Sidecar

I guess we all have our off-days! True story: Felt like it was about 12-15 degrees Celsius upstairs during entire dinner, even with two electric space heaters. Left my toque and coat on the whole time Washrooms and toilets had no running water because the supply pipes were frozen. Ordered two appetizers: 1) the crab cakes took about half an hour to arrive and were underwhelming; and 2) the shrimp tempura never arrived. The tasty entrees were served quick but I ordered my steak 'medium' (only because my wife wanted a few bites of it and she prefers it cooked that way) and it came 'rare to medium-rare', which is how I like it anyway. A friend who ordered mushroom risotto ended up getting shrimp risotto instead. Haha. But again, the four different entrees were delicious, each of us thought.

I went from never having been to Sidecar to going twice in the same week. Both times were to celebrate a birthday dinner for the same person (2 person and 11 person), and both times our experience was fantastic. The food at Sidecar is great. It's clear that the chef has a deft hand and the food was excellent and well-executed both times. Classic interpretations of dishes. Good sized portions. Solid bistro food. The cocktails are great. What stood out to me about Sidecar is that the servers are knowledgeable about the drinks as well and offered suggestions as we talked through our likes. Finally, we had great service both nights. Friendly without being overbearing - as a good bistro should be. On the second night the heat didn't work in the upstairs room on one of the coldest nights in Toronto all year. I've owned a old house and this just happens with the heat sometimes. What did they do? They scoured the city to get space heaters and worked the evening to make our night comfortable. And while I wont pretend we were warm, we all left with a wonderful memory of the hospitality and warmth of the staff. This is a great neighbourhood bistro!

Great music, cost yet noisy place to eat. Apart from the steak and frites - steak is great, risotto and pasta were far too salty. Drinks are far too expensive. Service was very good, but don't laugh to loud. Not kid friendly.

Great food, atmosphere and people. Ingredients are mostly sourced locally. Pricing is unreal value for the quality of food that you get. In the summer, great patio in the back. You'll love it. You might see reviews were people complain that they charge for water. They charge a dollar or two per person, which is nothing to begin with, but they actually give you flat or sparkling spring water and refill the bottle as needed. Menu is very tight but no lack of selection. A good thig in my opinion. Great Place!

My family recently celebrated two birthdays at Sidecar. The cozy ambience, warm hospitality, thoughtful attention to detail, excellent service, perfect pricing, and the beautifully prepared and delicious food made it a wonderful evening for all of us. Many thanks! I've already started telling friends.

Sometimes, everything just falls into place. Step 1: Seek out a unique and characterful neighbourhood — Little Portugal. Done. Step 2: Get a good friend to recommend a stellar restaurant in said neighbourhood — Sidecar. Done. Step 3: Sit back, relax, and enjoy… From the friendly welcome at the door to the warm and inviting atmosphere within, Sidecar was everything we wanted and more. We were enticed by the online menu and the promise of “FINE FARE FOR A FAIR PRICE” and we were not disappointed. We started with an appetizer of Crab Cakes with a Sriracha Aioli and Carrot Slaw. Crispy exterior with flavourful filling — a great beginning to our meal. (My only wish was for perhaps a more chunky batter.) As for our mains, well, you can tell a lot about a restaurant by how they cook a steak. So Steak Frites it was for us, done to a bang-on medium rare, perfectly seasoned with a good crust. Some places try to pass off regular fries as the “Frites” of the equation but Sidecar does them up right with herbs and parmesan. Of course, we had to try the dessert, unable to resist the Chocolate Terrine — rich, decadent and satisfying. And as simple as it sounds, a meal can be spoiled or elevated by the quality of a cup of coffee. We don’t require fancy, just a good, strong, ‘normal’ cup of coffee. Once again, Sidecar delivered. Service was top notch across the board from our hostess to the servers, all were friendly yet professional, genuine without being obsequious. We were made to feel comfortable and at home and that is something worth returning to.

I absolutely love this restaurant. I've been many times now, the food is consistently good, the fixed price menu has delicious and varied selection with a gluten-free dessert, their wine choices are on point, and the service is excellent! I have absolutely no complaints. In fact I would say that you are getting very good value for the price!

We went to sidecar for our anniversary dinner. We had the Prix fix out on the patio, it was amazing. The staff expertly and with out disruption handled a choking incident. So much so we didn't notice until our waitress told us afterwards. We'll be back again.

The "Backyard Patio" was a hidden gem, the staff were on point and the food was delicious. My wife is still thinking about those Crab Cakes. The Sidecar Salad was an unexpected delight. The gnocchi was a rich indulgence. We shall return!

Delicious food, excellent service and an intimate, yet still good-sized, patio made for an excellent evening at this hidden gem. The sidecar salad and soup of the day (mushroom) were both fabulous. The Crab Cakes were excellent, couldn't get enough aioli. The only complaints were the pork chop was off the menu, and the duck confit gnocchi was so rich I couldn't finish it. We will be back!