Charles Yu Sep 30,2006

My gourmand buddy and I had another wonderful 'total package' dinner at Splendido yesterday night. This time Chef David Lee and his team managed to outshine themselves again by creating a multi-course tasting menu which included three amazing dishes using some new and rarely seen ingredients.

The first was a cold appertizer presented in an 'ice craddle'. The seafood 'carpaccio' trio comprising of morsels of BC honey mussels ( plump and sweet and nothing like the east coast version), Arch Clam and lobster tail was bathed in an incredible 'wine and fruit juice' marinade. This is the first time my friend and I tasted the Honey mussels. What a find!

The second dish was a gigantic Icelandic Langustine tail, roasted and served with a Tarragon veal jus. Sweet, slightly chewy and with a hint of the sea, the taste and texture is more outstanding than our east coast lobster counterpart.

Lastly, a 'hot-cold' seafood combo. The cold was a pool of finely diced Hawaii Big eye Tuna topped with a devieled quail egg using Canadian Oesetra caviar. However, the 'piece de resistance' was a whole neck of super fresh Hamachi, char-broiled with a smoked sweet Tamari glaze served on a real charcoal fired hibachi! Though similar in style to the ones served in some high-end Japanese restaurants, the Splendido version was perfecly cooked with the skin ultra crisp and the flesh still moist and juicy. And the presentation, Wow!!

I wonder how David Lee is going to top all these during our next visit?!

peppermint Jun 01,2006

If price is no object, I'd suggest the vegetarian tasting menu at Splendido. I had a recent dinner there and while the whole of the meal was delicious, the vegetable/vegetarian dishes were particularly outstanding. Humble vegetables are truly elevated to the stratosphere in David Lee's hands - everything tasted fresh off the vine.

Splendido is all about fine dining, though. So if you're up for stellar service on the formal side (e.g. all dishes placed on the table by multiple waiters at the same time), then go for it. Otherwise, I would think some place like Perigee or George may be a better fit.

Anonymous Mar 02,2006

Fantastic!!! My Hubby and I enjoyed the tasting menu on New years eve...OMG...it was absolutely delicious! The service was great and the ambiance was beatiful! I'd recommend this place to anyone!

JPTO Dec 04,2005

David Lee's kitchen is putting out some amazing food at the moment. I had the $88 table d'hote menu last week, and it was sublime: my first was a foie gras sous-vide plate, with a delectable little duck leg tartelette and a four-spice walnut; the second was the silkiest truffle gnocchi I've ever tried; and the rack of lamb was perfectly cooked and served -- with homemade merguez sausage and puy lentils. The wine matchings were clever and very enjoyable, and the service truly impeccable. If you want to go to a place on top of its game, check out Splendido. You can check out the menu & wine list on their website below: http://www.splendido.ca/

Anonymous Oct 10,2005

What an amazing experience! We were at Splendido to celebrate our anniversary last week and we have not stopped talking about it yet. We were very impressed by the champagne trolley. The last time we saw a champagne trolley was in Paris at le Cinq (Four Seasons Hotel – 3 Michelin stars). We have been at Splendido 4 times in the past few years and its seems that they never stop improving… In our minds, one of the best restaurant in Canada… Enjoy.

Anonymous Aug 11,2005

My wife and I were at Splendido last night to celebrate her birthday and we had the most wonderful time. Food, service and ambiance were outstanding. I can only regret that it would be too pricy to return every week…but the experience is well worth the money. Enjoy! Tom

Anonymous Jun 14,2005

Was at Splendido for my girlfriends birthday. The night when flawless, it was more of an experience than anything else. The staff were very attentive to our every needs and the food was simply mindblowing. It sure is pricey but believe me, worth every penny. Highly reccommended!!

Anonymous May 20,2005

I visited Toronto from the U.S. last weekend, and based upon the recommendations of this site, and hours of research on T.O. restaurants, I had dinner at Splendido. It was one of the finest meals and evenings I've ever had. Service was absolutely perfect, and the food with wine pairings were divine. Eat at Splendido!

Anonymous May 01,2005

My boyfriend and I had a fabulous, very memorable dining experience at Splendido two weeks ago. I had selected Splendido based on reviews I read on this website - I noticed it had four stars in every category (many finer restaurants lost out on the value category). Splendido did not disappoint. Unbelievable food, extremely attentive service, beautiful ambience and though it was expensive, it was worth every penny. Thank you so much Splendido for a perfect night.

Anonymous Apr 17,2005

We celebrated our anniversary on a busy Friday night. The food was impeccable and the service equally excellent. I can't say enough good things about the staff and manager of Splendido. Extremely friendly, attentive but not overbearing and knowledgeable.We never felt at all rushed. They thought of everything to make the night perfect, right down to the purse stools and the 'surprise course'. I can't recommend any restaurant more than Splendido. When they felt a course had taken too long ( we didn't notice!) they brought us another glass of wine paired to the dish. Expensive but definitely worth it for a special occasion. The tasting menu paired with wines is a must!