Highlights from Toronto Life’s eighth annual Best Restaurants event

To celebrate the launch of Toronto Life’s highly anticipated Best New Restaurants of 2024 issue, the eighth annual Best Restaurants event—presented by Uber Eats—was held on Monday night at the Evergreen Brick Works. The sold-out evening brought together over 20 of the city’s most innovative restaurants and more than 1,000 dedicated foodies.

Bar Prima’s scallops Rockefeller, Conejo Negro’s tuna-and-shrimp ceviche and Contrada’s ricotta gnocchi were just a few of the bites on offer. Paired with the food menu were signature cocktails from World Class Canada and non-alcoholic spirit Seedlip; wine from Campo Viejo and Stoneleigh; sparkling wine from Lively Bunch and Rosie; local beer from Steam Whistle and Beau’s. Guests danced the night away to live music, stayed hydrated with Flow Water and went home with full stomachs.

Here’s a look at the all-you-can-eat food menu:

Aera: Sidestripe shrimp and cured brisket, hot mustard, sea buckthorn, nori and crispy rice And/Ore: Devilled egg, mushroom with celery root foam, oolong-and-blood-peach macaron Bar Goa: Berry chaat and crab pani puri Bar Prima: Scallops Rockefeller with béchamel, prosciutto and gremolata Conejo Negro: Tuna-and-shrimp ceviche with citrus, mango, avocado and chili Contrada: Ricotta gnocchi DaNico: Anatra all’arancia and bosco delle fragole Daphne: Calamari and ibérico lardo skewers with shiso chimichurri and olive oil; pastrami-style Wagyu skewers with lime, smoked potato and wild ramp Fish and Loaf: Golden oyster (Chinese-style dried oysters) cooked with beef slices in a sweet-and-savoury soy sauce; microgreen-and-edible-flower salad with cream dressing MSSM: Atlantic salmon and bluefin tuna marinated in a special soy sauce The Old York Tavern: Chicken liver mousse and apple butter on Pullman Toast Porzia’s: Canestri with spicy rosé sauce and parmigiano-reggiano The Rosebud: Lobster-and-scallop lumache in a rosé sauce with espelette, chive and sourdough crumbs Savor Thai: Massaman neua and ka nom pang ai tim ma muang St. Thomas: Spicy tuna tataki Good Behaviour: Milk and honey ice cream and blood orange sorbet Curryish Tavern: Gunpowder chicken and rice idiyappam; South Indian–style pork curry with a steamed rice flour nest Yokai Izakaya: Hamachi ceviche, citrus ponzu, serrano pepper, grapefruit oroshi, scallion and red onion Miss Likklemore’s: Confit duck patty and Guyanese curry with fermented mango, citrus mojo verde and pickled okra Phamilyeats: Chicken, beef and vegan patties and banh pâté so Simpl Things: Chicken parm croquette, handmade cavatelli and curry fish balls

See what went down at the event below.