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Restaurants We have selected 25 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. Restaurant prices are subject to a provincial sales tax of 8% and a federal goods and services tax of 7%. There is also a 10% liquor tax on any alcohol drunk with the meal. All taxes are usually added to the bill at the end of the meal. In addition, it is customary to tip at least 15% for good service. The City of Toronto recently passed a by-law that all restaurants must be smoke-free. The exceptions to this new and somewhat contentious rule are eating establishments that define themselves as ‘bars’. Many restaurants do not have websites or e-mail addresses and it is usually best to reach them by telephone. The prices quoted below are for an average three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they do not include tax or tip. Gastronomic Chiado Located smack in the middle of Little Portugal, Toronto’s sizeable Portuguese community could not ask for a better ambassador. Seafood dominates, with fresh fish flown in daily – anything tentacled finds a worthy end on the grill. Those partial to land-bound critters will find solace in the braised rabbit. No lunch. 864 College Street, Little Portugal Tel: (416) 538 1910. Price: C$60. Wine: C$30. North 44 Named after Toronto’s latitude, North 44’s location in Toronto’s safe and franchise-ridden uptown has not stopped this internationally acclaimed restaurant from being the city’s most infamous posh eating place for over a decade. Cold and steely from the outside but with a warm and artful interior, the menu changes with the seasons but everything – from roast lamb shank, bouillabaisse or a trio of lobster appetisers – will be prepared to perfection. A recent renovation will likely keep the momentum going for another ten years. No lunch. Closed Sunday. 2537 Yonge Street, Eglinton Tel: (416) 487 4897. Website: http://toronto.com/E/V/TORON/0034/03/59/1.html Price: C$80. Wine: C$45. Opus Located in an unassuming townhouse on a quaint, leafy street, a meal at Opus is like dinner at a friend’s house – only with waiters and an outstanding chef. Servers are attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. The menu changes monthly and reflects the seasons – traditional French fare, such as smoked duck and rack of lamb, often make appearances. No lunch. 37 Prince Arthur Avenue, Yorkville/Annex Tel: (416) 921 3105. Price: C$80. Wine: C$50. Splendido Bar and Grill Lamborghinis pull up and good-looking people step out and immerse themselves in Splendido’s bright yet sophisticated dining room. These discerning patrons come mainly for the adventurous Italian-influenced menu. Dishes include a starter of warm tomato puff pastry with buffalo mozzarella and mains like beef tenderloin served with ravioli stuffed with lobster and fennel or oven-baked rack of veal, served with buttered corn, radicchio chilli cress salad, sweet potato fritters and thyme sauce. There is a large international wine list with New and Old World selections. 88 Harbord Street, SpaHa Tel: (416) 929 7788. Fax: (416) 929 3501. Website: www.splendidoonline.com Price: C$70. Wine: C$31. Truffles The award-winning restaurant of the Four Seasons flagship hotel (see Hotels), Truffles is, as its name suggests, a celebration of the gourmet. Every detail – from the exotic sculptures to the exotically sculpted starters, such as rare seared tuna, milk-poached smoked cod or foie gras, has been seen to. Fish, fowl and meat are prepared with equal aplomb, making the tasting menu (a choice of five or eight courses) perhaps the most prudent choice for the foodie. The long wine list reaches deep into the wallet. No lunch. Closed Sunday. Four Seasons Hotel, 21 Avenue Road, Yorkville Tel: (416) 928 7331. Website: www.fourseasons.com Price: C$85. Wine: C$30. Business Canoe Restaurant and Bar If there is one truly Canadian restaurant in Toronto, this is it. Canoe takes ingredients typical to Canada and creates gourmet dishes. Maple sugar, saskatoon berry compote and partridgeberry jus are accessories to such daring (and delicious) offerings as venison and caribou. Canoe’s playful mix of yellows and blues and warm, woody tones adds to the whole experience. Prices cater to expense accounts and the wine list leans towards New World selections. Reservations essential. Closed weekends. 54th Floor, Toronto Dominion Bank Tower, 66 Wellington Street West, Financial District Tel: (416) 364 0054. E-mail: info@canoerestaurant.com Website: www.canoerestaurant.com Price: C$65. Wine: C$50. Courthouse Market Grille The Courthouse was once a jail – chandeliers now hang from its grand high ceilings and the food is anything but jailhouse slop. Businesspeople that frequent the Courthouse will be able to satisfy their carnivore tastes – steak, chicken and other grilled and rotisserie meats are certain to please. Reservations required. Closed Sunday. No lunch Saturday. 57 Adelaide Street East, Financial District Tel: (416) 214 9379. Fax: (416) 214 1715. Website: www.libertygroup.com/restaurants.html Price: C$45. Wine: C$55. Indian Rice Factory Punjabi-influenced dishes that will appeal to vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. Regular selections include pakoras and dishes like chicken khashabad, a chicken breast stuffed with almonds, cashews and raisins in coconut milk-cream. Reservations recommended. No lunch weekends. 414 Dupont Street, Annex Tel: (416) 961 3472. Price: C$25. Wine: C$18. Jump Café and Bar With its neatly placed palm trees and natural light, this place can be festive, loud and ebullient, but its tucked-away tables allow for tête à têtes as well. Since its conception it has been the hangout for Toronto’s brokers and traders, so it should come as no surprise that Jump serves up meals so delicious they will secure any deal. Dishes might include sirloin steak with yukon-gold potato frites, roast chicken or lemon risotto. Fish dishes and other ‘spa’ (fancy talk for ‘low-fat’) choices also grace the menu – but if calories are really a concern, desserts are best left seen but not tasted. Reservations required. Closed Sunday. No lunch Saturday. Commerce Court East, 1 Wellington Street, Financial District Tel: (416) 363 3400. Fax: (416) 363 3838. Price: C$45. Wine: C$45. ZooM Caffe and Bar At one time, this beautifully lit and beautifully peopled restaurant was a bank. Like its award-winning design (small cocktail tables, low lamps, high ceilings and state-of-the-art lighting throughout), the menu is precise: dishes like lamb shank served with snap peas, mashed potatoes and white asparagus. Wines tend towards the expensive. ZooM is popular for private functions so reservations are recommended. Closed Sunday. No lunch Saturday. 18 King Street West, Financial District Tel: (416) 861 9872. Website: www.zoomrestaurant.com Price: C$50. Wine: C$50. Trendy Bar One An island of chic in this up-and-coming part of town, the tall ceilings and narrow walls of this young but firmly established eating place match the converted loft apartments that surround it. The interior is simple and crisp, as is the Italian and international menu: soup (like spinach and potato), fish, pasta (like fettuccini with flank steak in a vodka sauce). Closed weekends. 924 Queen Street West, Queen West Tel: (416) 535 1655. Price: C$35. Wine: C$24. Lolita’s Lust In an increasingly franchised part of Greektown, Lolita’s Lust remains a perennial favourite. This intimate, dimly lit hotspot is frequented by stars when they’re in town – the signage is subtle (diners should look for a pea-green building with blocked-out windows). The food is mostly Mediterranean fare – including a delicious pan-seared tuna with lentils on the side. Reservations essential. No lunch. 513 Danforth Avenue, Greektown Tel: (416) 465 1751. Price: C$45. Wine: C$30. The Paddock The sumptuous, wooden 1940s decor of this bar/restaurant tends to get obscured on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights by crowds of youngish drinkers in search of draught beer, a well-shaken martini or their inner Humphrey Bogart. On other nights of the week, it is a quiet restaurant. Food highlights include steak and sweet potato fries, mussels in a coconut curry sauce and a portobello mushroom and goat’s cheese salad. 178 Bathurst Street, Queen and Bathurst Tel: (416) 504 9997. Price: C$35. Wine: C$20. Teatro Decorated in olive green with a red trim, Teatro is a lively but intimate (the small bistro tables are very close together) restaurant in Little Italy. It is also as popular as they come, because it offers diners a refuge from the storm of pastas and pizzas in the area. Mains range from salmon baked with miso and soy sauce, wasabe-encrusted seared tuna or quail served with roasted baby beets; while star starters include the mussels or the foie gras. 505 College Street, Little Italy Tel: (416) 972 1475. Price: C$45. Wine: C$36. Tempo Low levels of funk music play in the background, while dim halogen lighting and simple metal chairs and tables against muted green walls all give Tempo a modern, simple look. Menu items like the tempura, sashimi and sushi may sound distinctly Japanese, but the daring, acclaimed food at Tempo veers towards fusion. Expect hand rolls (like California Rolls) flavoured with truffle oil or oyster tempura sushi. Daily specials tend toward grilled seafood dressed in strong but not overpowering Thai flavours. And to wash it all down, there are premium domestic or Japanese beers, a thoughtful wine list and a small army of single malts. No lunch. 596 College Street, Little Italy Tel: (416) 531 2822. Price: C$45. Wine: C$23. Budget 7 West Café Open 24 hours, this place somehow retains its casual café feel over all three floors. Homemade pizza bagels, delicious sandwiches and salads are good choices during the summer. During the winter, nothing warms as well as the chilli con carne, while the chocolate banana cake satisfies late-night sweet cravings. As well as a decent wine and beer list, herbal teas and speciality coffees are also house favourites. Reservations not accepted. 7 Charles Street West, Yonge and Bloor Tel: (416) 928 9041. Price: C$2. Wine: C$20. Bar Italia Past the bar, choked with well-dressed, good-looking types downing martinis and pints of beer, there is a warm yet minimalist restaurant that serves superb Italian fare. Insalata di funghi (warm mushroom salad), Panini Cubano (pork tenderloin sandwich) and daily pasta specials are but some of the more popular dishes. The wine selection is mostly Italian and French with a decent domestic beer menu. In the summer, a patio seat cannot be beaten for watching the world go by. 582 College Steet, Little Italy Tel: (416) 535 3621. Price: C$25. Wine: C$20. Juice For Life Anybody who wants to eat at this packed health-food restaurant, decorated in relaxing blues and oranges, must be prepared to queue. However, despite wooden tables that are set very close together (love thy neighbour!), it is definitely worth the wait. With over 40 different juices – from fruity to bizarre (including ‘Liquid Oxygen’) – there is definitely something to tempt everybody’s palette without any guilt. Fresh, organic food is the point here. Portions are plentiful – the Buddha bowl of tofu, rice and organic sprouts being a crowd favourite. Those who can handle a little guilt on the side should go for the french fries, served with a super-tasty miso gravy. Reservations not accepted. There is also an unlicensed café/juice bar (daytime only) at 336 Queen Street West. 521 Bloor Street West, Annex Tel: (416) 531 2635. Website: www.juiceforlife.com Price: C$20. Wine: C$18 (litre). La Tavola Calda Situated in the heart of Little Italy, La Tavola Calda serves better Italian food than most of its neighbours – at half the price. Pasta dishes range from the delicate to the robust, while vegetables are ordered as side dishes – the rapinni (a type of spinach) is excellent. The sausage or the grilled veal must be tasted. The restaurant is long and narrow, with a sparse bistro-style decor and exposed brick walls, and there is a great patio in summer. One of the cheapest and best meals in town. 671 College Street, Little Italy Tel: (416) 536 8328. Price: C$15. Wine: C$20 (per litre). Pho Hung Frequented by students and businesspeople alike, Pho Hung offers superb value for money. Authentic Vietnamese selections include tasty beef-broth soups (served with or without noodles) and grilled chicken or pork with vermicelli noodles and spring rolls. Bright and airy, with large windows, Pho Hung has also undergone a recent renovation that allows for a larger dining area overlooking Bloor Street. No credit cards. 200 Bloor Street West, Annex Tel: (416) 963 5080. Price: C$15. Wine: C$17. Branch: 350 Spadina Avenue, Chinatown Tel: (416) 593 4274. Personal Recommendations 360 The Restaurant at the Tower Floor-to-ceiling windows, 114 storeys above the lakeshore, with a view as good as they get – blue lake as far as the eye can see to the south, Toronto spreading out in every other direction. And because 360 is the world’s largest revolving restaurant, none of the view will be missed. The food isn’t quite as memorable but it is good enough. Lamb shank, calamari and prime rib all make the grade. A reservation at this restaurant also includes a post-dinner walk on the glass floor – for those who can stomach it. No lunch winter. CN Tower, 301 Front Street West, Downtown Tel: (416) 362 5411. Fax: (416) 601 4895. Website: www.cntower.ca Price: C$70; C$45 (three-course fixed-price menu). Wine: C$22. Brownes Bistro Prized by the well-heeled residents of Rosedale, this long-lived neighbourhood bistro may be culinarily unadventurous but its longevity speaks for its quality. Pastas and pizzas change daily, while the straight-up meat-and-potatoes dishes (braised lamb shank et al) are regulars. No lunch. 4 Woodlawn Avenue East, Summerhill Tel: (416) 924 8132. Price: C$40. Wine: C$30. Jamie Kennedy at the Museum The imposing, neo-Gothic stone walls of the Royal Ontario Museum hide one of the city’s greatest culinary treasures. Located on the fifth floor, JK ROM (as it is known) is patronised equally by Toronto movers and shakers and museum visitors. Outstanding dishes include steak-frites, herbed goat’s cheese and tomato tart, and terrine of foie gras, all impeccably paired with wines, most of which are available by the glass. Lunch only (plus private dining). Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queens Park Tel: (416) 586 5578. Website: www.rom.on.ca Price: C$35. Wine: C$30. JOV Bistro Situated uptown, this New York-look restaurant (sparsely yet crisply decorated with wood trim) offers a unique dining experience. A minimum of two people choose a tasting menu, which contains four sections per person. Choices include an exotic array of dishes – emu, rabbit, tiger shrimp, liver – to name but a few. With each course arrives a new glass of wine, specifically chosen to match the dish. Always busy so reservations are recommended. Closed Monday. No lunch. 1701 Bayview Avenue, Uptown Tel: (416) 322 0530. Price: C$65 per person (minimum two people). Wine: C$33 (four glasses of wine per person). Rol San Rol San is easy to overlook amid the hundred or so Chinese restaurants that line Spadina Avenue between College Street and the Lakeshore, especially as it has the same large round tables, plastic tablecloths and bright cardboard signs announcing specials in Chinese. However, Rol San serves delicious dim sum (such as the deep fried shrimp and chive cake) by day and crave-worthy portions of fried rice, Szechuan shrimp and crispy chicken until the wee hours. 323 Spadina Avenue, Chinatown Tel: (416) 977 1128. Price: C$25. Wine: C$26. |
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