As you
enter the stairwell off King West, doubts creep in about the legitimacy of
Lavelle’s supposedly swanky entertainment space. Sure, the stairwell has been
jazzed up – there’s colourful walls and even artwork - but it still leads to a
somewhat dank basement elevator. Rest assured, if you follow the signs and push
the right button in the elevator, you’ll soon be whisked up to the rooftop that
opens viewing the spacious rooftop pool. Walk along the brightly lit corridor
and you’ll soon find the dining area.
Should
you arrive early, take the opportunity to sit at the bar and enjoy the view -
the outdoors consists mostly of cranes and developing condo buildings, but
inside the bar’s copper elements pratically gleams and sparkles. Albeit pricy
(a single cocktail can cost up to $30), they concoct them right – the glass is
chilled with ice cubes beforehand, certain ones shaken versus stirred.
The
Puritan ($17), a classic strong drink from the 1890s, is made up of three types
of alcohol: gin, green chartreuse and vermouth. Oh you’ll taste the alcohol,
especially the herbal properties of the chartreuse. The only respite is the bit
of ice that’s melted into it, orange bitters, and the lemon rind that lets off
a lovely aroma as you take each sip.
Despite
discrepancies between the menu prices and actual charges for their appetizers
(actual prices shown in post), they’re a fair sized portion and could work as a
light meal when paired with salad. The steak tartare ($21) is a flavour bomb
with a zesty kick from the spicy ketchup and horseradish. Finely chopped
hazelnut and cucumber add a bit of crunch and bite that’s a nice contrast
against the soft beef. Luckily, Lavelle doesn’t skimp on the crostini so
there’s enough pieces to get through the heaping portion of tartare.
I’m
torn about the cod cheek & leek ($19) starter. On one hand, it’s
beautifully plated and certain elements on their own are delicious: the baby
purple potatoes so creamy, the lightly dusted fried smelts a nice touch, and
the nori cured duck egg a lovely custard consistency … oh wonderful salty yolk
jelly. But then the smoked buttermilk foam sort of detracts from the dish and
the cod cheek is seriously over salted. Although it looks like a pretty breath
of spring air, for me, the elements together is more compost than bouquet.
A
better seafood option is the Fogo Island cod ($29). The flakey neutral fish
went nicely with the thick flavourful squid ink risotto (it stains the teeth,
but tastes so good). Unlike the cod cheek starter, the other decorative
elements actually enhance the dish – the small matane shrimp adding a
contrasting sweetness and the pea shoots a refreshing element. For what seems
like a light dish, it has a rich creamy finish that’s just as satisfying as any
meat dish.
Although
I was a little disappointed with the “frites” accompanying the steak frites
($29) – where are thin crispy stringy fries and why have they been replaced
with these dense hunks of potatoes? - the flat iron steak was cooked perfectly
and the rub on the outside already flavourful enough that the red wine jus
wasn’t even required. For such a lean cut of meat, it was also surprisingly
tender (probably on account of being aged), while retaining the full beef
flavour.
Another
fitting spring plate is the lychee and hibiscus dessert ($12). Pieces of cake
soaked in a flavourful hibiscus syrup, a cool refreshing lychee sorbet, and
crispy hibiscus meringue pieces have enough sweetness to be satisfying while
still remaining light. I can see the citrusy floral fruit elements being a
hit-or-miss with some guests, but the dessert is different and more interesting
than just another cheesecake.
On
weekends, Lavelle is party central. However, on a weeknight, it’s an oddly
serene and calming environment - the half full restaurant offers a lot of
personal space and service is attentive but not pushy (feel free to sit for
three hours and chat, no one will bother you). It’s nice to go earlier and
watch the sun set: from the dining room the view improves and soon the sky
glows and the CN Tower lights up.
The
restaurant was right to describe the rooftop as an “escape” from the city. High
above the bustle you start to forget about the traffic and commotion. “What
schedule?” you start to think, for now that doesn’t matter and another glass of
bubbly is all you need.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 627 King Street West
Address: 627 King Street West
Website: http://chezlavelle.com/
Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
Other Gastro World posts similar to this:
