Here are the 74 best restaurants in Toronto, according to the inaugural Michelin Guide Toronto

The list is finally here… much anticipated, yet some love it, some dread it, others say they won’t pay attention to it, while many dream of being featured and awarded Michelin stars. But for those of you not so in-tune with the restaurant landscape in Toronto, Michelin Guide’s restaurants’ lists are one of the most coveted restaurant accolades and the perfect way for travellers to discover new additions to their restaurant bucket lists in some of the hottest destinations…now, including the Toronto area.

Here are the 13 Toronto restaurants to receive the first-ever awarded Michelin Stars, in the inaugural edition of the Michelin Guide Toronto, in Canada:

If you haven’t been to any of them, don’t walk… run because they’re about to get a hell of a lot harder to get into, now that Michelin has set their eyes on any of them.

Honouring 12, one Michelin Star restaurants and, 1 two Michelin Stars restaurant. Toronto is now the first Canadian city to be featured in the world-renowned Michelin Guide.

2 Michelin Stars:

Sushi Masaki Saito

Type of cuisine: Japanese/Sushi
Chef: Masaki Saito
Neighbourhood: Yorkville (88 Avenue Rd.)

What the Michelin inspectors said: “Only here will you find shirako boldly skewered and grilled over binchotan, and only here will you eat melting slabs of chutoro buried under a blizzard of white truffles. Fish comes exclusively from Japan, and for the nigiri, assistants are quick to bring [chef Masaki Saito] his prized rice from Niigata prefecture, warm and tinged with his special blend of vinegars, after every round.”

1 Michelin Star:

Aburi Hana

Type of cuisine: Japanese/Kaiseki
Chef: Ryusuke Nakagawa
Neighbourhood: Yorkville (102 Yorkville Ave.)

What the Michelin inspectors said: “Chef Ryusuke Nakagawa presents a modern take on the history-steeped Kyo-Kaiseki Menu. His cooking is deeply personal and intricate but never overwrought.”

Alo

Type of cuisine: Contemporary, European and Asian
Chef: Patrick Kriss
Neighbourhood: Queen West (163 Spadina Ave.)

What the Michelin inspectors said: “Everyone has a good time at Chef Patrick Kriss’s beloved Alo. The talented beverage team offers spot-on suggestions from the well-chosen wine list. The kitchen team seamlessly merges European and Asian sensibilities onto a single tasting menu with dishes like creamy Koshihikari risotto boosted with porcini emulsion or rack of lamb with Thai green curry.”

Alobar

Type of cuisine: French
Chefs: Patrick Kriss and Rebekah Bruce
Neighbourhood: Yorkville (162 Cumberland St.)

What Michelin inspectors said: “Seafood figures prominently, and, as one might expect from Chef Patrick Kriss and Chef de Cuisine Rebekah Bruce, product is first-rate and technique exemplary. From chilled lobster with lime aioli to a rack of lamb with niçoise olive, the kitchen delivers a kind of refined approachability that suits all occasions. Desserts like mille-feuille with raspberry chantilly are show-stoppers.”

Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto

Type of cuisine: Italian
Chef: Daniele Corona
Neighbourhood: Harbourfront (1 Harbour Square)

What Michelin inspectors said: “Chef Daniele Corona’s dishes echo the contemporary sophistication of the dining room. Eel gelato plated with a tangle of wild rose-scented tagliatelle, pulverized egg yolk and sturgeon caviar delivers a wonderful mix of flavours; tender and vibrant agnolotti are stuffed with Ontario lamb for a rich and meaty filling and doused in a decadent cheese sauce that packs a punch.”

Edulis

Type of cuisine: Contemporary, Mediterranean
Chef: Michael Caballo and Tobey Nemeth
Neighbourhood: King West (169 Niagara St.)

What Michelin inspectors said: “The pride and passion of the husband-and-wife owners and their staff is undeniably evident throughout this spot. Settle in for a set, multi-course menu inspired by the Mediterranean. The kitchen eschews fluff, focusing instead on creating harmonious (and delicious) dishes. Freshly carved Spanish ham, cheese and dessert are available as add-ons. The menu proudly hews to the season.”

Enigma Yorkville

Type of cuisine: Contemporary European
Chef: Quinton Bennett
Neighbourhood: Yorkville (23 St Thomas St.)

What Michelin inspectors said: “Chef Quinton Bennett’s resume is as varied and glittering as the tile mosaics that stretch across the ceiling of this Yorkville looker. Using molecular techniques, he puts his worldly view on the plate, playing on diverse textures and surprising combinations like brassicas with smoked foie gras and dehydrated parmesan or tuna with sheets of beetroot and fermented daikon.”

Frilu

Type of cuisine: Contemporary Canadian with Asian influences
Chef: John-Vincent Troiano
Neighbourhood: Thornhill (7713 Yonge St.)

What Michelin inspectors said: “There is a saying that we should dance like nobody’s watching. This adage feels true of Chef John-Vincent Troiano, who cooks to his own rhythm in Thornhill. Smoke, game and refined sauce-work figure prominently on what might be the only tasting menu for several kilometres. A tiny space packed with talent, the sparsely decorated nook leaves everything on the plate, with high-quality product from their own farm coupled with an intriguing Japanese element that feels natural.”

Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto

Type of cuisine: Japanese/Kaiseki
Chef: Masaki Hashimoto
Neighbourhood: Don Mills (6 Garamond Ct.)

What Michelin inspectors said: “Chef Masaki Hashimoto’s traditional kaiseki eight-course menu showcases the seasons while celebrating Japanese ingredients. It’s all about focus over flash with a refined intricate style and attention to detail that borders on reverence. Shii-zakana is a signature dish composed of fried soba noodle-wrapped shrimp, but it’s the stunning radish crane that you’ll remember.”

Osteria Giulia

Type of cuisine: Italian
Chef: Rob Rossi
Neighbourhood: Yorkville (134 Avenue Rd.)

What Michelin inspectors said: “It seems nearly impossible to have a bad time at Chef Rob Rossi’s Italian stunner. Many Italian menus can look the same, but Rossi narrows in on the seafood-rich traditions of Liguria. A deep Italian wine list and an especially talented cocktail program round out an experience that is as accomplished as it is hospitable.”

Quetzal

Type of cuisine: Mexican
Chef: Steve Molnar
Neighbourhood: Little Italy (419 College St.)

What the Michelin inspectors said: “Almost everything on this tight menu passes through the kitchen’s 26-foot-long wood-burning grill that actively roars and smokes. At the end of the line is a single chef at the earthenware comal, who prepares tortillas from heirloom corn that is nixtamalized and ground in-house. Lamb barbacoa packed into griddled, blue masa tortillas and charred maitake mushrooms set in a crema poblana highlight the transformative magic of fire, while dry-aged amberjack aguachile flexes the kitchen’s delicate side.”

Shoushin

Type of cuisine: Japanese/Sushi
Chef: Jackie Lin
Neighbourhood: Yonge and Lawrence (3328 Yonge St.)

What Michelin inspectors said: “Jackie Lin leads the young team with care. The seasonal sushi omakase is especially delightful. Grilled cutlassfish, rarely seen on many menus, is served hot and flaky. Striped jackfish with a kiss of green onion is flavorful; golden eye snapper is nicely aged. From lean bluefin tuna with mountain yam and tart kohada to excellent baby seabream with lime, it’s hit after hit.”

Yukashi

Type of cuisine: Japanese/Kaiseki
Chef: Daisuke Izutsu
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant (643a Mt Pleasant Rd.)

What Michelin inspectors said: “Chef Daisuke Izutsu has cooked for royals, dignitaries, and you if you’re one of the lucky 15 who has secured a seat at the intimate Yukashi. Firmly rooted in seasonality, this kaiseki-style menu is highly original and personal. The otsukuri, with slices of shima aji with yuzu zest, toro with pickled turnip and hay-smoked hamachi delicately arranged atop a white marble base, is a work of art.”

Bib Gourmand, designations

The MICHELIN Guide inspectors found 17 restaurants worthy of the Bib Gourmand designation, which recognizes great food at a great value. These are restaurants where one can have two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for less than $60 CAD.

• The Ace
• Alma
• Bar Raval
• Campechano
• Cherry St. Bar-B-Que
• Chica’s Chicken
• Enoteca Sociale
• Fat Pasha
• Favorites Thai
• Fonda Balam
• Grey Gardens
• Indian Street Food Company
• La Bartola
• Puerto Bravo
• R&D
• SumiLicious Smoked Meat & Deli
• Wynona

Additional, Michelin-selected restaurants

Along with the 13, Michelin-starred restaurants and 17 Bib Gourmand restaurants, there were 44 Michelin-selected restaurants also featured in the inaugural Michelin Guide Toronto edition.

• Actinolite
• Bar Isabel
• Pompette
• Dreyfus
• Giulietta
• Bar Vendetta
• Gia
• Ten
• La Banane
• Mother’s Dumplings
• Antler
• Adrak Yorkville
• Union
• Pho Tien Thanh
• 156 Cumberland
• Amal
• Viaggio
• Henry’s
• Prime Seafood Palace
• Koh Lipe
• Scaramouche
• Aloette
• Chubby’s Jamaican
• Ca Phe Rang
• Sara
• Lapinou
• Buca
• Jacob’s Steakhouse
• Ration Beverley
• Shook
• Musoshin
• Bar Chica
• Dil Se
• Pai
• Aanch
• Kojin @ Momofuku Toronto
• Tachi
• Canoe
• 20 Victoria
• George
• Ardo
• Madrina
• Maha’s
• Babel

Not what you were expecting? Tell us…which restaurants were you hoping to see on list?

We definitely were rooting for Minami, as one of Toronto’s newer additions to the city (also having won the international design award) while also being a part of the Aburi Restaurant Group, which also had Aburi Hana on the list. Mind-boggled that King West’s, Vela, didn’t make the cut either.

Curious to hear your thoughts too, so feel free to write us, slip into our DMs or tweet us @viewthevibe.