478 Queen St. W.
(416) 504-5127
64 Oxford Street
(416) 927-1231
web site: www.toronto.com/profile/187540

A small restaurant, only opened for lunch 11:00am-3:00pm and then open again for dinner 5:00- late. I went here for my 28th birthday dinner and I really enjoyed my evening.
The restaurant is designed in an Asian and tropical rainforest motif. Very soothing and relaxing and the waitress describes all the entrees as “beautiful” The food is pricy. Entrees are from $15-$20 and the portions are not big. The presentation is tasteful and minimalist. The food is creative and flavourful but more on the blander side (not spicy).

They claim to be a “natural” restaurant thus you cannot order Coke or Pepsi or any soda product. First round of water is not free. The request for tap water is acceptable once a bottle of Evian is ordered at first. The seats are very comfortable and the ambiance is casual to dressy. The overall theme is a calm and soothing retreat from the bustling city. The dishes are uniquely vegetarian. None of the dishes even attempts to emulate a meat dish. For my birthday dinner I ordered the roasted vegetables with tofu and seitan. It was really good and did not taste like your typical tofu stir fry, like in most vegetarian restaurants. Food was fresh and presentation was key.

The only drawback is the wait and the tiny portions. The staff at Fressen believe in taking their time. They believe that their clients should enjoy their whole dining experience. The bread is healthy and freshly cut but the portions are quite skimpy. Nonetheless I would highly recommend this place for a special occasion once a year.