Few restaurants anywhere in the country have ever undergone a relaunch quite so successfully as did this one last year.

The new look from London-based design superstar restaurant designer Martin Brudnizki (The Ivy, J. Sheekey, etc.) has transformed a cold and unwelcoming space into a stylish oasis of urban comfort— accented with his trademark touches of loosely upholstered leather seats and a (newly installed) bar set with small individual lamps.

Boulud, meanwhile, has replaced the international flavours of the original Café menu with something much more traditionally bistro and coherently French. The newlyinstalled Rotissol rotisserie yields beautiful roast chicken, lamb and other meats—as well as vegetable roasted in pan drippings, and a fantastic pineapple glazed on a vertical spit. Boulud’s signature style of a lightened, more brightly-flavoured French cooking is applied to bistro classics from boudin blanc on pommes purées to veal blanquette to silken cream-rich quenelles de brochet—all executed under the careful watch of chef Sylvain Assié.

The only downside to the makeover is that where once anyone could get a table whenever they wanted, you now have to book well in advance; but the Four Seasons and Daniel Boulud are obviously okay with that.HOURSBreakfast
Monday to Sunday
7:00 AM until 11:00 AM

Lunch
Monday to Saturday
12:00 PM until 3:00 PM

Brunch
Sunday
11:00 AM until 3:00 PM

Dinner
Monday to Sunday
5:30 PM until 10:30 PM

Vastly improved food after the interior makeover. – CLAYTON RUBY

Click here for more Toronto restaurants from Canada’s 100 Best list.