Carens Rosedale in Toronto

The staff are pleasant, polite, and excel at service. The food is delicious and great quality. The tartare was excellent. Its also surprisingly affordable for the quality, decor, and service.

Highly recommend this gem. Great atmosphere, friendly service and delicious food. We were a party of 7 and everyone had a fabulous time.

Just went back for the first time in eight years and the meal was really good. Certainly wont wait that long for my next visit.

Escargot and fondue were fantastic. Great little gem in the heart of Rosedale.

This restaurant once had a reputation for being something special in the neighbourhood, but it s clear that the owner has lost their touch or perhaps just stopped caring. The food was underwhelming, with the onion soup arriving watery and completely lacking in flavor. Small details around the restaurant also signal neglect, with burnt-out lights and an overall sense of wear and tear. It s disappointing, as this place has the potential to shine with just a little attention and care. Sadly, it feels like the magic is gone. Could be something great again, but only if the owner steps up.

A reservation was made for a specific table a week before our reservation. When we arrived it was given to someone else. No apology to speak of. I spoke with the manager who was rude, arrogant and argumentative. Destroyed the evening which was a special occasion. Wont be returning after this dreadful experience. The manager should be fired!

Incredible food!

As always, the Steak Frites, Apple Tarte Tatin and service were FAB.

Excellent French dishes. Attractively served and quite delicious. Atmosphere Excellent. Service a little sketchy. Perhaps understaffed or poorly trained

Average food, average service, what is not average is the price, it is quite above average for what its worth

Nice french bistro style establishment. Excellent food a great service. Ive dined here a few times over the tears and found them very consistent.

Would not return here. Food is VERY mediocre. Some of the dishes were not edible.

Excellent food, rosé wine and service, we even got to chat with Caren!

The cheese fondue is the best in town!

Steak frites were good and at a great value if you get them on their deal night!

great salads!! organic too. love the traditional french cuisine.

Me and my boyfriend went here for my birthday and everything that we had was amazing. If you are an olive lover I would recommend the warm olive side because honestly they were the best olives I ve ever had, will definitely be coming back!

Food was classic and super tasty, service was attentive and well timed. Wednesdays are half price wine bottles - got an amazing Bordeaux. Shout out to Ty and Tom for their 5 star service.

What a wonderful little gem to stumble across! My friend and I went here for brunch today and were so happy we did! The food was delicious (both had eggs benedict), atmosphere quaint and very french, and service delightful. Highly recommend!

Phenomenal food. Great service. Try the duck, the warmed olives, the mushroom soup and the burger. The 4.0 rating is absolutely ridiculous, it s not a reflection of reality.

An amazing moment. Waiters were very friendly, helpful and reactive ! Ambiance was nice and i could play piano. The food was good, I recommend Food : 4/5

Great restaurant, a little piece of France in Toronto! Thibaut was incredible at service, I will come back!

Excellent meal, service, ambiance. the steak frites and the mushroom risotto were exceptional!

So authentic. What a fabulous meal top to bottom. Cheese, steak frites, mussels, great wine selection. Staff are wonderful. We will be back !!

Had a wonderful evening last night. As true Swiss we had never found a traditional fondue until we went here. Delicious cheese fondue , steak frites and chocolate flourless cake. Non pretentious atmosphere with excellent service from our French speaking waiter who hails from Normandy . Merci . Fabuleux !

The cheese fondue, although tasty, does not serve 2. Its a rather small portion. And the chocolate one, could come with way more sides.

Omg what an amazing experience. Love this place. The food was amazing and the staff was delightful. You must come to this place. Best for authentic french food!

Had a great time at Caren s! Ambiance, food, service and Caren herself were all marvellous. Will definitely be back

Absolutely loved our visit to Carens. The fondue (both cheese and chocolate!) were so delicious and the staff were so attentive and kind. You could tell that they really cared about their service and wanted to create a great atmosphere for guests. I was skeptical because of some of the other reviews, but I would definitely recommend anyone to go here for a intimate date night or with a group.

Went during New Years 2023. The Fondue was amazing and the service excellent!

Love going to Carens for brunch, lunch dinner! The food, the staff, the vibe, everything is great!

Loved everything about Carens! The food was delicious and plated very nicely. Every time i try something new, I am very impressed. Highly recommend.

It just wasnt up to par. Service was amazing. Food was not good.

The steak was served cold and the waiter was very rude even followed out of the restaurant and asked why you didn t tip enough and didn t even wait to hear us and went back inside

It was very good we enjoyed it

Dinner at Carens is a lovely way to spend an evening. With a timeless yet modern decor, great wine selection, and talented live pianist, you are sure to enjoy a wonderful meal in a very relaxing ambiance. We ordered the classic fondue, maison salad, mac and cheese and the risotto. All were delicious, but the risotto champignon was outstanding!! Even better than the one we had at Osteria Giulia two weeks ago. Highly recommend this Toronto classic

Ill give it 5 stars because the price is fair. Had the fondue - its not expensive, so I didnt expect the very best fondue of my life. It did the trick, I would just say it was a bit too liquid for my taste. It felt as if too much wine was added to the recipe. Either way, fair for the price they charge. The place itself is great for an evening out.

I can t remember a meal this bad in Toronto, ever. The lobster bisque was watery without a single tiny shred of lobster. The fondue was watery, tasteless and I m sure real cheese was not used probably powdered artificial flavouring. I thought of asking for a shot of kirsch and pepper and salt to throw in it but realized nothing would salvage it. The bread for both the fondue and pate was neither french, tasted like wonder bread, nor toasted. The wine was acidic, flat, bad. Most shocking of all is that the place was about 1/4 full on a saturday so not at all impressive numbers but astounding that even that many people were duped into coming. With every bite, I felt the restaurant was just ripping off its patrons passing itself off as a good neighbourhood french bistro when it is not authentic at all and uses ingredients that are so cheap the food is not edible.

The food is of the charts!! Great atmosphere too.

Great French food!

Greatest

We visited Carens on a saturday night. There was a pianist playing live music which created such a lovely ambiance! Service was also friendly and food was reasonably priced and tasted amazing. We had the beet salad (those caramelized wallnuts were a unique addition!), the escargot bourguinion (was my first time trying escargots and Ill be coming back ) and the classic fondue (one of the few places in TO that has this option on their menu!). Highly recommended

My husband and I came here for dinner on a weekday and this place it is fantastic. We got good service and also the fondue delicious, we added some ingredientes in the founde almost just as we had it in France, like potatoes and prosciutto .The onion soup and risotto were also so flavorful.

The owner takes good care of his customers

Authentic French boutique. Service were beyond friendly. Would totally come again. Service was a bit slow but I take that as an authentic French experience! Take your time, sit back and relax.

Very nice spot. Highly recommend the fondue and oysters, especially on Thursday with buck a shuck

It was the best date I ve seriously EVER had the waitresses & chef were so friendly to us as well. Thank you so much!

I don t know why Caren s isn t rated higher & wasn t busier on a Saturday night. I thought the food was great. Cod (fish special) &with brussel sprouts & potatoes & mouse et frites (mains) & tarte tatin for dessert were excellent, along with Bordeaux wine. The fondue could have used a tad less alcohol & I might have ordered it with more than just bread the next time, but still very tasty. Service was good: friendly & knowledgeable servers, prompt but not in your face.

We had the best lunch. The wine, food and service was great. We shared the pâté and the beetroot salad. Can t wait to go back. My family always talk about Carens and finally I was able to go when I visited them from out west.

1 really wanted to love this place. Charming atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff if a tad slow on an early saturday afternoon with 2 or 3 tables occupied. The fancy sounding grilled cheese with frites was pretty basic although large portions. The sandwich looked like it had sat for a bit and the bread had slid off the melted cheese. Basic raisin bread and the pepper jelly was in fact a sweetish runny hot sauce. Regular French fries. Fair price. My companion gave rave reviews for the mushroom and brie omelette. It looked nice. Good potential you guys just need to step it up a wee bit more with the food and or descriptions. Ill probably give it another go

good spot reviews way too low

French onion soup was delicious escargots were terrible no flavour not sure if they were fresh. Pork belly not flavour properly Hamburger was dry no flavour. Risotto was good when asked to be rude to us they declined. Turns out we were at the wrong Caren. It should have been Karen with a K.

Eggs Benny were medium hard, the English Muffin was stale and tasted like it had been sitting for a while. Home fries were so so and there was nothing else on the plate. A bit blah overall for Mother s Day Brunch. Could have made it much better myself. Mimosa wasn t filled to the brim. Should have been for $18.

Such a cute spot to grab dinner with a friend or family. The waiters were friendly & helpful. They offered bread with garlic hummus and recommended the lobster Mac & Cheese which was pretty good, but keep in mind the price point is $40 which not listed on the menu. Although it was tasty I would have preferred the price disclosure or having it on the menu. In terms of the entrée, I would have liked having 1 cheese flavour with the lobster instead of 4 cheeses and they could have added a bit more lobster bits in there, but bare in mind that s just my preference. The washrooms were so well decorated & loved the details

Couldn t have been more delighted with our experience last night at Carens. A true French bistro with a relaxed atmosphere and lovely decor. Amazing food and cocktails!

Superb food, atmosphere is perfect as this restaurant is one of just a few piano lounges in Toronto (Friday & Saturday evenings). Outdoor patio, cosy bar interior and larger restaurant space at the back. This place checks all the boxes!

Very good place Lovely staff Good dishes Food : 4/5

Nothing spectacular. It s not busy at all during the afternoons. Practically empty on a Saturday afternoon.

Excellent food, fast and friendly service, despite being a Monday the ambience was great. Thank You

Beautiful restaurant, great ambience and the food was exquisite. Hats off to the amazing Chef, Mr Roger Moore.

Great fondue, staff were incredibly friendly and the mushroom risotto is also great. No idea how this place isn t above the 4 star mark so I d be happy to give them a nudge in the right direction. Overall a lovely dinner

Enjoyed our dinner at Carens! Lovely staff and great food.

Cool Parisian vibes with some hits and misses on the food. - The hits: The olives were superb, plump and mildly bitter sweet. The classic fondue was the star of the meal, bubbling cheesiness with a bit of a kick. And the apple tartin was a good end to the meal, with a delicately flaky crust and cheese versus cream on top. - The misses: The french onion soup and steak were a bit too salty for my taste. The bouillabaisse was the opposite and a bit too bland. Service was excellent - attentive, knowledgeable, quick. The atmosphere is casual but can be chic too. The prices are upscale. The location is convenient.

Wonderful. An absolutely charming French bistro in Rosedale. The atmosphere of vintage Paris is as beautiful as the continental cuisine. Truly special.

Always excellent cuisine. One of my favourite spots for a business lunch.

The food is delicious. The salad comes with the dish is so tasty. Good is fresh. Will go again.

The food was mediocre. Ill give it 6/10. French inspired but very unauthentic. But the service was way worse. 35 minutes from the time we were sat until a rude waiter finally accepted to take our order. After that, 45 minutes until the first appetizer arrived (and it was oysters, so not much of preparation needed). It took us 3 hours to half eat (no one in the table finished their dishes). Also, VERY expensive for what it is.

Appalling:causing shock or dismay; horrific .

best restraunt I have ever been to the woman who owns it is so kind the food was amazing and everything was perfect YOU HAVE TO GO !!!

I cant think of anything to dock points for. The atmosphere was nice, good lighting with live panio. Service was attentive and friendly. Food was delicious, we had the cheese fondue (highly recommend) and Mac &cheese. Average prices. Will definitely be l returning!

We had an absolutely spectacular experience on our first visit to Carens Rosedale. My friend and I came from Hamilton and selected this place specifically for the fondue-for-2 menu options. We shared the classic cheese with apples, gerkins, and chorizo add-ons to accompany the delicious bread. We also ordered the warm bowl of olives, which were honestly the best that either of us has ever had - and we KNOW our olives! Of course, we finished with the chocolate fondue for dessert, which comes with strawberries, apples, bananas, homemade marshmallows (OMG - if youve ever tasted a freshly made marshmallow, how could you ever go bag to the bag?). Every morsel was magnificent, and our server, Annie, was at the top of her game front start to finish. If you want a truly elevated and memorable dining experience, you can not go wrong in choosing this place!

I had a tuna Niçoise salad that was inedible. The tuna was very fishy tasting. Despite me informing the waiter he still charged me for the meal. Further, when I told him I felt this was not an appropriate way to handle the situation, he simply told me he forgot and did nothing to remedy the situation. Terrible experience.

Onion soup didnt have much flavour. I didnt even eat most of it. Shrimps were dripping wet with water. Limp. Mac and Cheese was outstanding as was the salad nicoise

Great wine bar, terrific menu, atmosphere and staff really made the experience that much better. Humourous and engaging. Will definitely be back for a few glasses and more delicious food!

Delicious fondue

LOVED the French onion soup and the burger. So delicious. Good selection of wines and server was very friendly! They also make a great Caesar!

Outstanding! The cheese selection, fondue, service, etc. are top notch.

Jane is the best as always.

Had the cheese fondue and was amazing with the additional strawberries and olives

Nice atmosphere and staff however took my parents there for a Mother s Day brunch and spend 1.5 hours waiting for food. Ordered 2 salads, bacon and eggs, and a smoked salmon platter. Staff were kind to apologize for the wait.

We go monthly specifically for the cheese fondue, which never disappoints. The service in particular we appreciate - it is slower than other places but in a good way, we never feel rushed like they re trying to get us out of there and focusing more on turnover.

Beautiful atmosphere with delicious food and fine wine. A must go to in the area

Beautiful, clean cozy environment. The food was fantastic. The duck confit, risotto, and lemon tart were highlights. We ll be back.

Terrible service. Terrible food. $200 down the drain. I could have cooked a better steak in the microwave. So disappointing.

A lovely restaurant and wine great eggs bennies excellent staff nice ambiance, will return for dinner

Stunning. Delicious. Good service.

Came here with friends on a fine Friday evening in June. After getting some drinks - so far, so good! - two of us ordered steaks, and the other two requested bouillabaisse. Then we waited. And waited. We werent offered any bread, probably because we would have eaten it all and more. The waiting continued. After what felt like a few hours, the steak frites appeared. But the plates were cold and the steaks and frites colder still. Eventually we managed to get our servers attention, and ask for the situation to be remedied, and the offending dishes were removed. And a solitary bouillabaisse arrived, leaving one of our number the choice of eating solo, or allowing her food to achieve cold steak status. Eventually the other bouillabaisse was brought out, leisurely followed by supposedly hot steaks. Except they still werent hot. But by this time we were too hungry to care, especially as there was no guarantee that a request for a hot meal would have any chance of success. We ate, slightly embarrassed at having made a fuss, and slightly indignant at having been put in that position. As a rule, I write very few Google reviews. A report on mediocrity adds little, so it needs something extreme to prompt me to spend time and energy describing just why something or somewhere deserves my praise or criticism. My experience at Carens was extreme. To serve food that is cold and unsynchronised is unfortunate, but, given the opportunity to remedy it, fixable. To repeat that error is extreme. And to not even acknowledge it by, say, comping our drinks or wine - that just takes things to a whole new level. Goodbye, Carens.

We had a confirmed 4 guests lunch reservation on July 26, 2022, 1:00 PM. One of our guests couldnt make it, we (with my wife and our guest) were there on time. It took the young lady server (no name tag, welcomed us 3 times!) approx. 15 minutes to take our order: 2x Heirloom tomato salad, 1 Omelette du jour, 1 Chicken liver pate, 1 Croque monsieur. We ordered 2 glasses of (excellent) French Saivignon blanc. Our guest drank only water. It took the server 4 returns to our table and approx. 35 minutes to let us know that the chicken liver pate was sold out. Thats when my wife ordered the 2nd Croque monsieur. After a total waiting of 45 minutes (and 3 more inquiries about the kitchens progress with our orders) we obviously became not only more hungry, but also quite impatient and embarrassed for our invited guest. Our (very kind) server was obviously more and more embarassed, but assured us that the chef made good progress with our orders. Finally, after 1:00 hour of waiting our server let us know that the chef is plating your food. After 1:10 hours the food was still not served, and the server assured us that itll only take another 5 minutes. The 5 minutes over (after a total waiting time of 1:15 hrs) we stood up and left the restaurant. It was a most unpleasant experience, absolutely inadmissible for any public establishment, even less so for a pretentious Rosedale one. Avoid disappointment, STAY AWAY!

I love the cheese fondue, I love the servers and most of all I love that really awesome bald piano player with funky Vans.

This was the most mediocre brunch experience Ive ever had. I was expecting so much more, since it was in a boogie neighborhood. $19 for 2 eggs, toast, bacon and bland home fries. No fruits and everything tasted like nothing. Even the presentation was ugly. I had to ask for jam and Ketchup too... ordered a virgin caeser that tasted so weird, almost like there was sprite in it... and I had to ask for them to pour it into a rimmed glass....cuz it didnt come in one. Just a mediocre experience and flavorless dishes. My friend had the benny .. egg came on a Toast cut into a circle to imitate an english muffin.... they couldnt even let us know that they were probably out of ot. Too bad.

Great atmosphere and service. Food is ok - not my favorite French cuisine in Toronto.

Love Carens Rosedale, have had great times and wonderful meals there!

The ambience is beautiful! My Server did not know the ingredients. I did not like the mushroom risotto.

Brunch is fantastic. The chocolate fondue is very good, but not on the menu. The cheese fondue is just OK. Their cocktails is a bit over priced, and not that special.

Good morning I just wanted to take the time to compliment you and your excellent chef and server, Ty, on a delicious meal we had last night. Ty s service and attention were par excellence and we complimented him personally. I told him that Caren s is lucky to have him! We will be back, for sure! Regards Valerie Melman

4.5 stars. Went for weekday lunch. Nice ambience. Good service. Enjoyed cheese fondue, mussels and Croque Monsieur. Accompanying salad was overdressed for my liking which many restaurants do, so usually ask for dressing on the side but forgot to. Prices tad high reflecting location & inflationary times.

Had an amazing dinner at Carens with my husband a couple weeks ago. Their chef Adam made a phenomenal cassoulet that we could not stop raving about to our friends afterwards. The escargot was delicious as well and service was fantastic. We will definitely be back!

Excellent food. Good wine. Outstanding service. A great neighborhood place.

Wanted beautiful wine, chee

Service at lunch without the place being too full was quite slow but the staff was very nice and everything tasted great

The service was very good, but what ordered was disappointing: the fondue came in a much smaller bowl, and with much lowsier bread (not crusty), than what is posted in its pictures. And after waiting quite a while, the duck confit meat, which was hard, dry and not tasty (as though it had been frozen), came with raw green beans and bland bean cassoulette.

This was the worst dining experience I ve ever had in Toronto- by a landslide. The waiters made us feel as though asking for the simplest things, like to order or to get some water, was an inconvenience to them. The food took incredibly and unreasonably long to come out, and was cold once it finally arrived. The owner, Caren, happened to be present- but rather than helping (or apologizing), she instead argued and denied that our food was cold. The experience was beyond atrocious and beyond unprofessional in every capacity. I highly recommend avoiding this restaurant at all costs.

Burger was Raw, Fondue was horrible and the service was passible at best. Horrid experience.

we asked for less alcohol in the fondue and they didnt take it into account (even though they said they did). they didnt ask us how wed like to divide the note?? at the end the waiter made us pay more. we asked for a fondue with less alcohol and they didnt care (even though they told us they had done it) They imposed on us the division of the bill?? In the end we paid more even though they seriously deserved it. the 20% tip imposed remains in the throat.

Yes, I agree, a one-star rating from a first-time diner is pretty harsh, and I for one seriously dislike giving restaurants in my hometown bad reviews, because I understand how tough the hospitality industry can be for restaurant owners and their staff. I really do. Second only to working as a cashier, wait staff at any restaurant tend to be notoriously underappreciated by the clientele, especially when faced with obnoxious, self-entitled douches who feel the staff owe them something just for arriving. On the flipside, we arrived at Carens with high expectations after they had boasted on Instagram how Ricky Gervaise had been a previous guest of theirs. How could we possibly go wrong ? After waiting two hours for a poached egg and seared tuna to arrive at our table, only to end up leaving the restaurant almost as hungry as we were when we first got there, we learned just how wrong we were to have given the place a try, and might I add, the least memorable Fathers Day brunch ever. I get it. Restaurants experience rushes slammed to the gills with customers, they ll have shifts that are under-staffed, and everything can easily go all pear-shaped in the kitchen for any number of reasons, but if I m expected to pay the prices that are quoted on the menu, none of those problems need matter to me or any customer. Were not paying for excuses due to your shortcomings. We re paying for the entire reason a restaurant is in business: a couple hours of quality food and service that leaves us with full bellies and smiles on our faces. Torontos hospitality industry is unforgiving, which is why, just up the Street, Sorrel Restaurante , at 1158 Yonge Street, and Capocaccia at 1366 Yonge Street have provided for us some of the best dining experiences in the city, even as recent as the first day Toronto returned to Stage One of its reopenning. You work like Hell for the money you shell out to restaurants like Carens. They should do the same in order to earn it.

Wow! Im not even sure how to write this review. We walked up to Carens this evening as it was one of the restaurants in the area with patio dining. It was raining so my family and I were hoping to find a covered patio quickly. Carens had a few empty tables so we were hopeful. Upon walking up, my wife asked a gentleman at the patio is this your place? To which he pointed at the shop sign and said well, I work here and then proceeded to ignore us. So I asked him if they had a table for three. Instead of answering, he waited until another server arrives, and pointed at her. So I asked her the same question, and was promptly informed that no, there were no tables available, and the empty tables were reserved. Really? The first server who self admitted that I work here couldnt tell us that? We had to wait in the rain to be told there is no table available? Maybe the restaurant should be renamed Karens. God forbid a customer dares to bother a restaurant employee.

Such a cute spot, I had an amazing experience and enjoyed the steak & oysters!

#SlowLiving: A #perfectsummer evening at @carensrosedale. Thank you for the amazing service & french cuisine. The moules au vin blanc et frites is just divine with the salad and seafood dish. + the fresh bread & butter of course

We were really looking forward to coming here and having a couple of drinks and apps. The food was good, but the oysters weren t properly shucked from the shell. However, what really brings this score down is the service - it s terrible. Our server was an older woman who had a sour demeanour the whole time we were there. I wondered if we had done something to offend her because she was constantly in a snotty mood when she came to the table. And when we were ready to leave I must have had my credit card out on the table for 30 minutes waiting for the bill - other servers came and went, ignoring the card - and our server was no where to be seen. Just poor - we live up the street and won t be back.

Giving 3 starts for an ok food. Cocktails were too sour as were the faces of the staff. The server was not friendly at all and looked irritated. Looking at other reviews I see that this is the concept of this place, unfortunately (for them). Overall, if you disregard rudeness, you can spend a good time on their patio. Salmon platter was good. I wouldn t recommend French onion soup, as it was fatty.

I was advised that the kitchen was backed up and that was okay if I could have a glass of wine. The reception by the waiter was Luke warm at best but I figured he was just having a really busy night. I ordered a glass of wine and Risotto. The wine arrived on time. Forty minutes later, I was getting ready to leave, and the Risotto arrived. No asking if I wanted cheese or anything else. I had to ask if I could have some bread which they obliged. There just wasn t anything pleasant about the experience and when the bill arrived the gratuity started at 18%>20%>22>etc,etc. If there was a 10% I would have signed off as okay but 18% for an unsatisfactory experience .no way!

Have come here for years but the food has declined big time. Service has always been mean and questionable. Oysters were awful and lazy and unshucked. The$44 steak was terrible, chewy, over done. Service makes no sense. Im done coming here.

Food was OK, but the service was unacceptable. Waited 45 minutes for our lunch and the server kept making excuses. I think she probably forgot to put in the order. Apology? None. Ill never return.

Extremely slow service. Took us 3 hours for just fondues. Highly disappointed!!

Listen u ain t here for the mussels which were great during brunch. U r here to be seen and see who else in the neighborhood is still alive and gossip with a cocktail. The food takes a while even when they r not packed but the food is carefully prepared for and yes it s pricey and yes it s that kind of restaurant where u r there to eat and take your sweet old time - don t complain about the service since it s a neighbors joint.

I loved it! The perfect atmosphere with good music. The food was delicious, best salad nicoise in town! I definitely recommend

Courteous service. Billed as a wine bar, but they have an accomodating beer selection as well if wine isnt your thing. :-)

Friendly staff, good quality, clean area, value for money!

The cheese fondue is awesome!

Went to Carens Rosedale for a 6 person get together. Bitterly disappointing experience from both a service and food perspective. Starters (cheese platters) arrived without any bread or crackers - like who serves slabs of cheese without anything! When asked, we got 6-8 slices of a baguette (for 6 people and 2 different cheeses). Needless to say, we asked for more and was told they were out of bread. If this was bad enough, the night got worse. We ordered the Cornish hen and the protein was raw. The mushroom risotto was floating in liquid. On the redeeming side, the waiter waived off the raw chicken, the pate was good, and the risotto was at least flavourful. Probably best to avoid.

We opted for a 3 course prix fixe menu for a larger group. Karen was helpful in adjusting the offerings to meet our needs, coordinating the prime location of our table by the fireplace, and with the decorations. The food was delicious and the portions were decent. A few of my friends ordered their steaks medium but the steaks were medium rare...one of them sent hers back and they brought her a whole new steak but it was still cooked the same. She didnt complain but next time she would err on the side of caution and order slightly more doneness than usual. It was a beautiful atmosphere (piano player near the front entrance, leather banquet seating, flowers on the table) and we had a great time. We spent about 3 hours there and would definitely return.

We love Carens - the food, service and cocktails are all lovely. We love the brunch, but this is a photo of us at dinner!!!!! Mac & cheese , foie Gras burger are my favourites. Karen (owner) is awesome too!!!!

So I actually enjoyed the food but it wasn t French cuisine it tasted more Italian than french :) as I said the food is good but it does not taste like french food..so if you want to have a good meal in that area yes go to Carens, but don t go if you are looking to eat french food :)

The food was ok nothing special when we ordered dessert the waiter took our order but didn t ask us for coffee who does that? and was quick to rush off I then went downstairs to bathroom it smelled horrible and of course it s in a basement not good for a nice restaurant I won t be returning not worth the price.

Excellent service, and super delicious food, 100% recommend it

Great for parties

Stumbled upon this place by pure coincidence. Small menu which is always a good sign. Out waiter was excellent and fun. Food was great. Been there couple of times. It might become my official brunch joint

KAREN LOL LFMAOOOOOOO

Delicious dinner. Excellent cheese fondue. Ambiance is beautiful and very warm. Service was friendly and attentive. Loved all of it.

Very good. Service was relaxed and slow...but we were in no hurry so fine. We did Winterlisious lunch...a but pricey but not out of line for Summerhill on Yonge...

Came here for Valentines Day and loved it. Nice menu and quick service

Sketchy! Did not share price or menu when asked. Very overpriced for quality/quantity of food. Friendly staff. However, very shady business.

Went here for our first time and asked to try the fondue. We were not given fondue menus and were not told how pricing worked. We were told that he would take care of us and recommended two pots of fondue for a table of 4. He made it seem like it was all in pricing for fondue but sides were individually overpriced. Half a slice of apple cost us $10!! Service was attentive but wasnt diligent in explaining things to us knowing it was our first time there.

Cute little brunch spot. A little slow but worth it and lovely service as well.

We had a great experience at this restaurant. The service was really friendly/funny and special in its own, great way! They offered fresh bread with some sort of bean spread for an appetizer which was delicious. We also ordered escargot pistou and liver pate as those sounded great and they were very delicious. Good portion size! For main dishes we chose Seared Scalops with Pea Ravioli - it is one of the bets dishes I have ever tried. So-so-so good. The portion is not big but every single bit is magical! We also got muscles with fries, staple in French cuisine and it was great. For desert we got a warm chocolate cake which takes about 15 minutes to make: worth the wait. Thank you for a great experience!

Wow awesomely amazing Love it Will come weekly for a year! Unreal : )

This is one of my favorite places. After my meal, I was knocked into a food coma. The food was cooked to perfection. Everything I tried was bursting with flavor. Overall experience: 5 stars.

Great cuisine

Great service!

We used to love this place for brunch but it has declined - brutal service. Super slow service and no more personality. Won t be coming back. Terrible experience.

Its the warmest most wonderful spot even when youre outside in the cold. They serve up great food and wine and nice warm blankets.

Food and the presentation was really good. I like the ambience and the music as well. The problem was the waiter who works there! He was often rude to us and I felt like he didn t want us to stay there or something. On the other hand, the waitress was very friendly and kind. I wish she served us instead! Also, there was a problem with flies inside. Flies were keep touching my hand and the wine glass. It was very annoying! I felt like I wanna leave this place ASAP after sitting there 45 mins!

It was cold and we were sitting outside. SUPER service and great food. Unassuming place but will definitely go back. The happy service won me over.

Had a great night here!! Never really been a burger person but wow!! Love it! Service was awesome and they definitely go above and beyond.

Good quality food and nice decor

Food is good but service is terribly slow.

Good food, service was painfully slow and slightly awkward. Our server was also not very attentive. Might recommend people try it but I likely will not go back.

Great place to enjoy with friends or have a romantic dinner. The food is good and you should try the fondue, especially the chocolate one.

Went on a date here about a month ago despite reading a few negative reviews. The servers were pleasant as hell, the food was delicious, and our server was knowledgeable enough to suggest a wine that paired brilliantly with the fondue. The atmosphere is cozy and gently bougie. Ill be back.

I m giving Carens five stars and recommend this place to anyone who has , good taste in food and appreciates value . My husband and I very much enjoy having brunch at Carens on Sunday s.In fact ,when I compare it to a weekend brunch we had at Four Seasons ...hands down both of us agree the breakfast brunch at Carens is definitely much better. The food ,presentation and value by far make this a Five Star Rating !

Great service, great food, great atmosphere. Really cozy and tranquil on a week night.

Went for Valentines dinner. Everything was perfect, food was tasty, the ambiance was great, the service was excellent. Will visit again for sure

Fondue Sunday includes two different types of fondue, a classic with gruyere and a blue cheese one. Both paired with proper apple, chorizo, prosciutto and bread. Great selection of wines. Also great personalized attention. Desert had plenty of options but we went for chocolate fondue and it did not disappoint. Definitely recommended.

Food is decent. But the onion soup we ordered came with a disgusting elastic band. Understood it s just an accident however seems no one s giving any explanation until we asked for it. My friends came here before and it was nice so we decided to come again for birthday celebration. Yeah you do cancel the bill for the soup(only) but we do expect a better feedback like a word SORRY instead of making it all seems like normal. Simply ruined everything.

Everything was good until I chewed an elastic band in my onion soup. I shall take a picture but the waiter just took the plate into kitchen and walked back pretending nothing happened. NOT EVEN CAME TO US TO EXPLAIN OR APOLOGIZE. I felt somehow they were showing their attitude to us and I felt very uncomfortable. Food is great and I do like the fondue and the braised poussin. However, im fully disappointed with their service and probably won t visit again.

Best place for a fondue in Toronto!

Delicious food, very kind staff. Photo: classic cheese fondue with prosciutto: very good!!!!

Second time Carens after a few years, this place is classic and lovely. Beautifully decorated, the skylight in the area at back with fire place is just beautiful. Service is friendly, attentive but not over, just perfect. Went for a Wednesday lunch, 2 of us fish stew and mussels plus a starter and 2 glass (wine Wednesday with $5 glass) just under $120 all included. The fish stew is really good, the only thing if I would complain is there are 2-3 mussel is a bit out of taste. While it happen to mussel some time. My friend did not complain her mussel so it probably just I got a few bad ones. Will definitely order fish stew again minus mussels. Btw I love the outdoor sitting can t wait summer is back.

Fondue was terrible.

Service was terrible. Lamb overcooked, octopus was tough. They ran out of a menu item, ravioli and substituted without asking us if we wanted anything else.

Good food, better service.

Friendly and Intimate

Not the best Ive ever had

Great place. Great food!

My go to Neighbourhood restaurant.

Best Mac and Cheese in town. Live Piano is nice touch. Caren is a lovely host!

I visited this restaurant for the first time last week. I met with my parents in the city (both from about 1 hour outside of Toronto in each direction). I made a reservation in the early afternoon and when we arrived, they had set their nicest table for us. It was very nice, and the decor inside was stunning. We came specifically for the fondue (on their fondue Sunday). We asked the waiter about the special and he said there wasnt really a special, but the cheese fondue comes with apples. Im not sure if normaly it doesnt come with apples included? Either way.. the cheese fondue did not disappoint! We shared among 3 of us (what likely is normally split between 2) and the portion was great. My mom and I ordered the scallops for our entree, which were amazing but slightly expensive because only 2 of them were served with the dish. We also ordered the chocolate fondue for dessert (again split between 3) which was very good as well but is advertised to come with homemade marshmallows and there were none, and the strawberries were slightly brown/not fresh. All in all, there were a few things that werent perfect but the service we received from more than 1 staff member was amazing and I would definitely return and recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a delicious meal in the city.

Very accommodating.

Excellent

Food was good, service had a perfect timing. Delicious apple tartan and coffee

Cozy restaurant that offers casual French fare with good wine. Loved the tender escargots pistou and scallops with sweet peas ravioli. For dessert, they offer French classics such as creme brulee, apple tart tatin, lemon tart etc.

We made a reservation for a ladies dinner. When we walked in, we waited 5 minutes or so and no one greeted us. Finally someone came and showed us to our table. There was a large party, crowding our table b/c it was next to the bar. Someone asked if we wanted our coats so I took mine off but then the person left and never came back. We sat there for twenty minutes before anyone came to take our drink orders. We didn t have drink menus, so we could only order water (and a drink menu). Someone then gave us a drink menu but it took another mins 15 before I was able to flag someone down to give us a food menu. Our arrived around 630pm and we didn t get menus until well after 7:15pm! We ordered the classic fondue to start. It was alright. I liked it b/c you can t get fondue at many places. But it wasn t fantastic. The waitress came to ask for our mains and 2 of us knew what we wanted, so we told her. The other 2 didn t know yet, so the waitress said she d come back but I think she forgot about us b/c we had to flag her down again. Our meals were okay, but nothing special considering the poor service we were receiving. No one ever came to check on us. After dinner we ordered dessert. I was warned the chocolate cake would take 20 mins. No problem. My friend wanted the creme brûlée but they were out so she got an apple tart. After the 20 mins the waitress told us that the kitchen messed up another party and we were being given the creme brûlée instead of the chocolate cake, and the apple tart. We felt like second class citizens. The waitress was nice, but not very attentive. We didn t feel like they even cared we were there b/c they had other bigger parties. They didn t give us the time of day and you shouldn t either. I wouldn t come back.

Limited yet Lovely selection of food and desserts. Team is quiet friendly and cheerful. Loved the dining experience.

lovely place with good food. Servers are hit or miss

Bad service. The waiter was rude from the beginning. The wine was not what we expected and the fondue was just ok. We expected a better experience. We do not recommend.