Toronto’s Michelin Guide is here. Here’s everything you need to know
Toronto restaurants that made the coveted list feature tasting menus and dinners that top out at $680 per person.
By Karon Liu Food Reporter Toronto Star
Tue., Sept. 13, 2022timer13 min. read
updateArticle was updated 7 days ago
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The much-anticipated Michelin Guide was launched in Toronto Tuesday evening, with one restaurant receiving two stars and a dozen other places getting one star.
“It’s unexpected but it’s exciting,” says chef Patrick Kriss, whose restaurants Alo and Alobar Yorkville each received a star. “We’ll keep striving to get two (stars) and for Aloette to get one. It gives us goals to achieve.”
Of the 13 Toronto restaurants that received Michelin stars, five offer omakase sushi or kaiseki-style dining where prices start at $195 and top out at $680 per person. Five of the restaurants are in Yorkville. Ten offer multi-course set tasting menus.
Read Food Reporter Karon Liu’s Analysis: A handful of Michelin-star restaurants do not solely define Toronto’s food scene
The most stars a restaurant can be awarded is three, meaning it’s worth planning a whole trip around the meal. Two stars means it’s worth the detour (the guides started out as a booklet for road trippers and customers of the tire company, after all). One star means it’s worth stopping for. Restaurants are judged, according to Michelin’s site, on five criteria: the quality of ingredients used, mastery of flavour and cooking techniques, “the personality of the chef in his cuisine,” value and consistency between visits.
While no restaurants in the Toronto guide received three stars, and only one received two stars, a dozen received one star. Seventeen restaurants received Bib Gourmand designations (more on that below), plus another 44 were deemed recommended restaurants that have now been posted on the Michelin’s website and app.
“The selection reflects the diversity of the cosmopolitan flavour of Toronto,” Gwendal Poullennec, international director of Michelin Guides told the Star in a phone interview Tuesday. “It’s definitely a great beginning because it’s already a strong selection and we feel there’s a lot of potential in the years to come. We’ve been impressed by the local, homegrown and excellent talented chefs.”
The process for how Michelin Guides are put together has long been shrouded in secrecy. Little is known about the identity of its anonymous critics or “inspectors” as Michelin calls them, so it’s unknown whether the people who ate through the city are Torontonians, how often they dined at the restaurants, or their demographic makeup. A potential list of restaurants is first drafted by looking at places covered by local media or asking chefs for recommendations, and then the inspectors start eating.
“Ultimately, the guide is for the gourmand, but we always follow the same approach and look a the five universal criteria. We know the pandemic had an impact,” he says. When I’m talking with a chef, the staff shortage is the main issue but Michelin is reflecting the quality of food you get today. There’s still potential for further development.”
Poullennec says that the guide was supposed to launch before the pandemic but was delayed for two years. (Vancouver is getting a Michelin Guide later this year, too.)
Here’s everything you need to know about the restaurants that received stars.
Two Stars
Sushi Masaki Saito, 88 Avenue Rd. (Japanese)
In the running for one of the most expensive meals in the city at $680 per person (when it opened in 2019, the cost was $500), this Yorkville spot specializes in Edomae sushi (fresh and aged fish) served omakase-style, which means it’s up to chef Masaki Saito to serve what he considers to be the best that day. The counter seats just seven guests at a time, so trying to book a table for two online requires some persistence, but it’s not impossible as there were a few openings in the first week of October when I checked Monday, ahead of the Michelin announcement (those spots are likely gone by now). It was also No. 11 on this year’s Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list. Update: as of Wednesday morning the site has crashed and all reservations to the end of October are taken. (You’ll have to join a waitlist.)
One Star
Aburi Hana, 102 Yorkville Ave. (Japanese)
A second high-end Japanese restaurant from Yorkville makes the list. At $380 per diner, Aburi Hana specializes kaiseki-style dining, which is a set multi-course meal showcasing seasonal ingredients whether local or from Japan and as its name suggests, it also uses aburi, the Japanese technique of flame searing fish. The Vancouver-based Aburi Restaurant group is responsible for Aburi Hana, and is also behind other spots such as Miku and Tora. The menus change constantly so it’s not online, but the restaurant’s Instagram account shows off some examples. The restaurant is currently accepting online reservations till the end of September for the late-summer menu. It was also No. 99 on this year’s Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list. Update: as of Wednesday morning there were still a few reservations available for the chef’s counter, private room, and takeout set menus for the remainder of September (October reservations aren’t open yet.)
Alo, 163 Spadina Ave. (French)
Rarely does a year pass without chef Kriss’ Alo ending up on some best-of restaurant list. Since opening in 2015, the third-floor, tasting-menu restaurant overlooking the busy Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue intersection first appeared in Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list in 2016 and then ranked first for four consecutive years (it is No. 2 this year) and was the only Canadian entry in the World’s 50 Best list last year. The continued attention made this one of the hardest places to score a table at $195 per head, but the restaurant also offers a six-course, $120 tasting menu at the bar that’s easier to come by. (I found two seatings for two on a Wednesday on a first try, though they’re probably gone now). The restaurant is currently accepting online reservations to the end of October, and will open reservations for November and December on Oct. 4. Update: as of Wednesday morning, all reservations are booked for September and October. Reservations for November and December will be released on the morning of Oct. 4 through Tock.
Alobar Yorkville, 162 Cumberland St. (Bistro)
Opened in the summer of 2018 as a more casual Alo offshoot (though it too has made appearances on the Canada’s 100 Best list), Alobar Yorkville offers an a-la-carte menu of seafood such as raw oysters, rib-eye steaks, pastas and wedge salads in its dining room, bar and patio. Even though there’s indoor dining, the restaurant still has a weekly takeout menu for those who want to recreate the experience at home. (A recent $65-per-person menu included braised short rib with roccolini and Hokkaido scallops with mint and serrano chili.) When it comes to reservations, prime dinner hour slots from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. are usually the first to go, so if you don’t mind eating earlier or later, you’ll be fine, or check the booking site a week or two in advance for more options. Update: as of Wednesday morning, there were still tables available throughout the week.
Don Alfonso 1890, 1 Harbour Square (Italian)
Chef Alfonso Iaccarino and his wife Livia opened the original Don Alfonso 1890 in Naples in 1973 and now the family-owned restaurant brand (which has also received Michelin stars in the past) has five locations: two in Italy, and one in Macau, another in New Zealand and most recently, opening one in Toronto in 2018, where former Star dining critic Amy Pataki gave it four stars. The newest location is a partnership between the Iaccarinos and the Liberty Entertainment Group, which also owns places like Cibo Wine Bar and the BlueBlood Steakhouse inside Casa Loma where Don Alfonso 1890 also previously operated out of and where plans for a more permanent location there were scrapped. Set menus at Don Alfonso 1890 start at $130 per person, which includes antipasti, pasta, meat and dessert courses, and there’s a $200 tasting menu as well. For now, scoring a table through OpenTable isn’t impossible and most nights have a few decent options. Update: as of Wednesday morning, there were a few seatings available for the remainder of September after 9 p.m. and more options throughout October.
Enigma Yorkville, 23 Thomas St. (Modern European)
Opened in September 2020 when restaurant dining rooms were still closed, the Yorkville restaurant started out with takeout and delivery versions of its tasting menus before diners were allowed to stay. The website is, appropriately, an enigma when it comes to describing the food, but the restaurant’s Instagram pages show off some of the courses diners might encounter like a playful yogurt and white chocolate dessert made to look like an Ontario peach. Menus start at $150 per person for a five-course meal. There’s also an eight-course tasting menu option for $230 and a 10-course chef’s table option for $450. Diners can book the dinner of their choice through Open Table where there are currently multiple time slots available. Update: as of Wednesday morning, there were still multiple seatings available for the remainder of September.
Edulis, 169 Niagara St. (Canadian)
Michael Caballo and Tobey Nemeth’s decade old restaurant has consistently won critical accolades for its unpretentious set menus that change each day, depending on what’s available. The ingredients lean heavily on local, small-scale farms and dishes can sometimes take inspiration from Spanish and Catalan cooking. (The restaurant takes its name from the Latin word for porcini.) At lunch, a multi-course menu is $85 per person and bottles of wine are half-price. At dinner, the menu is $185 per person. Upon resuming indoor dining last year, the owners also announced that they got rid of tipping at the restaurant. Reservations are typically hard to come by since the restaurant seats about 30 and for now it’s open four days a week. (Saturday is dinner only and Sunday is lunch only.) The place has been closed for a month-long holiday and will be reopening on Sept. 16. Reservations for September are gone, but October bookings open on Sept. 15 through Tock.
Frilu, 7713 Yonge St. (Canadian)
Former Star critic Amy Pataki raved about this tasting menu restaurant in a four-star review back when husband-and-wife chef John-Vincent Troiano and Sandra Troiano opened Frilu in 2018. “Deft service and interesting sakés on the wine list contribute to what is a relaxing, unstuffy backdrop for the exquisitely minimalist food,” she wrote. Courses constantly change and glimpses can be seen on the restaurant’s Instagram page. (The Troianos also own a farm in Tottenham where some of their ingredients come from.) Part of the appeal is also its location: the restaurant is in a two-storey building next to a nail salon and across from a gas station in Thornhill. A 10-12 course tasting menu is $150 per person and can be booked through Tock. The restaurant is currently open Wednesday to Saturday for dinner service and most dates into the first week of October are booked, so wait for the next block of spots to open up. Update: as of Wednesday morning, all tables for two were booked until Oct. 12.
Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto, 6 Garamond Ct. (Japanese)
The long-standing family-run kaiseki restaurant has a reputation for being the epitome of fine dining in the city since it opened inside North York’s Japanese Cultural Centre in 2010. Dishes change depending on what’s in season in Japan, but chef Masaki Hashimoto is best known for the delicate cranes that he carves out of daikon as a garnish. A six-course lunchtime kaiseki is $250 per person and an eight-course dinner is $350 and is typically a two-hour experience. The restaurant isn’t tiny, but the space is designed to feel as though you’re staying in a remote ryokan so there aren’t many tables available. Still, reservations can be made onlinefor most weekends so far. Update: as of Wednesday morning, most September dates were booked, with slots on Sept. 26 and 30th still up for grabs. (Expect them to be gone soon as well.) There’s more availability the further you go into October.
Osteria Giulia, 134 Avenue Rd. (Italian)
One of the few non-tasting menu restaurants in the starred list, the Yorkville restaurant opened in 2021 focusing on Ligurian cooking from Italy’s northwestern coast. The restaurant’s previous incarnation was another Italian spot, l’Unità, for 12 years before co-owners chef Rob Rossi and David Minicucci transformed it into its current iteration (which has also scored them a place on this year’s Canada’s 100 Best). Pasta and risotto dishes average in the $30-to-$40 range while seafood and meat courses start at $60. Dinner reservations can be made online up to two weeks in advance. Update: as of Wednesday morning, the tables were pretty much all booked up for the next two weeks.
Quetzal, 419 College St. (Mexican)
The upscale Mexican restaurant’s centrepiece is a 26-foot-long grill in the kitchen, so expect most dishes to have a hint of caramelized char flavour. The menu is on its Open Table reservation page where vegetable dishes are in the $20 range and grilled seafood and meat start at $30. There’s an extensive menu of mezcal, tequila and wine. Dinner reservations can be made online, and walk-ins are also accepted. Update: as of Wednesday morning, a smattering of tables could still be had for the remainder of September if you don’t mind eating at 9 p.m.
Shoushin, 3328 Yonge St. (Japanese)
The uptown omakase restaurant opened in 2015, consistently appearing on best-of lists and is the second restaurant from local candle manufacturing magnate William Cheung that received Michelin stars. (He’s also the restaurateur behind Sushi Masaki Saito.) The omakase at Shoushin is $330, prepared by chef Jackie Lin, who trained for 12 years at Markham’s also luxe Zen Japanese Restaurant. There’s also an Omakase Perfection menu that starts at $480 for an even more extravagant experience. To end the meal, those who have heard of the fabled Japanese crown muskmelon that can easily fetch more than $100 can try a slice for an additional $35. Update: as of Wednesday morning, there were a few remaining spots available at the sushi counter for the rest of the month. If you want a table, the end of October looks good for now.
Yukashi, 643A Mt. Pleasant Rd. (Japanese)
This restaurant in Davisville Village was opened in 2018 by chef Daisuke Izutsu whose culinary credits in the city include introducing Torontonians to Japanese bar culture at Don Don Izakaya a decade ago. Before that, he opened Kaiseki Sakura in the Church-Wellesley Village, gaining fans for his affordable tasting menus as well as serving as a private chef for dignitaries. At his newest spot, a nine-course omakase costs $195 and reservations can be made online through Open Table. Update: as of Wednesday morning, September dates were gone and the soonest availability was Oct. 12.
Bib Gourmand restaurants
Bib Gourmand designations are for “restaurants where one can have two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for less than $60,” according to Michelin.
The Ace, 231A Roncesvalles Ave. (Canadian)
Alma, 1194 Bloor St. W. (Modern Hakka Chinese)
Bar Raval, 505 College St. (Spanish)
Campechano, 504 Adelaide St. W. (Mexican)
Cherry St. Bar-B-Que, 275 Cherry St. (American Barbecue)
Chica’s Chicken, 2853 Dundas St. W. (Fried Chicken)
Enoteca Sociale, 1288 Dundas St. W. (Italian)
Fat Pasha, 414 Dupont St. (European Jewish)
Favorites Thai BBQ, 141 Ossington Ave. (Thai)
Fonda Balam, 802 Dundas St. W. (Mexican)
Grey Gardens, 199 Augusta Ave. (Wine Bar)
Indian Street Food Company, 1701 Bayview Ave. (Indian)
La Bartola, 588 College St. (Mexican)
Puerto Bravo, 1425 Gerrard St. E. (Mexican)
R&D, 241 Spadina Ave. (Canadian-Chinese)
SumiLicious, 5631 Steeles Ave. E., Unit 5 (Montreal Deli)
Wynona, 819 Gerrard St. E. (Italian)
Recommended restaurants
These 44 restaurants did not receive any stars or Bib Gourmand designations, but appear on Michelin’s online guide to Toronto and in its app as recommended restaurants.
Bar Chica, 75 Portland St. (Spanish)
Shook, 77 Portland St. (Middle Eastern)
SARA, 98 Portland St. (Contemporary)
Chubby’s Jamaican Kitchen, 104 Portland St. (Jamaican)
PAI, 18 Duncan St. (Northern Thai)
Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse, 12 Brandt St. (Steak)
Kōjin, 190 University Ave. Third Floor (Canadian)
ARDO, 243 King St. E. (Italian)
Buca, 604 King St. W. (Italian)
Lapinou, 642 King St. W. Suite 102 (French)
Aanch, 259 Wellington St. W. (Indian)
Tachi, 111 Richmond St. W. inside Chef’s Hall (Japanese)
Canoe, 66 Wellington St. W. 54th Floor (Canadian)
Restaurant 20 Victoria, 20 Victoria St. (Canadian)
Aloette, 163 Spadina Ave. (Bistro)
Cà Phê Rang, 147 Spadina Ave. Unit 109 (Vietnamese)
Mother’s Dumplings, 421 Spadina Ave. (Chinese)
Koh Lipe Thai Kitchen, 35 Baldwin St. (Southern Thai)
George, 111C Queen St. E. (French)
Ration: Beverly, 335 Queen St. W., (Canadian)
Henry’s Restaurant and Wine Bar, 922 Queen St. W. (Canadian)
Prime Seafood Palace, 944 Queen St. W. (Steak)
Bar Vendetta, 928 Dundas St. W. (Wine Bar)
Gia, 1214 Dundas St. W. (Italian)
Antler Kitchen & Bar, 1454 Dundas St. W. (Canadian)
Viaggio, 1727 Dundas St. W. (Italian)
Pho Tien Thanh, 57 Ossington Ave. (Vietnamese)
Union, 72 Ossington Ave. (French)
La Banane, 227 Ossington Ave. (French)
Actinolite Restaurant, 971 Ossington Ave. (Canadian)
Pompette, 597 College St. (French)
Bar Isabel, 797 College St. (Spanish)
Giulietta, 972 College St. (Italian)
Ten, 1132 College St. (Canadian)
Dreyfus, 93 Harbord St. (French)
Amal Toronto, 131 Bloor St. W. Second Floor (Lebanese)
156 Cumberland, 156 Cumberland St. (European-Korean)
Adrak Yorkville, 138 Avenue Rd. (Indian)
Scaramouche, 1 Benvenuto Pl (French)
Madrina Bar y Tapas, 2 Trinity St. (Spanish)
Dil Se Indian Restaurant & Bar, 335 Roncesvalles Ave. (Indian)
Musoshin Ramen, 9 Boustead Ave. (Japanese Ramen)
Maha’s Egyptian Brunch, 226 Greenwood Ave. (Egyptian)
Babel Restaurant, 305 York Mills Rd. inside York Mills Shopping Centre (Mediterranean)
This article was updated on Sept. 14 to add additional information on recommended restaurants.