Michelin awards 13 Toronto restaurants with first stars

With the arrival of the Michelin guide in Toronto, the city can now boast to being home to more than a dozen Michelin-star restaurants, including one two-star run by the celebrated Chef Masaki Saito who has been previously recognized by the prestigious food guide for his sushi restaurant in Manhattan, but has since called Toronto home.

After years in the making, it was announced back in May that Toronto will be the first MICHELIN Guide destination in Canada and the sixth in North American. This guide and partnership will help ensure Toronto’s culinary depth receives the attention it deserves and will hopefully help further boost exposure for the city and make it a destination for food and travel.

Over the summer of 2022, MICHELIN inspectors have anonymously been making reservations and maintaining confidentiality at restaurants throughout Toronto to ensure that they are treated like any other customer. Although the grading system seems to be shrouded in mystery, on a broad basis, the restaurants are judged on the quality of ingredients, mastery of flavour and cooking technique, as well as value for money, consistency between visits to the space and the personality of the chef in the cuisine.

In theory, a one-star rating means, “a very good restaurant,” two stars signify “excellent cooking that is worth a detour,” and a three-star restaurant is one that offers “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.”

One restaurant in particular - won the two Michelin stars that signifies “excellent cooking that is worth a detour”:

Sushi Masaki Saito

The following restaurants have been awarded a coveted 1 star, which means "very good in its category" and made Michelin’s inaugural guide:

Aburi Hana

Alo

Alobar

Don Alfonso 1890

Edulis

Enigma Restaurant

Frilu

Kaiseki Yu-Zen Hashimoto

Osteria Guilia

Quetzal

Shoushin

Yukashi

Congratulations to all the 74 restaurants had impressed the team across their different award categories and the 13 eateries that earned stars as a result. Vancouver will be the next Canadian city to feature in the Michelin guide.