Story & Photography | Renée S. Suen
As the weather cools, Toronto’s newest restaurant openings are making a compelling case for seafood. Rather than intimate neighbourhood bistros, these ambitious newcomers embrace scale, pairing pristine fish and shellfish with soaring diningEstiatorio Milos Toronto rooms, polished service and a sense of occasion. Whether for a business lunch, a family celebration or an elegant evening out, they’re helping restore a touch of downtown glamour to the city’s dining scene.
Estiatorio Milos Toronto (330 Bay St., Toronto estiatoriomilos.com)
Bringing its celebrated modern Greek cuisine back to Canada, Estiatorio Milos Toronto marks the country’s newest outpost of chef-founder Costas Spiliadis’ globally acclaimed restaurant group. Housed in the historic Northern Ontario Building on Bay Street, the beautifully restored 7,000-square-foot space blends soaring architecture with understated Mediterranean elegance.
A dramatic 65-foot Pentelikon marble bar welcomes guests, but it’s the light-filled atrium dining room that leaves the strongest impression. Heritage limestone, pale woods and Greek marble create a serene backdrop, while a communal harvest table and the restaurant’s signature seafood display reinforce its ingredients-first philosophy. More than 50 feet of impeccably fresh Mediterranean fish and shellfish, flown in and served within 24 hours of being caught, are presented market-style on crushed ice alongside seasonal produce.
The restaurant’s signature seafood display showcases whole fish, shellfish and live crustaceans presented on crushed ice, allowing guests to select their catch before it heads to the kitchen.
Here, simplicity is the defining luxury. Signature dishes include paper-thin zucchini and eggplant paired with saganaki and tzatziki, pristine crudo of sea bream and sea bass finished with the restaurant’s private-label extra-virgin olive oil, and vine-ripened tomatoes with barrel-aged Greek feta. A wine program centred on Mediterranean producers, particularly Greek labels, complements the cuisine beautifully.
Guests are invited to select their fish directly from the market display, with servers recommending the ideal preparation. Whether charcoal grilled or lightly fried, the kitchen’s restrained approach allows the exceptional quality of each catch to shine.
Milos serves bigeye tuna, Hiddenfjord salmon and lavraki as crudo, simply finished with Mediterranean sea salt, fresh herbs and the restaurant’s private-label extra virgin olive oil.
The seasonal Portuguese sardines are simply grilled, finished with salt and olive oil which allows their fresh flavour and supple flesh to shine.
A must-not miss is the Athenian-style astakomakaronada which features a deep-sea Bay of Fundy lobster.
Served within 24 hours of being caught, the delicate Mediterranean barbouni is lightly fried until golden and finished simply with lemon and fresh herbs.
Like a summer garden the meaty and sweet vine-ripe tomato Greek salad is studded with hearty wedges of barrel-aged Greek feta.
A Milos signature: a non-greasy tower of paper-thin slices of zucchini and eggplant are lightly fried that’s paired with saganaki cheese and tzatziki.
The Bay of Fundy lobster pasta remains a signature, while charcoal-grilled innisfail lamb chops and classic Greek accompaniments offer heartier options without overshadowing the seafood focus.
Dessert is best kept traditional. Milos’ signature Greek yogurt, topped with walnuts and thyme-infused honey from Kythira, provides a light, elegant finish to the meal.
Equally suited to business lunches and celebratory dinners, Milos also offers a weekday meze hour at the bar and an intimate private dining room accommodating up to 30 guests.
Riley’s Fish & Steak Toronto (155 Wellington Street West rileysrestaurant.ca)
Confidently carving out its own place in Toronto’s dining scene, Vancouver’s Glowbal Restaurant Group has brought its Michelinrecommended surf-and-turf concept to the former Shore Club space. located beside The Ritz-Carlton in the Financial District, the 7,800-square-foot restaurant seats 175 guests in a striking room designed by Navigate Design.
Mid-century elegance defines the space, with vaulted ceilings draped in greenery, a gleaming marble-topped bar, curved tufted banquettes and dramatic floor-to-ceiling arched mirrors. live performances by local musicians add energy throughout the week, while a 100-seat patio extends the experience during the warmer months.
Executive chef Scott Saunderson delivers a crowd-pleasing modern brasserie menu that offers a slightly more relaxed counterpart to the group’s nearby steakhouse, Black + Blue.
Seafood towers arrive piled high with Atlantic lobster, prawns, mussels and East Coast oysters. Exclusive to Toronto, the roasted seafood tower elevates the experience with grilled salmon, branzino and shellfish dressed in lemon-garlic butter, chimichurri, romesco and rouille.
Exclusive to Toronto, the Roasted Seafood Tower features Atlantic lobster tails, tiger prawns, grilled salmon and branzino, steamed clams and mussels, plus baked oysters, all served with grilled sourdough and lemon-garlic butter, chimichurri, romesco and rouille.
Designed for sharing, the 36-ounce bone-in rib-eye is served with peppercorn sauce, Lyonnaise potatoes and creamed kale.
Taking the classic and stuffing it with whole chunks of lobster, the lobster mac & cheese is made with lobster cream and crème fraiche.
Beyond seafood, the menu ranges from lump crab cakes and house-cured salmon served on bagel crisps to a shrimp bolognese tagliatelle generously studded with chopped shrimp and tiger prawns. Caviar service, featuring Royal Baeri or luxurious beluga, adds another indulgent touch.
The real draw, however, is the tableside theatre. Whole roast chickens and oversized Canadian beef cuts are carved with ceremony, while the salt-baked sea bass is cracked open to reveal perfectly tender flesh. The lobster pot pie, crowned with golden puff pastry, is another showstopper that rewards sharing.
Desserts continue the sense of occasion. The baked Alaska for two arrives flambéed tableside, while the brûléed banana tart—a creamy caramelized banana custard set in a brown butter graham crust and finished with Bananas Foster, Chantilly cream and crème fraîche caramel—is a standout finale.
Cocktails are equally polished, from citrus-forward signatures to customized martinis prepared tableside, while an impressive wine program showcases celebrated Canadian and Old World producers, including an extensive Coravin selection by the glass.
