The Emerson

Came here on a Wednesday evening. Got seated right away. Some dishes are slightly pricey especially for the portion. Great ambience, some music playing in the background, interesting things on the wall.
Food: 7.5÷10
Chefs Special (7.5÷10): This chef’s special was a stuffed spinach and ricotta ravioli with shrimps in a pesto based cream sauce. Taste was good, but could use more ravioli, shrimps and sadly you could barely taste the ricotta.
Butternut Squash Gratin (⁹⁄₁₀): like everyone says, it’s pretty amazing
Fries (⁸⁄₁₀): not just your average fries. They come thin, and nice and crispy. Nice aoili to dip it in as well
Brussels Sprouts (⁷⁄₁₀): decent but lacked a ‘delicious’ factor. Seems like something you could easily make at home

It’s a good local. Haven’t had a bad experience service is great. I tend to stick to the plainer dishes an easy environment. I love the gnocchi however u spell that.

I used to live in this neighborhood and hang out here every night. Service is amazing! Everyone always called me by my name, even the cook who I had never really talked to lol. Food is also amazing. The butternut squash gratin is just a side, but i often order just that just because it’s amazing! Try also the Duck confit and the Involtini, you won’t regret it. Cocktail list is not my favorite, but always ok, with many refreshing and creative cocktails, but not too many boozie spirit forward options. Décor is cool, more on the hispter side, and feels cozy in there. Bartender Molly is the best!!! I will keep coming back

We tend to go to a different place almost every day to eat. Rarely, very rarely trying the same place twice. The atmosphere and decore is very nice here, service was a huge step above the majority of Toronto restaurants. My girlfriend got the daily pasta, spaghetti with duck, and before she was half done she said we’re coming back here. She’s the picky one between us so this is a very good thing. We tried the Brussell sprouts… Not for us but good. Then the squash came… Get this. If for nothing else, stop in and get this. We’ll be back.

One of the few places in Toronto I would actually revisit.
Staff are all very friendly and accommodating. Very laid back atmosphere (chairs could be comfier though!)
Ordered brussel sprouts, mussels, and pasta of the day (spaghetti a la aoili). Plus squash.
Brussel sprouts — prepared raw and mixed with sausage and some other stuff. Flavored were all good individually but not complimentary. Server offered to get us something else so we ordered squash.
Mussels — HUGE mussels, large portion. Boyfriend said they were delicious. Be aware that the sauce is spicy. Came with a side of super salty shoestring fries (that’s how I like them, heads up for those that don’t).
Pasta — greasy sauce that was amazing. Had duck and bacon in it. The pasta itself is homemade. Dug into this with enthusiasm. I don’t eat pasta much anymore but it’s basically my favorite so I’m picky. Very happy with this dish.
Squash — one of the best things you’ll ever have. Sides are $ 5 each or 5 for $ 20. We’ll probably go back and gorge on just squash at some point.
Lightly baked, covered in cheese sitting on a cream, thyme, rosemary, caramelized onions and other stuff sauce. Absolutely incredible.

I have a great story about my first visit at the Emerson — so buckle in, this one is a little lengthy.
My girlfriend and I spent a nice day at High Park when we decided to try out The Emerson after hearing great things. I called to see what the wait was like — the person who answered seemed a little cold. I was told that I just had to come in and see. We still went and the place was packed with a decent line. The host recognized my voice, apologized that he may have been curt because it was so busy and ushered us to a table he reserved because he knew we were coming in.
Our server was amazing, friendly and very knowledgable. Sorry this review is less about the food because it was a while ago and I forgot what we had. But this is what happened — my girlfriend ordered the fish special. About 15 minutes later our server realized he forgot to input the order and in that time the last fish special was sold. No problem, she ordered something else but the server promised that he will make up for it. The host then returned, called us by name and wanted to ensure we were having a good time. Long story short, the server comped our entire meal and also brought us free drinks and desserts. This was all for a little mistake.
It’s hard to come across service like this these days and I would solely come back because of that. But thankfully the food was also really good and I would recommend The Emerson to anyone!

Great spot. Friendly. Great food. Interesting, well executed menu. Groovy décor. Not too spendy. Would definitely return. Try the shredded Brussels sprouts. They’ll change your mind about Brussels sprouts.

I had a great time here last night! Perfect hang out to relax with friends and enjoy a good pint. Love the atmosphere and décor here it’s unique and funky. Great deals for food and drink! They only have limited beers on tap but all choices are nice options. A huge shout out for their fries– The seasoning is amazing and we pounded through three portions! The music they play is a great mix and fits well into the atmosphere. Best bar in this neighbs for sure! Definitely will return soon!

Came here on a Friday night and it wasn’t too busy. Granted it was a Friday of a long weekend though.
What stood out to me most of the place was that the staff was exceptional. They were quick, super friendly and would often check in on us.
However I cannot give the same praise for the food. We ordered a bunch of things off the menu, crispy chicken, lobster pasta, lamb shank, sweet potato gratin, shaved brussel sprouts, involtini.
The best by far would be the lamb shank, which is very similar to a Vietnamese beef stew.
Crispy chicken was super salty on the skin side, sauce was ok and the raw veg pairing didn’t add much.
Shredded Brussel sprouts was just cut up raw Brussel sprouts made into something like a Caesar.
Lobster pasta, I felt the pasta was a little over cooked. But other then that the taste was good.
Involtini was interesting, meat wrapped in meat. But again too salty.
Sweet potato gratin was exactly what you would expect.
There is a lot of potential to their dishes but I often find the saltiness overpowering and detracting from the overall taste of the dish or that the dish was lacking something.
We did mention the saltiness of the food to our server who unexpectedly gave us a free dessert which we selected the ice cream sundae. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much special with the sundae. Just your typical vanilla ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. There was some straw berries and cherries in there too but nothing too special.

Definitely my goto favorite restaurant. Impeccably cooked seasonal menu. Always delicious and we’ll prepared.
Intimate and friendly service, ready to recommend a new wine, or their assortment of daily offerings.
I’ve tasted almost everything on the menu and have never been disappointed.
Portions are also a good size.
Price is very reasonable considering the quality of the food and preparation.
From specials events to a week night out The Emerson never disappoints

Came here tonight after noticing the Wednesday wings sign out front. The special was $ 15 for Buffalo wings which were braised, lightly floured and fried accompanied with a small salad on the side — arugula with thinly sliced radish mixed in a very light vinegrette I believe. The wings weren’t crispy, but they were pretty darn tender and provided a relatively clean wing eating experience. I’m not a fan of Buffalo wings myself, I’m a Honey Garlic gal, but I found these really good, not too spicy and the just the right amount of sauce — I still would have preferred an option to wing flavours though. I also ordered fries on the side ($ 5) which came with a really good garlic aioli. Both dishes came out together straight out of the fryer, and just *drool*.
The atmosphere was really chill here and it was relatively empty when we arrived so we were given the option of our seating. We went to the back which was a bit dark and hot because it’s so close to the kitchen, so I recommend the front, especially on a nice night when they have their store front open. Our server and waitress were very friendly and checked up on us a couple of times throughout the dinner.
Would I come here again? Heck yeah!

This place is awesome. Maybe I’m blind but I had a hard time trying to find this place because it doesn’t have a name outside the restaurant. Their food was delicious and it is always a tough choice to pick from because whippoorwill is also one of my favourite places to go to.

Great little restaurant in an area at Bloor and Lansdowne where there isn’t a whole lot of culinary creativity going on. Two of my favourite dishes are the kale ceasar salad and the gnocci. If you’re a hard core italian gnocci fan, this dish may not be for you though.
I also thoroughly enjoy the buck a shuck on Monday nights. The two times I went (so far) the oysters were different and they were actually a good size and quality (although I’m by far an expert in this area).
I will be a returning customer

Pricey but delicious. If you’re willing to spend a bit then this place is totally worth it. We got all the appetizers and sides, so we got to try quite a bit of what they’ve got to offer and boy was it amazing.
Drinks are INCREDIBLE. Great drink list and skilled bartender, which is a huge bonus for me.
Servers are pretentious hipsters but that doesn’t phase me anymore, very unsurprising to get a blasé server at a delicious trendy restaurants these days. So that didn’t bother me at all. I got my drinks on time and the food was timely and more importantly delicious.
I live close by so I go once in a while but if you’re in the neighbourhood for a great meal then come here

We love The Emerson.
The drinks list is great and the friendly knowledgeable staff will help to make sure you get what you’re looking for both in a cocktail and food. They’ve got a great choice of ciders which always makes me happy.
The menu is interesting and seems to change often. Steak Tartare, if you’re a fan, is always a good choice, with interesting flavours it’s obviously made with lots of care.
My favourite part of the menu are the vegetable sides. I think they run about $ 6 each or you can get 5 for $ 25 so we usually do that. The choices are delicious vegetable treasures, with excellent tomato salad in the summer, squash gratin in the winter, grilled eggplant. They’re all so good. I could go on and on. Their oysters are also a good bet. Their mignonette is lovely and their house hot sauce is delish and crazy hot.
The Emerson is a great place if you’re into sharing which allows you to try so many more of their goodies!

Most of the food was really good. We loved our server she was very friendly and on top of everything. But, I don’t think I would ever return. I found the food to be overpriced for the portion size. The only portions that were reasonable for the price were dessert (I would even say too big). I would personally rather have a reasonably filling meal with just a hint of dessert. And I love small portions, but the involtini was three 1 by 2 inch beef rolls for $ 18, and the sides are an additional $ 6 each.
Unfortunately we had to send back our crème brûlée because there was too much sugar on the top that they weren’t able to burn through. So when we broke into it, there was a whole pile of granulated sugar under the surface. I’m sure that isn’t a reoccurring issue though.

Very good service and quality of what we ordered was well presented. Just feel like as I have mentioned in other reviews in this area… if you serve a soup per say (Whippoorwill) you should get a crostini as a method to dip and savour the remnants of what is left in the bowl) you should get a sprinkling of fries when you order a burger… gourmet or not at this price point for $ 62 for 3 beers and 2 burgers and adding a side of fries. I think even in Yorkville I ordered similar and paid a little less but had a nice side of fries. My humble foodie opinion. One who believes a menu item that starts with burger should include fries. :-)

I read through many of Emerson’s reviews before last night’s meal, and when boiled down they paint a reasonably accurate picture. Excellent food, thoughtfully prepared menu and drink list, and a vibe in both ambience and service that has teeters on the edge of being a little too cool for school. I take no issue with the de-​rigeur Toronto hipster restaurant racket and found this place to be relaxed and cozy, but I can see how it might not run across everyone’s tastes, or how some diners tire of exposed brick.
The food, on the other hand, is not up for debate. It was delicious from start to finish. We shared oysters (it was Monday buck-​a-​shuck) and they were perfectly fresh and the hot sauces were pretty tasty too. Entrée: I had the osso bucco, which was out of sight. Super tender meat swimming in an extremely flavorful and rich broth. The sides we ordered were also great (and inexpensive in my opinion): brussel sprouts with a nice hard cheese and crispy pancetta were outstanding; creamy eggplant with pine nuts; rapini; fries. The rest of the party seemed to enjoy their meals, with the chicken, the restaurant’s signature burger and involtini all getting great marks. I think the arctic char got a good but not great reception – but I have yet to go to any restaurant where I’ve been blown away by arctic char. I think it just is what it is – a kinda dry fish – and there’s only so much lipstick you can put on a pig.. .a dry fish pig.
Drinkz: I had a great cabernet sauvignon with dinner. Their gin cocktail I had to start was pretty tart, even for my sour-​fiend ways. I wouldn’t have wanted it any sweeter, and it wasn’t sweet, but it was just a touch too pucker-​inducing to taste some of the subtler ingredients.
Servizz: Our server was good if a little brusque, and a little slow – but since it was a long-​awaited catchup meal among six, the pacing worked out well. Had we been in a hurry I might have been annoyed. However, this spot doesn’t really look like it’s trying to give off a digest-as-you’re-shown-the-door vibe, so I don’t fault it on that point.
$$$: Dinner and two rounds of drinks, with oysters to start for everyone and ample sides, was under $ 250. Pretty sweet value.
All in all I was very happy with the Emerson and would definitely go back. It’s perfect for nights where you’re looking to savor good company over a good meal. You should go!

Went back on another Saturday this time earlier so we didn’t need reservations. The servers are really great and attentive. The menu is not vegetarian/​vegan friendly; you will be stuck ordering the sides or one of the pastas although most of those have meat too. Luckily for me the kitchen staff was able to modify the pasta special for me. I really hate having to ask to have dishes modified and it would be nice to see an actual vegetarian option on the menu. As well a dish with ingredients removed is never as good as one designed to taste good without those ingredients in the first place.
Meat eaters you will love this place. Everyone else was very happy with their dishes. Vegetarians you’ve been warned. If there is a vegetarian in your group I do not recommend this place. I would say this place was more of a ⁴⁄₅ star for the meat eaters and a ½ star for me, hence the 3 stars.

I only come every few months to Toronto for work and love exploring new restaurants. I really enjoyed my dinner here, would recommend it to others, and would definitely come back with more people so that I can try more of the menu. Wanting to return to the same place is pretty rare since my list of places-​to-​go keep on growing, but this one will be on my «repeat» list.
The décor of the bar is rather hipster, eclectic and quirky, with wood & brick, bicycles on the walls, and exposed industrial pipes. If you’re dining solo (as I often do when I travel for work), this is a great place to sit at the bar and not feel so awkward and out of place when everyone else is dining in a group. The bar area is large and spacious.
This place is best if you come in with a group of 3+ people, so that you can share a bunch of dishes. In the name of research, I ordered 3 dishes so that I could try several things. I came in on a Tuesday night, which is wing night ($ 10 for 1 lb) and was a bit sad that I couldn’t order a smaller amount, just to try it. The bartender was so kind to offer me one of his chicken wings from an order that he had placed for himself.
Chicken Wings (only on Tuesdays, $ 10 for 1 lb) — Delicious sauce that they made in house, and braised in-​house. These are not your typical bar chicken wings; the sauce was an Asian-​style glaze, and was not overly seasoned or salty. If you come with a group on a Tuesday, make sure to order these.
Homemade Pasta of the Day — Ricotta Gnocchi ($ 16) — Felt a bit on the expensive side, compared to the price of the other dishes, but worth every penny. Not sure how bad eating quarter dollar balls of ricotta, covered in a saffron cream sauce with parmesan cheese is for you, but ignorance is bliss. I wanted to eat every single gnocchi, but tried to control myself by eating ²⁄₃ of the dish. The gnocchi was super fluffy, soft and pillowy and one of the best gnocchi’s I’ve had in a long, long time. I’d definitely get this again.
A lot of the vegetable sides are $ 6 each, and a pretty large portion for the price. I had the shredded brussels sprouts with pancetta and parmesan and the sautéed rappini with garlic & chiles. I didn’t like the brussels sprouts — it was too over-​dressed and too salty for my taste. The rappini was delicious and I ate all of it.
My entire meal was around $ 30 pre-​tax, which is not too bad considering I could have probably ordered just one more small dish and had enough to share with another person. Definitely get lots of sides (there are a lot of veggie options), and the gnocchi if they have it on the menu. This place is great — it’s like eating at a fancy restaurant with lots of choices and small plates, without all the pretentiousness and without all exorbitant prices.
Looking forward to coming back here again with more people!