Bouches will no longer be amused after Amuse-Bouche closes on May 31
The people behind Amuse-Bouche confirmed today what was already suggested by the giant For Lease signs on their walls. After five successful years, the west-end French bistro will be shutting its doors on May 31. “Knowing that our lease was up for renewal, we contemplated our options and finally decided it was time to move on and explore new ventures and opportunities,” reads the message sent out to VIP customers and signed by operators Jason Inniss, Sarah Lyons and Bertrand Alépée.
The Tecumseth Street spot, which never lacked for patrons or good press, will apparently be holding a goodbye party in the coming month. Until then, the restaurant will continue with its tasting menus and Tuesday tapas special. Finish off with the desserts that made them famous, and parting will be sweet sorrow.
Finally! Service at AmuseBouche is awful. They are always overbooking for this tiny space. We arrived 10 min before 9 for our table. Have been told that our seating time were pushed to 9:30 (no phone call to warn us). And we were asked to wait by the back end, close to the washroom. No apologies, not even offered to order drinks while waiting. Our table was not even ready at 9:30. I was so mad that we left. Thank you for ruining my bday! Horrible!
This is sad news! I loved Amuse-Bouché and chef Jason Inniss (who made a special point of going around to all the tables each time I’ve been there).
Best of luck to Jason, and everyone else at Amuse-Bouché.
Amuse Bouche is/was awesome. Great little place that served incredible dishes.
Sad to see it go…but I still have nearly two months before it does!
I’m sad, I’ve only been there once recently as I just moved to the neighbourhood. It was great food and I loved the small cosy atmosphere. Kind West is so full of giant yuppy overdone places…it’s nice to see something so quaint once in a while.
I am SO bummed out by this. Amuse Bouche was one of my favourites in the city, and I have many fond memories of their great tasting menus and great service. I had been waiting for their cute little patio to open again in the Spring. looks like I am going to have to speed up my next visit.
A half hour delay at a restaurant is not unreasonable, especially at a small establishment. It is always very tricky for any busy restaurant to try and guarantee a specific time.
A little patience might have served this person well.
DaRuMa
I am sad to read that Amuse Bouche will be closing. I harbour fond memories of this place, particularly a specific evening shared with a delightful man. The cosy & quaint atmosphere & delectable tasting menu all played a role in what will remain an unforgettable night.
Thank you Amuse Bouche & Jason. May you be blessed with great success in your next adventure.
DaRuMa, you sound like a moron with way too much time on their hands. I don’t know about you but there are nights when the evening’s schedule does not just entail having dinner so to stand around waiting at least 30 minutes to be seated WITHOUT WARNING is ridiculous. furthermore, if I expect to eat not long after my reservation time, I should be given the opportunity to do so. at least if I am given a heads up, then I can plan accordingly or at least be given the option to go elsewhere. I am not overly surprised that the AB is closing down but then why should they try to improve their service from this point on if they’re closing anyway?
DaRuMa – you’re wrong. There’s no excuse for how foodie514 was treated. Don’t make excuses.
Hey Jude, and foodie#whatever. What’s wrong with you. a small busy neighbourhood restaurant run by excellent owners. Can’t seem to build up understanding for what happens in the working world of “eaters” I have an idea, stop going out for dinner and do what you do best. Stay at home, … Alone …
I wish the chefs well; they were earnest in their desire to feed Torontonians well, albeit sometimes misguided. I won’t miss it. Was last here for a special celebration courtesy of one of their VIP customers – who shelled out $870 for dinner for 4, yet still there were mishaps. Eg: I asked whether the ‘wild game’ amuse-bouche we were being served was venison, and the waiter didn’t know what venison was. Then told me not to worry – it was just beef. Ohhhhhh waiter – thank you very much for your honesty! Too bad the price of dinner didn’t reflect that gaff. The food combos were just plain weird some nights, and it’s not like there was much choice! May fusion rest in peace … The main reason the bill was so high was due to the 2 excellent bottles of $260 apiece David Hobbs wine we reveled in. Those I’ll miss!! But – if you’re spending that much on a second bottle of wine, would it have killed Sarah to bring us clean glasses? She even plopped wine from the newly opened bottle into an unfinished glass, which was jarring to the palate! I didn’t mention it so as not to embarrass the host, but made up my mind never to be back. She also kept coming around trying to sniff out an invite to our host’s digs in Europe, and overstayed her welcome many times during our meal, while inflicting her uber-cool ‘I’m Toronto’s hostess with the mostess’ aura on us while we were trying to enjoy each other’s company (not hers). I hate that! I wish the chefs well in their next venture, and would like to remind them to keep a sharper eye on the floor staff. They can make or break you.
We have not been eating out in Toronto since we started to split our time between here and NYC. We had enjoyed many wonderful meals prepared by Jason and Bertrand, many exceptional bottles of wine recommenbed by Sarah, and attentive service. We just learned of the closing of Amuse Bouche when we tried to make a reservation. It is a sad loss to the Toronto restaurant scene. The owners are hard working, lovely people to whom we wish only the very best in their future endeavours.