What’s on the menu at Alice, Little Italy’s chic new spot for upscale diner fare

Name: Alice Contact: 488 College St., alicetoronto.com, @alicebevy
Owners: Afif Khan, Matthew Haddon Chef: Zicco Accessible: Washrooms are not accessible

Little Italy was screaming for a culinary overhaul, and courtesy of new restaurants like Martine’s, Casa Paco, DaNico and Contrada, it’s finally happening. The latest addition to the neighbourhood’s all-stars roster is Alice, a deeply TikTok-able new spot for cocktails, street food and creatively upscaled diner offerings.

Afif Khan and Matthew Haddon, Alice’s co-owners, had previously opened Wonderland Cannabis Dispensary and were itching to expand their entertainment footprint. “Building a restaurant seemed like a natural fit,” says Khan. The two are unabashed about being new to the food-and-drink world, and they’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, they’re looking to make the ride as smooth as possible, with classic smash burgers, tacos, tomahawk steaks and beautifully crisp Korean cauliflower bites. The breadth of their selection is similar to what you might find at a chain restaurant, but elevated by a playful spirit and superior execution. It’s best eaten on the patio, a checker-floored backyard-like space inspired by Palm Springs.

The food

Alice has everything from street corn to salmon tartare to spaghetti. It’s a something-for-everyone approach that runs the risk of being nothing to anyone—but in this case, every dish is given star treatment, making for a perfectly realized vision. The deep-fried calamari is tender yet crisp; the street corn strikes a balance between sweet, spicy and salty; and the steaks are beautifully crusty on the outside and pink and juicy where it counts.

The drinks

The cocktail card is an unapologetically vibrant, fruit-forward list of libations that aims for subtle surprises (a spicy margarita with scotch bonnet instead of jalapeño) and delightful twists (an espresso martini with salted caramel and punchy chili liqueur). A globally diverse, accessible wine program is on its way.

The space

“The supper club is back,” says Haddon, “so that’s what we’re aiming for here.” Alice has two floors, each with a distinct aesthetic. The moody top level has a cocktail bar feel, with wood floors, an ebony stone bar, mirror balls and neon accents. The exposed brick walls, marble tabletops and tufted banquette seating downstairs caters to more of a serious dining crowd. But the highlight is the patio, a whitewashed, cactus-filled terracotta space that is more Santorini than Little Italy.