Toronto’s DaNico earns first Michelin star

Only one Toronto restaurant has received a Michelin star this year, but it’s not the first time the chef who brought that restaurant to the top has earned one.

“It’s a very, very big emotion. It’s something that can’t be described in words. I’m so happy for the restaurant, for the team and for myself because we worked very hard this year and I think we really deserved what we got,” chef Daniele Corona told CP24 on Thursday.

Corona was also part of the team that helped award Don Alfonso 1890 its first Michelin star when the tire maker-turned-tastemaker released its first Toronto guide.

DaNico, located in a former bank building at College and Bathurst streets, is one of four restaurants recently awarded a Michelin star.

The restaurant serves modern Italian cuisine with Asian influences, using Asian techniques and the highest quality ingredients, both Corona and restaurant general manager Marco Manzoni said.

“I would say we try to offer a 360-degree experience from the moment you make your reservation, when you walk in the door, all the way to the end,” Manzoni said. “We try to take very good care of our guests, not just with the food and just with the service, but we try to be as hospitable as possible, it’s important for them to feel seen.”

In addition to being recognized as a fine dining establishment, Michelin named DaNico’s Ashleigh Foster Toronto’s Sommelier of the Year. Foster explained to CP24 that the best way to fully experience DaNico is with a wine pairing, as it elevates the “culinary adventure” of Corona.

“Because Chef Daniele is Italian and my heart belongs to Italian wine, I had a really great experience introducing guests to varieties they may have never tried before, let alone heard of,” Foster said.

Corona believes that the key to success is providing every guest with the highest quality service.

“We have to be honest with our guests, basically,” Corona said. “Take care of every guest who comes to your restaurant. For me, it’s not just a job, it’s part of my life. When I talk to my guests, I talk with my heart and I try to give them my all.”

In addition to DaNico, Michelin on Wednesday evening awarded their first stars to Hexagon in Oakville, Restaurant Pearl Morissette in the Niagara region and The Pine in Creemore, Ontario.