What $1,000 gets you at one of Toronto's swankiest steakhouses

A trendy Toronto steakhouse is serving a $1,000 surf-and-turf platter, and we tried it to see what you're really getting for the price.

We'll be real with you: in the year 2025, $1,000 is, for many Toronto residents, an unimaginable amount to spend on anything other than rent.

If you break it down in terms of groceries, $1,000 could buy you approximately 500 bunches of bananas, 254.45 cartons of eggs, 45,000 grams — or 99 lbs.— of lean ground beef, or 76.9 rotisserie chickens. In short, it's not an insignificant amount of money, but you didn't need us to tell you that.

If you happen to be one of the lucky few for whom $1,000 (before tax, tip, and drinks) is a perfectly digestible sum, then it can also buy you a Platinum Surf & Turf platter at King West's luxurious, disco-inspired Animl Steakhouse and one unforgettable evening.

It's only fair that the steakhouse takes inspiration from Studio 54, because this platter, which features a 50- to 60-oz. Tajima Wagyu Tomahawk, which is renowned for being among the highest quality cuts of beef on the market, and a 28-oz. lobster tail picatta, is the food equivalent of the over-the-top hedonism the club was known for.

While we, being humble food reporters, personally can't imagine shelling out the needed cash on any average Tuesday evening for the meal, co-owner Sascha Elwakeel tells us that, within the first two weeks of launching the platter, they had already sold seven — which is not an insignificant number, given that the price of a single meal is enough to buy a person's groceries for at least two months.

Why? Well, for starters, people in Toronto love to flex. We probably have Drake's enduring influence to thank for that. Second, though, while it may be hard to conceptualize, the platter is actually a decent value for what you're getting. This is especially true when the "what you're getting" in question is one of the most indulgent meals you've had in your life.

The steak, which is roughly the size of a car steering wheel and about two inches thick, is, without a shadow of a doubt, the star of the show. The gigantic cut of Australian beef is salt-aged, yielding maximum tenderness and juice factor on a lineage of beef already prized for its melt-in-your-mouth quality.

It cuts like butter and requires no further seasoning or sauces to hold its own. Even still, the platter comes with your choice of two sauces. We opted for the red wine veal reduction and chimichurri. The chimichurri was a resounding favourite.

We were, quite literally, left gnawing on the bone after the meat was gone, but less steak-obsessed individuals would likely be able to walk away with some leftovers.

Despite the steak's unmistakable main character energy, the 28-oz. lobster picatta is more than capable of holding its own on the plate. First and foremost, the tail itself is so large that we couldn't help having visions of a lobster-themed Jaws reboot starring our dinner. We're going to need a bigger pair of pants.

Loaded up with crispy garlic chips, ajo verde sauce, roasted lemon, and an ample helping of butter, it boasts a surprising depth of flavour that's enough to convert even the shellfish-apprehensive among us.

Animl claims that the platter feeds four hungry patrons, but we'd wager that six could eat comfortably, depending on how much room your party is working with. You even walk away with a custom-engraved Animl steak knife as a memento.

The platter also comes with your choice of three sides, and we opted for the truffle fries, honey-glazed baby carrots and snap peas, and roasted asparagus. They're all perfectly standard for steakhouse sides (the fries could benefit from an aioli for dipping, but the steak juice sloshing around our plates made for a more-than-worthy substitute), but, to be honest, they feel almost superfluous given the volume of protein on your plate.

Still, you've got to get your money's worth somehow, and the steakhouse also offers sides like onion rings, mac & cheese, potato gratin Dauphinoise, and creamed corn, so you can design the dinner of your dreams down to the smallest detail.

Let's be clear: we're not suggesting that you go out and drop $1,000 that you don't have on this, but if you do happen to have some spare change burning a hole in your pocket, then, yes, you'll more than likely walk away satisfied.

Beyond just the quality of the meat, seafood, and sides, the experience at Animl is one that you'll remember for a long time. The service is top-notch, the cocktails are tasty, and the interiors transport you and the rest of your King West compatriots straight to the glamorous days of the 1970s.

If it's something that you have the means for, it's something you should try once.

If you, like many, are looking to be a little more budget-conscious these days, you can also choose from the restaurant's selection of 11 signature cuts of steak and turn it into a surf-and-turf by tacking on a $35 shrimp picatta or, if you're feeling fancy, that very 28-oz. lobster tail for a cheeky $299.

Animl Steakhouse is located at 420A Wellington St. W.