#FOOD: NEW FALL 2026 MENUS AT REVÉ, AKIN, DOWN HOME AND CASA PACO

Fall menus are rolling out across some of Ontario’s finest reataurants with new tasting menus, seasonal ingredients, dishes and drinks on your radar. Some of these just receiving 2026 Michelin distinctions last week!

Revé, Niagara-on-the-Lake

Revé’s fall menu will highlight richer, colder-weather ingredients across its 10-course journey, featuring partridge, razor clams, cuttlefish and Ontario lamb. On the drinks menu, expect a brown butter brioche cocktail and an Etna Bianco Brut exclusive to the Chef’s Counter.

Reservations are now open here.

aKin, Toronto
At aKin, the new tasting menu focuses on Asian BBQ, exploring the spirit of gathering with friends and family through barbecue traditions from across the continent. Different ingredients, techniques and cultures come together through the same elemental act of cooking over flame.

The menu includes Eric Chong’s take on a BBQ snack platter, Korean yukhoe, roasted duck noodle soup and satay.

Reservations are now open here.

Down Home, Grey County
Down Home’s 10-course fall menu follows the season with wild mushrooms, fire-roasted duck and homegrown delicata squash. New this fall, the restaurant has also opened a retail shop featuring fresh produce from across Grey County, including carrots, squash, beets, radishes and winter kale, along with edible flowers grown on the Down Home farm. Guests will also find farm-fresh eggs, local honey, small-batch jams and Canadian-made glassware by local artists.

October bookings are now open, November reservations open Oct. 30.  More here.

George Restaurant, Toronto
Autumn at George means transitioning from lighter dishes to more comforting flavours. The menu moves from crispy fried sweetbread, hamachi sashimi and grilled veal tenderloin to braised bison cheeks, roasted black cod and venison. Seasonal produce shifts as well, from English peas, tomatoes and strawberries to Brussels sprouts, squash and pears.

Reservations are now open here.

Casa Paco, Toronto
Casa Paco’s fall menu brings Spanish red prawns from Palamós, cuttlefish braised in its ink, sea urchin, charcoal-grilled Dover sole, smoked wild mushrooms, black truffle and lemon-roasted rabbit to the table. 

Bookings for November open Oct.15.  More here.

#FOOD: AKIN, LES INCOMPETENTS, REVÉ, TAKJA, DOWN HOME, GEORGE AND FAT RABBIT RECEIVE 2026 MICHELIN DISTINCTIONS

Seven restaurants represented by Really Good People have been recognized in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Toronto & Region, spanning One MICHELIN Star, Bib Gourmand and MICHELIN Selected distinctions.

aKin, TORONTO (ONE MICHELIN STAR)
Founded by chefs Eric Chong and Alvin Leung, aKin retains the One MICHELIN Star it first
received in 2025. Chong leads the restaurant’s tasting menu, drawing from his heritage
alongside flavours and traditions from across Asia. He was also named the 2025 MICHELIN
Guide Toronto & Region Young Chef Award winner.

LES INCOMPETENTS, ST. CATHARINES (BIB GOURMAND)
Les Incompetents earns its first Bib Gourmand, one of five restaurants newly awarded the
distinction this year. The downtown St. Catharines restaurant and bar is from Zach Smith, Owen
Walker, Adam D’Intino, Bee Lim and Geoff Dillon, with a menu centred on French-ish cooking,
seafood, wine and cocktails.

REVÉ, NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE (MICHELIN SELECTED)
Revé joins the MICHELIN Guide in its first year. Founded by Executive Chef Adriano
Cappuzzello, Nicole Pisarenko, Anna Katherine Kruusi and Kevin Gillingham, the
Niagara-on-the-Lake restaurant serves a 10-course tasting menu built around live-fire cooking,
local farms and producers, seasonality and Cappuzzello’s Sicilian background.

TAKJA BBQ HOUSE, TORONTO (MICHELIN SELECTED)
Led by chefs Jeff Kang and Edward Bang, Takja joins the MICHELIN Guide for the first time.
The College Street restaurant focuses on Hansang, meaning “a full table of food,” with seafood,
banchan, house fermentation, dry-aged meats and tableside Korean barbecue designed to be
shared.

DOWN HOME, MARKDALE (MICHELIN SELECTED)
Chefs and co-owners Joel Gray and Hannah Harradine are behind the 16-seat restaurant,
where the tasting menu is shaped by what the team grows on their own farm, gathers and
sources from nearby farms and producers. Down Home returns to the MICHELIN Guide for its
third consecutive year.

FAT RABBIT, ST. CATHARINES (MICHELIN SELECTED)
Fat Rabbit, the St. Catharines restaurant and butcher shop from chef and co-owner Zach Smith,
works with whole animals sourced from Ontario farms, supported by an in-house butchery and
charcuterie program and a seasonal menu. Fat Rabbit returns to the MICHELIN Guide for its
third consecutive year.

GEORGE RESTAURANT, TORONTO (MICHELIN SELECTED)
Executive Chef Lorenzo Loseto has overseen George’s kitchen for more than two decades, with
seasonally driven menus and a signature double-blind Chef’s Choice tasting experience tailored
to guests’ preferences. The restaurant returns to the MICHELIN Guide for its fifth consecutive
year.

#FOOD: ERIC CHONG X ALVIN LEUNG’S AKIN NOW OPEN FOR RESERVATIONS

Founded by the visionary duo Alvin Leung, a three-Michelin-starred chef, and Eric Chong, the first winner of MasterChef Canada, aKin represents a fusion of decades of culinary heritage and a commitment to innovation in Canadian fine dining. Located in Toronto’s Old Town at 51 Colborne Street, aKin will introduce a 10-course blind tasting menu that challenges the senses and reimagines traditional flavours. Pre-reservations are now open via www.akintoronto.com or Tock, with tables available beginning November 19th.

We had a chance to preview the amazing AKIN:

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aKin opens its doors in November 2024, and will operate from Tuesday to Sunday, 5 PM to 12 AM. The restaurant features a dining room that accommodates 28 guests, alongside an exclusive chef’s counter for four and a private dining room for eight.

The signature 10-course blind tasting menu will evolve seasonally and is priced at $275 per diner, with two optional supplements: caviar or A5 wagyu beef, each priced at $75. Two drink pairing options will be available: a curated wine pairing and a crafted cocktail pairing, each priced at $135.

The name aKin holds significant meaning. “aKin” refers to being “of similar nature or character,” reflecting the chefs’ philosophies of modernizing traditional dishes while retaining their true essence. It also translates to “related by blood,” symbolizing the strong bond between Alvin and Eric. While they are not related by blood, they have become family through their shared passion for culinary excellence. This bond is physically represented at aKin by a DNA-inspired central light fixture, a custom piece that illuminates the heart of the restaurant, as well as other detail.

At aKin, every meal is a journey, with a meticulously crafted menu designed to transform the dining experience into an adventurous exploration of taste. Leung and Chong draw inspiration from traditional Asian recipes and contemporary culinary techniques, creating dishes that are not only visually stunning but also layered with complex flavours.

The dedication to detail and excellence extends beyond the kitchen. Every aspect of the dining experience at aKin has been thoughtfully curated, from custom flatware designed to enhance each dish’s presentation to exquisite glassware and cutlery. All elements are curated to create an ambiance of sophistication and elegance, contributing to a unique dining experience in our city.