Cafe Polonez

The flavours were unreal, and everything was cooked to perfection. We ordered the dumpling soup, the cabbage rolls dinner, and the schnitzel dinner—honestly, the best dinner spread ever IMO. I especially loved the dumpling soup because it was an entirely new soup for me! The dumplings were just the perfect little bites and so soft inside. I would love to learn how to cook this. Portions were huge, like took up the entire plate huge, and the service was super quick and patient while my partner and I took forever deciding on the best dish combo to try everything. Overall, such a great experience—I’ll definitely be back, and I have already recommended the place to three people.

This restaurant is great. There’s a ton of diverse Polish menu items options to choose from. The portions are large. The staff are polite and very quick. I really enjoyed the basics like the perogies and the sausages. More complex dishes were great too like borscht and the Polish pancake but I really like the hearty tastes of the basics.

Absolutely delicious! The food here is hearty and flavourful. We ordered the polonez schnitzel, the cheddar and potato pierogis and the cabbage roll along with a side of gravy. The schnitzel was perfection and was paired with some yummy salads and roast potatoes. The pierogis were SO good, rich with flavour and perfect texture. Ultimately, we will be back again, and again, and again!

LOVED this restaurant, such a quaint, down to earth and homey vibe. Everything was yummy but I was especially obsessed with their Hunter’s Stew. My husband has Polish heritage and almost cried eating everything 💕

Best polish food I have ever had everything is perfect, my boyfriend and I always get the platter for 2 and it’s such a great deal. The food is delicious and so is the service. Make sure to get one of each cabbage role and add a sausage to the platter. Super humble place pumping out classic comforts. Also there’s normally some mushrooms on the schnitzel but they were out of the specific kind that day, but they did bring over a whole bowl of different mushrooms before I even asked which I really appreciated!

Had a wonderful dinner at cafe polonez. The beet soup with mushroom dumplings was my favourite but everything was delicious and well portioned. The server was great and the washrooms were clean!

Authentic polish & Eastern European restaurant with huge portions. Loved the herring appetizer. Platter for two was a great way to try a few things. Pierogis and schnitzel were very good; not a fan of their cabbage rolls. I will definitely be coming back to try more things on the menu!

It is one of the best places to have Polish food. The food portion was generous and the taste was well balanced. Ordered platter for 1 (Hunter’s stew, 4 pierogies, and 1 schnitzel with mushrooms), a cabbage roll, and 3 potato pancakes. Fed 2 people very full. The schnitzel had good crunchy textures and flavour. The pierogies skin was al dente, not too soft, not to hard, perfect chewiness with cheese potato filler. The cabbage roll was just plain good and very tasty. Service was friendly and attentive. Drinks were refilled without being asked.

The flavours were unreal, and everything was cooked to perfection. We ordered the dumpling soup, the cabbage rolls dinner, and the schnitzel dinner—honestly, the best dinner spread ever IMO. I especially loved the dumpling soup because it was an entirely new soup for me! The dumplings were just the perfect little bites and so soft inside. I would love to learn how to cook this. Portions were huge, like took up the entire plate huge, and the service was super quick and patient while my partner and I took forever deciding on the best dish combo to try everything. Overall, such a great experience—I’ll definitely be back, and I have already recommended the place to three people.

This restaurant is great. There’s a ton of diverse Polish menu items options to choose from. The portions are large. The staff are polite and very quick. I really enjoyed the basics like the perogies and the sausages. More complex dishes were great too like borscht and the Polish pancake but I really like the hearty tastes of the basics.

Absolutely delicious! The food here is hearty and flavourful. We ordered the polonez schnitzel, the cheddar and potato pierogis and the cabbage roll along with a side of gravy. The schnitzel was perfection and was paired with some yummy salads and roast potatoes. The pierogis were SO good, rich with flavour and perfect texture. Ultimately, we will be back again, and again, and again!

LOVED this restaurant, such a quaint, down to earth and homey vibe. Everything was yummy but I was especially obsessed with their Hunter’s Stew. My husband has Polish heritage and almost cried eating everything 💕

Best polish food I have ever had everything is perfect, my boyfriend and I always get the platter for 2 and it’s such a great deal. The food is delicious and so is the service. Make sure to get one of each cabbage role and add a sausage to the platter. Super humble place pumping out classic comforts. Also there’s normally some mushrooms on the schnitzel but they were out of the specific kind that day, but they did bring over a whole bowl of different mushrooms before I even asked which I really appreciated!

Had a wonderful dinner at cafe polonez. The beet soup with mushroom dumplings was my favourite but everything was delicious and well portioned. The server was great and the washrooms were clean!

Authentic polish & Eastern European restaurant with huge portions. Loved the herring appetizer. Platter for two was a great way to try a few things. Pierogis and schnitzel were very good; not a fan of their cabbage rolls. I will definitely be coming back to try more things on the menu!

It is one of the best places to have Polish food. The food portion was generous and the taste was well balanced. Ordered platter for 1 (Hunter’s stew, 4 pierogies, and 1 schnitzel with mushrooms), a cabbage roll, and 3 potato pancakes. Fed 2 people very full. The schnitzel had good crunchy textures and flavour. The pierogies skin was al dente, not too soft, not to hard, perfect chewiness with cheese potato filler. The cabbage roll was just plain good and very tasty. Service was friendly and attentive. Drinks were refilled without being asked.

Went in for lunch with family. We were able to grab a seat right away. We shared the platter for 2 and an extra entree. I love that you can choose your protein for the schnitzel and the cabbage rolls. I was excited to find out they had a mushroom option for the cabbage roll. You also get to choose the pierogi type and we tried the sauerkraut option. Very yummy! Everything was very tasty and enjoyable. The service was good and the food didn't take too long.

I never tried polish food, right when I came in this place was packed in and out. I got the chicken schnitzel sandwich and the roast beef sandwich for my wife. They said to wait 30 mins and it was ready in 30 minutes, my honest review about the schnitzel it was a bit more upscale than a Wendy's crispy chicken sandwich, it lacked flavour for me. It was a massive portion I tried it with the horseradish and mustard that elevated the flavour. I don't know if all polish food is bland but this places food was pretty bland. I wish they made the chicken spicy at least. If you want a bit upscale version of Wendy's this is the place to go but the food is extremely bland. I don't recommend this place. I think uno mustachio makes a ten times better sandwich than this place but hey it seems like they're doing good business because this place is packed.

My favourite European restaurant in the west end, it's often quite busy with party celebrants - but it's a great vibe and the food is just so fresh and tasty!

Great food, rather affordable and excellent service. The vibe was great and the traditional polish artwork and wooden tables really added to things. 86/100

This place serves simple Polish food & prices are affordable. Not all the staff here speak English so that might slightly delay your experience. They get 3.5 stars. The Polish hamburger had a tasty fried meat patty but the bun was overly stuffed with toppings so it was hard to eat as a burger. It came with ketchup, mayo & mustard on the side for takeout. The Ukrainian borscht daily soup was tasty with dill, sweetness from the beets & lots of shedded beet & cabbage. There was added texture from beans too. It didn't come with sour cream (either that or the sour cream tasted like mayo), but had a few slices of bread.

The Store was nice and clean. Staff are super kind and helpful with suggesting dishes. Goulash - super flavourful and the veggies were cooks just right Bigos (hunter stew)- soooo hardyyy. Loaded with cabbage and stewed meat and sauage Beet Soup with dumpling mushroom - Super comforting. The mushroom dumplings was cooked just right and the filling ate soo flavourful Pierogi - cheedar & potato - made in house you could taste the freshness and eaten with onions and sour cream perfect!

This is an authentic Polish restaurant. The food was delicious and came in large portions. I had a soup that reminded me of one my grandmother used to make. It had a cream base with a light touch of vinegar and slices of sausage. The restaurant is plainly decorated but clean throughout. The service, even though it was quite busy, was friendly and very good.

The only time I would have polish food would be during the holidays since my polish uncle is very particular about the polish food he would eat. So only homemade stuff. But this restaurant serves food the way he likes it and I like them too! I got myself the Hungarian style pancake, which is a humongous potato pancake with goulash. By default it comes eith pork goulash but for a dollar extra it can be replaced with beef paprika goulash, which I got. The pancake also came with sour cream, coleslaw, beets, and carrots. Such a well balanced meal!

Café Polonez is a staple family run, Polish restaurant that's been around since 1981. They're a few doors from Ed's Real Scoop. We dropped in on a Friday evening (with 7:00pm reservations). The inside was busy but didn't feel squished as tables are well spaced out. The sidewalk seating (shaded with umbrellas) was packed. Our server was friendly but we weren't checked on once it got lively. The menu is two pages but with a plethora of options; starters, salads, soups, sandwiches, Polish classics, Polonez signatures, schnitzels, combo plates and desserts. - Chlodnik ($8.95) - came with a side of potatoes; cold and bland. I had a taste and the cold borscht was fantastic. Our Polish friend said it reminded him of his grandma's cooking. - Flaczki ($7.95) - first time trying this and it was so satisfying. Tripe was incredibly tender and the broth was pure bliss. Came with a pile of rye bread. - Platter for 1 ($24.95) - the boiled pierogis were heavenly with a great bite. The bigos was super flavourful with sauerkraut, sausage, pork and mushrooms. Schnitzel was a generous portion topped with mushrooms. Nicely breaded and pounded thin. The beet and cabbage helped to balance things off. - Cabbage roll ($4.95) - we opted for the pork. Decent but standard fare. - Pulpety ($20.95) - the 6 chicken balls were massive, tender and the sauce really dilly. Plate came with potatoes, carrots, beets and cabbage. You can easily share this plate between a couple. I'd come back to CP in a heartbeat. Great portions and delicious Polish comfort food. 4.5 stars.

Lovely restaurant! Very full house at around 5-6pm during the summer and everything was delicious! The portions are all very big, even though some may feel the portions look "decent"--it's actually too much for one person. We got the daily soup (cauliflower soup), the platter for 2, schnitzel platter, and the schnitzel sandwich. For a party of 5, we definitely over ordered. The single-items were still a bit too much for one person. The platter for 2 was massive, we split between 3 of us and still had leftovers. Cauliflower soup was a bit whatever, tasted like chicken noodle, but replace chicken with cauliflower. Still tasty though! A nice appetizer. The schnitzels were wonderful and not tough at all, super tender. My favorite is the cabbage rolls, the filling is to die for (they actually have the filling as a side "sauce" lol). The platter came with your choice/mix of potato + cheese or sauerkraut, both were good but not particularly stand-out items in the platter. All the salads, on the other hand, were perfection! Definitely recommend a visit for that homey feel! Staff are also lovely and make great recommendations!

It was better than I expected. A friend suggested to go for dinner. I was not sure what to expect. The food was very tasty. The ambiance was blah but that's what I expected. The service was timely and attentive. Not fancy but very tasty. I'd recommend

Platter for 2 was "just like grandma made it"!!! Fantastic! Pierogi was exceptional and the schnitzel was both crispy and juicy!

Great food! Good portions. Been twice now and definitely recommend it too friends. Good vegetarian options as well :)

Straightforward Polish food served hot and with friendly service. Decor is nothing to scream about but it's comfortable. Reliable Polish food and their beet soup is just delicious! Definitely a favorite

More of a 4.5, but 4 given I felt like the prices should include some standard items without being charged as add-ons. We were here as a party of four following a nice hike with friends around Bloor West Village and High Park. This was late summer in 2019 before COVID spun the world upside down so, for what it's worth, I can at least say that I would definitely come back next time I'm down in the Roncy neighbourhood. I can see that prices have definitely increased, which wouldn't have been a surprise even without COVID and the resulting havoc it wreaked on staffing. My husband and I both ordered a pork schnitzel plate, with potatoes and salad. The schnitzels were very well cooked and not greasy. The potatoes and salad were fresh and well prepared. Another of our party had the roast chicken plate and reported she was very happy with the taste, texture and temperature of her chicken, as we were with the potatoes and salad as well. These dishes did not come with any extras the way some other specials do, so no gravy or sour cream unless you add it on at menu cost. Our other friend went for a vegetarian option and an order of potato pancakes (which in this case did include sour cream, but nothing else.) The restaurant has a wonderful, warm atmosphere with proper wooden tables and chairs, lovely, large front window for light, yet cozy with no glaring light inside. The setup is nice and not bunched up, so going to the bathrooms (which were clean and tidy) didn't require bumping around other diners along the way. The wait staff provided attentive service without being cloying. All those things beside the food which make the difference between being a forgotten meal, and a memory that brings you back.

This place never disappoints well portion food that hits the spot with flavour and that homemade taste Can't get better for the price

An event was being held in Toronto where we explored architectural, historic and culturally significant buildings. After walking around so much, we became hungry. Our final site was in Roncy and in the same vicinity of the restaurant, so we dropped by for a meal. I had heard a lot about Cafe Polonez and it was on my list of places to go. Street parking was available outside the eatery for a minimal fee (metered parking). The restaurant was fairly packed when we arrived yet we were seated rather quickly. I ordered the potato pancake Hungarian style with beef goulash and my dining companion ordered the polish sausage. It was the first time for us both dining in. We recieved complimentary bread that satiated our hungry bellies until our dishes arrived. The food was really good. The potato gulash pancake was enormous and quite hearty. Meat was also tender and tasty. Same for the sausage. My buddy devoured it in minutes! I had some leftovers and took the rest home. Service was quick.

Roncy staple. Dependable food -- especially the Hungarian pancake. Skip the meat platter and go straight for the entrees. You know you'll be back here to try the menu anyways. Family run restaurant means the service feels personal but just watch out this place gets buuusyyy. Loud interiors but can you really complain when the food is great.

Cost: $$ Food: Simple ingredients, vibrant colours, excellent flavours. Portion sizes are also very generous. Service: Average, it was very busy on a dinner rush and we had a large party so I don't blame them. Ambiance: Nothing special, family style decor, bustling with activity and customers. Dishes: Would recommend to try the cold bortch soup (comes with potatoes, quite filling) I also enjoyed their cabbage wraps, but maybe if it's your first time get the Platter for one. It's got a great spread of all their specialties and a very large portion. For dessert I enjoyed their apple pie. Verdict: Would go back :D

Pretty authentic (I guess) from a person who tries polish food for the first time. Like the potato pancake and pork loin schnitzel, cheddar potato dumpling is also pretty yum! The salad is a bit too sweet for me. The ambiance is nice, community based and many families coming here; service a bit slow probably too many customers. Overall nice experience.

This review is based on my takeout order at Cafe Polonez. Although I have been in the past, staple growing up! However, it has been some time since I have eaten here. This restaurant is a community legend as it's been around for a long time, I remember having to eat in during my high school days! What did I order: - Hungarian-Style Potato Pancake with Pork Goulash Stew and side of Beet Salad - Beef Tripe Soup - Chicken Noodle Soup The pancakes are a MUST! With a dollop of sour cream, it is heavenly. I am not a fan of sour cream but the combination is perfect in taste, texture and satisfaction! The goulash has ample amount of lean pork and very flavourful. I did not eat the beet salad, as I do not enjoy beets but my sister loved it! I have been craving chicken noodle soup and if you are polish it is a classic "babcai" chicken noodle soup--very content. $6.75 for a hearty homemade style soup, I was a happy camper. The beef tripe soup was a 'new' dish I decided to try and it was delicious! Plenty of tripe! Can't beat the price. Fare warning, it does have the 'offal' smell IYKYK. Overall, once we are in an endemic, I would highly highly recommend a trip to this restaurant and enjoy a meal here (make sure you go with lots of people and try their pierogies and other dishes!). Note: Street parking only.

Got the cabbage rolls, perogies and the beef stew. All were excellent. My favorite was the perogies. The dough was chewy but thin enough that it didn't overwhelm the filling. Cabbage rolls were classic comfort food. We also got the crepes for dessert. Definitely would come back and try more Polish food!!

Excellent Polish cuisine. Traditional food, fairly priced. Service is very good. At times the rooming so loud from other conversations because the tables are very close.

Absolutely amazing authentic Polish food with great service. Everything on this menu reminds me of my moms home cooking.

Walked in at around 2:30pm on a weekend afternoon and it was almost a full house! Mostly locals too, by the look of it. I think that should speak to the popularity of the place...it's pretty rare that a restaurant should be so crowded at an off-peak time. Unfortunately because of this busyness we were also ignored when coming in for quite a while with no waitress in sight, and when someone finally appeared we struggled to hear what she was telling us due to the extremely high volume of noise. The inside of the place is simple and unassuming, no pretensions at all. The emphasis is, clearly, on the food itself. There aren't a whole lot of Eastern European restaurants in Toronto (unless my research skills aren't as good as I thought), so we were eager to try some of their specialties. All in all, it was a bit mixed. The excellent: pierogis, cabbage rolls (that mushroom sauce - wow. I could drink it as soup lol). The so-so: schnitzel, salads (didn't particularly stand out and the taste was mostly one-dimensional). The terrible: complimentary rye bread. Yes, I get that it was free, but they shouldn't have offered. I thought I was chewing on a thick piece of paper. Prices (FYI - the ones on the website are not updated) are on the high side considering that the atmosphere or service were rather mediocre, although the portions are relatively large. Regardless, given the high reviews here, I felt pretty disappointed. Perhaps there is a need for competition from other Polish restaurants elsewhere.

We have been visiting the Roncesvalles area for well over a decade - much before we ever lived in TO - and have noticed how the street has changed. Less Polish stores, less Polish food, etc. Oddly, while we have been bemoaning this trend, we have never eaten at Cafe Polonez!? It was a complete surprise and pleasure to discover what has been right in front of our faces all this time. This place is the real deal - and by the size and energy of the crowd here on a Sunday afternoon, other people in-the-know, know this. And everyone needs a good Polish restaurant in their lives. When we lived in Montreal we used to love the Mazurka on Prince Arthur - and went there for 20 years or so. But it sadly had a slow decline in quality and eventually closed. An institution gone. And when we lived briefly in NYC, we would travel from Jersey City all the way to Greenpoint in Brooklyn to get some solid old school Polish food. We look forward to making this our go-to spot for Polish classics. And from what we saw hitting the tables around us, they do much more than the usual. We are preparing ourselves to explore the menu this summer. PS: The potato pancake stuffed with goulash is great.

Hungarian pancake was yummy in my meat-eating days but being plant-based is hard in the Polish world, wish you had more options. ie. tofu Hungarian pancake! I know! Hear me out and try it. Use miso as the umami flavour. I'd come back!

Whenever I'm craving some delicious perogies, I grab some friends and head over to Cafe Polonez. Not only for perogies but for all your Polish yum yums! Cafe Polonez is a pretty popular place with fair reason, as they serve really delicious and high quality food. The restaurant is a bit small with several tables in close proximity but it definitely gives a homey feel. I've always been treated really well by the staff here and everyone is really kind. For food, you will never go home more than stuffed to the brim. From perogies, to schnitzel and hunter's stew, this place has it all. It especially makes me happy when we get their platters so I can fulfill all my cravings in one shot. They give you a lot of food and you can easily get away with feeding 4 people off of their 2 person platter. Value and taste is exactly what you get here. In fact, after writing this review, I'm about to check if they do delivery this time of social distancing...

Delicious perogies! We have had them at the restaurant and bought them frozen to cook and enjoy at home :)

Quality food, busy, simple but tasty. Reasonable prices and a nice area. Service was average. Classic old style diner type interior. Overall solid place.

I'm a big fan of Cafe Polonez. They serve up Polish goods that are a welcome departure from my usual eats - typically Italian and Middle Eastern food. My favourites are the schnitzel (beautifully and lightly fried to perfection) and potato pancakes with goulash (guaranteed to be unlike any other pancake you've had!) The one thing that might turn some people off is that this food is really heavy and greasy. Opting for the fresher sides (e.g., their great Polish salads) is a good way to balance out the grease.

Came here with our cousin and were very excited to try this place as it has been on my to do list for a while! As an appetizer for the table, we got Polish Sausage which was topped with fried onions and served with fries, mustard and garnishes as well a side of a variety perogies. Ordered the Beef Goulash Soup (Zupa gulaszowa) which is a Hearty beef stew. OMGGGG, this soup is amazing and perfect for a cold winter! I had also ordered the Platter for 1 which includes 4 pierogi, bigos (Hunter's Stew), Polonez Schnitzel and salad bouquet. By the time I finished the soup, I barely had space for this meal. But still are some of it cause you just have to if you're coming here. This was one of the best schnitzel I have ever had! My husband ordered the Roast Chicken (Polowka kurczaka) which includes Half a chicken oven roasted served with potatoes and a bouquet of salads. This is definitely a simpler dish and we were not amazed as the chicken was very dry! I cannot emphasize how great this was for someone who doesn't often eat Polish food. The atmosphere was great and servers were very attentive which was nice considering we weren't sure as to what to order. Hope I get to go here again soon and try other yummy dishes!

Absolutely "best of the best". Real taste of Poland and the food is delicious. We went there for lunch and the menu offered many choices, also servings are incredibly generous. We were served by the lovely waitress Katerina, attentive and extremely polite, even when faced with 4 undecisive elderly folks. We appreciated Katerina's attendance very, very much :-))

A most pleasant experience to visit this particular restaurant, and such a positive surprise. it felt like walking into just such a place on Castle Square in Warsaw. Same comprehensive and traditiinal fare ( was much amazed to reconnect with fried cabbage I never thought I would encounter so far from Poland!). Uniquely historic decor which could use some more expansion. And well- meaning service which is welcome anywhere. May this place thrive as so few Polish features to be found these days in that area. All the best to you.

Rating: 4.5* out of 5 The next stop in our Schnitzel Safari is this Toronto institution in Rocenvalles. This place has been around for a long time and there's a good reason why. We came on a Saturday afternoon and only street parking was available. We ended up parking a few streets over and walking over to the restaurant. The place was busy for lunch but we were able to get a table for two rather quickly. The place has plenty of tables and they are able to accommodate a large group at the back if you call ahead. Washroom was clean. Service was prompt and friendly throughout our meal. After looking at the menu, we decided to go with the Platter Combo for two with Polonez Schnitzel, Cabbage Rolls, Mushrooms Perogies and assorted salads. The portions size were huge. I think it's possible to share with 3 people depending on your appetites. I loved their Schnitzels as it was lightly breaded and the meat was very tender. Some places tend to overcoat their schnitzels with breadcrumbs. Not on Cafe Polonez. They give a choice of Perogies like cheese or mushrooms. We made the right choice. I think the only average thing about was the Cabbage Rolls. In terms of the price, the place is not cheap but you are guaranteed to leave satisfied. Highly Recommended! #11 of 2019

Polaska old school comfort food! LCBO stock of polish beers. So goulash, schnitzels, porgies and beets!! Miss the old dark rye bread from the bakery down the street but that's change in the roncy!

After travelling to Poland recently this summer, my boyfriend and I were craving Polish food. Being in such a diverse city with many food options, I was glad we made our way down to Cafe Polonez for dinner on a Saturday night. When we arrived, the place was packed with customers and the servers were constantly busy trying to take orders and to serve food. We had to wait about 5-10 min for a table which wasn't bad. All throughout the meal I saw lines form near the door. However, people were seated quickly as customers ate and left quickly. For dinner we both ordered the white borscht to share as well as a side of pierogies (cheddar and potato filling) and we both got our own schnitzels. The food definitely brought us back to Poland where we had tried zurek for the first time. Delicious soup great for a chilly night. The pierogies and schnitzels were also spot on. We wanted to eat so many other things on the menu but couldn't! Definitely need to come back to Cafe Polonez for more Polish food, definitely authentic!

Beautiful patio, decent food, large portion sizes, overall a great summer evening spent trying a new cuisine! I enjoyed my Back Ribs with Cheddar pierogi, beet n carrot salad. Wait staff was polite n informative. Clean, safe place for a nice meal.

Horrid service and less than average food. The one star is for portion size. I watched multiple people, enter, wait and leave as nobody sat them. I was seated and watched multiple people enter, order and eat before my food arrived.

Great food great atmosphere home made food Good prices and a nice selection of Polish beers

I've only been here once and can't wait to go back again. FIVE stars for the potato pancakes - my dining companion had these with the goulash inside. Probably the best potato pancake texture I've ever had. I wouldn't order the goulash myself though, as I found the pork pieces far too dry. FIVE stars for service here - the place was absolutely bursting with people on a Sunday mid-day and the restaurant sang with friendly, goodhearted bustle. This is a popular place and it shows, shows, shows. I had perogies (cottage cheese) and a side of kolbasa. These were very good, FOUR stars! I do wish you were permitted to mix and match the 'rogues, there's others I want to try. I also wish the sides didn't come in those little tiny paper cups. (TBH it's because I want more sour cream than that.) But ok, I'll accept your portion control since the food is already so filling. In all, I had 3 little paper cups: a little paper cup of sour cream, a little paper cup of bacon-onion mince, and a little paper cup of yellow mustard. As we drank our Zyviec waiting for our meals, we salivated over the dishes next to us - various soups and the half duck plate. I want to sample these next time and I'm looking forward to trying the cold beet borscht when the weather warms. Glad we finally tried this place!

Around since 1981, Café Polonez has long been considered the hub for Polish cuisine in Toronto. They're located in the heart of the city's Polish community, Roncesvalles, so they should definitely know their way around a pierogi. Featured on season one of You Gotta Eat Here! and named #1 Best Cabbage Rolls by blogTO, this half-Polack had to give them a try. (Full disclosure: Despite being half Polish and a 2nd generation Canadian, the closest I've come to authentic Polish exposure was listening to my grandparents speak the language and eating my grandmother's cooking a couple of times a year as I grew up. She passed away in 1997. Suffice to say, I'm not exactly a reliable resource on Polish anything. But I did have a real Polish babcia.) I visited the restaurant on a Saturday evening and the place was packed. Luckily we were able to be seated right away, but just barely. I would recommend making a reservation and not leaving it to chance like I did. The room isn't massive by any means but they do seem to maximize their space with plenty of tables. I loved the gold colour scheme, sepia tones, and the large depiction of old-timey Warsaw on the back wall. I also really liked the beautifully framed artwork of the gryf and eagle on another wall. The decor is simple and tasteful. Many people around us were speaking fluent Polish. A basket of rye bread and butter was left on our table - perfect. The first thing that I did was scour the beverage list for something authentic. I love that they offer a nice list of Polish beers and of course a respectable selection of Polish vodka. However, I went straight to the Homemade Kompot ($3.50) which seemed like the absolute right thing to do. Kompot is a non-alcoholic sweet beverage made by boiling fruit in water. So it's essentially a tea made with fruit. This one had large pieces of pear in it and was served room-temperature. It tasted like Christmas and was sweet and delicious. The fully-saturated pear slices were nice to bite into. This was the correct thing to drink by far! When most people think about Polish food I'm sure that their minds go directly to pierogi, cabbage rolls and kielbasa. But for me, the one thing that I really, really wanted to eat was Barszcz Czerwony z Uszkami (Borscht consomme with choice of mushroom or meat dumpling - $7.95). I was so pleased to find it on the menu! This beet root soup with dumplings is one of the main things that I long for and miss that my grandmother used to make. I've never been able to find it anywhere. Traditionally served on Christmas (that's when we used to have it) the uszka or dumplings are key. Our friendly server suggested that we could order a mix of both mushroom and meat dumplings, so that's exactly what we did. The soup itself was fairly light but full of beet and dill flavour. The dumplings were wonderfully tender but held up to the liquid well. I liked both dumpling flavours a lot, both savoury and delicious, but I think that I preferred the mushrooms ones a little bit more. This soup was pure nostalgia for me and I really enjoyed it. I'm also pretty excited about the rest of their soups too - of which there are six to choose from. Each made in-house daily with fresh ingredients, they've got Chlodnik (cold borscht), Flaczki (beef tripe soup) and Żurek z Kiełbasą i Jajkiem (white borscht), among the rest. I would love to try them all! Next I had to try the Gołąbki (Stuffed with rice and pork, topped with tomato sauce and served with potatoes and a bouquet of salads - $17.95) especially if they are supposed to be the best in town. Cabbage rolls with minced pork filling was another of my grandmother's staple items. Café Polonez also makes them with mushroom filling and it's nice to see that there are options. I have to say, these were the best cabbage rolls that I've ever experienced outside of my grandmother's cooking. They tasted so much like her's (at least from what I can remember). Each roll was wrapped just right with a perfect savoury mix of meat and rice inside. I loved the zippy tomato sauce and how ideally the acidity balanced out each roll. The "bouquet of salads" was also surprisingly good and I was especially impressed with the ćwikła, which combines grated beets and horseradish. It just tasted so right to me. The mashed carrots, coleslaw, and potatoes were good too. I certainly couldn't visit this restaurant without trying the Pierogi (Homemade boiled dumplings served with side of sour cream and fried onions & pork - $7.25 for 6), of course another dish that my grandmother used to make. They have five different filling options available but only one was "correct" as far as I'm concerned: the Kapustą i Grzyby. Sauerkraut and mushroom. Cheddar pierogi are a complete sham in my opinion, although they do serve them. Again, these were almost exactly as I had remembered them. Each perfect pouch had a thin and uniform dough encasing a burst of flavourful, tangy sauerkraut and earthy mushrooms. They were

Friendly staff, I had a big chicken schnitzel sandwich. Bun is underwhelming, they could replace with a nice fresher, crustier roll than the basic hamburger bun they serve it on.

Café Polonez is located on the east side of Roncesvalles just south of Wright Ave. For me it never gets old coming down to the area near my old stomping grounds. Parkdale, W Queen W, Roncy and where Queen, King, Roncy and the Queensway meet. I was born just down the street. For me this area will always have a special place in my heart and I've seen it evolve and change quite a bit but Café Polonez has something of that old school charm still around. To start things off this is a Polish restaurant and for those that didn't know for decades Roncesvalles and the surrounding area was like a "Polishtown". Many of the businesses were Polish and while some things have changed throughout the years and now you'll see places that serve Mexican, Sushi, BBQ , Cuban and so on. The area much like the city has changed but Café Polonez is a reminder of some great Polish food and culture that still remains in the area. It's been years since we've been back but I had a friend that wanted to go to lunch and I had suggested this place because I'd wanted to go back for a long time but for whatever reason it was always put off. Finally after so long we've decided to go back. I was to meet our friend and my wife at the restaurant since they were out earlier in the day. I was able to get a seat in the restaurant which happened to be the last table and it was near the entrance and fit 3 exactly. It was around 12:30pm so it was understandable the place was busy since it was lunch and was at full capacity. Being near the entrance I saw some people come in, see the place was packed and just turn back around out the door. The place can't keep up with the demand it seems. When a place is this busy it's this busy for a reason. If it's been around for as long as it's been around that's another reason. Places that people like that do well, they tend to be around for a good while because they are doing something right. The menu has a variety of options and for starters I went with a dozen pierogi. There's no mixing so I just went with the default of cheese and potato. For my meal however I did get the combo which includes 4 more pierogi which I ended up asking for minced pork as well as the combo came with beet salad, coleslaw, bigos and a Polonez schnitzel which is a pork schnitzel topped with sautéed mushrooms. My wife actually ordered the same thing she had last time which was the Hungarian style potato pancake which is stuffed with a stew. My friend ended up getting the same as myself. The servings here are generous in that sure I couldn't finish it. The schnitzel may not be anywhere near as large as say what the Golden Pheasant serves but not many places are. Overall the combo is a nice mix of tastes and a variety of flavors. Being that this is eastern European cuisine expect the fare to be heavy, hearty and filling. I can't see leaving this place hungry because the servings are generous and because everything's so tasty I tend to eat till I can't continue.

This was our first time trying polish food & it was delicious! I'm so happy we decided to eat here. The service was fast & friendly & the portions were enormous! Will definitely come eat here again!

Had a wonderful meal here today! There were four of us and we shared the platter for four. There was tons of food and some leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Everything was wonderful and the schnitzel was certainly my favourite! The service was very good and all of us really enjoyed the whole experience. I would recommend coming here with a big group to allow you to try several dishes or one of the platters. If you get the chance to try a few different things I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

I remember this place from the 1980s - food was tasty and portions were big! The schnitzel was always a favourite! Ate there recently - what a disappointment - cabbage rolls with meat - where's the meat?? only rice and covered in what seemed to be tomato paste! Friend had potato pancakes - they were paper thin - who makes paper thin pancakes??? We split a schnitzel - it looked big on the plate but was also paper thin - how they made it that thin? I dont know!! Overall, food was bland and stingy proportioned!

Cafe Polonez is my favourite Polish restaurant in the GTA. The atmosphere is casual and family-friendly. Portion sizes are big, so come hungry. The dishes I usually get are the Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls with mushrooms (their mushroom sauce is amazing!), potato pancakes, boquet salad (carrots, cabbage, beets), and pierogies.

This Roncys restaurant is well known among locals and wider, and although this is my second time here - I am still unimpressed. Let me back that with the info that I am originally from Europe, and have eaten pretty much all national cuisines there. This time I had the Polonez Schnitzel with some perogi on the side. The perogies (meat) were nothing special - plenty better ones around Toronto. The schnitzel was a disappointment - small size (not even half the plate) and very, very oily. These are supposed to be pan-fried, not deep-fried, but this one tasted very deep-fried. The mushrooms on top were so soaked in oil (and not extra virgin olive oil that I am used to), they were literally spurting oil when pressed. I barely finished half the plate. The polish dark beer was the best part of the meal. I'm comparing this Schnitzel to the Czech place near Port Credit (the name escapes me at the moment) - and there's no comparison. At the Czech place the schnitzel was positively HUGE, bigger than the plate (plates were same sized with Polonez), and not oily at all although still having the batter. Last time I was here I had the paprikash and goulash and was very, very underwhelmed - they were bland and lacking that 'zing' that should give them the savory deliciousness. It felt like I quick-cooked them at home while watching TV, instead of something cooked by a professional chef with years of experience.