General comments:
– Reservations aren’t that difficult if you plan 2+ weeks in advance or if you don’t mind later seating times, but if you want a specific date I would book earlier than later.
– Credit card is required to get the reservation, but it’s not pre-paid. You’ll pay once the meal is done.
– Did the Kitchen Counter experience ($285/pp) along with wine pairing ($135/pp)
– 9 courses (11 if you include canapé and petit fours)
– Service charge isn’t included in the bill. You’ll be given an option when you pay to select the tip amount.
– Solo-reservations are available, just less common than 2+ person reservations.
– I think solo-diners can only do the more expensive Kitchen Counter experience
Notes on the restaurant:
– Easy to find from the outside.
– Elevator is a bit old and slow, it feels a bit out of place for a fine-dining establishment.
– Blind tasting, menu is provided after the meal.
– Menu comes tri-folded in a small envelope. It was a bit annoying as I want to eventually frame the menus & souvenirs from fine-dining restaurants I’ve been to.
– Ample spaces between tables and the chairs looked comfortable.
– Counter seating area is well lit, main dining room is a bit dimmer.
– Counter seating area is loud due to close-proximity to the kitchen, coupled with the loud music it’s hard to hear the FOH
– Would recommend table seating in the dining room if you want something quieter
– Good bathroom.
– Clean
– Toilet paper is nice (I believe it’s Charmin Ultra Soft)
– Le Labo soap
– Hand towels to dry your hands afterwards
Notes on the food:
– Very clear French and Japanese influences in their dishes
– Rice & wagyu dish was phenomenal, probably the best dish I’ve had in Canada so far
– Lobster dish was much better than expected. The differences in texture (crispy Brussels sprouts, crunchy cauliflower, lobster) was the highlight of the dish. Spice from the green curry sauce helped balance the dish so it didn’t feel so rich.
– Palate cleanser was very nice after some heavy dishes
– Cold vanilla ice cream in the dessert acted as another palate cleanser which I enjoyed.
– Wine pairing was great (7 glasses, 2oz each). It was the first time I’ve been paired white wine with beef but it was a pleasant surprise.
– Tea (and I assume coffee) during petit fours isn’t complementary – a bit annoying.
Notes on service:
– Great pacing on food & wine pairing (Just under 3hrs for canapé to petit fours)
– Good attention to detail – counter was always clean.
– Sommelier was great. Easy to talk to, laid-back, yet professional service. Always seemed like she poured more than 2oz/drink which is always nice.
– 6” offset plating tweezer was a bit of a weird cutlery choice for the sashimi dishes at the start. It’s cool in a way that you’re using the same tool as the kitchen, but in terms of comfort a fork and/or chopsticks would’ve been a better choice imo.
TL;DR:
– Great good, great service. If you like being pampered you’ll enjoy the experience.
by Woowiwong
19 Comments
Thanks for the photos & notes!
Loud music is good to know, I’ll avoid the counter on a future visit.
So, did you get a big mac after?
I really enjoyed my solo dinner here, the service was very welcoming and i was STUFFED afterwards
Nice pictures and great info with your review. You noted that the counter has good lighting, so I’m assuming that’s why the pictures look pretty good. I remember when I went, it was dim at the tables and as a result I would say the pictures I took didn’t really do the food justice.
Are you eventually going to hit up every Michelin Star joint in the city? TBH, I don’t really enjoy fine dining outside of edomae sushi so I’m curious about your thoughts when you eventually get to Shoushin or Saito.
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$420 pp? Am I reading this correctly with the wine pairing?
Have been a few times. Absolutely loved the first 3. Last 2 feel like they’ve gone downhill significantly. I’m a huge Patrick Kriss fan, but I wonder if he’s spreading himself too thin with all these new openings. Can’t be everywhere all the time. Anyone else notice a marked decline at Alo? I don’t even feel compelled to go back really..
Oh shit. I thought the first pic was my pet snail Reddit …
Dinner or snack?
Thank you fr Jajus?
What does it say on the receipt at the end?
I love how u mentioned the elevator being dingy lol
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Appreciate the thoughtfulness of the review and the excellent photos. It’s great to read the menu, too. I’ve been hesitant to try Alo for a few reasons, but this really does look like a good experience. Do you know if they offer a non-alcoholic drink pairing as well?
This the type of place you gotta go to McDonalds after
Great pictures and review! I’ve never had “peak” Alo but still thought it was one of the better fine dining restaurants in Toronto. I think it’s at another level than Edulis, which gets a lot of love on Reddit. Just had a meal at Pearl Morissette and it might be tops for me in the “extended” GTA.
Great review and much appreciated for a place as known (and expensive) as this. Need to find a special occasion for this one!
Your pictures are fantastic – I decided against posting my own review when I went a few weeks back because the tables are so dimly lit that the waiters had to use little LED flashlights when explaining the food.
Did you pay extra for the main? When I went it was veal tenderloin with foie gras which was delicious, but other than that and the dessert all the dishes I had were the same as yours.
I’m still not a point where I feel like a meal is worth 500$. I feel like it would really need to blow me into another dimension to make me feel it’s worth it. I don’t even know if it’s called expectations at that point
Thanks for all the details that aren’t just about the food! Very useful and needed