Vegan fine dining and cocktail bar
Tucked away in a heritage townhouse on a quiet street in Yorkville, Avelo offers two unique dining experiences, both serving some of Toronto’s finest plant-based cuisine.
Avelo Restaurant features a fine-dining exploration through either a 5 or 8 course Tasting Menu, where guests that the choice to add an additional curated wine pairing.
Upstairs, Bar Avelo boasts an extensive hand-crafted cocktails list, and serves an a la carte food menu created by the same Head Chef as the restaurant.
Our aim is to deliver an extraordinary dining experience for our guests through an exploration of many small plates, and is geared towards the more adventurous diner. Dinner is an immersive experience from start to finish with dishes being described by the servers, highlighting any uncommon ingredients or techniques. Each experience at Avelo is unique, as the menu changes seasonally.
Avelo is open for dinner Wednesday – Sunday, and has two seatings per evening.
First seating: 5pm – 6:15pm
Second seating: 7:45pm – 8:30pm
Prices:
8-course* $135/person Fri-Sat, or $115 Wed, Thu, Sun
Optional wine pairing, +$75
5-course $85/person Fri-Sat, or $70 Wed, Thu, Sun
Optional wine pairing, +$45
*The 8 course meal is only available during our second seating time from 7:45-8:30pm
Please note any other dietary restrictions in your reservation – we can accommodate a wide range of dietary needs so long as we are given advance notice. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Upstairs in this heritage building is Bar Avelo, with a cozy interior featuring a dramatic arched ceiling inspired by the building’s Victorian origins.
The drinks menu covers a range of classic and creative cocktails, a carefully curated wine selection, and other beverages. The food is an internationally inspired plant-based tapas menu, featuring seasonal produce and house-made items such as lion’s mane mushrooms, and various vegan cheeses.
Can I see a menu?
For Bar Avelo, we have an a la carte food menu and drinks menu.
For Avelo Restaurant, we serve either a 5 or an 8 course tasting menu, where our chef showcases a variety of dishes focused on seasonal ingredients. Because of this, the menu changes every day, so we do not published a menu. Guests do receive a small menu at their table highlighting 3 ingredients per course where they have the option to follow along or go in for a blind experience.
If you have questions about dietary restrictions, etc. please contact us for assistance.
Can you accommodate allergies and other dietary restrictions?
Yes! We can accommodate a wide range of dietary restrictions, including gluten-free, nut free, alcohol free and many others as long as we have at least 48 hours notice. Please make a note of dietary restrictions when making your reservation, or contact us and we can help adjust your reservation.
We never use peanuts, though we often have dishes with other nuts. We are not able to accommodate allium allergies, as our kitchen uses those ingredients extensively. Please note that we can not guarantee 100% against cross contamination.
Is everything vegetarian/vegan?
Everything is plant-based. We do not use any dairy, eggs, meat, or other animal products.
What if I need to cancel my reservation?
In order for us to make the table available to someone else, please notify us as soon as you can if you need to cancel. Your credit card will be charged $30/person for late cancellations (within 24 hours) or no shows.
Why a service charge instead of tipping?
Tipping has long been problematic in the restaurant industry, with issues around discrimination, wage disparity, and harassment. For more details, here’s a good overview (from a US perspective), and more about how some Toronto restaurants are moving away from tips.
Isn’t a service charge just a “mandatory tip?”
The service charge allows us to show a breakdown of the same price, plus the same amount that would have been a tip. Showing the total as an increased price would make it seem more expensive (even though it’s the same total), and non-tipping restaurants that have done this have consistently seen reduced numbers of guests because of the perception of higher prices.
What if I still want to tip, in addition to the service charge?
With our focus on hospitality, we would not refuse guests who sincerely want to tip beyond the service charge. In these cases, tips will be distributed among the team.
How accessible is the building for people with mobility difficulties?
Unfortunately, the restaurant is not wheel-chair accessible as there are a few stairs at the entrance to the building. The washroom is located on the second floor as well, up two small flights of stairs.