Daniel Libeskind's angular glass-and-metal addition to the Royal Ontario Museum may be filled with dinosaur skeletons and stuffed birds, but the fifth floor is reserved for the pursuit of fine culinary enjoyment. The space looks something like a postmodern attic—vaulted ceiling, angular walls, open kitchen, slashes of window veering in odd directions—and the crowd is just what you'd expect: well dressed and well heeled, though certainly not stuffy. Diners are encouraged to order a six-course menu; not-to-be-missed starters are the raw platter and the grilled octopus. Mains such as rack of lamb or roasted squab with seared foie gras aren't big, but the execution is faultless. Servers are attentive and friendly, and quite capable of suggesting appropriate wine pairings.

Open Tuesdays through Sundays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, Thursdays through Saturdays, 5 to 10 pm.

If the name brings to mind a woodsy interior with lumberjack tchotchkes, think again. This much-loved haven of refined dining is situated on the 54th floor of Mies van der Rohe's TD Centre, which easily takes the crown as the handsomest office building in the city. Like the building itself, the decor is elegant and timeless, with soft blue jean–colored booths and blond wood accents. The vibe is surprisingly laid-back considering the caliber of the food being served. Dishes have a refreshingly Canadian theme, such as Yukon-gold potato gnocchi and corn and West Coast Dungeness crab chowder. The wine list features the province's greatest red, Le Clos Jordan's much talked-about pinot noir, Le Grand Clos.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11:45 am to 2:30 pm and 5 to 10:30 pm.

If you find yourself overcome with a craving for barbecue, rest assured this place adheres to the principals of authentic wood smoke and indirect heat as well as any of its Southern counterparts. And it's also not one of those city-slicker barbecue joints with uncomfortable chairs and high prices. When it comes to pork ribs, take your pick of Memphis Dry Rub or Kansas City Sweet and Sticky. If it's beef you're after, order the brisket or a "full slab" of the Oklahoma ribs. Clientele runs anywhere from university students swilling draft beer to gray-haired barbecue aficionados in suits, and as any repeat customer will tell you, the side dishes are where this place really shines. Don't leave without sampling the best collard greens north of Knoxville.

Open Mondays through Fridays noon to 3 pm and 6:30 to 11:00 pm, Saturdays noon to 1 am.

Once upon a time, chef Michael Stadtlander was the hottest, It-est, most highly praised chef in Toronto. Then, he and his wife packed up and moved to a farm an hour and a half north of the city to raise chickens, pigs, lambs, ducks, and a whole lot of herbs and vegetables. But they didn't stop cooking. The dining room at Eigensinn Farm is small—a maximum of 12 guests can be seated on any given night—and unabashedly rustic, though the culinary creations are anything but. Expect dishes like duck consommé, terrine of foie gras and squab, or just-caught lake trout wrapped in wild grape leaves and grilled over herb smoke. The farm is open only three nights a week, sometimes fewer, so reserve as far in advance as you can and keep your fingers crossed that there's a table. Also: It's BYOB, so be sure to uncork something suitably grand.

Call ahead for information and reservations.

With Scandinavian-influenced design and miniature Japanese plants, the decor at Goldfish is fashionably Zen. The inventive and reasonably priced menu, with French and Pacific Rim influences, is strong on seafood: entrées might include a poppy-seed-crusted salmon in an apple-cider reduction, or striped bass in beurre noir. The closely packed tables make noise the only drawback. This is not the place for holding hands and whispering sweet nothings (your honey won't hear them). Instead, the floor-to-ceiling glass windows allow the hipster patrons to concentrate on seeing and being seen.

Even if antique plates aren't your thing, there's a very good reason to pay a visit to the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art—namely, the restaurant. The open and airy all-glass box perched over University Avenue is helmed by local celeb Jamie Kennedy, who's nothing if not a fan of "local." Ingredients are sourced nearby, and an Ontario wine is matched with each dish. Expect hearty fare like a warm sheep's milk tartlet, or a braised duck sandwich. The fries are among the best in town, and the cheese plate is a survey of the region's best offerings. However, beware that the restaurant is open for dinner only on Friday nights.

Open Saturdays through Thursdays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, Fridays 11:30 am to 8:30 pm.

The Italian cooking here is unabashedly straightforward, with simple dishes like sautéed chicken livers with sage and grilled polenta, and perfectly roasted sea bass stuffed with thyme sprigs. The risottos (the restaurant's specialty) are excellent-risotto with grilled endive and truffle oil is both luxurious and comforting. The affordable wine list includes some hearty Tuscan and Piedmontese reds. A little off the beaten track for tourists (ten minutes' drive from downtown), the place is a neighborhood favorite.

Set in a refurbished Victorian row house, Southern Accent serves hearty Cajun, Creole, and soul food. Visit on Thursdays between 8 and 10 in order to stomp your feet to live Cajun music from the band, Swamperella. Try a Cajun martini made from jalapeno-infused Gordon's gin and save room for the N'awlins Bread Pudding with Wild Turkey bourbon sauce. Follow your dinner with a reading from the resident psychic, available from 7 p.m.

Closed Mondays.

The top culinary experience in the city comes courtesy of fusion master Susur Lee's eye-popping yet edible minimalist creations. Dishes like confit of pork with braised cabbage or lemongrass chicken wings with spiced foie gras make him likely to regain the honor he lost after battling to a draw against Bobby Flay on Iron Chef. The decor is upscale modern, the atmosphere is reverentially subdued, and tasting menus are de rigueur, though almost any reasonable request will be accommodated by the kitchen. Diners can choose either five or seven courses as well as daily wine pairings, and dishes are served in reverse order: biggest portion down to smallest. If you're after more relaxed tapas-style fare, then head next door to Lee, where the selections are no less inventive.

Open Tuesdays through Thursdays 6 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 6 to 10:30 pm.

Set in the Four Seasons hotel in the ritzy Yorkville district, Truffles serves superb, and correspondingly pricey, French cuisine. Two whimsical boar sculptures flank the entrance, and murals of Gallic gardens decorate the walls. Despite these flourishes, the place, like many hotel restaurants, has an impersonal feel. The meticulous, even intense, service does its best to make up for this, though. Dishes are heavy on luxury ingredients like truffles and foie gras. The appetizers show the most imagination: Try the Dungeness crab broth with seared sea scallops and Hudson Bay caviar.