It's soothing in shades of white, taupe, and black, with sparkling pendant lights and a bar constructed with marble reclaimed from the CN Tower. It's the perfect place to pop in for a glass of wine and an order of mussels after work as it has a great, wind-down feel.
Patrick Saurette, who co-owns The Marc with his wife, says his favourite thing about running the downtown French restaurant is the staff. The group is like a big family, he says, many of whom followed Patrick from his former business Il Portico to a completely new venture in 2010.
When he first opened The Marc, he heard a story of a husband and wife who had been frequent customers of Il Portico. The restaurant had been the backdrop for their first date, their engagement and anniversaries. When the restaurant closed, the husband still wanted to do something special for an upcoming anniversary – his solution was to get some takeout and enjoy it with his wife in the former Il Portico parking lot.
“I think the story shows the importance people place on restaurants,” says Patrick. “For sure food is important, but underlying all of that is the experience of breaking bread with special people in your life. And that experience is created by them,” he says, pointing towards several staff members busy working in the kitchen.
The hand cut frites here are gorgeous and tasty – so golden and crispy, never oily or soggy. The best part, of course, is the truffle aioli that comes on the side.
One dip and you’ll be in heaven. The aioli is creamy and rich, and pairs perfectly with the hot fries. You’ll be perfectly content – until you run out of aioli, that is.
The Marc is twice as nice when it comes to inviting atmospheres – once for its bright, intimate indoor space and twice for its coveted patio space in the heart of downtown. The crisp white walls adorned by long horizontal mirrors make the quaint space feel much larger, and the slim, elegant lighting fixtures give it an undeniable uptown flair. The Marc does all of the important things right without any of the needless embellishments. You’ll be impressed!
Downtown’s beloved French restaurant serves up both lunch and dinner, and provides a nice smattering of smoked menu items. On the lunch menu, try the smoked chicken flatbread topped with roasted garlic, corn, pickled shallots, fresh arugula and mouthwatering crème fraîche. On the dinner menu, sample the boulettes (smoked char dumplings) or the smoked pork rillettes.