Sidecar Bar and Grill emphasizes simple preparation with fresh ingredients and uncomplicated presentations. A small menu helps to ensure freshness and expedite service, elevating the overall dining experience while maintaining a focus on value. Sidecar succeeds in combining a high level of food and service.
"Complimentary amouse bouche consisted of a chicken liver pate on a toasted french stick - delicious. Wine we got was the cheapest we could find on the list, but was also a lovely surprise.Sadly, we were disappointed by our starter, which consisted of shrimp tempura. The batter was just way too salty. My partner ordered the salmon, which was great. I had the steak frites, medium rare, but it was really chewy and tough. Although the center was a healthy pink, the consistency and temperature certainly felt as though the meat had been cooked earlier, then merely reheated. Same thing goes for the fries - looked great, but felt tough and slightly stale. Service was above par and attentive. But definitely an uneven experience from the kitchen"
Dined on 5/13/2013
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"My friends and I loved the friendly atmosphere. The food was well prepared and excellent and so was the service. We will definitely be back and recommend this restaurant to other people."
Dined on 5/10/2013
Special Features: good for groups, vibrant bar scene, romantic, hot spot, special occasion
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"Have been to Sidecar before and quite satisfied with the restaurant. Went with friends and had the Prix Fixe menu which was excellent and very good value. It is not often one gets a decent wine for $25 in Toronto these days. Service was very good, very attentive and efficient."
Dined on 28/04/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies
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"The food was good, though the portions were on the small side. Generally good service - the filled the water glasses constantly (to the point where we had to refuse) but didn't bother to check whether we wanted more wine.
It's a nice little spot for a small group meal, but nothing about the evening was stand-out."
Dined on 25/04/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic
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"Good food in a nice environement. I wished there was more research in the flavours. The bartender is amazing. The prix fixe menu really worth it (Monday to Wednesday)"
Dined on 24/04/2013
2011
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"Great little spot. Good quality food - especially for the price. I had the mushroom risotto and the consistency was perfect for my non-italian, wannabe foodie palate. Friends had salmon which was cooked perfectly and steak which was also cooked well and tasty. Cute, intimate little place that is good for drinks and dinner with friends or a date. Staff were very friendly and helpfull. Not too annoying and in your face, yet around enough to be helpful."
Dined on 22/04/2013
2008
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"Food was excellent and the wine list had a fantastic range of items. Our experience was only marred by poor service, which bordered on unprofessional. Given all the great restaurants in Toronto, I am not certain I would make an effort to return in the near future."
Dined on 20/04/2013
2006
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"Went to Sidecar for a birthday. For appetizers we had the oysters and mussels. Both of which left me wanting more. However,when my sizeable piece of salmon arrived I was glad that we hadn't ordered more apps. Every bite was delicious. Cooked to perfection. Medium with delicately crisped skin. My friend enjoyed the steak and frites. We shared the flouress chocolate cake for desert. Which admittedly I was disappointed when presented wit the slender slice of cake laid across the plate in a caramel sauce with berries. But while my eyes were disapointed about the portion... my mouth certainly was not with the taste. The cake was silky smooth more like a mousse. Eaten with the caramel sauce it was rich and definitely satisfying.Love at first bite"
Dined on 13/04/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"Sidecar is one of those places where you can have a romantic night or a casual meeting with some friends. The ambiance forces you to chill out, take some wine and forget about everything. The food is amazing, very simple and fresh."
Dined on 06/04/2013
2013
Special Features: notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"Although we turned up quite early for our review we were seated due to another table not showing up. We enjoyed everything, from the Salmon Tartare they sent out at the beginning, to the dessert at the end. Particularly the Ravioli was outstanding, and the cocktails were properly made, without being flashy or expensive. Would recommend."
Dined on 05/04/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, hot spot
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"This restaurant is one I would recommend to any of my friends or family. I have been twice for dinner and both times the food and the service was excellent. It is a small place but you never get the feeling of being crowded. It was my friend's birthday which I just mentioned in passing and when they brought dessert for her there was a candle on the plate. A very thoughtful touch. Again, an excellent experience."
Dined on 03/04/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem
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"Food was fantastic, though service was a bit lacking the focus was on the wrong things, like making sure our water glass was always full, and not so much on our glasses of wine being empty. It was also pretty clear when we got there that no one had checked open table and seen our reservation but they quickly got a table together for us. The food and atmosphere make up for anything lacking in service though, the prix fix and always go with whatever the soup of the day is you won't be disappointed."
Dined on 02/04/2013
2011
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies
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"Great value for the money especially with the fixe prixe menu. The food was good, nothing to complain about but they've lost that edge from a few years ago, when the food was fantastic. Just the little things missing, love the side car salad but the dressing seems to have changed- still good but no longer WOW. My friend felt the same way about her Caesar salad. If you're in the neighbourhood it's a solid choice still from surrounding restaurants and you will have a good meal."
Dined on 25/03/2013
2013
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"First time at this College Street / Little Italy stalwart. Very nice, well prepared Italian cuisine. Bistro like atmosphere.......busy, tight tables, but lots of positive energy....la dolce vita. Would definitely recommend."
Dined on 02/03/2013
2007
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"The service was excellent and friendly with just the right amount of attention. The Prix Fixe menu is an incredible bargain and has a good choice of regular menu options. My date and I had the leek and potatoe soup (with bacon bits!) to start that we both thoroughly enjoyed. I had the steak frites while she had the Meyer lemon tagliatelle for the main. The steak was delicious with a lovely garlic aioli. The pasta was "OK" but still, nicely presented. Dessert is supposed to be the flourless chocolate cake but we were able to swap for the creme brule. Very glad we did! The only negative I can give is that the seats are too close together with no booths so not very romantic. Good for groups and regular outings."
Dined on 24/03/2013
2013
Special Features: good for groups
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"Cozy and comfortable little place in Little Italy. Nothing pretentious about their $25 prix fixe menu. Delicious apps (our group got to try all 3 - mushroom soup, sidecar salad and caesar salad), we all picked the steak frites for our mains (generous portions and cooked to perfection) and we all got to indulge in the flourless chocolate cake! Great spot if you're looking for some value!"
Dined on 17/03/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"I took my cousin to Sidecar for her birthday, which was my second visit to this restaurant. Their $25 prix fixe for Sunday-Wednesday night dining was a no brainer. The server took her time explaining the differences in the "steak spectrum", and our medium rare steaks were done perfectly! They also offered a $25 bottle of red or white as part of the prix fixe menu, which went perfectly with the choices. Our water glasses were always topped off, which is yet another sign of their excellent service.
The lighting in the restaurant was low enough to give it a nice cozy romantic feel without feeling like you couldn't see what you were eating.
Will definitely continue going to Sidecar!"
Dined on 11/03/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"The service and space is great. We all had steak and frites since it seemed to be the most popular dish based on reviews, I enjoyed, but didn't think it was out of the ordinary. Also my friend had asked for a medium-rare steak, but it was more on the medium-well steak. Aside from that the service is great and the drinks are fantastic."
Dined on 09/03/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic
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"Went here for a late Valentine's day with my girlfriend. The food was great and reasonably priced and the service was impeccable. Their 'sidecar' cocktail was also great. We were just 2, but there were several larger groups, so it also seems like a good spot for more friends to go out together. Highly recommended."
Dined on 16/02/2013
2012
Special Features: good for groups, special occasion
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"We had a reservation, but Sidecar was apparently full when we arrived. So, they sent us up to the Temperance Society. Menu is the same - food was very enjoyable. Drink menu is wild. Fun for experimenting! It was a lot quieter upstairs, but nice for a date."
Dined on 16/02/2013
2011
Special Features: romantic
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"-the menu was pretty simple and food was of great quality.To me there was a perfect balance between comfort food dishes, and exotic ingredients. All dishes let the ingredients shine. I would definitely visit this restaurant again...
- the service was alright, it was a busy night."
Dined on 14/02/2013
2013
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"The place was elegant but modern. It was fancy but I was very comfortable. The service was attentive and knowledgable but never overbearing. The food was delicious and very reasonably priced."
Dined on 05/02/2013
2013
Special Features: good for groups, notable wine list, romantic
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"Our serve was a bit disengaged, but the food was amazing! Compliments to the chef for sure! Ambiance was nice, and the place was packed for a Monday night so all in all I was impressed and we all really enjoyed it! We'll be back!"
Dined on 04/02/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, special occasion, hot spot
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"Brought in a group of seven of my boyfriend's friends for his 30th birthday. Service was great – nice, friendly staff. Never felt rushed even though we were one of the last people to leave as they were closing up. Will definitely come back soon. Thanks again!"
Dined on 28/01/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"Not my first time at Sidecar and as always the food and service were superb even including an amuse bouche which I don't remember them serving before. What particularly impressed me was that though one of our party was extremely late, we did not feel at all pressured either to order or to vacate the table. Somehow they even knew it was a birthday celebration and put a candle on the dessert (they must have heard me toasting my friends!); now that's attention to detail."
Dined on 24/01/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem
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"I was pleasantly surprised by the food a Sidecar; it was really really good. I ordered the trout expecting a typically unremarkable dish but it was excellent. Even the butter that came with the innovative breads at the beginning of the meal was delicious. The wine by-the-glass list was short and had reasonably priced options and excellent options. The wait-staff were fantastic - very friendly and accommodating. The atmosphere was sweet, safe and predictable. The restaurant was reasonably full until about 9 and then started to clear out. Having said that it was the coldest Thursday of the year. While its not the place to go for a wild night out I would absolutely recommend this place for a delicious meal."
Dined on 24/01/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups
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