10+ Best Fancy High-End Restaurants in Toronto
Toronto, the capital of the province of Ontario, is a major Canadian city along Lake Ontario’s northwestern shore. This dynamic, metropolitan city is very impressive with lots of soaring skyscrapers, museums, and parks. It’s a melting pot of different cultures and traditions. It goes without saying that this diverse city has a diverse and absolutely vibrant food culture! From Japanese, Middle Eastern, to Filipino and everything in between, Toronto has something for everyone.
When it comes to fancy dining, Toronto definitely has a rich list of restaurants which showcase the very best that Canada has to offer.
For that romantic dinner or for celebrating a milestone in life, we’ve got you covered! Here are the 10 Best Fancy Restaurants in the Toronto area:
1. Moxie’s
Celebrate life with a superb dining experience at Moxie’s. A popular dining and happy hour joint, Moxie’s restaurants feature dining rooms and lounges that are open seven days a week, and their exciting lounge atmosphere and seated restaurant area are perfect for a romantic meal or life event. The menu is globally inspired for delicious food from burgers, to steak, to souvlaki. They serve only quality, fresh ingredients and proudly serve 100% cage free eggs.
Check out their wide-array of global dishes and experience what Executive Chef Brandon Thordarson has crafted, for instance: fresh Mustard + Dill Salmon, mouth-watering Sushi Cones, Vindaloo, Enchiladas, and many more. Not only that, they offer thirst-quenching cocktail blends, flavourful wines and an assortment of beer on tap. They have daily drink specials, and patios across the country open throughout the summer. Celebrate good times with awesome food and drinks at Moxie’s.
2. canoe
Inspired by Canada’s raw, rich land, Canoe aims for an unparalleled dining experience, from the view to the food. Their chefs work closely with farmers and suppliers to source the finest ingredients from across the nation. With over 20 years of culinary history, Canoe continues to challenge creative boundaries in the spirit of celebrating Canada and its distinct provinces. They highlight the nation’s flavours and ingredients through seasonal tasting menus and à la carte dishes. Enjoy gastronomic delights like their Tea smoked duck breast with variations of radicchio, duck liver mousse, parsnip + poached Niagara pear, or the Ash Crusted Beef Rib Eye featuring watercress, caramelized onion, endive, bone marrow croquette plus miso eggplant purée, and many more. Their wine list is extensive yet well-curated, featuring both Canadian winemakers and international vineyards. For an unforgettable night, dine at canoe.
3. Scaddabush
Some restaurants boast of excellence and quality, but do they have the Awards to back them up? Check! The Scaddabush is a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2015 recipient, so you know they’re one of the best. Scaddabush is cuisine straight from “The Beautiful Country”, and in true Italian fashion, they rely on fresh ingredients and anything that they can make from scratch, they do. The hand-stretched mozzarella is made-to-order everyday and they also make their own pasta, focaccia bread, sauces and desserts each and every day. The meatballs are prepared fresh with Certified Angus Beef blended with ricotta cheese, black pepper, porcini mushrooms and parsley, and are slowly braised in their unique Nonna-inspired Sunday Sauce. Sensitive to gluten? No need to strike Italian food off the list since their Executive Chef, Adrian Andaya, has worked hard to ensure that they can offer pastas, pizzas and sandwiches as gluten-free options. Scaddabush is an Italian slang for “a bit of everything” which is what the place is all about! Come check it out!
4. GEORGE Restaurant
Luxury. That’s what GEORGE restaurant is all about! Under the culinary leadership of renowned Executive Chef Lorenzo Loseto, GEORGE has become a top-rated restaurant for Toronto’s fine dining. Recently named the 2014 Canadian Culinary Champion, Chef Loseto is widely regarded as the best restaurant Chef in the country today. Inspiring taste buds for over a decade now, GEORGE’s seasonally sourced menus promise intriguing and memorable dishes for the most discerning palates. GEORGE invites guests to explore the bold flavours and textures of “Toronto Cuisine.” Offering a range of options from seasonal lunch and dinner menus, guests can choose from an à la carte tasting or GEORGE’s signature Chef’s Choice–three or four course lunch or five, seven and ten course dinner. Available as à la carte or tasting menus, GEORGE also offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. GEORGE Restaurant is the ultimate Toronto destination for an elevated food experience!
5. Auberge du Pommier
A modern French fine dining restaurant, Auberge du Pommier exudes a quiet confidence, reflecting their commitment to culinary excellence and inspired service. Their cuisine is traditional French, with innovative North American influences, and their seasonal menus are elegant and genuine celebrations of masterful cuisine. Constructed around the rustic vestiges of two 1860’s woodcutters’ cottages, Auberge du Pommier combines country charm with contemporary sophistication and style. And their cuisine? Absolutely delightful. Their cooking honours both the refined techniques and rustic styles of classic French fare, with an innovative North American accent. Enjoy their Flétan featuring butter-poached halibut, razor clam relish, black olive spätzle, tomato, sauce gasconne, or the Canard which offers lavender birch glazed duck breast, boulette de foie, chayote slaw, pickled pear, with orange vanilla, and so much more. For a transcendental dining experience, experience authentic French flavor with Auberge du Pommier!
6. Donatello Restaurant
Hidden among the romantic street lights of Elm street, just off the rush of Yonge and Dundas, is a quaint Italian restaurant, Donatello. A family run establishment with an intense focus on providing a high quality fine dining experience, Donatello has been serving exquisite food such as the one shown above. This elegant downtown fine dining restaurant is a treat for fans of authentic Italian cuisine served in a welcoming atmosphere and personalized service. On warm summer nights, the action at this busy restaurant spills onto a front terrace and romantic rooftop patio. Feast on their Insalata della casa consisting of crisp Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and house dressing, sip on their special Minestrone soup, taste their Pollo Valdostana featuring boneless chicken breast sautéed with slice of prosciutto melted mozzarella in a rose sauce, Veal Marsala which is sautéed Veal with mushrooms and sweet sherry sauce, Gnocchi Donatello that serves potato dumplings, fresh basil, nuts in cream tomato sauce, etcetera. And that’s just a small taste of their menu! Come and visit Donatello Restaurant for the complete flavorful experience!
7. Harbour Sixty Steakhouse
Harbour Sixty redefines the steakhouse experience, period. When you walk through the doors, you enter a luxurious atmosphere where your senses will come alive with the very best in food, like wine and interior design. It has many exclusive dining rooms built for lavish parties. The Vintages South Dining Room is a fantastic private space which includes built in audio visual equipment and contains a custom designed wall of illuminated wine cabinetry. The Louis XIII Dining Room is their showpiece space that boasts of an elegant boardroom style table with a grand fireplace and three magnificent chandeliers above. And the food? Enjoy their appetizers of Pepper Crusted Beef Carpaccio with truffle crema, crispy parmigiano, arugula, truffle vinaigrette, or what about their Harbour Sixty Caesar with double smoked bacon, baked croutons, and parmigiano reggiano. For the mains, they have the New York Strip Steak or Filet Mignon, or the Flat Iron Chicken with porcini & goat cheese stuffing, Pan Roasted Arctic Char with roasted squash, smoked pecans, baby kale, and so much more. Eat at Harbour Sixty Steakhouse, and you’ll feel like a king!
8. Scaramouche
Memorable not just in name, but in more ways than one. Scaramouche Chef and owner Keith Froggett’s sophisticated cuisine is presented with care and attention to detail. The service underscores that philosophy: unobtrusive and respectful. These qualities make Scaramouche the top choice for fine dining and it is and the reason why the restaurant has consistently ranked as one of the city’s best for over thirty five years. Try their Foie Gras Terrine consisting of Sea salt brioche, pickled grapes, maple jelly and sour cherry glaze; the Oysters Daily served on the half shell with red wine mignonette, horseradish and lemon; Beet Salad featuring heirloom beets, Monforte fresh goat cheese, Belgian endive, watercress, pickled shallots, sourdough wafer and toasted hazelnuts; and so much more. Dine at Scaramouche, and you’ll surely do the Fandango!
9. Miku
Miku’s philosophy is what makes their culinary passion so intense. They believe that the greatest restaurants not only connect people, but also build human relationships among colleagues and guests. Miku has introduced the Aburi Oshi Sushi to Toronto and their Aburi corporate philosophy is Ningenmi, defined as “finding joy in one’s life by bringing joy to others.” Literally translated, Aburi means “flame seared”. When flame is applied to sushi, the heat changes the sushi’s flavour to create something new and exciting. Going beyond traditional Japanese ingredients and techniques, Miku has combined local ingredients and a creative approach for a truly innovative culinary experience. Their signature Miku sauce is a secret recipe created in-house, and few key people know of its ingredients. Their sushi chefs understand that the key to perfecting Aburi sushi is in balancing each component’s texture and coordinating their flavours so that both come together to create the perfect bite. From the flavour and texture of the shari, to the precise degree of caramelization, all the way to the delicate finish of a thin slice of jalapeno, Miku pays close attention to the details of the cuisine so that their guests have a consistent Aburi experience every time!
10. Sassafraz
Sassafraz offers an exceptional menu serving market-driven, French-inspired Canadian cuisine. If you’re up for something truly special, you’re in the right place! Sassafraz hosts over 50 weddings each year and has been named one of the top 15 venues for intimate weddings in Toronto. Why? First, the setting: it’s the iconic yellow house on the corner of Bellair and Cumberland, and its interior make it one of the most stunning restaurants in Toronto. And the food! Not just the taste, but it’s a brilliant dining experience. Just check out their 9-spice roast Harrison co-op chicken breast: made with Lake Erie farms mixed butter lettuces, Ontario feta, pine nuts and Kalamata olive vinaigrette, this herby chicken is just delightful. Or get a load of this Thai coconut vegetable red curry with shrimp: which comes with tofu, jade pearl rice, bell peppers, heirloom carrots, kale and Thai basil. Experience the heart and soul of Canada with Sassafraz!
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