In French, the idiom "avoir la banane” means to sport a happy smile. Every patron leaving this modern bistro is sure to head home with a huge, contented grin. The 80-seat Ossington dining room—done up in marble and gold—features art from Canadian superstars such as Douglas Coupland and Talia Shipman. The real showstopper, though, is the crustaceans stacked neatly behind the glass of the raw bar. Pull up a seat at the stone counter and watch with awe as cooks build towering trays of cockles, crabs, lobsters, and oysters. It’s easy to imagine one of these silver towers waltzing through a Jay Gatsby fete. Francophiles will appreciate the unapologetically French menu: bass en croute comes to the table whole, the handsome fish braided in dough, while duck breast with charred endives in a prune jus is cooked to pink perfection. End dinner with a bang by ordering a hand-painted Ziggy Stardust Disco Egg, which, when smashed, reveals hand-rolled Peruvian truffles flavored with apricots, ancho chilies, and coffee beans.
Toronto
Travel Guide
Toronto› Restaurant
La Banane
227 Ossington Avenue, Toronto
Our Rating
Neighborhood
Downtown West
Hours
Sun–Wed 6–11pm; Thurs–Sat 6pm–midnight
Transportation
![2 star(s) 2 star rating](/assets/rating/fromm-rating-2star.png)
Subway: Ossington, then bus 63 S to Dundas St. W
Phone 416/551-6263 Prices Main courses $30–$39 Cuisine Type French Web site La BananeNote: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.