Crème Brasserie

Very cute restaurant in terms of ambiance and décor but the food was not what I expected. I went for a weeknight Winterlicious dinner:
1^st course: Pickled Fig and Brie Crostini — 3 large crostini with a generous amount of brie and fig. Not bad, a bit too oily though, I had oil dripping as I bit into it.
Main: Root Vegetable Tart — Pretty disappointed with this. I expected the tart to be a pastry shell filled with vegetables, but it ended up being a stack of thinly sliced beets and squash? Not very good at all and not filling either.
Dessert: Chocolate Crêpe — My favourite part of the meal, the crêpe was light and the filling was tasty, strawberries and banana. Good end to the sub par meal. Funny thing happened, when the crêpe was brought out, mine didn’t have a garnish and the waitress ended up bringing it separately, just a single cut up strawberry. weird.

Went there for winterlicious lunch and was a good experience.
For first course I got the Stracciatella (Light Chicken Broth, Parmesan Cheese, Egg Drops, And Mini Meat Balls). Broth was good, chicken was dry, didn’t like the meatballs. I tried my friends Pickled Fig And Triple Cream Brie Crostini and it was ok.
For second course I got Striped Bass (Pan Seared, Double Smoked Bacon, Cauliflower, And Parsnip Purée, Wilted Greens, Beets, And A Leek And Corn Froth). There were many different flavours and textures throughout this dish which I liked. Was hoping for crispier skin on fish and I got a couple of bones and scales that I had to spit out.
For third course I got Chocolate Crepes (Strawberries, Bananas, Caramel, Cointreau). Crepes tasted ok; fruits were cooked until they were soft and sweet which I liked.
Overall was a good meal. Service was quick and very friendly. 3.5 stars.

Winterlicious 2016
You won’t find Crème Basserie if you’re just walking along the main roads as it is located along a pedestrian walkway close to Avenue. I didn’t really have any expectations when coming to Crème Basserie as I haven’t heard of this restaurant and I’m not overly fond of Summerlicious/​Winterlicious. However, after eating from the Winterlicious menu and the main menu (we were exceptionally hungry), I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the food here.
I ordered the grilled calamari, Cornish hen and the chocolate crepes from the Winterlicious menu. The steak frites entrée was quite small, but feedback was that it tasted nice.
— Calamari: tasted fresh and was refreshing to finally not have soggy or rubbery squid that you often get elsewhere
— Hen: cooked extremely well, was juicy and the portion was good for a Winterlicious dish
— Chocolate crêpe: not the best crêpe I’ve ever had, but it was still pretty good. Probably more impressive than the crème brulee that is another dessert option.
The pork belly appetizer that we also ordered was melt-​in-​your-​mouth and incredibly flavourful.
I think this restaurant does well with their Winterlicious menu as it definitely showcases good execution and great ingredients without breaking the bank. «Yay! I’m a fan.»

IT WAS AWESOMEEEEEEEE E
waiter was so jolly
their wine book has like 20 pages but they wrote out the flavors of the wine so you know that some some taste like raspberries or blackberries and some taste like leather LOL
quiet pretty setting
the food was all really good — the pickled fig appetizer was
SEE PICS FOR PROOF: D

Ahh man I dunno the music is really good just like my washroom break music sorta soothing and chirpy. And yeah would be better if they have wifi here you know cuz I like to watch YouTube while eating. I like he water tho really watery and the soup is soupyyyyyy. I wish they could have bigger candles tho looks epic you know and i can see my girl through the fireeeeeeeee yaaaaaaay. Oh and my waiter is so nice he looks like a cat

We came just for dessert, seeking out their crème brûlée, but learned that they had sold out earlier that night. He lemon tart was good, though the crust left something to be desired. Oddly, the music did not match the fine dining décor. Instead it was Simon and Garfunkel and some other oldies. The menu did look good, and we would certainly return for a full course meal. Wait staff was very friendly too.

Simply fantastic! A Local gem. Watermelon and Feta salad had me mm-​mmming the entire time. Atmosphere and service great. Try it; you won’t regret it.

Had higher expectations for this place. The food was good but not great. Inside the restaurant they were playing gypsy kings type music (without the singing) which is an odd choice for a French restaurant. Seafood crêpe was too salty. Mixed greens had berries in it which is a nice touch for the hot weather. Steak frites was average.
Service was very good.

I’ve visited this restaurant several times, and the service is always top notch and the food is incredible. Questions about the menu were taken with genuine interest and the staff never overlook even the smallest detail.
The steak frites is not to be missed. I strongly recommend stopping in for either summerlicious or winterlicious as the menus are creative and the prices are fair.

Came here for the Summerlicious menu on a Saturday night. It’s in a quaint little location just tucked away in a condo courtyard, and sitting down on the patio you get the outdoor feel, but it’s not as hot and you get more privacy than in other patios.
The patio was quiet around 7 but by 9 it was comfortably full, and the service was attentive, albeit a bit disorganized as they had different staff doing different duties over the course of the service, as well as trainees on the job.
I had the gazpacho with goats milk yogurt to start which was delicious and refreshing with a bit of kick in the chili, while others had the watermelon salad which was also delicious. The mains were the weakest part of the service, as the flank steak was quite tough and came cooked in strips as well as being full of connective tissue making it hard to cut. The curry lemon chicken was tasty and tender, but it did not seem to go well with the curry sauce. The side slaw was the highlight of that dish. Dessert was the Irish crème mousse and a banana split dish. The mousse was quite delicious, and the banana split looked good as well.

We went there for sunmerliciouse and we were not happy. The service was good, the dessert was good. The main course and appetizer were so so.

I have walked by this restaurant many times as I live in the neighborhood. I finally decided to try it out. The service was amazing. Courteous, attentive and we were never rushed. It was summerlicious — a time where many restaurants fail in the service department. The appetizer and dessert were great. The main was meh. But, the service and wine list made up for it. My main was only on the summerlicious menu (not the regular menu) so perhaps it was more of an experimental dish. Overall — I think I will make this a regular spot.

Had the Ned-​rare flank off the summerlicious menu. It was cooked exactly the way I like it. The outdoor patio on a cool day was perfect.
Overall me and my friends really like this place!

I have been at Crème for business, so we were a bit in a hurry and probably did not have all the time to enjoy fully the restaurant. They have a french/​canadian cuisine menu, I found the place to be very nice for its location, as it’s in the middle of an «inner street» and there aren’t many people passing by. Food was good, price a little less good, but we are near Bloor Street and there is an extra cost to be in such upscale part of town.

Great service and good food. We went there for lunch and the prices were pretty reasonable given the high class atmosphere. Try the lemon cake– it was delicious.

I am in love with this restaurant! I had a celebration here and made reservations for 20 with ease. They were extremely accommodating, let us bring our own cake and served it to us too! The service was amazing. They were so polite, funny, friendly and went out of their way to make our special night even more perfect. The ambience was very romantic, warm and cozy. Would be an amazing date spot. I had the salmon and it melted in my mouth. It was so flavorful, one of the best I’ve ever had. I am definitely coming back to try everything else on the menu!

food too salty，just look good. feel so diaappoint about this restaurant. but the environment and service are good

Fabulous food, albeit insanely salty (chugged 3 bottles of water through the day after my lunch.) Service was great, as they kept re-​loading out table with their fresh bread and awesome garlic hummus spread.
I am pretty salt sensitive so that’s not a strike for this restaurant at all, because I’ve finally found a burger that has the meat patty SEASONED instead of bland cardboard ground meat at every other single restaurant that serves burgers. It was juicy and funkin huge, I mean, this patty was like a pound of straight up meaty goodness topped with melty cheddar slice (mmmmm melty) and fresh onions, lettuce, a tomato and just enough pickles. Served on a wonderful fluffy brioch bun.
And let me once again underline how big this burger is, I straight up had to pound this thing down, and I have a bit of a freakazoid Steven Tyler mouth (I constantly amaze myself with how much food I can shove in there and how I haven’t choked yet…) and eating this Sirloin Burger gracefully was a HUGE challenge. I managed though, with my Mick Jagger mouth and all. It was flipping delicious and worth the 15 dollars. Unfortunately I didn’t make a mark on my frites since the burger was insanely filling, but they were… fritey…if fritey is what you want. FRITES.
Also had their grilled octopus appetizer, which was good, but nothing to write home about. I found their pairing of grilled octopus on top of fingerling potatoes to not really have that zesty flavor, it was well seasoned but I would have loved a touch of acidity to have accompanied my octopus. The grilled octopus had a great charred note, it was fresh, and I love me some octopus tentacles. And I know, you’re like «Wtf ew Anna, OCTOPUS? THAT IS STANK.» But you guys, octopus is THE BOMB DOT COM. Baby octopus can take it or leave it, cause I ain’t putting that in my mouth. But grilled octopus is where it’s at. I’d describe grilled octopus as a mix between chicken and lobster. Which are 2 of my fav proteins. So like, octopus is a really dreamy combo of texture and flavor for me.
basically what I’m saying is everyone should try octopus. Even my 12 year old sister who is scared of almost all foods liked it!

I tried Crème Brasserie for Winterlicious dinner this year and I must say I am a fan. The restaurant is hidden off in a courtyard and is not visible along Yorkville St. As soon as I entered the place, the atmosphere was very warm and inviting. The vibe was very laid back and unpretentious. All the staff were very friendly and genuine which made the experience much more pleasant. They made sure that we were welcomed and not rushed throughout the entire dinner. Big props to the friendly service!
As for the food, my friend and I tried different dishes for all three courses. I got the pork belly appetizer, the striped bass main, and the chocolate pot of crème. All three were delicious. I even got to try my friend’s dishes and she got the mussels (the sauce was very tasty), the steak, and the raspberry semi freddo.
I would go back to try their regular menu due to the delicious food and excellent friendly service! Great cozy and welcoming place in Yorkville!

I am extremely upset about your service. I booked at least two weeks in advance for winterlicious. A week after, i receive and email informing me my reservation is cancelled. No problem, I assume maybe there was a problem. I book again, and receive another confirmation email.
Today, 5 minutes ago, i receive another email regarding the cancellation. I follow by calling the restaurant, the first person that answer is courteous and apologizes and books me another reservation. I was content.
Then after, a call back, from Ricardo, informing me that I am at fault, because I had booked it twice! I most certainly did not book it twice. On my open table it showed that I had no reservations for this restaurant. Thus, I call in to inquire. He refused to accept that there was a glitch, or that this was what I saw on my side! I didn’t even say that, that’s not what appeared on the restaurant. I was happy that I still had a reservation. However, he kept insisting that it was MY problem and seemed to be waiting for me to apologize.
I assume now it’s enough for me to be frustrated. This restaurant will never have my business and i will definitely not recommend this place to anyone.

SUMMARY:
Everything’s that great about an upscale French restaurant, without the snobby attitude you would find in Paris. A+.
Came here on New Year’s Eve at 7pm with my family. We had the New Year’s Eve $ 49 tasting menu — appetizer, main, and dessert. Place got busier throughout the night but service was always spot-​on.
SERVICE: ¹⁰⁄₁₀
Waiters were very warm and genuine from the moment we walked in the door, and struck the perfect balance between attentive and not being overbearing. Our family tried all the options from the tasting menu and they were very accomodating about bringing us all sharing plates and extra utensils, without any hint of snobbery (try doing that in a Parisian restaurant if you want to see the most contemptuous sneers possible).
FOOD: 8.5÷10
We tried all the items on the New Year’s Eve menu: butternut squash soup/​salad/​pork belly for appetizer (all fantastic), steak/​lamb/​salmon for the main (also all fantastic), and crème brulée/​chocolate mousse/​raspberry sorbet for the dessert (least favourite part of the meal, but still on point and quite delicious).
All dishes came promptly and together. Portion sizes felt perfect: we had room for dessert, and left feeling full.
DECOR/​PLACE/​PARKING: ¹⁰⁄₁₀
Décor inside and outside is beautiful, elegant, and very romantic. They will validate your parking ticket for two hours of free parking in the Renaissance Court parking lot on Cumberland Street, and the restaurant is on the ground floor, just outside the elevators.
Overall, a fantastic experience.

Among one of the best spots for a romantic dinner date!!! The ambience is dim, surrounded by warm color décor, classy yet modern. Crème has the ability to exhibit its image and culinary french dishes with some hint of Moroccan flare. During the summer months they have a courtyard patio section, so hence I will need to make a second visit. Winterlicious has provided GTA’er and Torontonians the opportunity to try some of Toronto’s renouned restaurants. Hence Crème was on my list.
Wait staff, food, and prices are reasonable, keeping in mind you’re in Yorkville!
Rillette of Rabbit served with Balsamic mustard, sweet onion jam, olives and homemade toast! delighful great mixture of flavors, a bit of sweet and sour! great way to kick off a meal ⁵⁄₅
Fricasse of Rabit; for something more robust full of flavor I’d recommend the Lamb. The fricasse was a nice medley of smoked bacon celery mushroom purree tossed in white wine, great to try for those who’ve never had rabbit. Tasted like chicken but again its white meat. ⁴⁄₅
Poached Pears! by far the best & refreshing with the raspberry syrup over the vanilla ice cream and pear. I preferred their poached pears over Midi Bistro’s. Its light, yet savory, and not too heavy.
Overall we had an excellent experience, the waiter was very kind, accommodating, and knowledgable about the menu.
Tres Bien! Crème! I shall see you when the weather gets better to experience their outdoor dining.