Don’t know about you, but we treat the end of Summerlicious like we treat a bad breakup: We’re left with a feeling of emptiness, heavy hearts, and longing. After all, how often do us Torontonians get a chance to sample some of the city’s finest restaurants at low prices?
Actually, as it turns out, pretty often.
Cheer up, Toronto! Just because Summerlicious is over doesn’t mean you have to suffer from post-prix fixe depression. You can still score great multi-course meals at reduced prices all year round! Here’s a few of our favourite restaurants that offer prix fixe menus daily, just in case you’re not ready to split up with your inner frugal foodie…
Bodega
We love Bodega because they understand it’s not just great food and drink that creates the perfect dining experience. Their service is careful and attentive, and their menu has items that are high in taste but low in prices. They offer a three-course prix fixe lunch menu for only $25, and a dinner menu for only $35. Options include rabbit terrine, grilled chicken leg paillarde, and blueberry bread pudding with crème anglaise.
La Société
Want to feel fancy? Then head on over and join the beautiful people at La Société. The $44 prix fixe menu includes your choice of: mushroom soup, four featured oysters, or romaine salad as a starter; house made gnocchi, pan seared Irish organic salmon, or pan seared lemon and thyme chicken as a main; and featured crème brûlée or dark chocolate fondant cake as a dessert.
Big Daddy’s
If you’re looking to enjoy a little taste of New Orleans, or if you just want to take advantage of delicious food at ridiculously low prices, try Big Daddy’s. Start your meal off with appetizer options like P.E.I. mussels, seafood gumbo, or popcorn shrimp, top it off with entrees like Creole fish and chips, jambalaya, or seafood fettuccine, and then finish with one of their pecan tarts or sweet and salty caramel cupcakes.
Biff’s Bistro
This modern French bistro offers a casual atmosphere and outstanding selection of market fresh seafood and classic French specialties. Their “Biff’s Fixe” option grants you 3 courses for $34.95, and includes chicken liver parfait, coeurs du romaine, beef bourguignon, skin roasted trout, chicken supreme au pistou, and gateau au citron.
Jules Bistro
Jules is another French bistro that offers amazing lunch and dinner specials. You have the option of choosing from their bistro salad or soup of the day, ribeye steak or mussels with frites, and chocolate terrine for only $27 for lunch and $29 for dinner.
TOCA
TOCA takes classic Italian staples and provides a unique take on them using Canada’s diverse seasonal flavours and locally sourced produce. For $89 you can try their tasting menu, which includes a wide array of mouthwatering dishes like braised beef cheek with olive oil mashed potatoes and fried leeks, ravioli capresi stued with caciotta and marjoram, swordfish 2-ways with grilled spring onion and ricotta sauce, and lemon scented Cannoli with hazelnut cream and hazelnut almond praline.
The Grove
This celebrated Dundas West restaurant is known to change its prix fixe menu frequently, but will always feature a seasonal array of starters, entrees, and desserts. For $40, you can get three courses with items like quail with foie gras and plums, beef with corn and chanterelles, rye berry with hen of the woods and dandelion, and new potato with duck egg and garlic scapes.
Ruby Watchco
Ruby Watchco knows how to keep things interesting with an ever-changing daily four-course prix fixe menu. For $49 per person, you can get your hands on anything from applewood smoked bacon with watermelon salad and grilled flank steak with smoked jalapeno relish, to slow roasted rack of pork with rosemary plum sauce and Chef Lora’s opera cake with coffee ganache and vanilla butter cream. Vegetarian and pescetarian alternatives are always available.
Splendido
The chefs at Splendido are masters of both traditional and modernist techniques, and are guaranteed to bring you some of the best dining in the city. For $150 you can try a wide array of refined dishes like halibut wing and radish, cherry stone clam and bacon, Australian black truffles, 65-day aged Cumbrae Farms rib cap, milk and chamomile, and bolero carrot and pumpkin oil.
Have you taken advantage of these prix fixe specials yet? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.