218 Best Restaurants in Ontario, Canada

Duck out of a double-feature at the TIFF Bell Lightbox to grab a meal at this 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.

From the falafel-wrapped Scotch eggs to the Pharaoh's po' boy with fried shrimp, it's hard to go wrong at this cheerful, intimate family-run Egyptian brunch joint, located at Little India's eastern edge. A grab-and-go sister café serves Leslieville at 978 Queen East.

The Danforth might be the epicenter of Greek food in Toronto, but across town on trendy Ossington, you'll find some of the city’s best Greek cooking—Aegean to be exact—right here. 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.

In an elevated French bistro setting, Mercer Kitchen engages chefs who have no interest in doing anything that's been done before. Wash down the innovative pan-Asian cuisine—think crispy arctic char with a sweet and spicy papaya salad—with a pint from one of a dozen rotating local craft beer taps. The kitchen welcomes post-theater snackers with a tasty late-night menu. Offerings change every few months, so expect something new every visit.

Although it's a good drive away from Toronto's two Chinatowns on the edge of Yorkville, you'll have a memorable dining experience built on regional dishes from the Guangdong, Sichuan, and Hunan regions of China. The upscale yet unpretentious dining room has a dark red-and-black aesthetic, with 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 (relax, 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 Chef's Choice menu, 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 tea-inspired cocktails, and an extensive collection of sakes. 

The Asian-Jamaican mishmash you see at this hip Dundas West joint 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.

Frequently cited as the best restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake—an impressive feat in a town with so many excellent restaurants—Peller Estates manages refinement without arrogance. The stately colonial revival dining room is anchored by a huge fireplace at one end and has windows running the length of the room overlooking a large patio and the estate vineyards. A menu of ever-changing expertly prepared entrées often weaves the Peller Estates wine into modern Canadian cuisine.

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 to excellent blistered-crust pizzas and grilled seafood—but whatever you order is bound to be great.

This Michelin-starred restaurant serves refined European classics with a focus on seafood and vegetables, prepared with painstaking care and designed to delight the palate. Thoughtful staff greet guests inside the intimate space, which exudes old-world charm. The pace is relaxed, and the restaurant’s minimalist kitchen is on full display. Advanced reservations are required for the dining room, where guests enjoy a seasonal tasting menu that can be paired with carefully selected wines. Alternatively, you can dine in the small bar area at the front, which offers an à la carte menu—reservations are also required here. Reservations are released mid-month for the following month.

Exquisite progressive Canadian food and venerable wines are served by an enthusiastic staff on this bucolic property with three 19th-century Mennonite stone buildings. Sit on the large outdoor patio overlooking vineyards and Lake Ontario beyond or in the glassed-in restaurant, where many of the tables have a similar panoramic view. The menu is locally sourced and seasonal: think venison haunch with heirloom beets, torchon, smoked cauliflower purée, and blackberry reduction. Desserts, like spiced pumpkin cheesecake served with mascarpone gelato, are the perfect demonstration of simplicity and innovation.

Indulge your dessert cravings at one of Toronto’s finest dessert shops. Founded in 2015 by Stephanie Duong and Bruce Lee, it has delighted locals with playful takes on classic flavors, all crafted using French techniques. While the shop offers take-out only, its focus on seasonality sets it apart and helps maintain its lasting popularity. Pavlova toppings change several times a year; the summer soft-serve ice cream is creamy and refreshing; and the rotating cake cup flavors are perfectly portioned treats. Year-round staples include the banana éclair and Earl Grey cake slices, along with a selection of cookies and caramels.

Taste bold ice cream and vegan sorbetto flavors like mango–passion fruit, cajeta-swirled goat cheese, and roses of paradise at this beloved Toronto standby. Dessert brand Demetres owns and operates this shop and has been crafting artisanal ice creams by hand here for more than 30 years. The team uses top-quality ingredients from around the world—including Belgian chocolate and Indonesian vanilla—to create a rotating menu of 20 rich, unforgettable flavors. Don’t miss your scoop (or two) in their signature waffle cone, made fresh in-store.

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).

Downtown Toronto's quintessential dim sum eatery overlooks all of Chinatown from its secret rooftop perch at the Dragon City Mall. Carts with towers of bamboo steamer baskets containing shrimp dumplings or black-bean-sauce chicken feet ("phoenix claws" in Chinese), banquet-sized platters of noodles, and traditional delicacies like black or yellow curried cuttlefish are pushed around the hall by gregarious servers who tick off boxes from your order list as they are served. There's also an extensive à la carte menu.

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.

This buzzy spot run by a pair of hip Toronto expats expertly conjures both coziness and versatility. By night, enjoy delightful light bites like sweet pea and pistachio dips; elevated bar snacks like spicy Jamaican beef patties and sticky hoisin wings; or more substantial mains like cheesy shrimp-and-grits and locally caught seared pickerel. Later on (and on Mondays), there's a more limited "Essentials" menu. It's also the perfect spot to unwind with a post-theater nightcap chosen from an extensive wine and cocktail list featuring homegrown producers. There are no bad times to pay a visit.

Follow the simple hand-written sandwich board arrow through the garish Kensington "mall" to find this low-key Hong Kong–style dining room with big wok energy. The menu is inspired by kitchens across China, featuring elevated dishes that show off the best of different provinces like tongue-tingling Sichuan pepper-spiced soft mapo tofu with dry-aged beef, and thick bone marrow; and smoky, stir-fried gnocchi-like, hand-rolled silver needle noodles. You'll also find a simple but highly satisfying orange chicken, an ode to Chinese food courts across North America.

Bold Middle Eastern flavors and spices are showcased at Tabülè, where traditional appetizers include baba ghanoush and hummus served with flatbread, and standout falafel fried to a deep golden brown and served with thick, rich tahini sauce. Grilled meats and seafood are also excellent.

This brainchild of chef-owner Stephen Treadwell (formerly of the prestigious Auberge du Pommier), his chef de cuisine Matthew Payne, and his son, wine sommelier James Treadwell, the famed restaurant embodies the farm-to-table philosophy. Sit down for dinner on the sidewalk patio or in the sleek dining room and indulge in some of the best that southern Ontario has to offer.

Niagara-on-the-Lake's first winery restaurant is still one of its best. After a complimentary winery tour and tasting, you can indulge in the spacious, light-filled dining room with big double doors framing vineyards almost as far as the eye can see. The menu of locally inspired cuisine changes every six weeks. Tasting menus are available with culinary symphonies like Angus beef prepared three ways accompanied by decadent fixings like duck fat rösti and horseradish goat cheese. 

The thin-crust pies at this airy family-run pizzeria are authentically Neapolitan and consistently earn top marks on local (and even global) critics' lists thanks to their fresh ingredients and use of traditional methods. Pasta mains (with gluten-free options) like a fiery Naples-style rigatoni and seafood linguini may take second place but are certainly worth a look.

The best fine-dining-with-a-view in town, 21 Club plays up its casino locale without being kitschy. The high-ceiling modern space is inspired by roulette, in a profusion of red, black, and gold, and juxtaposes the traditional steak-house menu. More secluded seating areas wind around the perimeter next to huge windows overlooking the falls, on a raised, illuminated floor on a patio. Because 21 Club is only accessible via the casino floor, all diners must be at least 19.

It takes its name from the city’s most popular area code, so it’s no surprise that 416—a dim, boisterous bar that echoes the general vibe of West Queen West—draws inspiration from the city around it. The menu of inexpensive small plates, best enjoyed with a cocktail or two, is a fun mishmash of cultures, from Jamaican to Chinese to Peruvian, that serves as a one-stop culinary crash course to this city of immigrants.

No late-night craving goes unsatisfied at this longtime 24-hour spot. The menu’s packed with cozy classics—carbonara, ravioli, sloppy joes, and hearty sandwiches that hit the spot. Swing by on the weekend for a solid brunch line-up that’s just as satisfying.

Over-the-top appetizers, modern sushi rolls, and classic steaks pair perfectly with views from the 38th floor that overlook Toronto's downtown and harbor. Top picks from the menu include an unforgettable, umami-rich whipped truffle parfait, and crispy mushroom brochettes dressed up as a wild, edible forest display. Book a table before sundown on a clear day for a stunning sunset and glowing city by night. 

This minimalist café is clean and intentional, serving up coffee and wellness-driven drinks as well as tasty, nutritious snacks. Think ceremonial matcha lattes, adaptogenic mushroom broths, and other nutrient-packed bites made with health in mind. Their superfood smoothies are on the pricier side, but where else can you get a delicious strawberry drink filled with vegan vanilla collagen, sea moss gel, and hyaluronic acid? 

This hidden Parkdale gem serves up West African dishes rooted in tradition and full of bold, spicy flavor. The jollof rice is rich and fragrant, the fried cauliflower is a party in your mouth, and the miso mafe stew—a plant-based peanut dish with jackfruit and coconut rice—is the perfect balance of creamy, hearty, and satisfying. Don’t forget to wash it all down with an effervescent palm wine.

Like the art gallery in which it's located, this bistro was designed by starchitect Frank Gehry, whose touches are seen in the minimalist decor and geometric ceilings. The dishes themselves—including tenderloin steak and eggs with brandy peppercorn sauce, and crispy Italian artichokes on braised cannelini beans—are plated like works of art.

Nearly every menu item here is kissed by the flames of the wood-fired oven that makes up the hearth---aka, the heart of the kitchen. Gigantic shareable cuts of porterhouse steak, creamy grilled horseradish beets, and house-made pull-apart brioche buns are some of the heartiest dishes on order. Executive chef Patrick Kriss is known for catching diners off guard with seemingly modest but stunning experimental dishes like a grilled habañero sea bream or a hydrating cucumber and fennel slaw that merges stringent vinegar, salty and crumbly feta cheese with earthy and crunch hazelnuts. 

On the edge of a small plaza—a gathering spot for Danforth locals—sits this venerable hole-in-the-wall spot, known for serving hot, fresh gyros, souvlaki, and burgers into the wee hours.