Toronto Restaurants that are an *EXPERIENCE*

every month i take some of our european shareholders out for dinner. they're all male and they like to have a good time. i've been trying to find places that (i) have good food, (ii) are different or unique in some way and (iii) have attractive women (either clientele or working there), as that's what they have requested.

so far, we've hit:

ULTRA SUPPER CLUB (314 queen w) - fantastic food and ambiance. good music (with DJs). expensive but not ridiculously so. (thanks, josh!)

NECTAR (488 wellington w) - the tuna was one of the best meals i've had all year. nice atmosphere and the servers were cool.

NORTH 44 (2537 yonge) - excellent food (i had the steak and truffle risotto), but very boring place. crowd was old and stiff.

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i need suggestions for where to go next. are any restaurant/lounges *really* good (i.e. so good that it would be a memorable experience for visitors to toronto) on, say, a wednesday or thursday night???

it's been suggested i try LAIDE (138 adelaide east). their marketing message emphasizes a 'food plus sex' atmosphere. http://www.laide.ca/

has anyone been there? is the food good? pricey or reasonable?

any other suggestions for truly UNIQUE dining experiences that would be good for visitors that have specifically requested hot ladies indahouse?

if you're giving suggestions, please provide an explanation and some details if you can!

 

Bravi

 

kmw and the sprockets boys will appreciate the privacy i'm sure

 

the best meal i've had in toronto was a tasting menu at Splendido on Harbord. each course was paired with a Penfolds wine.

i definitely wouldn't say that its a sexy restaurant, but the food was friggin amazing, the service was impecable and the wine list is mighty!

 

hey DIWC, thanks. it looks from your posts like you didn't really like the place that much, though.

what's unique about it? just that they have a table set up in a freight elevator??? (that doesn't sound fun.)

LAIDE - the 'food plus sex' place apparently shoots lesbian porn on the walls and there's a stripper pole set up. from the pictures on their website, it seems ladies often lift up their tops for cameramen.

 

I haven't eaten at Laide but have been in for a brief drink. Nice decor. Not bad, vintage porn playing on the screens. Would be an interesting place to go and I have planned to go back to eat sometime.

There's another place on Richmond just west of Church called Wicked that I'm curious to find out what's inside.

 

N'awlins on king at john is sort of fun.

they have a jazz band play on the weekends that's really good, and I enjoy the food there, despite having a fairly small menu...

it's worth checking out in my opinion...



Mediaeval times is an *experience* if you're with 5-10 drunk people and feel like yelling and acting up...while eating crappy food in a place that smells like horse shit...but I assume that's not really the experience you're looking for....sometimes it's very cathartic though.

 

Too bad Chi Chi's isn't still around. They do great parties.

Happy Birthday, Ole!

 

Yeah, I was completely impressed from the standpoint of unique-ness, but had I recieved that bill for the same food without the setting, I would have been less than impressed.

p.s. it is much more fun than it sounds!

 

what about east side marios or jack astors?

tell the staff its one of those guys birthdays, and they'll do this cool song and dance and make them stand on a chair and spin a wheel.

its super-neat!

















































just kidding, I really have no where to suggest

 

The Fifth, Susur, Crush, The Sultan's Tent

 

Le Papillon at Church and Front.

I haven't been to oodles of upper crust restaurants in Toronto, so I don't have much to compare to, but I really liked this place.

The food was really good (though not quite spectacular), it has a cute French feel to it, service was great.

 

if you're looking for more excellent food and fun vibe I really liked habitat (though a lot of people here have not)
perigee is quite pricy but the food (and wine) are unique and stellar and it's tucked into a neat little corner of the distiller district

 

all EXECELLENT suggestions... i understand susur has a nice private dining room too

 

I've been to Laide.

Good place and they play some sweet beats.

I went to HS with the owner Racquel. She's a super cool chick and has really paid attention to the details in the place.

It's not really so much a place to eat dinner because their portions are small and are geared towards snacking/fingerfoods although the food is excellent.

and yes, there is a porn theme. they project 1930-40's porn on a wall. Quality is not so good (no penetration or money shots )

 

so excellent i forgot to spell, even!

 

If you're on an expense account and price is not a factor, you MUST go to Susur on King Street. Hands-down the best food I have eaten in my life.

Other favorites include:

1) Canoe --> an oldie but a goodie
2) Auberge du Pommier (not downtown but good)

1) and 2) are Oliver-Bonnacini restaurants

3) Jov Bistro
4) Rain --> Mercer St.

 

can you share reasons for, or explanations of, their uniqueness and/or awesomeness?

i can easily look up 'best restaurants' on toronto.com or other internet sites. i'm looking more for tribe-opinions on places that are better than the *normal* best restaurant suggestions.

 

Will--

I had a couple clients RAVING to me about Crush last night, and they know a lot about good restaurants. They said the atmosphere was great-- lots of nice french artwork from the 20s, the food is excellent (half french half italian) and it's in trendy king west so the servers are probably beautiful...

Susur because he is a world-class chef (he has had lots of offers to cook in NYC in some of the best restaurants but refused cause his wife wants to live here or something). The fact that he's probably toronto's best chef (by reputation alone) is a reason to go.

And i've just heard amazing thigns about the Fifth, and have been meaning to blow a lot of money for years at that place but never had a good enough occasion *L*

 

honestly...the sultan's tent...the wine list is very extensive, the food is pretty good (morrocan/french), the setting is unique and when you book a table at 7 you can enjoy the 7:30 and the 9:00 belly dance show...hopefully the twins will be working the night you want to go! LOL
http://www.thesultanstent.com/

it is an unusual little place, fun atmosphere.

edit: oops i see micherlish already suggested this place. Ditto, E(LRG) and I have been here. we all liked it.

 

I love Auberge but the atmosphere is *yawn*

I enjoyed Jump... good food, beats, and good looking people.

 

Too bad they don't have a Super Sex here like there is in Montreal: All you can eat buffet (meaning food only) but for a couple of extra $20s you can definitely get a lap dance for dessert and maybe then some.


I know my post was useless but it gave me a chance to entertain myself for a second)

 

Susur's food is exquisite and sophisticated (pretty much unparralelled in Toronto). The ambience is wicked too... the walls have lights that change colour... and consequently the mood every 10 minutes or so. Crowd is a mix of young and old.

Canoe is consistent, great food. It's located on the top of the TD tower so you get a great view of the city. Crowd is a mix of young and old (lots of I-bankers and traders go here).

Jov is light a neighborhood bistro, more casual atmosphere. They have a "trust me" option where you don't know what you're gonna get until it's in front of you. Fun, creative food.

Auberge du Pommier is classic French cuisine. Older crowd.

 

That's basically me and my roomie's home bar. I havent eaten there yet, but the staff kicks ass, and it's a cool joint.

 

Jamie Kennedy's wine bar.. good times