What’s on the menu at Azura, a new Mediterranean restaurant on the Danforth serving blind tasting menus

No two menus are the same

By Liza Agrba| Photography by Ryan Nangreaves

| March 15, 2024

What's on the menu at Azura, a new Mediterranean restaurant on the Danforth serving blind tasting menus

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Name: Azura Contact: 162 Danforth Ave., restaurantazura.com, @azuratoronto
Neighbourhood: Greektown Owners: Joshua Mott, Adam Ryan Chef: Adam Ryan Accessibility: Not fully accessible

If the interior of Azura looks familiar, it’s because it used to house Judaline, a fine-dining restaurant by co-owner Joshua Mott, who is also behind Her Father’s Cider Bar. Judaline was well-received by the neighbourhood, but Mott wanted to bring a sharper culinary focus to the space. Enter Azura, his new concept designed in partnership with executive chef Adam Ryan.

Culinarily speaking, Azura is about marrying Mediterranean flavours with North American ingredients. In this kitchen, for instance, a pasta dish normally seasoned with lemon might instead get its acidic punch from Canadian sea buckthorn. But the crux of the idea is the style of delivery—this is a blind tasting menu.

The team behind Azura, a tasting menu restaurant on the Danforth in Toronto — From left: bar manager Shayne Herbert, executive chef and co-owner Adam Ryan, co-owner Joshua Mott, and GM Cory Brockbank

Anyone fortunate enough to become a regular at an establishment like this can expect to have their preferences remembered and their experience evolve with each visit. Azura is about strengthening the lines of connection between the kitchen, the front of house and the guests—a feat of coordination with big rewards for all parties. “This approach is not without its challenges, but it makes the whole process fun and engaging,” says Ryan. “Not only for guests but for everyone on our team.”

A spread of Mediterranean-inspired dishes at Azura, a tasting-menu restaurant in Toronto

The food

Restaurants that cite Mediterranean influence tend to skew Italian or French—here, the inspiration draws from as far as North Africa, Spain and Turkey. Ryan aims to infuse elements of these cuisines with ingredients from closer to home. A recent menu featured delicate halibut seasoned with punchy shawarma spices and Spanish piquillo peppers, North African brick pastry tartlets with harissa and juicy Ontario tomatoes, and sweet celeriac glazed in shrimp molasses and finished with local watercress sauce. There are two tiers of tastings available: four to six courses for $72 or eight to 10 for $128. Expect a continuously rotating, meticulously constructed menu each time.

Cubic chickpea fritters are topped with labneh infused with preserved lemon, kohlrabi and Ambrosia apples, and finished with pearls of Osetra sturgeon caviar and exquisite avgotaracho — Cubic chickpea fritters are topped with labneh infused with preserved lemon, kohlrabi and Ambrosia apples. They’re finished with pearls of Osetra sturgeon caviar and exquisite avgotaraho, or Greek bottarga—smooth, buttery cured mullet roe with pronounced salinity

A brick pastry tartlet layered with floral, mildly spicy rose harissa and a “rose” of aromatic Kumato tomatoes — These tartlets’ shells are brick pastry, common in North Africa—it’s something like phyllo but more robust and less flaky. They’re layered with floral, mildly spicy rose harissa and a “rose” of aromatic Kumato tomatoes

Coins of tender, sweet salt-baked celeriac glazed in molasses made of reduced shrimp stock for a deep umami hit — Here we have coins of sweet, tender salt-baked celeriac glazed in a molasses made of reduced shrimp stock for a deep umami hit. They’re accented with shrimp aioli, pickled celery, blood orange and watercress sauce for a fresh, vegetal note

Cannoli is reimagined at Azura as a savoury vehicle for Wagyu flatiron tartare seasoned with za’atar and pomegranate — Cannoli is reimagined as a savoury vehicle for Wagyu flat iron tartare seasoned with za’atar and pomegranate along with more traditional tartare elements (capers, Worcestershire, lemon zest, shallots, olive oil). Also inside is caramelized onion paste and boquerones, or white anchovies—a nice counterpoint to the richness of the beef. The shell is made of smoked flour, and the ends are dipped in airy whipped mascarpone and more za’atar

Iberico pork secreto—a prized cut from the outside of the shoulder—is marinated in koji rice to enhance its flavour and texture — Ibérico pork secreto—a prized cut from the outside of the shoulder—is marinated in koji rice to enhance its flavour and texture. It’s then dressed in a glossy cocoa nib–infused demi-glace and served with sautéed radicchio and fennel, dried olives, grapefruit, fennel pollen, and orange blossom water

This is chocolate “mortadella,” ruby chocolate with chopped pistachios and chunks of white chocolate, topped with extra-virgin olive oil, sticky balsamic glaze and powdered Iberico pork fat. — This dynamite dish will quickly disabuse anyone of the notion that chocolate and pork fat don’t go together. It’s chocolate “mortadella”: ruby chocolate with chopped pistachios and chunks of white chocolate topped with extra-virgin olive oil, sticky balsamic glaze and powdered Ibérico pork fat. Served on brioche, this is one of the most unusual and addictive desserts we’ve ever tried

An olive oil cake dotted with poppy seeds is layered with concentrated fig jam and topped with sweet potato buttercream, floral bergamot tea and a delicate tuille — Fig Newtons fans, brace yourselves—this is the Fig Newton flavour profile epitomized in a gorgeous olive oil cake, dotted with poppy seeds, layered with concentrated fig jam and topped with sweet potato buttercream, floral bergamot tea and a delicate tuile

The drinks

There’s an optional wine pairing with each blind tasting menu, including lesser-known varietals from Morocco and Croatia. Cocktails take cues from the kitchen with a series of house-made infusions—you can order from the signature cocktail menu or opt for a spirit-free pairing designed to be every bit as complex and satisfying as its boozier counterpart. And if you’re particular about your gin and tonic, you’re in luck: Azura makes its own infused gins and tonics, from which guests can mix and match to suit their whims.

This is Azura’s signature cocktail, a heady blend of Tentura cinnamon liqueur, and house-infused peach cardamom gin and apricot brandy — This is Azura’s signature cocktail, a heady blend of Tentura cinnamon liqueur, house-infused peach-cardamom gin and house-infused apricot brandy

A bartender puts the finishing touches on a cocktail at Azura, a tasting-menu restaurant in Toronto — A unique gin-based cocktail of lemon and basil emulsified with Turkish olive oil. It’s pleasantly viscous and fruity from the high-quality oil

One of Azura's thoughtful spirit-free pairings, this is a blend of fermented bell pepper, rosemary and apricot — A heavy-hitter from the thoughtful spirit-free pairings, this is a blend of fermented bell pepper, rosemary and apricot. It starts with a fiery nose and finishes smooth, sweet and complex, pairing especially well with seafood

Azura's smoked strawberry yuzu soda — Here we have smoked strawberry yuzu soda—and when we say smoked, we mean it. The strawberries, sugar and water are all individually smoked, but it somehow retains a delightful balanced fruitiness

The space

Streamlined yet still warm and inviting, this room has undergone a few major upgrades since its Judaline days, like the construction of an open kitchen, new fixtures and fresh lighting (including a theatrical spotlight right above the pass). There’s a strong emerald-green motif punctuated by Mediterranean-inspired pottery-lined display cases near the front. In warmer weather, floor-to-ceiling windows will open onto the buzz of the Danforth.