Winterlicious, the city of Toronto’s biggest winter food festival, is back and bigger than ever! From January 31st until February 13th, over 200 restaurants across the city will be offering prix fixe menus where you can sample the finest local and international cuisine. The popular event is a great opportunity to experience Toronto’s unique and delicious food scene and has helped cement the city’s reputation as a culinary hub. If you’re in Yorkville, here are a few restaurants you’ll want to visit.
Just steps away from Our House, Wish is perfect for a low-key date night or dinner with friends. The laid-back bistro setting is immediately inviting, and staff have put together a Winterlicious menu that is sheer home-cooked comfort. Crab cakes, mussels and fries, club sandwiches and burgers are followed by a nice slice of lemon pie – or white chocolate panna cotta with amarena cherries, if you prefer. There are plenty of vegetarian/vegan options as well. Menu prices are $28 for lunch or $43 for dinner.
Housed inside the Gardiner Museum – dedicated to ceramic arts – the appropriately named Clay restaurant is offering a $33 Winterlicious lunch menu. Placing a strong focus on plant-based dishes and local products, the plates are simple, approachable and beautifully presented. The prix fixe lunch includes a chopped salad, wild mushroom toast or sweet potato soup with coconut yogurt as a starter, followed by a locally sourced lamb burger, gnocchi with duck confit and cranberries, or fish and chips. For dessert, choose between apple crumble with brown butter ice cream, vegan chocolate cremeux, or tiramisu profiteroles with a splash of Kaluha. While you’re there, enjoy the beautiful view of Queen’s Park through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
A longtime local favourite on the Winterlicious restaurant list, Sassafraz serves perfectly presented, French inspired cuisine. The location in historic Yorkville in a row of Victorian houses makes it a great place to shop for lunch between the boutiques, or to enjoy a leisurely dinner in Toronto’s most elegant neighbourhood. For Winterlicious, they are offering prix fixe menus at $28 for lunch and $43 for dinner, with plenty of vegetarian, vegan and locally sourced options across the board. Innovative dishes like stuffed acorn squash with seasonal mushrooms and pepita or braised lamb ragu with black olives and Manchego are sure to draw in the lunch crowd. The dinner menu is even more enticing – think crispy Porchetta with compressed bourbon apple honey, or suman roasted aubergine with harissa hummus and piquillo puree.
So many delicious options await, it’s hard to know where to begin!