The Gabardine

Love the ambiance of the place. Highly recommend the Mac and cheese and the chicken pot pie. Beware of your first few bites because they are piping hot. Love the quick service for lunch. I definitely am going to come back for dinner

I finally managed to get a seat at this place and it was worth it. Had the juniper gin and tonic and the southern fried chicken sandwich. Both were amazing and service was fast and friendly. Got there at 11:30 and the place was full by 12:00. My friends had the club sandwich and the Trinidadian geera pork sandwich, both of which were reported to be good as well. I will definitely try the chicken pot pie next time. The lady at the table next to me had it and it looked phenomenal. Food was served on ‘granny’s fine china’ which gave things a nice homemade feel. Another nice touch was the huge curtain by the door so the wind wouldn’t get in. I’ll be back.

The Gabardine is always amazing, as expected. Ended up going there with two friends that allowed us to order what I call the Gab’s trifecta — Mac N’ cheese avec jambon, burger and chicken pot pie. Food was consistently delicious. I had the pot pie– crust was flakey and crunchy and the inside of it was all gooey goodness and was perfect for that cold Winter day. Staff were awesome and always a pleasure. Can’t wait to return soon!

Deep fried beer cheese — very soft on the inside. Soft deep fried batter on the outside is just the right thickness to hold shape until you bite into it. Enjoy it for its texture and smoothness.
The mac and cheese was good. If you pull up a string of cheese on your fork, you can spin it around endlessly. The smoked ham was good, but I wish I saved the $ 2 so I could better appreciate the crust. There were two distinct sauces in the mac and cheese, a stringier layer of cheese on top and a creamy sauce that the macaroni was in. The mac and cheese was great but I wasn’t blown away like I was with the deep fried beer cheese.
Hard to find at street level but it might just be the scaffolding from (temporary) construction. Doors into office building for 372 Bay St locked and entrance nearby inconspicuous. Look for the fancy people dining on the SW corner Bay and Richmond, heading South on Bay looking West through the windows of 372 Bay St.
The restaurant was VERY warm. I’m not sure what the reason for that was.
They take reservations. They take credit card. There is no wifi.

Came here once with friends probably a year ago. Long overdue review I know. Lol. I remember it being quite packed and since I didn’t have reservations, I was waiting about 20 or so minutes to get a table.
Through Unilocal reviews, I decided on their popular Mac and Cheese with smoked ham. It was good but I don’t think memorable. Especially, since it costs $ 19! I think that’s way too overpriced for Mac and Cheese. Maybe since its in the financial district and they are aiming towards the business set? Personally, for almost $ 20 it should be the best darn Mac and Cheese I have ever tasted and come with a side dish like fries or even a soda drink! Besides the price, the one big issue that actually blocked out everything else and is the main reason why I’m taking off stars is what happened during my dinner.
My dinner was going fine, until all of a sudden I noticed a film of light grey smoke covering the restaurant. I don’t know what was happening in the kitchen when I was there, but the smoke coming out of the kitchen was to the point it caused me to cough a lot. I half wondered if someone accidentally burnt food or a pan? It was weird and my group was sitting waayy in the front of the resto too. About 2 tables away from the window/​doors. I don’t know how diners who were sitting right near the kitchen handled it. If it were just me, I would have just left.
My group was finishing up our meals and smoke had noticeably dyed down by this point. While servers were polite, they did not address the issue or say anything about it, so I just left confused about the situation.
Hopefully, my experience was an anomaly but I didn’t come back after because of that. If you decide to give it a go anyways, the décor is nice and they have low lighting. It looks to be suitable for groups, dates and if you are grabbing food with coworkers.

I’ve been here a few times and the food never disappointed me. I most recently went again for lunch and the restaurant was bustling! Since they don’t take reservations for lunch, it’s pretty hard to come here during my lunch hour without knowing how long the wait would be. Luckily, I had spare time that day because even though we were sat fairly quickly, it took a really long time for the food to arrive.
We ordered the chicken pot pie and mac & cheese with smoked ham — both were very delicious. The chicken pot pie was thick and creamy, making it a perfect «dip» for the top crust. The mac & cheese had just the right amount of cheese and it was baked perfectly. The smoked ham was definitely the right choice and complimented the dish well — totally worth the extra $ 2! The portion for both dishes are huge so I wouldn’t order appetizers unless you’re THAT hungry.
Overall had a pleasant experience here. The server was friendly and he was apologetic about the delay in food delivery. Just don’t expect the entire dining experience to be quick if the restaurant is busy.

Good hearty Canadian (soul?) food! I’m a fan of their burger, mac & cheese and shrimp po boy. The location is very convenient for those working in the financial district. Be prepared to wait for a table if you go during peak hours. It seems like they cater towards the working crowd as they do not open on weekends.

I’ve wanted to try this place for awhile and the opportunity finally came up with some friends. We spent a Wednesday night having dinner after work at this restaurant.
I’m an instant fan of The Gabardine. Our night out wasn’t perfect but it was pretty close. First, the bad to be aware of — yes, it’s small so you may wait for a table (not sure if they take reservations). I love the cozy atmosphere but that means waiting for a table. The other negative about this place is the drinks are a little pricey ($ 14 cocktails? $ 9 draft beer?). It is in the financial district of Toronto but those are both a couple dollars above competing restaurants in the area.
Now — the good. And I mean GOOD. The food — it’s excellent. Every single person raved about their meal. I shared three items with friends — the hamburger which was very tasty, the mac and cheese which was phenomenal and the chicken pot pie, my least favorite but still good. I thought the under $ 20 pricelist for all of these items was a good deal as well — the portions were pretty generous.
Overall — we had a great time here and I would love to go back. I’ve also been recommending it like crazy to my friends since we were there.

Really interesting restaurant, mainly opened for Business People around the area (they don’t open in weekends). Here is one of those places that makes me want to go work at Downtown.
American and Fusion style food, taste is delicious, well known for their burgers which taste good, a bit oily on my preference, but overall really nice quality, quantity and presentation. It worth to try.
What blew my mind wasn’t the burger tho… It was the special of the day — Leek Soup, that is one of the best soups I have ever tried.
The place is worth to visit, get together with friends, have some drinks or coffee. The staff is really friendly and customer caring.
BTW, at the beginning is hard to find the place since there are constructions around, so take your time and the delicious food will pay back: D
Good luck with your visit!

I came here on a whim with my cousin in a Thursday night. It was pretty busy but they had a no show so we got seated right away. I loved the atmosphere inside. It was dimly lit and not very pretentious, especially for a place in the financial district. It definitely is a nice spot to take a date. The menu isn’t insanely extensive but I’m also a non seafood and pork eater. I got the mac and cheese of course and my cousin got the fried chicken sandwich. I also got a 5oz of the white cuvee which was very delicious and not overly sweet.
My mac and cheese was in a fairly good size ramkin dish. It was very hot and gooey and covered in breadcrumbs which is how i like it. I did still feel a bit hungry though. My cousin’s burger was so yummy. Definitely not your kfc fried chicken! I would try that again. The fries had a rosemary flavoring to it and i could have had buckets of it to myself. Such a winner this place was. It isn’t the cheapest but i think my money was well spent. I would come back!

Had dinner here on a Tuesday at 5:30pm before a Leafs game but I wasn’t too impressed.
Seating is pretty limited, as it’s a fairly small place. The atmosphere was that of a casual but upscale bar. Unfortunately, my table and dining space was so small, I was almost bumping elbows with the person beside me.
I got the chicken pot pie but had to wait about 25 min. I will admit that it was worth the wait because it was delicious! It’s pretty heavy but so very creamy and full of flavour. The chicken was incredibly moist and the pastry was flaky and delicious. I was a bit disappointed that it doesn’t come with any sides but it was filling enough for a dinner.
The big con was the price. The chicken pot pie was $ 20 and a can of Coke was $ 4. I wanted to get the soup as well but was not going to pay $ 9 for it.
Overall, I had a delicious dinner but felt I paid too much for what I got, and I had to rub elbows with my neighbour.

Found this gem when i was searching for a nearby western restaurant close to work with good food on Unilocal and I am glad I had the opportunity to come here. This place is a small little restaurant with a bar table near the door, it has tables that can fit around 30 people at a time. Decoration is very modern and relaxing, chairs are also very comfortable!
The selections on the menu is a little limited, but I didn’t mind that. Specializes on what you are good at is key. On two separate occasions, I tried the Chicken Pot Pie and the Mac and Cheese with Smoked Ham. Both dishes were well-​made! Mac and Cheese was baked to perfection although it did feel a little heavy, the Chicken Pot Pie was full of ingredients and the puff layer to cover the pie was amazingly done!
For appetizer I tried the deep fried beer cheese «rarebit» and it was also very good. You can really taste the beer and the honey mustard pairing complemented well with the beer cheese.
5 out of 5 in my book! Very cozy and relaxing environment with great food!

I like that it’s a new addition to a fairly monotone formulaic strip. I like that it’s welcoming and warm and cozy. I like that the servers are grown up hipsters. I like that its got dim lighting and mismatched plates.
But that’s about it. I don’t really like the menu all that much and i don’t really like the smell of deep fry oil wafting in the air.

Make a reservation since it’s a pretty busy restaurant and not very large. I had emailed to ask a question about the menu and place my reservation — they responded within hours.
The Mac And Cheese was deliciously creamy and filling. My husband had the Fried Haddock Po Boy which was tasty as well and came with a generous portion of fries. My dish was better though ;)
We were seated right next to the open kitchen which I thought was awesome at first. I quickly realized that there were some fall decorations (squash etc) on the booth separating my table and the kitchen, and they were attracting fruit flies. None came on my food and they weren’t inside the actual kitchen area, but obviously this was off-​putting.

It was packed when we got here! Thank god we made reservations! We got our appetizers and drinks pretty quickly, but our Main dishes took a really long time to come! It was really busy, but it would have been nice if the servers acknowledged the long wait time for our food.
Chicken pâté was amazing! My fave dish!
Devilled eggs –very creamy, but I found it too salty
Chicken sandwich — the chicken was deep fried and very good! Nicely spiced.
Fish taco — the wraps were dry, but the deep fried fish was nice and tender. The sauce was interesting. It seemed to have indian spices in it. This wasn’t good in my opinion. Will pass on it next time.
Pork sandwich — not bad. Very tender.
Lemon pancotta — this was ok. Nothing special.
Overall, I would come back for the pâté and chicken sandwich, and to try their infamous Mac and cheese and chicken pot pie.

Every time I lookup for a good place to grab dinner at downtown Toronto I always see The Gabardine popping up on Unilocal.The reviews looked great, the food looked warm and hearty, so on a cold weekday night I dropped by this restaurant with a friend. This place is located right next to the 7 – 11 that I always go to for my usual fix of cheap XL coffee.
We ordered the Mac and Cheese with ham on top and the chicken pot pie, they each costed around $ 20. I was actually looking to order the chicken waffle but they no longer offer that :(Mac and Cheese was amazing. It was warm, creamy, and I liked crunchy burnt areas. Best Mac and Cheese I have ever tried. I liked the pastry crust of the chicken pot pie, however the soup was just alright… still bumped out not getting the chicken waffle boooo.
There was actually a time limit on your table of one and a half hour. We came at around 5:15 and were told we could stay until 6:30. It was quiet when we sat down and I could tell the restaurant getting busier as our time limit approaches. Eventually people had to wait for a table when we left.
Still can’t get over the fact that chicken waffle is gone from their menu for good. Well guess it’s time to try out other places

Wow! Wow! Wow! This is what I have to say about this place. All the food here was simply amazing. We went there for lunch but it seems dinner is pretty similar.
— For appetizer we had deviled eggs — the filling was amazing and plentiful
— The main dish as a fish that I can’t really remember the name — it was the plate of the day. Impossible to describe how amazing it was. The skin was crispy and it included a mix of sauces that were out of this world
— I was by then super full but couldn’t leave a place like this without trying their dessert — once again went for the dessert of the day, a chocolate pie with fresh whipped cream on top — super crispy tart base and chocolate that tasted like a wonderful mousse
If there is one place I’ll go back to eat when in Toronto is this place… no doubts

This is a bit of a throwback from about 6 months ago, but came across this place on Unilocal again and I wanted to go back. Me and a friend decided to stop by at 5pm on a Tuesday night. The restaurant was relatively empty, but it turned out almost every table had reservations. No biggie, I actually don’t mind sitting at the bar if I’m only with one other person.
Like other reviews, the clientèle were mainly suits a couple of classy ladies. It was still quite a casual setting so don’t feel inclined to come here with a top hat and monocle.
Me and my friend actually came here for drinks and a bit of food.
Beef Tartare (18) — it was good. Ingredients seemed to be fresh, although I felt like I could of gotten the same dish elsewhere. It wasn’t mind blowing but it was good.
So then we got cocktails. They were bomb (or maybe that’s the cocktails talking, getting all cocky) .
The Argyle (13) — you can taste the hit. But the sweetness hit you after, pretending like you were never drinking in the first place.
Classic Caesar (11) — biased. I love Caesars because they are life and this was pretty good. Of course I’ve had better, but oh man I’ve had much worse.
Hibiscus Royal (12) — my favourite from the list. It’s so soft, not too sweet, not too bitter but like you’re sitting in the meadows. With a cocktail.
The Devereaux (14) — it was good! Not bad, but not really my favourite.
The service was also good. I feel like it was an all around good restaurant at a good location. Not really a place where I HAVE to have gone to, but it’s good (as I’ve said before).

I came here for brunch with some friends as party of 6. I feel like it’s so hard nowadays to find a really good breakfast/​lunch/​brunch place in Toronto. I’m so glad that I came across this place. Most of the meals we had eaten over the week were subpar or absolutely terrible, so it was nice to FINALLY have a good meal.
The restaurant is under construction around the exterior, so it can be a little difficult to find. If you need a landmark to get an idea of where the restaurant is, it is nearish to the Eaton Centre and Old City Hall.
The restaurant was very busy. The environment was casual, but the tables were very close to together. Be prepared to get cozy with your neighbours as there isn’t a lot of room to move around in this place.
We were seated within minutes, and our orders were taken quite quickly. My friends ordered Mac ‘n’ Cheese, while others ordered the Fish Tacos and the Sirloin Bacon Cheeseburger. They all enjoyed their meals. Looking back, my friends, who were visiting from all over Canada and the USA, did nothing but reminisce about how good the mac ‘n’ cheese was, so much so that they started dreaming about it (literally). Oh boy, did that mac ‘n’ cheese become a recurrent topic of discussion when recounting their vacation.
I ordered the Sirloin Bacon Cheeseburger. It was sooooooooooooo good. The burger patty completely cooked, but still maintained the taste. The burger as a whole was oozing with juicy goodness (4.5÷5 in taste).
The portion size was large, and the food was very filling! The positive reviews about this place are true to their nature.

Loved the atmosphere and location. It is always busy here and sometimes hard to get a table. Got po boy and chicken pot pie. Loved it! Quite heavy. But delicious
i think i would only come here once though.