Le Papillon On Front

From the quaint menu to quirky marketing, everything at Le Papillon on Front is done in house, and all staff lend a hand.

General manager Sean Gowland says the homemade rule goes a long way to not only keeping costs down, but also towards creating a positive, welcoming and inclusive environment for every walk of life. “We like to be able to cater to a lot of vibes,” says Sean. “We like to tip on the edge of trendy but there’s no 'I’m not hip enough to go there' or 'I’m too hip to go there.'”

Dishes like hearty French onion soup and tourtière – a traditional Québecois meat pie of seasoned veal, beef and pork with house chutney, potatoes and market vegetables – are comparable to what you’d be served at Grandma’s. The restaurant is stylishly impressive, yet stills feels homey, comfortable and relaxed.

Le Papillon on Front's eclectic team includes a few Francophone servers who help to give the restaurant its French-Canadian authenticity and also come in handy when Toronto classrooms come to learn the language and experience the cuisine. “It’s different being an independent restaurant,” says Sean. “We really do our best to make sure our customers leave happy.”