Where to Eat: Sidecar Restaurant in Toronto

Sidecar is a small, unassuming restaurant on College Street in Toronto’s Little Italy. The emphasis on a small menu and fresh ingredients make for expedited service and a simply stunning menu.

If you are looking for funky décor, romantic ambiance or 63 different ways to eat cheese, then this is not the restaurant for you. This is a simple place with understated decor and a menu you can read in a minute. It is unfettered by the flashy accruements of restaurants who are trying to compensate for something. Sidecar is quietly, simple, and consummately professional.

The service is friendly, proficient and educated, and I really enjoyed the competence of the staff. The wine list was elegant and had a selection of tasteful wines.

Okay, can we get to the bit with the food now? Because this is where Sidecar shines. From the delicate balance of flavors in the Salmon Tartar to the soft velvety pampering of the Beef Carpaccio, Sidecar was a win all the way and that was just the starters.

 

While I had a very delicious Pappardelle, it was my partner’s Steak Frites that set my heart aflutter. This is honestly one of the best value-for-money spots in all of the GTA. For a delightful hop, skip and jump across their menu, try the $25 prix fixe (Sunday through Wednesday).

Sidecar has other surprises too. Walk through the secret door to the upstairs speakeasy where the rich and famous rub shoulders with Toronto’s locals. Membership to the Toronto Temperance Society comes at an annual fee of $300 and you get access to one of the most competent bars I have ever seen. Revel in the alcoholic alchemy of their amazing cocktail mixers and you have just about one of the most perfect evenings a girl could ask for.