I also had higher expectations of Café La Gaffe.
I've been here twice for lunch (with coworkers in 2013/2014 ) and once for brunch (today).
Service:
- we arrived on Mother's Day (Sunday) around 11 AM & it was not busy so we got seated right away
- they were understanding when we moved from the front patio to indoor before our food was served and let us have our pick of tables
- came to offer a coffee refill
- accommodating of providing a side plate for ease of sharing dishes upon request
Ambience:
- simple, quaint
- does not feel Parisian
- pretty view from Windows of tree lined quiet street (Baldwin)
- for brunch it's nice when the sun streams in through the windows
- relaxing vibe if not too full; staff are not overly intrusive
- main floor female washroom has very dim lighting which is less than ideal for make up touch ups
Food:
- banana pancakes (3 slices cut in half) with a berry compote and a slice of honeydew melon; cantaloupe; pineapple. With maple syrup on the side (no idea if it was Canadian syrup etc)
- friend has the avocado stuffed omelette with home fries and salad
- both dishes were good and nice to share a sweet & savory
I would recommend to a friend if they were in the neighborhood but not if they were coming downtown from suburbs. I would go again if someone else chose it/ planned it but if the choice was left to me I would pick somewhere new to try.
As for when I came with coworkers in the past, lunch menu was good and for $20 you got an appetizer, main and a dessert. But service can be slow for large groups so order fast if you're on a time constraint. Can accommodate up to 10-12 people at one table. Food was again decent but nothing spectacular from what I recall but was walking distance from work so a good spot.