Alobar Downtown

I recently had the opportunity to dine at this remarkable Michelin-starred restaurant, and it surpassed all my expectations. The highlight of my evening was the handmade pasta, topped with freshly shaved white Alba truffle. The dish was exquisite, offering a perfect balance of flavors. What stood out to me the most was the ambiance. Although the culinary standards are exceptionally high, the restaurant remains inviting and approachable. The intimate lighting and modern music created a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere. If I lived in Toronto, I would make it a regular spot for dining. The service was excellent. I was indecisive between two appetizers, but the server kindly suggested I try half portions of both at half the price, which was a brilliant solution. The scallop starter was outstanding, thanks to the freshness of the ingredients, while the lobster dish was also superb. The dessert was a delightful conclusion to the meal. I would have loved to pair it with a glass of Umeshu (Japanese plum wine), which is commonly available in Montreal restaurants. Despite this, the overall experience—from the beautifully designed space to the attentive service—was flawless. This restaurant strikes the perfect balance between high-quality dining and a welcoming atmosphere. I’m eagerly looking forward to my next visit.

Alobar will forever be tied to a truly special memory in my life. On June 22nd, 2024, my parents and my (now ex) girlfriend took me here for a birthday dinner—what made the night even more meaningful was that it was the first time she was meeting my parents and becoming part of our family. From start to finish, everything about the evening was exceptional. The service was absolutely flawless—warm, attentive, and incredibly polished without ever feeling stiff. The team made us feel celebrated and cared for in every moment. And the food? To die for. Every dish we ordered was packed with flavour, beautifully presented, and perfectly portioned. Regardless of price, it was worth every single bite. The wine pairings were also spot-on and added so much to the overall experience. But the true showstopper? The banana cream pie. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s the best single food item in all of downtown Toronto. My ex and I fell so in love with it that we kept coming back after that night just to indulge in it again. It’s that good. Alobar is more than just a restaurant—it’s an experience. One that creates lasting memories, and one I’ll always be grateful for.

Great place to grab some food after work. Service was extremely friendly. The atmosphere is slightly upscale, but doesn’t feel stuffy at all. The food was cooked well. Can sometimes be quieter/louder depending on time of day/clientele.

Amazing food and service. Loooved the zucchini salad and the salmon was cooked to perfection. The atmosphere though was not as impressive as I expected. Very ordinary but the food made it all worth it.

I was having trouble finding a place to eat for lunch, then I came across Alobar near my workplace. I thought this would be a safe choice as Alobar Yorkville had a Michelin Star awarded. The place is quite busy and rowdy during lunch time. I ordered the confit duck pappardelle and Hokkaido sea scallop. I didn’t have a good experience here. For ~ $90 after taxes and tips, the meal is quite mediocre. I’ve had better pasta near my house at Locale for half the price (although they don’t use as much meat at Locale). The pasta texture here isn’t the best, and I also gave them this feedback at the end. I told them that some parts of the pasta were hard and stuck together in layers of 2-3 strands, and some parts were too soft/soggy, losing their structural integrity. Basically, it wasn’t evenly prepared. The flavour itself was also not that sophisticated. I didn’t ask for any compensation or to take the plate off the bill, but smaller restaurants have done so in similar situations out of their own initiative, so it really shows the difference in values and virtues of the restaurants. I’m not even sure if my feedback was even passed on. I can understand having higher prices, but the taste should at least be slightly better than something that’s half its price; to me, it feels like they’re not putting a lot of honest effort in. My table was also wet with some water spill before the food came out, and they didn’t bother wiping it – I wiped it myself lol. I have no complaints about the scallop. I think many restaurants in the financial district just look fancy with good presentation and plating but lacking in taste while being overpriced. I don’t think I’ll dine in the financial district anymore lol.

Came here since I had a gift card from friends and wanted to experience a fancy restaurant. The service was excellent. We were very well taken care of and made sure we had clean plates, cutlery, and table wiped clean after each course. The server explained the menu very well and made sure we understood and had great recommendations. The atmosphere was nice, great seats and nice ambiance. When it comes to the food, everything was very well made and tasted good, but it won't really blow your mind. We had the alobar wedge salad, it you're not a fan of blue cheese, don't get it, it was a very very strong cheese, but it tasted good. As appetizers we had the nova scotia lobster and Tuna Tartar. The lobster was ok, but nothing to write home about. I was more impressed with the Tuna tartar which was very smooth with zero fishy taste and felt fresh. For mains we had New York prime strip loin, grilled salmon, confit duck cavatelli and provimi veal schnitzel. They all tasted very good and were well prepared. For dessert we had the Mille Feuille and The banana tart, most people seem to talk about the Mille Feuille it seems to be their show stopper and it was very good, but I did end up liking the banana tart better. As to be expected the price was quite steep, but it was a nice experience for once. Might come back just for the Tuna tartar and dessert next time.

My husband and I have been to other Alo restaurants, but this was our first time at the York Street location. We were celebrating our 32nd wedding anniversary. We had a 7 PM reservation and were shown to a lovely “sweetheart” table. The only downside was a bit of a draft and a couple of loud people at the table next to us. The food was, as expected, delicious. We started with the wedge salad, which was more than enough for the two of us to share. I then had the fillet mignon with a side of french fries and my husband had the surf and turf. We each had a glass of wine. For dessert, we ordered the raspberry Chantilly cream mille feuille which was so large that we shared half and brought the other half home. We were delighted when we were presented with a complimentary glass of champagne to have with our dessert in celebration of our anniversary. A lovely touch to cap off an excellent meal.

I recently had an amazing dining experience at this restaurant in Yorkville, Toronto. The food was absolutely delicious, bursting with flavor and beautifully presented. The service was top-notch, with attentive staff who made us feel welcome and valued. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, making it the perfect spot to enjoy a meal. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a fantastic dining experience. Five stars all the way!

I have nothing but positive things to say about the alo group of restaurants. We've never been disappointed. Food is always consistent and well-prepared. I had the hamachi, shishito peppers, and fries the last time I was here and they were all delish! Drinks are perfectly created. Whether you come for the regular menu or their happy hour, they absolutely do not cut corners. Old fashioned, whisky sour, etc. The classics made well. Regarding their service? Incredible. They treat everyone with their utmost attention. The space is gorgeous. Beautifully laid out. There's a large bar with seating, several tables and booths. The patio is covered and they even have live music on occasion. I personally enjoy Chef Kris' playlists so I'm always entertained.

I get why people like this place: the food is fancy, the service is superb, the space is expansive. So it might just be personal tastes that leave me underwhelmed with the food. Been a couple of times and tried a few things on the menu (most recently the famed burger), and I'm left wanting for more. In a vacuum, it's objectively pretty good. It's just that I've gotten tastier dishes elsewhere for what you pay or even cheaper. Not for me. But it always seems full, so maybe don't take my word for it.

We had a nice dinner at Alobar on a weeknight and it was surprisingly busy with the post work crowd. Similar to all the restaurants under the alo umbrella the restaurant was well furnished and had a nice ambiance. We had the house Negroni that was made tableside to start followed by my favourite dish of the night, the carpaccio. For our mains, we split two pastas, which I honestly thought we're pretty mediocre for the price and then a nice banana chocolate cake for dessert. Overall, I don't know if I would go again, but I'm happy to have been able to experience Alobar.

Good food but you're definitely paying for it. I came for a business lunch, so even on the company dime I felt a pang of pain when I saw the bill. It is generally better than other restaurants open downtown during lunch time. However, I've been to Alo Restaurant, so I definitely had high expectations for Alobar. We ordered two appetizers and three entrees amongst three people. I appreciated that the Chilled Lobster ($24) was split into three portions, despite the menu saying 2, as we had three people. We also ordered the Creekstone Beef Carpaccio ($28), which was definitely my preferred appetizer. The manchego on top was the perfect pairing. For my entree, I had the asparagus salad with tuna added ($24 + $25). I actually really enjoyed this, but $59 is really steep for a salad. I also thought the tuna would somehow be incorporated in the dish, but it was just served on a plate on the side. My coworker, who got the sea bream ($48), was a bit disappointed as it didn't really feel like a main... It was literally a fish on a plate. I tried some and the taste was good, but it felt like it was missing something to be called an entree. The star of the show were the cocktails. I loved my White Room ($18). The people I was dining with had the same comments about their beverages. Overall, the service was good but a bit slow for a business lunch hour. The food was good, but expensive. I believe it was $330 before tax and tip. I probably would not be back but only because of the price.

Picture-perfect pie, great vibes, good service Food: The cocktail was a nice start to our meal, with a fresh and in-season stone fruit flower that would slowly unravel over the course of our meal. It was nice and refreshing, perfect to start off a Friday evening. The oysters were nice and fresh, topped with a prosecco foam that masked a bit of the typical oyster flavour. The mussels were also quite unique, with a marinade and slight kick from the pepper on top. The tuna tartare was also very nicely marinated with miso, and was topped with a watermelon radish with a generous portion of tuna. The alobar wedge salad is a dish they're well known for, and for good reason. The balance of flavours between the blue cheese, the richness and sear of the bacon, and the crispness of the lettuce all worked well together for a refreshing salad before the main course - the striploin. The strip loan and broccolini were finished with a nice peppercorn sauce, and was cooked perfectly to a medium-rare. The pain au lait was okay but seemed to have been left on the counter for a bit long, as it was a bit cooler than I had expected, and wasn't very pillowy or soft, but the whipped butter was a nice accompaniment. The twice baked potato was soft and creamy, but the skin had a lot of chew to it as well. Then came the dessert, which we couldn't even finish after the hefty meal. The banana cream pie is one of the best desserts I've had in a long time. The chunks of banana were topped with a nice banana cream, and the crumble of the pie and chocolate shavings on top made it a match made in heaven. The caramel was not sweet, yet perfectly burnt to contrast the rest of the dessert. It was a perfect way to the end off the meal. Overall, the dessert, followed by the steak, wedge salad, and tuna were probably the highlights of the meal for me. Service: The service was a bit inconsistent among the tables. At the entrance, they were able to check our bags and umbrella, which was very nice. However, for the meal service, we received inconsistent service between our table and the larger four-top next to us. The staff member provided more detailed explanations for their dishes (it was the same menu across the restaurant, the Visa Infinite Prix Fixe Series) including where the ingredients were sourced, whereas our server provided more basis explanations. That's okay, a more minor detail. However, at the beginning of our meal, they didn't really explain each course or ask if we were okay with certain ingredients (i.e. cook of the steak, blue cheese for the wedge salad), whereas for the four-top, they did go through these finer details. The actual service of the meal was well done, topping off water when low and cleaning the table between each course, as well as providing fresh cutlery each time. I also appreciated that they were table to pack the rest of our dessert to go and had it at the front for pick-up when we left the restaurant, a very nice touch. Atmosphere: We were seated inside at a two-top, and the restaurant had a very modern interior but the music was similar to that of a club. There were curtains dressing the outer wall, and small tables all around near the back.

Very beautiful restaurant, staff is super friendly and cocktails are delicious. The food isn't bad. Beef carpaccio wasn't my favourite because of the aioli, I felt it tasted strange. The pasta I ordered was okay as well, felt it could've used more flavour. The dessert was good however the chocolate curls were massive and took over the dessert.

The cocktails were really good and I like the patio, great vibes during happy hour. The oysters we had were average. We will go back to try out their dinner menu. Great location for after work drinks and the service is good.

Since last time we had dinner in Alobar Yorkville, we haven't got to Alo group for more than a year. We have high expectations as the Alobar Yorkville experience is quite good. This time, we had a chance to have dinner at Alobar Downtown. Upon arrival, we found out this location, had more seats, and focused more on prime steaks on the menu. We ordered the bread, New York Striploin, and confit duck pasta. After 20 mins, our server told us they were running out of bread, so we ordered cocktail prawns to substitute. The steak comes out nicely to medium rare, definitely a good quality and value for the price. The duck confit pasta is not as good as the Yorkville location because the pasta is a bit undercooked, in my opinion, and a bit on the salty side. Then, to our surprise, the bread came! Don't get me wrong, our server is a nice guy, but he's a bit miserable. We asked the waitress who brought us the bread, and she said there's always bread in our location. We ended up packing half of the bread to go. I felt like our server is lying as well because he might felt that we didn't order $100 or above per person. Honestly, I usually ordered enough and not preferred to pack home. Also, our server promised to include non-alcoholic sparkling wine for our celebration, and it never came. Finally, the bill came and overcharged by $14. Overall, not a highly recommended dining spot. Black and Blue is just across the street. They are more welcome and less pushy for ordering food.

Always a hit- brought in our team as there were many from out of town and everyone was impressed. The team is so attentive, the booking process was easy, the food is consistent and delicious (get the bread and fish!) the desserts OMG. We got all of them to try and it was a melange of happiness for our tastebuds! The atmosphere is lively and happening! Definitely a must try!

Chic place in the heart of the financial district! Food was pretty tasty, and cocktails were great. Good place to visit after work during the week. Excellent service!

Beautiful place that is reminiscent of the drake years, with excellent service as all of the Alo establishments seem to do... food is so so, similar to my review of aloette. Seafood platter needed some explaining- looking at the menu, I really didn't make the lobster wrap correctly because the platter made it sort of a deconstructed, do it your self event. Everyone assumed we already ate there already or that someone would explain it at the table? Anyway. The steak was great in texture and cook but was so salty! :( so many salty items on the menu... disappointing. We keep coming back because it's easy to get resos. If you want a decent experience without reso hassles, it is an option. It's also decent for drinks, just like Aloette. Sommelier was good with wine options. But don't come here expecting mind blowing food just because it's Alo.

June 2023 - This is the brand new smart casual Alobar. Not only do they have a great selection of cocktails, wine and spirits...their food is super yummy and creative, just like all their sister restaurants. We were lucky enough to get a same-day reservation; chef Patrick Kriss once again has orchestrated a perfect spot for the downtowners. The steak here is excellent; this new place feels so alive and contemporary, and all the staff are well coordinated and friendly. Now there is one more reason to attract the business crowd to get back to work in their downtown office :)

The newest addition to Alo Food Group, Alobar Downtown at 150 York Street offers a refined yet relaxed dining experience. Tl;dr the experience was good but definitely plan for it to be more of a splurge occasion despite the overall ambience/environment seeming more casual. For a more detailed review on different dishes, keep reading :) We were a party of 4, all of whom had smaller than average to average stomach capacities. Our server informed us that the dishes were meant to/encouraged to be shared across the table, and suggested that we order 4 appetizers, 3 mains, and 2 sides. Thankfully we decided to start with 3 mains and 2 sides - thinking that we could always all more later, and that was definitely the right call. All of us were stuffed and could barely clean our plates. We ordered the Pain au Lait, the Duck Confit Pappardelle, the Sea Bream, the 24 oz Ribeye, and the Broccolini. The Pain au Lait was expensive, coming in at CAD12 for 4 small buns, but fortunately/unfortunately it was very good. The buns were piping hot and absolutely delicious - crusty and salty on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. The Duck Confit Pappardelle was just okay. We preferred the pasta to the duck, which was dry and uninspiring. The Sea Bream was a welcome surprise. My personal opinion is that it can be hard to make fish feel like it's worth the expense - there's always the worry that it'll be fishy or rubbery or worse - something you could have just made at home. Thankfully, Alobar delivered. The Sea Bream was perfectly cooked and flaked beautifully. There was no fishiness at all, and the flavor was light and subtle, with a beautiful crusty sear on the skin. Moving onto the Ribeye, which was disappointingly the most expensive and most underwhelming dish of the evening. The sauce was amazing, but the meat itself was tough and chewy. Then, the Broccolini - remarkably, the highlight of the meal. It was perfectly cooked with a satisfying crunch and burst with flavors of garlic and lemon. We seriously contemplated ordering seconds. Dessert-wise, we ordered the Tiramisu and Banana Cream Pie. Again - personal opinion and no hate at all, but the tiramisu did not resemble a tiramisu...to the point that we actually asked the server to confirm if that's what they were serving us. The "tiramisu" looked to be a chocolate tart with a heaping scoop of coffee ice cream. It was the better of the two desserts, but it didn't really deliver tiramisu for us :D It was a chocolate tart!!!! The Banana Cream Pie was just okay. The cream was pretty overwhelming and the whole thing was sweet (in all caps), but the crust was quite interesting as it had great texture and nuttiness to it - definitely not your run of the mill digestive/graham cookie crust. Lastly, just some passing thoughts on the environment and service. We arrived at 6 PM when the restaurant was around 20-30% full, and we were JUST able to both comfortably speak and hear our table's conversation. By 7:30 PM when the restaurant was closer to 80% capacity, you could have mistaken the space as a pub if you solely judged it by the volume of conversation. We were close to shouting across the table just to be able to hear each other. Similarly, early on in the evening, the service was great - attentive and prompt. After 7:30 PM, it felt like the restaurant was flailing - limited servers servicing the dining space and too many full tables. It took almost 30 minutes for our desserts to be brought out, and numerous tables around us also seemed to be experiencing long lapses between courses. The original server who walked us through the menu and took our orders was nowhere to be found throughout the rest of the evening...until it was time to take payment. The upside was that we never felt rushed - despite the restaurant being fairly busy, it wasn't like there were diners queueing outside to be seated - whether by design or circumstance - and we probably could have sat there for another hour and no one would make a fuss. All in all, it was a decent experience, and I would come back again to try the cold appetizers and drinks - both of which we didn't try on this visit. BUT, I'd make sure to come early and skip the ribeye and banana cream pie.

Decent business lunch place, on the expensive end. Good but not stellar. Can be very noisy also. Ask for a booth if booking or you would be seated anywhere but in a nice booth (why booking if it is to get the worse table of the place??). Service for the price was maybe the most disappointing... they are respectfully nice but not trying to do more, so either they are understaffed (totally possible but that should then be fixed!!) or it is really the minus of the place now. It took 10 min to have someone offering water after being seated, then 20 min between order and appetizers ( and get forks and napkin then) and again 25 min between appetizer plates were disposed and the main arrived, and again 10 min between dessert order and getting them. Hence i don t know... can be tried and not bad but not inviting enough to come back for the next meeting lunch based on this first experience and definitely not to impress a client or team

An amazing night out at the new Alobar with great company! Aside from some of the same dishes, this seems to be the antithesis of the original, which they've deemed to be 'steak-ish' - If by that they meant everything is colossal sized, then yes. They're trying to cater to the masses with this new concept, and people are definitely taking notice. One thing has remained consistent and that's the incredible service. Many thanks to Nathan in particular! Thank you all for a great evening and best wishes on your success!  @alobarrestaurants @cityofto  @a_pretty_lil_pkg Featured menu items: I love Mezcal so I had to try the Malinche cocktail, which is similar to a Paloma, and POTENT! The OG wedge salad but amped up in size and accoutrements! Mouth watering filet mignon - The chimichurri is a must! The broccolini and asparagus are great side dishes - Eat your greens! Grilled sea bream (not pictured here) - Beautifully presented Chocolate tart pictured here, but the cheesecake was delicious! Please add the mile high lemon meringue pie! They have an incredible wine list, and it's great to see so many local purveyors!

Food OK. Service mediocre. Pretentious expectation of 20% tip with "is 20% OK for a tip?" Order was late, missed drinks that were ordered...... they comped dessert but paid for it nicely with the tip scam. Will not go again, I would avoid this place.

Patrick Kriss does not miss! At every location you can see how much thoughtfulness is put into every detail, from the menu to the service to the decor. The food here is a bit less on the experimental side but still manages to cater to the business dinner client with some punchy dishes. I liked everything I tried here, and my favourite was probably the ribeye, but you can do no wrong when ordering off this menu.

This offshoot of the fine dining at Alo and Alouette is very overpriced for the quality of the food. Though the service was good, the ambiance is ordinary and the food is uninventive and no better than local pub grub, at 5 times the cost. This uninspired restaurant tarnishes the Alo brand.