MAISON SELBY: UPSCALE FRENCH CLASSICS IN A BEAUTIFUL 19th CENTURY HISTORIC TORONTO MANSION
The Cost -$45 per person
The Atmosphere – Set in a beautiful late 19th-century historic red brick mansion, Maison Selby is located close to the Church & Wellesley neighborhood of Toronto. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating and offers inside diners the opportunity to eat in one of the restaurant’s dining rooms which feature everything from original fireplaces to original moldings to a very pretty marble bar. Maison Selby is very LGBTQ+ friendly and is a great option for a date or dinner with friends. The restaurant does take reservations and they are recommended.
Opened in early 2019, Maison Selby serves high-end classic French bistro fare with modern touches. The menu focuses on traditional French dishes like Beef Tartare, Escargots, and Coq a Vin and offers both a la carte and tasting menu options. Though we did not go, the restaurant also has a speakeasy hidden inside of it.
The Order – French Onion Soup, Seared Foie Gras, Bœuf Bourguignon, and a Bruléed Lemon Tart.
The Fantastic – The best dish of the night, and a dish not to miss, was Maison Selby’s version of the French Onion Soup. The soup came in a beautiful bowl that had lion heads on both sides of it. Inside the bowl was a wonderful layer of deliciously melted gruyère with some parsley on top. Underneath the cheese was an excellent, rich broth that was flavored heavily by the large amount of perfectly grilled onions which were delicious. This soup was a true classic done exceptionally well.
The Great – The Bœuf Bourguignon was another French dish done well, though Maison Selby’s version did not follow the traditional recipe which is more of a stew. In the restaurant’s version, two good-sized pieces of beef are cooked in red wine and are topped with crispy onions over spinach, mashed potatoes, and a grilled carrot. I really enjoyed this version because of the combination of the flavorful beef and the very creamy, perfectly textured mashed potatoes as well as the fried onions which gave the dish a nice crunch. The small changes to this classic were winners.
Maison Selby’s Seared Foie Gras consisted of a nice piece of foie gras which was leaning against some duck confit with two peach slices. The foie gras and the duck confit were very tasty, as were the peaches, but the combination of the three was not my favorite. Individually though, these ingredients were done well, and I still would order this dish again because of that.
The Good – According to the waiter, the Bruléed Lemon Tart was the best dessert on the menu and so we ordered it. The circular lemon tart was topped with frozen raspberries and had pieces of white meringue sticking out of it. While the crust of the tart was good, it was nothing to write home about. The lemon custard, however, was the star of the show and was quite good. The frozen raspberries didn’t do a whole lot for the dessert flavor-wise, but their contrasting temperature definitely added to the dish. Overall, it was good but not amazing.
The Verdict – Maison Selby provides its patrons with a very nice ambiance in which to enjoy well-prepared classic French bistro fare. It is not an inexpensive meal, but the savory dishes were especially good and it is somewhere we recommend going if you are looking for French food in Toronto.