Don Alfonso 1890
1 Harbour Square 38th Floor
Toronto
CA
M5J 1A6
Before Don Alfonso 1890 moved into the circular, window-lined chamber perched on top of the Westin Harbour Castle in 2022, the space housed a different restaurant, where I once had the worst dining experience of my entire life. It was so terrible, that I feel a knot of anxiety rising in my chest as I make my way to dinner, through the hotel's lobby and up the glass elevator, which offers more and more dramatic views as it climbs up to the 38th floor.
After closing its original location during the pandemic, Don Alfonso 1890 had a brief stint as a pop-up inside Casa Loma, another of the Liberty Entertainment Group's properties. Long settled into its permanent home at Harbourfront, the one-Michelin-star restaurant has been raking in the accolades and frequently lands among the best restaurants in Toronto.
Named the best Italian restaurant in the world, outside of Italy, Don Alfonso 1890's roots are on the Amalfi Coast, where its sister restaurant of the same name boasts two Michelin stars. Both restaurants are the brainchild of chef Alfonso Iaccarino and his wife Livia, who opened their first restaurant in 1973. Now, their son chef Ernesto Iaccarino is heavily involved in the business. He selected chef Davide Ciavattella to move from Italy to Toronto to helm the kitchen at Don Alfonso 1890 as chef de cuisine.
Don Alfonso 1890: The vibe
Stepping out of the elevator, I completely forget myself and that old memory. I'm awestruck by the gorgeous pearly white interior, as the friendly host greets me, takes my coat and ushers me into the restaurant in one seemingly fluid movement.
My eyes roll around the dining room as I pass by a magnificent sculpture of a white skull adorned with fluttering moths and a glass case sparkling with hundreds of wine bottles. Carved with large swirling roses and wearing golden crystalline chandeliers like dangly earrings, even the ceiling is worth gawking at.
But the view is something else entirely. Depending on where you're sitting in the restaurant, floor-to-ceiling windows offer up the endless blue horizon of the lake or the twinkling lights of towers etched into the skyline, right beside your table. We're sat at a vantage point with a little bit of everything, primed to watch the orange glow sink down behind the CN Tower, and the city lights grow brighter as our meal lingers into the night.
Despite every table being full at certain points during dinner, Don Alfonso 1890 never feels busy or crowded. The spacious table placement and the attentive, unhurried service makes each group of guests feel like the only one in the restaurant. (I actually completely forget we're not alone until someone in a particularly stunning outfit catches my eye.) Our server is friendly but formal, making us feel cared for every moment of the meal, while still giving us plenty of room to breathe. It's one of the most romantic restaurants in the city, but can easily serve as the backdrop for any special occasion that deserves permanent shelf space in your memories.
Don Alfonso 1890: The menu
We visit the urban farm that's powering a Michelin-starred kitchen
This fall, I explored the seasonality of Michelin-starred Don Alfonso from start to finish, with a visit to its urban farm ahead of a sensational meal cooked by executive chef Davide Ciavattella.
Read moreTalking about bread at a tasting menu is unheard of, but I must tell you how good it is. Baked fresh in-house daily and served with truffle butter and a delicately spicy olive oil, it's a wonderfully pleasant precursor of what's to come. My mom and I both opt for the Signature Tasting Menu, with a few courses from the vegetarian Contemporary Tasting Menu subbed in to accommodate that I'm pescatarian (and have a nut allergy).
With each course that arrives, we're instructed on how best to enjoy it. We work our way from the south to the north of an Italy-shaped plate, eating canapés that are bite-sized flavour bombs. We swirl together colourful paint splatters of chive yogurt, orange emulsion and fava bean purée, and use the slightly sweet, creamy mixture to balance the smoky, delicate taste of cured amberjack, while a crispy piece of pickled ginger adds crunch and kick. The flavours dance in perfect harmony in my mouth.
Succulent seared muscovy duck is complemented by smoked butternut squash and cranberry jam; a crispy tart comes brimming with fresh vegetables straight from the garden at Casa Loma; and my main course of roasted root vegetables in a swirl of pastry are treated as well as any meat dish, marinated in miso, topped with foam and served with rosemary sauce and burnt leak cream.
Italian imports lovingly embrace local ingredients in a marriage that brings quality, seasonality and flavour to the forefront. The staff are wonderfully accommodating, guiding us through each plate and answering questions. Despite the high price tag of the meal, it doesn't feel pretentious or showy. It's made obvious that we're meant to truly and wholeheartedly enjoy ourselves.
When my mom's Manitoba bison tenderloin arrives looking a little too red for her taste, our server quickly offers to have it served more well-done and whisks it away without any sign of hesitation or judgement — something that would have thoroughly embarrassed me at other restaurants. Don Alfonso 1890 is elegant, comfortable luxury with hospitality that makes you feel warm and welcome.
The restaurant's signature pasta dish is a twist of fresh and delicate tagliolini that comes swimming in a white fish broth; topped with red snapper carpaccio and fennel; and accented with two slices of the juiciest, sweetest tomato I've ever eaten. The flavours aren't overpowering; they're subtle and they make you lean in for more.
Choosing a favourite dish is as difficult as deciding where to plant my gaze when all the views seem to be vying for my attention. But I have a particular affinity for the fatty flavours of the seared P.E.I. tuna belly paired with the tartness of puttanesca sauce, crunchy olive crisps and eggplant caponata. It's wonderfully rich, and every bite is divine.
For dessert, a dainty ball of tiramisu is given complexity with a coffee-soaked sponge base and a crunchy centre of white chocolate and salted caramel. By the time the petit four come out on a plate of billowing smoke, we're stuffed. But the last little treats offer a few different flavours (like raspberry) to wrap up the meal.
Don Alfonso 1890: The drinks
Before the tasting menu (and subsequent wine pairings) begins, we start our experience with cocktails. The list leans Italian, but there's plenty of representation. The Occhio is a balanced, yet very booze-forward sipper that hints at the flavours of a margarita, while the OK Colada (a non-alc version of the Sta'Appost cocktail) is bright, sweet and bursting with tart citrus. I could drink one for breakfast every morning or as an aperitif every evening.
While each of the seven wines served in the Classic Pairing alongside the tasting menu is nice on its own, the true beauty lies in the way each one is paired with the flavours on the plate. Our sommelier takes us on a journey through each sip with informative storytelling that draws us into every bottle, and answers all of our questions with the air of a friend who's sharing their expert knowledge on a subject they're passionate about. It's a subtle lesson on palate and aroma that you could lock into or easily let fly over your head, nod along and simply slurp back each glass and enjoy — or come up with your own musings.
We toast the start of the tasting menu with franciacorta, a bready sparkling wine that's Italy's answer to champagne. The minerality and citrus notes of langhe nascetta, a rare, indigenous Italian grape, shines through the smoky flavour of the cured amberjack appetizer. I'm surprised to see tuna belly paired with a red wine, but the fruity notes and the dry, medium body of the Tornatore Etna Rosso 2022 balance out the rich dish. To close things out, the award-winning Donnafugata Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria 2022 is lightly sweet, but full of flavour, and challenges all of my thoughts about dessert wine.
When we stand up, I realize that I'm very full and more than just a little tipsy. Unlike some other tasting menus in the city, I'm not left with the feeling of wanting more. I'm completely satiated on all accounts; I couldn't think of another thing to ask for.
From start to finish, everything that lands on my tongue at Don Alfonso 1890 is delicious. It's clear that mastery, thought and creativity has gone into ensuring every bite is pure bliss, and every sip only elevates the experience. This isn't the kind of tasting menu you need to be a food nerd to enjoy — it's as easy as and comfortable as a meal at this price point should be, all paired with thoughtful service.
Dinner and drinks: $225 Signature Tasting Menu and $120 Classic Wine Pairing
