After a long wait, the sister location for one of Toronto’s most popular French bistros has officially (soft) opened its doors.
If you live in Toronto and have a penchant for steak frites — like any self-respecting omnivore — there’s a better-than-good chance that you’re already aware of Ossington’s Côte de Boeuf and have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of its second location, Brasserie Côte, in the Annex.
In case you’re not familiar, though, let me paint you a picture: the charming Ossington bistro and butchery is about as close as you’ll get to an authentic French experience without taking a hop across the pond.
With minimal in-house seating, wine bottles and pantry staples stacked on rustic wooden shelves and a local-first mentality, the restaurant has become an eagerly sought-after reservation, lauded, among other things, for its staples like steak frites, beef tartare and, yes, steak frites, designed by Union chef Teo Paul.
After an auspicious five years on Ossington, Paul, with the help of longtime Côte de Boeuf manager Eamon O’Dea, has finally given the people of Toronto what they’ve been begging for: more Côte de Boeuf, in the form of a larger sister location on Bloor West, in the heart of the Annex.
Taking over the space left behind by neighbourhood stalwart By The Way Cafe, the new location, which hosted its soft opening after a months-long build-out and development period on Friday, March 6, is not only physically larger than its forefather, but its menu builds on that of the original, too.
Intentionally designed to be a neighbourhood-friendly restaurant (staying true to its brasserie name), the restaurant will, eventually, be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner service, though, until at least April, the team is focusing on dinner.
A relaxed, Parisian-inspired interior is matched with a menu that blends favourites from Côte de Boeuf (including the aforementioned steak tartare and steak frites) with the new additions of daily specials and poulet roti on weekends.
It’s a major win for both the Côte de Boeuf team and for residents and frequenters of the Annex alike, and it signals to the neighbourhood’s rapidly developing culinary scene.
The neighbourhood is home to recent stars like Makann, Daisy May’s and Golden Horseshoe BBQ, with even more impressive additions, including a sister location of the uber-popular Pizzeria Badiali, on the horizon. It seems as though there’s never been a better time to eat in the Annex.
As for Brasserie Côte, the restaurant is still in its soft-opening phase at the time of publication, open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 5 to 11 p.m. for the rest of March.
Brasserie Côte is located at 400 Bloor St. W.
Lead photo by
Hector Vasquez at Cote de Boeuf
Dining and Cooking