t took nerve to put a fine dining restaurant on top of the ROM, the star gem of Toronto's Renaissance jewels. Though this unique location is a surefire draw, striking architecture can be hard on a restaurant. Imagine the pressure on the poor designer, who must have tackled such a project with a constantly quivering hand (a daunting task even for the famed Restaurant Makeover team). Also, briefly consider the mounting stress the chef must have produced many sleepless nights, in the face of attempting to keep diners focused on their plates instead of the décor. No matter what your culinary wizardry, the diners will be shifting in their seats.

However, even in its infancy, C5 is a dignified addition to the dining scene. As part of Royal Ontario Museum's $270-million Renaissance project, the ROM partnered with Restaurant Associates and Compass Canada to feature two eateries; a museum cafeteria on the lower level called Food Studio and the fine dining restaurant, C5, located on the 5th floor of the Crystal (creative moniker, non?). While the glass structure was Daniel Libeskind's baby, C5 was the work of local design firm II by IV Design.

Situated at the peak of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, C5 is not just scaling physical heights, but also employs an utterly high culinary concept. Think upscale dining meets graceful eccentric theater. The space is bright and stark, showcasing the industrial edges. A lounge area cordoned off by a glass sculpture catches your eye with its sleek designer furniture lighted like a diorama. The dimensions of the dining room are easily said to be the most appealing aspect of the space. From the large open-concept kitchen right down to the designer saltshakers, the room itself is relatively broad and equally deep, with a few unexpected nooks (perhaps for post-nosh necking? The Patrons Circle would not approve).

Now who exactly mans this refined eatery? Chef Teddy Corrado, who worked alongside Guy Rubino (at Rain and Luce) and Lorenzo Loseto (at George), has taken the reins from what was Jamie Kennedy's turf and assembled a menu divided into five serving groups, C1 to C5 (and no, it was not inspired after too many games of Battleship).

The C1 category starts you off in appetizer territory. On the Organic Greens and Chèvre Noir Salad, Pickled Cookstown vegetables are glazed with white soy vinaigrette. The Pappardelle dish mingles fava beans with smoked duck prosciutto, topped with a sprinkling of the chef's beloved foam; parmigiano in this case. He is also not afraid to sneak in a few lowbrow dishes; the seared Scallop and Sea urchin, fennel and gruyère was one of our favourites.