Toronto Restaurant Tips by lohki

Restaurant Name: Kit Kat Italian Bar and Grill

This tiny Italian restaurant is right in the heart of the theatre district and is a great place to go for dinner or lunch before or after a show. Though I would say make a reservation during the bust hours, there are not many tables so I imagine they fill up quickly. This is a great neighbourhood for downtown nightlife, and a good place to fill up before partying the night away.

The booths along the back wall are my favourite because you can actually read the graffiti wall and the mirror is handy for checking the teeth for pesto and spinach! Kit Kat is NOT a new restaurant so on a bright sunny day all the kitchy knick knacks look a little dusty, but the food is worth it.

Favorite Dish: The warm scallop salad was AMAZING, served with organic greens with a cilantro pesto.

We also had the grilled calamari to start and it was perfect and obviously fresh not frozen!!
The food really was great this afternoon and the service was fine. The first waitress was a bit

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 416-977-4461
Address: 297 King Street West
Directions: At King and John, kitty corner from the Princess of Wales Theatre
Website: http://www.kitkattoronto.com/

Restaurant Name: Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill

Housed in a "storage and shipping" building built in 1833, make sure to look for the old photographs of the liquor barrels that were once stored here.

The original wooden beams still line the ceiling and except for all the tables, chairs and the bar this space remains unchanged to this day, which you can really see in the photo.

Don't forget to look for the "J&J Taylor- Toronto Safe Works" old money vault located outside the washrooms.

Favorite Dish: Today for lunch, on the waiters recomedation, I tried the Panko Crusted Crab Cakes (11.00) and the Classic French Bourride (14.00) with a wondeful glass of Chablis (13.00).

The crab cakes had the perfect soft texture without any "canned fish" taste. Most likely made with fresh, not frozen crab and served with a wondeful sauce gribiche.

The Bourride was the perfect choice for a cold March day. The delicate, saffron broth worked perfectally with the chunks of salmon and white fish in the dish. The mussels tasted fresh with a good firm texture and the shrimp were minus their tails, which I like. Hate having to yank shrimp tails off in a lovely restaurant!

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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 416-361-5859
Address: 55 Mill Street-- Building 62A
Directions: Enter the Distillery District from Mill Street, Pure Spirits is about half way down "Tank House Lane."
Website: http://www.purespirits.ca/index_main.html

Restaurant Name: Drake Hotel Dining Room

The re-vamping of this once flop-house is truly unique for Toronto. I really like the idea of modern yet kitchy art deco design though out the whole hotel. I usually head to the Drake for an evening in one of the lounges so it was a treat to see it in the daylight.

Favorite Dish: All of the food was good here, though nothing special. I liked the salmon, though I was VERY disapointed that is was not Ontario Pickeral which was one of the major reasons I had chosen the Drake. The salad had a great fresh blue cheese dressing and dessert, a warm sticky toffee cake was unbelieavble!

I gotta say though, the service was horrible, which is odd for the Drake! I sure didn't like that they tacked on an 18% grat on all Winterlicious bills and then offer SLOW and cumbersome service.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 416-531-5042
Address: 1150 Queen Street West

Restaurant Name: Flow Restaurant + Lounge

The chic decor and attentive service matches the pricey menu and the food was certainly surprising! Open since 2004, Chef Richard Andino and restaurateur Tony Longo have thankfully turned what was once a boring old Movenpick into a swanky, yet playful atmosphere and menu. Although the knowledgeable staff is friendly and laid back this is not the area or restaurant to wear jeans and sneakers.

Flow is included in this year's Winterlicious festival and has decided to continue this special menu until the end February, even though the festival only runs until the 9th.

** Head to the washroom on the lower level and sneak a peek at the private dining area and wine cellar. I spotted quite a few well aged bottles in the racks, some dating back as far as 1970! That being said the wine list offers good deals as well as out of my price range!!**

Favorite Dish: This evening I tried the roasted Black Angus striploin with winter mushroom and bread salad, maple cayenne vegetables and reduced jus. The beef was a perfect medium rare and the vegetable were a fascinating flavour, though the mushroom, bread salad was somewhat cool.

I also had the panko crusted calamari that had a spicy aioli with it, an arugula salad and something I have never seen or tasted before...caper berries. They are coloured like a caper, the size of a small olive and tasted like a very refined pickle?! I'm not sure how else to describe it. A wonderful and surprising event for the taste buds!

--Sadly my food photo's are lousy, sorry Chef--

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 416- 925-2143
Address: 133 Yorkville Ave
Directions: Just east of Avenue Rd. and north of Cumberland St.
On the subway use the Cumberland exit. There will be a pathway directly in front of you between a restaurant and Hugo Boss this will take you directly to Cumberland. Turn left, walk a half a block.
Website: http://www.flowrestaurant.com/home.htm

Restaurant Name: Crush Wine Bar

This lovely French restaurant is highly praised here in Toronto so I was surprised to see that it was not very busy today during lunch. Granted it's Tuesday and it was at 1 pm.

As usual in this neighbourhood there is exposed brick walls and industrial piping. But what makes Crush far more interesting than the others is the blonde brick, mustard coloured walls and framed French wine ephemera on the walls. The space is warm and inviting and features wonderful wood throughout.

Though the service was a little slow despite being fairly quiet I should say that my chatty lunch mates were also slow with their decisions.

Favorite Dish: The goat cheese and pear salad was very good and a great combination. I also had the Rainbow Trout which was served with braised winter greens, roasted potato fingerling and fennel hache.

I did not expect to like the winter greens and fennel but actually the whole dish was delicious. For dessert a proper creme brulee with a cute little lemon shortbread cookie

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Theme: French
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 416.977.1234
Address: 455 King Street West
Directions: On the south side of King Street just West of Spadina Ave.
Website: http://www.crushwinebar.com/gallery.htm

Restaurant Name: Brassaii

This elongated eatery will always be filled with Toronto's working chic. The factory-style decor (read-- bare white walls and exposed beams and pipes) makes Brassaii look plain during the daytime, but at night when the candles are lit and lights are low the space feels more mysterious.

The food has been very good both times I have eaten here but a quick tip... make a reservation here, both at lunch and dinner and confirm that you will have a TABLE. I booked a "table" for three today, albeit only 90 min. before I wanted to dine and the hostess told me 1 pm was fine. Then we I arrived she promptly ushered me to a tall, bar style surface with stools. Now this WAS fine for lunch with the girls but if I had my mom with me or an important meeting this would not have been okay.

Favorite Dish: Today I had the Nicoise Salad, which was very good, AND it has anchovies, as it should, but many Canadian renditions of Nicoise are minus that one special little fish.

The food really is lovely here; if you are in the area it is a good choice.

Very limited wine by the glass and the bottle prices are sadly at par with this city, expensive.
Glasses are 9.00 to 12.00.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 416-598-4730
Address: 461 King Street West
Directions: On the south side of King St. just west of Spadina.

Take the Spadina Streetcar south from Spadina subway station. Any streetcar will do since they all go at least as far as King street.
Website: http://www.brassaii.com/

Restaurant Name: c5

Crystal 5, though located at the peak of the new Michael Lee Chin Crystal at the ROM is accessible to everyone not just museum ticket holders. Usually the restaurant located in tourist attractions and museums aren’t the greatest, but the food here was very, very good.

The restaurant is minimalist in décor and has an open kitchen, which with the high ceilings creates quite a din, especially during a lunch rush. Sumptuous leather seats are comfortable but the benches were a little soft almost swallowing me, someone taller would not have this issue.
Attentive service without the hovering waiter syndrome helped make this a lovely lunch.

I can definitely see this becoming a new hot spot for the city.

Favorite Dish: The Madai Snapper was very good. Perfectly pan seared, almost cooked through and the greatest texture.

The dish is served with a lobster, french bean and cashew stir-fry, as well as a lentil and mango salad with red pepper curry drizzled on the plate.

Again the beans... cooked perfectly. Nice and crunchy, yet still tender and the lentils also very tasty.

When it arrived at the table it looked tiny, but honestly it's just that the plates are so darn large. I was full with just the snapper, now I did eat everything off my plate, but still full.

My only complaint was the bread service; I was offered a choice of three breads from a special little basket with a special bread waiter. After deciding on the olive bread, he carefully placed ONE teensy piece on my plate. Honestly I was so shocked that he was gone before I could say... I eat carbs, I'll have another please. That one teensy piece was yummy though, especially with the fig butter that came with it.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 416- 586 7928
Address: 100 Queen's Park
Directions: Bloor Street West and Queen's Park

Inside the Museum on the fifth floor.
Website: http://www.rom.on.ca/services/dining/crystal5.php

Restaurant Name: Le Sélect Bistro

Once located on Queen Street, Le Select is my favourite french restaurants in Toronto. Their new digs are in a good location and even though the view is nothing special, they do have a large patio that is perfect for summer dining.

This new space is enchanting with wonderfully tiled floors, perfect little half booths and captures the ambiance of a Parisian Bistro. You may as well have walked in off rue St. Antoine rather than Wellington Street. C’est tres joli!

Favorite Dish: Today at lunch I had the Tarte Nicoise which comes with a small arugula salad (10.95).
It was wonderful, with proper flaked pastry and yummy goat cheese, olives, tomatoes and onions. Not overly large, but it IS from the Hors- D' Oeuvers part of the menu. Next time I will have the salmon tartare I think. The Nicoise Salad (with shrimp, not tuna) looks fabulous, I'm told it is very tasty.

At dinner time the Pave du Beouf is also wonderful (23.95) although the evening I had it the beef was more medium-medium well as opposed to the medium rare I had ordered. It was still good though.

The best part of Le Select is the wine list. I love that the wines are available by the glass-- three ounces or five ounces, the half litre... AND the bottle. I always make my way through their house wine list in the three ounce portions.

DO NOT be afraid of the wine list, take a look. There are some really great bottles listed here.
Yes... some of them are $275.00, but there are also many wines with smaller price tags. You just have to look.

Of course if you have a couple of hundred dollars to spend a bottle of wine, ask to speak to their sommelier... or invite me. I'd be happy to help you choose, and imbibe!

(Full menus and wine online)

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Theme: French
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 416-596-6405
Address: 432 Wellington St. West
Website: www.leselect.com

Restaurant Name: Tacos el Asador

This ia my idea of a greasy spoon, and my FAVOURITE place for a quick bite.

Furnished with picnic tables and decorated with Latin American flags don't forget to take a look for the "Plinko" machine/game beside the counter.
If you eat in, the food will be served in plastic coloured baskets.

There is always a festive feeling in this tiny corner cafe, and don't worry if it looks busy. It is always busy, things will move along fast. Even if there isn't room on a bench you can always take out and eat in Christie Pitts park, just west of here.

Favorite Dish: I almost always have the Beef and Bean burrito $3.99, but the crispy beef tacos $2.29 are great as well! I love the nacho plate $5.50 and the soft taco's are also only $2.29.

Everything is made fresh by this family run joint, and they truly have the best hot sauce in the city! At least I think so.

I know you can have beer here, the selection isn't large but I don't think there is any wine or liquor available. Doesn't matter, beer goes best with their food anyway!

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Theme: Other
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 416-538-9747
Address: 690 Bloor St W
Directions: Just east of Christie on the north side of Bloor Street at Clinton

Restaurant Name: Dessert Trend

This café is a nice bright space with large windows and the great coffee and amazing tart over shadowed slightly scattered service!

The sign out front says they are serving dinner now as well; the website list has more info and menu samples. Apparently Chef Don has quite a following here in Toronto as well as world wide. After today’s visit I see (and taste) why.

** UPDATE**
Today the cafe was empty and quiet so service was very prompt, they also have very good regular coffee here which is less expensive and comes with refils!

Favorite Dish: The Mango Tart I indulged in today was unbelievably tasty! The consistency was akin to sherbet… or ice cream but not at all frozen. Just smooth mango goodness. A tad pricey, large dessert-$6.50 is what my bill said at then end of my stay, but worth it. Cannot wait to go back and try another treat. Have a gander at the second photo for more of the pastries.
All dishes that I saw going out to other guest looked equally as sumptuous.

Have also had the creme brulee tart $6.50 and it too is really really good! Be sure to always eat your pastry in the cafe, the chef will plate it with a few berries and some coulis, much nicer than taking it home in a bag!

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Theme: Other
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 416 916 8155
Address: 169 Brunswick Ave. also listed as 154 Harbord St.
Directions: On the NE corner of Harbord St and Brunswick Ave.
Website: http://desserttrends.ca/dtbistro.shtml