Top Five: the best celebration spots in Toronto
The finest venues for popping a cork or popping the question
1 Two restaurants in a handsome 19th-century building are reviving surf and turf. The Chase’s fifth floor dining room, pictured above, is conspicuously glam, with chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling windows and lovely, view-heavy terrace. 10 Temperance St., 647-348-7000.
2 Michael Caballo and Tobey Nemeth’s quaint, candlelit Edulis is the toughest reservation in town. The ever-changing tasting menu is a gourmet tour across the country accompanied by a short but fascinating wine list. 169 Niagara St., 416-703-4222.
3 Chef Victor Barry is a maestro of the long, elegant dinner. At Splendido, he poaches lobster in a sweet sabayon; smokes beets dusted with five spices and pine ash; and sears sweetbreads and snails and covers them in mushroom foam. 88 Harbord St., 416-929-7788.
4 A suited valet opens the door to Byblos, one of the city’s most elegant rooms. The star of the eastern Mediterranean menu is a lidded clay pot holding basmati rice studded with almonds, pomegranate seeds and barberries. 11 Duncan St., 647-660-0909.
5 Director Ivan Reitman’s sprawling new Montecito nails the little details—servers deliver a pashmina if you feel a chill. Chef Jonathan Waxman’s farm-to-table menu includes his signature: sublimely crispy roast chicken. 299 Adelaide St. W., 416-599-0299.
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