Canoe Bar and Restaurant - The very name seems to bring to mind the rustic images of the Canadian wild. However, the moment you step into this posh and modern restaurant, your notions are dispelled and you find yourself in a suave and sophisticated environment, where you have to severely mind your P’s and Q’s!

Located on the 54^th floor of the TD Bank Tower, Canoe Restaurant and bar is an haute location for Canadian regional cuisine and continental fare. The interiors have been designed by famous designers Yabu Pushelberg, who have chosen a simple, understated, yet sophisticated look that simply oozes uber-class. The view of the entire city from the restaurant is deadly and when you match that with the scrumptious dishes conjured up by master chef Anthony Walsh, you can imagine why the Canoe Restaurant is among the most desirable place to be to settle the rumbles of the stomach.

The menu here is contemporary, the ingredients used are fresh and produced regionally, and the preparations incorporate a global flavor. A glance through the menu and you know that you are being offered the finest Canadian fish and game, accompanied by some fabulous vintage wines. Nowhere else can you possibly find such a blend in Toronto.

Sample appetizers like the seared bluefin tuna with wasabi caviar or go in for something more elaborate like Yarmouth lobster with ricotta gnocchi in minced leek and crème fraîche sauce with a touch of chive and preserved lemon. Other delicacies include barbecue-spiced quail breast and salty confited leg with split green olives and oregano-scented peperonata and Yukon caribou with zucchini and sweet cord bread cobbler in partridge berry jus. Quite mouthfuls aren’t they? In the literal sense too! If you prefer something a little less fancy, Canoe also has the traditional steak and chops.

And by no means does the feast end here. You have to sample some of the desserts, which are sinful for even the most hardcore hedonists. Ricotta-hazelnut blintz that comes with lindenberry preserves and maple-chai ice cream, dark Soma chocolate mousse on hazelnut dacquoise with apricot purée and an apricot-riesling icewine - mmmmm….a mouthwatering treat for that sweet tooth of yours.

Enough about the food! Let’s move on to the drinks. The bar at Canoe draws a lot of crowd, especially around lunch hours and after-work hours. Patrons swear by the expertise of mixologist-cum-bartender Jeff Sansone. The cocktails by themselves are awesome and when accompanied with a light bite like the carpaccio and tartare of Cumbrae Farms beef, they are simply mind-blowing. Wine is available by the glass too, and you get to discover lesser known jewels of the wine world, such as Inniskillin Okanagan Bear Cub Vineyards’ Zinfandel and Lagier Meredith Mount Veeder Syrah.

Do not be ashamed of pigging out at the Canoe Bar and Restaurant. You won’t be the only one there doing so, and it would be taken as the highest compliment by the chef and staff.