We came for an early dinner before a concert. Our table was ready and we were quickly seated and reading the menu. Cocktails arrived soon thereafter. As part of the Alo group of restaurants we had high expectations and frankly there was nothing they could have done to make the experience better. The food was great. The service was impeccable. And there were no surprises.

We didn’t have a reservation today, and this place is usually super busy, but luckily we came early and managed to get seats at the bar. The staff were all incredibly friendly and welcoming.

We ordered two brunch cocktails—mine was on the sweeter side, while my friend’s had stronger alcohol and mint notes. Both were really refreshing and perfect for the morning. My shakshuka was solid, but my friend’s steak and eggs were honestly the best we’ve ever had. They paired it with these little flatbreads as the carb, so you could wrap the steak in them—it actually felt a bit like eating Chinese dumplings🥟

Alouette Restaurant offers a cozy, intimate environment paired with a carefully selected menu that feels thoughtful and well executed. We especially loved the beef tataki, which was flavorful and well balanced, and the triple cooked fries, perfectly crispy and indulgent. The stuffed olives were a bit too acidic for our taste, but still interesting. The lemon meringue pie is absolutely beautiful and a showstopper visually, though it leaned very sour for us. Overall, a charming spot worth visiting for its atmosphere and standout savory dishes.

I was in Toronto for a short two night stay to attend a concert. First time in Canada and as a Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder, this was one of the restaurants on their Exclusive Tables Program so I was excited to try it out.

I read some reviews so the quaint location on Spadina Avenue did not surprise me. I had a 4:15PM counter reservation on a Friday afternoon.

At that time, there was only 1 party in a booth and I asked if I could sit in a booth and was told I could not because I wouldn’t have enough time to finish my meal before any other parties arrived, no big deal since I was on a solo mission. I took my seat at the counter. The music was loud enough and their playlist was very American, was surprised to hear a lot of New York rap classics and as a Native New Yorker I definitely enjoyed.

The bar tender on duty at that time was nice enough, but overall I had this weird feeling, no one did anything overtly to me but I did not feel that warm fuzzy welcoming feeling, I have experienced at other establishments.

With the suggestion of the bartender, I chose a drink that he suggested was sweet, I’m definitely into sweet drinks, he suggested the Gong Show. I could not choose between their infamous Aloette Burger or the Aloette Fried Chicken, so I chose both.

The chicken was my fav out of the 2. The food was prepared well and came out hot. I enjoyed wrapping the chicken in the fresh lettuce. The burger was juicy and seasoned well. Everything was tasty.

My experience was okay, if ever in Toronto again not sure if I’d make this a stop but clearly they’ve received excellent reviews, so maybe I’m a 1 off.

The food was genuinely tasty overall. We tried the fries, which could have been a bit crispier, and the salad had a really nice balance. We also had the famous chicken, which was a little on the greasy side.

Highlights of the night were the lobster & shrimp fritter and the burger — both were excellent.

Probably one of my worst dining experiences in the whole city. We walked in and were seated at the awful tables outside despite an indoor table being available. Server acknowledged us right away so we thought service was going to be good.

Fast forward to an incredible THIRTEEN minutes later and the floor manager saw how bothered we were with the lack of service and came over to take our orders and bring some water. When he realized what was happening, the server quickly came to our table to try and take it over, to which the floor manager said “I got it” and gave the server a brutal staredown.

We got the famous truffle burger and to no one’s surprise it had close to none truffle flavour. If anything, the jus served with it saved the burger because everything else was just meh. Definitely not worth $40+. They sent a free pretzel bread to our table to make up for the bad service and the bread wasn’t good as well.

As someone that adores Alo, I was so disappointed with the entire experience in Aloette, to the point I”ll never step foot in it again.

I don’t recommend outdoor tables to anyone. It’s noisy, right on Spadina, service is very slow and there’s a lack of restaurant atmosphere that destroys the whole experience.

We have been here multiple times but this was our first time sitting on the patio. It was a nice change of environment - more quiet and brighter. Of course there were people walking by but they were not bothersome.

There were also some newer items on the menu, one of these being the sea bream. We were very impressed! The corn sauce was great and the sea bream was cooked well. We have tried most of their menu before and this is now our new favourite dish. The classics including the wedge salad (must order) and burger were consistently delicious.

Aloette was my first upscale solo dinner. I had the best time there. Everything, from the movie-like open kitchen with a vigorous female chef running the place with discipline, through a very friendly staff, to unforgettable seasonal and fresh food options - was simply fantastic! The only flaw I found uncomfortable was some guests’ wardrobe choices. I don’t think it’s appropriate to visit a restaurant downtown wearing Crocs and shorts. The manager should pay more attention to that matter, but maybe it’s the restaurant’s policy to keep it casual :)

Very elegantly appointed restaurant. Reservations are encouraged.

Service was attentive, but slow. Expect to spend at minimum 1 hour.

I ordered a medium well burger and received well done. You may want to order down a notch from your usual.

After hearing so many rave reviews about it, I wanted to try the burger. I visited on a random weekend night. The wedge salad was delicious, and I loved the textures and flavours. The fried chicken was okay; it was well-seasoned but not very juicy. The lamb skewer was mediocre and not particularly memorable. Now the burger was good, but I was disappointed. I wouldn’t rank it among the best burgers I’ve ever had in the city, definitely not in the top 5 in Toronto. The lemon meringue pie was also unremarkable. On the positive side, the service was fantastic, and the atmosphere was interesting, featuring an upscale retro diner vibe.

Generally liked some of the dishes here. We started with the octopus carpaccio which had chili oil that tasted exactly like lao gan ma. That chili oil is relatively affordable, so didn’t feel like the flavor belonged at this restaurant.

Then a few other meat dishes like the crudo and beef tartare. Tartare may be my favorite for the evening. Well seasoned with the right amount of acidity. Crudo was okay? Also found it weird that it was 3 pieces for over 20$, small portion and made it weird for sharing.

Then we had the lobster, which was a bit overcooked. Lobster came with clams and mussels which were very flavorful. Baguette was too dry. The lamb skewer was another favorite, it was the most tender lamb I’ve had, though some parts were too salty.

We finished with the popular lemon meringue pie. I love lemon flavored things so this was a sweet ending to the dinner! The meringue was too sweet for me, overpowering the lemon, but if you have a sweet tooth you will really enjoy this one.