Wine Access
August/September 2007
Wine Access's Top 100
Canada’s Best Restaurants
By Margaret Swaine
Photography by Frances Juriansz
The Criteria
100 Points Available
Food: 50
Wine List: 15
Service: 15
Ambience: 10
Décor: 10
Splendido 95+
No place in Toronto quite hits the high notes like Splendido. You’re pampered from the moment you walk in. Subdued lighting, dramatic mirrors, large modern paintings, warm polished wood floors and a Brazilian cherry-wood bar all add up to a feeling of serene luxury. A third generation chef, David Lee is masterful. Subtle hot/sweet/sour/influences reflective of the chef’s Mauritian heritage show up in several dishes such as tuna carpaccio with chili oil and ginger ponzu. Lee carefully nurtures small local organic suppliers so expect the best of Canada, such as Nunavut caribou loin and Nova Scotia lobster with veal oxtail. The impressive wine list by sommelier Carlo Catallo is novella thick with delightful depth in off-beat areas, such as Spanish albariños.
Wine Access's Top 100
95+ Points
SPLENDIDO (Toronto)
90-94 Points
ARAXI (Whistler)
BEARFOOT BISTRO (Whistler)
CIOPPINO’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL (Vancouver)
FID (Halifax)
FRESCO (Kelowna)
HOVEY MANOR (North Hatley)
LA CHRONIQUE (Montreal)
LALOUX (Montreal)
LA PINSONNIÈRE (La Malbaie)
LAURIE RAPHAËL (Quebec City)
LE CLUB CHASSE ET PECHE (Montreal)
L’UTOPIE (Quebec City)
NORTH 44 (Toronto)
TOQUÉ! (Montreal)
TRUFFLES (Toronto)
WEST (Vancouver)
85-89 Points
AU PIED DE COCHON (Montreal)
BLUE WATER CAFÉ (Vancouver)
BISHOP’S (Vancouver)
BISTRO A CHAMPLAIN (Ste. Marguerite du Lac Masson)
C RESTARUANT (Vancouver)
CAFÉ BRIO (Victoria)
CANOE (Toronto)
CAPO (Calgary)
CENTINI (Calgary)
CHEZ L’EPICIER (Montreal)
CHIADO (Toronto)
COLBORNE LANE (Toronto)
CRU (Vancouver)
DA MAURIZIO (Halifax)
DERRIÈRE LES FAGOTS (Laval)
L’EAU A LA BOUCHE (Ste. Adèle)
L’EXPRESS (Montreal)
EUROPEA (Montreal)
THE FIFTH (Toronto)
GEORGE (Toronto)
GIO (Halifax)
THE GLOBE BISTRO (Toronto)
HARDWARE GRILL (Edmonton)
LINITIALE (Quebec City)
JAMIE KENNEDY WINEBAR (Toronto)
JOE BEEF (Montreal)
LAI WAH HEEN (Toronto)
LE CORDON BLEU (Ottawa)
LUMIÈRE (Vancouver)
MILOS (Montreal)
MISTURA (Toronto)
MOISHES STEAK HOUSE (Montreal)
PANAGEA (Toronto)
THE PEAR TREE (Burnaby)
THE POINTE AT WICKANINNISH (Tofino)
RESTAURANT LE SAINT-CHRISTOPHE (Laval)
RIVER CAFÉ (Calgary)
ROUGE RESTO CLUB (Moncton)
SAEGE BISTRO (Halifax)
SCARAMOUCHE (Toronto)
SENSES (Toronto)
THE SHORE CLUB (Vancouver)
SUSUR (Toronto)
TEMPEST (Wolfville)
TOJO’S (Vancouver)
THE TRIBUNE (Calgary)
THE WILLOW ON WASCANA (Regina)
80-84 Points
BARBERIAN’S STEAHOUSE & TAVERN (Toronto)
BIN 941/942 (Vancouver)
BECKTA (Ottawa)
THE BELVEDERE (Calgary)
BIANCA’S CUISINE DE SOLEIL (St. John's)
BISTRO AT BAKER CREEK (between Lake Louise & Banff)
THE BLUE PEAR (Edmonton)
BREWBAKERS (Fredericton)
BRUNOISE (Montreal)
CHIVES CANADIAN BISTRO (Halifax)
DIDIER (Toronto)
FERREIRA CAFÈ TRATTORIA (Montreal)
THE FUSION GRILL (Winnipeg)
GLUTTONS (Winnipeg)
JACK’S GRILL (Edmonton)
JOSO’S (Toronto)
LE FINE GROBE SUR MER (Nigadoo)
LE LATINI (Montreal)
LITTLE LOUIS’ OYSTER BAR (Moncton)
LA MAISON TAIT (Shediac)
LA MONTÉE DE LAIT (Montreal)
OFF BROADWAY (Charlottetown)
OPERA BISTRO (Saint John)
THE POST HOTEL (Lake Louise)
QUARRY BISTRO AND WINEBAR (Canmore)
RISTORANTE PRIMO ET SECONDO (Montreal)
SOOKE HARBOUR HOUSE (Sooke)
SUEDE LOUNGE (Edmonton)
SUN SUI WAH (Vancouver)
STARFISH OYSTERBED & GRILL (Toronto)
SEVEN WINE BAR AND RESTAURANT (Halifax)
TOASTED OAK WINE BAR & GRILL (Oliver)
TONY DE LUCA (Niagara)
TREADWELL (Niagara)
VIJI’S (Vancouver)
ZUCCA (Toronto)
