Restaurants
The Saint
The Saint Tavern finally opened earlier this month after long licensing battle saw the Ossington Avenue restaurant sit in limbo for roughly three years. Despite the wait, owners Peter Tsebelis and Gus Giazitzidis have still brought something a little new to the street. Although many will want to call it a gastropub (don't do that), the Saint is more like an upscale tavern that takes drink as seriously as food. Its warm, downplayed decor coupled with menu items like steak frites and daily oysters also hints at a French bistro.
Outside, the restaurant is unassuming, which belies the hustle and bustle inside. The dining space is narrow, but far deeper than you'd imagine walking in the door. The bar area seating (at the front) is dark and lush, with large semi-circular booths (again, bistro-like). Diners with reservations are ushered to a white-titled area in the back. The colour contrast is abrupt and provides a nice distinction between the casual bar atmosphere and the serious work in the kitchen.
The Saint's bar menu dwarfs that of the food. All the mainstream cocktails are covered here ($14), with a few signature offerings that are highlighted at the top. I tried the hard-to-find Aviation ($16), which comes in at 2.5oz of booze, despite the subtle flavour profile. Although not as good as the one on offer around the corner at Cocktail Bar — they actually craft their own crème de violette — it's still a refreshing start to the meal, somewhat reminiscent of Turkish Delight.
We shared the steak tartare ($14), which is already a new favourite of mine. The meat was bright and tender with a delicate heat hovering in the background. It's topped with pickled greens and served with both soft toasted bread rounds and crispy, almost cheesy, waffle chips.
For a main, I ordered the day's Savoury Pie ($20), which was chicken and vegetable. The waiter warned me that it's a large portion, and he certainly wasn't exaggerating. I foolishly ignored him and ordered the creamed spinach side ($6). While the pie was large enough to be an entire meal, I don't regret ordering the side because the spinach, served with ricotta, was amazing. The pie had a thin crispy crust and large strips of fresh, juicy chicken. Unfortunately it was under-seasoned, and thus a bit bland overall. Best to correct as best you can with some salt at the table.
My companion had the Crispy Duck Leg ($21, lead photo), a dish which really showed off what the kitchen is capable of. The meat is juicy and fork-tender, and the skin crisped to perfection. Served on a bed of stewed baby vegetables and white beans in bacon, the portion size isn't skimpy either. She ordered a side of asparagus with Parmesan ($6) to accompany the duck, and though it was quite good, the beans were just that much better. Upon finishing our mains, we were just too stuffed to consider the dessert menu.
From the fluidity of service to the comfortable attitude of what already appear to be regulars, you'd never suspect the Saint's been open less than a month. It occupies the sweet-spot between fine dining and a boisterous pub atmosphere. Every conversation has to be shouted when the dining room fills up, but that just adds to the neighbourhood vibe that's already been well cultivated here.
Contributed by Angelina Purpura
Discussion
32 Comments
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If I'm paying $16 for a carefully crafted cocktail, I'd like to enjoy it in a child-free bar.
forget this place. I give it 1-2 years top before it shuts down.
albeit, I did have a great meal, and like I said, lets see if the portions are set to be consistent with the prices.
The food and service were above what I expected upon my first visit, which was opening week. Love the selection of bourbons and unique drinks. I have also since been for a brunch, which I also quite enjoyed. Definitely worth checking out.
I can't wait to go with my wife and bring my 2 year old........ stroller and all. As for the rude small minded people who hide behind posts on the Internet I wonder if you'd voice these types of opinions to people when you are actually in the same room with them or would u be afraid of getting a slap, then keep your mouth shut until u muster the courage to whisper to your mate how wrong it is that parents actually have the nerve to bring a child out in public, and then pay up and leave? You're probably to busy pretending to be a UFC/mma fighter on your playstaion to go out any way. Its actually sad that the Internet has provided people like you a stage..... brings out the worst in some people.
Let's install some washroom ads in The Saint.
Problem ?
Having said that, I do agree that this place looks great. But get a babysitter.
The menu looked basic but when they explain the ingredients, you know you're in for a treat.
We started with the jalapenos which were excellent and had the steak as a main. Tasty and cooked just right. Decently priced wine list. I would definitely recommend. The only thing I'm not a fan of, which a ton of restaurants are doing is drizzling pork fat on nearly everything. Enough with the Pork already!!
*Agree with the Buca comment above. Not a fan.
I went for their buck-a-shuck and was quiet disappointed. The gentlemen who was shucking did a very poor job. He did not smell one oyster before plating to make sure they were fine. He also did not properly cut the adductor muscle on any of our oysters so you couldn't just suck back the oysters, you had to pull with your teeth, or cut the muscle yourself. We also had grit in about half our oysters.
I think if a restaurant is going to have oysters you should have a trained oyster shucker who knows how to clean, smell and properly shuck and plate them.
I'll give you guys another chance with the oysters, maybe the gentlemen was covering for someone and had not been trained.
thx