When a special-occasion dinner calls for an epic afterparty, book a table at Ultra. The splashy spot is a reimagined version of the glitzy Queen West nightclub that was popular during the 2000s. Ultra transitions from sleek dinner venue to late-night hotspot with DJs and dancing.

Mamakas Taverna is all about comfort food inspired by Thanos Tripi’s Greek childhood, and is an especially inviting spot to celebrate with a group. The Ossington icon has served some of Toronto’s best Greek food since 2014 and breathes new life into traditional Aegean dishes with farm-fresh ingredients and lots of imagination. Cases in point: grilled Ontario lamb dolloped with tzatziki and a top-notch baklava cheesecake.

Chef Patrick Kriss’ Alder in the Ace Hotel is special-occasion central and even scored nods from the 2023 MICHELIN guide for its timeless Mediterranean hits. Flickers from a grill in the open kitchen and logs piled under a grand stairway hint at the menu’s wood-fired focus, while towering concrete pillars and sky-high windows sprinkle bring the glamour on your big night out.

Chef Quinton Bennett’s passion for molecular gastronomy means a celebration dinner at Enigma Yorkville is an awe-inducing one, and the blind format tasting menu promises lots of surprises. Your special-occasion meal, which changes often, might include dry-aged Berkshire pork shoulder with roasted rum pineapple and black forest gateau petit fours—it’s no surprise that Bennett’s extra-imaginative approach earned the restaurant a MICHELIN star on the guide’s inaugural Toronto guide.

This quaint restaurant is set in a pair of former woodcutter’s cottages that date back to the 1860s. These days, Auberge du Pommier is an elegant French restaurant and a special-occasion gem hidden in an otherwise nondescript pocket of midtown Toronto. Decadent, celebration-worthy dishes include hand-cut beef tartare with barrel-aged soy sauce, Ibérico pork secreto with shallot rings, and vanilla crème brûlée with fresh berries, which can be enjoyed in a la carte or tasting menu form.

Baro is the next best thing to a South American getaway. Colombian, Peruvian, and Argentine flavours dominate the menu at this fiesta of a restaurant. Baro spans three festive floors, including a lush ground-level dining room, a cocktail lounge, and a rooftop patio, ideal for group gatherings. Get the party started with a “big ass steak”, or duck chaufa, then make your way upstairs for some celebratory cocktails.

Woo someone special with exceptional Toronto skyline views at this modern Canadian restaurant on the 54th floor of the TD tower. Canoe is a special occasions all-star—and not just for its sky-high location. Locally sourced ingredients shine in inventive farm-to-table dishes like wild Pacific halibut and birch-cured salmon with smoked mussel.

A 28-foot wood-fire grill is at the heart of the menu and the space at Quetzal, a restaurant ideal for special birthdays and anniversaries. Quetzal recently scored a MICHELIN star, and much of the credit for that honour goes to executive chef Steven Molnar, who previously worked at owner Grant Van Gameren’s other acclaimed Toronto restaurants, Bar Raval and Bar Isabel.

Don Alfonso’s OG Amalfi Coast edition has a MICHELIN star, and the restaurant’s celebrated Toronto outpost also earned that honour in 2022. With its luxe dining room, sophisticated Mediterranean menu, and acclaimed tasting menu, Don Alfonso 1890 delivers everything you could wish for on a special night out.

Louix Louis is perched on the 31st floor of the St. Regis hotel and where you go for a see-and-be-seen night out. It’s unabashedly glam with gilded accents, a whiskey-inspired ceiling mural, and a pristine marble bar. The food is just as splashy, blending French and American ingredients in dishes like wagyu steak with herbed butter and truffle chicken with mushroom farotto.

Executive chef Rob Rossi and restaurateur David Minicucci (of Giulietta fame) led this Yorkville restaurant to MICHELIN stardom in 2022. Osteria Giulia is an ode to northern Italy and deserves a spot on your celebration list for hearty dishes like burrata with asphodel honey and hand-braided pasta with wild squid and bay scallops.

Yukashi flew under the radar when it opened in 2018. But thanks to a recent MICHELIN star, Torontonians now flock to this hushed Japanese stunner to mark especially intimate occasions. Chef Daisuke Izutsu has cooked for royals and dignitaries, so rest assured your celebration meal will have a regal edge.