The name is not a flourish. At Garlic's of London, a slow-roasted Ontario garlic bulb arrives as a starter — soft enough to spread, set against herbed Ontario chèvre, a seasonal compote and fried rosemary — and from there the allium keeps surfacing. There is a garlic and caramelized-onion bisque. There is black garlic folded into a demi-glâce over beef tenderloin and into a truffle cream over fettuccine. The kitchen treats its own name as a standing instruction rather than a logo, and the result is a downtown restaurant that has turned one ingredient into a recurring culinary idea. It sits on Richmond Row, a few doors from the Grand Theatre.
The Black Garlic Fettuccine is the clearest line from name to plate: a truffle and black garlic cream tangled with Ontario mushrooms, spinach and shallots, finished with Frisa Farms' cured egg yolk and shaved Grana Padano. The upper end of the menu reads like a proper dinner house. Pan-seared Ontario duck breast comes with a pear and ricotta raviolo and a root-vegetable hash; the beef tenderloin sets pomme fondant and mushroom duxelles under that black garlic demi-glâce. An opening tartare hand-cuts the same Ontario tenderloin onto a crisp corn tortilla with an egg-yolk emulsion and salsa macha. Scallops rest on cauliflower purée under curry oil, the Adriatic-style calamari is grilled rather than battered, and the Thai curry mussels steam Prince Edward Island shellfish in a coconut broth.
The theme shows up across actual dishes, from a roasted garlic bulb to black garlic fettuccine, garlic bisque and garlic frites.
Garlic's pairs Richmond Row longevity with Ontario ingredients, local beer and a room shaped by art, brick and theatre-district context.
Pasta, date-night, pizza and burger promotions give diners practical timing hooks without stripping away the special-dinner feel.
Garlic's has a polished but relaxed lane for couples: a downtown London room with art, garlic-forward starters, shareable pasta direction and a Wednesday two-person offer that makes planning feel specific rather than generic.
The room gives dinner a sense of occasion without turning formal: exposed brick, theatre posters, local art, garlic-forward appetizers, steak, duck, salmon and pasta all point toward a composed downtown meal.
This garlic theme has real range. Black garlic cream, cured egg yolk, garlic oils, smoked garlic pasta, Thai curry mussels and tartare give curious diners enough texture to build a more playful meal.
Its downtown London address near the Grand Theatre makes Garlic's a practical pre- or post-show dinner choice, with enough shareable starters and focused mains to fit a planned evening.
The menu repeatedly points to Ontario garlic, Ontario chèvre, local mushrooms, local beer and a local-sourcing identity, so the regional angle shows up in the food rather than only in the background.
Share the nuances of your visit to Garlic's of London in London — the standout dishes, the room, the service.
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