“Estia’s kingfish crudo is as pink and delicate as a tutu”

Estia

MIDDLE EASTERN Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji have turned NAO, their macho steak house, into a glam seafood restaurant that feels like a Mediterranean club as imagined by Jay Gatsby, washed in chandelier light and Yorkville money. Sparkling-fresh whole fish is the star: delicate sea bass is cooked tender over a wood-fuelled flame, splashed with roasted-lemon juice and grassy olive oil, then flayed tableside and sprinkled with barely bitter grape leaves. Halloumi, seared to form a thick, truffle-honeyed crust and served with warm red grapes, is like a killer grilled cheese with jam. And crudo brings finely shaved kingfish, as pink and delicate as a tutu, with caper berries, horseradish and lemon zest, all showered in more olive oil. Cocktails, like the bubbly Estia spritz made with Xinomavro rosé, lemon juice and grapefruit zest, are light and bright to suit the food, as are desserts, like a pistachiograpefruit tart with saffron ice cream. 90 Avenue Rd., 416-367-4141. $$$WOV

Fat Pasha

MIDDLE EASTERN Tel Aviv meets Toronto at Anthony Rose’s boisterous Dupont dining room. Expect to order a lot: creamy hummus covered in chickpeas; a vivid fattoush salad studded with halloumi; and an homage to the chicken liver at New York’s famously schmaltzy Sammy’s Roumanian, mixed tableside with slices of hard-boiled egg, onion, crispy chicken skin and a stream of golden, rendered fat. And then there are the salatim, small salads and dips ordered three, five or seven at a time—za’atar-dusted labneh and rapini tabbouleh are almost mandatory—and meant to be scooped up with (just so-so) hunks of pita. Vegetarians make out just as well as meat eaters: the must-order main is the whole roasted cauliflower, sporting tahini, pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and a green sheen from a bath of spicy skhug sauce. The cocktails keep up

with the shtick (Jerry’s Madhatten features a vermouth made from Manischewitz), and the wine list includes a collaboration with P.E.C.’s Norman Hardie. The sufganiyot are worth saving room for: dusted with cinnamon sugar, filled with sour cream icing and served on a chocolate mousse bed, they would be Bubbe’s favourite beignets. 414 Dupont St., 647-340-6142. $$$WOVAE

Little Sister

InDOnesIAn With its friendly tattooed servers, loud house music and boozy cocktails, this piece of Parkdale at Yonge and Eg is a favourite of the locals. They’re drawn in by the inviting atmosphere and chef Michael van den Winkel’s well-priced, flavour-packed Indonesian dishes. Best bets are the semur java, a sweet, deeply rich curry of braised beef shoulder (great with the nasi goreng fried rice); the satay ayam skewers with a creamy peanut sauce; and shredded chicken tacos, packed with pickled cucumbers and crispy shallots. Any missteps, like a fried cauliflower salad that could use another few minutes of cook time, or a spice-heavy shrimp curry, are minor aberrations. 2031 Yonge St., 416-488-2031. $$O

North 44

COnTInenTAL The dream of the ’90s is alive in north Toronto: sesame-crusted ahi tuna, truffled frites, veal “two ways”—all the hits that were popular when this linen-draped restaurant opened nearly 30 years ago. Standards remain high even if execution feels rote. Warm bread, swaddled in linen, and soft butter arrive with the house wine, an unoaked chardonnay. Appetizers include slice upon slice of cured Irish salmon, with pickled beets and blood orange segments over a creamy corn purée. Fat lamb chops, big as steaks, get the Mediterranean treatment with falafels, charred Jerusalem artichokes and mild harissa. The Mondrianesque arrangement of rhubarb jelly, poached strawberry, lime crémeux and lime-infused strawberry ice cream on a crisp, rectangular tart shell makes for a dramatic finish. 2537 Yonge St., 416-487-4897. $$$$WVA

Playa Cabana

MeXICAn Unlike its offshoots, the OG Playa is a charming, ramshackle hole-in-the-wall made of fixtures that look cobbled together from flotsam and jetsam that washed up on this posh Annex block. Patrons at communal tables huddle over succulent chipotlemarinated octopus tacos, perfectly seared and heavily slathered with creamy guac. The drink card favours tequila cocktails and beer, for cutting through the chipotle smoke of chicken tinga enchiladas that tingle with tomato acidity, or the disappointingly bland chorizo-stuffed burrito topped with two salsas and an oozy fried egg. Those fortunate enough to score a table for two can celebrate their luck by clinking churros, delicate and doughy inside, gilded with whipped cream and blasted with a storm of cinnamon sugar. 111 Dupont St., 416-929-3911. $$OV