TorontoPlus.ca
August, 2006

More is More
Splendido Bar & Grill may be an elegant and pristine addition to Toronto’s array of restaurants, but despite its understated décor, this “eclectic new Mediterranean” treat follows the philosophy that more is more where food is concerned.

A Refined Meditation
Splendido’s dining room is a refined meditation on earth tones, with wooden floors and burnt-orange walls recalling the fields of Siena. A cast-iron chandelier in the centre of the room bursts through the monotony spectacularly, and a mirror spanning the back multiplies the room by infinity. The bar could possibly trump the dining room in terms of sophistication white marble, dark wood, and wines that form pristine pyramids.

But the most inviting room is one, which can only be accessed by private reservation. The “cellar” (literally: this room houses the restaurant’s 800 wines) is surrounded by a glass-encased wine gallery, but its glowing lights and plush seating transform the traditional dank cellars of yore.

Simple Yet Inventive
While the wines are the most populous of the restaurant’s offerings, Splendido also presents an impressive array of cheeses. The accent of the food is on simplicity, but inventive mixes provide a burst of new taste. The menu reveals constantly evolving dishes but the tasting menu is a particular favourite, attracting a large chunk of the restaurant’s clientele. It serves everything from Hawaiian big-eye tuna tartar with quail egg and Ossetra caviar to butter poached Nova Scotia lobster to Tunisian octopus with charred eggplant raviolo in a red wine jus and 9-hour wood burning oven roasted Provimi veal brisket with Morel mushrooms. The desserts are equally inventive, the Amedei milk chocolate passion fruit ice cream being just one of many unexpected ingredient co-minglings.