Sidecar - Toronto, Ontario

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. Read more

Food was fantastic and service was stellar. Medium rare steak was cooked to perfection. Staff are professional and courteous. Ambiance was causual. I will definitely return and highly recommend.

I enjoyed my dinner at Sidecar with a party of 3. The service was good - extremely friendly and personable with the table. My food was alright - steak and frites. There was nothing that made it stand out but nothing that made it bad either (steak was a tiny ... bit tough though) however for the price you can’t complain. The carpaccio however was great and I recommend it being ordered. Read more

Went here on a Wednesday and they had a 3 course meal for $25. The quantity of food wasn't a lot and the food was ok. Not a lot of customers were out on their large patio and it was still hard to get the servers attention who apparently had ... something more important to do on her phone. Four people eating this 3 course meal with a few drinks was ~ $220 with tax and tip. Probably won't return. Read more

Excellent experience for my party of 6. Menu was simple. Food tasted so good and warm 5/5. Portions were on the small though, but was expected. The patio was so nice, felt very secluded and private, despite being downtown. Dessert and Appetizers were on the pricey side, but very well ... made. Server was very accessible, had some mix-ups with the bill, but server was quick to resolve. Place was packed on a Thursday night. Will definitely go again. I strongly recommend you do reservations. Read more