13 new restaurants and bars to check out this fall

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Aloette
163 Spadina Ave., 1st floor, 416-260-3444, aloetterestaurant.com

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What’s on the menu at Aloette, a new French diner from the Alo team

Alo’s more casual (but still really good-looking) sister restaurant two storeys below at Queen and Spadina serves elevated diner classics, including a Beaufort cheese-topped burger and an apple pie sundae. The best part: you don’t need a reservation to get a table.    

Ama
930 Queen St. W., no phone, amaalways.com

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What’s on the menu at Ama, an Argentine restaurant and cocktail bar on Queen West

This Trinity Bellwoods spot serves a menu of Argentine staples, including ceviche, empanadas and choripan. Most of the cocktails here go unnamed as they’re often one-off custom concoctions created on the fly.    

Bacchanal
60 Sudbury St., 416-586-1188, bacchanal.ca

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What’s on the menu at Bacchanal, a new French bistro from Alo, Le Sélect and Campagnolo alumni

Filling the space briefly occupied by Recess, an all-day-breakfast diner, is this fancy French bistro from Alo, Le Sélect and Campagnolo alumni. The single-page menu offers traditional bistro classics (pâté, steak frites, côte de boeuf) but there’s also a raw bar and a carte blanche menu.    

Bangarang
552 College St., no phone, bangarangbar.com

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Inside Bangarang, a new cocktail bar and adult play place from the owners of Track and Field

From the folks behind Little Italy’s lawn-games spot, Track and Field, comes Bangarang, another adult play place that’s also a cocktail bar. Here, guests can play corn hole (a.k.a. beanbag toss) and various tabletop games, including sjoelen (Dutch shuffleboard) and billard Japonais (a traditional French game).    

Bar Sybanne
229 Ossington Ave., 647-350-9229, barsybanne.com

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What’s on the menu at Bar Sybanne, a new Mediterranean tapas bar on Ossington

Ossington’s new Mediterranean tapas bar from Howard Dubrovsky (L.A.B., Fonda Lola) serves a menu of sharing dishes divided into three categories: dips (hummus with sumac and za’atar), hot (fried chicken with orange-blossom honey) and cold (whitefish crudo). The restaurant’s signature cocktails were designed by the Drake’s Sandy de Almeida.    

BlueBlood Steakhouse
1 Austin Terrace, 416-353-4647, bluebloodsteakhouse.com

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What’s on the menu at BlueBlood, a humongous new steak house inside Casa Loma

Toronto now has a swanky steakhouse in a castle. The super-luxe restaurant inside Casa Loma serves all the carnivore classics, with a section dedicated to fine beef cuts from around the world. There’s even a wagyu filet tasting. It’s like a wine flight...but with meat. (The steakhouse also recently hosted Drake for his 31st birthday.)    

Hexagon
210 Lakeshore Rd. E., Oakville, 905-844-1286, hexagonrestaurant.com

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What’s on the menu at Hexagon, a new French restaurant in Oakville from one of the country’s best young chefs

Chef Sean MacDonald (the national winner of the 2016 San Pellegrino Young Chef competition) helms the kitchen at this new French restaurant in the heart of downtown Oakville. The short à la carte lunch menu includes bistro classics like steak frites and French onion soup. For dinner, guests can choose between a four-course tasting menu and a nine-course carte blanche.    

Mahjong Bar
1276 Dundas St. W., 647-291-6097, @mahjongbar

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What’s on the menu at Mahjong Bar, a hideaway cocktail bar on Dundas West

Hidden behind a storefront painted millenial pink, Dundas West’s newest speakeasy serves signature cocktails featuring Asian ingredients. The menu of Chinese small plates (wontons, noodles, eggplant and crispy pork) was developed by Tricia Soo of Ossington’s Malaysian restaurant, Soos.    

Northern Maverick Brewing
115 Bathurst St., 416-540-4030, northernmaverick.ca

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What’s on the menu at Northern Maverick, a massive new King West brewery

King West’s massive new brewery pours pints alongside chef Mark Cutrara’s (Cowbell, Bar Hop Brewco) menu that includes charcuterie boards, smoked trout, grilled octopus and steak. There’s also an oyster bar and weekend brunch.    

Palm Lane
Yorkville Village, 55 Avenue Rd., 647-349-1085, palmlane.ca

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What’s on the menu at Palm Lane, Yorkville’s new fast-casual salad bar from the Chase Hospitality Group

Aiming to prove that you really can win friends with salad, the Chase Hospitality Group has opened this fast-casual salad counter in Yorkville Village, serving healthful salads, grain bowls and smoothies.    

Planta Burger
4 Temperance St., 647-348-7000, plantarestaurants.com

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What’s on the menu at Planta Burger, the vegan patty–based offshoot of Yorkville’s Planta

The Chase Hospitality Group has two new spots in this restaurant roundup. Their new patty-based spin-off of Yorkville’s Planta serves a short menu of plant-based comfort food favourites: onion rings, fries, shakes and, of course, burgers.    

Poor Romeo
1029 Gerrard St. E., no phone, @poor_romeo_bar

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What’s on the menu at Poor Romeo, Pinkerton Snack Bar’s new American sister spot across the street

From the people behind Pinkertons, Leslieville’s late-night small-plates spot, comes neighbouring Poor Romeo, an all-American affair specializing in smashed burgers, craft beer and rock-and-roll.    

Soufi’s
676 Queen St. W., 647-350-7737, soufis.ca

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Food & Drink

What’s on the menu at Soufi’s, the city’s new Syrian cafe on Queen West

The Al Soufi family, along with a staff of Syrian newcomers, send out traditional Syrian dishes from their Queen West kitchen, including sweet knafeh cheese pastries and manakeesh.