Aloette Restaurant

This place blew me away. From greeting us by our names when we arrived to ‘overhearing’ I liked chocolate and bringing a special cake at the end - the service was unlike any other Michelin restaurant I’ve patronized. Each dish was incredible! The simplicity (but perfect execution) of the eggs and toast surprised me in the best way. I also really loved the three different kinds of tuna and how they all had their own unique preparation. A phenomenal experience from start to finish - huge props to the entire team.

Alo delivered the best food I’ve had in Toronto at this tier: 10/10. Our server, Michael, was exceptional (knowledgeable, warm, precise): 10/10 for him as well. Compared with peers, Alo edges Canoe and Don Alfonso on pure cuisine (finesse, seasoning, pacing). Unfortunately, it faltered for us in ambience and comfort. The room is so compact that staff stood within a couple of feet, clearly within earshot; it felt like being observed! Most likely we weren’t, of course, but to my wife and me that’s how we felt throughout. Every tiny spill was immediately patched with white stickers, which is admirably meticulous, but this hyper‑attentiveness (often three staff oriented our way) made it hard to relax or speak freely during an important dinner. I never thought a restaurant could be over‑attentive, and here it was… I understand this may be a “pro” for 90 % of people, but I’m mentioning it for the 10 % who just want to eat and not feel like they’re in an upscale panopticon with beautiful food! Arrival also undercut the experience: the entrance felt like a back‑alley corridor made as a front entrance, and the elevator was particularly dingy. The host on the ground floor greeting was efficient but cool rather than welcoming and affectionate. Perhaps Alo doesn’t control the building approach, but it still frames the evening (especially surprising at a Michelin‑star level, given how polished the entries, elevators, and check‑in warmth are at Canoe and Don Alfonso). Upstairs, the room is beautiful, just a tad too “intimate” for my wife’s and my taste, given how much it felt like the staff was constantly looking at us and could hear our conversation. Anyhow, again, the food was impeccable. Ambience (front person, elevator, etc.) / feeling like we were under observation was not so great.

Perfect dinner We’ve chosen this restaurant for our anniversary celebration, and it was a cool idea. The set was awesome: interesting and classic tastes combinations, good serving - everything made your dinner as a journey. There are options to upgrade couple of servings with black caviar and black truffle, and I highly recommend you to use this options to enhance your experience. There are counter seats (from there you can see how kitchen works) and table seats - more classic dining experience. Staff is polite, but not all of them have sparkle, only couple of people made your dinner exceptional.