Wallflower serves comfort bar eats including a regularly changing chalkboard menu of specials in a quirky, candlelit environment.

It’s named for its quiet, lingering presence on the edge of a strip of bars, and the tentative way it originally joined Toronto’s raucous scene. I personally love heading here to check out the specials on $2-a-piece oysters and devilled eggs dressed up with, say, dill dijon.

About 40 can be seated inside the quirky space bisected by a shallow set of steps (a Monty-Python-esque sign pointing to the back “moustache room”), 25 out on a magical patio. 

Grilled cheese sandwiches are reasonably priced at $9 considering they’re served on buttery white bread and come with kale slaw and potato wedges (like all sandwiches). Rich white cheddar, provolone and gruyere are cut by a naturally sweet ketchup that brings a jammy, chutney-like vibe.

Maple sesame salmon ($16) is a balanced standby here, flavourful thanks to the toasty, nutty and sweet combination of the syrup and seeds, plated on a pile of healthy-feeling roast vegetable tamari quinoa, a bit of the same kale slaw rounding out the plate.

Gnocchi is a typical special here, tonight’s $15 version smothered in an earthy and creamy walnut kale sage pesto tomato cream with tender diced roasted mushrooms and squash. 

Cheesecake that the owner’s mother comes into the restaurant to bake is insisted upon as a finisher. A berry compote and some fresh blackberries break up the smooth cake’s considerable richness and density.

Most opt for beer here, on tap or in tall cans, topping out around $8 and with plenty of local craft options like Blood Brothers, Henderson and Rainhard. 

There’s also a simple list of standard cocktails, though, like Manhattans (the priciest at $14) made with your choice of rye or bourbon.

Opting for Jim Beam with a classic sour cherry plunged in and orange peel expressed over top, little feels more effortless and satisfying at the end of a long day or night. Head elsewhere for artisanal bitters and froth.

Opened in 2012 and affiliated with the same group of partners as similar casual pub 3 Speed, the kitchen is typically open until midnight.