Budget Dining in Downtown Toronto, Ontario

Set Menus at Restaurants are Affordable Dinner Options for Vacation

Jul 19, 2009

Eating out in restaurants can be a hefty expense while on vacation but many popular Toronto chefs are now offering a set, prix fixe dinner menu to help save money.

The fixed price dinner has always been popular in Europe and now the idea is sweeping through the city of Toronto, Canada. Available in many restaurants in the downtown core, this guide will help narrow the choices for budget dining when visiting Toronto.

Prix Fixe Dinners – Where to Eat for $25.00

Long time residents of Toronto will remember this space as the Poor Alex Theatre. The stage area still remains but the once dingy theatre is now a beautiful airy restaurant. As with all new ventures there is some trial and error and recently both the menu and chef have changed.

The new tapas style menu is reflected in the prix fixe dinner option. Now a four-course meal instead of three, Annex Live is a lovely place for a quiet dinner date, especially on the nights when there is a live jazz band.

One of Toronto’s hottest new French bistros, the prix fixe menu at Tati is only available Sunday through Wednesday. There will be a choice for vegetarians and chicken lovers but it is the bavette steak with frites that keeps loyal Tati fans filling this small restaurant.

Be sure to always make a reservation at Tati. Without one, the chances of getting a table may be slim to none, even on a typically quiet Tuesday night.

Three-Course Meals – Restaurants Serving Dinner for $45.00 or Less

This elongated eatery will always be filled with Toronto's working chic. The factory-style decor (bare white walls, exposed beams and pipes) makes Brassaii look stark during the day light, but at night when the candles are lit and lights are low the ambience feels mysterious.

Though on the expensive side, Brassaii’s three-course set menu is a great choice for impressing important dinner guests. Please note, in addition to the $45.00 price, Brassaii will include a 17% gratuity on the bill along with applicable government taxes.

Since the menu prices at Le Select can not be considered expensive, their $35.00 prix fixe menu is only a good deal if the choice is steak. The duck confit and risotto will be cheaper if ordered à la carte.

That being said, the food and service here makes dining at Le Select a special occasion any time of the year. Be sure to have a look at the extensive wine cellar on the way to the washrooms, which are located down a flight of stairs.

An evening out at a fancy restaurant doesn’t always have to be a major expense. Prix fixe menus are a great option to keep a balanced dinner budget when visiting Toronto.

The copyright of the article Budget Dining in Downtown Toronto, Ontario in Budget Dining Options is owned by Allison Anthony. Permission to republish Budget Dining in Downtown Toronto, Ontario in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.