The Borough

Friendly staff, and good food. They can discuss and pair beer quite well. Atmosphere was fine, if a little sterile for my taste. Food was very nice and, I would say, gourmet pub food.
Nothing spectacular, but a great place to grab a beer and good interesting food, especially for the bangers and mash aficionado. It seems different local sausages are sourced weekly or more. Portions are smallish, but I am largish.

This is a place not to be missed on Danforth Ave. A pal and I checked this place on a whim after a few other restaurants we were eyeing was closed.
In fact this place looked closed initially as well but that was not the case. Their menu is primarily based on specials but they do have some staples that are available all the time. However, a menu change is coming within the next month (according to the chef).
They have a moderate amount of seating with enough space between tables that you don’t feel crowded.
What I love about the restaurant is they emphasize local produce and protein. One of the first things I observed was that they promoted the local farms where the protein was procured on a chalkboard above the kitchen. That gave them bonus points in my book.
We both had their Mac’n’cheese accompanied by Acorn squash soup. Both were gourmet and delicious. The love of food that the chef puts into each dish was evident. Even the greens that decorated the Mac n cheese were crunchy and fresh.
For dessert, we shared one of their ‘cookies and milk’ a little taste of childhood for adults. I described it as a little piece of heaven, my friend said it sent shivers down his spine. The staff were even talking about how they love that dessert.
Even the drinks are locally sourced. As they serve the Pop Shoppe from Burlington.
This is a place not to be missed!

Went for brunch last week. Superb and very friendly service. Generous portions and food was good. I would go again to try burger which is ranked in top 25 in Toronto Life magazine.

Ok — had the Sunday roast beef with mashed potatoes, parsnip fries, and Yorkshire pudding. Everything was good. Atmosphere was so so and there was only one other table so the server did what he needed to do. No real compelling reason to return.

The folks at The Borough asked us to come back, and I’m glad we did! The service was very sweet and attentive, and the ventilation issues seem to be fixed. There are still a couple of kinks: the chef forgot to include my husband’s sausage on his full English (not a euphemism), and my baked beans seemed a tad under-​cooked (but I also prefer them really mushy, and most other people probably don’t). Otherwise, things were fine! There was no lineup or wait, which was nice. I don’t like having to shout just to carry on a conversation. And there was loads of coffee this time, too! I’ve already decided that next time, I’m trying the brunch burger. with a fried egg on top. Or maybe the Sunday lunch roast. Or the mac and cheese. Or, or, or…

We made a reservation for Halloween evening, but it was empty… and oh wow did we get the treatment! Homemade bread was amazing… apps terrific (yorkies and crab cakes), the main… we had to take some home, pork belly… mmmmm! Dessert was delish, and we walked home as a result of our consumption. Always an amazing meal! Staff were fantastic! Felt quite spoiled!

Went for Sunday dinner… we went right after it opened so it was fairly quiet. Service was good.
I had the crab cake and beef roast. The crab cake was ok but the beef roast was not good. The dish was way too salty and the beef was tough /​overcooked. I also had a cucumber cocktail which was good.
I might go back to try the regular menu… it is limited on Sundays.

My husband (a meat dude) LOVED it. Not too much my thing, but it was tasty. The place needs to work on their ventilation system and fly problem. Classy joint. Will try their mains next time.

Update: After the bad experience we had, the owner personally invited us back. That was very nice, so we gave Borough another try, and I’m happy we did. Food was great, delicious actually. Nice addition to the neighbourhood. We’ll be back again.

We arrived early due to the fact we had taken along my wife’s grandmothers. Nice looking establishment with a few pics of the old TTC streetcars shed on Danforth. A very nice local feel. Two thumbs up. The concept is «local «with a few Canadian exceptions (PEI mussels, Arctic Char) two thumbs up. They offer a selection of local Beers, Wines and Ciders. My wife had the Casa Dea Deas Curvee (Ontario sparkling wine) and I had the Duxbury Cider :) from Meaford, two thumbs up :) For the stater we all decided to try the crab cakes. A wee bit under seasoned for myself but overall very nice and some tasty chunks of crab meat. Next up was Beretta beef cheeks (I am a mans man after all haha) and she who must be obeyed went with the Arctic Char (she has a thing for Special boards and apparently so do I this evening).
OMG the cheeks were super super tender (Gordon Ramsey would be so proud of what they have done with a «lesser» cut of meat). Bravo! Excellently complimented by asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes. The dispatches in regards to the farm Arctic Char were equality superlative. Two thumbs up and three empty plate (including one for a tiny great grandmother) says it all really !
Next up is desert — would be rude not too :)
We settled on a hand crafted goat cheese cheese cake topped with the world famous Saskatoon berry super food. Lovely jubley.
We finished up with some red rocket coffee and a Dillion’s (Ontario Gin) and tonic. Very nice dining experience overall. Two thumbs up,

Impressed with the food selection and courteous staff. Will definitely return! Great beer selections too.

Went to the Borough for Sunday Roast dinner. The wait staff (hi Sam) was very friendly and attentive. Had a draught beer (Kings Pilsner) and started with the soup of the day (Sweet Potato Purée). Delicious start, decided on the Beef and wasn’t disappointed, medium rare and tender with a red wine au jus.
Roasted vegetables were crispy and carmalized perfectly and the Yorkshire Pudding brought back memories of Sunday dinners growing up. My only regret is I didn’t have room for the dessert of sticky toffee pudding, though i sampled my dining companion’s serving and was delighted.
The Sunday dinner menu had all sorts of roast choices, including a vegetarian option. I think I’ll have the lamb next time.
Diana Howe

Small space and limited menu but excellent quality. Call and pick your timing. It is a tight room. Will be back.

The beef this place is really delicious. The service is fast and helpful. I would certainly come back

Went to The Borough last night for the Sunday Roast and had a fabulous time!
I indulged in the Roast Beef and Yorkshire Puddings (traditional Sunday fare in my household) and was not disappointed. The entire meal was mouth wateringly delicious! (and yes I just made up a word. It was that good!). It had great local wines and good selection of beers on tap as well. I loved the ambiance of it — very old school, meets new school. The staff were also amazing, we met the chef and had a lovely conversation with our waitress.
I would definitely recommend! A new gem in East York!
Cant wait to go there for Brunch.

Very tasty food, great service and charming owners. The Borough has easily become our new dine-​out spot in the East end.
My husband and I arrived on a snowy Saturday evening, the small restaurant was packed. We couldn’t get a table but happily sat at the bar.
We shared the mussels and fries and both got the salad. Husband ordered the trout and I got the roasted beets as my main. Everything was deliciously fresh! My husbands trout was huge. The salad had a smart combination of micro greens, yellow beets and goat cheese — super yummy. The mussels were fantastic! We didn’t try the bread and just scooped the broth with a spoon. I’m a devoted beets fan so it’s hard to mess that up, and they didn’t.
Jason, the owner, came by to check in on us. To say he’s obsessed with locally sourced food would be an understatement — it’s the mantra of the restaurant and likely the reason behind their success. It’s not always easy but it’s amazing what grows in Ontario over the winter months.

4.5 stars
We arrived at the very start of the dinner hour on a Saturday. We had our toddler with us so we planned to eat and flee as quickly as possible.
First off, the service was amazing. Really attentive, lovely and upbeat. The restaurant was also kid-​friendly without being too overtly family-​oriented; my daughter was completely enamoured of our server. The space is cozy and has been nicely renovated with smaller tables and also some bar seating.
We started off with the smoked ham hock and pork belly terrine with tomato chutney and granary toast. This was rustic and really delicious.
For mains with went with the steak frites and the smoked beef ribs. Both were served with seasonal vegetables (brussels sprouts and root veggies) and thick cut fries and the portions were huge. So big in fact that my husband, despite his generally large appetite, had to ask for a doggie bag. Both main were really, really good.
The food was fantastic and I love that the folks at The Borough tweet out their daily specials. This is probably my new favourite place in the ‘hood for a nice meal.
They also have a nice selection of craft beers and local wines. The only thing holding me back from giving them a full 5 star rating is the cocktails. Oh the cocktails… they looked so interesting in their descriptions but sadly just weren’t well balanced in their execution. We tried 3 – 4 different ones and they all seemed to be this way. Definitely won’t stop me from eating here however; I’ll just stick to wine or beer with my meal. :)

The Yorkshire pudding with beef tenderloin are every bit as good as you’d expect and hope them to be, as was the special tomato appetizer that wasn’t on the menu. The Lady had the burger which I tried and liked and I had a steak special which was a little costly and surprising at $ 32. I liked it a lot but if I had known it was that much I’d have been content with the burger. And for anyone that mentions the sticky toffee pudding being great and/​or the best in the city: They’re not exaggerating. As much as I was painfully full after 14 oz of red meat, fries, appetizers and the very filling pudding dessert, I loved it so much that I considered ordering a 2^nd one. But it would be better to not and just go back to the Borough much sooner than I’d have expected.

Absolutely awesome! Cool dining room, awesome staff/​owner, and excellent food. What more could you want?

Went to The Borough last night while we were doing a bit of a snacking tour of The Danforth. The place and signage outside is a little unassuming, but the inside is quite nice and inviting.
While we were there I saw quite a few families with kids, so its quite family friendly. But at the same time they have a bar area and a high table which we were seated at. So definitely a place you could grab a drink as well.
The special Saturday was ribs, so we split a full rack dinner. The ribs were tender and you could easily tear the bones off the meat with your hand. The fries and coleslaw were great too. The fries were thick cut and very soft in the middle with a nice exterior. The coleslaw was crisp and light. It was flavourful without being drenched in oil and vinegar.
On top of the food hitting the mark, the beer selection was quite good. I had the Left Field Brown Ale, and I’d have it again. It was great! They also told us that Left Field is opening a brewery right close by. Excellent.
The service was friendly and attentive, and they didn’t even blink an eye when my crazy friend asked for 6 empty cups. (To split beers). I’d go there again, and I’d recommend it to others.