I am looking for two choices of good/great restaurants I can enjoy while visiting Toronto at the end of June. Are there are new restaurants that have popped up that I am unaware of? Are any corkage friendly? I am thinking of bringing a bottle of 1997 Masseto. I will be staying at the Four Seasons. Something fairly close to the hotel is preferable. The night we will be eating out is a Saturday. Thanks to all that eat out regularly in Toronto. Futronic.... I am all ears.

IW

IW,

Haven't missed your note from before but have been busy this long weekend and haven't had the chance to email you. My suggestion would be Nota Bene which is at Queen/University. Corkage is high at $40, but they waive corkage for 1 bottle per 2 people if your reservations are at 9pm or later.

There are other options as well. L'Unita is good also - Italian food, $30 corkage.

Note that both of these places are quite loud. If you're looking for something more intimate I'll have to come up with other options.

Thanks Futronic. Please also mention a couple more intimate restaurants. In your opinion what is the best restaurant in Toronto right now? Thanks.

IW

The best we ate in for high quality of food and service was probably Susur's, but for a great dinner at modest prices, I think Sang-Ho in Chinatown is hard to beat. Just start ordering seafood!

http://www.toronto.com/restaurants/article/628998

http://www.torontolife.com/fea...en-restaurants-2009/

http://www.torontolife.com/fea...est-wine-lists-2009/

http://www.bringmywine.ca/ (some of the info here is dated, best to check elsewhere to confirm)

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:
The best we ate in for high quality of food and service was probably Susur's, but for a great dinner at modest prices, I think Sang-Ho in Chinatown is hard to beat. Just start ordering seafood!

Susur closed last year. Its replacement, Madeline's is not at the same level. Susur opened a new restaurant in New York called Shang to very mediocre reviews (1-star in the NYT, if I recall).

Disregard the Bring My Wine website, it's garbage and hasn't been updated forever. I would say that at least 30% of those restaurants have closed. The Toronto Life list is more current.

I remember hearing about Susur. I've heard nothing about Shang since it opened.

Nothing, or nothing good? I think I'd rather take nothing than nothing good. Frank Bruni's review was less than positive. Other people I've chatted with have been similarly unimpressed.

Nothing at all. And I do try to keep up with dining scene in the city.

Splendido looks very good. I am going to call them to see how far they are from the Four Seasons. If you have any other specific ideas please let me know.

Splendido is excellent. The owners have sold the place and it changes hands July 1, at which point it will get renovated and brought slightly downscale. The current owners Chef David Lee and Yannick Bigourdan joined up with Franco Prevadello, a wine importer here in the city (among other things) to open Nota Bene, which is one of the other restaurants I recommended.

The current menu is a "best of" the past 8 years, with one course per year. If you can get a reservation for the weekend you are here, I strongly encourage it as it's the best restaurant I have been to in the city and the service is outstanding.

It's only about 10 minutes from the Four Seasons - only a short cab ride away.

BTW, there's always a foie supplement at Splendido if you want it.

This restaurant is fairly new, and is geting a lot of attention. I know Sylvain from his time at Langdon Hall. You will not be disapointed. His passion is wine and you will be treated to a wonderful experience.

http://www.loirerestaurant.ca/

Loire is excellent, but unfortunately not BYO as far as I understand. If it is, then I guarantee I'll be there a heck of a lot more frequently.

Sylvain is a nice guy too.

I've brought my own wine to Loire. Corkage was reasonable (by Toronto standards) at $25. L'Unita has raised its fee from $25 to $30.

My favourite place in Toronto is Amuse Bouche. Corkage here is $30. The chef here is a good friend of mine, so if you decide to go, I'll put in a good word for you.

http://www.amuseboucherestaurant.com/

It's further away than the other places from the Four Seasons, but not much further than Loire.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by futronic:
Splendido is excellent.QUOTE]

Splendido is brilliant but corkage is pretty steep at $50.

quote:

Originally posted by CSM:
I've brought my own wine to Loire. Corkage was reasonable (by Toronto standards) at $25.

Thanks for the heads up on that. I will definitely be going there again real soon in that case.

Splendido may be steep at $50, but bring something that's worth it. Amazing dining experience, and its current iteration is only around for another 6 weeks.

quote:

Originally posted by futronic:

quote:

Originally posted by CSM:
I've brought my own wine to Loire. Corkage was reasonable (by Toronto standards) at $25.

Thanks for the heads up on that. I will definitely be going there again real soon in that case.

Splendido may be steep at $50, but bring something that's worth it. Amazing dining experience, and its current iteration is only around for another 6 weeks.

You mean like a '97 Masseto?

Loire is a great place. Wine prices from the list were quite reasonable as well IIRC.

I’d second Amuse Bouche as well as Splendido. Another restaurant that is closing soon and well worth a visit is Scaramouche.

Amuse Bouche is a bit of a cab ride away through Splendido and Scaramouche are both fairly near.

I would also recommend Mistura. One of my favourite restaurants in the city and about a 5 minute walk from your hotel. The wild boar agnolotti with cherries in brown butter may be my favorite dish in the city. I don’t know about Corkage fees though.

Of course there is always North 44, Canoe and Auberge de Pommier but there is nothing new there.

As for newer restaurants, C5 in the ROM is new. The food is too focused on presentation vs. enjoyability for me but it is across the street from you and would be memorable. Colburn Lane falls into the same category as well. I think the food is better than C5, but that’s a personal opinion. The ice cream at Coburn Lane is a memory you won’t soon forget (made at the table with liquid nitrogen).

No corkage at C5 for sure, and I'm pretty sure there's none at Mistura.

Thanks for all the great info.

IW

quote:

Originally posted by Rob_Sutherland:
I’d second Amuse Bouche as well as Splendido. Another restaurant that is closing soon and well worth a visit is Scaramouche...

As for newer restaurants, C5 in the ROM is new. The food is too focused on presentation vs. enjoyability for me but it is across the street from you and would be memorable...

For good food, I'll second Scaramouche and C5; the latter being only a few minutes walk from your hotel, though it's been about 2 years since they opened so not really new anymore. But the atmosphere there is modern chic, hardly intimate.

Of the 2, I'd go with Scarmouche if intimacy is a primary concern and they're only about a 5 min cab ride from Four Seasons. Ask for a window table because the night view is excellent. And, unless Rob S. has very new info, as far as I know, Scarmouche is not closing but rather moving end of year due to end of lease and the land owner wanting to sell. I believe Scaramouche allows BYO as well.

We went to Nota Bene last year and it was OK, nothing special. It's a large restaurant with lots of tables and a corporate-like atmosphere.

Splendido has historically been considered one of the best restaurants (food-wise) in town during the David Lee years. But with David gone, it may be best to take pass for now especially if you have only one night in town to eat out.

If you're leaving your Masseto at home but wine is still key, then possibly consider Opus, on Prince Arthur less than 5 min from your hotel. I haven't been for years so can't comment on their food but, for what it's worth, they are one of only 72 restaurants in the world with the distinction of the "Grand Award" from WS.

quote:

Originally posted by Stevey:
Splendido has historically been considered one of the best restaurants (food-wise) in town during the David Lee years. But with David gone, it may be best to take pass for now especially if you have only one night in town to eat out.

David is still a partner at Splendido. It does not change hands until July 1. Although he spends most evenings at Nota Bene, it does not mean that the quality has dropped at Splendido. A fellow foodie friend whose palate I trust implicitly had the "Best of" tasting menu this past Saturday and everything is still top notch - from the courses to the service.

Well Splendido is all booked up unless you want to eat real late. I have a reservation at Scaramouche. It looks like we will be going their. Thanks for all the help.

IW

IW, hope you enjoy your stay in our humble city! Please do report back on what you thought of the restaurant and that '97 Masseto.

I was recently in T.O for a hockey tournament (sorry I didn't call, guys, too much hockey, too little time) and I feasted myself at an establishment called called "For Your Eyes Only". It was quite a treat, IMO.