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In the morning, locals go for croissants and steamy bowls of cafe au lait, hearing French spoken (from the kitchen), reading newspapers supplied to customers. Sit back and relax. Croissants are the big draw at Clafouti for good reason: They’re fresh (made that very morning), made by pros (Parisian pastry chef Boris Dosne) and painstakingly perfect (most of the time).
Croissants, herby roast chicken, olive bread with garlic and clafouti (more on this later) are all specialties of this cute-as-a-button French bistro, owned by brothers Boris Dosne and Olivier Jansen-Reynaud’s. With its rustic cottage-y interior (wouldn’t it be great to have a fireplace here), this is what cafe-bakeries should look like.
Clafouti opened its little doors across from Trinity park in January, and every so slowly it has captured the heart of - not just the Bellwoods neighbourhood - but the hungry Toronto masses. Pastry Chef Boris Dosne and brother Olivier Jansen-Reynaud’s menu is a crash course in classic French bistro fare, stocked with French bistro staples such as Croque Monsieur, Croque Madame and of course, croissants. Other than the croissants, you won't find anything groundbreaking here - just simple, expertly prepared food at reasonable prices.
Lunch features salads, a sandwich selection that includes the likes of chicken breast, and roast beef, and a refreshingly fresh take on garlic-spiked lasagna (perfectly cooked outside and in -- the parmesan cheese, basil, tomatoes and meat sauce dispersed throughout), basically well-prepared foods. Again, it's casual, feels French, and the pastry selection alone is worth the drive. Owner and employees speak French and English. Service isn't always perfect, but it's fine. The best part: it's relatively cheap. No entree costs more than $10.
The pastry department includes a selection of clafout - a fruit-filled French dessert. Dosne prepares his clafouti as a fruit-filled tart. Several freshly baked varieties - sour cherry, lychee - in smooth custard, baked in a buttery crust.
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AT A GLANCE
Clafouti
915 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON
416-603-1935
Take-out
Queen West
Venue:
Bakery
Hours:
Tue. to Fri.: 8:00am - 6:00pm Sat. & Sun.:9:00am - 5:00pm
Price Range:
$ (Budget)
Payment:
Cash Only
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THE BUZZ
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IN THE AREA
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7 Reader Reviews | I went here once, forcibly dragged by my friends to celebrate a birthday over lunch. We were seated promptly but quickly corralled into our table by the hordes of incoming tourists. Ooh, and I am claustrophobic so the strangers seated at the table three inches from us was starting to make my skin crawl.
1. Anne Lamb's Review :: December 24, 2009 Anne Lamb's Rating: 2 Stars |
Coffee is decent nothing great though. Pastries taste great. Service is pretty lax- almost like you are in vancouver but the people they hire seem to have an air of i'm better then this. Noty sure why- maybe bad management??
2. Konnie's Review :: August 13, 2009 Konnie's Rating: 2 Stars |
I dont think Clafouti has ever had French Onion soup?. The criossants are terrrrific though i would agree with that
3. Also Anonymous's Review :: July 23, 2009 Also Anonymous's Rating: Stars |
Get here at 8AM, when everything is hot out of the oven!
4. Amanda Coast's Review :: April 02, 2009 Amanda Coast's Rating: 4 Stars |
I've never met a croissant I like more than the one that this delightful Frenchman makes, the fact that he calls me Madame when he talks to me definitely helps.
Fave: The croissants and of course the French onion soup.
Avoid: The run-of-the-mill pastries in the case... they're good, but oddly, not as good as the signature clafouti and crossants.
5. Anonymous's Review :: March 11, 2008 |
I've never met a croissant I like more than the one that this delightful Frenchman makes, the fact that he calls me Madame when he talks to me definitely helps.
Fave: The croissants and of course the French onion soup.
Avoid: The run-of-the-mill pastries in the case... they're good, but oddly, not as good as the signature clafouti and crossants.
6. Amy Perndl's Review :: March 11, 2008 Amy Perndl's Rating: 4 Stars |
I'm a bit of a croissant snob so I was nicely surprised to have found one of the best ever at Clafouti, while we were in town. If you're in West Queen West area, don't miss this place for a morning pastry or wonderful and simple sandwiches for lunch.
7. Danielle's Review :: January 24, 2008 Danielle's Rating: 3 Stars |
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915 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON
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