Oysters
Shucked to order at the bar. The right way to begin.
Contemporary · Yorkville
Alobar Yorkville
The Alo group’s à la carte room — the cooking without the four-hour commitment
ContemporaryYorkville, Toronto$$$$Details being confirmed
The review
Alobar is the answer to a real problem: you want the Alo group's cooking and service, and you do not want to give up four hours and $400 to get it. Here you order what you want, when you want it, and the standard barely drops.
Begin with oysters at the bar, shucked to order. If you can come at lunch, the dry-aged burger is worth rearranging a day for. In the evening, a whole roasted fish for two is the kitchen's best work.
Honest notes: it is still expensive, and Yorkville does nothing to disguise itself. It books out well ahead. Sitting at the bar without a reservation and eating oysters and the burger is the smartest way to use this restaurant.
What to order
Dry-Aged Burger
Lunch only, and worth rearranging a day for.
Whole Roasted Fish
For two, and the dish the kitchen is proudest of.
What works
- Alo-level service in an à la carte room
- You can eat well at the bar for far less
- Raw bar is the best in midtown
What doesn’t
- Still expensive
- Yorkville at its most Yorkville
- Books out well ahead
Verdict
Oysters at the bar, the burger at lunch. Skip the reservation, take the counter.