Oliver & Bonacini Frozen Meals Review: Is a $50 Date Night Possible?

TL;DR: O&B sells frozen versions of their restaurant dishes through Voila. The French Onion Soup is legitimately impressive. A full date night for two—appetizer, mains, dessert—runs about $50 instead of $150+. You need an oven (not a microwave), but the quality is real.

Can you really have a “date night” with frozen food?

Yes, because O&B’s frozen line is restaurant-prepared food that you finish in the oven, costing ~$50 for two people compared to $150+ in a restaurant.

Quick math.

Dinner for two at a decent Toronto restaurant: $80-120 before tip and drinks. At an O&B spot like Canoe or Maison Selby? You’re easily at $150-200.

Now here’s the thing: O&B sells frozen versions of their actual restaurant dishes. Through Voila. Each meal is $15-25.

A complete date night—appetizer, two mains, dessert—comes out around $50.

Same chefs. Same recipes. Way less money.

My partner and I tried this last month expecting it to be… fine. Maybe a notch above regular frozen dinners. We were wrong. It’s actually good.

With the referral link for $20 off your first $100+ order, that first date night is basically free.

What is Oliver & Bonacini (O&B)?

O&B is one of Canada’s most prestigious restaurant groups (owning Canoe, Maison Selby, Leña), and their frozen line uses the actual culinary team’s recipes.

If you’re not from Toronto, quick context: O&B is one of Canada’s biggest restaurant groups. They own places like:

• Canoe – Fine dining, power lunch vibes, Bay Street views
• Maison Selby – French bistro in a gorgeous old building
• Leña – Latin American, fire-roasted everything
• Bannock – Indigenous-Canadian cuisine
• Jump – Business dining, expense account territory

These aren’t chains. They’re the restaurants people save for anniversaries and proposals.

The frozen meal line takes real dishes from these restaurants and packages them for home. It’s not generic stuff with their name slapped on it. Actual O&B recipes from their culinary team.

How good is the Maison Selby French Onion Soup?

It is the standout item. The frozen “puck” of broth and cheese melts into a rich, deep soup with proper sourdough croutons that do not get soggy.

Okay, I’m going to get specific here because this thing surprised me.

French onion soup is deceptively hard to make well. Properly caramelizing onions takes 45 minutes minimum. Most people (including me) just don’t bother at home.

What’s in the box:

• Rich caramelized onion broth (actually deep flavor, not just salt water)
• Sourdough croutons (hold up during baking, don’t get soggy)
• Gruyère and mozzarella cheese blend

How you make it: Oven. 20-25 minutes. Basically just heating and melting.

Honest take: This is the one that made me a believer. The broth has real depth. The cheese browns properly. That bubbly, stretchy pull when you break through? It happens.

At $12-15, it sets the tone for an entire evening. I’ve made this three times now.

Which O&B main courses are worth ordering?

The top picks are Leña’s Piri Piri Chicken (tender, medium spice) and Bannock’s Tourtière (flaky pastry, rich filling), while the Chicken Pot Pie is a crowd-pleaser.

Leña’s Piri Piri Chicken

Tender chicken (white and dark meat) with kale, roasted potatoes, and piri piri sauce.

Who it’s for: Someone who wants comfort food that feels slightly healthy. Protein-heavy, vegetables included, but still has flavor.

Heat level: Medium. The piri piri has some kick but won’t destroy you.

Prep: Oven, about 25-30 minutes.

My take: Solid. Not life-changing, but consistently good. The chicken doesn’t dry out, which is impressive for frozen.

Bannock’s Tourtière

Traditional Quebec meat pie. Braised pork shoulder, ground beef, flaky pastry.

Who it’s for: Anyone with French-Canadian roots, or anyone who likes proper comfort food. This is a winter thing.

When to order it: Tourtière searches spike from November through January. If you’re visiting family and want to look like you made something impressive without spending two days cooking, this is the move.

Prep: Oven. 35-40 minutes.

My take: The pastry is legit flaky. The filling is rich. I’d serve this to my mother-in-law and not be embarrassed.

Artisan Chicken Pot Pie

Classic pot pie. Creamy filling, vegetables, chicken, buttery crust.

Who it’s for: Everyone. This is the crowd-pleaser.

Prep: Oven. 30-35 minutes.

My take: Comfort food that delivers. The crust is actually good—not the soggy mess you expect from frozen pot pies. The filling has real chunks of chicken.

Is O&B frozen food better than UberEats?

Yes. While UberEats often arrives lukewarm and soggy for $60+, O&B meals come fresh from your own oven for half the price, offering a better dining experience.

Let’s compare honestly:

I’ve done the UberEats thing. You pay $80+ for food that sat in someone’s car for 40 minutes. The fries are always dead. The main is always lukewarm. You eat out of containers because who wants to do dishes after all that.

The O&B frozen experience: Oven runs for 25 minutes. You plate it properly. Food comes out at the right temperature. You actually sit down and enjoy it.

For date night? The frozen option wins on experience, not just price.

What is the full Date Night Menu breakdown?

For under $70 (after discount), you can serve two French Onion Soups, a Piri Piri Chicken, a Pot Pie, wine, and gelato.

Here’s what we ordered. Would cost $150+ at the actual restaurants:

Appetizer: Maison Selby French Onion Soup (one each) – ~$25

Main 1: Leña’s Piri Piri Chicken – ~$20

Main 2: Artisan Chicken Pot Pie – ~$18

Added from Farm Boy (also on Voila):

• Bottle of wine – $15
• Farm Boy gelato – $10

Total before discount: ~$88 After discount: ~$68

At the restaurant, this dinner is $150-200 plus tip. We saved over $100.

The French Onion Soup genuinely impressed both of us. The pot pie was the hit of the night.

What should you expect (and NOT expect) from these meals?

These are not 5-minute microwave meals; they require 25-40 minutes in a real oven and are rich, restaurant-style comfort food, not diet food.

Setting expectations:

Not TV dinners. No plastic trays. No microwave. You need an actual oven and baking dishes.

Not fast. Most things need 25-40 minutes. You’re not eating in 5 minutes.

Not health food. Pot pie has butter. French onion soup has cheese. Tourtière has pastry and meat. This is restaurant comfort food.

Not everywhere. You need to be in a Voila zone: GTA, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton metros.

If you want quick microwaveable diet food, this isn’t it. If you want restaurant-quality comfort food at home for cheap, keep reading.

Steps to Order O&B Meals

Step 1: Open Voila

App or website. Make an account if you don’t have one.

Step 2: Search “Oliver & Bonacini” or “O&B”

Full collection comes up. Browse by meal type.

Step 3: Build Your Cart

You need $100 minimum for the referral discount. Add groceries, Farm Boy stuff, or multiple O&B meals to get there.

Step 4: Apply the Referral Code

Enter the unique code sent to your email at checkout. $20 comes off.

Step 5: Prep Your Kitchen

Have baking dishes ready. Preheat the oven. Set the table like you mean it.

When is the best time to order these?

They are perfect for anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, dinner parties, or any “random Tuesday” when you need a high-quality win without the cooking stress.

Anniversary: Save $100+ and still eat better than most restaurant experiences.

Valentine’s Day: Skip the overcrowded, overpriced prefix menus. Cook together.

Random Tuesday: Sometimes you need a win. This is an affordable one.

Guests coming: Impressive food without the stress of cooking from scratch.

Winter weekend: Tourtière + French onion soup + a fire = peak cozy.

How to Get Our $20 Voila Referral Code

To get your $20 off, you need to follow a specific process (it’s not just a code you type in):

1. Click the referral link below.
2. Enter your email address on the Voila page.
3. Check your email for a unique code sent by Voila.
4. Paste that code at checkout.

Note: The discount applies to your first order of $100 or more.

That first French Onion Soup hit different. I kept thinking about how I used to pay $18 for the restaurant version when this exists.

Your first O&B order basically pays for itself. The $20 discount covers an entire main course. Everything else is gravy—literally, with the pot pie.

Set the table. Dim the lights. Pour the wine.

Date night just got way better.

FAQ: O&B Frozen Meal Questions

Can I microwave these meals?

Some technically yes, but most are designed for the oven. The French Onion Soup needs broiling for the cheese. The tourtière needs baking for the crust. Microwave = sad results.

How big are the portions?

Mains like the Piri Piri Chicken or pot pie are solid single servings or moderate for two with sides. The soup portions are good individual servings.

Is the French Onion Soup actually good frozen?

Yes. I was skeptical. The broth and cheese are frozen together in a “puck.” Baking melts it into proper soup with the croutons crisping up. It works surprisingly well.