Not-your-average Toronto date night
Forget the fancy restaurants and crowded bars – for your next date night, try something completely different. Below is a collection of the truly bizarre and eclectic dining experiences Toronto has to offer, from a banquet feast among knights and damsels in distress, to dinner with a sky-high, 360-degree view.
3030
3030 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6P 1Z3This bar in Toronto's Junction neighbourhood has everything a geek like me could want in a watering hole. Board games, pinball machines and trivia are all available, a perfect accoutrement to sharing plates starting at five bucks. Think of 3030 as an enhanced personal games room, except instead of popping in a DVD and sitting down for a meal alone, you can get social and be entertained at the same time. What more could you ask for? Wheelchair Accessible: Yes.
The Sultan's Tent & Café Moroc
49 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1B3Like dining in an opulent tent in the middle of the Saharan Desert? Well, this Front Street gem is like an oasis along a Middle Eastern trade route. Lounge among silks, spices and gold as you dine on amazing Moroccan fare that, for the most part, you eat with your hands. And as if its exotic cuisine didn’t distinguish the Sultan’s Tent from other downtown restos, just wait for the fleet of belly dancers to make their entrance. Wheelchair Accessible: No.
O.Noir
620 Church St, Toronto, ON M4Y 2G2Prepare for a full sensory experience – with every sense but your eyes, that is. In an attempt to allow diners to appreciate the full depth of flavour in their meal, they dine in total darkness and must completely trust their actually blind servers to lead them to their table. It's an exercise in trust and an enhancement of flavour that should not be missed. Wheelchair Accessible: No
Mysteriously Yours
2026 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4S 1Z9It may not be Colonel Mustard, in the study, with the candlestick, but Mysteriously Yours will invoke those classic murder mystery vibes into your Friday date night. But in this whodunit, everyone at the dinner party (including you) is a suspect. But no worries if Clue was never really your bag, there’s plenty of other entertaining options – like a murder mystery combined with a superhero adventure. Wheelchair Accessible: No.
360 Restaurant CN Tower
301 Front St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2T6The biggest tourism cliché in Toronto is a trip to the CN Tower, but that doesn't mean its revolving restaurant isn't worth a try, especially about 1000 feet in the air. For one, the seasonal menu features some of the most high-end gourmet fare in the city. They serve exquisitely plated dishes like house-smoked Atlantic salmon and Ontario lamb. If you want a taste of Canada in this city, the 360 Restaurant is a great place to start and don't worry, its revolving feature moves slow enough that you can still enjoy every bite with the view. Wheelchair Accessible: Yes.
Kinka Izakaya
398 Church St, Toronto, ON M5B 2A2An Izakaya is an authentic Japanese pub and trust me, it's a loud, boisterous and super-fun experience. Forget “Cheers!” or “L'chaim!” when you raise your glass here, you say, “Kampai!” in the loudest voice possible. But if you’re ready for the volume, you’ll be delighted by the mouthwatering small plates of Japanese tapas that come across your table and disappear with blinding speed. Wheelchair Accessible: Yes.
Actinolite Restaurant
971 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6G 3V5The Globe and Mail called this place, “One of the most essential places to eat in Ontario, if not in Canada” and it's true. Choose between a seven or four course tasting menu (and optional wine pairing) with innovative Canadian cuisine as you've never tasted it. Chef Justin Cournoyer pushes the bounds of reality with the way he experiments with dishes like Quebec pike and grilled wild knotweed, or Arctic flowers and Ontario pork. The composition makes the lends a magical sense to the experience. You may not believe what you're tasting. Wheelchair Accessible: No.
Famous People Players
343 Evans Ave, Etobicoke, ON M8Z 1K2Toronto's famous black light puppet show is still going strong and their annual Christmas show is not to be missed. If you've never been, you should know that the players in question are adults with developmental disabilities, living out their acting dreams in a way that's truly one of a kind. Liberace and Paul Newman were counted among their celebrity fans and supporters – and while the show is something to behold, the meal in this dinner theatre is amazing too. Wheelchair Accessible: Yes.
