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What’s on the menu at Café Renée, chef Nick Liu’s Italian-inspired French restaurant

Including a sheet of ravioli and a crème brûlée espresso martini that are blowing up on Instagram

By Helen Jacob| Photography by Ryan Nangreaves

| April 12, 2024

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A spread of dishes and drinks at Cafe Renee, in Toronto's King West neighbourhood

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Name: Café Renée Contact: 100 Portland St., cafereneebar.com, @cafereneebar
Neighbourhood: King West Previously: Jimmy’s Coffee Owners: Bianca Rossi and Nick Liu Chefs: Executive chef Nick Liu (DaiLo) and chef de cuisine Josh Ling Accessibility: Not fully accessible

Wedged between Little Sister and Sara on Portland Street, Café Renée is a joint effort between chef Nick Liu of DaiLo and BarChef’s beverage director Angus Edmundson—so it’s little wonder the not-even-two-month-old spot is already a hit. Along with DaiLo chef Josh Ling, Liu leads a team that serves up Italian-inspired French dishes and cocktails to the after-work and late-night crowds.

Café Renée's chef de cuisine Josh Ling and executive chef Nick Liu — Chef de cuisine Josh Ling (left) and executive chef Nick Liu

The food

The menu is pasta-heavy, and the dish currently blowing up social media is the kitchen’s version of ravioli du Dauphiné—essentially a sheet of attached ravioli pockets, each filled with Comté cheese and chives. But there’s also protein to complement all those carbs, like steak frites and the Banh Mi du Paris, a chicken liver sandwich with all the fun banh mi fixings. Coming soon: brunch.

Steak tartare with potato gaufrettes and pickles — The steak tartare mixes chopped striploin with salty capers, grainy mustard and diced shallot. Instead of the typical egg yolk, it’s crowned with a rich truffle aioli. On the side: house-made potato gaufrettes and pickles. $23

Cafe Renee's Ravioli du Dauphine — The ravioli du Dauphiné is a whole sheet of ravioli, each pocket is stuffed with Comté cheese and chives, in a silky beurre monté sauce with a splash of soy, parmesan and olive oil. $24

Rigatoni alla vodka — For the rigatoni alla vodka, pasta from Gran Duro in Woodbridge is blanketed in a creamy vodka sauce that gets an extra layer of umami from a hit of dashi. $24

A deboned, deconstructed, whole fried branzino dressed with an olive salsa, preserved lemon and brown butter — This show-stopper is a deboned, deconstructed whole fried branzino dressed in olive salsa, preserved lemon and brown butter. $50

Pavlova topped with a Chantilly cream, Saskatoon berry compote and fresh berries — For dessert: pavlova topped with Chantilly cream, Saskatoon berry compote and fresh berries. $16

The drinks

There’s a long list of old- and new-world wines and champagnes that play into the European vibe. House cocktails, meanwhile, include low-proof spritzes, a martini that leans toward the sweeter side, and a crème brûlée take on an espresso martini that first needs to be (gently) cracked open with a spoon. From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., the bar offers a different drink deal every hour.

The Il Abito is a blend of bourbon, sweet marsala, Amaro Montenegro, black tea and Angostura bitters finished off with an orange twist. $21

A lineup of cocktails at Café Renée in Toronto — In the middle we have a sweet French martini made with vodka, pineapple, raspberry liqueur and Chambord ($18), and on the right is the crème brûlée espresso martini. A layer of torched sugar over egg white on top means this drink must be gently cracked open with a spoon before it can be sipped ($18)

Two Italian spritzes at Cafe Renee in Toronto — Le Reine (left), made with Empress gin, grapefruit liqueur, crème de violette, grapefruit bitters, lemon juice and prosecco, is a dry and floral sip. The Fragola, meanwhile, is a fruit-forward spritz made with reposado tequila, strawberry syrup, black currant bitters, a bit of orange blossom honey, prosecco and soda. During the late-night cocktail hour, each one is $15

The space

The former coffee shop has been transformed into a lively Parisian-inspired brasserie, all white marble and red leather under a tin ceiling. The standout feature is a greenhouse-like two-floor glass atrium at the back. During the warmer months, alfresco dining on the front and back patios will make things even more European.

One section of the dining room and bar at Cafe Renee, looking out to the restaurant's back patio

What's on the menu at Café Renée, chef Nick Liu's Italian-inspired French restaurant

The dining room and bar at Cafe Renee, with stairs leading up to the second-floor cocktail lounge

Horseshoe-shaped red leather booths at Cafe Renee

Looking down to the dining room and bar at Cafe Renee in Toronto

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

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