The French: Hamilton, Ontario

Name: The French
Address: 37 King William Street, Hamilton, ON L8R 1A1, Canada
Website: Website
Instagram: @thefrenchhamont
Wifi: No
Tender: Debit,  Credit, Cash
Neighbourhood: Hamilton, Ontario
Type: French Cuisine

The French is located in Hamilton, Ontario about one hour south of Toronto. Specializing in French Cuisine the space is elegant, yet causal. It’s a place where diners would feel equally as comfortable in casual jeans as they would in a business suit.

 

Brunch is available on weekends until 3pm with lunch being available during the week until 3pm and dinner from 5pm daily. If you’re dining in for brunch you won’t want to miss out on their Scones & Croissants offering ($4 CDN + tax). Perfectly flaky and buttery their croissants come in a wide variety of sweet and savory options including classic plain, chocolate, and cheddar rosemary. Scones are equally as delicious with the berry scone being a popular favorite.

The Foie Gras & Chicken Liver Parfait ($14 CDN + tax) is served with toasted sourdough bread, grainy mustard, and berry preserves. The foie and liver are whipped perfection and pair well with the grainy mustard and preserves. They’re generous with the bread as well as the server offers up plenty of extra slices much to my delight. There’s nothing worse than a place that’s stingy with the bread.

On the brunch side of things we try out some classics including Eggs Benedict ($14 CDN + tax), Smoked Salmon Toast ($8 CDN + tax), and the Croque Monsieur ($14 CDN + tax) which can be made into a Croque Madame with the addition of a fried egg for an additional $3.

First, let’s talk Smoked Salmon Toast. Generous piles of smoked salmon are served on top of sourdough toast with a smears of herbed chevre, capers, shallots, and dill. There’s definitely no skimping on the smoked salmon here and the pairing with shallots, dill, and the cheese is a classic.

The Croque Monsier is definitely a French classic and served on brioche with Handeck, ham, and mornay. Top it with an egg for the Croque Madame, which is something you’ll definitely want to do. This is dish that is executed well. The bread is fried perfectly and the mornay is generous without being overwhelming. There’s just the right amount of handeck cheese and ham sandwiched in between the brioche as well.

For lunch you’ll want to snag the Mussels and Frites ($18 CDN + tax). Mussels are served in a white wine broth with tomato,  fennel,  garlic, and crisp slices sourdough.  The broth is full of flavor and you’ll want to ask for extra bread to soak up every last drop. I can see why this is such a best seller here as the server lets us know that we have ordered the second last dish available.  The frites included are served with a truffle aioli which is heavenly in itself. I would order this dish just for the aioli dipping sauce alone.

 

Lastly we finish off with dessert including Vanilla Crème Brûlée, Lemon Tart, and Chocolate Mousse, each $9 CDN + tax.

First the vanilla crème brûlée. Crème Brûlée is not something I would typically order off a dessert menu because for the most part I find it to be executed improperly by a vast majority of places. Overcooked, undercooked, or improperly torched sugar brûlée on top it’s surprisingly pretty difficult to find a place that serves it well. Such is not the case at The French though, and true to it’s name it’s a French dessert that is executed flawlessly. The custard is perfectly velvety and the brûlée sugar top has not only the right caramel color but also the perfect crack as you dig your spoon in.

The Chocolate Mousse is served topped with candied ginger and orange zest. It’s also silky smooth and the candied ginger and orange with chocolate is a pairing that has stood the test of time with good reason. Definitely decadent it satisfies for any sweet tooth chocolate lover like myself.

Finally the Lemon Tart, which is served on a shortbread crust with blueberry. The lemon tart is generously sized with a perfectly torched swirl perched on top of the lemon curd. Digging in the shortbread crust is buttery and delicious and the lemon curd has just the right balance of sweetness and tartness. Hidden within the lemon curd are folds of blueberries which make for a nice flavor pairing with the lemon. My only criticism of this is that the lemon curd could be slightly firmer as I found it to be just a little too runny. Still, this ends up being my favorite of the three desserts and despite the fact that it’s large enough for 2 to share I wouldn’t want to and could easily polish one off for myself.

 

The French is a gem of a spot with food that tastes as good as it looks and at reasonable price points. The space is classic and beautiful, yet still manages to maintain warmth in an inviting atmosphere. You could easily come here for a casual lunch for a friend or a special occasion dinner when you’re looking to impress, a fine balance which is almost impossible to attain in one space. Now if only I lived closer I would definitely become a regular fixture here.

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored, however the meal/items were complimentary. All opinions expressed are my own. All menu offerings and prices are accurate as of time of posting. Please refer to restaurant/shop for most up to date information.

*All images are copyrighted Allons.Y Styling & Photography. Please do not use or re-post without written consent and provide credit where applicable