Ever since I realized that the Grammy’s was a popularity contest with little correlation to true talent, I have had a distrust of those awarding accolades. As a certain guide swept through Toronto awarding stars, there were some questionable choices made, and more importantly some damn fine restaurants that were snubbed—like Actinolite. As Otaku, we revel in glories of the unsung hero. Ten is one such unsung hero. Ten is the brainchild of a creative, 29 year old chef, Julian Bentivegna, opened just months before the COVID shutdown, in the Brockton Village neighborhood of Toronto. Chef Bentivegna introduced himself almost immediately upon sitting at the counter, eager to share his restaurant’s ethos: veg centric, seasonal cuisine presented in ten courses. This, of course is exactly why we chose to dine at Ten, so he was covering well-trodden ground. What was not so well-trod was his treatment of the vegetal divas. In our experience, most fine dining restaurants that are (or have turned) veg-centric treat their ingredients in either the traditional Japanese manner—minimalism highlighting natural flavors, or in the other extreme the traditional Indian manner—an exciting masala of flavors creating a synergistic whole, losing the individual parts. I do not mean actual Japanese/Indian flavors, just styles of preparation. If I had to catergorize Chef Bentivegna’s style it would be right in the middle of these two styles— the traditional French manner. Here, the flavor of the vegetable was paramount, but paired with some strong flavors which highlighted as opposed to upstaging the star. A perfect example would be his first course of winter radishes sliced into a fine julienne served over a pine nut sauce, and spiked with bay leaf oil. The pairing of flavors was sublime, and required in the chef a deft palate to balance. For Sadako, it was the little details. As a preliminary desert course, porcini ice cream was served textured with toasted rice, and salted with caviar (another sublime pairing of flavors) served in a chilled, wooden, sakura-shaped bowl, and crafted to resemble a buckeye. It is the details like chilling the plates for cold dishes, and warming the plates for hot dishes that is so often overlooked. While portions were small the flavors were large, and we left sated. Maitake were treated in the Cajun manner where a mushroom stock was reduced and deglazed several times over to create a sweet, intensely flavored mushroom paired with simply flavored cashews and red kale. One of the rare fish dishes, featuring a hamachi crudo with red cabbage was flavored with chewy, umami salty bits which I later found out to be chef’s own delicious hamachi XO sauce. There was intention and effort clearly present in every dish. Over the course of ten courses, chef Bentivegna presented us ten diners with an inspired cuisine on par with the finest dishes the City of Toronto has to offer; an experience highly recommended by the Otaku, of course. Follow us on IG and FB: Buffalo Food Otaku.

One of the best dining experience for my wife and I. 10 seats in the restaurant only. Similar to omakase style where the chef, Julian Bentivegna, prepares and explains the food to you. Service is impeccable. Ingredients are seasonal and changes with what's in season. I appreciate how innovative they are with food, tasty while not being pretentious. Great intimate experience. I suspect that 10 and Julian is going to be famous one day and it'll be hard to book a meal with him, once the Michelin guide comes out.

If you're looking for a culinary adventure where no two visits are the same, then Ten is the perfect restaurant for you. The ever-changing seafood and vegetable forward menus mean that you'll always be trying something new, and the expert chef Julian ensures that each dish is absolutely perfection. The atmosphere at Ten is also top-notch, with sleek and minimalist decor that creates a perfect backdrop for a night of fine dining. The service is attentive and professional, making sure that your evening is nothing short of extraordinary. But the real star of the show at Ten is the food. The seafood is always fresh and expertly cooked, and the vegetables are always perfectly seasoned. Coming here you're sure to have an incredible meal. So if you're looking for a restaurant that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you wanting more, Ten is the place for you.

I had the best birthday dinner here last night! Every dish was so unique but my favourite was the white chocolate peas! I’m not vegetarian but I do enjoy a veg forward meal and Ten executes this concept extremely well. The ambience is so cozy and the staff were wonderful. I have already recommended it to my friends!

Love seeing chefs cooking in front of me. All courses were well plated. Chef Julian was friendly but shy; It’s fun to ask questions and get to know the process behind each dish. The Fried Mushroom and Smoked Salmon blew me away. However, I wasn’t so impressed by the wine pairing. More cocktails and sakes would be nice.

I feel the 5 star rating is not sufficient enough to describe this restaurant - it was truly hands down the best meal experience we've had in our lives. We opted for the 10 course meal with the wine pairings. The level of thought and care placed into each dish was incredible - between the flavours and texture they really highlighted vegetables in a whole new way. - as vegetarians I've always been apprehensive of going to fine dining because veggies are an afterthought, but Ten made every dish delicious, unique and complex in flavour - we loved and enjoyed every dish. The menu changes regularly to reflect whatever is in season. The wine sommelier was well versed and paired with wines across different regions and enhanced every dish we had - this extends out into the finer details such as the cutlery and dishes used for each round. You get to connect with the chefs and see them put together each meal, and this brings an elevated appreciation to the creativity and effort places into each meal. You have the option in advance to advise on dietary restrictions (vegetarian) or there are some fish/meat based components within the regular menu. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and will be back undoubtedly. Thank you for making us fall back in love with the restaurant experience.

Incognito restaurant front with a very unique dining experience. Elevated vegetarian dishes that are very smart. No two dishes have the same side/main flavor combinations, and all flowed very cohesively. The staff was fantastic. Very attentive. Thank you for having us at your table. The chef was great and came by for a hello before we left. Kudos for the creative menu ideas and not recycling ingredients over and over again on different plates. Vegetarian food is elevated to the next level. You are amazingly creative, and I really appreciate the thought and dining experience. Keep up the great work !!! Definitely, the chef was not afraid to create with a different mindset. Example apple potatoe ( ie pomme de terre is potatoe has apple in the word in French .... soo creative!!!!) Comment on this dish ... the apple was poached or soaked/baked in brine,I was not a fan because personally, I do not think something that has flavors or is fresh or delicious needs much salt and this was overly salty -- but I have at the same time never tasted something created this way..so smart!!!!! -- hot balanced with cold potato skin ice cream ( also a 1st for me) . Ice cream was great!!! Another ice cream mention is the Porchini Mushroom ice cream. Who thinks of this!! I have never had Mushroom ice cream before. So amazing. Common denominator was the tie in or unami flavors by seaweed or mushrooms (I get it...) very smart infusions of an acidic kick of citrus components but not sharp enough to over power. Well done!! Will come back again to try a new menu. Hopefully, they are not afraid to flow through dishes that are stars vs. reinventing the menus the entire time with less appealing dishes.

I’ll start by saying that when I dine anywhere I love to check the lowest rated reviews first. I’ll address those reviews by saying this, most of the reviews said the price was too much or that they left hungry. That’s absolutely hilarious to me because if you took the time to see where you were going to eat you’d know it was a tasting menu AND that it’s an elevated experience. We live in a world where we want abundance and at the cheapest price available. But that’s not what should be expected. We should be open to new experiences if we’re lucky enough to be able to comfortably afford them. I can confidently say that the portions were perfect, I was FULL by the end of the meal. As well, the price, which was about $210 per person is a lot of money of course BUT the value for what you receive is totally worth it. You come to a place like this for the experience and I’ll say the experience I got was incredible. It was a ten course tasting menu but I actually got 11 courses. The very first item, they don’t consider a course. So what a happy surprise! The staff were incredibly nice and attentive. Each dish was carefully explained. And providing the menu at the end was a great touch. I am thoroughly happy with what I got here. It was truly an incredible experience. Who would I recommend this restaurant to? I would say anyone that isn’t a picky eater, who wants to expand their palette and wants to have a totally unique and elevated dining experience. This restaurant is vegetable forward, meaning the focus isn’t on meat. My dishes were mostly vegetables with the occasional seafood. It really opens your mind up to what’s possible with cooking and the amount of new vegetables I’ve never tried. I can genuinely say that every bad review left for this restaurant is completely wrong. Nothing short of 5 stars for this establishment. Totally in love with the experience I had and will definitely return someday. I wish I had better photos to share but that’s all I could capture. The atmosphere is very chill and dimmed lighting. The entire dining experience was an incredible 2 hours and 20 minutes. I had a great experience. Come here if you want to take your time trying flavours you’ve never experienced. Put your phone down and really taste every bite.

Such a very unique dining experience! Friendly casual atmosphere. The food and presentation is absolutely perfect. Honestly could not say what my favourite of the ten servings was, I loved them all. I was very impressed with this restaurant’s wheelchair accessible ramp, counter, and wonderful accessible bathroom. Highly recommend anyone with mobility issues go.

This was one of our best restaurant experiences in Toronto so far this year. The super young chef is an alum of Alo and the now defunct but Michelin-starred restaurant Grace in Chicago. There was a tight team of 4 manning the restaurant including the chef - all were super friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. Everyone was personable in describing their relationships with local producers and suppliers - the chef of course especially. The menu rotates depending on what’s in season, and is very veggie focused; but, if you’re a heavier meat eater, you don’t find yourself missing more meat courses. The space is not too large - ten seats, explaining the name. The back is a bit dark, but there is a beautifully lit section out front for drinks or waiting where you can take better lit pictures. The food itself was subtle but nuanced in its flavours - everything made sense. And, oh my goodness the sourdough was so good. The dishes were presented so beautifully. The portions appeared small, but we left completely full. In comparison to Alo - for the price and ease of getting a reservation, I would choose Ten hands down.

We absolutely loved dinner here. We had the 10 course tasting menu with the wine pairings. Each course was delicious and the wines complemented the food perfectly. The peas with white chocolate foam was the favourite until the mushrooms blew it out of the water. Chef Julian truly outdid himself, and we enjoyed hearing about his cooking philosophy and how the restaurant allows him to realize this. A spectacular evening.

After booking a table just before lockdown, we finally had a chance to make good on our reservation and visit (which the team enthusiastically accommodated). It was worth the wait. Julian, Simon, and Michael took great care of us. In addition to the fantastic hospitality, we had a great time being surprised by each beautiful and perfectly prepared dish. They were all excellent, though it's easy to figure out what the standouts are when every table asks the same "how did you make this???" question (the watermelon). I for one, want to know their duck technique. And it's probably better that I don't know how to make that bread. Vegetable forward enough to please my 80% vegetarian gf, with enough mix to satisfy more carnivorous cravings. But they'll happily accomodate accordingly. The most unexpected thing was the wine list full of unusual options and locales, which we explored and enjoyed. Definitely a great place for an intimate, special occasion meal, to share an experience over. And there's plenty of great places nearby to stop by after to keep it going.

Incredible vegetable forward meal! This was one of my first times trying a solely vegetarian fine dining menu and it was delicious! The chef was super kind to make some dairy-free alterations for me and everything was perfect. The staff were all friendly, the food was all cooked and served to perfection. You could tell that the chef was passionate about the food, which seeped through each course! I loved that everything was seasonal, and spoke well to the concept of the restaurant. Restaurant was clean, chic and lovely. Loved that the washroom was on the same floor- a rare site in Toronto. Sadly, I couldn’t drink any alcohol tonight but my partner had an amazing cocktail! Can’t wait to try the other seasonal menus!!

It was such a unique, refreshing and chilled atmosphere! The food was sublime and the presentation of it all is wondrous. Words don’t do justice to just how amazing this establishment is and I would highly recommend you to visit!

First time experiencing a vegetable-forward restaurant and it did not disappoint. They really do the vegetables justice and make them the star of each dish. Not once throughout this meal I wished for meat to be on the menu. The mushroom ice cream in particular was fantastic - I could have 10 bowls of just that and be content. Note that it may not be 100% vegetarian as one of our courses had a fish component. Will hopefully, and definitely, return another day when there’s a new tasting menu.

I went with my partner for our anniversary dinner. All 10 dishes were so flavourful and fresh. An incredible experience. Loved it ❤️

I came with my girlfriend for her special birthday and Ten did not disappoint. The food, service, wine, ambience, chef Julian, and entire staff made the evening an unforgettable experience. We had wine pairings with our ten course dinner. My gf is vegan so some of her plates were different, but for the most part, we both had the same dishes, and each was a wonderful surprise of flavours. And that they were vegetarian is even more impressive. Ten is unpretentious, luxurious, and not in the least bit elitist. It was great to see such a calm kitchen -- a small staff which included women and people of colour. In addition to the food, these were significant factors to our enjoyment of the evening. If you're looking for the same, then book a night here. It's definitely worth it.

One of our absolute favourites in Toronto! Every dish is better than the next and the wine pairing is truly delightful (and interesting). But above all we love the local, in season, vegetable forward concept. It takes real talent and creativity to pull off - and to pull off again and again.

This is a restaurant on a global level. Vegetable forward but not boxed in on a concept, chef takes very approachable items like mushrooms, squash, rutabaga and transforms them into unimaginably deep and complex dishes - most importantly they are delicious plates! The venue is intimate but very chill and great for couples or small groups. The service is top notch and if you like any form of beverage they have it. The sommelier curates a small but amazing list and the pairing to the dinner are beyond worth it as the wines and food pair seamlessly while, much like the cuisine, are so unique you feel like you're the first person on earth to try these things. It's Michelin recommended but personally KNOW this is better than many starred restaurants and is actually value for money in this realm.

Literally the best restaurant in Toronto. Brought my wife here for our anniversary; was blown away. The food is actually a 10/10 (no pun intended), service is God-tier. It's impossible to overhype Ten, it's actually the best experience you're going to have in Toronto. Chef Julian has put together an impeccable experience.

Fresh and nuanced experience. The dishes are complex but have a nostalgic feeling. Some of the dishes made me feel like I travelled back to my childhood. The combinations were well-thought out and innovative. The service was amazing and the chefs were friendly and attentive.

It's a rare thing to dine at a restaurant which has earned a place on the Michelin Recommended List, so this experience - complete with wine pairing - was easily the most perfect meal I've had in Toronto for some time. We savoured not only the unique tastes of everything thoughtfully prepared in front of us, but how each of the ten small courses were served, the overall minimal ambience and selection of music, and the calm manner of the sommelier's description of her choices, which took us all over Europe. There aren't enough superlatives for this outstanding meal. Thank you, Ten. We will be back!

We visited a few weeks ago to celebrate an anniversary & it was absolutely magical as I felt like I was being transported all over Europe. The ingredients are of the highest quality. Each dish was created and presented with a well thought out process. As you are sat at the chef's table you can really engage and get all the details straight from the source. The menu is very well suited for vegetarians/vegans. The wine pairings were perfect and the pours were generous.

Such a culinary experience, I was a bit weary (being an omnivore) with the vegetable forward menu. However the dishes were exquisite and innovative, it was such a pleasure experiencing all the flavors. The service was impeccable. I would return again with no doubt.

Came to Ten at the recommendation of a friend who enjoys tasting menus. I've been to several tasting menus before. Going into this I understood that this would be vegetable forward so I kept my expectations in check as I am an avid meat lover, bbqer and enjoy rich flavours but am also a gardener. Service was excellent and the chef was very friendly and answered my questions. You could tell that he is very involved in the selection of ingredients and is really pushing for local vegetables to shine in the dishes. I don't think much seasoning/spices was used because most of the flavours would come from the vegetables. There's a fine line between having as much "natural" taste and one modified with just the right amount of seasoning that we are all so used to having. These limitations caused some dishes to be challenging for me but may be appreciated by others. Here are my main comments for each dish based on my experience. My final comments for each dish will simply be taste testing worthy, take it off, modify it . 1. Tomato/Hyssop/Melon -good acidity to whet the appetite. Hyssop sauce provides a unique mint profile to the dish. Taste testing worthy 2. Cabbage/tuna sashimi/coriander flowers - can't go wrong with charred cabbage and some protein to balance it off. Cold pressed sunflower oil offers a nutty flavor to meld it together. Taste testing worthy 3. Corn- cream of corn without the cream topped with corn pulp cracker, some chicken skin. Taste testing worthy 4. Acorn Squash varietal/sunchoke/garlic oil- Naturally sweet squash does most of the work while the sunchoke (taste like artichoke) and garlic oil add another element to the dish. Taste testing worthy 5. Gnocchi cheese/onion/wheat chips? - chef said it would taste like french onion soup and it did. The cheese gnocchi had a neutral flavor and to me it was just caramelized onions that did all the work. Honestly, I would have preferred just a regular bowl of old fashion french onion soup. Probably didn't help that I ate Gnocchi just recently...Take it off 6. Sourdough bread-Keep it on the menu ,give 2 slices?. 7. Zucchini yellow and green-combination of rolling up sliced yellow and green zucchini smoked with apple wood and I think tomato/tuna fat emulsion? The dish smelled great from the apple wood but the taste/seasoning was lacking. I've slow charcoal grilled olive oiled zucchinis several times and don't think this dish really elevates the taste that much more. I would say it's a limitation of Zucchini in general. Taste fine but don't think it should be on a tasting menu. While it is a seasonable vegetable, it's just too common. I think this slot can be used for a more unique ingredient that can be grown. Take it off 8. Mushroom/ Red Kale/Buckwheat crunch-I think the chef said that they had a repeated process of deg-lazing the mushroom until they could get as much natural flavor from it as possible. I think it was still lacking in umami/a limitation of the mushroom itself. It's a nice attempt but I think mushroom needs some more assistance from another ingredient(maybe a pepper paste with a slight kick to it). Take it off/modify it 9. Panna cotta concord grapes peanut- smoothness from the panna cotta, crunch from the peanuts. Classic P&J flavor profile. Taste testing worthy 10. Beet lime tart with almond base - I was hoping to see the "Beet" shine since but the lime/lemon completely took over. It tastes like a lemon square which I do enjoy eating. Apples should shine during the month of September. Take it off/modify it with focus on the Beet flavor. I think a corn shaped corn flavoured ice cream topped with spices could fit the theme.

Perhaps the greatest culinary experience I have had in Toronto. My wife and I attended 10 at our friend’s recommendation and it did not disappoint. We were greeted by Rebecca and shown to our seats along the chefs counter. Throughout the night we were served by Chefs Julian and Murat and our wine pairings were delivered by the wonderful Mike. The tastings were incredible. Each dish was meticulously prepared with texture, flavour and presentation all carefully considered. If the home made sourdough was available for takeaway I think we would have purchased 2 loaves. The evening was a true culinary journey and we can’t wait to return for another special night at Ten. Thank you!!!

I have been to different restaurants all over the world but I’m just tooooo lazy to write reviewss !! Love the food but feeling LET DOWN when we were trying to celebrate our OVERDUE anniversary at Ten but they FAILED to provide any recognition of our anniversary despite letting them know during booking AND speaking with them IN PERSON (after the dinner) This is the first time EVER that the restaurant with this kind of rating ignore the importance of ANNIVERSARIES! If you don’t have the time and don’t care, just PLEASE OMIT the question of “special occasion” if you don’t EVEN CARE TO READ and RESPONSE ! Oh what upset me the MOST is when you see that they are willing to light a candle and say “happy birthday” to a customer/ friend who just WALKED right in after 11:30pm, but not to us - who paid for the entire meal plus the HST and the 18% service fee 😎 Happy New Year guys!

This was honestly the best experience. I don't know why, but upon tasting a number of the dishes tears began to form in my eyes. We were not being served food per se, but rather, plates upon plates of pure love and bliss would make their way over to the bar where my partner and i sat. It brings me so much joy that there are people doing such amazing things with their lives.

Beautiful dinner with excellent wine pairings, we will be coming many more times! A real treat.

Great addition to Toronto's gastronomic experience restaurants. 10 course tasting menu with wine pairing. Few things to improve, but the chefs are on the right track. Recommended to gourmet foodies.

My wife and I had an amazing 10 course tasting menu. It was a nice intimate experience sitting at the chefs counter, getting to watch the items being plated. The wine was also very unique and well paired. My faves were the duck and acorn squash but every item was really good - even the bread was a standout! The chef and staff (only 4 ppl) were all great and engaging! We can’t wait to come back!!

While visiting Toronto this past weekend I looked up restaurants in the city that specifically had tasting menus, and Ten caught my eye, especially with its heavy vegetable focused menu. The restaurant was very nice, with a laid back feeling, and a warm friendly vibe. The service had great timing, you never felt rushed to finish your plate, but at the same time you weren't sitting around wondering when your next dish was going to come. It was also very pleasant to have both chefs take the time and explain the dishes and the thought process behind creating them, which very few fine dining restaurants do. After finding out that Chef Julian had previously spent time working with Chef Curtis Duffy at Grace, I can see the influence he gained in developing flavors from very simple ingredients, and the attention to detail that is instilled in a young chef working at a 3 Michelin star restaurant. Toronto has a hidden gem of a restaurant with this talented young chef.

Such an intimate experience with on point service, amazing food and perfectly matched wines.

Great little place with an awesome seasonal menu. All wines are organic. You can choose between a 10 or 5 course tasting menu. Very vegetable forward, however you don't miss meat and leave with just enough food to be satisfied.

We went for our anniversary and it was such a great tasting menu. Simple, local ingredients merged together in a way that highlighted the freshness of and created balance in each dish. The chef and staff were incredibly kind and thoughtful. The space itself was welcoming and comfortable. We had some truly unique mocktails from a local company called Temperance Tonics that were outstanding. Would highly recommend this place for a special (or any) occasion.

Wonderful restaurant - one of the best we’ve ever had. Truly amazing what they do with their ingredients. Each of the 10 (11 if you count the amuse bouche) were delectable. Fabulous attentive service without even a hint of pretentiousness. Great wine offerings too. Worth every penny.