Restaurant 20 Victoria*, Toronto (Full Review)

I’ll start this review off by saying, this is the best dining experience I’ve had so far in Toronto of this caliber; having said that, I haven’t been to any other star-rated Michelin restaurants in Toronto other than Edulis (which I did not care for) so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

When walking into any restaurant or bar for the first time, I try to do so without doing too much research, saving it for after so as not to not bias the experience with expectations. Going in, I knew nothing, other than a word-of-mouth mention from a friend that he had gone recently and thoroughly enjoyed the à la carte menu.

The restaurant is intelligently divided, with the front bar area devoted to à la carte and the dining room further back only in use for the tasting menu. The music, ambiance, and demeanor of the staff present a casually refined experience. The dining room is roughly 24 seats and I believe the bar area is just a few seats short of that number.

On entry, we are welcomed to our table in the back, and our jackets taken. I noticed a small envelope on the table next to us and our waiter explained that it was for a couple, regulars, who were celebrating a birthday; more on this at the end.

We are presented with a single, simple menu with the date and only the names of the dishes. The next page presents a tight and diverse drink. I order their house martini at $18 (which is fairly priced for the arena) as well as the wine pairing to follow.

Amuse-Bouche:

Deep-fried zucchini flowers with an incredibly smooth lovage sauce presented in an oyster shell, followed by crisp white turnips with a rustic quenelle of bright pesto, made using the tops of the turnip and capers, presented in a scallop shell. I thought this was a decent welcome to the restaurant, although I will admit that neither myself nor my dining partner ‘love’ lovage, but we both felt it was still an interesting use of the herb.

Courses:

Swordfish & Habanada:

Meaty NS swordfish crudo, creamy buttermilk sauce, pungent habanada oil, and zesty sweet pickled ramps. A fatty dish with fragrant (but of course completely mild) chili oil and enough acidity to cut through it all. This is completely anecdotal, but it reminded me of the flavour balance in a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, just incredibly elevated. We asked to bring our bread out early, a soft and chewy milk bun, because that leftover sauce begged to not be wasted.

Paired with ‘Deutscher Winzersekt Nr. 2’ from Moritz Kissinger, a traditional method sparkling wine from Germany, red apple peel, honey, and swiss cheese nuttiness; overall quite dry and a solid pairing.

Cucumber & Almond:

Ajo Blanco, a hummus-like almond and breadcrumb puree with a nice hit of garlic, topped with dense grilled cucumber, pickled lemon, and some mild wasabina (a kind of Japanese mustard green). A fresh and flavorful vegan dish I also thoroughly enjoyed.

Paired with an Albariño from Nanclares y Prieto, their 'A Graña' ‘22; I don’t have a lot of experience with this Spanish wine, but the cantaloupe on the nose and stunning minerality on the palate made this my favourite wine of the evening, coming from someone who generally prefers reds.

Squab & Peas:

Grilled squab breast on a bed of tender morels, accompanied by some sugary snap and sweet peas on polenta, topped with some pea shoots. The jus on the bottom was squab with fino, IIRC. I’m a few drinks in at this point, so please forgive my ear-brain connection.

Paired with a ‘19 Loire Valley Cab Franc from Domaine De La Chevalerie, a rich and tannic wine that was a classic pairing for this dark, meaty bird.

Striped Bass & Asparagus:

Fresh NB bass, delicately cooked in butter, with some crisp, roast asparagus, beautifully textured chive & garlic sabayon topped with peppery chive flowers, and a tartar sauce-esque accompaniment of triple crunch mustard, oyster, and one other ingredient I can’t translate from my illegible scrawl. My mind often begs for similes, and this dish really gives off a fish and chips flavour, but again, very elevated.

Paired with a light, slightly chilled French Gamay from Les Aricoques. It worked well, but perhaps was one of the less interesting wines in the pairing (though this is nothing against the wine itself, it’s just among some stiff competition).

Lobster & Sweetbread:

NF lobster, perfectly poached in butter and paired with cumin-spiced, battered veal sweetbreads and veal jus on the bottom; some choy sum acted as a nice crunch and a respite from some of the rich flavours. I found the batter just a touch too heavy-handed, but overall the flavours were excellent and the quality of the ingredients truly stood out.

Paired with A fine Burgundian Chardonnay from Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau, their Prélude Saint-Véran ‘23. A classic pairing and a gentle complement to the dish.

Alfred Le Fermier:

Neither of us took a picture of this dish, as it was a little too rustic in its plating, so you can use your imagination; a slice each of this sweet and nutty unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese alongside some lavash crackers. It was paired with ‘Origines’ a Burgundian cremant (using only Chardonnay & Pinot Noir) from Parigot & Richard.

Crepe Suzette and Walnut & Fig Leaf

We had a choice of either dessert, so of course we got one each. I took the classic Crepe Suzette, made with flambéed orange and Grand Marnier, lightly sweet and bitter. The Walnut and Fig leaf was a modernist walnut cake topped with a sublime fig leaf ice cream, candied walnut, and paired with a nostalgic blueberry compote as well as what I felt was the star of the show: a white port sabayon that fell somewhere between a tart, raw meringue and soft, melted marshmallow.

My crepe, with its bright fruit flavour and bitterness, was paired with a lovely Furmint-based Tokaji (a Hungarian dessert wine akin to Sauternes) from Szóló. Bright, tropical fruit and of course a complex sweetness is exactly what I needed to wrap up the night.

Overall, this restaurant had exactly the balance I look for in this kind of experience: knowledgeable warm service, quality of ingredients, and most importantly, inventive and delicious fare. This restaurant has all of this going for it.

The description of the turnips in the amuse bouche led to a short conversation with our waitress about them sourcing it from White Lily farms, segueing into the fact that they sold their diner recently to new owners.

Earlier, I mentioned a couple that was celebrating a birthday; the genuine warmth I saw with everyone who stopped by to say hello, as well as seeing them get a mention in the latest pic on their Instagram makes it all feel like less of a place that wants you to go to spend our money, but rather, a place where friends go to celebrate each other.

These small moments are the glue in between the ‘big’ moments of this experience that hold it all together.

I’m told that Chris White, one of the owners, was and is normally found working on the bar here, which I found quite endearing. He has an interview in Toronto Life from a few years ago that describes their goals for the restaurant in its vibe, style, and execution; I enthusiastically admit, they continue to meet those goals and I as a diner and restaurant professional am all the more lucky to have them.