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$$$$ | Queen West |
The 10- to 16-course dinners here breathed new life into the concept of the tasting menu for many Torontonians, thanks to a chef who channels refined French cooking techniques into beautifully composed plates. Courses from the ever-changing offerings have included striped bass with chanterelles and baby artichokes, Nova Scotia lobster tail paired with romesco and shishito peppers, and rack of pork offset with bing cherries, Swiss chard, and a dusting of pistachios.
163 Spadina Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Known For
- Need to reserve weeks in advance
- Multicourse tasting menus
- Stunning presentation
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$$ | Little Italy |
Inside a breathtaking room swathed in undulating waves of wood, you'll find Bar Raval, a tapas restaurant known for some marvelous food and drink. Stop by during the day and order a couple pintxos (a single-serving snack served on a skewer), feast on tins of smoked seafood and heartier tapas for a full meal, or stop in late for a nightcap.
505 College St., Toronto, Ontario, M6G 1A4, Canada
Known For
- Popular covered patio
- Standing-only tables (plus a couple stools)
- Varied drinks list with sherry, vermouth, cocktails, and "weird wine"
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No reservations.
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$$ | King West |
In a quiet dining room tucked into the first floor of a house just off King West, this adventurous pizza parlor serves New York--style pies with topping combos like braised beef tongue and smoked bacon, or anchovies and crispy chicken skin. While there are pasta offerings on the menu, diners can also slurp cheesy bone marrow and order decadent house-made Twinkies for dessert.
96 Tecumseth St., Toronto, Ontario, M6J 2H1, Canada
Known For
- Cozy interior
- Adventurous menu items
- Daily specials
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed Mon.–Tues.
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$$$ | Entertainment District |
With its refreshing roster of Italian classics, stylish Buca was a pioneer on this stretch of King Street, and its influence continues today. Tucked into an alley just off the main drag, the repurposed boiler room has exposed brick walls, metal columns, and wooden tables that reflect the philosophy behind the menu. Start with a selection of cheeses and cured meats and perhaps an order of nodini, warm bread knots seasoned with rosemary and sea salt.
604 King St. W, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1K7, Canada
Known For
- Consistently voted one of the best Italian restaurants in Toronto
- Wines meticulously chosen from Italian vintners
- Trendy decor
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$$$ | Yorkville |
Spearheaded by world-renowned restaurateur Daniel Boulud, Café Boulud occupies the coveted dining room of the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto and presents itself as a serene, airy French brasserie decked out with sage-green banquettes and gilded accents. The café does simple, well-executed classic and contemporary French fare, like mouthwatering rotisserie duck, a signature Frenchie burger and cocktails like the French 55.
60 Yorkville Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M5R 3V6, Canada
Known For
- Classic French food
- Celebrity chef connection
- Inventive desserts
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$$ | Financial District |
Huge dining-room windows frame breathtaking views of the Toronto Islands and the lake at this restaurant, on the 54th floor of the Toronto Dominion Bank Tower. Dishes like an appetizer of bison tartare with bannock bread and foie gras and entrées like crispy pork jowl roasted with chaga and an aged tournedos paired with truffled celeriac nod to both tradition and trend.
Book a table at the chef's rail for a close-range perspective on the kitchen's artistry.
66 Wellington St. W, Toronto, Ontario, M5K 1H6, Canada
Known For
- Classic desserts like a maple flan round out an exceptional meal
- Innovative tasting menus
- Food inspired by Canada
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | King West |
European bistro meets local forager is the theme at Edulis, where the five- and seven-course tasting menus are devoted to classic rustic dishes. Rough-hewn wood walls and burlap breadbaskets evoke a farmhouse feel, and the soft lighting adds to the intimate atmosphere.
169 Niagara St., Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1C9, Canada
Known For
- Affordable lunchtime specials on weekends
- Standout seafood dishes
- Truffle menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No lunch Thurs.–Sat., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Distillery District |
With a 5,000-square-foot, year-round patio and stunning floor-to-ceiling murals, El Catrin is the hottest place in the Distillery District. Delicious eats include traditional tacos al pastor with shaved pork and pineapple salsa, ceviche, 24-hour-braised short rib in mole sauce, and guacamole prepared table-side. Finish the evening on a sugar high with churros rolled in sugar served with a trio of chocolate, strawberry, and dulce de leche dipping sauces.
18 Tank House La., Toronto, Ontario, M5A 3C4, Canada
Known For
- Adventurous diners can sample flash-fried crickets
- More than 100 types of mescal and tequila available
- Huge patio open year-round
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$ | Ossington |
Like the appealingly bare-bones aesthetic of its space (exposed brick, hardwoods, and candlelight), this creative contemporary Pan-Asian bistro offers unadorned dishes that are jammed with flavor. After traveling for a year, chef-owner Tom Thai returned to Toronto with inspiration from Asia, Latin America, and the Mediterranean to produce a menu featuring tapas-style offerings like arctic char ceviche, lamb and duck prosciutto dumplings, and grilled side ribs with a sticky shallot glaze. The restaurant doesn't take reservations, so get here early or late to avoid the rush.
207 Ossington St., Toronto, Ontario, M6J 2Z8, Canada
Known For
- Well-priced wine list
- Sharing plates
- Seasonal back patio
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed Sun., Reservations not accepted
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$$ | Entertainment District |
Named for a street in Bangkok bursting with nightlife and excellent street eats, Khao San Road lives up to its moniker. The squash fritters are a head-turning crispy delight that you'll want to order when you see them show up at another table. For heartier dishes, try for the khao soi, a dish of egg noodles in a rich coconut milk sauce, or try the warming massaman, a tamarind-infused curry with peanuts, potatoes, and deep-fried shallots.
11 Charlotte St., Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1P7, Canada
Known For
- Ingredients sourced directly from Thailand
- Busy, vibrant atmosphere
- All of the noodle dishes are standouts
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Sun., Reservations not accepted
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$$$ | Queen West |
Known as one of the city's tried-and-true French bistros, this brightly decorated spot lives up to expectations with a menu full of excellent standards, including steak frites, rare venison chop, and mussels in white wine. The long bar at the front of the restaurant is a great spot for drinks or solo dining.
492 Queen St. W, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2L9, Canada
Known For
- Short but well-curated wine list
- Three-course prix-fixe dinner
- Great brunch
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner weekends. Closed Tues.
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$$$$ | Financial District |
It's hard not to feel a little giddy sitting in the opulent whiskey-barrel-inspired dining room on the 31st floor of the St. Regis. Upward gazes are met with a swirling painted ceiling with floral glass chandeliers to mimic melting ice cubes. The French-leaning menu features stunners like a fruit-speckled scallop ceviche served on ice in a half shell, rough-cut beef tartare accented by a fermented black garlic reduction to be devoured with taro chips, and a showstopping truffle butter, sous-vide whole organic chicken served both roasted and fried. Cocktails are dainty and balanced wizardry with elaborate details like dehydrated Aperol–salted rims and vegan egg white foam.
325 Bay St., Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4G3, Canada
Known For
- 13-layer chocolate king's cake
- 400 brown spirits on the drink list, Canada's largest collection
- Salted brioche buns served straight from the pan
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: recommended
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$$$ | Entertainment District |
Duck out of a double-feature at the TIFF Bell Lightbox to grab a meal at Luma, a mini-oasis on the second floor of the bustling glass-paneled film venue. Even if you're not going to a film, it's a great restaurant, complete with a patio overlooking the lively Entertainment District and the CN Tower. Start with a whole charcoal-grilled branzino and finish things off with a gooey apple confit soaked in crème anglaise.
330 King St. W, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3X5, Canada
Known For
- Great spot for people-watching
- Globally inspired menu
- Fresh seafood dishes
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.
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$$$$ | Ossington |
The Danforth might be the epicenter of Greek food in Toronto, but across town on trendy Ossington, Mamakas is doing some of the city’s best Greek cooking—Aegean to be exact. Diners snack on classic mezes like rich, creamy tzatziki and roasted eggplant before diving into more unusual dishes like lamb tartare or tea-brined chicken. After opening in 2014, it's now a mini empire of four restaurants, including the nearby Bar Koukla.
80 Ossington Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M6J 2Y7, Canada
Known For
- Athenian market-inspired decor
- Summer Sea Market seafood specials
- Delicious desserts
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$$$ | Yorkville |
A good drive away from Toronto's two Chinatowns on the edge of Yorkville, MIMI Chinese offers a memorable dining experience built on regional dishes from the Guangdong, Sichuan, and Hunan regions of China. It's an upscale yet unpretentious room, with a dark red-and-black aesthetic, waiters in black bow ties, and one-way kitchen mirrors that give you a full view of bustling chefs plating dishes and slicing up glistening barbecue pork char siu (though they can't see you). The sharing-style menu, which had a cult following before the restaurant even opened, is split into sections including Raw & Cooling, Savoury & Warming, and Noodles & Rice, all meant to play off each other. The best bet is the $100-per-person Chef's Choice, but either way you won't want to miss the social-media-famous Four Foot Belt Noodle, sliced up tableside with scissors. A playful drink list includes a shareable Tea Ceremony green tea cocktail, a Jungle Panda tiki creation with Chinese baijiu, and an extensive collection of sakes.
265 Davenport Rd., Toronto, Ontario, M5R 1J9, Canada
Known For
- Well-executed versions of regional Chinese dishes
- Old-school service from white-shirted waiters
- Recommendations for other great Chinese restaurants on the menu and website
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues., Minimum recommendations accepted up to a month in advance.
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$$$$ | Yorkville |
The modern dining room at One, inside the Hazelton Hotel, is all rich woods, smoked glass, cowhide, and onyx—and thankfully the food lives up to all the razzle-dazzle. "Lobster spoons" with vermouth butter and miso-glazed black cod share space on a broad, varied menu with fresh pastas and exceptional house-aged steaks sourced from Prince Edward Island and Alberta.
118 Yorkville Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M5R 1C2, Canada
Known For
- Buzzy streetside patio
- Excellent seafood and steak
- Top-notch service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | Ossington |
The Asian-Jamaican mishmash you see at hip Dundas West joint Patois is unlike any other in town. The spot is fueled by dishes from chef Craig Wong's Jamaican-Chinese upbringing, with plenty of tropical cocktails to wash it all down.
794 Dundas St. W, Toronto, Ontario, M6J 1V1, Canada
Known For
- Family-style "feasts" that let you try the whole menu
- Colorful cocktails like rum punch
- Tuesday and Wednesday "patty hours" with free Jamaican patties
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$ | The Annex |
On a quiet stretch of Harbord lies this low-lit modern trattoria, popular with couples and families alike. The menu spans from antipasti and fresh pastas (the mushroom cavatelli and giant ravioli are crowd-pleasers) to excellent blistered-crust pizzas and picturesque desserts—but whatever you order is bound to be great.
88 Harbord St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1G5, Canada
Known For
- Delicious updated Italian classics
- Striking rose-patterned wallpaper and front mural
- Sister snack bar (Piccolo Piano) located across the street
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$$$$ | Old Town |
This intimate establishment serves refined, European classic fare made with thought and painstaking care, beautifully presented and delicious on the palate. Warm and friendly staff greet guests inside this modern space with old-world charm; here, the pace is relaxed, and the restaurant’s minimalist kitchen is on full display. Advanced reservations are required for the dining room, where guests partake in the seasonal tasting menu which can be accompanied by thoughtful wine pairings—spots are released mid-month for the coming month. If you’re unable to obtain a coveted dining room reservation, the restaurant’s bar area is open for walk-ins where you can order from a curated à la carte menu.
20 Victoria St., Toronto, Ontario, M5C 2A1, Canada
Known For
- Small and intimate romantic setting
- Seasonal tasting menu
- Attentive and friendly service and staff
Restaurant Details
Book the month before for dining room
Rate Includes: Closed Sat.–Mon.
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$ | Kensington Market |
With only 10 seats, this taco joint almost always has long lines, but it's worth the wait. The menu brings the best of SoCal and Tijuana seafood together, featuring taco options like the gobernador (smoked marlin and shrimp), and a vegetarian option with corn fungus (trust us, it tastes better than it sounds).
69 Kensington Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2K1, Canada
Known For
- Delicious shrimp-and-cheese tacos
- Range of fiery hot sauces
- Gluten-free tortillas available
