The countdown is on. The shortlist of ten winners for this year’s Air Canada Best New Restaurants list is slated to be revealed in November, and Toronto is well positioned to claim a big share of it.
Fourteen Ontario restaurants made the list of 30 finalists, and nine of them are in Toronto. The Toronto contenders are Antylia, Bar Eugenie, Liliana, N.L. Ginzburg, Oldeseoul Tavern, Radici Project, Sammarco, Seahorse and Zia’s Place. The rest of Ontario’s finalists include Capelin and Reve in the Niagara Region.
None of this will surprise anyone who has been following the local scene. Bar Eugenie, Sammarco and Liliana have been among the most talked-about openings of the past year, and the full roster reads like a tour of Toronto’s most exciting dining rooms, from cocktail-forward bars to luxe steakhouses to chef-driven tasting counters.
For diners, the finalist list doubles as a ready-made reservation guide. If you want to say you ate at a winner before the crowds descend, now is the time to book.
Visit a few of the finalists before the winners are announced, then tell us your predictions in the comments. Which Toronto restaurant is taking home a top spot?