By Heather Koroluk

Summer is an ideal time for dining outdoors on one of the many leafy patios tucked throughout Toronto’s fascinating neighbourhoods. To make it even more irresistible to get out and explore Toronto’s food scene, July also happens to be the month of  Summerlicious  and this year the dates are July 6–22, 2018. 

If you’re not familiar with this popular food festival, it’s a 17-day event promoted by the City of Toronto featuring more than 200 of Toronto’s top restaurants offering three-course prix fixe menus at one of three price categories: Lunch: $23 | $28 | $33 or Dinner: $33 | $43 | $53

Summerlicious 2018 Booking with Aeroplan

Aeroplan members get special benefits during Summerlicious and Winterlicious – mark your calendar!

Aeroplan is a premiere sponsor of Summerlicious and Aeroplan members enjoy the perk of making advance reservations at participating restaurants a day before the general public during these promotions.  

But there’s another little-known benefit Aeroplan members get. In addition to advance reservations, Aeroplan members also get special privileges (such as a complimentary glass of champagne, bubbly wine or amuse bouche) at participating restaurants when they show the server their Aeroplan card or an Aeroplan-affiliated credit card upon arrival.

Check out the list of these bonus extras on the Aeroplan Moments to Savour website.

Not yet a member of the Aeroplan Loyalty Program? It’s easy and free to enroll here.

When Aeroplan invited us to check out the advance reservation system with dinner at ONE Restaurant, we quickly made space on our summer calendar, donned our summer fashion apparel  ( while ONE restaurant doesn’t have an official dress code it’s a chic, fancy restaurant so you don’t want to show up wearing flip flops and spandex cycling shorts) and headed to Yorkville to enjoy dinner at a prime-time slot of  Sunday night at 7:30 pm.   

The Aeroplan advantage is super handy for scoring prime-time reservations at a top restaurants (like ONE Restaurant) during Summerlicious.

Dining at ONE Restaurant Hazelton Hotel

Terrace of ONE Restaurant at Hazleton Hotel

Dining at ONE Restaurant is a real treat. It’s one of Toronto’s top restaurants and Summerlicious 2018  is an opportunity to to sample its fine cuisine at a very appealing rate. ONE Restaurant is helmed by acclaimed chef and restauranteur Mark McEwan and Executive Chef Andrew Ellerby. Chef McEwan  has a stellar reputation built through a vast repertoire of culinary projects that includes top upscale restaurants such as Bymark, Diwan (within the stunning Aga Khan Museum), North 44 and ONE Restaurant as well as a cookware line by Fresco and role as head judge on “Top Chef Canada “.  

It’s also a prime spot on Toronto’s patio scene. ONE Restaurant is located within the Hazelton Hotel, a boutique luxury hideaway situated in the heart of fashionable Yorkville and close to the Royal Ontario Museum, one of the top places to visit in Toronto. Best known for its celebrity clientele during the Toronto International Film Festival each September, it’s also a summer dining favourite due to ONE’s expertly prepared contemporary cuisine, locally-sourced ingredients and inviting outdoor patio.

With our Aeroplan advance reservations in place, we arrived at ONE Restaurant  and were greeted by the hostess and seated on their bustling wraparound patio. Situated in a perfectly shaded spot our table offered a great view of the people-watching on Yorkville while Ferraris and exotic vehicles glided by.

2018 Summerlicious Menu at One Restaurant Toronto

A beautiful appetizer at ONE Restaurant during Summerlicious 2018

Once at our table, we were greeted by our server and provided with our complimentary chilled glass of champagne (exclusive to Aeroplan members – see above!).

We began our meal with a choice of appetizer – Spicy Salmon Tartare, Shrimp Tostada, or Heirloom Tomato Salad. We opted for the tomato salad which featured watermelon, fresh ricotta, focaccia and balsamic reduction, which was absolutely bursting with fresh summery flavours.

The balsamic reduction added the perfect pop of acidity to the fluffy, fresh ricotta. My date opted for the Spicy Salmon Tartare featuring crispy rice, cucumber-ginger salad, nori,and tare sauce (a thicker and sweeter soy sauce), the medley of Asian flavours really came together in a clever synergy of crispy and soft textures with just the right about of kick thanks to the ginger.

Tender beef shortrib at Summerlicious 2018 ONE Restaurant

For mains – we were given a choice of Scallop & Pork Belly, Gnocchi Carbonara or Beef Shortrib. I really enjoyed the freshly made gnocchi which featured parmesan fondue, truffle shavings and a perfectly cooked soft poached egg. My date chose the Beef Shortrib (horseradish pomme puree, heirloom carrot, and pearl onions on a bed of creamed spinach. Elegantly plated, the dish was tender, filling and exploded with rich savory flavor.

Dessert Trifle ONE Restaurant at Summerlicious 2018

Our dessert choices were Strawberry Trifle, Valrhona Chocolate Brownie, or Fruit & Sorbet.  We have a long standing family trifle recipe in my family – I was curious to see how ONE’s stacked up. Comprised of layers of lemon chiffon cake, vanilla Chantilly and locally grown Ontario strawberries topped with a crisp meringue this was the perfect high note to my meal.

My date chose the Chocolate Brownie which featured artisanal Valrhona chocolate (from the small village of Tain L’Hermitage, France they have been making chocolate since 1922).  He loved how the rich chocolate melded with the whipped coffee ganache and Maldon salt.

We capped off our meal by ordering one of the Summerlicious cocktails (mocktails are also available). The Apricot Margarita (tequila, Apricot Liqueur, and lime juice was a delightfully unexpected twist to a summer classic.

We loved our Summerlicious experience – it made a perfect and balmy date night out on the town where we got to experience a top Toronto culinary destination at a prime time slot thanks to Aeroplan. 

How to Enter the Aeroplan Giveaway

Craving a chance to sample ONE Restaurant’s cuisine for yourself? Aeroplan has generously offered to give one lucky A Taste for Travel reader a $100 CAD gift card towards dining at any one of the McEwan Group of Restaurants.  You can get an opportunity to win this giveaway by entering below.

Just leave a comment letting us know which restaurant of the McEwan Group of Restaurants you would like to try — such as Bymark, Diwan, One or Fabbrica at the TD Centre– and then complete the Rafflecopter entry form to record your entry. You can earn extra entries by sharing through social media. Rafflecopter will choose the lucky winner by random draw.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to read the fine print on the Rafflecopter entry to see the rules of eligibility. Aeroplan will contact the winner directly to arrange delivery of the gift card. We value your privacy and your information will not be shared unless of course you’re the winner in which case your email will be given for the purposes of receiving the gift card. Please view our complete Privacy policy.

This post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by Aeroplan. Please check our Disclosure page for more information. 

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