The opening of Milagro has been a big topic of conversation among the hungry hordes of late, myself included. It's being touted as Toronto's first high-end Mexican spot, and considering the lack of good Mexican in this town, it's no wonder Milagro has been benefitting from some serious buzz. Or maybe not benefitting: the place has only been open for about a month and I'd already read about six or seven reviews, dissecting every minute detail of food, surroundings and service. Talk about pressure. All this discussion, however, made me a very informed consumer. I'm happy to say that my Milagro experience was very satisfying.

The understated design was a bit of a surprise, considering that 3rd Uncle is best known for its splashy work at the Drake. The look is basically straightforward cantina, with white walls and kitschy Spanish movie posters, that sort of thing. I liked the wooden ceiling fans and I thought the dried palm leaves were an understated yet stylish touch. Pretty sinks in the washrooms, too. Overall, it's not decor that wows you, but it's modern and pleasant. One sort of bizarre thing is that as I was sliding into the booth seat at our table, the hostess said to my companion, "you might want to sit next to her. The chairs are kind of low and everyone complains." Sure enough, he was about four inches shorter than me when he lowered himself down. It was amusing, but one wonders: didn't someone use a tape measure before ordering all this shiny new furniture?

Most of the reviews I'd read, including last Saturday's contribution by the Globe's Joanne Kates said the service was slow to the point of atrocious, so we were a bit afraid we'd be hungry for hours. But Ms. Kates has got pull, and our service was prompt, almost whirlwind. House made tortilla chips (oh, thank you) and fresh, tangy tomato salsa were on the table right after the menus, and were whisked away far before we had finished, upon first sight of our apps. No need for the haste, I'm fully capable of eating more than one thing at a time.

Although most reviews had criticized the ceviche, raw fish was a must for me. We avoided the much dissed shrimp and tuna and went for the octopus. Luckily, it was terrific, a nice lump of sizeable chunks, not at all rubbery, just toothsome, with a good citrus bite. Alongside were more of those great fresh chips. For his main, my companion ordered the pulled pork, which was perfect. Piled on top of a banana leaf was heap of spicy, shredded meat alongside smooth, smoky refried beans, two small pieces of sweet plantain, and absolutely marvelous pickled red onions (yes, I do love pickles). He wrapped it up in four or five housemade corn tortillas and pronounced himself very satisfied. I ordered the chiles rellenos and was also very pleased. Three medium-sized ancho chiles were stuffed with goat cheese and oven roasted, coming out creamy, sweet, chewy and spicy. They were sitting in a pool of acidic tomatillo salsa and sided by those great refried beans. Delicious, almost too rich to finish. The spices in all of the dishes are deep and slow-building: rather than an immediate bite, it's a long, slow burn.

The drinks menu is very inventive, with a lot of interesting looking tequila cocktails, but we went with a bottle of white. There's also a great list of hot drinks, like spicy Mexican hot chocolate, and desserts, but after our mains we were too stuffed. Sad. Or maybe happy--a good reason for another visit.

Bill for two with a bottle of wine was $100.

Milagro
5 Mercer Street
416-850-2855