Wine Access
February/March, 2007 - p38

Best Tables

The Top: It is hard to stay there, but Splendido does it, year after year.

by Jim Tobler

it is a great experience to dine at Splendido, where Chef de Cuisine David Lee and his partner, General Manager Yannick Bigourdan, have challenged themselves every day since opening, after a one-day delay, on September 12, 2001. That challenge is to be the best restaurant in Toronto, and to take a place among the best anywhere, and at this point, after having tasted David’s cooking over the years, and gastronomically witnessing his evolution, it is difficult to avoid, not that I wish to, the conclusion that they are, if anything exceeding expectation. “I spend a lot of time at the market, and looking at new ways of doing things,” says Chef Lee. “There is never any time to sit still, because there is always so much going on. I want to take the very best of our local ingredients, which are truly fantastic, and add just a bit of national and international flavour to it. I want it to be original, exciting, but never intimidating.” Mr. Bigourdan concurs, and adds “We have tried from day one to create the best atmosphere, provide service that is equaled by no one, David’s cooking is special, and the environment and the service have to ensure that our clients are able to truly appreciate it.”

Menus change regularly, but certain menu items are simply too popular to remove. Wine service, led by Manager and Sommelier Carlo Catallo, is impeccable, and the list is not only extensive, but thoughtful. Plenty of heavy hitters, including verticals of Bordeaux and Burgundy, plus some superb Italian and American iconic labels, but plenty more to please and excite. Some nearly obscure labels, all of which lend themselves to the food, so you can have a great time experiencing new wines and new matches.

There is a degustation menu, which for my money is not to be missed. But there is an exciting (honest) vegetarian menu, and the rotating a la carte menu is seasonal, expressive, and always with something unexpected. This is a restaurant that does not sit on its considerable laurels, and Mr. Bigourdan’s travels always mean there will be some new, client-driven innovation in place. “We are always looking at it from the point of view of the person sitting at the table. What works best for them?”