Although Sage has a slick modern design, a very good menu, and a beautiful patio for summertime dining, its location seems to limit its success. Located at 1033 Bay St., it’s too far south to draw the Yorkville crowd and too far north to draw the financial crowd. This makes it a good place to eat on a very busy night (i.e. during the film festival), especially for those staying at the Sutton Place Hotel, which is just a block south. It may never compete with the sheer Hollywood-ish hype of Bistro 990, but it does offer some intriguing prix-fixe, four-course menus in the range of $40 and a solid wine list.
A group of friends and I had the pleasure of trying Sage during Winterlicious 2005. The food was scrumptious, the presentation careful, and the service sufficient. Atmospherically, the restaurant is very nice looking, with a DJ booth set up near the front for entertainment and events and full floor-to-ceiling windows all around. However, the abundance of glass and tile does boost the noise levels so that even not so busy nights are prohibitive to intimate tête-à-têtes unless one seeks a seat on the gauzy summer balcony by the reflecting pool.
Open for lunch 11:30am to 3pm Monday to Friday and dinner from 5pm Monday to Saturday
Closest Subway: Bay or Wellesley
Website: http://www.sagerestaurant.ca/