Not George, but this Cluny looks good
Cluny K (out of 4) GOOD Address: 35 Tank House Lane, 416-203-2632, clunybistro.com Chef: Paul Benallick Hours: Monday and Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations: Yes Wheelchair access: Yes Price: Dinner for two with wine, tax and tip: $150 AMY PATAKI RESTAURANT CRITIC Tourism to the cobblestoned Distillery District kicks into high gear this month, so it’s good to know there’s a decent restaurant again.
Cluny Bistro is a bit of a surprise. Not since Perigee closed in 2009 has the area had a worthy kitchen.
Cluny’s sister properties — Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill and Archeo — aren’t particularly special. Neither is nearby El Catrin or Mill Street Brew Pub.
But Cluny, open since 2014, is now hitting certain high notes with classic flavours and lavish plating. “We’ve come a long way from when we opened,” says chef de cuisine Travis Cropley. The vibe Cluny’s good looks are almost theatrical. Picture a Belle Époque bistro crossed with Versailles, with antique porcelains and toile fabrics under globe lighting.
Designers Studio Munge installed tiled floors and beautiful ceiling medallions. Some of the 130 seats resemble vintage luggage. Classic French pop alternates with Canadian indie music played softly enough to foster conversation.
Marble counters hold artful arrangements of house-baked bread. Chipotle infuses one stretchy loaf.
The baguette is cottony but the flax-dotted multi-grain is so good, I buy a loaf ($6.50) at the takeout counter. Say cheese Some of the best work by executive chef and O&B veteran Paul Benallick involves melted dairy products.
On its own, Quebec triple-crème cheese La Sauvagine is very easy to eat. Do truffle paste and a panko crust ($22.50 for two) improve it? No, but one cannot improve on perfection.
Melted brie bursts from a well-executed omelette ($18.90) at first cut. Even more impressive than the funky cheese inside are the seven preserved black truffle slices on top. Extravagance is the ethos here.
It’s why they call the onion soup ($15.90) “melted gruyère” after the dominant element, which oozes over the sides onto a skillet. Hey, good cookin’ So many of the dishes make a strong visual impression, like the doll-sized copper saucepan holding smoky potato purée alongside fluffy salt cod beignets ($11.90).
A bamboo boat holds grilled chicken breast ($22.90) dusted in the hazelnut-and-sesame Egyptian spice mix dukkah.
Filet mignon ($36.90) is showered in skinny frites; the meat is properly rested so the juices remain inside, not gush onto the plate.
The most impressive looking dish is the so-called tomahawk meatball ($23.90), from which an unrelated bone juts forth like a Frankenstein’s monster. Rubbery texture aside, the tomato sauce is tasty and the accompanying Parisian gnocchi are lovely. Needs improvement It’s not always so pleasant.
I could do without the chili powder on the frites.
A Lincoln Log stack of breaded asparagus ($9.50) is way too salty.
And the little Staub cocottes wear out their welcome when they are used to serve almost everything, even raw food like a meh tuna tartare ($16.90).
I also have an issue with the service. Not with the waiters, who can describe every menu element and get a meal dispatched quickly, a boon for theatre goers.
My criticism is for the food runners who don’t know who gets what dish. There are systems to prevent this and an ambitious restaurant like Cluny should use one. The theatre crowd Cluny clears out regularly at 7:30 p.m., when the curtain rises at Soulpepper Theatre across the laneway.
“It’s like a tornado in here some nights. Everybody gets up and heads to the door at once,” says a manager.
The smart ones return after the play for pastry chef Chris Kwak’s desserts. Profiteroles ($10.50) merit an encore.
So does the tart-sweet vanilla pudding with apricot purée.
Chocolate fondue ($23.90) is a smash hit. Besides the usual fruit for dipping, we get macarons, cinnamon cookies and creamy vanilla marshmallows that will make you forget the stiff Jet-Puffed in your baking cupboard. apataki@thestar.ca, Twitter @amypataki