Inspired by the beauty of spring and thoughts of Paris, we’re on the hunt for Toronto’s best salad niçoise. Join us as French-born chef Nadège Nourian and Michelin-recognized Anthony Rose unveil the standout salad.
First Place: Le Select Bistro
NN: “This is the type of tuna (ahi) I like in my niçoise. The two types of potatoes are wonderful.”
AR: “Very pretty! The egg is really nicely cooked, and this salad packs a lot of flavour — it’s seasoned really well.” 432 Wellington St. W., $33
Second Place: Domaine Mamo
NN: “The presentation is top notch and the ingredients are excellent. You would never see branzino in a niçoise, but it really works here!”
AR: “Everything is good here from the ingredients to the seasoning.” 581 Mount Pleasant Rd., $40
Third Place: Le Gourmand
NN: “The capers are really nice! The dressing is a little bit sweet, and I don’t really like the greens, but this is a really well-made salad.”
AR: “I love the anchovies!” 152 Spadina Ave., $17.99
Fourth Place: United Bakers Dairy Restaurant
NN: “This doesn’t look very French — more like a caesar salad. Overall, it’s got all of the things
you want to see in this type of salad.”
AR: “This is a very tasty salad. Flavour-wise it’s very good.” 506 Lawrence Ave W., North York, $17.99
Fifth Place: French Made
NN: “Visually, it’s not my favourite, but the ingredients are fresh, and it’s delicious.”
AR: “It’s good, and the tuna is quite nice here.” 80 Blue Jays Way, $16.50
Sixth Place: Le Swan
NN: “The dressing is too acidic for my taste, but the green bean is crunchy, I wish that there was more than one; it would add more flavour to the plate.”
AR: “The frisée doesn’t seem very fresh, but I enjoy the richness of the salad with the aïoli.” 892 Queen St. W., $18
Seventh Place: Hotel Gelato
NN: “This is a very nice French cafeteria type of salad and something I would make at home.”
AR: “This is a textbook niçoise salad. The ingredients are very fresh.” 532 Eglinton Ave. W., $20
Anthony Rose is the Michelin-recognized visionary behind Fat Pasha, Schmaltz and Fet Zun.
Nadège Nourian, the owner of Nadège Patisserie, has been delighting Torontonians with modern dessert creations since 2009.
