There’s something about the Venice neighbourhood that makes it feel quintessential to Los Angeles and special. Tucked along Abbot Kinney Boulevard, the restaurant has become a neighbourhood institution that genuinely lives up to the hype. The lunch menu is extensive and rooted in California’s produce-driven cooking, with enough plant-based options to satisfy just about anyone.

After encountering far too many whole roasted cauliflowers that require awkward cutting at the table, I appreciated that Gjelina’s wood-roasted cauliflower ($19) arrived already broken into bite-sized pieces. The flames caramelize the edges beautifully, giving the florets a smoky char while layers of garlic, chili, and vinegar keep the dish vibrant and addictive. If vegetables always tasted this good, convincing people to eat them would be far easier.

The grilled squid ($22) also gets that char. The seafood is cooked perfectly so it stays tender while still getting a slight smokiness from the grill. Topped with a vibrant tapenade, beans, celery, red onion, and other vegetables, every bite feels fresh and lively.

Still, the pizzas are hard to resist. The squash blossom pizza ($28) immediately caught my attention thanks to two personal favourites: delicate zucchini blossoms and burrata. The thin, blistered Neapolitan crust comes generously topped with baby zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and confit garlic, creating something creamy, fresh, and deeply satisfying all at once. Thankfully, the pizza was large enough to share because otherwise I may not have left any for my friend. Extra salt, dried oregano, and chili flakes arrive on the side for anyone wanting even more flavour.

Honestly, I wish my trip had been longer just so I could return to try more of the menu. The gruyère and caramelized onion pizza and an anchovy-topped version all sounded interesting.

Even on a Monday, Gjelina was packed through lunch service, with the back patio fully reserved. If you don’t have a booking, it’s worth arriving early or simply embracing the Venice lifestyle by heading to the beach first before returning for a later lunch. Some restaurants become famous because they’re trendy. Gjelina feels different. It’s the kind of place people keep returning to because the food genuinely delivers, even years after the hype began.

When a restaurant is recognized by several Toronto publications as one of the city's best new restaurants, it's bound to get busy. Consequently, you'll want to secure a reservation at Seahorse or risk being turned away. And with a name like Seahorse, you'd expect an abundance of seafood. Thankfully, that's exactly what you'll find, although the menu also includes a grilled steak and salads for those who prefer turf over surf.

I naturally stuck with the sea, starting with the tuna tartare ($29), which almost has the feel of a beef tartare thanks to its savoury crème fraîche dressing. Combined with the pickled accents, it almost resembles a tartar sauce. Personally, I enjoyed piling it onto the smoky toasted bread, but I could see some diners feeling the tuna gets a little lost.

So, if you're after brighter citrus flavours or that Peruvian-Japanese (Nikkei) style of tartare, this isn't it. Instead, opt for the kampachi crudo or Thai prawn ceviche, which are better suited to those cravings.

The burrata salad ($28) was a little skimpy on the cheese, consisting of only half of a very small ball. There simply wasn't enough to match the generous helping of heirloom tomatoes and plums. Still, it's a pleasant salad, and I liked the addition of a slightly tart verjus glaze that kept the fruit from becoming overly sweet.

If you're dining with three or more people, I'd recommend ordering at least two pastas ($44). Seahorse makes theirs fresh daily, so the delicate spaghettini clings to their umami-rich signature sauce, which resembles a tangy seafood bisque rather than marinara. Three nicely grilled prawns top the dish. Personally, I would have preferred the sun-dried tomatoes blended into the sauce instead of left in chunks, as I found their concentrated flavour a little overpowering, but that's entirely a matter of taste.

The fish ($46), a Caribbean red snapper, was grilled to perfection wonderfully flaky and meaty. The ramp salsa verde was such a bright burst of flavours that I’m glad they placed it on the side, so you gradually add to the fish. For those who prefer simpler flavours, the fennel gremolata on top was more than enough.

I’d recommend ordering some bread ($9) and saving it for dipping into the mains. The sauces are excellent on their own but mix the pasta sauce with a little of the salsa verde and tell me it doesn't become even better.

Having heard so much about the crêpes Suzette, I was disappointed to learn they were removed for the summer. I understand the warm dessert is probably better suited to cooler weather. Instead, we settled on the ciambellone ($16), an Italian lemon olive oil cake topped with a bright strawberry coulis for a lighter finish. The menu describes the ice cream as white chocolate, but to me it tasted more like brown butter and caramel, which nicely mellowed the acidity of the coulis.

While the food was fantastic, Seahorse's service still has room to improve. Aside from the owner stopping by once (and noticing empty water glasses) to ask how we were enjoying the meal, no one refilled our water, even though our server checked in several times. Pro tip: if you're already at the table, just grab the bottle and top up the glasses. After asking for the bill, we also waited quite a while for the payment terminal and eventually had to flag someone down again. We even tried paying through the QR code on the bill, but it unfortunately didn't work. In a busy restaurant, I would have thought they’d want to turn over tables quickly.

Seahorse has certainly earned the attention it's been getting. The kitchen is turning out thoughtful, seafood-forward dishes that make it easy to understand the accolades. A few service hiccups aside, Seahorse delivers a meal that's well worth planning ahead for.

Summerlicious returns and this year I’ve narrowed my visits to only one place, Ēst Restaurant, that was recommended by a friend. They’ve been meaning to visit the casual French establishment and at last we had an opportunity and reason to get out to the East side.

Their Summerlicious menu ($75 per person) is at the highest price point, but still good value compared to normal prices (reflected in this post). For example, the burrata & caviar starter is typically $41, more than half of the special deal, which is surprising given its modest size.  

Hopefully, they usually give a full burrata as the palm-sized portion barely whet the appetite. Served on top of toasted pain-au-lait with a dollop of sturgeon caviar, the starter was a blend of flavours with the olive oil and honey. It’s good, but would I order it again for $40? Let’s just say I’m glad I experienced it with Summerlicious.

Unlike the burrata, they weren’t stingy with the lobster agnolotti ($39) with plenty of plump stuffed pasta to go around. The chopped lobster and ricotta (?) filling was wrapped in an al dante shell that went nicely with the light champagne butter sauce. Simply topped with chopped fermented garlic scapes and a yuzu foam, they complimented but didn’t overpower the seafood.

You can’t go wrong with the braised beef short rib ($51) a large hunk of tender beef sitting on silky pomme purée (or mashed potatoes for the English) swimming in a lovely red wine jus. It’s a classic for a reason, excellently executed at Ēst.

If you like chocolate, you’ll love the Ēst chocolate cake ($15), a rich dark chocolate dessert with sweet chocolate whipped cream and more warm chocolate sauce on the side. It’s A LOT but thankfully there’s a bit of vanilla gelato to help cut through it all.

At the other end of the spectrum, the piña colada sorbet ($15) was lighter with coconut sorbet topped with crispy coconut, pineapple, and nuts. It’s good, if you wanted to end on a more manageable note.

At the risk of sounding like Goldilocks, the crème brulee cheesecake was just right - a balanced sweetness with a creamy and not overly dense texture. The scoop of gelato didn’t hurt either. Of the three desserts, this was my favourite.

I’ll say it again; I commend restaurants that build their Summerlicious menu around dishes they normally serve. Ēst held true to the experience along with their friendly and unhurried service. Thank you for allowing diners to taste a typical meal at a deal. 

The stretch of Avenue Road close to the 401 has been put on the map with the opening of LSL Restaurant. Up until its opening, one of the ‘finer’ dining options in the neighbourhood has been the longstanding Francobollo.

Still, the restaurant doesn’t take itself too seriously. Amongst the modern homey dining room, they play lively music so you’re not afraid to laugh out loud (the second floor reserved for those who like it quiet). Their menu even drops a few puns like the tagliatelle ‘Bollo’gnese ($27). Get it, ‘Bollo’gnese and Franco’bollo’?

The sauce is heavy on the meat (a combination of beef and veal), which is proper since it’s a Bolognese and not ragu. One of my husband’s signature recipes, I’ve learnt a lot about Bolognese and have been spoiled by his perfected concoction. Francobollo’s was decent, but too heavy on the tomato. Ultimately, it’s a fresher rendition but was missing that richness that less tomato and a touch of cream helps create.

Finding burrata at an Italian restaurant is not surprising, but having one that’s fresh and served at an ideal temperature isn’t always the case. Francobollo’s burrata ($32) was the consistency I crave: creamy and soft but not oozing. Served with peaches and a tomato salad the summery starter was simply seasoned with olive oil, balsamic reduction, and basil. I would have liked crostini versus bread sticks but skipping carbs in the summer never hurt anyone.

Besides, we were having our fill of carbs with the pastas. And in retrospect, should have gotten the bread ($3) earlier as the salty oiliness of the soft chewy ciabatta would have paired well with the burrata. 

If you’re craving something rich, order the braised short ribs pappardelle ($32). I was expecting a traditional beef broth or tomato-based sauce, so the white sauce was a surprise. Yet, it’s not an alfredo. Instead, a combination of sweet corn, mustard, and truffle creating a sweet creaminess with an interesting finish. I wouldn’t have pinpointed the sauce to contain mustard or truffle, but then it’s two ingredients that’s rarely combined. While I enjoyed the chunks of shredded short rib and the texture of the pasta, the sweet thick sauce threw me off. Luckily, my husband enjoyed the pappardelle, so we switched our orders.

Meanwhile, I rather enjoyed the corn used in the Caesar salad ($20; half of the order in the picture). Left in kernel form, the corn’s sweetness was contained and what escaped in a bite helped enhance the garlicky dressing – just a bit of sweetness without being in every mouthful. Who knows, maybe a similar usage in the pappardelle would help mellow out the sugariness. Oh, and this was a sizeable salad, so I’d recommend sharing.

Francobollo’s pistachio cheesecake ($16?) can also easily satisfy two people. Rich and creamy, the earthy nuttiness of the pistachio was a lovely change from the overly sweet chocolate, caramel, or fruit.

In an area where restaurant menus get printed and rarely change, I appreciate that Francobollo creates daily specials and morphs their menus regularly to keep things interesting. It’s the fortitude that’s required as Michelin chef restaurants begin to enter the neighbourhood.

While Es Ventall is set within the city limits of Sant Antoni, walk into the restaurant and you’re transported into an idyllic oasis especially while dining al fresco. Sitting in the courtyard is oddly calming, amongst nature and the enormous fig tree, giving the establishment a charm that’s difficult to replicate elsewhere.  

For diners who aren’t familiar with Ibizan cuisine, Es Ventall’s menu is descriptive listing out the individual ingredients and eliciting a sense of excitement to see how things tie together. The Ibizan tomatoes salad (19€) starts with a bed of ripe chopped tomatoes and tops it with a full burrata, which when broken creates a creaminess to the dish. Strawberries and basil add an interesting refreshing element, but I would have skipped the crunchy pistachios that detract from the silkiness of the salad.

I can’t turn down trying a roasted aubergine (17€), which when done well takes the spongy eggplant and turns it into a creamy concoction. Es Ventall whole roasts the vegetable until it’s soft but still holds its shape and smears a sugary praline and fruit mixture on top. The dish is too dessert-like for me, I wish the praline spread was replaced with something savoury that would go better with the basil cream.

Our waiter describes the tomato and grilled prawn salad (26€) as being smaller, which is an understatement as the dish is truly skimpy. To call the crustaceans on the plate as grilled “prawns” is misleading, the thumb sized items are spot prawn sized, which are generally served by the half cup than individually. These Ibiza prawns are equally sweet, but given their petite size, the chef really needs to give more of these on the plate or at least leave them in the shell.

At the very least, serve the “prawns” with more than a scant quartered tomato, crème fraiche, and an oil sorbet that while adds a lovely richness, melts into nothingness. For the price, this dish needs more tomatoes, other vegetables, and a helping of grilled crostini to swipe up the sauces.

We didn’t order the cuttlefish and Ibiza prawns’ paella with aioli (24€ per serving; a three serving portion pictured below), but the kitchen mistakenly mixed up our order with another table, so we ended up having it as our main. While the dish had a lovely aroma, the rice was awfully salty reminding me of the soy sauce tasting concoction I had in Barcelona a decade earlier. Perhaps this is the traditional way of preparing paella, but the saltiness is so pungent that it detracts from the seafood and the rice becomes saturated in sauce that there’s no crispy bottom. This paella was a bust.

It's a shame, as I had really wanted to try the fideua, a dish that’s made paella style but switches out the rice for pasta instead. For one, it’s rarely seen elsewhere, and I love trying new creations. Alas, the humid August heat was getting to us and despite the miniscule starters our hunger simply went away. Sitting al fresco may be idyllic and romantic but give me air conditioning instead. 

While Osteria Giulia has been awarded a Michelin star, it’s unlikely they’ll receive a service award anytime soon. Having arrived five minutes early, they weren’t ready to seat tables and we were asked to leave – no option to wait inside or at the bar, what a pain during a windy cold fall evening. Nonetheless, once we were seated, our waitress was warm and welcoming, making up for the poor first impression from the hostess.

Luckily, the food didn’t disappoint. The burrata e caviale ($45), although served a bit cold for my taste, was soft and fluffy, the centre creamy but doesn’t ooze out upon being cut through. The simple starter was a cacophony of flavours mixing briny Italian caviar, sweet Asfodelo honey, and a smoky sourness from the Blackbird bread. That splash of sweetness from the honey was unexpected but absolutely made the dish.

Pull apart the calamari ripieni con tonno ($36) before taking a bite and you’ll find the delicate seafood stuffed with yellowfin tuna paste so there’s a meatiness to each bite. It’s topped with a puntarella and charred pepper salad, giving the calamari a refreshing crispy bite. I’m glad it wasn’t overloaded with too many sauces so that the natural seafood flavours were present.

In retrospect, the lorighittas al mare ($38) was too similar to the calamari. In fact, when the dish was presented, all I could see was a plate of squid rings, only to find many were circles of hand braided pasta. Our waitress explains what makes the dish special is the time intensive nature of creating the pasta, which did have a lovely bite to it. Everything is tossed in a tasty olive oil sauce with a hint of garlic, chilli, and an umami essence from anchovy. I just wish the dish had more of the bay scallops and even some spot prawns thrown in to make it taste more like a seafood pasta.

I’m generally hesitant to order ravioli as it’s usually a scant dish and when they are not adequately filled it can taste like you’re eating pieces of dough. Osteria Giulia’s ravioli doppi ($44) smartly has one side unsealed so they can be overstuffed with silky ricotta and sauce, so you get a gush of filling with each bite. Chunks of lobster and kernels of sweet corn add richness and texture to the dish. It was an impressive dish and the most memorable of the evening.

If you’re visiting the restaurant and expecting to be full after an appetizer and pasta, you’ll be disappointed. Following true Italian traditions, the pasta is just the second course, you’ll need to order a main. We shared the rack of lamb for two ($85) and were presented with eight perfect medium rare lamb chops that were lightly dusted with sea salt. While this would be even better if it was served with a sauce, to give it interest, the meat was prepared beautifully.

The fagioli ($16) went particularly well with the lamb, the crispy beans well coated with a salty spicy meat sauce that added a punch of flavour against the otherwise neutral lamb.

With a selection of delicious sounding desserts, I opted for the millefoglie al cocco ($19), which was beautiful to take in with the thin layers of crispy pastry separating dollops of white chocolate and mango cream. It’s a dessert that could have benefited from being served with a knife, as it was difficult to break through the puff pastry.

Every table needs to order the tiramisu alla Giulia ($19), a rendition of tiramisu that brings it to another level with the ice cream centre and huge dollop of mascarpone and rum zabaglione on top. It was so rich and delicious… how can I have tiramisu any other way?

Osteria Giulia gets mixed reviews online and I can see why: what you order and how much you order can really affect the experience. While it’s a great Michelin option for those who have a smaller appetite or want the flexibility of controlling a budget for the evening, the restaurant should consider making a tasting menu to ensure tables get to really experience all their “best of” dishes – the ravioli, burrata, and tiramisu.  

The restaurant is certainly one of the more inventive Italian restaurants I’ve visited in Toronto and offers some impressive dishes. Still, there’s something about the experience that’s lacking compared to other Michelin restaurants in the city such as the absence of well-rounded service, not serving fully presented mains, and employing annoying nickel-and-diming practices like charging $3 a person for water. Unlike their ravioli, it’s not one experience I’ll be gushing about. 

Situated right at the Eivissa Marina, I would have considered Mariner to be a tourist trap if their food wasn’t delicious. The wooden beams and bits of foliage offered a sense of privacy, shielding against the crowds, allowing us to tune them out and focus on our meal.

Amongst the twirling fans, which added more ambiance than breeze, we sipped an amuse bouche of olive oil laced gazpacho that was silky and savoury. While I’m not generally a fan of cold soups, amongst the heat and humidity of an Ibiza summer this was a great start.

Some cool appetizers are also ideal. The plate of Iberian jamon (29€) was expertly cut with an astounding uniformity of each slice. At Mariner, the leg of ham was wonderfully marbled with a melt-in-your-mouth quality that beckoned me to have one more slice.

We generally found many restaurants overly toast (some would say burn) their bread, but Mariner’s pan con tomate (3€) was airy and soft… like having the tomato spread on an English muffin. I love the freshness of the tomato and the simplicity of the bread that went well with the flavourful cured jamon.

Although the cheese in the burrata salad (16€) almost became lost amongst the plump cherry tomatoes, arugula, and dollops of avocado cream, the overall salad was creamy and delicious. Given this was rather rich, I’m happy we had thought to order side salads (6€), which helped balance out the velvety burrata and avocado combination.

Sharing the glazed milk-fed lamb shoulder (36€) is recommended as this main is huge. The meat was tender, easily breaking apart with just a fork, presenting a light lamb that wasn’t gamey. If anything, it could have been more heavily season as I found the glaze, while thick and sticky, was too lacklustre and a more savoury red wine au jus would work better, especially to help cut through the richness of the lamb.

The menu describes the protein as being served with asparagus and baby potatoes – essentially, a full and complete meal. While there were plenty of soft roasted baby potatoes, the asparagus consisted of a small spear cut in two, hardly enough to call out on the menu, let alone counteract the meatiness of the dish. In retrospect, a side salad would work perfectly as I really was yearning for something acidic and refreshing to balance the otherwise tasty lamb.

Mariner reminds me not to be too judgmental about a restaurant’s prime location – just because an establishment is in a sought-after area doesn’t mean it’s a tourist trap. There seems to be plenty of Spaniards dining at Mariner (so the clientele wasn’t touristy) and we found the dishes to be delicioso.

Fismuler operates with an efficiency that seems apt for it’s German sounding name. Not long after sitting down, a starter of bread and whipped paté was brought over while we settled in. Just be mindful the nibble costs 2.75€ a person, a fact detailed at the bottom of the menu we had yet to review. Still, we enjoyed the soft crusty bread, silky and light paté, and thin lightly pickled cucumbers that helped tide us over.

The small plates were the more impressive dishes of the evening. Consequently, the crusty bread goes nicely with everything so try not to devour it right away. The sweet tomato salad (13.50€) was simple but deliciously good - ripe sliced tomatoes topped with a fragrant olive oil and flakes of salt.

It complements the burrata (17€), which has an amazing spicy green mole giving the cheese a burst of flavour. In fact, the whole dish was different: the burrata accompanied with roasted broccolini, an unusual green that works. I could have easily had an order to myself.

When our server suggested the chicken wings (18.50€) I had my doubts, but the nuggets of fried deboned chicken tossed in a creamy truffle sauce were addictive. The sauce, of course, became an excuse to have even more bread.

Of the small plates, only the fresh calamari (20.50€) was a bust. The seafood was over cooked, way over salted, and hidden amongst so much unnecessary foam. Give me more of the chicken wings any day.

Still, the calamari was better than the egregiously overdone and tough duck (25.50€), one of the worst renditions of the dish I’ve ever had. Perhaps, it could have been salvaged if the duck was cut thinner… even then, I feel they would still be chewy. The side dishes weren’t any better: the charred corn turned out to be the canned variety and the spring onions left whole and unseasoned. The best part of the dish was the puréed sweet potatoes.

I wish I had heeded the server’s recommendation to order the Viennese schnitzel (29€). Pounded to a cardboard thinness and the size of a pizza, the schnitzel gets a thin coating of raw egg yolk tableside before being jazzed up with shaved truffles and chives. It was perhaps a touch salty, but at least it was crispy and not overdone.