Fatima's Bistro: Warm and Cosy Mediterranean Spot in The Junction

Collage: Fatima's Cafe & Bistro
2009 @ artjunction.blogspot.com

Fatima's Cafe & Bistro
3108 Dundas St W (at Clendenan Ave.)
Toronto, ON M6P 2A1
Tel (647) 727-4550
website: fatimasbistro.com
facebook: fatima's cafe and bistro
twitter: fatimasbistro
free WiFi

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Fatima's Bistro and Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so stop by! #junctionto #toronto
twitter.com/fatimasbistro
Fatima's Cafe Bistro
Dec 26th 2009

A Nice Dinner at Fatima's Bistro
By Eleanor Batchelder

We had a nice dinner at Fatima's Bistro the other night. The cuisine here is French, Italian, and Portuguese in creative combinations by owner and chef Maria Fatima Dos Santos, a vivacious woman from Portugal who previously ran the cafe Free Time just down the street.

She wanted to serve a greater variety of dishes so, with the help of her husband, a contractor, she renovated this larger space. It has an unusual layout, with the chef's kitchen open to the view of passersby in the street, and a serving counter with stools for customers between the front window and the kitchen. Fatima likes the airy feel of working where she can see both the street outside and the customers inside. The main room is both spacious and cosy, with brick walls and serene photographs by Christopher Drost (simplequiet.com).

The varied and reasonably priced menu includes quiche, crepes, and pasta, among other dishes (see sample menus at www.fatimasbistro.com). Fatima enjoys creating food, and is happy to accommodate requests. She believes that a bistro is a place for food, drink, and sociability, and hopes that people will feel free to come by for a cup of coffee and some free WiFi on occasion, or to sit at the kitchen counter and have an appetizer. Or, of course, to enjoy a full meal, as we did, complete with flan for dessert.

The restaurant is fairly new, having opened in June of 2009 (http://artjunction.blogspot.com/2009/06/three-secrets-of-fatimas-bistro-food.html). In the past few months, the cafe has hosted a number of events, including live jazz, a wine and food celebration night, and a children's party. There is a full bar, as well as a select wine list.

When you're in the Junction, look for the Ali Baba arches -- there's no reason for these, actually, Fatima just likes them!

2009 © Eleanor Batchelder

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links:
mytowncrier.ca: New Junction café flying high
Portuguese ex-pat loves resto's new home
By Christopher Reynolds
Originally published in our Bloor West print edition(s).
November 23, 2009

To much information: Much talk about Toronto, Clothes, Food and the Weather: The Junction
"FATIMA’S CAFE BISTRO - You can actually have a healthy, tasty brunch here. The food has an european/french delicacy to it. Sometimes there is live music at night."
by nurmisur
November 11, 2009