The Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel boasts a 38th floor Toronto Italian restaurant called Toulà Ristorante. Toula embodies sophistication, fine cuisine and service — all while taking in a panoramic and stunning view of downtown Toronto and Lake Ontario.
Our server sat us down with a glass of Prosecco, vegetable croute de te and freshly baked buns. He explained to us, while we carefully went over the menu, that only the finest and freshest ingredients were used to recreate Toula's style of cuisine, which is rooted in Venetian tradition.
We started off our meal with Cortina's Wild Mushroom Alessandro ($18). This mushroom dish on a bed of handmade polenta was simply to die for. It packed many flavours into your mouth (slight rosemary and cheese fondue hints) while not being too dense or heavy. The mushrooms had a beautiful smoked flavor adding yet another flavour profile. This dish was also recommended to us as being suitable for vegetarians.
Next up, we started into main entrees with the first being Carnaroli Wild Mushroom and Porcini Risotto ($21). When the server was taking the order for this, he ensured al-dente was fine for the risotto. When the plate was served, it was cooked to perfection and packed with flavours. Large pieces of mushroom and parmesan cheese layered on top of one another creating a dish with many layers of complex yet simple flavours. Another dish perfect for any vegetarian who plans on attending for dinner.
Finally, we ordered a seafood dish: Linguine San Marco ($33). This fresh linguine dish was served up with half a fresh PEI Lobster over a bed of lightly spiced roasted plum tomato sauce and the results were stunning. The lobster meat was fused into the sauce, but the tail was also displayed. The dish was filling and packed in all the lobster meat you could possibly want. The flavours married beautifully together. The serving size was also incredible, not too big but just right.
Finally there is always room for dessert: we decided to try two of them: Baked Peach torte with Hazelnut Gelato ($12) and Chocolate Upside Down Cake with a warm Vanilla Cream ($12), on the recommendation of the server who told us the cake was made to order. The hazelnut gelato was the highlight of the baked peach dish. Its rich flavours worked perfectly together with the torte. However, it was the Chocolate Upsidedown Cake that stole the show. Warm, ooey, gooey and very chocolately. One bite and it would take you into heaven.
Should you be attending Toula for a special occasion — or you just want to experience the breathtaking view or some beautifully crafted Italian flavours, it is worth riding the elevator to the 38th floor. With attentive staff and great food, you can't go wrong.
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Photos by Lori Steeves, except for the first photo of the view by Ama Scriver
Amanda (Ama) Scriver is a foodie and music fiend. She is a food writer for Pink Mafia with her 'Eats' column and works as an event planner full-time. She enjoys random adventures that you can follow each and everyday through Twitter (@amapod) or follow through Instagram (username: amapod).
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