Midi Bistro

We parked on McCaul and walked up to a quant little place. I had to admit, I was expecting a slightly better place by the way they sounded when we made the reservation for 5pm. We were told that we should be on time as there were other reservations at 6:30 for our table. So we walked through an old school style door. We saw our friends right away as the place was so small, that it held about 8 – 10 tables. The décor was a vintage looking french café. We sat down and proceed to quickly look over our menu for the night. I had chosen the soup de jour as the starter and the chicken supreme for the main course. The pear dessert had seem to sound a little more special compared the other ones, which were kinda the norm, such as the crème brûlée. Our starters came and the soup tasted pretty good, but a little on the starchy side. My other friends found their starters to be tasty. At this point a cold drafty wind came through our table as other guests arrived. The staff quickly cleared our plates as we were done and our next courses came not too long after. One of the ladies had ordered the steak and the other ordered the Tilipia fish, we all shared to taste the different dishes. I really liked my chicken supreme and the tilipia dish, but I found the steak to be a little mediocre. Not so much the taste, but the quality grade of the meat. Again we felt the cold draft of the door, the fact that the top section of the enclosure between the two doors was not enclosed probably contributed to the lost of heat and cold drafty wind. Anyway we did enjoy our main course and moved on to dessert. When dessert came, I was a little disappointed, the dessert was very simply. It was a poached pear with some ice cream and chocolate syrup. Mind you, it was very good, and although I enjoyed my dessert despite being disappointed by its image. The feelings were a little mixed across the table, but overall we enjoy the meal and service that was provided. I give this a rating of 2.5−3 out of 5.

Budget French food that tastes very homely and matched to the same ambience. Small place with great specials and great desserts.

I came here with my mom and a friend who was visiting from overseas.
I thought it would be a nice place because my previous three dinners here over the years have generally been good. However, it seems that the portions have shrunk and the quality of service has gone down significantly. It was a Tuesday night, and maybe they didn’t expect a full house, so there was a single waiter serving the entire restaurant. This meant that we had to wait 20 minutes just to place our orders, and we waited another 20 for our apps, another 20 for our mains, and another 20 for our desserts. The bill, you guessed it, took another 20. The waiter was running around as quickly as he could, and we thought he was a good sport until we settled the bill and he asked if we needed change. When we said yes, his attitude went from professional to curt. When he returned with our change, he very rudely announced our exact amount of change, as if to imply that we are too cheap to give him a 40% tip, which is what we would have given him had we not asked for change. For the mediocre quality of service, the excruciatingly long wait time, and that rude comment at the end, he definitely did not deserve a 40% tip. The saving grace was the food. Despite that portions are less generous than I remember, the lamb shank and pork were very tender. My mahi mahi, on the other hand, was overcooked and dry. Flavour was still good. As much as I used to love this restaurant, I’ll have to think twice next time about coming here.

Our party of five attended for a dinner reservation. The service was the worst we have ever experienced. We received no service at all for the first 30 minutes and it went downhill after that. Most of what we wanted off the menu was not available and the meals we did order were just barely acceptable and cold for the most part. It was clear that the restaurant tries to manage with a skeleton crew leaving the patrons to have to deal with bad service, poor quality food and a long protracted experience. You really get a sense that Midi does not value their patrons which translates in a frustrating and unpleasant experience. There are many very good restaurants in the area and I would highly recommend supporting those that understand the value of ensuring a quality experience for the price that is paid.

I have come here often over the last years. It is the sort of neighborhood jewel that becomes homey and familiar without ever becoming commonplace or boring.
The pâté was as always wonderful and the bread, freshly baked across the street, was amazing. The bouillabaisse was ample and satisfying and the perfect antidote to a chill fall evening. The seafood in the broth was perfectly done.
The service here is always friendly and competent, giving you the sense that they’ve been missing you and are happy you’re back.
Midi is a jewel, a bistro that understands the concept and executes. And not, by Toronto standards, expensive.
Bring your lover, and if your lover is your partner, bonus!

Came here for summerlicious.
Escargots — in tomato sauce, was ok, I prefer it with a creamy or cheesy dressing.
Beef carpaccio — delicately balanced flavours, delicious.
Seafood pasta — had a good rose sauce, not too salty and not too bland, just right.
Profiteroles were very good.
Overall ok-​good food, some dishes winning out over others.

July 26, 2015
It was Summerlicious 2015 and today was the last day of the event. I was craving Spanish food but I didn’t want us to spend $$$. Midi Bistro was a good choice bcoz it was close to our place and their prix-​fixe menu for dinner was only $ 25.
We had
— Salad Midi that came with smoked duck. The salad was a regular dish but came with duck. That is a good thing for someone who likes duck and doesn’t want to pay much.
— Provençal Escargot with sauté mushrooms. It came with two slices of garlic bread. The sauce was little bit salty but it was good with bread. This was my first time having snails! It tasted like mussel. Interesting! Oh! And I counted it. there were four snails in the dish haha: D I like it though.
— Seafood pasta. At first I wanted to have Seafood Risotto but I changed my mind. I felt like having pasta today :) The fettuccine and vodka sauce was tasty but the size of mussel made me disappointed. They were very tiny! You can’t even see the mussel inside except the shell (–«) This must be because of the special price on Summerlicious I assume. However, Shrimp and Scallop were ok :) In average it was good.
— Faux-​filet grille. The steak came in garlic vermouth sauce and sun dried tomato butter. I personally don’t eat beef at all so I can’t really tell how steak is. The opinion was based on my husband. He ordered medium for the steak. He said it was ok.
— Vanilla cream brulle and Peach with vanilla ice cream. They were our desserts.
Service
— Only one server took care of the whole restaurant. I’m not sure if it’s normal here or they are short of staff. However, she did a good job. She knew how to handle it.
The restaurant
— The restaurant is small size. The tables are very close together. It’s cramped. Customers definitely need reservations ahead of time.

A small place that seats thirty or so people. Me and my friends arrived at 8’ish for Summerlicious and waited around 30 minutes for a table. A group of four had been waiting longer than us but we got seated first as we were a group of five and it was one of few tables in the restaurant that could accommodate a group of five. The waitress gave them a free bottle of wine to tie them over until they could be seated at the next available table. Service was excellent albeit slow at the start.
The food was great. I had the escargot, duck confit, and crème brûlée. The star of the night was the escargot — the sauce that came with escargot tasted like a tomato spaghetti sauce and it was delicious, only wish that it was accompanied with bread.

Great little gem! I came in with my co-​workers for summerlicious lunch. We got seated in 5 minutes. They had a strange waiting area inside by the washrooms. We liked the choices and the food was pretty good. We didn’t come in with very strong opinions but the restaurant turned out to be a great choice. Service was very nice albeit slow. I felt sorry for her as she was the only one serving the entire restaurant! (Including bartending)

Came here for summerlicious. Everything was delicious and the service was great. Atmosphere was super cute too. ^_​^ Definately coming back !

Ok. It would be 2.5 if available.
Went for a business lunch during summerlicious. Soup was starchy, tuna was underseasoned and served with sickly sweet mango salsa and the crème brûlée had a less than desirable texture.
Caesar said Veni, Vidi, Vici.
I say Meni, Midi, Meh.

The food is absolutely delicious and service very warm. Very cozy ambience, almost feels like home. Highly recommend.

I came here for Summerlicious and I found the food to be really good! I especially enjoyed my dessert — profiteroles with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce! There were a few things that I wasn’t too thrilled about though — I found the restaurant to be very tiny and cramped. Conversations were somewhat awkward since I was sitting directly next to another customer. I also didn’t find the risotto very filling which was a bit of a shame since I found it to be quite tasty! My overall take on Midi — good food with great prices!

As part of the Summerlicious menu, I ordered the escargot, steak and profiteroles for dinner.
Provencale Escargot (appetizer). The dish had a tomato based sauce, which was creamy and different from traditional sauces paired with escargot, which was nice. The sauce worked really well when used as a dip with the accompanied garlic bread.
Steak (main) — I ordered the steak medium and they cooked it perfectly. The steak was marinated very well and I could really taste the vermouth butter. However, the vegetables in the dish carrots could’ve been better, as the beans didn’t have the fresh texture that I would expect.
Profiteroles (desert) — the profiteroles were absolutely amazing! The choux pastry was delicate, the vanilla ice cream was rich, and the portion size was good.
The customer service is also superb — I strongly recommend Midi Bistro and to try out their Summerlicious menu.

I went there for summerlicious. Hours is misleading. It says 11:30 — 10:30pm at the door. I got there at 4:45. My fault for not calling, assuming it’s non-​peak hour. They’re not open until 5pm. I was willing to wait. Call them and they need reservation. Then, hang up on me. Poor attitude. Waste of time. And update your hour.

My first time here, went with two friends. Location is understaffed for an event like Winterlicious. It didn’t make sense to me that a second waitress later arrived to start her shift when the lunch rush was already over. One waitress being the hostess and looking after all those tables which some included large parties of people, it doesn’t work. People are kept waiting even when they were on time in their reservation. If others were late to their’s, like not by 5 minutes but by 15 minutes or so, it doesn’t make sense to give them their reservation and make the people that came on time have to wait longer. People that go out of their way to be punctual should be rewarded.
After we got seated, we had to wait another 10 – 15 minutes just to have the menu in front of us. It is a waste of time, by that time we would have decided what to order. It doesn’t take too long to bring us these mere paper menus, if you gave it to us, we’d be out of your way for the next while, while you can tend to other customers. I get it though that there’s only one waitress, but that’s on your end and not our’s. I saw one chef come out, so I know at least there’s one guy in the kitchen cooking. When there’s a menu item that’s not available for the day ’cause it’s sold out, then you should say so when giving the menu to us so that we know not to choose it. My friend who chose that dessert had to think about it and pick it again.
Food took a while to come out, we were all pretty hungry. However, it was worth the wait ’cause it was good and the time in between each course coming out was just right. Not in a rush but not too long in between. It was well paced and there was no rush for us to leave either, as we like to take our time. Eating out is an experience. One thing though, I didn’t want the fries that came with my main course and asked if I could substitute it with something else. Waitress flat out denied it. Too blunt. I’ve been a waitress before so I don’t believe you can’t do something about it. I’m not telling you to alter the dish, but what I asked was to change one of the sides on my plate which took up one third of it, you could have at least asked the kitchen and pretended. So I’m not pleased with the lack of accommodation, it could have been better.
For appetizer, I had homemade French country style pâté, toast and gherkins. My friends had roasted butternut squash soup. Both were decent. My main course was Mediterranean Quebec chevre, roasted eggplant caviar, roasted red peppers, open sandwich on toasted country bread served with garden salad. I liked it, would give that four stars. My friend had Nicoise: tuna, hard boiled eggs, French beans, red skin potatoes, roma tomatoes, black olives and roasted red peppers. The tuna was shredded and looked identical to the canned tuna in stores, however, it was fresh. Another friend had the seafood pasta: fettuccini with black tiger shrimp, bay scallops, roasted red peppers, baby spinach in a white wine rose sauce. I think that one was really good. For dessert, I had poached pears served with vanilla ice-​cream and chocolate sauce. I think it was the best course of the meal and deserves five stars. It is very cold to eat ice-​cream in the winter, but I don’t regret the choice. Each part of the dessert was equally good, the pear had a bit of crunch to it but was still soft, the ice-​cream was very creamy which was better than I had expected because vanilla ice-​cream had sounded plain and the chocolate sauce was the best topping. My friends had vanilla and cardamom crème brûlée, which was good also but I liked the pear dessert better.
Overall, I’d say it was a positive experience. I would come again if anyone ever asked me to, but I don’t think anytime soon. I like the fact that this place offers vegetarian options. Lunch is $ 18CAD for Winterlicious not including taxes and gratuities, so it’s a way to try French cuisine for a low cost.

It exceeded my expectations today. We went today because it was around the corner from visiting my grandmother. We ended up participating in the summerlicious menu. I would definitely go again

My wife and I came here on October 21^st at 6:30PM for the first time with a Buytopia voucher.
My wife had a mushroom and leek soup to start which was good. ⁴⁄₅. I had the escargot in a cream sauce to start which was also very good, albiet too salty. The escargot were not overcooked and the mushrooms they were served with were great. ⁴⁄₅.
We both had the lamb shank for our entrees. It was tender and a good size and both the shank and sauce were good. It was served with vegetables and fries (frozen not fresh fries, but tasty, very similar to McD’s). My only reservation was that the entire dish with the exception of the fries was lukewarm. It was as if it had been sitting out for at least 15 minutes prior to being served for us (or not reheated properly if it was previously cooked). I would order it again granted it came out hot. 3.5÷5.
We both had the tarte tatin for dessert. It was great. 4.5÷5
On a food basis we both agreed we would come back again without a voucher. However when we went to pay the server told us he could not accept our voucher as we did not tell him prior to ordering that we had one. We clearly told the man we spoke with on the phone 3 hours earlier when making the reservation that we had a voucher. The instructions on the voucher are as follows:
Instructions: 1) Call merchant for appointment or availability 2) Print out voucher
and bring to establishment 3) Present to the cashier when ready to pay 4) Remember
to tip on original value 5) Enjoy!
Not only did we tell them ahead of time (which is not a requirement per the voucher), we followed the instructions on the voucher itself. In the end after an argument and waiting five minutes the server decided to honor it.
The last thing that really added to our poor service was the server putting an automatic 15% gratuity on our bill based on a bill price of $ 89 (the «full price» quoted on the coupon). The regular price for our prix fixe menu that night was $ 25 each as it is a Monday — Tuesday special for a total of $ 50 + tax. Given the poor service I would have tipped less than $ 13 but I was not in the mood for a second argument.
NOTE TO MANAGEMENT: Don’t argue with customers who are likely trying out your restaurant for the first time (especially when they are right). Secondly, don’t put an automatic gratuity on a party of two, especially after giving poor service. We would have come back without a voucher but you’ve now lost our business forever; very shortsighted.

Came here today for a summerlicious lunch. The service was extremelyyy slow. The waitress poured us some water after we already finished our apps. I started with the midi salad and the portion was SO small. legit it filled half a side dish plate that you eat your bread on. For the main I had the Mediterranean Oven Roasted Eggplant Caviar, Roasted Red Peppers Sandwich. Sounds amazing, but believe me, it is NOT. The eggplant purée was cold, there were like 3 tiny strips of red pepper on the top, and it just looked gross. Dessert was parched pears with ice cream. meh.
Also, after going to Paris earlier this year and having the most phenomenal quiche, I retract my previous review that this place has the best quiche. It is NOTHING at all like what a real quiche should taste like. Midi Bistro you do not know french food.

after previous attempts to go to Midi for the past two summer and winterlicious 2013, I finally made it! Tucked away in Toronto’s Baldwin Village, Midi Bistro may be not be fancy from the outside, but it has the ability to wow you with some of their popular French cuisines. What started out as a reservation for 4, soon turned into 11 hungry individuals!
The overal ambience gives you a sense of comfort, cozyness… much like a bistro!
The food is overall 4/​5, here’s the scoop based on the winterlicious menu:
Cassolette D’Escargots ⁴⁄₅
served with a mushroom basil crème sauce, this small starter is delighful. The rich crème compliments, but doesn’t overpower the taste of the escargot which is the real deal! would have been perfect 5! but I think the escargot had some left over shells I was chewing on.hmmm.
Grilled Angus Striploin Steak: ⁵⁄₅
Prepared Medium rare, kudos to the chef for cooking it perfectly! The garlic butter served with the steak heightens the taste of the steak as well adds versatility to the overall dish. The lightly blanched beans craddling the steak adds level of freshness and overall presentation to the dish! well done! tres bien!
Poached Pears with Ice cream: ⁴⁄₅
Though it was my first time having poached pears, not big fan however it was something different than the usual crème brûlée.
Would I come here! oui! great place, its small, and intimate… the servers were accomadating as well. Great experience overall.