TORONTO — Quick on the heels of the opening of La Plume, Oliver & Bonacini (O&B) has welcomed its new next-door neighbour: The Dorset (457 Wellington Street W). As the final addition to O&B’s trio of chef-driven, bespoke restaurants at The Well, The Dorset brings a taste of the southwest English coast and countryside to guests via a buzzing main-floor bar and an elegant upstairs dining room.
Behind The Dorset is O&B executive chef Ryan Lister (The Rabbit Hole, Liberty Commons at Big Rock Brewery), who hails from the small seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset, in England. A proud southerner who grew up on proper home-cooked food, he now brings an appreciation for both nostalgic, childhood fare and elevated, seasonal and contemporary cooking to The Dorset’s kitchen. Alongside him is fellow Brit and chef de cuisine Rob Ratcliffe, whose nearly 20 years of fine-dining experience includes stints at England’s Michelin-starred Lucknam Park and acclaimed Hawksworth Restaurant in Vancouver.
“The Dorset has been a true labour of love,” says chef Lister. “I couldn’t be more excited to share a taste of home with Toronto, and hopefully add something completely unique and authentic to our city’s dining scene.”
The Dorset’s all-day downstairs bar menu offers an approachable spread of classic dishes with a chef-driven twist, from Scotch Duck Egg ($18) with beetroot ketchup to Hake & Chips ($28) with tartar sauce, mushy peas, curry sauce and lemon. Several Hunter’s Brunch dishes are available daily, including a Full English Breakfast ($24) with bangers, bacon, black pudding, egg, tomato, mushroom, baked beans and fried bread.
Upstairs, the second-floor dining room offers a refined menu of small and large plates delivering a taste of Britain’s best. Standouts include a Pea & Lobster Velouté ($22) with coddled hen’s egg and crab toasties; King Salmon & Its Caviar ($42) with potato pancakes, broccolini, radish, watercress and ikura caviar sauce; and Cornish Game Hen Kiev ($38) with leg confit, charred spring onion butter, cauliflower and Madeira jus. Launching soon, an elegant multi-course Chef’s Tasting Menu ($140) will change with the seasons. For dessert, pastry chef Alessandra Bustamante (Alo, Auberge du Pommier) has crafted a nostalgia-inducing puddings menu, featuring elevated classics such as Strawberry Trifle ($14) and Sticky Toffee Pudding ($14).
In true British fashion, The Dorset’s expansive bar menu features a selection of craft beers, New and Old World wines, no and low-alcohol options, and a curated cocktail list. Signatures include the Dorchester Pimm’s ($17) with Dillon’s Selby gin, Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, lemon, ginger ale, and lavender-thyme; as well as the Dorset Martini ($21) with Plymouth English gin, Lillet Blanc, Dolin dry vermouth, Tío Pepe, bergamot and citrus bitters. Running daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., happy hour features 50-per-cent off all drinks and snacks.
Designed by Navigate Design, the main-floor bar is marked by rich walnut woodwork, royal blue accents and a grand chandelier. A re-imagined 17th century fox-hunting mural leads guests to another dining area filled with rich fabrics, sultry velvets, and a second grand chandelier of wrought iron and candles. Also on the main floor is a private dining room dubbed “The Durdle” — named for a limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset, Eng. — which can accommodate up to 40 guests. The upstairs dining room is complete with French-oak flooring, whitewash barn board walls, and a colour palette of coastal blues, sage, pumpkin and mustard. With room for 60 guests, the adjacent all-season terrace and private dining space — aptly named “The Chesil” for a beach in Dorset — is laced with black and white checkered stone, brick walls and traditional wrought-iron garden furniture.
The Dorset will be open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday through Sunday, with plans to soon be open seven days a week. A street-level patio will also launch later this spring.
