Canadian Ingredients, Canadian Wine, and Canadian Views
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dined in August 2011
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
I was working in Afghanistan back in 2011 and was planning my next trip for August, when I read about the opening of the Edge Walk at the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada. It was the driving force behind my entire visit that had me spend two days in the city, then three more in Niagara. While at the CN Tower before the walk, I had a lunch at the 360 Restaurant located on one of the top floors of the building, 356 meters or 1,168ft above the ground, and revolves in a complete circle every hour.. Between lunch and walking the edge it was a very fun day.
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Main review:
The CN Tower's revolving restaurant offers regional Canadian fare & panoramic views, market-fresh cuisine, featuring regional ingredients to that makes for a wonderful culinary experience. 360 also features a wine selection of over 600 international and Canadian wines from what the Sommelier calls the "cellar in the sky". Over the years 360 has also been the recipient of several awards that has given them name recognition and write-ups in magazines and to culinarian’s around the globe.
You also get access to the LookOut and Glass Floor levels of the CN Tower, following your meal, which are complimentary with the purchase of a prix fixe for each guest. I only ordered a few small bites, but since I had purchased the Edge Walk months before, I got the access complimentary as well. The menu at 360 changes twice a year for summer and the winter. The summer menu starts in May and the winter menu in November. Though this visit was six years ago from the time I’m writing this review, I do not have any saved photographs from my meal, so I’m using photos from the 360 archive, with a few city shots that I did take. All food pictures however are courtesy to the restaurant.
The Edge Walk is an experience in of itself. On the roof of the tower is a walkway that goes all the way around. Above the walkway is a device that holds your ropes in place. You are fitted into the harness, then walk out into the open. The instructor starts you off slow, and goes at your pace. At first they have you look over the edge, then slowly turn around and lean over the edge backward. Then came the part that had my heart pumping fast, leaning to the front which was an extremely frightening yet mind-blowing experience. It rates second in crazy stunts or adrenalin rushes I have done behind swimming with great white sharks in South Africa in 2013.
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| City view of Toronto, 2011 |
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| Picture Courtesy of Edge Walk |
Other Noteworthy North American Continental Cuisine Favorites:
First Watch in Tampa, Florida
Final notes and observations:
What is a restaurant review? Is one better than the other? These and several other questions are what I hear from foodies, and readers alike. Restaurants ask how the rating system is broken down. Remember that reviews you read online are subjective, but they should also be responsibly, and respectfully written, upholding the truth and accurately conveying the experience. My job is to put you at the table next to me, and to always be objective and not subjective. Hopefully I succeeded with that. Being impeccable with my word, never taking anything that happens at the restaurant personally, being honest in the review, never make assumptions, and to always write to the best of my knowledge.
My ratings are notated by the level of stars awarded from 0 to 5. The star rating is based on the calculation and point accumulation of six separate factors with nearly seventy questions broken down by individual experiences such as wine and other beverage selection, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, plus a bonus section called the wow factor. To see more details on how I do my ratings read this article:
Review basics:
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Wine List:
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Corkage fee’s:
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The Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Casual to Conservative dining
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Reservations:
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Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Smart casual, Casual, or Conservative attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette. If not then
Hire a Babysitter!
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Cuisine style:
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Contemporary, Bistro, Modern, Lounge, Seafood, Canadian, French, & Vegetarian
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Lounge, Business parties, Romantic, Hot spot, Great bar, Good for special occasions, Scenic views, Upscale, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood gem.
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Payments:
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Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Valet, or Public lot,
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant
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Patio:
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No
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Other Ontario, Canada restaurant reviews on Wine, Dine, and Play:
Brasa Brazilian Steakhouse in the Hilton, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Ponte Vecchio in the Fallsview Hotel, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
HobNob Restaurant The Charles Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake
360 Restaurant:
CN Tower
301 Front Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 2T6 Canada
Contact Information:
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Maître d or host:
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+ 1 416 868-6937 |
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Online reservations
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OpenTable |
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Restaurant website: |
360 Restaurant |
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Serving hours: Eastern Standard Time (GMT - 5:00) |
Daily: Mon-Sun 9:00 am - 10:30 pm |
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Email contact: |
Contact 360 |
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Social Media
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Accolades:
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Facebook link |
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Twitter @TourCNTower |
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Pinterest |
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YouTube |
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Instagram |
****
The worlds best, based on my list of restaurants reviewed and rated at 4 or more stars. From the 300 published reviews as of March 2017, less than 15% hold that prestigious ranking of 4 or 5 stars, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. I have dined at restaurants on five continents from cafes, chains, and fine dining best of the world Michelin rated locations. Not all of the worlds best ratings are the same as mine.
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Chic Country-Style Vineyard Restaurant
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Hip Asian-Fusion
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Impeccably Acclaimed French Cuisine
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French-American Fine Dining
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High Rise Fine Global Dining, Highest Restaurant In The World
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Contemporary, African-Inspired Tasting Journey
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Upscale Creole Fare
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Inventive Eclectic Tasting Menus
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Safari + Upscale African Cuisine
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Creative Mediterranean Cuisine
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Posh French + A Culinary Experimentalism
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Inspired Farm-to-Table Dining
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So many great wines in this world, here are a few boutiques, cult wines, and favorites:
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A 1756 Estate Famed Rubicon Blend
Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Big, Bold, Cult Cabernets
Oakville, California, USA
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Screaming Eagles Sister
Santa Barbara, California, USA
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Agincourt, Waterloo, Salamanca
Yarra Valley, Australia
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Boutique Producers of Pinot Noir
Willamette, Oregon
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Old Huguenot Style Shiraz & Cabernets
Franschhoek, South Africa
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20+ Blue Ridge Handcrafted Wines
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
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World Class Oregon Pinot Noir
Willamette, Oregon
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Exceptional Cult Sauvignon Blanc & Cabernets
Yountville, California
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Not Kehlsteinhaus, Exceptional Shiraz
Constantia, South Africa
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Reviewed by:
Sean Overpeck (CFE)
Executive Chef
Father, Husband, Wine Drinker
Restaurant nut, History and
Star Trek lover
Picture below was taken in 2011
On the Edge Walk on the CN Tower
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
About Sean:
I am based out of St. Petersburg, Florida working in the food service industry for over twenty years, and am currently with the American Embassy as the Executive Chef. Formally I have worked with groups contracting in Afghanistan, and Antarctica, also working in restaurants in and around Atlanta, Georgia prior to the wars. I have also owned a catering company and served proudly in the United States Army Food Service Program. The idea for Wine, Dine, and Play started in late 2012 after a trip to Jordan, when I was asked by friends to write down the experiences from a few restaurants, wine from the region that I tasted, and locations of interest such as Petra. Since that time, over 300 articles have been written, including fifteen restaurants from the worlds top 100 lists of San Pellegrino and the Elite Travelers Guide. There are articles on exotic world locations such as Victoria Falls, and South African Safari’s; food recipes & Grand Food Dictionaries; ethnic country cuisines such as Afghan, and Peruvian; tasting tours of world cities like Charleston, Cape Town, and Dubai; and of course wine from vineyards in California, Oregon, the Carolina’s, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, with much more to see and write about.
Who is John Galt?
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Other articles of interest on Wine, Dine, and Play:
Shark Cage Diving in Gansbaai, South Africa
The Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai, UAE
(Articles coming soon)
Petra, Jordan
A Taste of Dubai
A Taste of South Africa vol 1 & 2
Wine, Dine, And Play’s “best of” List
FOB Shank - Cooking with Incoming
My Favorite Restaurants and Wine
TTFN
