Best trendy restaurants in Toronto in 2017

CAVA

1560 Yonge St., 416-979-9918
Cava’s kitchen goes from strength to strength. Chef Doug Penfold (who now juggles Chabrol as well) continues his meat supremacy — His jamón is dreamy, his charcuterie impeccable. He adds whimsies like whipped jamón fat to roasted broccoli to help it become sing. He makes pintxos of fantasia like Spanish blue cheese with sherry -roasted figs and lightly pickled sardines, and the time-honoured favourite fried eggplant with melted fresh cheese, puckery tomatillo sauce and bonito flakes. But chef has added more non-meat treats to get a broader audience. As are grilled king oyster mushrooms with fab flavourings reddish fife wheatberry salad with parsley, pomegranate, pistachios, pickled cauliflower and argan oil is loaded with flavour. And exactly what a chile punch in shrimp ceviche. No wonder the place is packaged despite its banal location.

CHABROL

90 Yorkville Ave., 416-428-6641
Niall McCotter of Cava and Doug Penfold have added their stable and a tiny charmer Chabrol, of a French bistro. In summer it’s one of the finest patios in town. Their delectable French classics comprise tartine of raw trout that is cured on housemade bread topped with radish and chervil. Perfect papillote with sea asparagus, leeks and Swiss chard with exceptional vermouth beurre blanc. But one must eat a southern French bouillabaisse with impeccable seafood, ttoro in deep rich saffron-scented broth. And for dessert, classic French apple tart. The room is so tiny you are able to see — odor and — the buttery French apple tart baking in the glass-fronted oven. It’s constructed on puff pastry and drenched in Calvados sabayon at the table. Require a huge spoon.

SCARAMOUCHE RESTAURANT

1 Benvenuto Pl., 416 961 8011
It the most elegant restaurant in town. We love the deluxe ambiance, the smoother-than-silk service, not to mention the impeccable food. The cuisine is a complicated blend of classic and modern. Like enormous fat scallops with jazzy relish of Meyer lemon, pistachio and olive and shaved uncooked veg grace notes. And superbly damp house-pickled pastrami having a designer salad of toasted hazelnuts having a side of foie gras mousse on toast with dots of prune puree beside endive and poached pears. Adroit combos. Who somewhat smokes fresh sturgeon and set sits snowy perfection atop spaetzle with trumpet mushrooms and pickled apple? Or serves soft quail with foie gras and other fab fixings anointed with orange hazelnut picada? It’s not trendy, but for a Big Night Out where better than the soothing pleasure palace on the hill.

YASU

81 Harbord St., 416-477-2361
Yasu’s obligation to amazing sushi is unwavering, which is the reason why it’s such a reservation that is challenging to get. They reserve 30 days outside for his or her set dinner, $80 for 18 perfect pieces if sushi delivered in a measured and serene minuet and made before your eyes. No more. No tempura, nearly no tables, no teriyaki. Only a small plain white room with each of the dazzle on the tongue. 12 blessed folks sit at the sushi bar and watch chef Yasuhisa Ouchi and his helpers do the hand dancing, preparing one sushi at a time. You get what was flown from around the world, because week: Ruby red ocean trout from Scotland, although it shifts according to fish markets. Impossibly sweet scallops from Japan, either Hokkaido or Gasp. Sweet fresh uni from Japan wrapped in nori so crisp it breaks like glass. Deep red rich toro tuna like butter. Monkfish liver with ponzu sauce and shiso leaf. Spanish mackerel was smoked by hay that was just seared with grated daikon and chili. Like a jewel box that is edible.

WOODLOT

293 Palmerston Ave., 647-342-6307
They’ve gone from barnyard elegant and somewhat downscale sincerity — but still local and farmhouse amazing. Their wood-fired oven turns both white and dark reddish fife bread with terrific crust and crumb, with very snazzy butter out. The menu changes seasonally but look for the finest tourtieres — gossamer puff pastry enclosing gorgeously flavored venison, pork and beef, with home made ketchup. Their fish is excellent, impeccably sourced and carefully cooked; sides are never an after thought. A pilaf of barley with apple turnip glaze, bacon and celery root is almost more fun compared to the main event. Pastas are similarly blessed with delicate intricacy, appetizers like cheddar stuffed gougères pastry remember the glory days of French cooking.

PATRIA

480 King St. W., 416 367 0505
King of clubs Charles Khabouth made a really delightful eatery as he always does. Patria is two floors with a giant art setup that is embroidered interesting lighting and also a tall wall. Three- year-old corned ham that is is nutty thanks to the acorns the hoof that is black free-range pigs ate; this is a carnivore. Patria brings in artisanal wines and cheeses and serves the cheeses at room temperature, with sweet broiled oil and /tart quince jelly -kissed baguette. Their blue that is Spanish is a farmhouse merchandise that provides a run because of its money to French Roquefort. They do excellent tapas. Creamy/ crisp manchego croquettes. Fab fresh house- a big salad turns into way more fun than veg ever are. Patria’s kitchen does the conventional foods of southern Spain but lighter and jazzier. With spinach sounds ordinary but tastes exciting chickpeas stewed. Additionally quite southern Spanish and more accurately cooked is fideos with chorizo and clams, short thin pasta stewed atop absolutely cooked fat clams, in spicy tomato broth, infused with smoke from chorizo.

BYBLOS

11 Duncan St., 647 660 0909
Associates Charles Khabouth (king of clubs) and Hanif Harji bring us dazzling Mediterranean cuisine. Actually, eastern Mediterranean. No hummus ‘n’ pita here. Instead we find striking octopus with fingerling potatoes, chili vinaigrette and preserved lemon, uber-crispy bread salad with barely marinated veg, lamb ribs that sell out most nights (and for good reason), a wholesome salad of beets with yogurt which has no right to taste this great. Two desserts stand out: Flourless yogurt cake, a cross between panna cotta and cheesecake but lighter and more tasty than both. And deep fried pastry cream with strawberry fragments on top. To entice us further — for the Khabouth/Harji mandate is enchantment you can purchase — everyone makes an entry at Byblos, down the light cream stairway into the pale buzzy room that discusses metaphorically but not literally of a beach on a Greek island.

THE CHASE

10 Temperance St., 647 348 7000
It’s grown right into an excellent resto. Still drop dead stunning — divine decadence, a penthouse atop of a tradition downtown building. You take the elevator to a glam space, to the 5th floor. Luxe banquettes and ample tables, with service and food to match. Amazing octopus comes jazzed with salsa verde, merguez sausage and piquillo peppers. This is really a kitchen. Their lamb is outstanding — yogurt marinated rack and pink tender cinnamon with braised shank tagine with cauliflower, pomegranate and couscous. Fat scallops that are gilded sit pretty on beet risotto that is yellow. Dessert continues to be given an edit: Previously over-the-top lime confection is currently a dignified — and delectable — minuet of sponge cake layered with coconut cream to die for, topped with coconut that was crisped, clad in only toasted marshmallow, with lime curd.


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CAMPAGNOLO

832 Dundas St. W., 416-364-4785
Campagnolo has matured into a rock solid winner of Italo-comfort food, alla nonna, from warm cheesy gougères pastry in the breadbasket. In between are high-flavoured house-made pastas with fabulous tomato sauce built on browned garlic and guanciale. That is hearty cooking — Upscale Ital-mamma food. And the room feels increasingly gracious as the rest of the popular restos in town mimic their casual take on food that is fine.

THE BLACK HOOF

928 Dundas St. W., 416-551-8854
The Hoof still does some pig products that are luscious and grand charcuterie — We love the fatty crispy smoked pork jowl with roasted figs, the fat set off by pickled pears with blue cheese in vanilla -pear sauce. Their entry into taco-property is also very great — high-flavoured cochinita pibil tacos. And they’ve diversified into the vegetable kingdom. Absolutely charred rapini makes sweet love with crispy, caramelized onion mayo and charred figs walnuts with mustard seed vinaigrette. Arctic char has been cured a la gravlax and goes down great with little dabs of cod roe panna cotta, grapefruit and walnut crumb. Cavatelli do very well with veg. No res and still only debit card or cash, but at least it is possible to quaff cocktails while you wait across the road at Rhum Corner next door either Hoof offshoot or Cocktail.