The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Toronto's summer restaurant scene is thriving because it's suddenly filled with many new places to eat, so much so that it feels like we've finally got back to how the city used to be before the pandemic.
You've probably seen it all over social media or passed it on your way to work, but Daphne is one of Toronto's newest restaurants and my experience there was exquisite. They served me dishes I would’ve never chosen for myself and I walked out with some new favourite foods thanks to the experience.
Daphne is an American-style restaurant with a modern twist that opened on June 22 and is located in Toronto's Financial District. It's the latest spot from Charles Khabouth, CEO of Ink Entertainment, alongside Dream, a Toronto real estate firm. Khabouth also recently opened Margo, a Mediterranean restaurant in the Entertainment District, and Ultra, a Pan-Asian restaurant with decor inspired by Alexander McQueen.
Daphne isn't far off in terms of the vibe, which fits right into Toronto's elevated upscale food scene. However, out of the three I've tried recently, this one felt a little more homey in the best ways.
Menu and table setting at Daphne.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
I checked out Daphne for dinner and my initial thought was, "Wow, this restaurant has an ideal location." My second thought was about the beautiful decor, especially on the terrace, which transported me to southern Italy or a '90s Hollywood movie. Do you know the feeling? Kind of like a Wes Anderson film.
But what impressed me the most was how Daphne served me foods that took me way outside my comfort zone and taught me how to fall in love with the flavours and textures of things I would've never ordered.
The Restaurant
Daphne has four different spaces to enjoy within the restaurant with completely different vibes, so when booking your table, specify what you're looking for.
Daphne outdoor terrace.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
The restaurant's first and most summery section is its outdoor terrace. It's tucked away from the business of Richmond Street West and will make you feel like you're dining somewhere far away.
I felt like I was on the Amalfi Coast in Italy because the yellow- and white-striped couches and green bushes gave it that vacation feel.
Also, even though the terrace is outdoors, it was covered entirely, so there were no drafts of wind and I could see the blue skies from my seat perfectly.
Indoor dining at Daphne.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
The other two spaces are halves of the big dining room, which is divided up into separate experiences.
On the one side, and the first one you'll see, is this huge dining room with concaved decor that's almost all black, white and grey.
The room has an open-concept kitchen, which allows customers to watch the kitchen staff prepare food from their seats. When I passed by the kitchen to take pictures, I felt like I was watching The Bear in real life and it was exhilarating.
Dining room at Daphne.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
Moving to the room on the left, where I sat, it was a quieter and more exciting space filled with colour, couches and black and white pictures. It's more intimate and private, which is perfect for date nights.
Cocktail lounge.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
The lounge is tucked away at the back of the restaurant and feels quite exclusive. The wall behind the bar filled the room with colour because of the number of bottles displayed, but also, the chairs and tables were uniquely designed.
The Food
As I said before, Daphne's food took me way out of my comfort zone, but what do I mean by that?
Well, do you enjoy gooey and raw-ish foods? I have this weird thing with the texture of food. Traditionally, anything too chewy, soggy or seed-filled has pushed me away. Tomatoes, for instance, are my nightmare. I also usually have my steaks cooked medium-well, mainly because overcooking it makes it too chewy, but undercooking it makes it look like blood.
Anyways, now that we have some context about my taste buds and what I enjoy, I can now say I love bone marrow after trying it at Daphne for the first time.
Bone marrow and tuna carpaccio.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
When I looked at the menu, I was steering away from anything too soggy-looking because, well, I didn't want to not enjoy my experience. Still, the waiter recommended the Bone Marrow dish as a must-try and I'm so happy I did.
Daphne's Roasted Bone Marrow, $22, comes with ficelle, chermoula, port jam and two crunchy baguette slices. It was one of the best things I've ever tried. Every bite was bursting with flavour and I didn't mind the chewiness of the marrow because the bread gave me the crunch I enjoy and the jam was great for my palate.
Wow, was I impressed!
Rib eye, Daphne potato and sea bream.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
I did get the Bone In Ribe Eye for $95, and even though it was the priciest thing I ordered, it wasn't my favourite. The chef recommended it cooked medium rare. I ordered it medium and it was still too red for me. Then again, the flavour was good and had hints of BBQ. It's served with bordelaise sauce, which compliments the meat.
The fish, unlike any other sea breams I've had in Toronto, actually tasted very Mediterranean. It reminded me of something you'd get in Alexandria, Egypt, which is known for its seafood.
The Whole Roasted Sea Bream, $42, had a nice spicy kick because of the jalapeño salsa, but the yellow romesco and lemon brought out a great pairing.
Daphne Pizza.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
Another honourable mention is Daphne's House Pizza, which is as basic as it gets, with traditional tomato sauce topped with stracciatella and basil. But what made it stand out was the sesame crust. If you've ever enjoyed a simit, this crust tasted precisely like that but in pizza form and I loved it.
The Daphne Potato.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
Finally, The Daphne Potato with Caviar, which is $16 for the potato and $20 for the caviar, has a high price tag, but the dish is unforgettable.
The potato is a twice-baked russet potato with crème fraiche, Emmentaler cheese and chives, with the option of adding caviar. It was an elevated roasted potato you could try to recreate at home, but you would never succeed at reproducing the taste.
Not only is it crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, but it belongs on your Instagram grid as an aesthetic and scrumptious food picture.
Drinks and Dessert
Last but not least, and arguably the best part of any meal, is the D&D combo.
Daphne has a drinks menu that caters to many people, and the options seem limitless.
Cocktails and mocktails at Daphne.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
They have 10 cocktails that you can order that are designed for Daphne. Then you have two mocktails, beers and wines.
The bartender shook up three different drinks for me. The 67 Shaken, for $22, includes Belvedere vodka, Campari, passion fruit purée, harissa jallab syrup and lime.
He also made a Southern Old Fashioned, $22, Woodford Reserve bourbon, Angostura bitters, whiskey barrel bitters and sweet fern catkin-infused honey.
But my favourite was the mocktail. I had The Botanist, and not only was it Barbie pink, but it also tasted like summer in a cup, which is exactly the vibe this month.
The Daphne Bar and Ice cream Sundae.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
As for dessert, I ordered the Ice Cream Sundae, and it was the perfect adult version of a kids' classic and a great way to end my meal.
The Ice Cream Sundae, $15, consisted of embered vanilla ice cream, fire-smoked caramel, candied marcona almonds, hazelnut praline, almond crumble and Maldon salt. In other words, yum!
Daphne
Mira drinking her mocktail.
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: American
Address: 67 Richmond Street West, Toronto
Why You Need To Go: To enjoy a fine-dining American restaurant with twists to classic favourites and to indulge in new flavours that will change your relationship with food.
Accessibility: Wheelchair/stroller accessible
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