where jess ate

The Saint Tavern (@thesainttavern) is another recent restaurant addition to the Ossington strip. It was supposed to open back in 2009 but was unfortunately delayed due to a liquor license battle. Better late than never, right?

The restaurant is brought to you by the owners of Buca and Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse. Having enjoyed my experiences at both restaurants, I had high expectations for the Saint.

The space has a dark, sleek, bistro-feel to it. While the restaurant is quite narrow, it’s also quite long, featuring a long bar with many booths along one side of the restaurant.

The menu consists of some traditional bistro fare including steak & fries and crispy duck leg, as well as other tempting items such as fried chicken and lobster & corned beef hash. They also serve brunch on the weekends (11am to 2pm), which I’ve heard is fantastic… maybe for my next visit!

Having heard really great things about their Perogies ($11), we ordered them to start off our meal. The perogies here at the Saint are stuffed with pork belly, topped with caramelized onions, green onions and smoked bacon. You heard right – stuffed with pork belly!

They were nicely fried and the addition of the smoked bacon certainly didn’t hurt. If only all perogies were made this way… Even if you’re only dropping by for drinks, this is a must-order!

Next up was the Steak Tartare ($14) which was served with a few potato chips and slices of lightly toasted bread. The meat was finely chopped and nicely seasoned. Overall, I thought it was a decent tartare but definitely not one of the best I’ve had.

For our main, we shared the Savoury Pie ($22). The savoury pie changes each day and today’s was the pork tortiere. It came out piping hot in a cast iron pan. Don’t let the picture fool you – the pie was enormous! We had to pack about a third of it to go.

Today’s pie was filled with ground pork and vegetables, making it a very hearty meal. The crust was also nice and flakey. A bit hit!

Since we only ordered one entrée, we ordered a side of Cauliflower & Bacon ($6). The cauliflower was perfectly cooked and was topped with pieces of bacon and green onions. It was a great side dish I’d gladly order again.

Overall, I had a great experience at the Saint Tavern.  The cocktails were great, the food was solid and the service was prompt. While dinner was enjoyable, I’d also recommend dropping by if you’re in the mood for drinks and a small bite to eat (get the perogies!).

At a glance:
• Serving comforting classics and great cocktails
• Don’t leave without ordering the perogies
• Located on Ossington, just south of Dundas
• Brought to you by the owners of Buca and Jacobs Steakhouse

Ratings (out of 5):
• Food: 4 stars
• Service: 4 stars
• Atmosphere: 4 stars