What’s on the menu at Biff’s Bistro, the second coming of O&B’s long-running French restaurant

Including some returning favourites and recipes resurrected from Biff’s beginnings

By Jessica Huras| Photography by Shlomi Amiga

| September 20, 2024

What's on the menu at Biff's Bistro, the second coming of O&B's long-running French restaurant

Name: Biff’s Bistro Contact: 2 Front St. E., 416-860-0086, biffsbistro.com, @biffsbistro Neighbourhood: Financial District
Owners: Oliver and Bonacini
Chefs: Corporate executive chef John Horne and chef de cuisine Trenton Pajuluoma Accessibility: Fully accessible

This past January, O&B’s long-standing French restaurant Biff’s Bistro relocated as part of an effort to modernize Berczy Square. But the go-to for pre-theatre and pre-sporting-event dinners didn’t have to move far, scooting just next door into what used to be O&B Café Grill, right across the street from Meridian Hall. The bistro shares the space with Ceci Bar, another new O&B concept.

Biff's Bistro chef de cuisine Trenton Pajuluoma — Chef de cuisine Trenton Pajuluoma

“We didn’t want to close—nobody wanted to close,” says chef de cuisine Trenton Pajuluoma, a Biff’s veteran. “We wanted to move the old Biff’s here, from the decor to the menu.”

The restaurant has retained many menu staples while introducing imaginative new dishes. “Our regulars are so important,” says Pajuluoma. “We’re trying to make the Biff’s they remember, but with a little bit of room for us to do some new things too.”

A spread of French dishes and wine at Biff's Bistro in Toronto

The Food

Biff’s menu is a who’s who of bistro classics—French onion soup, steak frites, salade niçoise—with a smattering of seasonal flair. “We’re not trying to redefine French food,” says Pajuluoma. “And there are a bunch of dishes on the menu that were already perfect at the old Biff’s.” In addition to recreating popular dishes from Biff’s original menu, Pajuluoma revived some of the restaurant’s older hits, including liver and onions. “The dish was on the menu before my time, but people kept asking for it, so I reached out to some of the old chefs to learn how they used to make it,” he says.

Chicken liver parfait served with pickled veggies, house mustard and grilled sourdough — This satiny chicken liver parfait is a carry-over from the original Biff’s menu. It comes with a tiny cup of Biff’s punchy house-made mustard, which takes over a month to produce. The tangy mustard, together with the acidic pickled veggies, cuts through the rich parfait. Served with pickled veggies and grilled sourdough from Petite Thuet. $17

A bowl of French onion soup — The soupe à l’oignon may feel familiar to diners who have visited O&B’s other French restaurant, La Plume. A base of caramelized onions, chicken stock, veal reduction, brandy, port and red wine is finished with a blend of gruyère, emmental and Canadian cheese curds. $19

Tuna tartare and leaves of endive — The tartare de thon is a new addition to the menu. Diced BC yellowfin tuna is combined with avocado, lime and radishes, then crowned with coriander and toasted sesame seeds. Endive leaves offer a delicate substitute for the usual vessel of bread. $24

Coq au vin — Here we have the coq au vin, featuring chicken marinated in red wine for 48 hours and then cooked sous-vide to achieve a fall-apart texture. It sits on a bed of ultra-creamy pommes purée and green beans sautéed in veggie stock and butter. Roasted mushrooms, roasted pearl onions and bacon lardons are scattered overtop. Underneath it all: a savoury red wine jus. $39

A server pours cafe au lait sauce over a tenderloin steak, mashed potatoes and green beans — Pommes purée and green beans also play a supporting role for the steak au poivre. The star is a seven-ounce tenderloin crusted with freshly cracked pepper. It rests in a pool of café au lait sauce with a few crispy gaufrette potatoes piled on top. $72

Crème brûlée with strawberries and sable cookies — This quintessential crème brûlée is served with house-made sable cookies and finished with fresh fruit, mint and a dusting of icing sugar. $13

The Drinks

The cocktail selection also keeps things traditional, offering a combination of classic drinks and slightly tweaked variations, with special martini and spritz menus. “Our little twists keep it new and fresh,” says general manager Jessica Espina-Robinson. The bar program also incorporates French spirits and ingredients as much as possible.

The streamlined wine list features house reds and whites available by the glass or half-litre, along with a selection of old- and new-world bottles (with a strong emphasis on French wines, bien sûr).

A bartender tops up a cocktail with prosecco — Named after the year the French Revolution began, the 1789 is a riff on a lesser-known Bastille cocktail. Lot No. 40 whisky and Peychaud’s bitters make for an aromatic base while Cocchi Americano Bianco and prosecco add brightness and bubbles, respectively. $22

The Rose de Provins is a floral and fizzy sipper made with Dillon’s rose gin, hibiscus rosehip bitters, prosecco and lemon. A touch of honey is used to adhere a dried floral garnish to the side of the glass — The Rose de Provins is a floral and fizzy sipper made with Dillon’s rose gin, hibiscus rose hip bitters, prosecco and lemon. A touch of honey is used to adhere a dried floral garnish to the side of the glass. $19

A person stirs a cocktail using a swizzle stick

The Space

Solid Design Creative intended for Biff’s interior to reflect a timeless bistro vibe, incorporating brass elements, marble tabletops and a rich burgundy-and-espresso colour scheme. Several features from the original location were reused, including the bar façade, the distinctive Paris map, and other artwork hand-picked by Peter Oliver and Michael Bonacini at antique markets in the ’90s, just before Biff’s first opened in 2000.