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Le Gratin

Ate at this restaurant from a recommendation from a friend. Really great.

Menu is mainly in French, so took a while to decide what to get. Aside from the beat salad everything was awesome (mainly since I don’t like beats).

For drinks, we got a bottle of red wine to share (Chateau Pegau). Great for pairing with the rest of the food.

For food, we did family style. Got the steak tartare (with sour dough bread), the Pate (with chicken liver), brats salad, the gratin, and medium-rare duck. Best duck I’ve ever had (the duck itself and the sauce).

For desert got the PROFITEROLE CHOCOLAT-NOISETTE. Great choice.

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The Parlour Room

We went here on a night we landed in New York City. We were staying near Penn Station, and wanted a place with some seafood, steak, and a full bar. Their whisky selection was awesome (see the pic below).

It is recommended to get a reservation beforehand since it does get full easily (although you can also eat at the bar).

For main courses got the crab dip, the seafood tagliatelle (had shrimp, clams and mussels), and the filet mignon. I would get all of them again.

For drinks, did a Japanese flight (note you can only get 1 flight for your whole visit). They have a cool placemat for the flight glasses (see below), and they tell you the background of each one. Two things that stood out. First is that the Shibui wishing was a pure malt, (which is different from a single malt since that whisky comes from two distilleries, but the families are related). For the Kaiyo whisky, apparently their requirements is that the oak tree is 350 years old (partly due to the fact it is endangered).

I also did get a whisky sour, which was also good.

Oh, and we finished off with a crème brûlée.

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Public Gardens

We were at the King West area trying to find a bar that had a good vibe and served drinks. This definitely was both.

They have a variety of espresso martinis, even a Nutella one! My friend got a decaf espresso martini since it was 10pm, and I thought it was reasonable. I stuck to whisky’s (they had a good assortment). Only complaint is that for one of the servings we specified two oz. But they only served a single oz.

I will say that the mozerella sticks were also not that great (would not order that again).

(FYI below is not my photo)

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Lee Chen Asian Bistro

Went here for lunch since it was near the hotel.

Got a braised beef in egg noodle soup, plus gargle and Siu Mai. Not gonna lie, place was ok, and would probably choose another place since there is so many restaurants around.

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Mott 32

This place was in our hotel, Shangri La, in Toronto.

Went here from happy hour (4pm to 6pm), which drinks and dim sum were half price.

We got one order of Hargreaves, and 1 order of some dumpling dish. Both were great.

For drinks doubled down on the Nashi (vodka based, and 2oz pour). Great choice.

FYI didn’t take either picture below.

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Chotto Matte

We came here from a suggestion from a hostess at a happy hour bar (who was from Netherlands). Great suggestion.

For dinner, got 1 sushi sampler and 1 meat sampler to share between 4 of us. That plus a dragon roll was good enough (didn’t feel too full).

For drinks got an old fashion, plus some slushy based drink.

Also, according to our waiter, apparently on the Fridays it is a different vibe with fire dancers also appearing.

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Civil Works (at Waterworks Food Hall)

We visited this place for after dinner drinks. I liked the loungey vibe.

Ordered a whisky based cocktail, and their version of an espresso martini. They also had Jell-O shots ( it base alcohol was furnet…which was actually ok!).

Also the food hall downstairs would be good to visit during the day (a range of various cuisines, and I like the modern industrial look)

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JaBistro

An excellent sushi place in downtown Toronto. Food and drinks were amazing, and worth the $$$$

We got the Omakase fixed menu (only $125 Canadian). It included a range of sashimi, nigiri, and aburi sushi (torched rolls). It also came with a desert.

We also got some extra dishes on the side like octopus, and a sea bass.

For drinks, tried the washi which was great. They also have a nice selectionof Japanese whisky.

Would 100% come back.

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Lido

This restaurant was close to our hotel. I think it was good for drinks, but definitely not recommended for food.

The restaurant is by the water which is nice (although you can get foo led if sitting outside).

Ordered the truffle ravioli, and loaded fries. Wasn’t a huge fan of either.