DaNico — Restaurant in Toronto

I recently celebrated my birthday with a party of four over Thanksgiving weekend and chose the $150 per person set menu.

The restaurant had a pleasant ambiance, with well-balanced lighting and appropriately leveled music. However, the service didn’t meet the level of quality we expected from a Michelin-caliber establishment.

Cons:

• The booth seating was uncomfortable, with the seats a little low which made the table too high, making it feel we were short of being comfortable. • While the servers were prompt, their presence in dropping off dishes often felt abrupt, causing us to pause our conversations when they approached. • The synchronized delivery of dishes felt awkward at times. One server would stand and wait by one side of the table for another server to arrive to the other side, making the interaction uncomfortable as we would be unsure of what was happening. • Our conversations were frequently interrupted by the abrupt explanations of each dish, which could have been delivered more smoothly and approachable. • Communication varied among the servers. Some had strong accents, making it hard to understand the details of certain dishes. • There was no guidance on how to approach some of the courses, leaving us unsure whether to combine certain sides or eat them separately. • Our main server didn’t check in with us often, so we had to rely on other servers for ordering and questions.

Menu Suggestions:

• For the secondi, we were recommended the miso cod, lobster, or wagyu. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THE WAGYU. It had a slight gamey flavor and tasted exactly like a hot dog outside of Rebel nightclub at 3am - this dish lacked the tender, buttery texture we are used to.

• The miso cod and lobster were FAR superior - highly recommend the lobster!

• The sake cocktail was well-made and enjoyable - light in alcohol flavour & refreshing

• My friends didn’t enjoy the “Forget Me Not” and “Danico Spritz” cocktails, which had a licorice-like taste, reminiscent of cough syrup (as per her feedback)

• We weren’t offered a tour of the restaurant, which other reviewers seem to have received (perhaps maybe it’s our party? who knows) so there seems to be a disconnect with consistency of service

•The flow of service felt hasty, as if the evening staff was either short-handed or included some inexperienced members

Pros:

• The servers were friendly and professional despite the uncoordinated teamwork of service we encountered. • The plating was beautiful and artistic, with dishes presented elegantly. • The food was tasty, beautiful and fun overall • Our server handled the return of the wagyu graciously, and we appreciated how smoothly the situation was resolved • The restaurant presented a beautiful birthday card and gift, which added a thoughtful touch to the evening.

In conclusion, while the experience was enjoyable, it’s not one I would enthusiastically recommend or suggest others seek out. That said, my standards for dining and service are more critical than the average diner’s for...

Went for 5pm dinner for an early Father’s Day celebration. Staff were all very nice. We had our toddler with us and yes we ordered him his own dish made by the head chef. (Our toddler is used to dining out and is well behaved). The first awkward part was they don’t have high chairs so we were told to bring our own with us (which we did).. but when I’m going out for a Michelin star dinner I don’t really want to walk around with a high chair. In any case we brought our chair and built it ourselves before dinner then had to take it apart after dinner…and our kiddo sat and ate without disrupting anyone else. We informed our server ahead of time that dishes need to come out fast and that we cannot stay beyond an hour bc our kid won’t sit and we don’t want to ruin other peoples dinner. Our dishes did not come out “fast”. At the end of our meal, when asked if we want dessert I declined bc we were well over an hour now and our kid was getting antsy. I didn’t ask for the bill, I just said no dessert. A few mins later they came over with the bill and a few last treats already packed up. I was taken aback a little bc we were still hoping to eat our final few bites there.

I had a pescatarian menu. When bread came to the table my husband was given 2 pieces (one vegetarian bread and one meat bread). I was only given 1 piece of the vegetarian (since I can’t eat the meat one, I thought they would give me 2 pieces of the vegetarian bread?). It’s really not the end of world but little details like that made us question the Michelin rating. The servers were all very nice and friendly but we found the service chaotic. For example butter and olive oil was served to our table and its history explained… bread came about 10-15mins later?! None of the dishes were memorable, they were just “good”. There are many places in Toronto that have memorable dishes that I would recommend instead. We have dined at quite a few Michelin places around the world and were quite surprised that this place had a star tbh. To end on a positive note, the interior is beautiful and whoever designed it definitely deserves a star for the...

DaNico, ranked the 3rd best Italian restaurant worldwide outside Italy, is a remarkable collaboration between twice Michelin-starred Chef Daniele Corona and Nick Di Donato of Liberty Entertainment Group. We had the pleasure of meeting Chef Corona during our visit, and he was incredibly down-to-earth and welcoming. His passion and dedication to providing an exceptional experience were evident in our delightful conversation.

We reserved a table for two at the bar, and on the day of our visit, we received a call from the restaurant to confirm any food allergies or special occasions.

Upon arrival, our coats were promptly taken, and we were shown to our table. The staff were exceptionally friendly and hospitable.

We began with cocktails and were presented with both an à la carte menu and a Tasting menu, complete with innovative lighting upon opening. We opted for the à la carte menu.

While awaiting our meals, we were treated to warm, freshly baked focaccia with olive oil and butter.

For appetizers, we chose the "TONNO-TONNATO" and "CERVO, CASTAGNE E MELOGRANO." For our main courses, we delighted in the "RISO ALLA PESCATORA CON CRUDO DI MARE" and "SPAGHETTONI AI FUNGHI LOCALI E TARTUFO NERO." Lastly, we enjoyed the "IL MANZO" and "CAPRETTO LOCALE CON PEPERONI ARROSTO” from the Secondi menu. Each dish was impeccably marinated, cooked to perfection, and beautifully presented. Our favorites were the Venison and Wagyu.

We were also treated to complimentary dessert canapés and ordered the "PANE E GIANDUJA" to pair with our dessert. The desserts truly made our meal an unforgettable experience.

A charming detail about the restaurant's location is that it was formerly a bank, and they have transformed the safe box into a wine cellar. They also use a 55-year-old Italian coffee machine to brew coffee, which adds to...