Every now and then, you want to treat your taste buds to a night out. If you’re looking to sup on succulent strip loin, porterhouse or t-bone steak – sizzling in its own juices and seared to perfection – you want it done right. Here are some top Toronto steakhouses that make the cut. [Feature images: Harbour Sixty Steakhouse; Bestellen]
If you fancy the finer things in life, this French-inspired steakhouse serves elegant ambience with its tasty rib eye and porterhouse steaks. Cozy up to a wood-burning fireplace with a glass of red from the extensive wine list. Enjoy live jazz and stellar views in the rooftop dining room or dine alfresco on the terrace. Start with a tasty app like foie gras or steak tartare or proceed right to the main event. Tuck into succulent grilled steaks or sample the mixed grill – a feast of select chef’s cuts and sauces.
The perfect place to dine on porterhouse, this stylish Italian steak restaurant serves up contemporary Italian cuisine and decadent beef (both to Toronto lokes and to international A-listers who flock to this celeb hotspot during TIFF). You’ll be drooling over the juicy, dry-aged Angus porterhouse and Wagyu strip loin. With seasoned chefs hand-selecting the top USDA cuts in North America, Michael’s delivers mouth-watering steaks that have been aged to perfection in the restaurant’s custom dry-aging chamber.
One of Toronto’s most famous chophouses, this old-school steak destination has been plating beautiful cuts of beef for more than 50 years. In that time, they’ve served their share of celebs and Canadian prime ministers. Their recipe for success? Sumptuous cuts of seasoned beef, aged and butchered on the premises, combined with a little old-world charm. Elegant dining rooms are filled with original art and classic photos, and the wine cellar is stocked with bottles from the world’s greatest vineyards. It’s more than a meal – it’s an experience.
When you’re torn between steak and seafood, you can have a tryst with both at this stately waterfront steakhouse. The baroque-inspired decor, white table linens and candlelit backdrop make a stellar setting for some of the best steaks in the city. The menu is stacked with succulent, well-seasoned cuts, from New York strip to the porterhouse-for-two, along with melt-in-your-mouth sides like buttery mashed potatoes with truffle and lobster mac ‘n’ cheese. But don’t worry – there’s a strong focus on seafood as well. If you love surf and turf, Harbour Sixty is the spot to indulge.
A meat mecca for Bay Street traders and big spenders, this elegant Toronto gem makes an over-the-top ode to the classics. The sumptuous cuts range from perfectly cooked filet mignon and New York strip to rib eye and porterhouse, all carved from 28-day-aged prime Canadian beef. There are plenty of options for surf-and-turf lovers too, like the hard-to-resist steak and lobster dish. An extensive wine list and classic steakhouse theatrics (expert servers prepare classic dishes tableside before your very eyes, lending an air of sophistication to any celebration).
If meat and potatoes make you blissfully happy, get down to this chic Yorkville steakhouse, chop chop. With savoury steaks and spuds, your taste buds will be generously rewarded. Chow down on deliciously juicy filet mignon, rib eye or porterhouse, all from prime USDA aged beef. Or, try their signature pork, veal or lamb chops, sure to elicit groans of delight. With seven styles of potatoes, from matchstick fries to mashed, you’ll want to pass on dessert and pile on the sides, elevated to new heights in the hands of their skilled chefs.
If you’re looking for a tried-and-true steakhouse experience, you’ll find consistently top-grade USDA steaks at this global restaurant chain that caters to the ravenous. At the downtown Hilton Hotel location, you’ll enjoy impeccable service, elegant ambience (the low-lit, wood-panelled dining room strikes just the right chord). In terms of food, Ruth’s is known for generous portions of sizzling steak and sides. Seared to super-high temps (500°F), slabs of beef like the 22-ounce Cowboy rib steak and melt-in-your-mouth filet mignon are served up sizzling hot.
Filled with old-world charm and ambience (and the ghosts of perhaps one too many steers), this gothic, 1868 heritage building is the perfect venue for your beefy fix. Whether it’s a business tête-à-tête or a date-night rendezvous, feasting on sumptuous steak in this historic mansion will feel like a privilege. Indulge in prime cuts like herb-buttered sirloin, blue-cheese-crusted filet mignon or New York strip loin topped with fun options like goat cheese and pecans.