Torontonians pride themselves on their global backgrounds, so it’s only natural that the special occasion restaurants in Toronto, Canada’s largest city, are equally diverse.
Celebrate a relationship milestone at a hidden French countryside escape in Midtown. Take a group to a lively West End gem for soul-warming Greek food. For an epic birthday dinner, head to a MICHELIN-starred Harbourfront Italian icon.
Toronto’s restaurants are fully equipped to host your next anniversary, family reunion, or promotion. Read on for a list of the city’s top 12 special occasion restaurants in Toronto to book now on OpenTable.
The best special occasion restaurants in Toronto to book right now – read on for a guide
For a late-night hotspot – visit Ultra in Midtown
When a special-occasion dinner calls for an epic afterparty, book a table at Ultra. The splashy spot is a reimagined version of the glitzy Queen West nightclub that was popular during the 2000s. Ultra transitions from sleek dinner venue to late-night hotspot with DJs and dancing. Three distinct spaces—the gold-draped Ochre Room, intimate Onyx Bar, and breezy outdoor Mineral Lounge—prove that the versatile spot (inspired by the late designer Alexander McQueen) can turn a celebration feast into a full-fledged night out. Expect assorted Korean, Japanese, and Thai dishes with an emphasis on seafood, ideal for nibbling with sake and cocktails flavoured with yuzu, mint, and lychee liqueur.
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For a group celebration – try Mamakas Taverna in Ossington
Mamakas Taverna is all about comfort food inspired by Thanos Tripi’s Greek childhood, and is an especially inviting spot to celebrate with a group. The Ossington icon has served some of Toronto’s best Greek food since 2014 and breathes new life into traditional Aegean dishes with farm-fresh ingredients and lots of imagination. Cases in point: grilled Ontario lamb dolloped with tzatziki and a top-notch baklava cheesecake. Whitewashed walls channel an elegant Greek market, while an open kitchen amps up the liveliness factor.
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For a wood-fired dinner – head to Alder in the Fashion District
Chef Patrick Kriss’ Alder in the Ace Hotel is special-occasion central and even scored nods from the 2023 MICHELIN guide for its timeless Mediterranean hits. Flickers from a grill in the open kitchen and logs piled under a grand stairway hint at the menu’s wood-fired focus, while towering concrete pillars and sky-high windows sprinkle bring the glamour on your big night out. Celebrate with exceptionally executed seasonal dishes like roast chicken and bone-in striploin, perfectly matched with wines including a thoughtful Chardonnay produced in collaboration with the ground-breaking Niagara winery Pearl Morissette.
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For a starred dining experience – book a table at Enigma Yorkville in Yorkville
Chef Quinton Bennett’s passion for molecular gastronomy means a celebration dinner at Enigma Yorkville is an awe-inducing one, and the blind format tasting menu promises lots of surprises. Your special-occasion meal, which changes often, might include dry-aged Berkshire pork shoulder with roasted rum pineapple and black forest gateau petit fours—it’s no surprise that Bennett’s extra-imaginative approach earned the restaurant a MICHELIN star on the guide’s inaugural Toronto guide. Enjoy it all in a shimmery, mosaic tile-lined space.
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For French fine-dining in a spectacular setting – visit Auberge du Pommier in Midtown/Uptown
This quaint restaurant is set in a pair of former woodcutter’s cottages that date back to the 1860s. These days, Auberge du Pommier is an elegant French restaurant and a special-occasion gem hidden in an otherwise nondescript pocket of midtown Toronto. Decadent, celebration-worthy dishes include hand-cut beef tartare with barrel-aged soy sauce, Ibérico pork secreto with shallot rings, and vanilla crème brûlée with fresh berries, which can be enjoyed in a la carte or tasting menu form. Auberge du Pommier’s rustic-chic interiors, pristine food, and unexpected backdrop all add up to an escape-like special-occasion meal you won’t soon forget.
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For a trip to Latin America – try Baro in King West
Baro is the next best thing to a South American getaway. Colombian, Peruvian, and Argentine flavours dominate the menu at this fiesta of a restaurant. Baro spans three festive floors, including a lush ground-level dining room, a cocktail lounge, and a rooftop patio, ideal for group gatherings. Get the party started with a “big ass steak”, or duck chaufa, then make your way upstairs for some celebratory cocktails.
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For spectacular views over the city – don’t miss Canoe Restaurant and Bar in the Financial District
Woo someone special with exceptional Toronto skyline views at this modern Canadian restaurant on the 54th floor of the TD tower. Canoe is a special occasions all-star—and not just for its sky-high location. Locally sourced ingredients shine in inventive farm-to-table dishes like wild Pacific halibut and birch-cured salmon with smoked mussel. Elevate your celebration by choosing the seasonally rotating tasting menu and wine pairing option—Canoe is known for stocking some particularly rare bottles.
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For a special anniversary – visit Quetzal in Little Italy
A 28-foot wood-fire grill is at the heart of the menu and the space at Quetzal, a restaurant ideal for special birthdays and anniversaries. Quetzal recently scored a MICHELIN star, and much of the credit for that honour goes to executive chef Steven Molnar, who previously worked at owner Grant Van Gameren’s other acclaimed Toronto restaurants, Bar Raval and Bar Isabel. Quetzal’s shareable, celebration-friendly menu takes cues from Mexico and includes crowd favourites like sikil pak, a Mayan pumpkin seed dip; tlayuda, a crunchy housemade tortilla topped with chorizo; and whole sea bream with salsa roja.
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For an award-winning Italian restaurant – head to Don Alfonso 1890 in Harbourfront
Don Alfonso’s OG Amalfi Coast edition has a MICHELIN star, and the restaurant’s celebrated Toronto outpost also earned that honour in 2022. With its luxe dining room, sophisticated Mediterranean menu, and acclaimed tasting menu, Don Alfonso 1890 delivers everything you could wish for on a special night out. Views dazzle diners from all sides: the Toronto skyline charms from the floor-to-ceiling windows, and you can watch executive chef Daniele Corona working her artistic magic on dishes like seared Quebec Muscovy duck breast from the open kitchen.
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For a luxurious special occasion – book a table at Louix Louis in Financial District
Louix Louis is perched on the 31st floor of the St. Regis hotel and where you go for a see-and-be-seen night out. It’s unabashedly glam with gilded accents, a whiskey-inspired ceiling mural, and a pristine marble bar. The food is just as splashy, blending French and American ingredients in dishes like wagyu steak with herbed butter and truffle chicken with mushroom farotto. Saving room for dessert is mandatory—don’t skip the 13-layer chocolate cake with hazelnut-chocolate buttercream, a straight-up showstopper.
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For elegant northern Italian dishes – try Osteria Giulia in Yorkville
Executive chef Rob Rossi and restaurateur David Minicucci (of Giulietta fame) led this Yorkville restaurant to MICHELIN stardom in 2022. Osteria Giulia is an ode to northern Italy and deserves a spot on your celebration list for hearty dishes like burrata with asphodel honey and hand-braided pasta with wild squid and bay scallops. Add a lengthy Italian wine list and cocktails that take cues from the Italian countryside—tequila with fresh basil, anyone?—and you’ve got one creative and transportive special-occasion spot.
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For a MICHELIN-starred Japanese restaurant – head to Yukashi Japanese Cuisine in Mount Pleasant
Yukashi flew under the radar when it opened in 2018. But thanks to a recent MICHELIN star, Torontonians now flock to this hushed Japanese stunner to mark especially intimate occasions. Chef Daisuke Izutsu has cooked for royals and dignitaries, so rest assured your celebration meal will have a regal edge. Izutsu’s nine-course tasting menu celebrates seasonality, and he pays as much attention to plating as he does to ingredient selection, resulting in intricate dishes fit for the most special occasions.
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Jessica Huras is a Toronto-based food and drink writer. Eat your way across the city (and beyond) with her on Instagram @waysofwanderers
