Le Rossignol

Map location on Unilocal site incorrect, restaurant near Logan and Queen

(note: I posted this review prior to realizing that as of earlier this week, they’ve moved down the street with their sister restaurant, Le Canard Mort. Hopefully the intimate atmosphere of the old place remains!)
I almost hate to write a review of this place, because I don’t want anyone to know about it and thus be able to keep this wonderfully intimate French restaurant all to myself and my husband. Every time we come here, it’s not very crowded and we’re free to make goo-​goo eyes at each other over dinner without making anyone want to toss their moules frites. But, this place is too sweet not to share, so consider yourselves warned if you spot us in a corner, canoodling over crevettes. ;)
Standouts here include the escargot poutine (yes, you read that right!) and the coq au vin. Both items are rich, hearty, and perfect stick-​to-​your-​ribs comfort food. I also really like the duck breast with cassoulet, which is another hearty choice. The filet and frites are also good, but nothing special.
The wine list is decent; on the small side, but well-​curated. The server, a lovely Montréal woman, sets the atmosphere with her lovely French accent and welcoming (if slightly frazzled) attitude. Food comes out reasonably quickly, and I’ve already blathered on about the romantic, intimate atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Absolutely loved it! Food quality was superb with all the vegetables seasoned and cooked to perfection. I will surely be back!

Second time visiting here and (un)fortunately, it was the same as the last — it bit better than a mediocre establishment. I also read the National Post’s (
) review the day after visiting and although it was a little bit harsher than I would have said it, it was on the money.
A bit of confusion finding our reservation at first, but once done we were warmly shown to our table. The wine list was a little overpriced ($ 14/​glass for middle of the road) for what it had on it, but of the two glasses that I tried, they were nice accompaniments to what I ate.
I started with the quintessential escargots and my wife had soup of the day — crème of pear and parsnip. The escargots were excellent. Plump and nestled nicely in butter and Gruyère. The soup was thick and rich and thankfully wasn’t overpowering in either pear or parsnip. Nice little starter.
We also shared another special of the day — a small order of rabbit rillette with crostini. A little heavy on garlic but a light dish that was rather quickly devoured.
Mains next. I had the wild boar which was… ok. I partially blame myself as when I had the mental image in my head, it wasn’t the same as the pork chop that appeared in front of me. The Yukon mash and carrots were delicate and lovely to eat. The roasted garlic /​jus that came with the boar didn’t add too much to the taste that was just familiar. The $ 27 price for this plate was a tad too much as well.
Now, the moules et frites that my wife ordered were fantastic. Neither of us had ordered very many tomato-​based mussel dishes (used to wine or curry/​cream based) and this order was brilliant. Mussels were big fat bastards and picked up the broth flavour very well. Extra bread for dipping was definitely needed. Couldn’t even finish the order. The mini-​string frites were very tasty and the perfect lemon aioli dip was tip top.
The place filled quickly past 7 – 7:30 p.m. with every demographic possible, showing that this little placed is like by all. We planned it well time-​wise, as with our table tucked in the corner near the ordering station, the place gets packed by 9.
Staff were very friendly, pleasant and timed their visits perfectly. At least one server speaking French with a multitude of tables.
Going back to the Post’s article, I don’t know how the reviewer ate for $ 80, taxes in. Our meal with 2 glasses of wine, a pastis ordered with a shared dessert was $ 135 before tip.

Arrived for our reservation promptly and were immediately seated. The waitress gave us a complimentary glass of champagne while we perused the menu. Ordered the frisee, pâté, cassoulet and roast boar chop. While we waited, the waitress placed an amuse bouche of shrimp dressed w/​a cream sauce
Frisee salad w/​lardons and poached egg: nice and yolky, an excellent salad.
Pâté main served w/​toast and jam. Meaty w/​o being salty and the jam added a sweet note. Lovely.
Cassoulet: It was –5C out so this dish really hit the spot. Two confit duck legs, rosemary herbed sausage and white beans slow cooked until al dente and flavorful. The duck legs might’ve been a little chewier than usual, but still a good, hearty, filling dish.
Roast wild boar chop: Cooked medium w/​an excellent, slightly sweet glaze, mashed potatoes, baby carrots and crunchy broccolini. The flavors and textures were wonderful, an excellent dish.
Chocolate cake: deep, chocolatey flavor, with just enough sweetness to allow you to enjoy the chocolatey taste w/​o being sugary, sickly sweet.
Pear poached in wine and honey, served w/​vanilla crème in phyllo. Man, this dessert was amazing. I’ll definitely get this again.
It’s not haute cuisine, but it is a French restaurant and service is appropriate and friendly.
Five stars w/​one star off for the overly confited duck. We’ll definitely hit this place as the seasons change and different things come into season like ramps and fiddleheads.

Le Rossignol is a small and intimate bistro newly opened in Leslieville (taking over Pop Bistro’s space). And on a cold wintry night, there’s nothing more satisfying than classic French cuisine to fuel and fortify a body against the chill.
Or if you’re me, be a glutton and not be able to focus on anything else but a couch on which to play beached-​whale during the entire trip home. I tried to solo this meal and perhaps that was not a good call. But I digress! Let’s talk about the food.
After I settle in at my table, an amuse comes out from the kitchen — a butternut soup with coconut foam. The scent of five-​spice wafts up from the hot ceramic shot-​glass and it is a delicious way to warm up. Quite nice.
A hot bowl of French onion soup is up next — not too salty, really nice flavour, and islands of floating toasted crisps tangled in a mess of melted cheese. It’s a hefty portion of soup, good for sharing. Of course, I ate it all by myself.
The kitchen clearly thought I didn’t have enough to eat this evening (I had two — yes two — mains still yet to come), so a small quenelle of a duck terrine on a crisp gets placed in front of me. Meaty and a little vinegary, this mouthful was a nice way to perk up the taste buds again. A nice and unexpected treat.
I couldn’t resist and got the house-​made pasta of the night: Linguine with pulled boar, mushrooms, and laced with truffle oil. There was mention of tomatoes, but it was a fairly light note. Rich and delicious, this was a deceptively large portion of pasta due to the plate being more bowl-​like than you’d think. Very filling and worth a try if they still have it on the menu.
By now I was pretty full. And what’s next? Cassoulet. It landed on the table and this plate of beans, half a sausage, and two confit duck legs mocked me. The peanut gallery of lardons laughed. I tried valiantly, but I got through half a leg, a slice of sausage, and a few spoonfuls of beans before I called it quits.
The waitress enquires if I want dessert? I’m stuffed, but of course!
I opted for a pot de crème trio (it’s small, right?) in mango, berry, and apple (in order of preference). The mango was light and delicious and not as mangoey as it could have been. Better that way, I think. The berry (cassis, I think), in contrast, was quite strong and worked well. The texture was a bit off though. I’d have opted to pass on the apple in the end.
A pot of loose-​leaf tea (earl grey. hot.), strong and black, accompanied dessert in an effort to make more room in my stomach. It did its job, though I still felt like I was going to explode.
All in all, a promising new neighbourhood place I’d return to sometime (can’t think about when right now — too full). Added bonus is the fact that real French gets bandied about between the FOH and kitchens. Adds that extra je né sais quois to the evening.
(Check the blog for accompanying photos and menus)