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Frenchy
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Frenchy combines an effortlessly chic look with a menu that transports diners directly to Paris. With classic dishes and drinks available from morning ‘til night, the new spot inside Hilton Toronto balances its coquettish allure with seriously delicious food.
A bar and brasserie sitting elegantly in the lobby level of the newly renovated Hilton Toronto, Frenchy is impossible to miss. A space that can accommodate more than 200 people, it stretches from a gilded central bar to a lounge area and dining room, with a hidden gem of a private room tucked away around back.
Against the lobby’s stark white palette, Frenchy’s rosy hues, floral patterns and dramatic accessories are all the more pronounced. Bordeaux-tinted banquettes bask beneath the warm glow from chandeliers that are as elegant as they are immense.
Envisioned by the team at DesignAgency, the look is as cooly stylish as it is comfortable and warm. Vast, by restaurant standards, it’s a room that can adapt to its clientele; conduct business meetings in the dining room, snuggle into a distant corner for a cozy tête-à-tête, or perch atop a barstool and take it all in.
Under Santiago Espinel Otero, who runs the restaurant’s mixology program, the bar is the best spot to begin. Playful and fresh, the team’s cocktail program takes French classics in intriguing new directions.
The restaurant’s signature sipper, the Frenchy 75, is a pink, hibiscus-laced take on the perennial favourite. Made with Champagne — one of France’s most famous liquid exports — and cheekily garnished with hot lips candy, the drink easily embodies the ethos of the space.
Despite its name, the Eau Poivre doesn’t pack much real heat. Rather, with a number of ingredients — Don Julio Blanco Tequila, Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Cointreau, white pepper syrup and cucumber bitters — it counters sweet with smoky, vegetal notes with fruity, and a refreshing, Margarita-like appearance with a boozy backbone.
Sophisticated options, the Voulez Vous and Femme Libertine are for bar guests with a thing for pucker. A drink that combines a dollop of imported lemon curd with citrusy Bombay Sapphire Gin, Routin 1883 Vanilla Syrup, and fresh lemon, the former is zippy and floral, flirty and fun.
Still, any drink that involves dousing lemon sorbet with Champagne is likely to turn heads. Debauched is a stretch but this mix, which includes Ketel One Vodka, Giffard Crème de Pamplemousse Rose and St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, is an adult pre-dessert that’s part slushy, part cocktail and mischievous in all the right ways.
Though it’s hard to resist the allure of bar bites, like Truffle Brie Gougères and Croque Monsieur Sliders, the dining room is the place to be for a broader sampling of executive chef Aaron Chen’s menu.
“These classic dishes embody what French gastronomy is all about,” he explains. “It’s simple. It’s delicious. It’s unctuous, and it’s what people recognize.”
Scan the list and you’ll agree — from Escargots and French Onion Soup to Trout Almondine and Duck Confit Cassoulet, it hews diligently to the French culinary canon.
“The room and the ambiance, it’s a nice relaxed environment,” adds Chen. “We have classic, traditional dishes. It’s an uncomplicated approach.”
Uncomplicated, it seems, means different things to different people. True, these dishes aren’t sporting foams nor do they materialize from behind thick plumes of smoke. This food isn’t disguised, and perhaps most appealing of all, it actually looks edible. Still, with every dish, diners are reminded that, at its core, French food is complex. It requires time, effort, attention to detail and an inherent commitment to quality.
Take, for example, the team’s Foie Gras Terrine. Petit and pretty, it sits neatly on its plate with buttered brioche toasts and ice wine and sour cherry gastrique. Rich, buttery and tangy, thanks to its garnish, this sharable starter exemplifies the kitchen’s brand of simple, yet meticulous, cooking.
A dish that speaks to the team’s dedication to top-quality ingredients, the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail is beautiful in its simplicity. Three whopping crustaceans propped up on a bed of ice and a portion of cocktail sauce dressed with fresh horseradish is all this appetizer needs to shine.
A salad that’s a complete meal, Frisée aux Lardons finds spring mix bolstered with tasty cubes — of salty, chewy double smoked bacon and golden, crisp potatoes — truffle vinaigrette and a runny, sunny-centred poached egg.
In its “Avec Frites” section of the menu, the team rightly acknowledges that all proteins, not just mussels and steaks, benefit from sharing a plate with one of the world’s most popular sides. Fancy a lobster tail with your frites? Perhaps a brown-butter-napped chicken cutlet? Find them here, and more.
Of course, since the team is committed to playing all the hits, an 8oz striploin (crowned with garlicky, herb-flecked café de Paris butter) is also among the options. Sourced from Woodward Meats, this little number is tender and rich, supremely beefy and quintessentially French.
On a list of delightful mains, like Gnocchi Parisien and Roast Chicken, Bouillabaisse is a standout. A traditional stew from the south of France, it’s originally a humble dish that celebrates coastal cuisine with an abundance of fresh fish and seafood. With shrimp, clams, mussels, white fish, and a fennel and saffron-scented broth Chef Chen’s take is sophisticated without losing any of its rustic, comforting appeal. Bread helps mop up every drop of sauce but just try to hold back from tipping the bowl directly into your mouth.
Prim and pert, sweet and fittingly sharp, Lemon Tart is just the thing to perk you up as you wind down your meal.
A place devised to carry hotel guests through their stays — from sunrise cafés au lait, to late-night snacks — Frenchy is also a boon to a city always on the hunt for substance paired with undeniable style.
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