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| - My trip to Toronto with some friends was memorable and Marcel's Bistro was our chosen destination. Because we only had a few short days, we had to choose wisely for how to spend our time (and money) and this place seemed like it could deliver a romantic, high-quality meal that could make an impression. The ambiance was romantic, however, the impression that I got was just "good enough.... assez bon."
The food was decent but pricey. The restaurant is located on the second floor above an Italian restaurant (I believe), and my friends and I mistakenly pranced inside the wrong restaurant, before scurrying out and up a flight of carpeted stairs.
The food:
I ordered from the prix-fixe menu. An appetizer + main course + dessert was $37. (Wine was $7/glass for the Cote du Rhone, which was recommended to go with the lamb.) For the appetizer I chose the Puff Pastry stuffed with herbed goat cheese, on top of some salad greens with a lovely balsamic dressing. That was actually my favorite part of the meal. The crust SO buttery (delicieux!), the cheese and pastry went together really well and on its own, I'd give it 4 stars. The main course was lamb in a reduction sauce that wasn't too memorable, but it was cooked medium-rare, as I had asked are very, very tender, served with a side of potatoes and steamed vegetables. For the dessert I chose a slice of the apple/prune tart, which I ended up having to take to-go. When I had it later on, it was pretty average but I think a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream would've done the trick.
The service:
The server was helpful to recommend wine and the courses came out in a timely manner. While I didn't leave disappointed, I had expected to be charmed and dazzled but that didn't happen. Marcel's was also the only place listed in the "French dinner" section in the magazine in our hotel room that didn't require an hour-long wait on a Saturday night.
I was a bit thrown off because when our party arrived 15 minutes late, the hostess curtly said, "You're late" as soon as we hung up our jackets on the coat hangers. We couldn't tell if she was joking... She then proceeded to ask us if we were pressed for time (to see a show or a performance) so she could be conscientious and keep track of the time for us. We said no... Maybe it was just me, but what a strange "courtesy" to remind your patrons that the clock is ticking when we were only there to enjoy a relaxing, extended dinner.
Overall: Order the puff pastry with the goat cheese as an appetizer or even a meal. That alone (with some wine and good company) was very satisfying.
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