"Canada's most consistent tasting menu since 2015 and a Michelin star from Toronto's first guide onward. Book it for anniversaries."
About Alo
Ten courses, $245, and the kitchen will not tell you what is coming. Patrick Kriss has run Alo as a blind tasting menu since July 2015, on the third floor of a Victorian building at 163 Spadina Avenue where the Fashion District tips into Chinatown. The format has not changed because it has not needed to: when Michelin published its first Toronto guide in 2022, Alo took a star and has kept it in every edition since. A shorter six-course version runs $185; the long menu is the one to book.
Reservations open on the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00 on Tock and the dining room goes first. The chef's counter is the connoisseur's seat; the Parlour Room handles groups. Start with the Toronto dining guide for how the city's top rooms compare, or read our take on how far ahead to book a Michelin table in 2026.
The Kitchen
Kriss trained in demanding rooms: Daniel Boulud's Daniel in New York, then Splendido and Acadia in Toronto before going out on his own. The cooking is contemporary French with no national costume, built on luxury product and exact technique. The dish that follows guests home is the Koshihikari risotto, the rice deepened with dashi and crowned with lobster and shiitake; the Hudson Valley duck with foie gras, plum, turnip and red curry shows the kitchen's reach east. Because the menu is blind, dishes rotate without announcement, which keeps regulars returning monthly.
Kriss now runs Alo Food Group, with Aloette on the ground floor and Alobar in Yorkville, but he is most often at this pass. The record holds up: a Michelin star in the inaugural 2022 Toronto guide, retained in every edition since, and first place on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants in both 2017 and 2018. For the genre, see the best French restaurants worldwide and where tasting-menu dining is heading.
The Room
The room sits above Spadina with windows facing the streetcar wires, dressed in dark wood and white linen. Sound stays conversation-easy even at the Friday second seating; lighting is low without being murky. Tables are spaced for privacy, and the marble-topped chef's counter gives a handful of seats a direct view of the pass. Dress lands at smart and elegant; jackets are common, not required. The long menu runs close to three hours, paced so the wine pairing never lags the food.
Best for an Anniversary
Book this room for an anniversary because the format does the romancing for you: a blind menu gives the table something to react to every twenty minutes, the lighting flatters, and the staff handle milestones without theatre. Ask for a window table when reservations open; couples who want the kitchen as the show should take the counter instead. More rooms built for the night: best restaurants for an anniversary, and Alo's place among Toronto's anniversary tables for 2026.
Not for
Not for diners who need control: the menu is blind, substitutions cover allergies only, and the ten courses run close to three hours.
Frequently Asked
Is Alo worth it?
Yes, and it sits at the top of Toronto's price-to-execution curve. The $245 long menu is the city's most reliable special-occasion spend, and the $185 six-course version keeps most of the impact. You give up choice entirely, which is the point. If you want the same group at a third of the price, Aloette on the ground floor takes walk-ins.
How hard is it to book Alo?
Plan for the drop: reservations for the dining room, Parlour Room and private room open on the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00 on Tock, and prime Friday and Saturday slots go within the hour. Midweek tables linger a day or two longer. Our guide to booking Michelin tables in 2026 covers the wider strategy.
What is the dress code at Alo?
Smart and elegant. Most men wear a jacket without a tie, and dark deliberate denim passes. Running shoes and shorts will feel wrong in the room rather than get you turned away at the door. The chef's counter reads slightly more relaxed than the dining room, and the bar more relaxed still.
How much does dinner at Alo cost?
The ten-course blind tasting is $245 per person and the six-course is $185, before drinks, tax and service. Wine pairings add meaningfully; budget $400 to $500 a head all-in for the full evening. The bar at Alo serves its own six-course menu at $120 for a shorter commitment.
Is Alo good for an anniversary?
Book it. The blind format keeps the table engaged, the room is quiet enough for actual conversation, and the kitchen folds a celebration into the menu if you note it on the reservation. For a louder, cheaper night with the same DNA, Alobar Yorkville is the move.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Alo
Released on Tock the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00; prime weekends go within the hour.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address163 Spadina Ave., 3rd Floor, Toronto
NeighbourhoodFashion District
CuisineContemporary French
Price$185 / $245 tasting, ex-drinks
Dress CodeSmart elegant
SeatingDining room, chef's counter, Parlour Room
ReservationTock, monthly drop
