The Samuel J Moore

Have only been for drinks and apps but was very happy with the entire experience. Service was fantastic, snacks were awesome, and the bar selection was great. Good Assortment of Scotch. Well done folks, and go luck!

I recently returned to The Samuel J Moore, and I wanted to bump up my review. It was five stars, but now let me make this five f!@#ing stars.
They’ve slowly started integrating DJs and shows and their toast menu is off the hook, and perfect for sharing. I had the mushroom one and I’m still dreaming of it. We had to order more.
Everything from my previous review remains true. I have a major crush on Sam.

Purchased a Groupon for this place last night to try it out — I live in the area and like to check out places close by both for convenience and to support local businesses. Here’s my review.
I purchased this deal for my boyfriend and I last night for us to go to dinner at Samuel J Moore. Finding the location and making the reservation was easy, the staff were friendly on the phone, even after mentioning that we were using a voucher (I find sometimes businesses treat you poorly after mentioning this).
Got there, were treated nicely up until we started receiving drinks/​food.
Ordered drinks which were delicious but mine was a bit too strong for me (a brand/​rum/​liqueur mix, I think) so I asked for some orange juice or bar lime to cut through the alcohol a bit and dilute it. The server rebuffed my request by saying that the drink is meant to be sipped over a long period of time. I said I understand, but I’m driving and don’t want to be drunk when I leave and that it is too strong and repeated my request for bar lime. She twisted her face at me and brought me lemon (even though I had asked for lime)… :(
The food was good overall but there was one small thing wrong or missing with each dish and my boyfriend and I consistently agreed on the the mistakes/​wrongful components of each dish. Neither of us are professional food critics but he is a self-​professed «foodie» and I have worked in the hospitality industry for most of my adult life so we can both comment with some merit.
Ordered mushrooms on toast for an appetizer which needed more salt and was served on whole wheat toast (not complimentary to mushrooms which are already earthy tasting) — the server asked us how it was and we didn’t mention that it needed more salt (not wanting to be a problem table) but said how we both thought it was odd that they didn’t use rye or a «whiter» bread to contrast the earthiness of the mushroom. She took it as a personal insult and blew us off like we were dumb going «Oh really, that’s weird!» — like we were crazy for saying the dish wasn’t perfect.
Essentially, repeats with everything brought to the table (with the exception of the steak frites). The salad needed more vinegar, which we shared when she asked us how it was and she again took offense (why would you ask if you’re not open to possibly hearing a less than favorable response?)
She also spoke down to me when I declined wine (I’m not a wine drinker) and was very condescending going on about how she is a wine snob, partaking in discussion with my boyfriend about different types of wine and then turning to me and going «You’ll understand one day if you ever decide to start drinking wine» and similar comments.
Overall, she made us both feel very badly and was condescending — not exactly what I’m looking for at a fine dining establishment. The manager/maitre’d was very polite but this still did not make up for the server’s rudeness (didn’t get her name but she is a petite brunette with a nose ring).
The whole experience left a sour taste in my mouth as it was still a $ 110 meal (also ordered cocktails) by the end of it (I tipped on the original value of the meal and gave her a $ 20 tip, which, in reflection of her attitude, she didn’t really deserve) but having worked in hospitality for so long, I have a firm attitude on tipping.
Boyfriend and I would have come back if not for the snobbish attitude as the locale is BEAUTIFUL, the cocktail list imaginative, and the regular menu offers a wide variety food.
The fact that it was so expensive even with a voucher for food that wasn’t quite on par with the atmosphere and pricing of the establishment and that I felt so belittled and made to feel so inferior as a customer was slightly revolting and it is for this reason that I am now seeking a refund.
I apologize for the lengthy writeup but I am actually quite upset with the whole experience and it now makes sense why the restaurant only had 6 tables on a Friday night… They treat their customers poorly!

Great spot! It was so quiet in there though. I’m thinking it is under appreciated.
In a city filled with restaurant hype, I am so confused when I find a spot I love, but find it dead quiet on a Saturday night. Went here last weekend with a small group for a special event. We had a great night, and enjoyed the bonus of practically having the place to ourselves.
Atmosphere is quite lovely. French bistro-​ish, with the floors to match. Perfect for a slightly better than casual, but not too fancy night out.
Steak frites was delish. I eat this almost everywhere I go, and I wouldn’t say it is my favourite in the city at SJM, but it was a definitely A-​. Frites were divine. Steak was great too. The only thing that kept it at a A– in my books is that I didn’t love the pommery mayo it was served with. I might have preferred a different sauce, but that is a small thing. The mayo had a hint of mustard and the steak was topped with thinly sliced and nicely prepared onion, which certainly made it unique and memorable when compared with other steak frites in the city.
Another person in the party tried the burger and was quite satisfied. The brioche bun looked very appetizing.
Another group member had the Gnudi pasta, and seemed very happy with it. It looked delish as well! I had food envy.
We tried a sample of appetizers. All quite good. I had their watermelon/​goat cheese/​basil/​balsamic vinegar appetizer special. Sounded like it could have blown me away. Well presented, but it wasn’t my favourite part of the meal. Still happy I gave it a try. Others in my group sampled the «toasts» or the oysters — both looked like better choices. The East Coast oysters were particularly enjoyed.
Dessert was a hit. We tried the chocolate terrine and butterscotch pudding. Both were better than average. The butterscotch was especially memorable and I would go back just for that.
Servers were all very knowledgeable on their wines and beers. I had a sparkling wine and a red, both of which were recommendations for my meal from the servers. Both were spot on choices.
Oh yeah… the menu is tricky to find… but it is online. You can find it here:

We came here on a Sunday afternoon and, expectedly for the time, there was only one other table seated. I asked the server if they had any drink specials and she said «Not really». Looking around the room later, it became clear that there were, in fact, a number of specials posted.
We ordered a bunch of oysters and each had a burger. None of it was at all impressive, I’d say the burger here is maybe in the top 50% of burgers available in Toronto, but absolutely nothing to write home about. The oysters were no better than what you get at The Beaver across the street, and The Beaver certainly isn’t known for its seafood.
Overall, nice space to sit in, but really under used by this less-​than-​stellar restaurant.

Not getting the love for this place. Cool vibe, but the food disappoints. Burger has great texture and flavour, but the thin patty (a negative for this style of burger) and hand-​chopped meat gets lost in the thick bun. «Snacks» were okay, with devils on horseback far and away the best of the three we tried. Everything was well-​intentioned but missing something.
Wine list is brief but has a wide range of Old World stuff at reasonable prices. My cocktail was nothing special — way too subtle considering it was a mezcal with chili and mole bitters.
Friendly service. Kitchen was slooow.

Breakfast at SJM is great! Pancakes with blueberry preserve topping, yoghurt and granola, creative omelettes and eggs benny were all fantastic! Their Caesars are great too.
Brownie points to our lovely server who had a sunny personality and was amazingly patient with all our questions (we were full of them that Sunday morning)!

Some more Samuel J Moore, please!
I have been hearing a lot about this hip bistro and we had a wonderful dinner here!
We wandered in here for a late dinner mid-​week.
SJM serves food until 2 am and it’s now my go-​to late night spot if I’m feeling peckish and don’t want McFood.
It happened to be Burger Week so we ordered the burger special.
Even though, the burger on special didn’t have the marrow, it was still an awesome burger and for $ 5 bucks it was a steal!
The hand-​chopped sirloin patty was super juicy and cooked perfectly medium rare.
The brioche bun was slightly sweet and soft.
Mmm burger topped generously with slices of beef bacon.
The kale ceasar was a tasty side of fresh greens and crispy croutons.
The fries were addictive, crispy, and delicious.
For dessert, I had the chocolate terrine.
It wasn’t bad… wasn’t as dense as I would have liked.
The ice cream sandwich looked pretty good!
They brought a sandwich which was a bit melty and offered to bring another one!
I’ll be back SJM!

I want to give this place a 4 star rating, I reaaaaaaaally do. The hand chopped burger flew to the top of my best burgers list… the service on the other hand was weak and after a day of reflection and with the delicious burger after taste long gone, I have to give this place a 3.
This isn’t stopping me from going back. I am. And I will probably try everything on the menu. I watched Alex cook at the Ultimate Food Challenge and she is very talented, so I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the menu. There were so many options on their four (FOUR!) menus, that my burger was just the beginning.
I get it. It’s burger week and I am a second class citizen for paying $ 10 for a burger and beer (plus an extra $ 5 for some REALLY good potato salad). But really, this place was not overly jammed at 9pm. There were tons of empty tables and it still took 15 minutes to take our drink order, which for me was the ONE type of beer that came with the special. Which the waiter then forgot what I ordered (again bud, there was only one option) and then forgot to bring it. There was no checking in the entire night, no apologies for waiting almost 30 minutes to get a drink. No explaining the menus or that there was even a burger week special (good thing I already knew about it).
The atmosphere is vibe-​y, hipsterlicious and loud; you are surrounded by old framed photgraphs and the original ceramic tile floor. It keeps you company and entertained while you wait for service! :) I am sure this is a one off bad service experience, it won’t keep me away thats for damn sure! See how much pull a good burger can have on one’s logic?

Tuesday is the new Sunday!
I always believed that Sunday was the best day to dine out in Toronto but I guess that I was WRONG. Tuesday is a much better option. We arrived at the Samuel J. Moore on a Tuesday evening and we got to share the entire restaurant with two other tables. By the time that our food arrived, the chef was working only for us. Now talk about having a private-​dining-​experience!
In the neverending search for the best burger in town, I had to try their chopped sirloin with bone marrow burger. It was juicy, flavourful… almost divine. The rosemary aroma was present but extremely subtle. The fennel catsup was unexpectedly good, just if we had flown business class from Frankfurt to Sidney with a brief connection in Mumbai.
I am not a trained sommelier but when my red wine came (extremely chilled), it did shock me as the ideal serving temperature for red wines is between 14ºC to 18ºC… but again, who am I to talk about wines…
The staff was attentive and the music was great. We enjoyed the tunes from Craft Spells and the quasi magic experience of having the dining room to ourselves.
The chocolate terrine with sea salt and pistachios was delicious!
Samuel J. Moore… I would definitely come back for seconds.

Disclosure: I work for Unilocal,and Unilocal has hosted an event here. I went to the event, but we also popped in on a separate occasion.
Toronto, I sense a theme: you’re nice in many ways. And, nice not in the traditional colloquialism of «awww, that’s nice,» nice in the you’re in fact really nice people, you know a nice space when you see one, and how to create one. You’re giving the word nice a good name.
Speaking of… The Samuel J Moore is a goddamn name for a bar or what. Damn good. I’m not ashamed at all to say that I find a kinship to the time between 1837 – 1901, and especially the latter years. I’d probably name a beautiful baby Victoria I dig it so much, and that I firmly believe that era still exists today in a few forms, one being a space like this one. Refinement, calmness, openness, grace and goodwill in the way this place does it thing. The entire team that runs this place, from Derek to Dov (Hebrew for «Bear»), this team knows what it takes to run an establishment that is respectful to time, and what it means to be a dining companion as a restaurant. There aren’t many spaces that I could say are a true companion where I can dine alone, but this is one. A dozen oysters for a dozen dollars and a glass of pastis at about 5pm at the marble bar makes for the perfect acquaintance.
If I sat back to drum up what a dining establishment looked and felt like, including the «yeah, we have a CD DJ machine» to that La Marzocco Mistral machine that looks like a 1972 Lotus or Saab Sonnett — which by the way… that Mistral costs more than those cars combined and is worth going in to look at alone — this is the way I’d create a space to continue the modern Victorian fair. But mine in no way couldn’t be as nice as this one.

Great Time!
Excellent Service!
Tasty Well Prepared Food!
I was luckily to be part of a CMYE event organized by Evelyn W for a prix menu ($ 35). My Unilocal friend was forced to do a family style sharing with me so I ended up trying every single item on the menu.
Devil On Horseback
— Date wrapped inside bacon. I really enjoyed that and thanks Imran N for giving me his! I don’t usually even eat date and I enjoyed that!
Duck Carpaccio
— love duck. I can eat this all by myself. why am I sharing?
Grain Salad with Triple-​Thick Yogurt
— a little too healthy tasting for me. I think my Unilocal friend should eat the whole order. it is good for him!
Hand Chopped Sirloin Burger with Bone Marrow (Medium Rare!!)
— Medium Rare! Since the meat were hand chopped, it has a lot of texture! Just wish I can eat the whole thing. stop looking at that other half of the burger with hungry eyes!
Gnudi with mushroom, cream, peas and brown butter
— A little too heavy for my taste.
«Flowerless» Brownie (as quoted from the menu)
— warm dessert always my favourite! burst with chocolate flavour!
I forgot how many glasses of sparkling wine I drank that evening. The staff here just so nice in filling up my glass…+++ star!
Definitely will be back again! Since The Samuel J Moore is open till 4 am on weekend, a great place for some late night food! Well prepared after drinking food for me!

Samuel J Moore.
I am not quick to hand out 5 stars but I truly believe this place has earned it. Let’s start with the space shall we? It’s like stepping into a Parisian restaurant. From floor to ceiling, this place has a classic look. There are beautiful golden frames on the walls.
The staff working at Samuel J Moores are warm and inviting. All have personality and really go the extra mile.
The food is outstanding. Rarely do I use that word but it’s pretty great and I only had appetizers.
This place would be the perfect venue for a wedding reception or corporate party. Their staff know how to work a room.
Will definitely be heading there for brunch soon.

Je suis venu au Samuel J Moore à l’occasion d’un CMYE. La gastronomie ici est un mélange de fusion canadienne et italienne.
Les prix sont plus que raisonnables: 45 $ pour entrée plat dessert et champagne.
Le lieu fait très moderne donnant l’impression d’être à la fois dans une galerie d’exposition et un bar nouvelle vague.
Staff très sympa et rapide.
Un bémol sur la musique un poil trop forte…
/​/​I came to the Samuel J Moore for a CMYE. Cuisine here is a mix between canadian and italian food.
Prices are more than reasonnable, 45 $ for the full course + champagne!
Location itself is very modern giving you the impression of beign in a gallery and a new wave bar.
Staff is quick and friendly.
Could maybe lower the volume of the music a bit, difficult to communicate with your neighbours sometimes.

I came here for dinner as a CMYE guest. The fact the menu was a surprise appealed to me the most! The way I think is, the restaurant is the expert and they know what their best dishes are. I don;t have to think or even make decisions. I’m in!
I chose the grain salad with yogurt, the hand-​chopped top sirloin binded with bone marrow and the «flowerless» brownie. We were served sparkling wine throughout our meal. In fact, no flute nor water glass went dry. Fantastic attention.
The meal itself was superb. My burger was supposed to be medium rare but it came out rare! In the moment, I did not mind. But in future, I might bring it up.

Fantastic space, reminiscent of the old yet nouvaeu Paris café’s. Clean cut– white tiled — old wood furniture. Kitcshy artwork.
Service is excellent, warm and high on product knowledge. Well trained to say the least.
Food is excellent. I had the duck carpaccio and it sung with flavour. The chopped steak burger was genius bound together with bone marrow… flavours i will be thinking about for days to come.

If I had to go to a sanatarium for my emotional/​vagus-​based health, this would be my ideal locale.
The space is fantastic: mosaic floors, high ceilings, big bright windows and beautiful fittings all make it feel like your budget is playing a really good game of dress-​up. But the prices are completely reasonable, especially for wines — a familiar and well-​selected list without huge mark-​up.
Started with the freshest oysters I’ve had in Toronto, and the longboat cocktail — a mezcal and orange creation that’s (duh, mezcal) an instant good mood in a glass.
Then had the duck carpaccio, which had the sumptuous duck card well pinned to a guilt-​free «but it’s just little slices» wall of satisfaction. The pea shoots and pistachio book ended it perfectly.
My gnuli portion looked small but sweet mary it was more than enough. The little ricotta pillows were fluffy and gentle; perfect pairs to the *fantastic* creamy sauce with a little lemon zest in it.
What is gnuli, you ask? Why don’t you embarrass yourself and ask like everyone else has to.
Desert was flourless chocolate cake. It was the most cocoa you could put into something without that dry-​tongue feeling, and I loved it.
Our server Eli was formal but open and friendly, and the timing on everything was spot on.
We’ll most certainly be back.

rectangular space
hand chopped steak medium rare
longing, revisit…

Located inside the Great Hall is the Samuel J. Moore, so named for the founder of the Moore Corporation, who was commissioned to erect this building (circa 1889) which housed the first YMCA in the west end.
The décor is Parisian bistro meets Gotham New York City saloon with mosaic-​tiled floors and marbled counter tops.
Mixologist Sean Radzio (Against the Grain) knows how to shake things up! I’ve sampled 3 of their cocktails and so far I haven’t met one I didn’t like. Gone are the days of overly-​sweet cocktails that might as well be sold as juice, and in with libations that are a full-​mouth experience. Lots of great flavours coming together. Cue my favourite — the Shrubbery ($ 10); a drink that pays hommage to drinking vinegar accented with apple, Rum, spices and bitters. Drinking vinegars date back to pre-​refrigeration days.
Alexandra Feswick (Brockton General) (wo)mans the kitchen and is putting out some tasty, tasty dishes. There is a fair amount of favouritism on the short menu; namely a bias towards fennel and radish as well as three beef entrées (a burger, a striploin and a filet). Speaking of menus, there are quite a few here — bar snacks, brunch, lunch, dessert and dinner.
The Fresh Kale Salad ($ 9) with apples, toasted walnuts and radish was a light way to start dinner and I liked the different textures. A bonus that the kale was not bitter.
Surely one of the most popular items on the menu is the Hand Chopped Sirloin and Bone Marrow Burger ($ 18) served on a brioche bun with frites and a house made fennel ketchup. There aren’t many burgers out there that can be in the nude (e.g. no garnishes) and not incur the wrath of criticism — but this one, I think is a winner. The only other accompanying flavour on this juicy, meaty burger is Stilton which added lots of flavour.
She also does a great spin on a traditional Italian risotto ($ 18); substituting Arborio with pearl barley which gives it a nice «crunch» and nuttiness. The fried sage adds a subtle extra bit of texture to this dish, served with roasted cauliflower and lardons. Nonna would be proud.
Desserts are a hit and miss as the Triple Layer Chocolate Cake ($ 8) had a dry cake base though I do like this play on the traditional Black Forest Cake. In this remade version you’ll find sour cherry jam, chocolate ganache and a lovely honey Jack Daniel’s meringue. In contrast, their Chocolate Hazelnut Flourless Torte ($ 8) with caramelized hazelnuts, chocolate ganache and honey whisky whip cream was stellar. Most flourless tortes are extremely dense and leave you feeling heavy. This version was light and airy but still as flavourful and just as satisfying as its other «heavyweight» contenders. It is now my favourite flourless chocolate torte in the city.
The Samuel J. Moore has quickly made its way up my list of favourite new restaurants of 2013. The staff are all very knowledgeable and friendly; the food is yummy; and the music is not too loud. It’s also comforting to know that if I ever decide to get back to my wild days of clubbing or partying, that I can at least stumble here for a good meal (they’re open until 4AM on weekends, 2AM on other days).

On our way home this evening, we noticed the Samuel J. Moore had opened up on in our ‘hood (they opened about a month ago) … so we thought we’d check it out.
The building this restaurant is in was the original West End YMCA.
There are cool old photos on the walls representing the history of the building over the years.
Sean was very helpful in recommending a glass of white wine (he gave me a couple samples until I found a Riesling I liked).
Sean was very friendly and knowledgeable.
The menu looks interesting, especially the chicken with a curry sauce.
We’ll be back!

Relatively new restaurant — went there after reading the review for their burger on BlogTO. The décor is very impressive and they have Delirium on tap which is a huge plus. I order the charcuterie plate and it wasn’t all that impressive. Of course I had to try their burger which is hand chopped and has bone marrow in it on a brioche bun. We were a party of 7 and the service was excrutiatingly slow. It is a new restaurant though so it’s fair to cut them some slack for now. However, the burger was worth the wait. Spotted Pig in NYC was the only place where I had a burger this incredible and they seemed to have replicated it pretty well. The stitlon cheese is overpowering (maybe use goat cheese instead??) but the patty melts in your mouth and super tender.
I left happy and the wait staff was very friendly and accomodating. Will definitely go back there again.