| Toronto |
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Commensal  
 based on 24 member reviews
655 Bay Street, Toronto Ontario
M5G 2K4
416-596-9364
Type: Ovo, Lacto, Vegan-friendly, Buffet, Wine, Western, International, Take-out
Info: Veggie restaurant featuring a large self-serve hot and cold buffet spread that includes soups, pate, main entrees, desserts, many of which are vegan-friendly. Food is priced by weight. Open Mon-Tue 11:30-9:30, Wed-Fri 11:30-10, Sat 12-10, Sun 12-9:30. Price: Moderate.
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| "Highly recommended"
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My Rating |
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4 |
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Posted on: Thursday, November 12, 2009 |
Review: This is a great place with lots of choice and ideal for when you're not sure what you fancy or if there's a few of you who can't agree on what sort of food to have! It's canteen style but it all looks (and tastes) so fresh and delicious. There's loads of different salads, lots of entrees, and lots of great desserts. You can pick whatever you want and however much you want so you can pick and mix. Then your plate is weighed and you pay by weight. Everything vegan is labelled so you can choose easily. I'd definitely recommend Le Commensal to anyone.
Pros: choice of food * fresh * tasty
Cons: * * |
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| "Greuet Buffet and nice atmosphere"
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My Rating |
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9 |
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Posted on: Sunday, October 25, 2009 |
Review: Verry big buffet, cental locateted. The buffet is good mixed and always fresh and good filled. Clean and nice atmosphere.
Pros: Location * Food *
Cons: * * |
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| "Quick and Easy"
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My Rating |
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9 |
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Posted on: Thursday, October 22, 2009 |
Review: We ate here on a recent trip to Toronto and found it to be pretty good. There was a lot of choice, clearly labelled, and it was a good way to try small portions of lots of different things. The food may not have been piping hot, but you kind of expect that with serve-yourself buffet style. We knew that it was 'pay by weight' and so were careful not to over-load our plates with too much. Maybe I'm just easily pleased, but, after a long day sight-seeing, this was a good place to grab some quick and tasty veggie food.
Pros: Quick * Tasty food * Centrally located
Cons: Pay by weight * * |
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| "Cold Expensive food"
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My Rating |
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5 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, September 08, 2009 |
Review: I will probably eat in Commensal again but only because it's convenient for me. The food is not very hot and you don't know what you are paying until you get it weighed. You have to be very careful if you don't want to end up paying $20+ for a plate of cold food. The salads are good though. There are many vegan options but they aren't very imaginative: mostly tofu and seitan based dishes, they could do with making some "creamy" or "cheesy" style vegan dishes. However I have enjoyed my desserts there, especially the vegan chocolate fudge cake.
Pros: Good salads * Lots of vegan options * Good desserts
Cons: Cold food * expensive * Vegan options mostly tofu or seitan |
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| "Good Food, lots of variety"
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My Rating |
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5 |
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Posted on: Monday, August 24, 2009 |
Review: The buffet was great... Tons of variety (lots of vegan options) and all but one of the items I picked out was great. Watch out though, as they charge based on weight and the food adds up quickly. My plate cost about $11, but my boyfriend's meal ended up costing about $22. If you go after 9:00 pm though, they do offer a 20% discount. Definitely worth checking out!
Pros: Lots of variety * very tasty * healthy options
Cons: Can be pricey * * |
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| "Vegan options leave much to be desired"
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My Rating |
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7 |
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Posted on: Monday, August 17, 2009 |
Review: I was disappointed in the vegan options. The desserts especially were awful. The vegan desserts looked gross. Improvements should be made to improve vegan selections.
Pros: * *
Cons: vegan desserts not good * * |
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| "Good buffet style veg food if you're in a hurry"
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My Rating |
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22 |
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Posted on: Saturday, May 09, 2009 |
Review: We've been to Commensal many times over the years and it is consistently good, though not every item is terrific. It's a good place for a relatively quick meal if you're busy or in a hurry due to the buffet, self-serve style. Lots of variety and vegan options. It it quite expensive for what you get, but the convenience factor makes it worthwhile sometimes. I've eaten at comparable restaurants elsewhere in the world that are equally or more expensive.
Pros: healthy food options * lots of variety * quick meal choice
Cons: expensive * more vegan dessert options would be nice * |
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| "expensive mediocre food."
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My Rating |
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3 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 |
Review: I gave this restaurant two chances with friends and I just wasn't impressed by it. There's a large selection of food clearly labeled (vegan,gluten free,etc)which I was excited by at first. However, we had quite a shock when we went to the cash register. Prices are by weight, and everything adds up quickly. The food itself was mediocre to bad. The pizza was soggy, the lasagna had a weird chemical-y taste and many of the dishes seemed to taste the same . Also be forewarned that towards the end of the night (8pm?) the food looks terrible. Salads were limp and the food on the hot side was severely dried out.
Pros: selection * clear dietary labels *
Cons: expensive * cold food * bad tasting food |
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| "cha-ching"
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My Rating |
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19 |
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Posted on: Sunday, April 26, 2009 |
Review: With so much to choose from and it all looks and tastes so good, you cant help but load your plate up. You know its gonna cost a fortune, but you do it anyway. When you cash out, well the price makes the food hard to swallow. Probably the most money I have ever spent on a plate of food and the last time Ill do that. Way too expensive for a buffet, it feels like a school cafeteria, not a fancy restaurant.
Pros: selection * taste *
Cons: expensive * * |
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| "A Favorite"
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My Rating |
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34 |
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Posted on: Friday, January 16, 2009 |
Review: With a salad bar, including several kinds of sprouts, a hot bar, including ethnic dishes, a desert bar, soup, white and brown rice, apple and carrot juice, and all of it great, what's not to like.
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "How can you go wrong with so many choices?"
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My Rating |
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4 |
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Posted on: Monday, December 15, 2008 |
Review: Le Commensal has never let me down. I work right nearby and it's definitely my pick if I'm too lazy to pack a lunch.
Its huge buffet of healthy (and well labeled) lacto, ovo and vegan foods gives you lots of choices. It's paid by weight which means you can live it up, or be modest with your food portions depending on your budget. Plus you don't have to wait for service; you just walk in, serve yourself, pay and sit or take it to go.
The ginger tofu and seitan bourguignon are high on my list, so is the mint chickpea salad. I also like how they have tones of fresh veggies like steamed kale and sprouts that I know I should eat, but never really get around to eating at home. I definitely always leave feeling full and good about what's in my body (as corny as that sounds).
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Big disappointment"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 |
Review: Stupidly overpriced, cold, tasteless food is what is on offer at this restaurant. Spent $20 for a small plate of food I couldn't even finish it was so bad.
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Good restaurant for vegans as well as vegetarians."
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My Rating |
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9 |
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Posted on: Sunday, October 19, 2008 |
Review: All items are labeled with what they contain and they prepare food all through the day if you need a late lunch or take away. All items are labeled so its easy to know what's vegan and what isnt - everything is vegetarian.
They have a dessert buffet as well as a hot buffet section, cold salad buffet, soups, drinks and fruit juices - all with some vegan options.
It's a nice place to go if you want to try a small amount of various different dishes as you just pick what you want and pay at the end.
There is free water as well as live music on some nights - you can also get one slice of bread free with your meal but as another reviewer said sadly there is no vegan butter.
Pros: pay by weight * vegan options marked * atmosphere
Cons: no vegan butter * * |
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| "Blowing hot and cold"
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My Rating |
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3 |
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Posted on: Friday, September 05, 2008 |
Review: It's not often you sit down to a meal where the water in your glass is warmer than the soup in your bowl, but this can happen at Le Commensal. I guess this kind of thing is bound to happen in a place that unashamedly tries to cater for what it hopes will be a mass market in people who will - because some of them are veg*ns for ethical reasons - be opposed to the notion of mass marketing in the first place. It hasn't quite got its act together, but some of the dishes on offer were first-class, the seitan bourgignon being among my favourites. Some of them were rubbish (don't go anywhere near the spring rolls) and - as is usual anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line - do not expect anything billed as "spicy" to have any spice in it at all, for it will not.
Having said all that, Le Commensal is trying in the present to be the fast-food restaurant of the future, when we've all turned our backs on McDonalds for one reason or another. It isn't doing so badly.
Pros: Lots of choices * *
Cons: Mostly lukewarm * * |
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| "Great buffet choice"
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My Rating |
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25 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 |
Review: Close to the centre of town. Buffet style, sold by weight. I've just returned from Brazil and have been to (and reviewed!) tons of these style places - and this is far better than any of 'em. Dozens of choices, far more than I could even sample in one sitting - although I tried my best, spending CA$23 with a can of soda. Some reviewers have said food is warm but not hot - true, but it's always closer to hot than cold - and whoever said their food was cold by the time they sat down was probably referring to the salad ;)
Pros: Wide variety * Variety and taste * All vegetarian
Cons: Pricey * * |
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| "cafeteria style"
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My Rating |
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111 |
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Posted on: Monday, July 07, 2008 |
Review: not neccessarily vegan friendly
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Quite the pleasant surprise"
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My Rating |
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7 |
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Posted on: Monday, July 07, 2008 |
Review: I've been eating at Le Commensal in Montreal, Quebec, for almost five years. Over these five years in Montreal, I have seen very few menu changes, especially with regards to the selection of vegan desserts. However, I was most pleasantly surprised to see what a vastly different approach to veg*n dining that the Le Commensal in Toronto has: vegetarian breakfast in the morning, personable service (unlike in Montreal where you scarcely have any contact with the human beings behind the delicious meals), a small grocery area that offers not only Le Commensal's products but also other health-food products, and varied menu items (including THREE [!] vegan dessert items instead of the same two in Montreal). The vegetarian brunch was delicious, despite the fact that vegan butter isn't offered for toast. Nevertheless, I ahd a very pleasant experience at Le Commensal in Toronto. Thank you!
Pros: personable service * menu selection * taste
Cons: no vegan butter * * |
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| "Great Spot"
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My Rating |
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8 |
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Posted on: Sunday, November 11, 2007 |
Review: Le Commensal in downtown Toronto is a classy spot, in my view. It's clean and pleasant. They lost a part of the restaurant when they made it into a breakfast section that is therefore closed after their breakfast period. I used to like sitting in there before that change. And, with the pricing of the breakfast items, which are so so, I'm not sure I'm happy with that change.
The restaurant has appealing, tasty items on offer, but they don't do much in the way of experimenting. And some of the items could stand to be improved.
The food will never be hot. I'm not a frequenter of buffets, so I don't know whether that's the way all buffets are.
They serve quality beer and dynamite fresh squeezed organge juice.
The staff are perfectly friendly and helpful, although a (rare) new item on offer looked to me like it might be spicy warm, which prompted me to ask about it. The woman categorically stated it wasn't spicy. Well, It wasn't too spicy for me to eat, but it wasn't without heat. Items that have spice/heat should 'always' be marked as such. I have chronic heartburn and don't need the aggravation of having to eat food that's not good for me just because I can't afford to throw it away.
The washrooms are pristine and comfortable. And on some nights, you can hear live piano, which I enjoy. Otherwise, They don't offend you with foreground, funky music, something that it's almost impossible to avoid these days.
The coffee is a blind spot here, as it is in most places. It may or may not be good. It's hard to tell because it's so weak, you can't taste the coffee in the coffee. To me, The cup of coffee I have with my meal makes a big difference. I love coffee. It's next to impossible to find good coffee, even in Toronto's highly rated independent coffee shops, and that's mostly because everyone serves hot water with just a hint of coffee in it. And no one wants to hear about it when you point it out.
Pros: relaxing environment * tasty food * comfortable washrooms
Cons: food is never hot * coffee is far too weak * breakfast section doesn't work |
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| "Le Commensal"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Monday, October 29, 2007 |
Review: Consistenly first rate food. Good selection of healthy choices. Modern, clean surroundings. Food is charged by weight---which is fair.
Desserts are great. All round first class
Pros: excellent food * healthy cuisine * self serve
Cons: can't think of any * * |
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| "anways enjoyable"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Monday, October 29, 2007 |
Review: Myself and two friends always stop by for dinner after a day in Toronto. My one friend is in a power wheel chair and the restaurant it totally accessible. The only thing that they need to do is move the table in the ladies restroom to make more room for wheelchairs. The food is always great and we always find new selections every time that we go. Not a lot of vegan options every time but that is ok with me. The price is a little high but we always are ok with that. The staff is friendly and helpfull. We always leave satisfied. Can not wait until we go to the city again and join them for dinner.
Pros: good food * always a variety * no waiting
Cons: non for food * need to move table in ladies restroom * |
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| "Nice variety, very casual"
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My Rating |
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15 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 |
Review: I had heard Le Commensal was an asian buffet and this is not at all the case. There is a large variety of foods, all labelled vegan, lacto, ovo, etc. Pay by weight. Nice, clean atmosphere, although I wouldn't recommend taking a dinner date here. Try the vegan quiche!
The buffet style is quick and you can also pick up grab n' go food if you're in a rush.
Pros: fast * variety * food labels
Cons: a tad pricey * * |
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| "Defenately Not Suitable for Budget Travellers"
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My Rating |
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20 |
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Posted on: Monday, September 10, 2007 |
Review: We are budget travellers so 18 CND (excluding gratuity) for two small plates of foods is higher than our average budget. The place was nice though. They also have a 20% after 20:30 on some nights (could be on Tuesday/Thursday and Sunday night). You need to remain the cashier about it though, since our cashier had forgotten to discounted our bill. Luckily he finally did so after we have pointed out to him that it was then 20:48.
Pros: atmosphere * *
Cons: not many vegan options * none of the pies are vegans? * only 1 choice of veg ice cream? |
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| "Outstanding!"
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My Rating |
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7 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 |
Review: This place is a dream come true. So many choices, and nearly everything is fabulous. The only drawback is the price--after loading up with a little of this, a little of that, the whole meal ends up fairly costly (we usually spend around $18 each). But we'd never skip it--year after year we come back, always craving the delicious food at Le Commensal and wondering why we don't have one in Michigan. Healthy and scrumptious, from the pate to the entrees to the desserts. Yum.
Pros: Lots of choices * Healthy cuisine * Delicious food
Cons: Priced by weight * Expensive * |
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| "Le Commensal, Toronto"
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My Rating |
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166 |
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Posted on: Sunday, September 10, 2006 |
Review: This place was close to my hotel in Toronto and I was happy to eat in this place for most meals. Bags of choice for me as a vegan, decent tasting food also. With the buffet being there waiting for you it's just a simple matter of getting stuck in.
Pros: Plenty vegan choice * Tasty food *
Cons: None * * |
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