Don't Tell Dad

Don’t Tell Dad is a neighbourhood bakery and restaurant in Queen’s Park, serving seasonal French and British dishes.To form a fair opinion, I visited twice - before and after it was selected by Michelin, as my first visit didn’t leave any strong impressions.During the first visit, I focused on the starters:• Buffalo mozzarella - simple, soft, creamy;• Pommes Anna - an interesting option of potatoes: crisp, salty, reminds of a gratin;• Duck ragù on a bun - a dish I found a bit hard to judge. The ragù itself is great, but together with the bun it felt questionable - although that’s very much a matter of taste.Is it nourishing? Yes. You could easily just take a starter and drinks.On my second visit, I tried the mains, and here things were much more interesting:• Braised pork shoulder / girolles / polenta, tomatoes - tender meat, rich flavour, and tomatoes add juiciness and a gentle acidity. Definitely worth ordering;• Mussels with fregola and ’nduja (a spreadable spicy sausage): as it cooks, the ’nduja melts into the sauce, giving the whole dish a smoky, spicy depth;• The SALAD — Lettuce & Ranch. Surprisingly, this was the dish I remembered the most. Crunchy, juicy leaves with salty, with , like, low-fat sour cream, immediately took me back to childhood — summer barbecues on “dacha”, fresh veggies, and a simple sour-cream dressing. A very fresh and tasty side. I’ll come back for it.Madeleines with cream — the cream is light, not overly sweet, with lemon zest. The madeleines themselves are just… regular. A good dessert, but nothing memorable.Overall, it’s a really good spot for a neighbourhood place. Worth dropping by if you’re local, but not yet a destination restaurant. Let’s see what new ideas the chef brings next.