From the quaint menu to quirky marketing, everything at Le Papillon on Front is done in house, and all staff lend a hand.
General manager Sean Gowland says the homemade rule goes a long way to not only keeping costs down, but also towards creating a positive, welcoming and inclusive environment for every walk of life. “We like to be able to cater to a lot of vibes,” says Sean. “We like to tip on the edge of trendy but there’s no 'I’m not hip enough to go there' or 'I’m too hip to go there.'”
Dishes like hearty French onion soup and tourtière – a traditional Québecois meat pie of seasoned veal, beef and pork with house chutney, potatoes and market vegetables – are comparable to what you’d be served at Grandma’s. The restaurant is stylishly impressive, yet stills feels homey, comfortable and relaxed.
Le Papillon on Front's eclectic team includes a few Francophone servers who help to give the restaurant its French-Canadian authenticity and also come in handy when Toronto classrooms come to learn the language and experience the cuisine. “It’s different being an independent restaurant,” says Sean. “We really do our best to make sure our customers leave happy.”
Terrines maison
home made pork and cranberry terrine served with craquelins.
Crevettes
4 shrimp, grilled pineapple, honey-coriander-pineapple-chili sauce.
Tuna Tartare
house tuna tartare on bed of avocado.
Escargots
smothered in garlic-parsley butter.
Brie Crémeux
breaded brie cheese, served with a mixed berry confit.
Saumon Fumé
smoked salmon served with pickled vegetables.
Salade César
crisp romaine lettuce, garlic-anchovy dressing, parmesan cheese, croûtons.
Salade Verte
mixed greens, tomato, cucumber, sherry vinaigrette.
César au Poulet
Caesar salad with grilled chicken.
César au Saumon
Caesar salad with grilled salmon.
Salade Papillon
mixed greens, diced peppers, asparagus, swiss cheese, boiled egg and tarragon dressing.
Soupe à l'oignon gratinée
our famous French Onion Soup topped with craquelins and smothered in melted Gruyère cheese.
All crêpes are made out of whole wheat flour
(contains eggs and dairy)
Saumon
smoked salmon, caramelized onions, spinach and caper-rosée sauce.
Florentine
spinach, béchamel sauce and cheddar cheese.
St-Laurent
bacon, cooked apples and cheddar cheese.
De la Mer
scallops and shrimp in our tarragon cream sauce.
Jean-Pierre
broccoli, spinach, feta cheese, sautéed onions and tomato sauce.
Bourguignon
traditional beef stew with carrots, mushrooms and red wine.
Asperges
asparagus, béchamel sauce and cheddar cheese.
Smoked Duck Breast
served with a mixed berry-cassis sauce, vegetables and daily potatoes.
Boeuf Bourguignon
French beef stews slowly cooked with onions, red wine, mushrooms and carrots, served with rice and vegetables.
Grilled Salmon
served with a lemon-butter-dill-caper sauce, vegetables and rice.
Poulet à la Pêche
Ontario chicken breast served with a peach-brandy sauce, vegetables and daily potatoes.
Tuna Steak
sesame crust, seared and serve rare with a miso-soy sauce, rice and vegetables.
Steak & Frites
10 oz. Canadian AAA New York striploin, flame grilled, served with herbed butter and french-fries.
Bouillabaisse
Seafood stew (shrimp, scallops, salmon) in a tomato-Pernod sauce served with garlic bread.
Cassoulet
white beans, braised pork belly, mild pork sausage, topped with a leg of duck confit.
Coq au vin
French traditional chicken stew, merlot, bacon, onions, carrots, mushrooms and daily potatoes.
Tourtière Maison
traditional Québécois meat pie of seasoning pork and beef, served with chutney, vegetables and daily potatoes.
Pâtes aux Fruits de Mer
linguini with scallops and shrimp, chili flakes, olive oil and basil.
Mousse au chocolat
Dark chocolate mousse.
Pouding Chômeur
rich golden cake with a hot caramel sauce served warm with French vanilla ice cream.
Volcan au Chocolat
dark chocolate Lava Cake served with French vanilla ice cream.
Crème Brulée
Vanilla cream custard topped with a hard layer of caramelized sugar.
Tarte au Sucre
Traditional Québécois sugar pie, served warm with French vanilla ice cream.
Cheesecake
traditional cheesecake served with our blueberry coulis.
Fruit Sorbet
daily selection.
Crêpe Banana Royale
our classic crêpe with fresh sliced banana, chocolate syrup and French vanilla ice cream.
Crêpe aux Fraises
our classic crêpe with fresh strawberries, chocolate syrup and whipped cream.
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Oct. 4, 2019 partner and I had dinner before the theatre. Food was very good. Service was even better. New waiter Bishoy was gracious, friendly and watching to be ready to help whenever we needed it. Suplementary servers were also very polite and always helpful. Very nice experience worth repeating whenever we are in town.
The years have been kind to Le Papillon! The best onion soup in the world! Perfect crêpes! The service was so friendly. I had missed this restaurant and didn’t realize they had just moved! What a pleasant surprise to return to the flavours and textures we remeber.
The restaurant was exceptional along with the hosts and servers. Food was really good. Will definitely visit you again.
I have been going to the papillon for years. I have never been disappointed. Great service and friendly people.
Can't resist the crepes. Always enjoy the staff enthusiasm.
I can not beleive that no one else has written a review for the Le Papillion. It is my top choice for a restaurant if you want a romantic date atmosphere or a nice place to take your parents when the come to town. The serive is always great, the food is consistently great. The prices are quite reasonable. The crepes are always fresh and delicious, the salmon good, great French Onion soup. I also love the tarte au sucre (maple suger pie) for dessert- its the only place in Toronto that I know of that serves tarte au sucre. Great quebecois fare!
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