We planned to stay in Toronto for only 3 nights. On night 2, we decided to try this restaurant since it also had baked alaskas which are my favorite dessert. As mentioned previously, Toronto was a fairly dead city on December 25 and 26. We wanted to make reservations at Michelin Star restaurants, but they either were unavailable or they canceled my reservation because they wanted to give staff a break for the holidays. I made a reservation about a month in advance, and fortunately, they were open.
From their site:
In 1917, the Toronto Harbour Commission first opened its doors in what was then New Toronto. Eighty-two years later, in the very same building, Harbour 60 was established as the city’s premier steakhouse. With a nod to our history, and a toast to tomorrow, we are established for one reason.
Ambiance & Service
This restaurant was located in a building, and the interior where we were seated had a very posh, upscale setup. The seat I sat in was very comfortable, almost like a cigar chair. The tables were all immaculately clean. You can tell this was a restaurant that you’d go to for a fine steak outing that wasn’t necessarily Michelin grade. I think of something to the extent of Mastro’s Steakhouse.
The service was pretty good but not as great as it could’ve been. When the waiter was serving our dessert, he clumsily let some of the fruit fall onto the table cloth. He immediately discarded it which was a waste of fresh fruit and a lack of finesse.
When you pay and just like other Toronto restaurants, they bring the card reader to your table and you can scan and tip through there.
Just a note about Toronto taxes that sales tax is around 13%.
Food
The bread was complimentary and was served with a medley of little things. There was some type of cheese in olive oil, pickled pepperoncini peppers with feta cheese cubes, various olives, and butter drizzled in a pool of olive oil.
The Chianti ($26 CAD, ~$19.51 USD today - left) came from Casalbosco, Tuscany, Italy, 2021. According to the wine description, it was a fresh, fruit driven wine sourced from 15 year old vines. I can attest that it was balanced and was quite pleasant with the steak.
The Lady Guava ($18 CAD, ~$13.50 USD today - right) came with Gruvi Dry Secco, Guava Puree, fresh fruit, and edible flower. This was a mocktail, and my partner really enjoyed it.
The Jumbo Lump and Alaskan Crab Cake ($52 CAD, ~$39 USD today) came with sauce gribiche, and fines herb salad. This crab cake was actually very large and very dense with lots of crab meat inside. Unlike other crab cakes we’ve had in the past, it wasn’t excessively filled with batter or other ingredients. It was generously filled with simply crab meat. The exterior was fried to be very crispy. The crab cake initially seemed pricey, but we were pleasantly surprised by the ratio of crab meat to other stuff. In NYC, this would easily be asking for over $50 USD.
The Filet Mignon ($128 CAD, ~$96 USD today) came as a 14 oz filet. When shared between my partner and me, it was actually quite filling. The crust wasn’t as charred as I would have liked, but the meat flavors were there and cooked a near medium rare. If there was one criticism, it’s that the seasoning was excessively pungent with rosemary. As mentioned in our previous night at Louix Louis, rosemary is one of those herbs that you do need to be careful to not have it overpower the flavors of the actual thing you’re eating.
The side of Mascarpone Whipped Mashed Potatoes ($22 CAD, ~$16.50 USD today) was surprisingly really good, albeit on the saltier side. Supposedly they allow half sized portions, which we verbosely requested. However on the bill, they charged us for the full size. There definitely was a lot of portions, so we were unable to finish this completely because of how whipped and creamy it was.
The Baked Alaska for 2 ($30 CAD, ~$22.51 USD today) came with dark chocolate & nocciola gelato, flourless chocolate-almond brownie, and meringue flambéed with brandy. We were decently full before this, but there definitely was a whole attraction behind this. They flambee it right in front of you, but my partner mentioned that the brandy didn’t completely burn off. I thought it was fine though. The actual baked alaska was quite tasty, and this was more than enough for 4 people easily. The dark chocolate and nocciola (hazelnut) gelato was quite delicious and a perfect pairing of flavors. If you’re craving for a baked alaska in the Toronto area, this is a must order.
Final Verdict
The food at Harbour 60 was actually pretty good for what it was. Compared to the prices in New York City for similar restaurants, it was actually pretty reasonable and highly recommended for a lush night out. If there is one thing you should order out of all this, it is for sure the baked alaska.
Yelp Jabs
The meals, well, I was expecting to have my filet mignon melt in my mouth cooked medium and $100 but it was just ok.
This Yelper doesn’t seem to understand that a medium cooked filet mignon is overcooked. So the irony behind this is that they are asking for a melt-in-your-mouth overcooked piece of steak which is a bit of a contradiction.
If you want a good dinner they are plenty of good restaurants in Toronto like Don Alfonso
Unfortunately if you’re like us expecting Toronto to be a city that’s opened on boxing day, be prepared to be disappointed. Fortunately, we did book Don Alfonso for the next day, but that will be our last Toronto night.
Revisions
- Dec 26, 2023 - Initial revision.