Where: Toronto, ON

What: Restaurant; Italian

Situated just east of Toronto’s financial district in the historic Consumer’s Gas building of 1852 is Don Alfonso 1890, one of the handful of the city’s Michelin-star chef restaurant outposts. In this case, chef Ernesto Iaccarino, hailing from Italy’s lush Amalfi Coast, makes his Canadian debut.

Walk inside and you’ll notice the polished, contemporary space: hand-painted cornice moulding, marble accents, white floral murals suspended on the walls like floating origami, and plush seating with gold accents. Artwork from local and international talents, like Philippe Pasqua and Daniel Mazzone, reinforce the restaurant’s approach to the dining experience — that it should capture the senses outside of just taste and smell.

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The draw of the restaurant is Iaccarino’s fascination for Canadian ingredients, executed through the lense of modernity in which the renowned chef is known for. Spearheading Don Alfonso’s Toronto iteration, chef Saverio Macri leads with an eight-course tasting menu, which features notable dishes like ice creamed eel with sturgeon caviar, organic Manitoba bison tenderloin, and seared Muscovy duck breast — all ingredients uniquely characteristic of the Great White North. After your meal, head upstairs to the molecular cocktail bar and let mixologist Oliver Stern make you a drink unlike anything you’ve experienced. (Mojito sorbet, anyone?)

With a stunning open-concept kitchen at the heart of the restaurant, guests can have a front-row look into how their dishes are prepared, adding to an unforgettable experience that will be sure to impress your colleague, client, or friends.