-
CLOSED: Fressen
-
17
Closed
-
Vegan
Vegan
Organic
Vegan and organic restaurant. Reported closed to HappyCow.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
-
Loading...
-
-
Last update on 15 Feb 2013 by Guest
Update business info -
Are you the owner?
Claim this business
-
-
33 Reviews
First Review by erbavore
Jason Griffin
Points +264
fressensational - Edit
Great atmosphere, super friendly/witty staff, delicious food. Best restaurant in Toronto; not a super expansive menu, but super tasty.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2011-05-01
Pros: Candle-lit tables, Fresh, culinary artistry
Cons: tiny bit pricey, not enough non alcoholic beverages, non existant dessert menu
Guest
·X·
Points +23242
Fressen - Edit
Bottom line, Fressen did not live up to all of the hype. The restaurant was upscale bohemian and the service was spotty. The plantain cakes were unusual but good, and they even had a nice kick to them. Our server recommended two entrees, the spelt linguine and the grilled black bean seitan. The pasta was OK, but the pesto on top of it had an odd flavor - it's possible the base was pecans. My boyfriend absolutely disliked the grilled black bean seitan, and I couldn't agree with him more. His meal was actually terrible and had a strong vinegar taste. The seitan was formed into a sausage and had strange textures and flavors. We spent about $100 there and came away feeling lackluster about our meal. Having said all of that, I probably wouldn't recommend Fressen to any of my friends.
Read moreGuest
eric
Points +21069
Quality food, nice atmosphere - Edit
I was lucky make it here on my Toronto visit. The food was well prepared and presented beautifully. The space is pretty nice and would be a good place to bring a date. Without drinks, and no dessert (too full), the meal came to $55 for two entrees and the 3 cold appetizers, so I couldn't eat here every night. Would be nice though.
Read morePros: Great food, Nice ambiance
Cons: Little pricy
Guest
MarciaM
Points +75
Great spot - Edit
Always dine there when in Toronto. Great choices, yummy tastes, happy wait staff.
Read morePros: Good menu, Nice atmosphere, Good service
Cons: Down stairs to restroom, Parking
Guest
katy3
Points +185
Best dessert ever! - Edit
The food was delicious and wonderfully presented.
Read morePolenta: nice texture and goes well with the bed of spinach
Grilled black bean seitan: the sausage(?) was okay (a bit on the dry side, but I like my food non-greasy, so didn't mind it), and the sauteed vegetable was really good!
Crusted tofu: the tofu was delicious with a bit of a kick. The non-vegan hubby loved it.
The dessert: it was the best dessert I ever had! The chocolate was not too sweet, had the perfect firmness that was heavenly as it melted in my mouth. The fruits complemented the chocolate and the mousse perfectly. I can't wait to eat it again.
Pros: dessert, ambiance, friendly staff
Guest
tfrederick
Points +32
Good food - indifferent servers - Edit
This is a nice restaurant, and it would be nicer if the staff wasn't so eager to close up. We made a reservation for 9:30 on a Saturday night. Before arriving we were told that the kitchen closed at 10. Right when we sat down, though, they told us we had to order right away. I asked why there were closing so early, and the server replied, "Well, we'd like to go out tonight, too."
Read moreWith about 10 tables still eating, another couple walked in at 9:50, and asked if they could order something, and the server said, "No." If this were my restaurant, I'd be pretty upset to find my staff sending business away.
With a bunch of tapas dishes on the table, I asked if we could get a couple more pieces of bread, but the server said, "kitchen closed." Now...I've worked in many restaurants, and I suspect that the server wasn't thinking I wanted her to bake a new loaf of bread for me -- she could easily have sliced some and brought it out. You don't need a chef for that.
Anyway, decent food, but lame service, which makes for a rather mediocre experience overall.
Pros: nice presentation, tasty food
Cons: staff is unpleasant, eager to close, pricey
Guest
Sarah P
Points +8830
amazing meal - Edit
I ate at Fressen in February with 6 non-vegetarian friend, 3 of which self-identify as carnivores. Everyone raved about their meals and talked about returning as soon as possible for more delicious Fressen food!
Read moreWe ordered appetizers, salads, entrees, drinks and dessert. The notable appetizers included the tempeh "fish sticks", which the non-vegetarians especially loved, and the white bean (or possibly butter bean) pate that was offered on the tapas menu.
Entrees included a nice selection of at least one tofu, tempeh, seitan, lentil or bean stew, and pasta option. We tried almost one of everything, and everyone loved each item they tasted. Portions were sufficient for a satisfying meal, and items were creatively prepared. I liked the tofu, tempeh and seitan meals the best.
The dessert was a delicious decadent flourless chocolate cake with hazelnut ganache and truffles. The cake was avocado based, and was so amazingly delicious.
People who drank alcohol responded positively about the drinks. The after-dinner espresso was very strong and tasty. The price per person was about $40, but could have easily been reduced by half without drinks and appetizers.
Cheers to Fressen, I highly recommend the restaurant for vegans and non-vegan loved ones.
Pros: delicious, distinctive food, sufficient portions, nice atmosphere
Cons: a tad pricey
Guest
kindfood
Points +35
Love it!!! - Edit
From one vegan cafe to another vegan restaurant, we love Fressen! The staff, the food, the ambience.....We recommend this restaurant to everyone we know and all end up having a truly fantastic time when they dine there.
Read moreI personally love the jicama Salad (appetizer), Spinach Blinis (shared appetizer) and Crusted Tempeh as my entree.
You must try it and enjoy this must-do experience!!
Kelly Childs
Kindfood (Burlington ON)
Pros: Staff, Excellent VEGAN Food, Romantic Ambience
Guest
ieatmodestmouse
Points +140
not worth going - Edit
my husband and i came here nov 2010. when we walked in, we were treated rudely. we waiting minutes until a waitress who looked like she hadn't washed her hair in months came up and asked if we had a reservation. we said no. she RELUCTANTLY let us sit in an open table. she was unfriendly the entire time we were there.
Read morewe ordered the morroccan stew and the crusted tempeh. both were good, but it was also something that i could make at home.
not worth going out to get treated rudely to have something to eat that tastes like something easy to make at home! we didn't even stay for desert because we didn't want to bother.
Pros: decent food
Cons: rude workers, "boring" food
Guest
Ohkamp
Points +140
Not worth the hype, better options in the city - Edit
For the priciest and some say the best vegan dining in Canada, I've been very disappointed. It is nothing compared to other gourmet vegan dining like Madeleine Bistro in Los Angeles or Candle 79 in New York. The food is just average and I wouldn't say it outshines the likes of moderately priced cafes like Fresh or Live in Toronto unless you're going for the atmosphere. The wait staff has also been rude. If you haven't had the opportunity to experience high end vegan dining before Fressen, I'd say give it a try. I may just have been spoiled and have had higher expectations for such a pricey meal. The brunch was especially disappointing to the four of us who tried it recently.
Read morePros: Atmosphere
Cons: Price, Doesn't live up to the hype
Guest
Allieg
Points +27
Fressen was fabulous! - Edit
Today me and my dad went to Fressen for dinner, and I am glad to say that it was fantastic! We got a set of three tapas ($15): a cold zucchini soup, babaganoush with bread, and a beet and mandarin salad. They were all incredible; The spices and herbs used perfectly complemented the main ingredients. For the entree, I got the seitan kabobs with veggies and my dad got the spelt pesto pasta. To be honest, I was jealous of my dad's pasta. I loved my dish as well, but the pasta was exceptional. The dessert (there's only one!) was also delicious. My dad is an omni and he said it was one of the best meals he's ever had - veg or otherwise! I definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone. *I also recommend making a reservation so you can be guaranteed a seat!
Read morePros: Amazing food, Good prices for the quality, Friendly staff
Cons: It was slow when it got busy
Guest
mquito
Points +67
Most Amazing Veg Resto Ever!!! - Edit
I'm addicted! The unusual food combos that mix blissfully together is the reason my non-vegetarian boyfriend and I frequent this stop.
Read morePros: crazy good food, friendly staff, crazy good cesars
Guest
jedzen
Points +108
Good vegan food - Edit
I went to Fressen with my boyfriend. That was the most expensive vegan dinner i had during my trip in Toronto, but also probably the best.
Read moreThe two girls serving our table were helpful and quick. When i told one of them their home made bread was amazing, she smiled and came back with a big basket!
We had good wine, good apetizers ( olives, and sweet potato tartelettes )
I ate pastas. They were good but i've had better. I'm a big fan of pastas and cook a lot at home so maybe that's why i'm picky. My boyfriend had the beer battered tofu and it was just perfect, and the plate was beautiful.
I couldnt finish the dessert. It was huge. They only had one choice, which is an avocado-chocolate mousse cake. Tasty, well presented, but rich and hard to eat because we were already full. When we ordered, the girl said : One to share? And we said no, 2, one each. She should have warned us about the size! We didnt knew. Anyway we wrapped them and ate them for breakfast!
We liked the place. We were in jeans and didnt seem to fit around all those 'dressed for the occasion' persons around but we still received great service and enjoyed our evening without problems.
Nice jazz music, lovely decoration.
Will be back if i can.
Guest
procrastinasian
Points +273
Disappointing brunch - Edit
We had out-of-town guests and wanted to take them out to a special brunch. We'd been to Fressen three years ago but not since, and were expecting a stellar (if expensive) meal. Instead, we got an adequate and expensive meal. The choices, while creative, were not anything that special, and weren't prepared particularly well. Our corn cakes were burned, the potatoes didn't seem quite cooked enough, and a lot of the meal was pretty bland. The waitstaff was rude and unhelpful. We were embarrassed we'd taken our guests there, and wish we'd gone to Live instead.
Read moreI'm glad that there's a nice vegan restaurant like this in Toronto, but our last meal there doesn't make me want to go back when I can instead go to places like Fresh, Vegetarian Haven, and Live.
Cons: rude staff, overpriced food, bland
Guest
TVB
Points +28
Great date place! - Edit
I love the atmosphere of this place. At night the lights are dimmed low and there is great music playing softly. Not to mention the food is amazing!!!
Read moreI will definitely be back :)
Pros: Great Food, Great Service, Great Atmosphere
Guest
Ken4057
Points +1200
Used to be great... - Edit
Fressen was THE place to go in Toronto. The brunch was massive and the best deal in town at $9.
Read moreEverything has now been scaled back: the brunch plates are now much smaller, the entrees are all gone, replaced by tapas-style dishes that are very expensive and not nearly as satisfying as the main entrees that came before.
The gnocchi is delicious, but scant. The seared gluten is gone - and good riddance, b/c it was bland. The battered tempeh fish are a go, as are any of their salads.
I'll go back sometime, but that original thrill is gone.
Guest
VeganJo
Points +336
Take a warm coat - Edit
I can't say I enjoyed Fressen that much, mainly because most of the time I was freezing cold. I asked the (helpful) waitress to turn the heating up and it went extremely hot for a while before returning to being cold. So be prepared for eating with your coat on.
Read moreThe food was pretty good. I loved the sound of the mushroom filo pastry with spinach sauce but found that the top of it was burnt slightly and the bottom soggy as sitting in loads of sauce, so it didn't quite live up to expectations but was quite tasty nonetheless as were the lentil balls. I had a tapas and a starter and found it was enough food for me and not at all expensive either.
Pros: Tasty food, Good service, Pleasant atmosphere
Cons: Felt cold, Soggy/burnt pastry
Guest
sullivusb
Points +305
Yummy! - Edit
Very gourmet, elegant, well presented food. The food was great and it was nice to eat at a more "gourmet" restaurant than the usual vegetarian Asian places. Highly recommended.
Read morePros: food was great, dessert was amazing, beautifully presented
Cons: menu is a bit short, restaurant is somewhat small
Guest
veganstastebetter
Points +205
Whats up Fressen? - Edit
I used to eat at Fressen every trip to toronto, but I have begun to explore other options. A little pricey and apparently the service leaves a lot to be desired. According to these reviews service is the main issue. The food is amazing and the selection is great. I will be back someday soon.
Read moreGuest
Keith_Thode
Points +717
Interesting - Edit
Great and very imaginative food. Somewhat expensive. Very loud music.
Read moreGuest
World B. Free
Points +84
Good but not the BEST. - Edit
Unlike the experience of others, my girlfriend and I actually received pretty good service. Our server was friendly, quick to refill water and our wattress was even flexible with the dessert menu (I wanted a dessert sans alcohol and they only really prepare one dessert a day). The bathroom, however, which has also gotten a lot of attention, is pathetic for a place like this. Out of soap, out of paper towels, etc. (Sorry vegan germaphobes!) The food, three dishes, the rawzagna, tart pizza and asparagus were all GOOD but not GREAT. The modified dessert they made for us was the highlight and despite others gripes about price we managed three plates and a dessert for a pretty reasonable 36 dollars. Drink water people, it is good for you! Hahah. Overall I would rate my experience a 3.8. There are a lot of other vegan places I will be checking out next time I am in Toronto before I am back at Fressen. Oh, and Fressen can you please put some signs out like "seat yourself" or "wait to be seated" as well as "washrooms" instead of just a blank door. Confusing for first time visitors!
Read morePros: Flexible with dessert, Reasonable Price , Good service
Cons: Bathrooms are disgusting
Guest
djmofoword
Points +27
worst service ever! - Edit
I went there for a nice meal with my boyfriend last weekend. It was POURING out side and we biked down. We had reservations. The hostess brought up to our table. Before we had sat down or taken off our drenching coats the server had put menus on our table, told us the specials and asked what we want to drink. I knew from then on it would be a fun night ;(
Read moreShe didnt look at us once, looked cheaking out the rest of the dinning room when taking out order. we didnt have any cutlery and asked 3 times... we had to get if our selves after the 3rd attemps.
The way we were treated wes insane, so bad i was tempted to leave her a penny. but, i know i will go back because the darn porttabella mushroom is so good!!
Pros: food, ceiling
Cons: arrogant, bad service, could use some renos
Guest
LegrayDynamic
Points +49
Tastee Food Horrible Service - Edit
We were in town for the Caribana festival and my brother who is vegan happy cowed this establishment. When we walked in the servers looked nervous to even approach our party ( Not sure if it was because we were the only multiethnic group or maybe because we had dreadlocks) non the less they were not interested serving our party of 6. three of our party were meat eaters two of us were vegetarian, and one of us was vegan. The individuals that were meat eaters were trying out something new for the first time and were treated horribly when they asked questions. What a way to scare them off. we had experienced horrible service over all .
Read moreOn the bright side if you want to call it that, the food was beautiful and tastee! I will never go there again. Also the server took her own undeserving tip by not bringing our change and waving us off to leave.
Pros: yummy, pretty
Cons: horrible service, horrible servers
Guest
vegan.flora
Points +36
beautiful - Edit
The most notable thing about the food at Fressen is how pretty it is. Each dish was its own work of art, and I almost felt guilty eating them...so we took pictures of each dish before indulging. Compared to other up-scale vegan food (i.e. Millennium, Green Zebra, Medicine) the flavors weren't especially notable, but the combinations worked well. They offered one dessert which was a rich chocolate terrine with chocolate mousse and fresh fruit. Delicious, but so decadent we couldn't finish it. We also tried the cranberry chocolate martini, which was yummy even though neither of us is a big drinker.
Read moreThe wall facing the street was open, and the restaurant is decorated in a forest theme with trees painted on the walls, and faux trees coming out of the ground and "growing" into the ceiling. Cool looking place.
Our waitress was very helpful, attentive, and nice. We were seated immediately, and the food arrived extremely quickly. Reviews on this site (and the big SLOW FOOD statement on their website) led us to expect a long, slow meal, but we received the opposite--dishes were often brought before we were ready. This may have been because we were there fairly early, but maybe they're actively trying to speed up service.
Pros: beautiful food, pretty decor, helpful servers
Guest
sergeantyeti
Points +82
Fressen good - Edit
Try the avocado sandwich on grilled bread. Yummy!
Read moreGuest
philjdomm
Points +945
i eat an hang out here - Edit
a lot!
Read moreGuest
tragedia
Points +43
Delicious brunch - Edit
Before visiting Toronto this weekend (I'm from Montreal, Quebec), I did some research here on Happy Cow for veg*n restaurants. I'd read great reviews about Fressen, and even heard positive things about it from a veg waitress at a local coffee shop, especially regarding their weekend brunch. My boyfriend and I headed there yesterday for brunch and were impressed by their rendition of the ubiquitous tofu scramble. Here, if I am not mistaken, they make it with silken tofu instead of regular firm tofu, the former of which definitely makes it taste (and feel) a lot more like real scrambled eggs than the latter. I ordered the vegan French toast, which was unlike any vegan French toast I have prepared at home. This one was covered by an assortment of whole grains and seeds, yet the inside (where the mushy bread was) was sweet and very moist. I liked how each meal was accompanied by fruits and even some vegetables, so that the diner would not be faced with just one thing to eat (the scrambled tofu came with potatoes, salad, one or two pieces of cinnamon-bread-like toast, and fruits. Another plus was when our waitress walked through the restaurant with a rustic basket full of fresh mini-muffins and distributed one to each diner. I appreciated how confident the wait staff was of the food (our waitress, when told by us that we'd heard lots of good things about Fressen, said "You won't be disappointed", and later said, "Aren't you glad you came?" when we expressed how much we liked the food), though my boyfriend did find such expressions to be rather arrogant. Nevertheless, the food was excellent. I have just one complaint: They had no espresso machine, so you're restricted to consuming regular coffee (which probably isn't a problem for most).
Read morePros: great food, pleasant atmosphere, price
Cons: Watch the stairs to the bathroom!, slight arrogance of wait staff, no espresso machine
Allieg
Just so you know, they now have an espresso machine! :)
Read moreGuest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 5571 times.