A humble request to the Toronto foodie gods!

[newtothegame]

I'm planning a bachelor party for one of my best friends a couple months from now, and we are both food adorers.

I want to make sure I have one of the best meals we've ever had on that special night so if people could recommend their favorites with some of the below criteria in mind, I'd be most grateful.

Should be in or near downtown Toronto -We'll probably have a limo but prefer not to travel too far.
Should be a relaxed enough atmosphere that we won't be asked to leave if we laugh a little to loud ;)
Should not be vegetarian
Anything else I'm open to!

I very much look forward to reading the responses, thanks for helping make this a night to remember!

[curnonsky]

I'd go somewhere you're not going to stick out like a sore thumb — 20 young drunk guys in a limo? You're not going to get past the maitre d' at Canoe.

You want somewhere large that can easily accommodate a group of your size and people making a lot of noise is perfectly acceptable. And the food's OK.

Terroni on Adelaide

Buca

Origin (or so I've heard)

South of Temperance (no idea on food)

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Buca
604 King St. West, Toronto, ON M5V 1M6, CA

South of Temperance
20 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5H, CA

[millygirl]

Who said anything about Canoe?

[akhorasanee]

colborne lane!

[Cody]

For my best friends bachelor party we started out with dinner at Five Door North and he had a blast. We were loud, the vibe was great and the staff bent over backwards to serve us. A good upside is there's usually a few bachelorette parties going on.

Food is always great there.

[newtothegame]

Very good suggestions. 5 Door north and Grano are in the process of menu reviews.

Thanks so much to everyone for recommending places. Another thing I didn't think of was al fresco!
Anyone have any "best food you can eat in toronto -outside" recommendations? the last post I can find on this was 2009.

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Grano
2035 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4S2A2, CA

[redhead]

you might want to check out the new spot called "south of temperance" - haven't been, but menu looks good and it has a huge patio (bay and adelaide area)

[Zengarden]

I seem to remember a post a while ago from someone who wanted a guys' night out/reunion. One of the recommendations that was submitted was for Ceili Cottage which is located in Leslieville. I haven't been but heard that their Prime Rib Dinner is superb. Not super high end but if there are people with budget concerns, it might be a better option.

[newtothegame]

Great suggestions. Has anyon been to South of Temperance or Ceili cottage? How about 5 doors north. it seems to have a great vibe and is fairly budget mindedly priced, but we do want a quality dinner for sure.

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South of Temperance
20 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5H, CA

[theweight]

You should look into Marben, very well-executed, interesting local fare, and a cool vibe.

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Marben
488 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 1E5, CA

[newtothegame]

Marben looks perfect. Great suggestion, thanks theweight!

Anyone else eaten at Marben at all?

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Marben
488 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 1E5, CA

[gothlig]

I think Marben would suit very well. Go there for an early dinner and speak to Carl or Ryan. Tell them what you plan and I think they'll look after you very well. Wouldn't be surprised if they offer to put together some special food for that number. Just tell them what you want to spend and see what they can do.

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Marben
488 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 1E5, CA

[newtothegame]

I've settled on Marben. It looks like it's a perfect fit.

Thanks to everyone for the recommendations!

We are only a group of 12 after all planning. This should be a great fit, especially if it is a nice night. I love watching the world go by in the fresh air of the evening with wine and great food. Magic.

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Marben
488 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 1E5, CA

[redhead]

my husband and buddies have given ceili cottage two tries now..both times highly disappointed in the food but they pour a good guiness..love Starfish, so can't figure what's going wrong here..

[newtothegame]

I have to rekindle an old post, forgive me. This party has gotten really expensive really fast, but dinners still a priority. Any places taht really stand out that take reservations for you guys. Location in the city isn't important but I'd love a choice apart from the steakhouses mentioned.
They look great but might be a little too expensive for some of the crowd.

[Bigtigger]

New, GRANO in midtown might suit you to a tee. They have a semi-private dining room and can do hors d'oeuvres and prosecco while guests gather, then a custom menu at a long table with wines of your choice. I used to get my guests to pick up their glass and silver and move 4 places to left every course which created some hilarity but gave everyone a chance to chat with different people. (the groom could stay in fixed place)
They could not be more accommodating - price is high-medium but good value for what you get. Good luck.

[Piggy Smalls]

pretty much any other good restaurant is going to be in a similar range as the steakhouses. barberian's has a separate room that'll allow your whole group to be as loud as you guys want.

5 doors north should be good too but again, you're not saving much money going there over the steakhouses.

churrasco villa at mt. pleasant and eglinton is a cheaper option, and they have a downstairs room that you guys can take out and be as loud as you want. the food is also really good, but it's churrasco style bbq for the most part. their bbq ribs are one of the best i've ever had (and i've had them all over the southern US).

[CDS]

I seccond the Churassco suggestion. Soooo good. Be warned you will walk out smelling like you slept in a BBQ. Well worth it though. If they have halibut as a special it is my go to.

[JennaBean]

I think Jacob & Co would fit the bill. I would suggest that you eat in the lounge as it is more relaxed. The food it amazing, the wine list wonderful and it is right downtown. If you call in advance and tell them what you're looking for I'm sure they will give you a night to remember.

[MeMeMe]

Agreed...then you can head over to the bar scene on King street if that's your thing.

[haggisdragon]

Agreed Jacob and Co is perfect, if you have the $$$.

[newtothegame]

First, Thanks everyone. Now I have some research to do! Jacobs&co looks beautiful, splendito is right up my alley, though might be a bit over the top for some of the people coming. Nota Bene looks amazing..
On that resto-crawl idea.. perhaps lunch at queen & beaver or Duggans, then an event then hit up Black hoof and let them take my number, while we sip scotch somewhere before dinner. Another question, are there any decent whiskey / scotch bars in the black hoof area, close enough to get back in time to get our big table when it comes available?

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Nota Bene
180 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 2A1, CA

[jlunar]

you can always go across the street to the hoof cafe and drink/nibble there until they call you!

Though... 20 people might not be possible ... at all. I'm not sure. Maybe give them a ring and a heads up?

[TheDewster]

Been to Barberians but not Jacob's can anyone do a comparison for me? Food, ambiance wise.

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Barberian's
7 Elm St, Toronto, ON M5G1H1, CA

[Herb]

Jacob's is 30s/40s business crowd. Barberian's their grandparents.

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Barberian's
7 Elm St, Toronto, ON M5G1H1, CA

[TheDewster]

What about the steaks? Sides?

[haggisdragon]

The steaks are top notch at both, Jacob's probably has the edge in terms of choice. Sides at Jacob's are more modern and well executed, Barberian's sides are an after thought.

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Barberian's
7 Elm St, Toronto, ON M5G1H1, CA

[TheDewster]

Thank you time to check it out

[TheDewster]

Barberian's steak house on elm street behind sick kids lots of parking and all the restaurants next door are great too so if its packed you are ok. Its a beef lovers paradise. There's a portugese or Argentine place two doors west that gets lots of press if you prefer that kind of food. Depending on the size of the party there are private rooms at Barberians they are ok with noise either way. Best steak house since 1953, crepe suzette is fabulous and servings are enormous 22 oz porter house see my avatar picture by my name below.

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Barberian's
7 Elm St, Toronto, ON M5G1H1, CA

[Underdog Rally]

Have you considered a food crawl? Why have one of the best meals you've ever had, when you can have several! It's a challenging endeavour (moreso than a pub crawl, I'd say), but this is what my best man did for me. He convinced my friends to follow us around as we sampled 1-2 signature dishes at multiple restaurants. The restaurants seemed happy to do this because we were a large group with a quick turnover, and we went before the big dinner crowds. Ideally, you finish up at the place you expect to stay at for the rest of the evening. It's just ridiculous enough of an idea to make for a good bachelor party. I would suggest gastropubs like Duggan's or Queen and Beaver as good final destinations.

This was actually the trip that introduced me to the Black Hoof, which would be a great choice on its own as previously mentioned.

[newtothegame]

Love this idea actually. I might have 20 guys but hey.. could be worth the for for sure!

[youdonut]

barbarians?

[newtothegame]

I've heard decent tings about beer Bistro, but don't know anyone who's been to Barbarians: It's got great steak? Any special memories to share?

[jlunar]

I personally wouldn't choose Barberian's - you could laugh out loud, but it's realllly old school. Really, really, really old school steak house. If you like that, then it's perfect.

Beer Bistro is fun, Duggan's is fun, but they're not dressy places. They do have solid food. Better food, I think, can be had elsewhere.

I find Splendido really nice, though I guess it depends on how loud you want to laugh and how much money you want to spend.

Nota Bene has solid food, though also not cheap. However, it's got a bustling atmosphere, though a bit on the corporate side.

For steak houses, I like Harbour 60 better, but it's kinda fancy-pants. However, at-your-table s'mores makes everything acceptable to me. I'd suggest hitting the bar side of the resto if you go.

My favourite resto in the city right now though, is the Black Hoof. Really casual, awesome food. Depends on if you like offal and the like. I have a couple of my meals documented on my site, with additonal photos on flickr. Things like horse heart and tongue, butter-poached veal brain, and tongue sandwich are among the more adventuresome dishes. They do have some regular dishes too, but the menu is pretty short, so this may - or may not - be for you. No reservations though, so go on opening (6p) depending on your party size. I had 7 people recently and we were seated easily by just camping the door for 15 minutes.

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http://www.foodpr0n.com/ -- food. is. love.

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Beer Bistro
18 King St. E, Toronto, ON M5C 1C4, CA

Barberian's
7 Elm St, Toronto, ON M5G1H1, CA

Splendido
88 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1G5, CA

Nota Bene
180 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 2A1, CA

The Black Hoof
928 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA

[newtothegame]

I love the black hoof! My only concern is lack of being able to make a reservation or I'd definitely consider it. We won't be able to have dinner until later on-IE primetime-. Thanks for the other suggestions though, I'll check them out!

[detritus]

BeerBistro?