What’s the Vibe
Imagine a busy Sunday brunch service, but with candlelight and a later bedtime. The Green Wood’s Leslieville location is known for their hangover-curing fry ups and their new King Street spot might just be the reason why you have one – totally worth it, btw.
The space has been completely transformed from a once dusty pub into an industrial zen hideaway from your weeknight woes. The wooden banquets with plants growing out of them remind us of church pews and complement the building's original stained glass windows. During the day the whole place fills up with natural light, but at night the mood is more after hours modern-sanctuary.
What to Drink
The cocktail programme is inspired by the brightness of the Mediterranean. The drinks are refreshing and not too strong, except for the Mediterranean mule which packs an Amaretto punch that could knock you under the table.
The Cynar spritz is their take on the every-other-Instagram-story Aperol spritz, without the bitterness you sometimes get with Aperol. They have a small but thoughtful assortment of wines from Italy, Spain and California. And for a daytime buzz that isn’t an alarm clock, the Carrotini is basically cold-pressed juice with booze (our kind of cleanse).
What to Eat
Executive chef Ariel Coplan has created a menu that follows the seasons with a focus on sourcing sustainable, local ingredients. We started with the "shareable" souk fries (they are shareable, but you don't want your dining partner to know that) which are hand-cut sticks of creamy tahini, grilled-eggplant goodness.
Our mains were all about the sea. The steelhead trout fillet was grilled to perfection along with the broccolini topped with dates for sweetness and cheddar, because cheese. The roasted haddock came to the table in a parcel like a birthday present and had a kick from the spicy sausage and onions.
Just when we thought there was no room for dessert, our server insisted we get the sweet potato beignets with maple dipping sauce (twist our arm). Turns out deep fried dessert is always a good idea.
Dinner and drinks for two: around $100.
461 King St W, 416-365-5314; eatgreenwood.com
