There’s a strong showing of Toronto restaurants in this year’s Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants List, including a second-place finish for a well-known culinary favourite and a steakhouse that tops the 10 best new eateries.
The contemporary French offerings at Alo have placed the downtown Toronto restaurant in the No. 2 spot of the publication’s annual ranking.
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“Eight years in, Patrick Kriss confidently stays the course with his highly orchestrated tasting menus — expect a three-hour seating — executed with the elevated finesse loyal clients have come to expect — nay, demand,” the editors behind the magazine write.
Alo also placed second in 2022, the same year it was awarded a coveted Michelin star along with a handful of other Toronto eateries after the prestigious guide made its debut north of the border.
Previously, Alo was ranked first by Canada’s 100 Best for four years in a row prior to the lits’s hiatus in 2021 brought on by COVID-19 restrictions.
But which restaurant got top honours in this year’s list?
That distinction goes to Mon Lapin in Montreal’s Little Italy neighbourhood.
“It’s elusive, that sweet spot between being a special-occasion restaurant and a no-occasion let’s-grab-a-bite kind of place, but for five years Mon Lapin has occupied just that ethereal zone,” the magazine writes.
Back in Toronto, a newish restaurant in the city’s west end and a dive bar directly up the street are also getting praise.
Opened in 2022 after years of planning and delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Matty Matheson’s Prime Seafood Palace is the number one new restaurant, according to Canada’s 100 Best.
“Seriously levelling up on typical steakhouse offerings, this casual yet visually impressive space offers creative upscale takes on the usual favourites (and a hefty price tag, to boot),” the publication said.
About a half-hour walk north of the inconspicuous restaurant covered in cathedral-like wooden finishings, Civil Liberties has been awarded best bar in the country.
The no-frills watering hole – where bartenders craft custom cocktails based on their patrons’ preferences – is enjoying its second straight year at the top of the list.
“The neon “Cocktails & Dreams” sign hanging in the front window is a great example of truth in advertising. And success has kept Canada’s Best Bar — for the second year in a row — honest,” Canada’s 100 Best said.
According to editor-in-chief Jacob Richler, this year’s list marks a return to its former glory, with restaurants unlimited by COVID-19 restrictions for the first time since 2019 and more judges than ever before.
"We always pride ourselves on the quality of our best restaurants lists–but all the same, this 2023 edition is a standout. We had more judges than ever before dining out with enthusiasm all across the country–and giving us their invaluable, thoughtful feedback," Richler said.
The 135 judges, chosen for their reputation and knowledge of the culinary scene, do not receive any direction on where to go and what to eat and no free meals are accepted, officials said.
Here’s a look at all of the restaurants in Ontario that made the cut this year, 18 of which are in Toronto.
2. Alo
4. Edulis
5. Restaurant Pearl Morissette
7. Langdon Hall
11. 20 Victoria
14. Osteria Giulia
17. Prime Seafood Palace
18. Canoe
19. Sushi Masaki Saito
25. MIMI Chinese
26. Quetzal
29. Dreyfus
31. Alice
32. Giulietta
34. Hexagon
35. Don Alfonso 1890
38. Taverne Bernhardt’s
40. Shoushin
46. Pompette
47. The Pine
49. Riviera
62. Arlo
63. Supply and Demand
65. Café Boulud
85. Perch
88. Atelier
91. Alma
96. North & Navy
97. Gitanes
100. Richmond Station
