Vela Toronto

"Open for: Lunch and dinnerPrice range: $$$With its cascading, sculptural lights, Vela’s modernist space imparts a sultry ambience to every meal. The restaurant is an unabashed show pony, but it has substance behind its style. The cuisine is intentionally impossible to pigeonhole. Chef Marvin Palomo’s Moroccan octopus pulsates with a sweet-savory interplay of tamari and togarashi, while the Hokkaido scallops in the crudo act as buttery vessels for nam jim (Thai chile sauce), salty bubbles of trout roe, and cooling cucumber. Don’t miss the award-winning drinks menu, including the Atomic Cocktail, a favorite sipper featuring a healthy swig of Cognac, fino and oloroso sherries, and sparkling wine.Best for: Brunch at Vela is a gem, especially the salmon towers and caviar service. It’s also easier to land a reservation for daytime dining than at night." - Tiffany Leigh

"With exposed brick, a bar that goes on and on, and lights swirled into a sloped ceiling, this cool-kids restaurant has wide appeal. There is certainly seating for all occasions: white banquettes in the back, an up-close chef’s counter and plenty of tables in between. By design, the menu has faint Asian touches but is otherwise broad in its selection of seafood, pastas, steaks and vegetables. The results? Surprisingly dialed-in, largely thanks to a kitchen that makes as much as it can in-house. Highlights include cod with beurre blanc and chili crisp and, for dessert, a sugar-crusted profiterole filled with miso dulce de leche mousse and mascarpone cremeaux. Live music throughout the week will either attract or deter, depending on your mood." - Michelin Inspector

"With exposed white brick, a bar that goes on and on, and lights swirled into a sloped ceiling, this cool-kids restaurant has wide appeal. There is certainly seating for all occasions: white banquettes in the back, an up-close chef’s counter and plenty of tables in between. By design, the menu has faint Asian touches but is otherwise broad in its selection of seafood, pastas, steaks and vegetables. The results? Surprisingly dialed-in, largely thanks to a kitchen that makes as much as it can in-house. Highlights include cod with beurre blanc and chili crisp and, for dessert, a sugar-crusted profiterole filled with miso dulce de leche mousse and mascarpone cremeaux. Live music throughout the week will either attract or deter, depending on your mood." - MICHELIN Guide

"In Toronto, swanky Vela also gets called New American despite only technically being one of those two things. But it, too, shares the tropes of the genre: scallops with Thai nam jim, octopus with tamari and togarashi." - ByNavneet Alang