Review: La Banane

Like an updated Sex and the City hotspot.
La Banane, Toronto, Canada, Restaurant
Rick O'Brien


La Banane, Toronto, Canada, RestaurantLa Banane, Toronto, Canada, RestaurantLa Banane, Toronto, Canada, Restaurant


Give us the lowdown.
Every inch of this place lives up to its name—"la banane" comes from a French expression meaning "to put a smile on one's face." Fittingly, the vibe is sexy and fun. On this part of the Ossington Avenue strip, where so many restaurants can be dramatically hit-or-miss, this is an absolute smash. What was the crowd like?
Chatty groups of friends, hot dates, and young professionals unwinding over dinner and cocktails. What does the drink menu look like?
The bar's playful and inventive cocktails come from Chris Weaver, an alum of Toronto's Momofuku outpost. The Banane Royale, a house favorite, is a shaken mix of dark rum, banana, egg whites, and cream. There are also low-proof cocktails and no-proof mocktails. And the food? Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.
La Banane, where whole sea bass comes baked in a criss-cross croûte, drizzled with yuzu beurre monté, reminds us that French food doesn't have to be stuffy. The flatiron steak au poivre is as good as any you would find in a Parisian brasserie, and the raw bar is one of the best in town, with everything from marinated mussels to Dungeness crab. For desserts, the Ziggy Stardust Disco Egg, a Technicolor-painted chocolate shell filled with coffee beans, apricots, spicy chilies, and rich chocolate truffle, is in a league all its own. And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?
The bar can get pretty rollicking during dinnertime, which might slow things down a bit. That said, observing the servers deftly slither through the crowd is part of the fun here. What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here?
When things gets rolling at La Banane, the vibe can get a bit too loud for intimate conversation. But when this place is good, it's really good—and perfect for a group outing.
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