North 44 Restaurant

Went there 3 months ago dining alone for dinner. Order a whole meal featuring truffles — mushroom soup topped with black truffle shaves and truffle oil, then duck confit with mushroom risotto, and some Port wine taster for dessert (only thing that had nothing to do with mushroom). Both the soup and the main dish were very flavorful and hearty.
Apparently this place was exquisite and pricey, but from what I got the quality matched with the price.

Been a big fan of this restaurant, but today’s meal was disappointing
The portion size was much smaller and price point is slightly higher than before, which would be fine if the quality of food maintains. However… The food did not impress us at all.
They used to make consistently decent risottos, but today’s was way too under cook. Truffle fries did not have any truffle taste to it, black cod was under seasoned.
We used to walk out of here and feel «that was a great meal!» But not today… …

Great service. Good food. Lovely ambiance — quiet but with a nice rumble of happy diners. Example of the level of service — we had requested a booth our previous visit (2 years earlier) — they had prepared a booth for our reservation this time without having to ask.

I went here for a corporate dinner. All I remember was, damn, this place is expensive!
I don’t remember much of how it went, but here is what stood the test of time. I actually still remember how it was
— Deconstructed tiramisu.
It was the most confusing thing to eat. I guess it’s how fancy people eat, but deconstructing a tiramisu just doesn’t work because I’m basically eating slices of banana, a piece of lady finger and chocolate. I can practically create my own fancy deconstructed tiramisu and place them all separately, then charge crazy amount for it.
— Cornbread
I enjoyed the jalepeno it had mixed in it. It was very tastey with random filling, not just plain cornbread.
— Seared foie gras with duck proscitto
It was recommended to me so I was expecting a lot. I wish it had more contrast. It felt like everything on this plate was one big foie gras. I mean, what do I know, it was my first time trying foie gras, but… but, my coworker who recommended to try foie gras (in general, not from North44) said he had had other foie gras and it’s usually not like this. He understood what I was trying to say, so he validated my dissatisfaction.
— Tuna Threeways
My coworker ordered this and wow… I wish I did. It was so fresh and refreshing. It was an appetizing plate indeed!
Overall, if I have money to burn, sure. It’s a nice place. I feel oh so fancy being here. I believe they have a dresscode, not sure. My boss just asked us not to wear jeans.

I went to North 44 for Valentine’s Day. It had a very romantic ambience topped with rose petals on the table.
The food, in one word, was AMAZING!
We shared a 3-​way Tuna appetizer (should’ve ordered my own, it was that good).
For the main I ordered lamb Chops which was good, but a bit over cooked. My date ordered the seared tuna, I had a taste and it was perfection on a plate.
Buttermilk beignets: this is what got me to write the review. So many different things happening on the plate. Just order it, go there for this.
The only thing a little off was the service. It was very slow, and our waiter would often stop in the hallway to chat with the other staff while getting food…

Great winterlicious experience. Staff was on point and food was amazing. What stood out for me was the ambiance of this restaurant. It is very elegant and posh while dining but does not feel busy even though there was a lot of staff working. Very organized and punctual on food.
Mushroom truffle soup, short ribs and sticky toffee were my favourite and would definitely recommend those!!!

I had my first North 44 experience for a romantic NYE dinner. It’s a favourite of my boyfriends but I had never been, so he took me there for a quiet romantic dinner to start off the new year.
I truly enjoyed every bite. We started with some excellent champagne to celebrate the season while we perused the menu. We had the tuna 3 ways and the gnocchi appetizers, which were both incredible, and the best part of the meal. We shared both and both loved them. I then had the Ahi tuna, which was delicious, although by that time I was starting to get full. We shared several sides– the onion rings were literally the best onion rings I have ever had and I would go back just for those. Whatever vegetable we had was forgettable and the fries were so-​so. The sauvignon blanc the server suggested to go with my fish was perfect.
For desert we had crème brûlée and cucumber sorbet. Delicious again although by that point i was really too full to fully appreciate it, and I probably didn’t need the desert.
Overall the ambience was wonderful, the server was attentive and pleasant, and it was a great experience. I will definitely be back.
The only downside– when we asked about beer on the menu, the server criticized the options they had saying she wouldn’t recommend any of them, and saying that they are all bad. I thought this was pretty bad form.

A lovely Summerlicious dinner experience so far.
We were sort of confused in the beginning when we were serving by our first server. He disappeared after we asked for a drink menu. We didn’t know what happened but we were glad the restaurant manager re-​arranged another server to us later though it took quite a while. Our server was very attentive and professional. He used a scraper to clean the bread crumbs left on our table cloth. I rarely see this heart-​felt service nowadays.
The food we had was well worth the value. A truly good experience.

An absolutely fabulous dinner. Flawless service. My sauteed foie gras was unbelievable as was my lamb. My wife’s tartare and tuna three way was also amazing. Expensive, but wonderful.

North 44 is a top Toronto restaurant. Let me get it out of the way, it is super expensive but if you care for superb dining you get what you pay for. Also the atmosphere is just right. It is classy and tasteful. North 44 is a top choice.
We had fish and it was delectable. The bread, cheeses and wine were top shelf. We are now fans of McEwan. Oh you also have to try the gnocchi. Dessert was sweet but refined. Well done.
They need to expand their bathroom is all I would say they need to improve on. Theirs is showing its age.

This is probably one of my favorite restaurants. I went there with my bf for winterlicious and their appetizer shrimp thing was beyond amazing. It was something I would die for. All three courses were wonderful and the staff were welcoming. Everything about this restaurant is so pleasant.

Nice place, right on Yonge. Ambiance was very nice; white table cloths, couch seats, etc. etc. Went for Summerlicious. Thought the food would be better than it was. I ordered the salmon, which was cooked med. rare. Nice presentation, but like I mentioned, nothing truly special. Not in a rush to come back, but would entertain the idea for an event of some sort.

Me and my wife tried the Summerlicious dinner menu. Food is not bad and size is ample but were nothing spectacular. Maybe we expected more quality, especially for a top restaurant in the area. Or maybe the Summerlicious menu wasn’t supposed to be spectacular which kinda defeats the purpose of having people try what the restaurant has to offer.
For the price of their regular menu, both me and my wife agreed that we can do better dining somewhere else.

Loved it! Classy atmosphere. Food was amazing! Staff is professional and very friendly.
I had on of the best Ahi Tuna steaks there and a latte with secret eastern spices was absolutely incredible!

Went for V day
Menu was nice, taste good
Service was ok but not memorable
Not a frequent choice for me

Great food! Duck was excellent. Crab cake appetizer was mind blowing. Good combination of ingredients create this little spicy and yummy taste! Great service. Very classy atmosphere!

Beautiful restaurant. Expert staff. Disappointing meal. I expected more from one of «Toronto’s top restaurants». The veal dish was imaginatively presented but so tough I couldn’t even finish the tiny portion provided.

Elegant and refined, this restaurant is a great place for a nice classy dinner. Although nothing was particularly wrong about my meal, there were a couple of small things that I did not expect here.
The food was generally good. We tried the tempura rock shrimp, lobster tagliatelle, and some oysters, all of which were delicious, particularly the rock shrimp — the crispy exterior and tanginess of the chipotle-​yuzu aioli were a great combination.
For my main course I opted for the dover sole, which was a bit disappointing. The fillet was roasted well, but overall the dish was too one-​dimensional. Presentation was also not up to par, with the sole on one plate and the fingerling potatoes and beets in a separate bowl. Reflecting that, the dish did not feel cohesive or balanced and I felt a little let down given McEwan’s reputation. The Sauvignon Blanc that my server recommended was quite good though.
Dessert was fine; the apple crostata could have been a bit warmer and more crispy though.
Service was friendly and decently attentive. There were a few times when my water glass did get dangerously close to empty, and I also seemed to end up with a huge amount of ice in my glass as well.
Ambience is cozy and elegant, yet not overly stuffy or crowded. For fine dining North 44 is a good choice, although I feel like there are more innovative and creative places out there.

Yonge/​Eglinton has a pretty bad rep when it comes to good places to eat. When Centro closed its doors earlier this year, that made for one less. The general guide to eating in the area is «North of Eglinton bad, south of Eglinton good“[1] — the exception being North 44)º of course.
Mark McEwan’s cozy, intimate and romantic North 44)º is dimly lit with quiet lounge music in the background. The walls are lit by stenciled grates like a baby’s mobile beaming relaxing images onto the wall.
Oenophiles can delight in the extensive 21-​page wine list along with a list of cocktails that range from stiff to smooth to sip on while deciding what to eat. I opt for a Brazilian Caipirinha with a stick of rock sugar that makes any childhood sugar deprivation a distant memory.
It’s hard to not devour the bread basket especially with the creamy smooth butter that comes with.
The MEDLEY OF LOBSTER with crab, prawns dressed in an orange sauce with watercress and spiced crème fraîche would make for a hearty entrée salad, but is decadent as a starter. All the flavours just worked really well together. Lobster + crème fraîche go hand in hand.
The manager sends over his favourite dish, TEMPURA ROCK SHRIMPS with chipotle — yuzu aioli and crispy lotus chips and we can see why he loves it. Lightly battered and lightly dressed, it seems that the chef likes the citrus and seafood combo — but we don’t blame him, so do we!
The BEEF TARTARE is served with a grainy mustard and crispy fried capers.
Moving on to mains, we indulge in a ROASTED BREAST OF DUCKLING with seared foie gras, wilted greens, truffled gnocchi + rhubarb compote. The gnocchi are soft and al dente and its mild flavor profile contrasts well with the boldness and richness of the duck breast and foie. No regrets here!
We also opt for the BEEF TENDERLOIN off the specials menu with a creamy risotto and corn succotash topped with crispy fried onions. I am not usually a fan of tenderloin as I find boneless cuts to be dry — but you can always count on the McEwan Group to make it right.
Our palate cleanser comes in the form of a _​_​_​_​sorbet.
For dessert I opt for a STRAWBERRY RHUBARB TART with milk chocolate sauce + crème fraîche ice cream which leaves me wondering why all ice creams aren‘t made with crème fraîche?
It also doesn’t take much to convince us to try the CHOCOLATE BOURBON CAKE with peanut butter mousse, candied praline and hot toffee sauce — which loosely reminds me of a sticky toffee pudding. It is a rich dessert that sates me after 3 bites.
The pastry chef also sends out these peanut butter tarts that are a great way to end the meal.
I have always been a fan of North 44)º, having dined here many times in the past (mostly on special occasions). The service here is always amazing as I wondered whether our server had a smile tattooed permanently onto her face because there wasn’t a moment when she wasn’t showing off her pearly whites. Yonge/​Eglinton for me has always been a strip of mediocre and overly pretentious restaurants that, try as they might don’t meet the standards of fine dining — North 44)º however, is the exception.
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[1] Comment taken from a CHOWHOUND discussion board.
**This meal was complimentary but as always, views are my own.**

I love everything Mark McEwan touches and my experience last night at North 44 was no exception. I first came here five years ago to celebrate an anniversary dinner and have wanted to come back ever since. So I figured with all the Winterlicious festivities going on it was a great excuse to pay a visit.
With our reservation booked (2 weeks in advance mind you) the earliest time available for Saturday night was 9pm and I happily accepted. We arrived a bit early for our reservation but the hostess kindly let us go upstairs to the lounge/​bar to await our table. When it was ready she escorted us back down and checked our coats.
We were seated near the front window at a corner table along a cozy banquet. White linens and dim lighting plus a table adorned with candle light lent for a romantic atmosphere. The winterlicious /​drinks menus were already awaiting us on the table to peruse. The waiter returns to go over the menus with us and takes our drinks order. He asks if we need a few more minutes with the menus however we already know what we want to order.
A warm fresh sliced olive and white bread plus a dish of creamy whipped butter is placed centre table. I love the briny tangy of the olive bread and cruchy crust of the bread.
For drinks I order the
Lip Sitck Martini — Raspberry infused vodka with muddled fresh raspberries and Champagne
Boy o boy was this baby strong thank goodness it was sweet tasting to balance it off but let me tell you I enjoyed it down to the last sip!
Even my date’s Mojito was strong as well but balanced nicely with sweet and minty notes. So I can definitely attest that they don’t skimp on there shot sizes.
Onto the meal, this is what I ordered from the Winterlicious line up:
Seared Ahi tuna with Japanese pear, cucumber, Yuzu and chili
The tuna had a nice light seared exterior with a smokey grilled flavour to it. The asian flavoured marinade the tuna sat in was a great accompaniment with a slight amount of heat.
Organic Irish salmon with beluga lentils, yogurt, parsley emulsion and crisp pancetta
The salmon was cooked more towards the rare side (which I like) and very juicy and tender. The black lentils speckled with sweet roasted brussel sprout halves added some texture to the dish as well as the crispy coil of pancetta was a delightful pop of saltiness.
Chocolate pot de crème — Chocolate and cherry cookie, toffee crunch
Creamy, buttery rich milk chocolate slightly chilled, I was savored every spoonful I wish it was a bottomless dish!
Even though the restaurant was full to capacity we never once felt rushed or ignored. Dishes came out in perfect timing and our waiter always checked on us and made eye contact with us even from across the room to make sure everything was running smoothly. The meals were beautifully presented and artfully balanced with a wonderful array of flavours and textures. North 44 is definitely an encore hit once again in my books!
The restaurant can be easily missed when driving by as the title is written in white on a light grey background so look out for a picture of an airplane which is displayed beneath the North 44 signage and more easily spotted.