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$$$$ | Queen West |
The 10- to 16-course dinners here breathed new life into the concept of the tasting menu for many Torontonians, thanks to a chef who channels refined French cooking techniques into beautifully composed plates. Courses from the ever-changing offerings have included striped bass with chanterelles and baby artichokes, Nova Scotia lobster tail paired with romesco and shishito peppers, and rack of pork offset with bing cherries, Swiss chard, and a dusting of pistachios.
163 Spadina Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Known For
- Need to reserve weeks in advance
- Multicourse tasting menus
- Stunning presentation
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$$$ | Yorkville |
Spearheaded by world-renowned restaurateur Daniel Boulud, Café Boulud occupies the coveted dining room of the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto and presents itself as a serene, airy French brasserie decked out with sage-green banquettes and gilded accents. The café does simple, well-executed classic and contemporary French fare, like mouthwatering rotisserie duck, a signature Frenchie burger and cocktails like the French 55.
60 Yorkville Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M5R 3V6, Canada
Known For
- Classic French food
- Celebrity chef connection
- Inventive desserts
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$$$$ | Financial District |
Huge dining-room windows frame breathtaking views of the Toronto Islands and the lake at this restaurant, on the 54th floor of the Toronto Dominion Bank Tower. Dishes like an appetizer of bison tartare with bannock bread and foie gras and entrées like crispy pork jowl roasted with chaga and an aged tournedos paired with truffled celeriac nod to both tradition and trend.
Book a table at the chef's rail for a close-range perspective on the kitchen's artistry.
66 Wellington St. W, Toronto, Ontario, M5K 1H6, Canada
Known For
- Classic desserts like a maple flan round out an exceptional meal
- Innovative tasting menus
- Food inspired by Canada
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | King West |
European bistro meets local forager is the theme at Edulis, where the five- and seven-course tasting menus are devoted to classic rustic dishes. Rough-hewn wood walls and burlap breadbaskets evoke a farmhouse feel, and the soft lighting adds to the intimate atmosphere.
169 Niagara St., Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1C9, Canada
Known For
- Affordable lunchtime specials on weekends
- Standout seafood dishes
- Truffle menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No lunch Thurs.–Sat., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Financial District |
It's hard not to feel a little giddy sitting in the opulent whiskey-barrel-inspired dining room on the 31st floor of the St. Regis. Upward gazes are met with a swirling painted ceiling with floral glass chandeliers to mimic melting ice cubes. The French-leaning menu features stunners like a fruit-speckled scallop ceviche served on ice in a half shell, rough-cut beef tartare accented by a fermented black garlic reduction to be devoured with taro chips, and a showstopping truffle butter, sous-vide whole organic chicken served both roasted and fried. Cocktails are dainty and balanced wizardry with elaborate details like dehydrated Aperol–salted rims and vegan egg white foam.
325 Bay St., Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4G3, Canada
Known For
- 13-layer chocolate king's cake
- 400 brown spirits on the drink list, Canada's largest collection
- Salted brioche buns served straight from the pan
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: recommended
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$$ | Ossington |
The Danforth might be the epicenter of Greek food in Toronto, but across town on trendy Ossington, Mamakas is doing some of the city’s best Greek cooking—Aegean to be exact. Diners snack on classic mezes like rich, creamy tzatziki and roasted eggplant before diving into more unusual dishes like lamb tartare or tea-brined chicken. After opening in 2014, it's now a mini empire of four restaurants, including the nearby Bar Koukla.
80 Ossington Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M6J 2Y7, Canada
Known For
- Athenian market-inspired decor
- Summer Sea Market seafood specials
- Delicious desserts
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$$$ | Yorkville |
A good drive away from Toronto's two Chinatowns on the edge of Yorkville, MIMI Chinese offers a memorable dining experience built on regional dishes from the Guangdong, Sichuan, and Hunan regions of China. It's an upscale yet unpretentious room, with a dark red-and-black aesthetic, waiters in black bow ties, and one-way kitchen mirrors that give you a full view of bustling chefs plating dishes and slicing up glistening barbecue pork char siu (though they can't see you). The sharing-style menu, which had a cult following before the restaurant even opened, is split into sections including Raw & Cooling, Savoury & Warming, and Noodles & Rice, all meant to play off each other. The best bet is the $100-per-person Chef's Choice, but either way you won't want to miss the social-media-famous Four Foot Belt Noodle, sliced up tableside with scissors. A playful drink list includes a shareable Tea Ceremony green tea cocktail, a Jungle Panda tiki creation with Chinese baijiu, and an extensive collection of sakes.
265 Davenport Rd., Toronto, Ontario, M5R 1J9, Canada
Known For
- Well-executed versions of regional Chinese dishes
- Old-school service from white-shirted waiters
- Recommendations for other great Chinese restaurants on the menu and website
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues., Minimum recommendations accepted up to a month in advance.
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$$$$ | Yorkville |
The modern dining room at One, inside the Hazelton Hotel, is all rich woods, smoked glass, cowhide, and onyx—and thankfully the food lives up to all the razzle-dazzle. "Lobster spoons" with vermouth butter and miso-glazed black cod share space on a broad, varied menu with fresh pastas and exceptional house-aged steaks sourced from Prince Edward Island and Alberta.
118 Yorkville Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M5R 1C2, Canada
Known For
- Buzzy streetside patio
- Excellent seafood and steak
- Top-notch service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Old Town |
This intimate establishment serves refined, European classic fare made with thought and painstaking care, beautifully presented and delicious on the palate. Warm and friendly staff greet guests inside this modern space with old-world charm; here, the pace is relaxed, and the restaurant’s minimalist kitchen is on full display. Advanced reservations are required for the dining room, where guests partake in the seasonal tasting menu which can be accompanied by thoughtful wine pairings—spots are released mid-month for the coming month. If you’re unable to obtain a coveted dining room reservation, the restaurant’s bar area is open for walk-ins where you can order from a curated à la carte menu.
20 Victoria St., Toronto, Ontario, M5C 2A1, Canada
Known For
- Small and intimate romantic setting
- Seasonal tasting menu
- Attentive and friendly service and staff
Restaurant Details
Book the month before for dining room
Rate Includes: Closed Sat.–Mon.
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$$$$ | Yorkville |
This southern Italian hideaway has been a magnet for visiting celebrities and well-heeled Yorkville locals since the early 1990s, and it's still one of the city's most popular posh restaurants. The dozen or so pastas, including freshly made gnocchi, are reliably excellent, but the grilled seafood options, spanning yellowfin tuna to tiger shrimp to calamari, are stellar.
120 Avenue Rd., Toronto, Ontario, M5R 2H4, Canada
Known For
- Low-lit, intimate setting
- Refined Italian dishes
- Wall of celebrity photos
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Sun.
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$$$$ | Dundas Square Area |
A Toronto landmark where wheeling, dealing, and lots of eating have gone on since 1959, Barberian's also has a romantic history: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton got engaged here (for the first time). It's one of the oldest steak houses in the city, and the menu is full of classic dishes, such as Caesar salad and jumbo shrimp cocktail. Mains are all about the meat, but the fish of the day and grilled free-range capon are also solid.
7 Elm St., Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1H1, Canada
Known For
- Beautifully maintained midcentury modern decor
- Steaks ranging from porterhouse to filet mignon
- Enormous underground wine cellar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Sat.--Wed., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Financial District |
Top Chef Canada judge Mark McEwan has created a refined modern menu showcasing sophisticated seafood dishes, like whole roasted orata, and simply prepared meats, like the signature 6-ounce burger with molten Brie de Meaux, grilled porcini mushrooms, and shaved truffles.
66 Wellington St. W, Toronto, Ontario, M5K 1J3, Canada
Known For
- 5,000-bottle wine cellar
- Opulent interior
- Swank upstairs bar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.
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$$$$ | Little Italy |
It's all about elegance at this long-standing Portuguese spot, where waiters bustle past white tablecloths and polished wood armchairs. The exquisite fish, which form the menu's base, are flown in from the Azores and Madeira. But there's much for meat eaters, too—like a signature roasted rack of lamb with Douro wine sauce.
864 College St. W, Toronto, Ontario, M6H 1A3, Canada
Known For
- Excellent grilled seafood
- Classic Portuguese dishes
- Top-notch service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$$ | The Annex |
A hit with locals, this cozy, low-lit spot is Middle Eastern food at its finest. The menu is a love letter to classics like hummus, shawarma, and falafel, with a few novel creations thrown in for good measure.
414 Dupont St., Toronto, Ontario, M5R 1V9, Canada
Known For
- Showstopping halloumi-stuffed cauliflower
- Salatim platters of dips and apps
- Hidden back patio
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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$$$$ | Little Italy |
Traditional Italian food gets a modern twist at this intimate eatery offering a wide, delicious variety of updated Italian dishes. Pastas and pizzas are both excellent, but there's standout seafoods and meats—like a showstopping strip loin for two—mixed in among the numerous veg-forward options.
972 College St., Toronto, Ontario, M6H 1A5, Canada
Known For
- Ultramodern interior design
- Signature grilled octopus
- Sizeable list of Italian wines and aperitivi
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$$ | Harbourfront |
Bucking the trend toward relaxed fine dining, Harbour Sixty goes for sheer opulence, the drama of which is apparent from the get-go as you walk up stone steps to the grand entrance of the restored Harbour Commission building. The kitchen rises to the occasion with starters like blinis with beluga caviar and mains like bone-in rib steak and a shareable seafood tower. The fluffy coconut cream pie is a must-eat dessert.
60 Harbour St., Toronto, Ontario, M5J 1B7, Canada
Known For
- Extravagant interior
- Extensive wine list
- Authentic fine dining experience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekends
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$$$$ | Yorkville |
Sensuous paintings of nudes and the sea and signed celebrity photos line the walls at this two-story seafood institution. The kitchen prepares dishes from the Dalmatian side of the Adriatic Sea, and members of the international artistic community who frequent the place adore the unusual and healthy array of seafood and fish. The black risotto with squid, served in a shareable portion size, is a must, as are the grilled prawns with lemon garlic butter.
202 Davenport Rd., Toronto, Ontario, M5R 1J2, Canada
Known For
- Eccentric, artistic decor
- Seafood-focused menu
- The restaurant's cameo on Drake's Take Care album cover
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch.
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$$$$ | Dundas Square Area |
An elegant dining room and formal service with silver serving dishes set the scene for upscale Asian food. The 100-dish inventory features excellent dishes like wok-fried shredded beef tenderloin with sundried chili peppers alongside delicacies dotted with truffle and foie gras.
108 Chestnut St., Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1R3, Canada
Known For
- Elegant setting
- Tableside Peking duck service
- Excellent lunchtime dim sum
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Little India |
This low-lit dining room—presided over by murals of Kate Bush and Virginia Woolf—is an east-end cult fave, thanks to its warm service and nostalgic-yet-inventive small plates.
1471 Gerrard St. E, Toronto, Ontario, M4L 2A1, Canada
Known For
- Constantly changing seasonal menu
- Delicious seafood-forward options
- Long wine list with unusual selections
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.--Tues.
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$$$$ | Entertainment District |
Le Sélect occupies a special place in the heart of Toronto's Parisian cuisine aficionados. The sprawling plush booths, zinc bar, and mosaic flooring create the ideal ambience for buttery escargots with pillowy pain au lait (milk buns), hearty bowls of saffron-tinged bouillabaisse, and an oversized apple tarte tatin for two, drizzled tableside with rich caramel sauce.
432 Wellington St. W, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1E3, Canada
Known For
- Large front patio and private dining rooms
- Extensive wine list with over 1,200 bottles
- Seafood towers and whole-fish specialties
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Recommended
