Bivy

I don’t live in the neighbourhood anymore, but when I did, I went to Bivy multiple times for brunch and was never disappointed. It’s a little brunch place that is really chill, the menu is small and simple and the food is great. I’ve had their omelette and their quiche and was not always happy with my choice. Good portion but not a gigantic plate of food that would make me feel sick for the rest of the day. Their prices are fair. No line, no loud music, no pretentious waiter. My kind of place.

Bivy is truly a gem in the Toronto brunch scene. I used to live a block away from Bivy and it literally was one of my top highlights of living in that neighbourhood. It is so good!
First and foremost — I really dislike brunch. Something about paying $ 20 for a couple of eggs and potatoes drives me nuts. But Bivy was a game-​changer for me when I discovered it 2 years ago — and still insist on travelling on the weekends to go back there today! Do yourself a favour and go.
— Intimate but not crowded
— Rarely a wait
— Generous portion sizes
— I almost always order the Ploughman Platter, but have ordered their salads in the past (Farmer Salad) and was not disappointed
— I bring all my friends and guests here — many of whom ordered their Croque Monsier and raved about this plate
— Great prices
You won’t regret it.
Update:
I’m not sure what happened on a recent Saturday brunch visit (March 2016). I had talked up this place to a couple of girlfriends, and convinced them to trek a little farther outside of our usual stomping grounds to meet at Bivy. Holy moly. Everything I’ve known about this place was flipped upside down.
— Unbearably cold in the space. Teeth chattering.
— My beloved Ploughman Platter that has been consistent for years came out so different than usual. No pâté/​terrine, flimsy toast, canned (?) sliced ridged pickles — what happened here?!
— My friend’s Croque Monsieur (also a usual fan fave) was so salty
Service was also slow and unattentive this afternoon.
I really hope this was an off day for them. I usually see the gentleman who I believe owns the restaurant working in the kitchen, and he wasn’t there this day. Coincidence?

Loved this place. A bit of a diamond in the rough of that area. Started with the Charcuterie to share amongst the three of us. Wonderful while chatting and sipping a wine. I thoroughly enjoyed my Salmon entrée but was able to share the steak that my wife had and would order that next time. The duck was also delicious and I enjoyed that as well. Service (by Patrick) was discreet and relaxed to fit the ambiance. Worth a trip to that part of town for food from a genuine French chef and owner Pascal.

Lovely flavors and friendly staff. Had the vegetarian spinach pancakes as well as a veggie sandwich — both with the amazing potato salad on the side.

Music by Monkees! Away from hustle and bustle. Great food and good coffee awesome service what else can you ask for.

The brunch is one of the best, and most affordable in the city. You rarely have to wait for a table and the service is good. That makes Bivy a real gem in the often over-​priced, over-​hyped Toronto restaurant scene.
Everything on the brunch menu is great but I would highlight the Croque, The Farcou (original version), the Tartiflette and the french toast. Their potato salad and green salads are always fresh and delicious. I’m told the coffee is excellent (I’m a tea drinker — their selection is good).
I have sampled the dinner menu much less but the pulled pork sandwich is good — excellent flavour — and the frites are great.
Excellent value, excellent food and a lovely atmosphere.

I come here often to enjoy their healthy, French inspired generous dishes. The potato salad, a side is to die for, not to mention their array of beverages from an Americano, S. Peligrino to cocktails. I recommend this place either for a quiet getaway, or a fantastic eat with friends. The place is quaint, busy and the staff makes you feel at home.

BIVY is one of my absolute favourite restaurants. The space is cheery and bright during the daytime and smooth and romantic in the evening for their new dinner menu. I’ve been a faithful daytime attendant for weekend brunch, weekday lunch, a coffee and a pastry-​fuelled afternoon of work… I’ve always absolutely loved my experiences with their unbelievably friendly and attentive staff and their delicious food.
They hit it out of the park with their farçous (spinach pancakes) and omelettes, both of which I keep coming back to. I’ve also loved their tartiflette (potato/​cheese tart) and the healthy bites I’ve had sharing plates of the kravitz, the ploughman, the gravlax… Basically I’m a well-​meaning mooch, and my partner and I regularly wind up splitting our plates because everything is so tempting. Most of their meals come with a perfectly composed salad with mixed greens, thinly sliced radishes and a beautifully light vinaigrette and then their phenomenal potato salad… Possibly the best I’ve ever had. It’s definitely a step up from something you’d have at a BBQ. Everything is just really delicately balanced and flavoured just right.
Since they just launched their dinner menu, I’ve only tried it once, but it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Finding a decent and well-​priced steak is a real difficult task in Toronto, but BIVY has it down. Their entrecôte steak frites comes with a grilled 10 oz rib eye prepared at a perfect medium rare as requested and covered in an understated herbed butter, fries that are seasoned just right and done to the perfect crisp without being overcooked and, of course, that beautiful simple salad. For $ 18.95! Pair it with one of their well-​priced glasses of wine and you have the perfect date night. We’ll be back again soon, probably tacking on an order of mussels to start since they look SO good.
I know I’m just gushing at this point. I just really love this place and it’s the perfect local spot. It’s equal parts café, brunch/​lunch stop and great dinner option. A lot of restaurants wouldn’t be able to juggle all those identities, but BIVY is great at doing simple, delicious food and providing a versatile ambiance with great service. I’m so happy to live near by. The only problem is that I’m constantly tempted to say «Let’s just go to BIVY» instead of, you know, cooking at home and not blowing my paycheque on daily jaunts to my favourite neighbourhood spot.

Stopped into Bivy for a weekend dinner, and was adequately happy with the results. The interior is pretty much on par with most of the other restaurants that have popped up in this area in the last couple years, with reclaimed wood interiors with small candlelit tables.
We started with the charcuterie and spicy devilled eggs to start. Both were tasty and appropriately priced, but the devilled eggs were admittedly not actually spicy. Still tasty, but adding a dusting of paprika is hardly spicy to me. Then as a second course we split an order of ribs, which were decent, but a little to overpowering in the citrus based acidity.
As a main, I rounded out my meal with the pulled pork sandwich with fries. The pulled pork was admittedly less acidic than the ribs and more savoury. The spinach in the sandwich was a nice addition but the tomato and mayo just made me realize the flavor of the pork isn’t impressive enough if relying on additional sauces and juicy vegetables to affect its flavouring.
In the end for 4 beers, the 2 apps, an order of ribs and 2 mains came in a bit over $ 100 after tax and tip. So for what we turned into a 3 course meal, was perfectly adequate in price and results. I’ll come back, but admittedly there are a few other joints in the neighbourhood which have priority in my dining agenda.

One of my new favourite joints in the west end. Came for a lunch meeting without any reservations.
Ordered the Countryside Farçous: French spinach pancakes served with Montréal Smoked meat, mixed greens & potato salad 12.95 (⁹⁄₁₀). These pancakes were Gluten free baby. Not the traditional idea of a fluffy pancake, rather more of a lightly fried spinach and egg crêpe. The smoked meat served with the pancake was a bit too salty, but was easily balanced out with the fresh mixed greens and potato salad.
My lunch companions ordered the Salads with Bivy dressing 10.75 — A generous portion of fresh greens and a balanced serving of toppings. Something I will definitely try on the next visit.
Rating Summary:
Food: ⁹⁄₁₀ — Overall excellent food, meat was a tad too salty.
Atmosphere: ¹⁰⁄₁₀ — Perfect spot for a lunch meeting. Modern décor, spacious, plenty of seating and music volume wasn’t overbearing.
Service: ⁸⁄₁₀ — Water service needs improvement. Friendly staff. Quick service for a lunch hour.
Can’t wait to come back.
Note: Bivy only takes cash or debit cards.

Was very excited to try this place based on the reviews. We sat at our table and watched as no fewer than 3 tables of people who came in after us were served their meals. The table next to us, who had arrived 10 minutes after us, were actually finished their meal by the time I went up to the counter to ask how much longer our food would be. All this time the waitress never came to ask us if we wanted another drink or to apologize for the wait, despite us craning our necks very obviously towards the counter with hangry looks on our faces. When I finally informed her we were leaving she offered no apology for the long wait. Now I’m starving and annoyed I even bothered to pay for my hot chocolate – should’ve just left and let the drink be my reimbursement for my travel costs to get there.

This is the most unassuming, underrated, unsung hero in the Dundas West strip. I never meet anyone who’s heard of it or has been to it but I bring people anytime I need a good brunch or lunch. The chicken salad is packed with great stuff and so reasonably priced, the omelettes are always perfect, and the one time I came for dinner I had the jerk mussels which were excellent! It’s so inexpensive and so delicious, the only thing I’m nervous about is that everyone is going to catch on and I’ll have to wait to get a seat.

My partner and I took our moms here, as we had heard good things. We were not disappointed. Everything from the mains to the sides to the coffee were exceptional. The fresh goat cheese, the spinach pancakes, the salads, the quiche. Perfect portions and delicious!

This hidden gem was the perfect place to have lunch and a catch up session with an old friend.
We came on a weekday, and it was pretty full already. The menu is a pseudo all day breakfast fare with some lunch options too.
I like that they have something different. Farcous is a spinach pancake, flat and crispy. They have a traditional which is mixed also with red onion and cheddar, among others like with smoked meat. It comes with a big salad.
My friend got the ploughmans platter, a mix of smoked salmon, hard boiled egg, pâté with a salad and other things. It was okay, and perfect to share both dishes.
I wouldn’t come out of my way to eat here, but if you’re in the area, definitely check it out.

Bivy is a contemporary Canadian brunch spot with a French influence. Upon entering during the day, the restaurant gives a relaxing vibe for customers to sit down and enjoy their meal or coffee. Bivy has brunch and dinner hours, which you could come in for dinner from Tuesday through Saturday. They close from 4 – 5 PM during those days to prepare for the evening. Bivy serves interesting dishes, such as their French spinach pancakes and their different version of the French toast (which is more of a bread pudding).
The beer served are sourced locally from Ontario. The alcoholic drinks consists of beer on tap and basic cocktails. To give back to their customers, Bivy has a policy of giving one free cup of coffee to a customer everyday. This is an awesome policy and a great way to brighten up someone’s day!
I tried their Mochaccino, which is their version of a mocha and I believe cappuccino combined. It has a nutty taste to it so it is great if you like that flavour. Overall, I think Bivy is a nice spot to go to for a quick brunch with friends or your significant other during the week.

So, nobody knows this place is now open for dinners, apparently… Which is better for me because I’ll be hitting this place weekends on the regular. No wait, great service, delish food and the place all to yourself.
…I have a feeling I’m going to be regretting writing this review very soon.

3.5 Stars.
Sometimes we like to do really good things, but at some point it ends up being too much; maybe we bite of more than we can chew.
The Bivy is a good spot in Little Portugal, but there is A LOT going on in this place. They serve decent coffee – not the best, not the worst – , they serve brunch and dinner, and they have a liquor license, which gives them the opportunity to sell alcohol too. This leads to an unfocused attention on certain items they may want to do better, the coffee being one of them.
I like the layout of the place. The tables and chairs seem to work well with the place and actually brighten the place up. The staff are very friendly and willing to serve everyone well.
The place is a great place, but I get the feeling they are a little confused as to what they want to be known for. Is it a great coffee place? Is it a great brunch spot? Is it a great place to get a night cap? There isn’t an identity here.
Nonetheless, 3.5 stars for me because it exceeded a little bit of expectations, but could be more if they truly found their identity.
That’s it.

Discovered this place from my «Indie Coffee Passport». Went for a morning coffee, but decided to stay for breakfast.
Ordered the «Baked French toast», WOW it was very good.
Nice small place, quite, good food and friendly services.
I would go back!

Initially the purpose of this trip was to get cappuccino from the Indie Coffee Passport (ICP) but once we saw the brunch menu we decided to to eat here as well. My friend decided to order a french toast and I went for Poire Helene since I am a sucker for pear desserts. For the ICP we both ordered a cappuccino.
The service is decent here and we were checked on regularly and the server even shared her fav on the ICP. The food did take its time to arrive though even though the we went at off peak hours.
The French Toast is a mini portion, it is quite good nonetheless. Raisin haters beware as they do use raisin bread. Poire Helene was just OK as I have had a lot better versions.
On to the cappuccino
Espresso: Mild
Crema’: below average
Milk: Frothed OK
This is a very average attempt at a Cappuccino.
I would say 2 stars and that’s pushing it already.
The decent food gives it a bump to 3. They did push their dinner and gave us a discount coupon for that.
Cash and Debit Only!

This is an elegant lunch joint a bit west of p|m Gallery.
And our favourite place for an Americano on the Little Portugal strip.