Don Alfonso 1890

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Family Legacy, Transported to Toronto

Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto carries one of the most storied names in Italian fine dining to the 38th floor of the Westin Harbour Castle, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame Lake Ontario and the city skyline in equal measure. The restaurant is the only North American location of the world-renowned Don Alfonso 1890 brand, a family-owned institution rooted in Sant'Agata on the Amalfi Coast since the nineteenth century. That original property, perched where the Gulf of Naples meets the Gulf of Salerno, held three Michelin Stars through the late 1990s and early 2000s and was ranked among the top three restaurants in the world by La Liste 2020. The Toronto address was created in partnership with Nick Di Donato of the Liberty Entertainment Group, bringing Michelin Star Chefs Alfonso and Ernesto Iaccarino's vision to Canada for the first time.

Recognition That Speaks for Itself

The accolades followed quickly. Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto earned a Michelin Star in the inaugural Michelin Guide Toronto 2022 — the city's first-ever edition — and was named Best Italian Restaurant in the World outside of Italy and Meal of the Year by 50 Top Italy. Gambero Rosso awarded it both Best New Restaurant in the World and Tre Forchette (3 Forks). La Liste placed it as the Best Italian Restaurant in Canada and in the top ten of all Canadian restaurants. The wine program, spanning 980 unique labels with a strong focus on Italian producers, earned the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, a recognition the Iaccarino family's original property held for nearly two decades running.

What's on the Table

The Italian cuisine here is defined, in the restaurant's own words, by "its modernity, Mediterranean flare and the exceptional quality of the raw materials used." The Signature Tasting Menu moves through handmade tortelli filled with Andria DOP burrata and Sicilian red prawn tartare, seared P.E.I. O-toro prepared puttanesca-style with Sicilian eggplant caponata, and organic Manitoba bison tenderloin finished with Italian black truffle and Ontario mushrooms. A vegetarian Contemporary Menu runs alongside it at the same price point, offering dishes such as Acquerello Carnaroli rice cooked in beetroot juice with 25-year balsamic vinegar and Gorgonzola fondue. The lounge offers a more relaxed entry into the same Italian kitchen — tempura Nova Scotia lobster, lamb meatballs in tomato ragout, and the house spaghetti with organic San Marzano tomatoes among them.

The Wine List

The sommelier team has assembled 980 labels with particular depth in Italian regions, including back vintages from top producers and smaller artisanal estates from less-charted appellations. Wine pairings are available to complement the tasting menus, and the program's quality is precisely what earned the restaurant its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence.