218 Best Restaurants in Ontario, Canada

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.

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.

The best ingredients prepared simply and served in generous portions are what make this off-the-beaten-path restaurant such a find. Modern Amalfi Coast–inspired decor brings a seaside terrace indoors, and it feels miles, not 10 minutes, away from the city's tourist attractions.

These award-winning cakey brioche donuts are fried fresh in the wee hours of the morning, dipped, and then ready to fly off the shelves by the time the converted storefront opens at 8:30 am. From the milky London Fog with an Earl Grey glaze to mini salted-caramel Boston creme bombs, you just can't go wrong.

European bistro meets local forager in five- and seven-course tasting menus that are devoted to classic rustic dishes. Rough-hewn wood walls and burlap bread baskets evoke a farmhouse feel, and the soft lighting adds to the intimate atmosphere.

With a 5,000-square-foot, year-round patio and striking floor-to-ceiling murals, this is one of the most popular spots in the Distillery District. Highlights include traditional tacos al pastor with shaved pork and pineapple salsa, ceviche, a 24-hour-braised short rib in mole sauce, and guacamole prepared tableside. End the evening on a sweet note with churros rolled in sugar and served with a trio of chocolate, strawberry, and dulce de leche dipping sauces.

Thankfully for pet owners, rabbit rarely makes an appearance on the menu at this buzzed-about butcher shop-meets-high-end grill house, where AAA cuts of meat are sold and seared by the ounce. The kitchen typically relies on whatever happens to come through the door that day, so one specialty is local cheeses and charcuterie plates filled with lamb summer sausage and venison chorizo, but you might also find a plate of hot buttered turnips. Stunning weekly specials might include a dry-aged grilled picanha steak with a tangy rhubarb gastrique, paired best with a bold glass of Barbera red. For breakfast and lunch, choose from an array of sandwiches and other plates, as well as fresh baked goods on the weekend.

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 huge windows framing the Twenty Valley conservation area are reason enough to dine at this restaurant, regarded as one of the best around Toronto, on Jordan's boutique-lined Main Street. Regional specialties and local and organic produce are emphasized on a seasonal menu that has included Wellington County boneless rib-eye steak served with mushroom-and-onion fricassee and blue cheese butter. The dining room, reminiscent of the French and Italian countryside, is lovely, with a soaring ceiling, whitewashed beams, and a view of the gardens. Cave Spring Cellars, which has a shop next door, provides many of the wines.

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.

Wake up with a Willy Wonka–world style brunch experience surrounded by disco balls, graffiti-covered walls, and fluorescent globe lighting, but you can't make reservations on busy weekends or holidays when it's all brunch all the time, so prepare to wait. Traditional omelettes and waffles are on the menu, but decadent dishes like French toast encrusted with Dubai chocolate, and salmon eggs bennie with ultra-bright pink Hollandaise (beet juice is the secret) really steal the show. Shareable fishbowl-sized smoothies are practically a meal in a bowl, and pistachio lattes with a nutty green edible rim will make sure you're awake and not dreaming.

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, a 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. It's one of the rare restaurants in Toronto that serves horse meat.

A Leslieville staple, this brunch spot occupies an airy two-floor space with huge windows in a converted old home just north of the main Queen East drag. It's a lovely spot for hearty, homey dishes like cheddar jalapeño waffles, washed down with coffee in vintage Corningware mugs.

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 seasonal small plates. The compact seafood- and vegetable-heavy menu changes constantly, but you might find a seafood crudo or a sourdough slab heaped with seasonal produce alongside deconstructed tributes to childhood desserts.

Japanese perfectionism merges with French tradition at this minimalist coffee and pastry shop. The owners are always dreaming up new croissant creations like a flaky croissant cube (that needs to be seen to be believed), a giant ten-times-sized classic croissant (made to order 24 hours in advance) and others prepared in a half-dozen ways, from churro-caramel sweet to ham-and-pesto savory.

Bringing people together around the table, this charming two-level eatery is fully accessible and blends rich Palestinian flavors with the freshest seasonal fare from Ontario. The menu draws on centuries-old techniques and a mix of Indigenous, Palestinian, and locally sourced ingredients—think za’atar, scallops, squash, and house-made bread—each plate telling its own story rooted in land, memory, and tradition. The weekend-only brunch is just as noteworthy, with satisfying dishes like labaneh and hummus that are perfect for sharing. Created by Chef Fadi Kattan and Nicole Mankinen the restaurant offers meals that feel like a joyful celebration.

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 seasonal French-leaning menu has featured 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.