This seven-course tasting menu has become a Toronto classic

Barely a week goes by without someone asking me for a restaurant recommendation. The irony is that it's often harder than it sounds. Toronto's dining scene changes at such a relentless pace that I'm usually chasing the newest openings rather than returning to old favourites.

Which is why Sara has earned a special place on my list. Since opening in 2018, I've been back three (or is it four?) times, and it hasn't put a foot wrong. My recent visit marked my first since the Food Dudes restaurant on Portland Street transitioned from a full à la carte menu to its seven-course tasting experience. Dubbed The Journey, it takes diners through dishes spanning hamachi, wagyu and Japanese milk bread.

A version of the tasting menu existed previously (and returning guests will recognize favourites like the squash latke and wagyu Reuben), but this evolution streamlines the experience. The generous hosts take the wheel, guiding the evening from one course to the next while you settle in and savour the ride. While The Journey is now the focus, those popping in for cocktails can still usually order a handful of bar favourites if they ask nicely.

Marble tables and velvet banquettes in cool, dusky pastel shades invite you to settle in for the duration across the Victorian row house's two levels. Staff saunter over to guide us through the beverage menu. We start with cocktails — gin and martini-forward, just the way I like them — but it was always going to be tough to resist the wine pairings (whose praises I've sung before). The $60 add-on features glasses of white, orange and dessert wines, thoughtfully curated to complement the wide range of flavours on the menu.

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Sara is seasonal and ingredient-driven, making The Journey a fitting name for the experience. Unlike many tasting menus, it doesn't lean too heavily on luxury ingredients or any one protein. Seafood makes an appearance, but it's far from the focus. Over seven courses, diners move from delicate crudo to richly marbled prime sirloin and nostalgic riffs on sandwiches, with vegetables given just as much time in the spotlight.

At $115 per person, it also occupies an appealing middle ground in Toronto's tasting menu scene — special enough for a celebration, but approachable enough that adding those excellent wine pairings won't push your bank balance into the red.

Sara has another ace up its sleeve in its charming backyard patio. Rather than vying for attention on bustling Portland Street, the leafy, tucked-away space feels like a hidden retreat — the sort of place where a leisurely seven-course dinner somehow stretches effortlessly into the evening. If, like me, you find yourself returning again and again, it's just one more reason to come back.

Regardless of where you sit, Sara is one of the rare restaurants in Toronto that justifies a repeat visit. And in a city obsessed with what's next, that's perhaps the highest compliment I can give.

The Journey, a seven-course tasting menu, costs $115 per person.

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