A restored Victorian row house on a quiet Cabbagetown street, Maison Selby is the most romantic French bistro in Toronto. The dining rooms flow through parlours and a conservatory, with a backyard garden terrace that makes summer dinner feel like a weekend in the Loire Valley.
Neighbourhood: Cabbagetown · Address: 592 Sherbourne St, Toronto, ON M4X 1L4 · Hours: Tue–Thu 5–10pm | Fri–Sat 5–11pm | Sun 5–9pm | Mon Closed · Phone: (416) 642-5885
Why Visit
Maison Selby is Toronto's most romantic restaurant — a restored Victorian house with original fireplaces, a glass conservatory, and a walled backyard garden terrace that makes summer dinner feel like a weekend in France.
What Makes It Unique
The building itself is the differentiator — an 1880s Victorian row house restored into intimate dining rooms rather than a purpose-built restaurant space. The original plasterwork, fireplaces, stained glass, and the walled garden terrace cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Maison Selby occupies a restored Victorian row house on Sherbourne Street in Cabbagetown, and the building itself is as much the story as the food. The house dates to the 1880s, and the restoration preserved the original floor plans, fireplaces, plasterwork, and stained glass while converting the interior into a sequence of intimate dining rooms that flow from front parlour through a central hallway to a glass-walled conservatory and, finally, to a walled backyard garden terrace that is among the most beautiful outdoor dining spaces in Toronto.
The French bistro cooking is traditional rather than modern — this is not a restaurant that chases trends or deconstructs classic dishes. The steak frites arrives with the correct accompaniments: a well-seared hanger or strip steak, properly crisped frites, a small salad of bitter greens, and a pat of maître d'hôtel butter melting over the meat. The duck confit is cured in house, slow-cooked until the meat falls from the bone, and finished under the salamander to crisp the skin. The onion soup gratinée is built on a dark, sweet stock that has been reducing for hours.
The menu structure follows the classic French bistro format: starters (soupe à l'oignon, escargots, tartare, pâté de campagne), mains (steak frites, duck confit, moules frites, cassoulet in season, roast chicken), and desserts (crème brûlée, tarte tatin, profiteroles). Each dish is executed with the consistency that comes from a kitchen that has made these same preparations hundreds of times.
The wine list is French-focused with enough Ontario selections to satisfy locavore preferences. The by-the-glass program is strong — six to eight reds and whites, with at least one sparkling and one sweet option. The bottle list runs from affordable Côtes du Rhône and Loire Valley whites through Burgundy and Bordeaux at celebratory prices.
Service is warm and genuinely hospitable — the staff know the building's history and will share details about the restoration if asked. The pacing is leisurely: a three-course dinner takes two to two-and-a-half hours, which is exactly right for a restaurant designed for conversation and romance.
Maison Selby is moderately expensive: starters run $18–26, mains $36–52, desserts $14–18. A full dinner with wine is $90–140 per person before tax and gratuity. The lunch menu (Tuesday through Friday) offers the same kitchen at roughly 60% of dinner prices.
Reservations are strongly recommended, especially for the garden terrace in summer and the fireplace tables in winter. Book via OpenTable or the restaurant's website. The back garden has limited seating (approximately 20 covers) and fills weeks ahead in peak season.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Maison Selby the most romantic restaurant in Toronto?
The restored Victorian house setting — original fireplaces, plasterwork, stained glass, and a walled backyard garden terrace — creates an atmosphere that no purpose-built restaurant can replicate. The intimate dining rooms, the conservatory, and the seasonal garden all contribute to a genuinely romantic experience.
Is Maison Selby traditional or modern French?
Maison Selby is traditional French bistro cooking — steak frites, duck confit, onion soup gratinée, crème brûlée — executed with consistency and care rather than modern technique or deconstruction. The kitchen respects classic preparations.
How much does dinner cost at Maison Selby?
Starters run $18–26, mains $36–52, desserts $14–18. A full three-course dinner with wine is $90–140 per person before tax and gratuity. Lunch (Tuesday–Friday) offers the same kitchen at roughly 60% of dinner prices.
Do you need a reservation?
Yes — reservations are strongly recommended, especially for the garden terrace in summer (fills weeks ahead) and the fireplace tables in winter. Book via OpenTable or the restaurant's website. Walk-ins are sometimes accepted at the bar.