Thursday night’s Michelin Guide ceremony at the Liberty Grand shook up the city’s dining hierarchy. The headline of the evening: Restaurant Pearl Morissette was promoted to two stars, now making it the only double-starred spot in the Toronto region. Meanwhile, restaurant heavyweight Sushi Masaki Saito was quietly downgraded from two stars to one, and a handful of other popular Toronto restaurants were simply left starless.
Here are the eight snubs that stung the most.
Masaki Saito lost a star
Sushi Masaki Saito, long regarded as one of the city’s most exclusive dining experiences, was downgraded from two stars to one. The reasons behind the decision remain unclear, but the downgrade was the night’s biggest shock (the traditional Japanese omakase sushi spot was the only Canadian restaurant to hold two stars since 2022). Coincidentally, Saito is also the subject of Still Single, a recent TIFF standout that offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous chef. There’s still buzz around his next chapter, with talk of Saito potentially opening a new high-end restaurant next summer.
Bar Prima
This plush, old-school Italian throwback on Queen West, from culinary director Craig Harding and executive chef Julian D’Ippolito, has brought a fresh wave of flavours to the city since 2023. Although Bar Prima is adored for its old-world charm, it still didn’t crack the star list. The menu takes a modern, minimal approach to Italian cuisine, focusing on handmade pasta and carefully curated mains. Guests can savour dishes like the tantalizing “Rockefeller,” featuring East Coast diver scallops and other delicious riffs on Italian-American classics.
Scaramouche
Nestled in South Hill, this skyline-viewed restaurant has been a Toronto fave for decades, with Chef Keith Froggett at the helm since the early 1980s. The modern French menu boasts creative spins on classics: try decadent scallops paired with spicy cauliflower tempura, shredded duck confit leg drizzled with foie gras jus, and peppercorn fettuccine with beef tenderloin and oyster mushrooms in a Madeira cream sauce! Today, the Guide lists Scaramouche as one of the “Best French Restaurants in Toronto,” so it’s recommended, but not starred.
Bar Isabel
This College Street icon with an old-world tavern vibe has been a staple on the Toronto food scene since 2013. Its Spanish-inspired cuisine is met with a duskily lit interior, casting its shared plates (deemed “essentials”) in a moody glow. Dive into charcutería, whole fish and Spanish-inflected plates filled with Manzanilla olives, almonds, jamónes, conservas and seasonal vegetables. Bar Isabel is recommended by the Guide, but it has neither a star nor a Bib Gourmand.
DaiLo
Chef Nick Liu’s French-inspired Chinese fare has garnered rave reviews since opening in 2014. Liu remixes Chinese-Canadian classics by combining different textures and flavours for a modern interpretation, offering dishes like smoked trout pomelo betel leaf with coconut caramel dressing, Hakka brown wontons topped with toasted sesame oil, and crispy octopus tacos with sambal aioli in a jicama shell. Still, not even a decade-plus of city-defining creativity was enough to secure DaiLo a star.
Barberian’s Steak House
This 1959-era, charcoal-grilled steakhouse offers huge servings. Savour steaks dry-aged in-house, jumbo shrimp cocktails, a trio of giant prawns in a coupe with house sauce and swanky chateaubriand pour deux, gussied up in wine sauce. Although Barberian’s didn’t receive a star, it was most recently listed among Canada’s 100 Best restaurants.
Dreyfus
This cozy French bistro, tucked into the first floor of a chic Victorian townhouse, offers an ever-changing menu that focuses on simple, well-executed French fare, with nods to Chef Zachary Kolomeir’s Jewish heritage! Standouts include baked oysters with smoked eel and Parmesan, mini-Cubano sandwiches with pickles, as well as their large selection of natural wines. Most ingredients come from local farms, fisheries and small producers. Although unstarred, Dreyfus is listed as one of the Guide’s “Best French Restaurants in Toronto.”
Richmond Station
This casual tavern-inspired space, founded by Top Chef Canada winner Carl Heinrich, offers a pantry menu with seasonal faves. Think charcuterie plates with locally sourced meat and house-made preserves, pate en croûte and lamb tartare. Richmond Station is also one of the top restaurants to visit in the city if you love chocolate! With a fresh and creative farm-to-table menu, patrons have been wondering why this restaurant hasn’t received any recognition since the Michelin Guide’s original Toronto launch.
