One Up is a chic restaurant/lounge in the heart of the entertainment district. It’s categorized under “Italian/International,” but due to its attempt to be “po-mo” (post-modern), it is really just another resto-lounge with an Italian flair in its menu. The atmosphere is much like many other resto-lounges in downtown Toronto these days, with its sleek furniture and peculiar light fixtures and big glass windows and prominent bar. The actual lounge area is tucked away into a different room though, so you don’t have to worry about disturbances during your meal.
The waitress was very attentive and brought a round of drinks promptly soon after we’d sat down. The Baby Mix Greens were boring, even for a salad, and the Gazpacho (a soup, it turned out), was very strange, and we could not figure out what it was. The Penne Pesto was a delightful surprise of just enough taste, but not overdone and not too salty (like some pastas tend to be), with a healthy ratio of chicken breast to pasta. Unfortunately, the chicken breast was a bit burnt, but it still tasted good. The ravioli was rather saucy and cheesy, but enjoyable nonetheless. The best was the dessert – Ice Cream Truffle. Absolutely heavenly. And the Apple Strudel was surprisingly similar to the authentic bakery kind. All in all, a nice meal that was perfect in serving size, in a very pleasant ambience for relaxed conversation. It was a little on the expensive side though, but then again, this is an upper class restaurant.
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One Up
130 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON
(416) 340-6349