Restaurants in Vaughan

Vinsanto Ristorante's bill of fare blends recipes from first-generation Italian immigrants with the passion and innovation of their children to create delicate, yet rustic dishes that bridge decades without the risks of driving at 88 mph. Sides of sautéed forest mushrooms and colourful seasonal veggies accompany entrees such as slow-roasted veal brisket, herbed rack of lamb, and Nova Scotia lobster. Antique chandeliers cast a warm light over granite bar tops, a wall of wood deacon benches, and sleek leather chairs to cultivate an elegant atmosphere inspired by Florentine designs. Live bands send strains of smooth jazz into the air as diners sip Italian wines—kept in perfect condition inside the wine fridge—or watch the chefs hard at work in the open kitchen.

Open for lunch on weekdays and dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings, Tre Vigne Restaurant offers a menu that traverses Italy’s culinary regions with housemade soups, salads, seafood, meats, and pastas. For more than 15 years, the restaurant’s chefs have been plating fresh daily specials and the fruits of the earth and sea for occasions from dinner to birthday and anniversary celebrations. A private dining area also offers an enclosed space where kids can proudly get their cheeks pinched away from the public eye. Tre Vigne also provides catering should customers require the restaurant’s succulent grilled lamb, tender cuts of veal, or whole-wheat pasta for on-location events.

The warmth of the Mediterranean sun pervades Nu Panino's kitchen, where chefs stick to southern Italian recipes as they prepare fresh salads and sandwiches topped with spicy meats and grilled veggies. Though some of the deli’s concoctions—such as the Greek salad—reach beyond Italy’s borders for inspiration, the deli stays true to the birthplace of the Renaissance with meats such as veal scaloppine, cured sausage, and prosciutto. When they aren’t slathering tomato sauce on sandwiches during the lunch and early-dinner rushes, the deli’s staff caters parties and lengthy interrogations with cold-cut platters, assorted deli trays, and pasta.

Chefs at Crepe Delicious swirl paper-thin layers of batter onto their piping-hot crepe griddles, perfuming the air with the enticing aroma. Shortly after, the cooks lift away delectable crepes ready to be stuffed with savoury ingredients. The crepes themselves weigh in at only about 130 calories each with just 3.5 grams of fat, but they sate appetites during any meal.

The high-energy piano throw-downs pit two well-versed pianists and their four nimble hands in the ultimate battle for spontaneous musical domination. Two sets of ivories face one another, fully equipped with microphones and fun-loving musicians who'll take requests from the audience and trade instruments, insults, and spouses, all while performing an eclectic mix of tunes on command. A full dinner menu is available before the show ($29.99 per person) in addition to a show menu available after 9 p.m. If you make your reservation for dinner before the show, you'll get a complimentary appetizer serving of the chips and dip, loaded with fresh, house-made potato chips and a signature sauce in which, it is advised, the chips are to be dipped (a $7.99 extra value).