Recently I was exploring Toronto and had the pleasure of dining at the Fairmont Royal York during one of the nights I was in town. I am a big fan of the Fairmont brand and the consistency of high quality the hotels offer around the world.
Hotel Lobby
The Fairmont Royal York has several dining options, but I dined at EPIC. You can easily access this restaurant inside the lobby and close to the concierge inside the hotel.
I should warn you, dining here is like eating a work of art. Both chefs Robert Mills and Graeme Little did a fantastic job in quality, presentation and spectacular flavoring of the food. Chef Little is sensational in his pairings and the robust flavors he presents. Our server was probably the best server I have ever had anywhere in the world. He was full of charm and humor and had been with the company for several decades.
What I ate (I did have a guest with me so we did share):
- Soup Special – Hungarian Goulash
- New Farm Beets
- Alberta Lamb Shank
- Epic Chocolate Cake
- The “EPIC” Signature BRÛLÉE TRIO
While we were browsing the menus for what we would order, our server brought out a plate of fresh hot bread with the chefs ratatouille and whipped butter. This pairing was scrumptious and I knew we were in for a night of amazing food.
For appetizers I ordered the soup of the day, which was a Hungarian goulash and my friend ordered the New Farm Beets, which was a salad with a mixture of flavors like gouda, hazelnut, beets, and honey – both items were insanely delicious. As a professed foodie, I was skeptical of the New Farm Beets as the ingredients sounded like they would clash – but alas, I was wrong.
New Farm Beets
Goulash Soup
For dinner, the lamb. I must admit, I have never been a fan of lamb – but I had not ordered it in a very long time and wanted to give it another go. I am SO glad I did. The lamb was fall off the bone perfection. The meat retained all its juices and it was paired nicely with a polenta. I think my reservations about ordering lamb were that I had never had lamb I liked, but now, I have left the Fairmont a fan.
Lamb
Dessert – the most important part of the meal. Or at least I think so. We ordered two desserts to try: the EPIC Chocolate Cake and the Brulee Trio. Both dishes were very decadent and I did favor the chocolate but I am a big fan of chocolate so it will almost always win over anything else. Also – the EPIC Chocolate was just that, EPIC. The dish was almost too pretty to eat.
EPIC Chocolate Cake
Brulee Trio
We did speak with the wine sommelier throughout our meal. I did not drink that evening but I did taste the pairings he suggested with the dishes and I thought they paired nicely. Make sure and see him when you dine in for the best recommendations to go with your food.
Overall: A wonderful dining experience and top notch, which is consistent with all the other Fairmont properties I have been to. I am exceptionally happy with the service and my choice to try dishes I historically did not like. I always tell people that our taste buds do change, so give things another chance.
Additional Information:
- Address: 100 Front Street W Toronto Ontario, Canada M5J 1E3
- Phone: TEL + 1 416 368 2511
- Attire: Smart Casual
- Reservations accepted
- Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch
- Valet parking available
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Disclaimer: I was hosted by the Fairmont Royal York, but as always, opinions are entirely my own.
Wow, this is truly a luxurious dining experience and would love to try this if given a chance. I like how you capture all your photos as it all rhyme to your words. This is something that everyone should try. This post actually made me crave for a luscious sweets desert.
I love the Royal York! One of my favorite Toronto facts is that the Royal York used to be the tallest building in the British Empire. Some of the more established (ie. older) nice restaurants in Toronto have some pretty terrible food. You do not want to eat at the top of the CN Tower. The Royal York is always a safe bet.
If you like martinis, York Station has the best. It’s tucked away on the Mezzanine. It’s a very unique bar. If you make it too late after rush hour to get the best martini ever from the best bartender in Toronto (and possibly the world), there’s also the Library Bar.
My pick would be the brulee trio, which looks really delicious. I’ll certainly put this on my to-visit list when I’m next in Toronto.
Everything looks delicious! I actually think that sometimes dining should be like eating a work of art. We all deserve to be treated sometimes 🙂
That Creme Brûlée looks amazing… well all of it looks and sounds amazing! Looks like I need to go to New York!
Author
Thanks Katie. It is in Toronto 🙂
I love a nice, hearty goulash, especially when there’s a chill in the air. And how could you resist a dessert as decadent as those cakes?
Is it awful that I think the bread looks like the greatest thing on there? Not because everything else looks bad, but because that bread looks so amazing! The brûlée trio looks pretty dang good as well.
Author
haha not bad at all .. we ate ALL the bread LOL
Sounds like quite the incredible night! I’m also a big fan of the Fairmont brand. Their dining options within the hotel are always of a high standard too. The presentation here is stunning – haha I always find it difficult eating pieces of art like this as there’s obviously so much meticulous effort which has gone into making the plate. I hate ruining something so beautiful by attacking it with a fork!
Will definitely stop by for a meal if we find ourselves traveling through – pretty good recommendation if they’ve turned you from someone who didn’t originally like lamb into a fan!
Oh My you have left me really hungry. I loved the burlee trio as I am lover of creme brulee. The Epic chocolate looked really like a piece or art which can baffle you and tear you apart in deciding whether you should eat it or admire it.