Le Papillon
16 Church Street
416-363-3773
brunch for two with taxes, tip, juice and coffee: $50

The plan was to hit the Hot House Café for their Sunday brunch buffet, but we arrived to chaos and madness. Groups waiting for tables created a line-up that snaked out the door and although we had a reservation, we too were left standing while someone was sent to shoo the current occupants of our table away. It was our party who left however, in search of brunch offerings with a more sedate atmosphere.

We headed down the street to Le Papillon, thoughts of crêpes and frites and checked tablecloths luring us away from the crowd. I had never been to this Toronto institution, and now was as good a chance as any to give the place a try.

The room was pretty and bright, with rustic chairs and yes, checked tablecloths. A skylight flooded one area with natural light and the potted ficus trees gave the impression of a French country courtyard. I almost expected to see the signature butterflies flitting about. Very charming and pretty – this was definitely an upgrade from standing in line for your own food.

We ordered a cross-section of the menu and then sat back with large glasses of fresh juice and sparkling water. The room was about a third full and felt very relaxed and comfortable.

The food arrived quickly and we dug in. The crêpe Manon ($11) was folded envelope-style into a large square, and while not especially impressive to look at (it’s not easy to gussy up a savoury crepe), was a really delicious blend of the classic spinach and mushroom combination with a smooth and creamy Béchamel sauce and just the slightest tang of sharp cheddar cheese.

Across the table, the Tourtière ($11.50) a hearty blend of pork, veal and beef was almost (almost!) as good as the version made by Greg’s Acadienne Grandmother, and was complimented by a tangy chutney. We now know where to go when there’s a craving for meat pie in our mostly vegetarian household.

The only disappointment was the “Muffini” ($12), a special from the brunch menu – an eggs benedict-style dish of English muffin topped with spicy chorizo, a wet tomato chutney-type sauce and a fried egg. The sausage was not spicy, the egg was hard and rubbery and the sauce soaked into the English muffin and turned it into a soggy unappetizing mess. This could be rectified with a different execution, however; muffin, properly cooked egg, sausage, and then sauce would have been a better arrangement. The accompanying frites eased the pain somewhat, they really are some of the best we’ve ever had, although the flavour very much indicates there is beef fat in the fryer, so vegetarians might want to check before ordering.

I was the only one who wanted dessert (hey, there’s always room for dessert!) and went with the Quebecois favourite, tarte au sucre ($6). A light flaky pastry covered a filling of caramel; essentially brown sugar and cream, that oozed onto the plate in a warm delicious puddle. This was accompanied by a scoop of the house vanilla ice cream. Suddenly my dining companions realized that they had room for dessert as well and helped me finish this very filling treat.

Despite the one miss in the form of the Muffini, we were impressed by the food and by Le Papillon overall. It is considered to be one of the best French restaurants in the city and the addition of traditional Quebec and Acadian dishes as well as family-friendly options (there is a children’s menu available) give it an edge over its competitors where the fare is more upscale bistro and wine-oriented.

For diners looking for something pretty and serene at Front and Church, where they serve up good honest French fare with little pretension, Le Papillon is the place to go.