Limited menu. Very pork heavy. Extremely slow service

Great meal and will definitely go back, the only criticism is the kitchen vents onto the patio which spoiled eating outside.

The service was slow. She was lovely, but we had to wait a lot to get more drinks. Some of the food we ordered was amazing, but others dishes were meh for the price.

Good to very good food experience was marred by slow service and unacceptable waiter behaviour. Our initial male waiters visibly erattic and unpleasant (clearly high) nature made for a very uncomfortable evening.

Service could be more attentive.
Fois gras was bland, otherwise all other dishes were great.

Our meals and drinks were excellent. Our server reflected the persona of a French restaurant without being pretentious or condescending; in fact, he was really nice. Cost-wise, we thought our meal was good value for the great quality we got. We all thought our evening at Gare de l'Est was a great experience and we're looking forward to going back.

Came here for brunch with my friend on a Saturday morning and was surprised to see that no one else was there! The food was amazing. Best Pancakes I've had in a long time. Will be back for dinner

Amazing! Most done at

Authentic French food—not as good as a good Parisian bistro; better than a tourist trap. Not a place for great value but very we had a rich filling meal, yummy wines and attentive wait staff.

Great spot for a celebration. Friendly and attentive staff, from the reservation confirmation call to working out an order issue. Patio was enjoyable, as were the mains and sides pictured. Would definitely return for more, and have already recommended this spot to other diners.

We had a fabulous meal sitting out on the patio. The server was friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. A totally delightful evening.

Went for our anniversary and were greeted with a lovely glass of champagne. We started with the roasted peach salad and mushroom soup, both specials of the day. The appetizers were quite good. Our mains, the duck confit and steak frites were also tasty. It was the lemon tart that stole the show! Absolutely delicious! The service was excellent.

We were delighted with the experience. My friend had the steak tartare starter and the mushroom pasta dish, both exceptionally tasty. I had the foie gras and the special salad of grilled peaches , again areal delight. Service was impeccable. Can’t wait to go back and sample everything else on the menu.

Unfortunately there are hardly any fish or vegetarian options so only good for meat eaters. The service was fine but wouldn’t return due to the limited and unimaginative menu

I get together with my friends to enjoy the occasional lunch of steak frites at various bistro style restaurants in town. The menu posted on the Open Table site listed steak frites as well as a steak hache on the lunch menu. However when we arrived the menu had been truncated and did not include any beef options. In fact is was less than half the size previously available. This was rather disappointing and a little irritating. Because we were already there we settled on the pork Milanese which was well prepared but not what we had planned for. I also find it distressing paying $110 for a $40 bottle of wine. Perhaps a limit of $50 markup would be fairer. As well now that there is a deck for the restaurant on Dundas the people watching was limited to bobbing heads. We have all been to the restaurant twice for dinner but must say it is doubtful why any of us will return.
Ted Campbell

Second time here as I had such a good experience previously. Tried something different and equally as good from the first. Everyone had a different dish and were equally impressed. Can’t wait to go back.

Love this find. Recommendations were great. Can’t wait to come back!

Incredibly well selected ingredients and lovely preparation made for one of the most tasty meals I’ve ever eaten. Excellent service. We will return and tell everybody !

It was a nice atmosphere. It was pleasant and the food was good.

Amazing food and friendly, helpful, knowledgable staff. Great French vibe. Really enjoyed my evening there!

My party of 4 really enjoyed our shared experience. Cocktails were well balanced and the food was a great success. Happy to have a French restaurant so close to my home.

We loved our time having dinner at Gare de l'Est! Everything was right, from the mood of the room, reflecting a traditional upper-level French Bistro, to the attentive, engaging staff, to the food itself! Bravi!!

It was a great evening of fine food, great wine and attentive service.

Disappointing charcuterie and cheese board as it was called large and yet had little on it and all the cheeses were the same type - boring and I suspect they ran out of cheese. Also very little cold meat so not good value for money!

Had a great time. Can’t wait to try some other dishes on the menu.

Just a really nice evening!