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Food Food & Drink

Romantic restaurants

Chinese Dim Sum

Crown Princess

1033 Bay, at Irwin, 416-923-8784. Sister of the equally OTT Crown Prince in Scarborough, this opulent Chinese dining room – think Versace does Versailles – offers suburban-style dim sum daily. Servers in French maid costumes and Strauss waltzes on the sound system only add to the luxury. And although the early-bird discount no longer applies, the extravagant spread is still worth the bucks. Best: siu mai upgraded with foie-gras-like goose liver mousse and black caviar classic shrimp har gow and pan-fried turnip cake with Chinese sausage Chiu Chow dumplings with ground pork, chives and crunchy peanuts tender octopus tentacles in five-spice powder to finish, flaky milk custard tarts with birds’ nest to drink, Iron Buddha oolong tea. Complete dim sum meals for $30 per person, including tax, tip and tea. Average dim sum $4. Open for dim sum Monday to Friday 10 am to 4 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 4 pm à la carte menu daily 11 am to 11 pm. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN

Contemporary

Harbord Room

89 Harbord, at Spadina, 416-962-8989, theharbordroom.com. Cory Vitiello and company get the bistro balance right: a shocking-pink 35-seat supper club built for romance, 80s alterna-rock on the sound system and servers disconcertingly free of attitude. A confident card of contemporary takes on retro classics never fails to further warm the heart. Reservations essential. Best: charcuterie of pigs’ head ‘n’ black trumpet mushroom terrine with fried egg, pickles and crostini Kerr Farms’ naturally raised 7-ounce burgers dressed with aged cheddar and caramelized onion, sided with sea-salted fries, house-made ketchup and Asian slaw for dessert, warm made-to-order ricotta-stuffed doughnuts Valrhona chocolate tarts with peanut butter mousse and boozy cherries. Complete dinners for $65 per person including tax, tip and a pint of micro-brew. Average main $25. Open for dinner nightly 6 to 10:30 pm, late-night menu till 11 pm Sunday to Tuesday, 11:30 pm Wednesday and Thursday, midnight Friday and Saturday. Licensed. Access: three steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN

Ethiopian

M & B Yummy

1263 Queen W, at Brock, 416-516-2798, mbyummy.com. Zeni Ashine’s modest Parkdale café may not look like much from the street, but its barred storefront hides Toronto’s only vegetarian Ethiopian eatery. Once inside, find a quirky ethno-centric room where the welcome is warm, the lighting low and the spicing ranges from no-sweat to five-alarm. Best: massive veggie platters-for-two piled with faux “meat,” curried cabbage, beans with carrots, collard greens and lentil dahl smoky fava bean foul topped with raw onion, tomato and chilies shiro fit-fit, olive-oil-soaked injera flatbread laced with caramelized onion and jalapeño that’s sure to cure hangovers. Complete meals for $20 per person, including tax, tip and an organic lager. Average main $9. Open for lunch Monday, Wednesday to Saturday noon to 3 pm, dinner Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 5 to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday 5 to 11 pm, Sunday 5 to 10 pm. Closed Tuesday. Licensed. Access: two steps at door, three steps to washrooms. Rating: NNN

Japanese

Sado Sushi

1116 Eglinton W, at Old Park, 416-783-8111, sado-sushi.com. Long before Guu, this Vietnamese-owned spinoff of Montreal’s upscale Maiko and Atami was putting an East-West fusion spin on the sushi playbook. Fractured service and a chic if generic setting cease to matter next to the fireworks on these inspired plates. Best: lobster roll with radicchio served with an upright tail Geisha maki, barely seared tuna, shrimp tempura and avocado wrapped in bean curd sheet over syrupy ponzu and creamy chili miso Black Dragon, deep-fried hosomaki with cooked salmon, red snapper, scallion, grated carrot and beet Sado Sunlight, miniature rice cakes piled with tuna tartare, Kewpie mayo and Cambozola cheese. Complete dinners for $75 per person (lunches $50), including tax, tip and a sake. Average main $20/$12. Open for lunch Wednesday to Friday 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, dinner Monday to Thursday 5 to 10:30 pm, Friday 5 to 11 pm, Saturday 4 to 11 pm, Sunday 4 to 10 pm. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN

Vegetarian

Cafe 668

885 Dundas W, at Claremont, 416-703-0668, cafe668.com. The anti-Hoof? After the runaway success of the original location, Hon Quach and Ngoc Lam move into a far grander arena a few blocks west. While the name and card remain the same, the dazzling new room – floor-to-ceiling glass, off-white banquettes – signals that 668 has considerably upped its game. Best: Salad #1, a riot of English cucumber, carrot and celery dressed with deep-fried tofu, coriander, crushed peanuts and cashews in a sweet Sriracha vinaigrette Summer Rolls, raw rice-paper wraps stuffed with cellophane noodles, tofu, carrot and Thai basil ketchup-free takes on pad thai tossed with carrot, peanuts, cabbage, sprouts ‘n’ ‘shrooms. Complete dinners for $35 per person (lunches $25), including tax, tip and an organic beer or glass of wine. Average main $13. Open Monday to Thursday 5:30 to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 1:30 to 10 pm, Sunday 1:30 to 9 pm. Closed some holidays. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN

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