Don Alfonso 1890

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Family Legacy, Forty Floors Above Lake Ontario

Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto is the only North American outpost of a restaurant that has been a family institution on the Amalfi Coast since the nineteenth century. The original house, perched above the point where the Gulf of Naples meets the Gulf of Salerno in Sant'Agata, earned three consecutive Michelin Stars across five years and a place among the world's top three restaurants in La Liste 2020. That pedigree now sits on the 38th floor of the Westin Harbour Castle, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame the Toronto skyline and the harbour below.

The Toronto location came together through a partnership between the Iaccarino family — Michelin Star Chefs Alfonso and Ernesto Iaccarino — and Nick Di Donato of the Liberty Entertainment Group, which has spent over three decades shaping Toronto's hospitality landscape. The result is the only place in North America where the Iaccarinos' cuisine is served, and the recognition has followed swiftly: a Michelin Star in the inaugural Michelin Guide Toronto 2022, Best Italian Restaurant in the World outside of Italy and Meal of the Year from 50 Top Italy, and Gambero Rosso's distinction of Best New Restaurant in the World alongside its Tre Forchette (3 Forks) — the same honour that continues to be awarded to the restaurant in 2025.

The Cuisine

The kitchen's identity is rooted in what the restaurant describes as "modernity, Mediterranean flare and the exceptional quality of the raw materials used." In practice, that means Italian fine dining that draws on both southern Italian tradition and carefully sourced Canadian ingredients. The signature tasting menu opens with canapes and fresh-baked artisan bread, then moves through dishes such as handmade tortelli filled with Andria DOP burrata, Sicilian red prawn tartare and zucchini cream; seared P.E.I. o-toro prepared puttanesca style with Sicilian eggplant caponata and Nocellara olive crisp; and organic Manitoba bison tenderloin with buffalo mozzarella, Ontario mushroom, guanciale and Italian black truffle. A contemporary vegetarian tasting menu runs alongside, featuring Acquerello Carnaroli risotto cooked in beetroot juice with 25-year balsamic vinegar and Gorgonzola fondue.

The lounge offers a more relaxed entry point to the same kitchen — tempura Nova Scotia lobster, lamb meatballs in tomato ragout, and spaghetti with organic San Marzano tomato sauce made from Don Alfonso's own pasta.

Wine and Setting

The wine program lists 980 unique labels, with deep Italian representation and a deliberate focus on smaller artisanal producers from lesser-known Italian regions, alongside back-vintage bottles from top producers worldwide — a commitment recognized by Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence. Wine pairings are matched to Chef Davide's dishes course by course.

Private dining rooms, event catering, and valet parking make the space equally suited to a landmark dinner for two or a larger occasion.