We recently checked out the brand new restaurant that opened inside the Fairmont Hotel, Millennium Park, Toro, by Chef Richard Sandoval, and it was so good! The hotel is beautifully decorated for the holidays right now. I highly recommend checking it out. Once you walk through the decorated lobby, you will find Toro tucked away to the left and brought to you by Chef Richard Sandoval – who has several restaurants nationwide! He is bringing flavors from Central and South America, and I was looking forward to trying them. 

My first impression is that the overall ambiance is gorgeous. It’s swanky. It’s elevated. It’s the ideal date night spot. There’s a beautiful bar that wraps around and has plenty of seating. There’s small tables and a lounge area.

We checked in at the hostess stand, headed to our table, and noticed the kitchen where you can see and smell the grilled meats. If you love that (I know I do), there’s seating around the kitchen so you can watch them prepare the dishes. 

Dinner started with some cocktails – my favorite is the Passionfruit Pisco Sour. It was so frothy and well balanced; it was almost like a milk shake. This also paired really well with the Ceviche Amarillo which is shrimp, white fish, ají amarillo, leche de tigre, mango, cucumber and red onion. I would go back to make this an entire meal. Next time, I’d try the sushi too! The rolls sounded good. 

For entrées, we wanted to try their staple dishes, so we skipped the grilled meats for next time. They did smell incredible, but we will just have to go back. We both shared the Lomo Saltado – beef tenderloin on top of cream rice and Cusco Chicken with a cusco marinade and salsa. Both these dishes had so much flavor! Like layers of flavors. Plus the added crispy potatoes on top of the Lomo Saltado added a good crunch to the dish. Both were overall delicious and would recommend trying. 

Now for desserts. What an experience. I don’t think we were prepared for how immersive it was going to be. We ordered Chef Sandoval’s signature La Bomba – which is an interactive treat perfect to share. We watched our server dramatically drop a chocolate half-sphere, revealing a delicious mix of chocolate, housemade ice cream, and cookies. We aren’t even big dessert fans and I thought this was a good mix of sweetness from the ice cream and fresh fruit. It’s definitely shareable! 

We topped the dessert experience with a coffee cart rolling up table side for the Flaming Coffee. It’s coffee made with your choice of rum, tequila, or bourbon, we went with the tequila. I don’t think I have ever seen coffee made this way! And yes, it really does have a flame! it is actually topped the whole meal off. 

Overall, the service, ambiance, and flavorful dishes are excellent. I highly recommend adding Toro to your list. It’s a nice escape from the busy Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park, making it an ideal date night spot!

Christine