Last year, when we first visited Maxime's, the new Toronto restaurant drew us in with its glowing entranceway, seduced us with its alluring atmosphere and surprised us with its menu of succulent steaks. Now, we're revisiting Maxime's as a seafood restaurant to dive into the oceanic offerings and see what's changed.
In a year, Maxime's has become one of the best restaurants in downtown Toronto, and has introduced Le Jardin, a seasonal sidewalk patio shrouded in greenery. The restaurant's entrance still glows, causing traffic jams as everyone stops to snap a pic for the gram. Inside, velvety red curtains and gold finishings are still just as alluring, but the atmosphere has been toned down since our last experience. The space feels more polished and cohesive than before. Central pillars still sport trippy visuals that move along with the DJ beats, and a mirrored wall allows everyone to see and be seen in their flashy nightclub-esque outfits.
Both the location and the aura make Maxime's an easy go-to for dinner before a big night out — especially on celebratory occasions when diners are really looking to ball out. Nothing screams boujee like a seafood tower. Half-a-dozen oysters, dressed in all the accoutrements including a delicious blueberry mignonette, get our blood pumping before we move on tier by tier, munching juicy jumbo shrimp cocktail, plump snow crab claws, tuna ceviche and the pièce de résistance: a half lobster. All of the seafood is excellent, but picking over the extravagant dish in the sultry setting is half the fun.
We also order the delicious Petit Wagyu Burgers which could easily go toe-to-toe with The Drake's new mini burgers. The Wagyu Caesar Salad rounds out this protein-heavy meal, but doesn't skip on the delectable chunks of wagyu beef bacon.
There's a whole martini menu and bottle service, but we opt for cocktails. The Hot & Bothered is like a boozy, spicy marg with the addition of pineapple juice, while the Swipe Right is a citrusy-sweet serve.
With its knockout seafood and steak options, menu of martinis and house cocktails, sultry vibes and live DJs, Maxime's is begging to be your next date night or celebration spot.
Seafood towers from $190.
