Sidecar

Great place. The food was tasty and the drinks as well. What stood out most about this «modern european» spot was that it actually felt as though you were in a Mediterranean country having dinner: the serves let us sit and enjoy our meal, drinks and company without coming back every few minutes or create an urgency to rush us out. They were also very helpful and accommodative to my gluten-​free and dairy free diet. Thank you!

A fun night out at the side car.
I love this place for a casual night out with a simple meal in mind.
Great wine selection from local to old world with my favourite Cave Springs Selections.
I am also a big fan of the Q water they serve for $ 1 a head for unlimited sparkling or flat water that is filtered and taste great.
The new menu has some mix results.
The Tuna Sashimi was very nice with thick pieces of seared Tuna. The salad needs a different dressing. Current one is too creamy that drowns the gentle tuna.
The salads were tasty and great portion.
What I noticed that need to cut down on the house salad dressing and get a few different options. It’s a similar creamy dressing on most of them.
The entrées were for the most part really good. The salmon was done well with excellent sides, the Lamb had an crust that was crunchy and added new texture to a classic dish. The mushroom pasta was excellent in presentation and taste. The fail was my shrimp spaghetti which was the low point of my dinner. There was maybe 2 – 3 shrimp in the pasta that were so small I couldn’t find them. Otherwise the dish would have been worth ordering.
Service was really good. Attentive and quick. Service came out at the perfect pace and kept us wanting more.

4 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 December 2015
There are so many good things to say about Sidecar. They keep their music sound level down so that it’s easy to converse. Kudos for that! The service was on the slow side, but they were pretty full even though we were there on the Monday after Christmas.
We began with the House Cured Salmon Salad which we shared. It’s an interesting combination but there was more beets and potatoes than there was Salmon. For our mains we had Mushroom Risotto (lots of garlic), Short Rib Pappardelle (really a pasta dish with a bit of short rib) and Atlantic Salmon (an interesting sauce). We enjoyed our choices, but I wish I had asked if the Salmon was fresh. I’m not sure it was. For dessert we shared the Flourless Chocolate Ganache. It was so good but so rich that I was glad we shared. Oddly, we weren’t brought individual plates even though we said that we’d be sharing.
All in all it was a very nice evening with very tasty food. I’d be happy to go there again.

Walked in on a Saturday night with my hubby without a reservation. They allowed us to sit at the bar. We had the bartender serve us and she was wonderful. She gave us some bubbly on the house! The complementary bread and hummus were delish! We shared the Caesar salad, I order the pasta with braised beef and my husband ordered the steak. All were well prepared, generous portions and very tasty. For dessert, we had the in-​house crème brule — one of the best I have ever had. I will go back.

Vegetarian Option was terrible and uninspired. Service was not great. I don’t think I’ll return.

There’s a secret I don’t know whether to share or keep to myself.
This review is from the bottom of my belly, and the extrovert side of me who wants to share how well-​run and awesome this place is. The restaurant’s prices are reasonable and the food is delicious and worthy of a tipple since their bartenders are well-​versed in the art and beauty of a well-​made cocktail.
On College Street east of Grace, on the south side. It can accommodate mobility challenged but the restrooms are downstairs.
A warm room with evening dimmed lighting, cocktails are made from scratch. And oh so tasty.
Food is delicious and a great companion to the cocktails.
The egg-​white foam on my whisky sour bubbles on my lips and there is no chance this is a watered-​down drink. It is made to perfection. A curl of orange peel adds a swirl of vibrant colour to a pale, potent beverage.
Steak is tender and executed well. Veggies are the right amount of al-​dente and tender seasonal.
Priced fairly for the level of care and attention to detail on upscale style dining.

Came here with friends for a winterlicious dinner 2 weeks ago. The menu is actually similar to the regular $ 25 prix fixe menu they have. Except that one is only available from Sunday to Wednesday and only has 1 dessert option.
For starter, I ordered the Daily Soup (mushroom at the time) and it was huge in portion, very filling. Most of my other friends ordered the salads but portions seemed kinda small. For main, I had the Atlantic Salmon and that was pretty good. I liked the crispy edges and it was quite soft inside. Yum~ Most of my group ordered this. Only one friend ordered the Steak Frites, which they liked. However, someone I know went here for a dinner a week earlier and said Steak Frites were not very good and not even hot when served. I guess it depends on your luck.
For dessert, I had the Chocolate Ganache and think it would have been nice if they added something to balance the sweetness of it. I got to also sample a Whipped Cream & Raspberry Coulis Lemon Cake and a Vanilla Pannacotta from my friends. The Lemon Cake is very strong in lemon flavour, not overly sweet and more tart. Just right for my friend who ordered it. For the Pannacotta, I personally would pass on it. It didn’t have the consistency I would have expected. Thought it would be slightly more gelatinous? Stiffer then what was served at least.
Service was good. Server was nice and paid attention, worrying if I enjoyed my meal since I was the only one still eating. Assured them, I’m just a slow eater. lol. There was also a last minute addition to our group and the restaurant was pretty nice about accommodating us on that too.
Overall, the restaurant and service is nice but except for the Atlantic Salmon… nothing really wowed me. Just if you are only in the area, I would check it out. The prix fixe menu is a decent deal… portions are good for the price.
FYI: If you have mobility issues, think twice about going to the washroom here. It’s down a narrow flight of stairs (they do have a railing) and the ceiling is very low. I’m only 5’4″ (5’6″ in my heart) and felt like bending down to get to the washroom. lol.

My beef-​centric meal of carpaccio and steak frites was really good. They did a great job cooking (or better yet, *not* cooking) the steak to a perfect rare. The carpaccio was good albeit a bit flavourless. I had the crème brûlée for dessert which had an extra hard layer of caramel on it. Didn’t necessarily like fruit they put on top. Didn’t taste fresh. But otherwise, had a great time. Really nice meal and I’d absolutely go back!

I always feel a little skeptical of myself when I rate a place 5 stars. What can I say though, I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience at Sidecar. Both the food and service were on point.
My friend treated me to dinner there for my birthday. We couldn’t pass up the great deal for the prix fixe; we got the French onion soup (daily soup) and Sidecar salad for appetizers, Steak Frites and Salmon for main, and Flourless Chocolate Cake for dessert. Some reviews claim the steak frites to be good but I thought it was a little lacklustre in how the steak was handled. What stood out to me was the salmon. It was perfectly cooked – not too dry, still tender with flavour – and dressed with a delicious creamy sauce.
Service was fantastic as well! The waiter was attentive, friendly, and made sure we were kept warm by offering us blankets as we were seated in the back patio (this was back in fall).
I’d definitely come back again.

High class ambiance, service and food without the hefty price tag. Dinners are candlelit, servers replace your cutlery after each course, and the bread is always served warm and toasty. Lot of middle eastern influence. They serve a nice hummus spread instead of butter with their bread, and their signature Sidecar Salad has middle eastern flavor as well.
A beautiful place for a romantic yet reasonabltly priced date (whether with a loved one or a friend), with fail-​proof food. Their portions are small, but there are definitely places that charge triple the $ and give a third of the amount.

I really liked it here. The atmosphere is really intimate and romantic! I came w an old friend and we had a great time. The food was honestly fab! Server was on point the entire night and not to mention very generous w the wine pours. My risotto w mushrooms had great flavour and was scrumptious! They also have a great selection of digestives for post dinner. The amaretto w orange was lovely. My rose at dinner was fresh and lover pair w my main dish.

I really enjoy this place. Staff is fast and attentive and the food is very good.
One of the best Cesar salads in the city. The meats are of the utmost quality and cooked to perfection. Wine list was good, but could have a bit more variety. They have a great prix fixe menu as well.

I had Side Car bookmarked for a long time but wanted a special occasion to visit. I planned my birthday there this year and invited about 13 – 15 people to come out for dinner and drinks.
My first call, I spoke to the owner and let him know I wanted to make dinner reservations for a Saturday next month. I asked if we could do ala carte menu because there were a few items on their regular menu I’d love a chance for my friends to try. The set menu was very basic and didn’t have the more creative items from their menu. I only asked this because on their website it says the set menu is only encouraged for large groups but not mandatory.
He said okay, but only if he can push the reservations from 7pm to 8:30pm. I said it’s a little late for dinner but I understand because of the regular menu and even told him don’t worry about the food coming out at different times. So the reservation was made and I promised to call back the week of to reconfirm numbers.
I call back 3 days prior to Saturday and spoke with the person who answered the phone, which I thought was the owner in the beginning of the call but he didn’t seem sure of having spoken to me before. He started telling me that my guests and me would have to do the set menu after i confirmed 15 would be the number. So I told him no, I spoke with the owner last time and he said we wouldn’t have to and that’s why our reservations were pushed to 8:30pm instead of 7pm. He then went on to reveal that he was the person I spoke to last time and their policy is the set menu for large groups. (Then why tell me differently the first time and make me push my reservations from 7pm dinner time to 8:30pm???)
Then the cherry on top was when I let him know that 2 of my friends are coming from a chinese banquet dinner before hand but they’ll definitely order more than $ 30 worth of drinks, to which he said no… and I quote «Miss you have to understand I lose money for every chair in this restaurant, so if your friends come in and doesn’t have the set menu that’s $ 100 I lose.»
At this point i probably should have canceled my reservations, seeing that they lied and pushed my reservation to 8:30, then bullied me into doing the set menu before saying that 2 of my friends couldn’t celebrate my birthday with me because they aren’t having the set menu they forced us to have. I was busy and didn’t want to find a new place and have to msg my friends the change in location and plus a few other bars I wanted to go to was near by. So after he said at least this way the food will all come out together, I confirmed my reservation.
Saturday arrives… reservations were confirmed and we still had to wait 10 – 15 mins with 15 of us standing in the small front entrance. Food came out irrationally and not together… 2 of my friends had to sit at the bar even though they had chairs available… my best friend managed to talk them into at least letting me have the lamb pasta instead of the steak, chicken or veggie pasta on the set menu given that it was my birthday… EVERYONE HAD TO GET TIRAMISU for dessert. I didn’t realize that restaurants were all about $ value per chair and not the amazing food they create… I’d expect it from wait staff at a chain restaurant where they need the turn over tips to top up their salary.
Only redeeming feature was their craft drinks… delicious. Huge let down in service unfortunately.

I was really looking forward to trying sidecar as my husband has been wanting to go since February. Finally I got around to make reservations and off we went. I called ahead because I was running 15 mins late and the man on the phone said it was no problem.
When we got there, they seated us inside. I heard they have a great patio and because it was such a beautiful day outside, I asked if we can get a seat outside. But they were fully booked. Which is fine but the waitress that seated us made a comment about priority to people with a reservation but I did, so that turned me off cause she has an attitude. Lucky she wasn’t our waitress for the night cause the other girl was really nice. We inquired with the floor manager about the seat outside and he said the same but I guess he saw how disappointed I looked that he offered us champagne. The staff overall was friendly except for the one girl.
The decorations was also really nice. I liked t exposed brick. The ambiance is warm and would be great for a date night.
We ordered the crab cake. They were large but the inside was too wet. It was served with a basic aioli sauce. It tasted good just needed to cook a little longer. I got the scallops for my main that came with a parsnip mash. There was a creamy drizzle on the scallops and it was delicious. The meal was light and perfect for what I wanted. Also, the waitress recommended the dish. Dave got the crusted lamb. His own was also very good. It was more on the rare side when he ordered it medium rare but he didn’t mind and it still tasted good.
The food overall was good. Nothing really wowed me but I wouldn’t hesitate to come back either.
Next time I’ll be sure to request a patio seat when I make my reservations.

Walking along College in the rain, and not a cool place to go (that could seat us, unlike Bar isobel). Just wanted to grab drinks not dinner
Sidecar sat right away, the bar stools are quite comfortable. Service wasn’t so attentive, bartender was super non existent despite being less than a foot away from us. However — the drinks were great. They brought us free bread and hummus, and even replenished it when we were done!
I’d definitely go back for another girls’ night.

It is a rare thing for me to come up to College but slowly i am beginning to enjoy what it has to offer more and more.
I should just cut and paste what Kris wrote as it was his review that pointed me towards here, knowing I can trust his judgement on all things food and drink.
Me and my +1 went for the Grand Prix menu. Possibly the first time ever i chose salad over soup. The mains I went for the grilled salmon, for which i was asked how i want it. Confused a bit since I have never been asked that for salmon. Went with Medium, should have gone for more well done. It was nice but just felt raw in places but that would be my dislike of raw fish kicking in more than anything else.
With the food I had the old fashioned but I think due the drinking I had done earlier I was not able to fully appreciate it.
The service was great and the staff really friendly.
I found the tables too close together. I kept getting looks from the couple next to me. The probably didn’t get my jokes but their loss.

I’m so angry at myself. This place combines two of my favourite things: duck confit and lightly pan-​fried gnocchi. So what do I order? Pappardelle.
I brought my best friend here for her birthday. She ordered the gnocchi so I thought to order something else so we can both try each other’s dishes. It ended up being her pushing me to eat more gnocchi because she could see the envy in my eyes, I think. But alas, I refused because I must forever remember this and always choose the duck confit.
Anyways, the ambiance was good. It was cold for June but we got a patio seat in the back. Atmosphere was crisp and classy. Service could be a little more attentive but I understand that they saw that we were in deep conversation and didn’t want to intrude. We both ordered the beef carpaccio to start and it’s one of the best I’ve had to this day. Jess and I still talk about it sometimes.

I’m not really into celebrating Valentine’s day BUT I was extremely happy when my boyfriend and best friends planned a little double date here for this little holiday of love.
Right when I walked my eyes automatically focused on all of the gorgeous maps they have up. Love the décor here. And that exposed brick wall? Yep, Can this be my house?
For Valentine’s Day they had a 3 course $ 40 Prix Fixe Menu That we all opted out of because it honestly wasn’t that great of a deal. We ended up getting just as much food and wine for the same price off the regular menu. My boyfriend and I ended up getting the steak frites because we have heard so many great thins about it. It was really good but It looked a lot different than other photos i’ve seen from there. Should have taken a photo oops!
Other than the steak we got the Salmon tartare and the Lobster Bisque. In my eyes the Tartare was the true star of this meal. It was really spicy and served with tortilla chips. I would go back just for that honestly.
The staff was very attentive and I have to give them props for keeping their sanity because I could never wait tables on Valentines day.
Over all it was a great meal and we had a great time :)

Last night I had dinner at Sidecar with two of my best girlfriends. The company (as always) was great and so was the dining experience.
My friends had the Winterlicious special and I was quite surprised at the generous portions of all three courses. I had the foie gras to start. It was succulent, as it should have been, but the portion was very small (I’ve been spoiled by the likes of Au Pied de Cochon). The Tuna that I had for my main was staggeringly good and wonderfully plated. Given just a quick sear on all sides, the fish was like a jeweled ruby inside and tucked under the fabulous plating of the fish were tender fingerlings and vegetables. So often, tuna can be mediocre. That was not the case here.
My friends seemed to enjoy the halibut and the steak that they ordered as well as their desserts.
I opted for a cheese plate that appeared on a large board featuring some manchego, grey owl and pecorino as well as some crunchy walnuts, dried cranberries and quince paste.
The service was wonderful and we didn’t feel rushed even when the place began to fill up. Our server was efficient and friendly without interrupting our girl chatter.
I would recommend Sidecar for an intimate romantic dinner or a special night out. I also hear that the patio is really nice in the summer. I’ll have to check it out.

The first time I visited Sidecar I found my steak to be chewy, and the dessert dry. But the bread was delicious; the salad fresh with just the right amount of dressing, and crispy croutons, and the coffee refills were a perfect addition to the warm bread. So I got a group together and paid them another visit. Making the reservations for a group was pretty straightforward, and the menu for $ 25 was hard to beat.
$ 25 Prix Fixe
Available from Sunday — Wednesday
Appetizers
Daily Soup
Made daily from seasonal ingredients
Mixed Greens
Fresh baby greens, ripe cherry tomatoes, crisp onion and red wine vinaigrette
Romaine Hearts
Fresh hearts of romaine, pancetta, garlic butter croutons Caesar vinaigrette
Mains
Rigatoni
Grilled eggplant, yellow zucchini, roasted peppers in a spicy tomato ragu with pecorino
Atlantic Salmon
Browned tender filet, dijon honey glaze white wine butter sauce
Pan Roasted Chicken
Crispy half chicken, smashed buttery fingerlings, fresh asparagus, natural jus
Steak Frites
Grilled 8oz top sirloin hand cut golden frites & sriracha aioli
Dessert
Tiramisu
**Substitutions can be accommodated for a nominal fee of $ 2, $ 3 or $ 5 to account for more expensive items
The Good
The ambiance is lovely-​modern, classy and clean
They will accommodate a large group
They kept refilling our coffee and bread
The bread was amazing-​warm with fresh butter on the side-​so good! And I am not even a bread person!
The coffee was also amazing! – I am a coffee person :)
This time around the steak was cooked to perfection
The frites had just the right amount of seasoning and were crispy on the outside and pillowy in the inside
Loved the addition of the butter on the steak-​gave it that extra kick of flavor
The Not-​So-​Good
Disliked the desserts the first time around, and we all disliked it the 2^nd time. Yes, you can substitute the dessert, but we disliked them all. In comparison to their mains, the desserts needed work. Which is odd since they are doing such an amazing job with the bread!
At the end of dinner one of our waiters approached me and asked me if my friends and I only like to eat out if the meal is cheap? What kind of question was that? It was not only rude, but he also insulted the restaurant he works for by implying that they are cheap! Wow!
My dessert was missing an element, and when I asked the chef he told me he was going to get it for me-​I told him I was going to take my dessert to-​go, so I asked that he include it in the to-​go container. On my way out I checked the to-​go container and the missing piece was not in the box. I asked the chef again and he told me that they had run out. Was he going to tell me at all, or was he waiting for me to get home to find the piece missing? Personally I thought that was sneaky and unprofessional. If you can’t deliver, then step-​up and admit it.
In Sum
Though there were many hits, the overall experience left a lot to be desired… being called cheap, average desserts, and sneaky behaviour killed the experience for me. And no, I don’t only go out for «cheap» meals! The nerve!