I'm usually a devotee of the casual restaurant- rowdy places where the music is loud and the crowd is young. But every so often, one of those high-end restaurants becomes so notorious for its sublime cuisine that you throw on a jacket and shine your shoes.
Alo is one such spot. It opened in 2015, and since then, it has been acclaimed by many as one of the best restaurants in the city, if not the entire country. When you arrive, it’s easy to see why. From start to finish, the service is superb- every detail is attended to, from memorizing your coat (no need for coat check tickets), to gliding out of the way as you walk through the dining room, to setting down the plates at the table in unison. It is theatre of the best kind.
The food matches the excellence of the service. The restaurant serves a five course tasting menu at a set price, influenced by French flavours. You can opt for wine pairings, select your own bottle, or opt for one of their house cocktails from the excellent bar. With the amuse-bouche courses in between the tasting menu, it runs to about 10 courses, and dinner runs around 3 hours. But every morsel is worth it. Burgundian snails in parsley sauce; buttery lobster in squash purée; earl grey tea ice cream and sea buckthorn. Each dish is exquisite in taste and presentation. It is an experience you won’t soon forget.
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