Adrak Yorkville offers an elevated Indian cuisine experience with the food, drinks and decor reflecting a mix of traditional and modern elements. 

With a handful of Italian and contemporary restos in the area, this welcome outlier is an upscale version of its sister location, which has existed in Richmond Hill for close to a decade. 

Owner Ambica Jain jumped at the chance when EVOO closed in the space to open a fine-dining Indian restaurant in a neighbourhood in need of more South Asian food options. 

"A lot of different cuisines are showcased but Indian food is not, not only in Yorkville but also in the GTA and Canada-wide," Jain tells me. "Indian food is just not at the level [in Canada] as what you see in other places like London, New York, or Dubai."

At Adrak, good food and service are equally as important. The team of chefs trained under Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia and restaurant manager Tatoba Rane uses his more than 10 years of experience at places like Four Seasons and The St. Regis to offer a high standard of hospitality.

The first thing guests see when they walk through the door is a grandiose sculpture of the Hindu deity Ganesha. 

In the dining room, everything from the chairs, tables, upholstery, and wallpaper that reflects the Mughal period were custom-made in India. 

The six chefs on staff come highly trained and each has an area of expertise they focus on in the kitchen rather than adhering to any kind of executive and junior titles. 

The dishes range from all over India and the cooking is done in clay tandoor ovens, cooking the halal-certified meat in minutes with a hot bottom of open coals. 

Kadipatta murgh ($30) consists of tender chicken thighs marinated in curry leaves and served on a gold brass tray, a classic aspect of Indian cuisine and homes. On the side, is red pepper mayo and green apple salsa.

Hara salad ($18) is another item on the menu that goes beyond just spicy curries and gravies. It's a refreshing starter with avocado, cucumber, baby spinach, wheat kernels, sprouts and a house mint vinegar dressing. 

Akhrooti sheekh ($35) minced lamb kebabs are covered in a spicy red sauce and crushed walnuts, paired with a side of mint chutney and onions. 

The butter chicken ($29), which is known more authentically as murgh makhani at Adrak, is presented nicely with the tomato fenugreek sauce poured from a saucière onto the tandoor chicken at the table. 

The nut-free curry doesn't rely on cashews for its richness like a lot of other butter chickens, yet it doesn't lack in flavour. A basket of naan ($6) is almost obligatory for dipping. 

For dessert, ras malia cheesecake ($19) is made with a light coconut crémeux, chocolate hazelnut crunch, and a sprinkling of coconut snow. A scoop of cardamom ice cream goes nicely with the coconut.

When it comes to the beautifully crafted cocktails, each one is inspired by a different aspect of India's history unique to a specific province or region and features rare Indian spices and ingredients. 

The golden nine yards ($21) is inspired by ancient saris, which are distinguished by their nine-yard length and golden embroidery. 

The tropical sour is made with banana-infused rum, turmeric dry vermouth, coconut syrup and fresh pineapple. 

The colourful garnish of blue pea flower and matcha powder depicts the border found on the train of the saris. Instead of using egg white to achieve the foam, a vegan foamer creates the same frothy consistency.

Rome of the East ($21) is reminiscent of the Indian city of Mangalore, known for its spice gardens and Roman architecture.

The concoction consists of rhubarb and ginger gin, arak, pineapple Bianco, ginger-infused port and matcha syrup. The presentation is stunning and appeals to more than one of your senses, with a citrus bubble disappearing shortly after forming on the drink.

A private dining room upstairs is perfect for larger groups and celebratory dinners. The space that can fit up to 20 people is called the Memsahibs, which means "madam."