Alo Restaurant

Best restaurant in Toronto so far, very well thought out and executed food. Can’t go wrong with the chef’s table or regular menu here.

Probably one of the better restaurants in Toronto. I’d move it into my top 2 along with Veloute and move Momofuku to #3 after the last time I went. You’ll need to make a reservation well in advance. Try to sit at the kitchen table which is kind of a bar overlooking the kitchen because those seats forces you to have something like a 16 course tasting menu instead of a 12 or 13 course tasting menu if you sit at the table. You also get to see how the chef’s make the food and hear how the kitchen works. There are technically 6 seats. However, every Saturday, there is always the same heavier set Indian guy who is always eating there by himself so there’s really only 5 seats available. And this is EVERY Saturday. We came here for my dad’s birthday so my sister made a reservation well in advance.
The entrance to the restaurant is super super hard to find as there isn’t really any signs outside. Just a single, un-​decorated glass door so you kind of need to know what you’re looking for. However, if you do find it, once you get past this door, there is a darker hallway with a hostess at the other end who will direct you to an elevator to the 3^rd floor. Once you get up there, there’s another hostess who will take you to your seats. The first room is their main bar with an a la carte menu option. If you can’t get a table, then you can eat in the bar area. The food there looked pretty good as the chefs were cooking it but the main star is the 16 course tasting menu.
The food itself was very good. I wouldn’t say Michelin star quality yet but close. The service was good as well, still not Michelin star quality but close. The waiter messed up our order of wine and the ‘sommelier’ had to go back to their storage to get the correct bottle. I think the storage is on the 2^nd floor as she was gone a lot longer that I thought. The only thing that I didn’t like was that when they served the fish, they gave it to us with the skin on. However, they didn’t completely remove all the scales on the fish skin which is a big no-​no if you’re going to serve a piece of fish with the skin on. I pulled 2 scales out of my mouth and my dad had one as well. He also had a sizable piece of bone in his filet which should have been removed. However, this would be my only gripe. There were plenty of desserts and they even did something special for my dad with a nice happy birthday message on the plate for him which was greatly appreciated. The price-​wise, this is one of the more expensive restaurants in Toronto so be prepared to drop a pretty penny. Especially if you’re going to do the wine-​pairing option.
That being said, I can definitely see myself coming back.

I was at Alo for a belated Valentines day dinner with my wife. Yes, it took me months to finally get a seating and I had to use the help of my AMEX card concierge service for the reservation. It was definately worth the wait as this was one of the best meals I have ever had.
The food was beautiful, imaginative, inspired and innovative. The flavours and textures of the food were unique and made to perfection. You are aware of the ingredients and at times it did not make sense but it delightfully worked out. Every bite just lit up my taste buds and got their complete and undivided attention. My wife concurred.
The service was impeccable. There were no pretensions in the servers at all. They serve you with a smile, assist you, explain the food and wine to you. You can feel the attentiveness in the air at Alo. You can feel it is a serious place but only because your satisfaction is taken seriously at Alo. My wife went to the washroom and they folded her napkin and the servers always made sure our table was spotless. Someone was always available for us yet they were never intrusive whilst doing so.
Alo is the epitome of fine dining in my opinion and I am glad we have them in Toronto. In my opinion it is fine dining at not fine dining prices. Our meal came to a total of just over $ 300 and that included a drink pairing for my wife, two drinks for me and a coffee. I am not trying to brag but I left a $ 100 tip because I really felt the experience was worth much more. Honestly, I would have been happy to pay more.
Try your best to experience Alo, it is worth the wait and cost.

My boyfriend and I came here for my birthday dinner.
I mentioned that I would love to try this restaurant as we are into fine dining, and since trying 3 Michelin Star restaurants, we are always looking for a place comparable in Toronto.
The Dining Room is small therefore reservations are a bit harder to get. My boyfriend had to reserve 2 months in advance.
It is locate in Queen and Spadina, there was no visible sign therefore pay attention to the address.
Upon entering, a hostess greeted us and sent us to the elevator on the 5^th floor.
The hostess greeted us upstairs as well an confirmed our reservation. Both were very friendly and pleasant.
We waited in the bar/​lounge area which was beautiful. The wall of alcohol bottles was very nice. It seemed they have every alcohol which could make a lot of delicious Food. If you cannot get a reservation, you may also eat in the lounge. they serve bar food and the menu still looks delirious. Sadly, because I am pregnant, I was unable to enjoy any of their house made cocktails, but I heard only good things.
We were finally escorted to our table, and we pass by the open kitchen. You are able to sit by the bar tables facing the kitchen however I believe that would be the 10 course Chef tasting which I would love to try next time.
The menu consisted of 4 courses at $ 95 each person and an additional $ 65 should you choose to have wine pairings with your meal.
They were aware that we were celebrating a birthday so they provided me the menu that said Happy Birthday! I love the small gestures.
They are also very accommodating as I am unable to eat anything raw which they had on the menu. they provided me with options.
I enjoyed the little things they sent in between courses especially their house made bread.
Food was great. Worth the price and the service is excellent.
I cannot wait to return post baby

It would be hard to rate Alo anything less than five stars. It’s definitely the priciest meal we’ve had in the city, but between the amazing attention to detail on every front from the reservations to the amazing service and often weep-​worthy food and wine pairings, Alo has earned a reputation in Toronto as the place to dine for a special occasion.
This reputation is well earned.
For my birthday a few days ago, we made a reservation in early April and the only room they had was at the chef’s table with the extended menu. This was actually perfect for my foodie soul. I’m generally not comfortable sitting on barstools, but I had no issue throughout our 3 hour meal.
The wine pairings are esoteric and whimsical but this only adds to the element of surprise and delight that this restaurant excels at. The menu is billed as 10 courses, but there are several intermezzos and palate cleansers. Service never missed a beat and the staff were far from stiff or canned in their demeanour. It was nice to go for a fabulous meal and feel that the people serving you were actual people who enjoy their jobs and have personality as opposed to following some corporate script. This is not to suggest that they are not knowledgeable, because they know their stuff.
On to the food… Simply amazing. The portions are small, but within are such thoughtful meetings of texture and flavour. This is the sort of food that touches your mind as well as your body and to me, there is nothing sexier. Meaty chanterelles in a luxurious cream bath; stuffed morels; dungeness crab with hearts of palm; raw and seared waygu beef; silky hokkaido scallop– all of these items were prepared with such subtle expertise and care and the context of the wine pairings allowed for an even more sensual journey.
Alo is a very special place and I would highly recommend it to foodies who are celebrating a special occasion or the adventurous patron who wants to wow an out of town guest. The bar looked nice and it would be a great place for a couple of impressive cocktails and snacks.
If you splurge on one restaurant in the city right now, make sure it’s Alo.

Wow what a culinary experience!!! We did the tasting menu and it was marvelous. The menu came with 4 courses but like the French, always a pleasant surprise it was really like a 7 course meal.
My favourite on the tasting menu was the Provençal White Asparagus, Ramps, Sorrel, Moutarde d’Orleans. The smoothness of the asparagus is extraordinary. The intercourse pain au lait was buttery and warm, just a touch battery and perfect. Another winner was the Sea Scallops, Radish, Vadouvan– it’s blended in a curry spice blend and the scallops were cooked to perfection. Oh and the Provini Veal — melt in your mouth veal!
Least favourite for me: Pacific Halibut tasted a bit fishy, consistency was good or may it was because I hit a wall. The duck was very tasty but a touch dry. The wine pairing were awesome but the portions were huge, we were getting wasted half way through, I only lasted to the 3^rd course and I couldn’t have anymore! Not a bad thing I guess, I wish I could have had more.
The wine pairings, were amazing. The Sommelier was very knowledgable and told the story behind each wine. The service was one of the best I’ve seen in the city. They are swift and predict all your moves before you do them. They are subtle and make you feel so important but not in a flashy way. Kudos to the chef whom we didn’t get to meet and the service staff that made us feel at home. The ambiance was amazing, very cozy and had a good home feel. The music wasn’t pretentious, was a mixture of rock and rap.
It was an amazing culinary dining experience and such a gem in Toronto. Go for the whole gamut– tasting menu and wine pairing.

All the superlative reviews about this place are true. Each of the dishes are delicious, demonstrating amazing technique and culinary artistry. There are five main dishes, but interspersed with amuse bouches and other intermezzos, and it came out to almost 10 in the end. Each one was so perfect and delicate, you didn’t want to touch them and spoil the presentation. My only criticism is that I couldn’t make the sensation of tasting each dish last longer in my mouth.
Getting a reservation is nearly impossible, and I only got one through sheer luck by calling just as somebody else cancelled. The reservation site was booked for months, to the latest possible date that they book for. And it’s a tasting menu at an exciting new restaurant, so unless you’re made of money it’s not something that you’d be able to do regularly anyway. But for a really special occasion that you’re planning months in advance, it’s totally worth it :)

The Quebec foie gras was so smooth and actually tasted like foie gras ice cream to me at first bite. It was just so incredibly smooth and didn’t resemble the typical grainy texture of foie gras to me at all.
The Asian Pear was very juicy and in a tiny shape of a teardrop. Everything was so fine and minuscule. The Koshihikari Rice tasted like a rice cracker while the Nori was just dry seaweed. Overall, for this dish, I loved the texture of the foie gras and its uniqueness!

Incredible dining experience. We had seats at the kitchen counter so not only did we get to eat the great food we also watched it being prepared. It took 3+ hours to get through the tasting menu of something like 18 courses!
The staff were incredible and the whole experience was a clockwork process in which we felt valued and well pampered.
Only regret is we missed seeing Gordon Ramsay by one evening. However we did get to speak to Head Chef Kris’s and got a picture with him.

There is nothing I can add to the long list of glowing reviews of Alo that hasn’t already been said. But I will continue to add because this place deserves all of the praise it is getting.
It is elegant and upscale without being stuffy and pretentious. Yes they ask you choose your own napkin, and everything from the food to the wine is explained in detail that you question everything you thought you knew about food.
But take one bite out of a beautiful dish of broccoli and lemon that is so complexly created yet flavours so familiar, every thought will vanish.
It is a 4 course menu, with a choice of two for each course, but they also sneak in two amuse bouche, a bread course, a palette cleanser, and then a dessert. For $ 95 it is an absolute steal considering the quality and execution of the food. my palette cleaner was a sunchoke sorbet… sunchokes! it was fantastic. Amuse bouche 1 was the most amazing gougere I had ever eaten — little pops of heaven. There was also beef tendon chips, mussels, lobster and duck — all excellent.
We got the light wine pairing (wine paired with your 4 mains, none with dessert or the bread) and a little cork snuck into my glass. I didn’t even notice it was there, but as soon as it was poured it was whisked away for fresh glass. The attention to detail was spectacular,
Even the washrooms are beautiful! with the softest toilet paper.
Make a reservation, enjoy real food prepared by people who know how to treat everything with respect. Drink the wine. And feel so incredibly happy that a world class restaurant is in the best city.

Damn.
The rest of the reviews sum it up. It’s not that expensive (considering other restaurants), it’s damn delicious, and you don’t feel rushed (nor do you feel like you have to wait too long).
The escargot was the best I’ve ever had, and a few other dishes also made me go «damn.»
Best part is that it’s not pretentious, so it was a very comfortable meal.
One tip — gonna do bar service next time. The kitchen is right next to it, so a very cool vantage point to see all the food made.

If you were lucky enough to visit Susur in it’s early years you know what is possible given the right Kitchen. ALO delivers this in spades!
That so pedestrian an elevator could lead to such gastronomic delights is shocking. You’re asked to sit at the bar to wait for your table to be readied, don’t pass this up. With just a few well thought out questions the barkeep will produce you personal cocktail from his vast repertoire and you will love it.
Tasting menus with two choices make so much sense and made all four of us very very happy. On a hundred scale the worst of them would register a 93 and more than half were worthy of perfect 100.
The only slight negative would be the wine pairings. Maybe it was just the uninspired detailings of each pour by our sommelier? Maybe I’m being unfair in comparing her explanations to the Bourdain like stories we were so lucky to experience from the lead sommelier at George only a few months ago?
Having said all that if there is a better resto in Toronto I would LOVE to go there.

It’s not an expensive restaurant, it’s a cheap plane ticket. You’re whisked away to the land of stars and sophistication. Just awesome.
Sure, I’d heard the hype around this restaurant. About the world-​class preparations, beautiful décor and warm attentive service. About how it takes months to get a reservation.
But to be honest, the hype actually wasn’t enough. Toronto has never had a restaurant of this style and sophistication. Not even close. It’s very much the kind of thing that you experience at higher end restaurants in Paris, Chicago or New York.
A completely flawless, almost effortless experience. Perfect in every way.
The devil is in the details. From the matching brown shoes on all the serving staff, to the way that the staff walk you to the hidden washrooms instead of merely pointing the way. At first I thought that having your choice in napkin style was just to mask some detriment or oversight, but I ended up being wrong. It was just a part of the fantastic culinary theatrics.
Every single movement appears to be choreographed to precision. But not in a stuffy or silly way. It’s comfortable. It’s classy. It’s human.
How do they keep this up? No pressure, right?
It takes a phenomenal amount of work on many levels to get all of this so right. Much respect has to go to the front-​of-​house, who exist really on the same level as the superb kitchen.
Perhaps the best part of our evening circled around our repeated conversations with the sommelier, Christopher. It truly wowed me how he was able to provide outstanding guidance that led us in some truly interesting directions without making us feel stupid or out-​of-​place whatsoever. Wines were expertly paired and eloquently explained.
It’s probably a good thing that it’s so difficult to book a table. Otherwise I’d have no reservations wanting to go here for every night out.
Spectacular.

Alo doesn’t need my 5 star review amidst all the praise they have been receiving, but they will get it anyways.
Service? Amazing. You walk in through a door on the side of Hero Burger, which is on the south east corner of Spadina /​Queen (even though North West is more trendy now, thanks to Kim and Kanye … I digress). A pleasant lady, who somehow already knows your name, is waiting there and directs you onto a remarkably slow, but stable, elevator. Once you’re on the third floor, someone else takes your coat, which is then miraculously available the moment you want to leave (which is basically never). In between this process, you will have a circulating round of waiters and waitresses fill your complimentary still or sparkling water, explain dishes to you one by one, as well as the significance of any wines you choose to order.
On that note, wine? We did the light pairing ($ 40), which paired exclusively with the savoury dishes. You have the option to do a more full wine pairing (I believe it was for 8 out of the 10 dishes for $ 65), or order a glass /​bottle or a cocktail. Great wines. Lovely stories about the wines. Most were vintages (2013 seemed like a popular year). Plays well with the food.
Food? Unreal. It’s a tasting menu (~10 courses) in the dining room. The chef (s) have the ability to take 1 ingredient and deliver it to you 3 different ways on the same plate beautifully. Do note that the meals feature some less conventional fare, such as beef tongue, tendon … Veal sweetbreads. Snails. It’s tough to make me want to eat some of these things, but they were so delicious, it was hard to stop.
Finally, atmosphere? Lovely. 5 stars for the tables having more than 5 fingers of space between them.
Thanks to all the staff for the amazing meal!

Possibly my favorite tasting menu in Toronto yet (either this place or George… the two are very close). I’m surprised it only has just over 20 reviews, although not surprised at all by the 5 star rating.
Came here for an anniversary dinner. First of all, the service here is excellent. I’m usually not too picky about service, but it really has to be acknowledged in this case.
I believe the only option at the restaurant is the tasting menu. Its a «4 course» menu for $ 89 (wine pairing is an additional $ 65). I read online that there’s an option to do an extended tasting menu at the chef’s bar, so you can see the chefs at work. May return to try this (this would need a reservation well in advance). But the regular tasting menu is a decent amount of food.
Each course of the tasting menu has 2 choices. So my wife and I selected differently each time, and shared. Everything was delicious, and also the plating (including the plates themselves) was interesting. In addition to the 4 courses, there is a «bread» course that comes with this really buttery bread, as well as an amuse bouche, 2 «rounds» of desserts, and an «amuse bouche» for the dessert!
I’m not a big wine drinker, but decided to do the wine pairing. Would definitely recommend that. Each wine did compliment its course well. And each course (including the bread course and amuse bouche), except for the dessert amuse bouche had a pairing. So it’s a fair amount of wine.
The whole experience takes about 2.5−3hrs, but I did feel that time went a lot quicker than it did at George, where it seemed like we were waiting forever between courses.
The only suggestion would be perhaps to add on something a little extra for the special occasions. The menu said «Happy Anniversary» on the back, but that was about it. That being said, I was very happy overall.

Lady took me here on my birthday! The service is amazing. The complementary bread is amazing. Tastes so buttery and melts in your mouth. I think there’s too many spoilers already.
If you get the chance to enjoy Alo, the 5 course (10 total different courses between 2 people), it’s filling, I doubt we could handle more than that.
Come for the bread. It’s worth the price of admission. Everything else is a bonus. A delicious bonus.

This place is no joke. I had to book months in advance and all I got was 530 pm on a Tuesday, so definitely plan ahead if you’re hoping to get the tasting menu here (which you should!).
First, their reservation system is great. They respond to emails which is always a plus. They call and confirm. I had requested to sit at the chef’s bar (something else you should also do), and they were booked there, but called me a few days ahead to let me know they could in fact seat me there. I appreciated their ease of communication.
The space itself is like a hidden speakeasy. The entrance is off of Spadina, and the restaurant is floating above Hero Burger. There is a hostess just inside the entrance way, in case you are lost. Then you take a creepy elevator up three floors and the space itself is beautiful.
The service here is bar none. Friendly. Efficient. Impeccably. Everyone is paying attention to everything at all times. And yet non intrusive. Man — I could go on and on. I haven’t had service this good in Toronto in a million years. I’d give them 5 stars just for that. Bravo, FOH team. BRAVO.
Here are some random thoughts before getting to the food:
— the bathrooms here are some of the nicest ones I’ve ever seen. I loved that they have a full length mirror in each stall, although I have heard they use distorted mirrors so you think you look better than you actual do which is kind of weird (Oh! and the bathrooms are hidden so a server will lead you/​follow you)
— the bar stools were quite comfortable facing the kitchen
— the kitchen can get quite warm so wear layers
— you don’t get a number for your coat, but they know exactly when you are leaving
So the food — definitely sit at the chef’s table, it’s so much fun to watch food come out although I think that it was most fun because we were the first people in the restaurant (obvi, at 530) so none of our courses were «ruined» but all were surprises.
We did the wine pairings and that was very, very worth it. I was a little sad because I love bold reds, and none of the wines were like that, but you do get wine with every single course — so be prepared to get sauced! Interesting and rare wines I’d never seen before. The sommelier was very knowledgeable and passionate.
Now, the food. I don’t want to ruin any surprises but it is seafood heavy (or, ours was). Our favourite dish was probably the uni, so you do have to be a bit adventurous. I’ve never liked uni before in Japanese preparation, so this was really interesting to me!
I would highly recommend this restaurant for special occasions. The final bill for two extended tastings, plus wine pairings, plus tax and tip was $ 500! For two of us… hope my dining companion appreciated it! :)

I could tell you all about Alo.
I could tell you that I hate Chris Nuttall-Smith’s attitudes toward ambition in the Toronto culinary scene, and that I hate how much he’s right about this restaurant.
I could tell you that the service is at once impeccable and unpretentious; warm and welcoming despite a level of cuisine that would seem to inherently demand a certain level of stodginess and down-​the-​nose disapproval.
I could tell you that I came out of Unilocal review retirement to laud this singular establishment; or that I just had one of the Top Ten Greatest Meals Of My Life; and that it’s 10 to 2 in the morning and I can’t not hop on Unilocal to spread the joy that is this restaurant. I could say that the veal and pan fried sweet breads changed the way I view an entire meat; that the bread course is worthy of being a course on its own, and that it’s okay to eat that butter by the knife-​full; and that the drinks are great and the space is wonderful; and that someone sets the washroom right every time you leave it, tucking the tail end of the toilet paper into the roll swiftly after your departure.
I could tell you a million things, and it would all seem like hyperbole, or bias. Instead I’ll tell you this.
Just go.
Just go and see what alums from Auberge Du Pommier, Acadia, Daniel and more can do when you set them loose at an iconic Toronto intersection, in a space that was once a talent agency cum dress shop. See what our city’s capable of when someone with the vision, ability, and opportunity applies an entire team of talented individuals toward a singular goal.
Feel proud for being a Torontonian. And when they offer that cheese course? Go for it.

This is not just the best new restaurant in Toronto. This is THE best restaurant in Toronto. Chef Patrick Kriss has created something very special with Alo. It’s a beautiful, modern, metropolitan space, a 3^rd floor hidden gem with a gorgeous floating bar and washrooms hidden behind a sliding panel — this an undeniably sleek city restaurant. And yet there is no attitude, it’s completely comfortable and unpretentious. I love that the dining room offers plenty of space between tables, and the service here is perfect — seamless, elegant, unobtrusive.
A few words about the food: After eating here, the details seem unimportant. I can tell you that the ingredients were spectacular, the preparation perfectly on point, that even the cocktails and desserts (so often lacking in TO restaurants) are incredible, innovative, and sumptuous. I can tell you that the pacing of our 2.5 hour dinner was exactly right, every dish a work of art, better than the last, full of surprises and delightful pleasures. I can tell you that Alo’s $ 89 pre fixe is a ridiculous deal, a steal really, for what you get. But I think overall, it’s the feeling that I want to share here. This food made me smile. This food made me giggle. This food made a woman across the dining room loudly exclaim «OH MY GAAWWWDDD!!!» in the middle of her dinner, to which we all looked over and nodded and smiled. She embarrassingly tried to apologize, but there was no need — all of us in that dining room were genuinely ohh myyyyy gggaawwwddding along with her as we cleaned our plates. We were all there for this experience together. We understood exactly.
As we were exiting the dining room, Patrick Kriss came forward to extend a hand and ask if we enjoyed our meals. I hugged him. Alo is that good. Go NOW.

Tucked away in the corner of Queen and Spadina is this fantastic restaurant and is a true hidden gem of Toronto. It was an odd path to get to the restaurant and the elevator ride was unique experience but it felt like being a kid again. Going to your own private club house that only a few know about!
Once you arrive to the restaurant the view of Spadina lit up at night is quite a sight to see. Most of us are too busy going from one place to another to see the real beauty of the Toronto. Alo restaurant has successfully been able to capture this experience for us. Its a quiet low key place, perfect for unwinding after a long day with a delicious cocktail. It is an upscale feel but the ambiance is relaxed and not pretentious at all similar to a Hong Kong bar scene.
They have an extensive cocktail list that were handcrafted by the bartenders and were delicious! The Windmill is my favorite so far, a cocktail made with Gin and foamy egg whites and crushed coriander seeds is a refreshing drink and is a foodie’s dream cocktail! Waiting for the drinks is the best part watching the bartenders make these cocktails for you is quite a sight to see.
Their dedication into their craft and skill is one of if not the best in Toronto has to offer. It was like watching a conductor lead an orchestra! Needless to say, I have now found my Toronto Bar, and once you go here you will as well!