218 Best Restaurants in Ontario, Canada

On the fifth floor of the historic Dineen Building, overlooking the Financial District, the Chase's marvelous lighting fixtures, solarium dining room, and floor-to-ceiling windows are a glamorous setting for the surf-and-turf-focused menu. Dishes like Siberian caviar-topped buratta or a chanterelle-topped veal chop are meant for sharing, as are opulent seafood platters layered with shrimp, lobster, and bluefin otoro tuna.

Old-school service meets modernized Portuguese cuisine at this long-standing spot, where waiters bustle past polished wood furnishings and impasto paintings. The menu is built upon exquisitely prepared seafood, including selections sourced from Portugal and the Azores. But there's much for meat eaters, too—like a signature roasted rack of lamb with Douro wine sauce.

Transport yourself to an Old World, intimate Spanish wine cave while dining on highly creative tapas dishes. While the menu is frequently changing—like any tapas bar worth its salt—one can expect the flair of French choux a la crème filled with a salmon-like uni mousse; a scallop ceviche layered with green honeydew, topped with a floral crown; and mainstays like acorn-fed Iberico ham imported from Spain.

This large pink-painted restaurant with a wall of windows overlooking Chinatown draws so many dim sum devotees that on weekends and holidays the lines can go down the stairs to the first floor. Waitresses parade with carts bearing everything from shrimp done innumerable ways to sesame balls. Or you can select from the regular Cantonese menu, including shark fin soup with crab (C$30) and Peking duck (C$32). There are also some Szechuan dishes, such as Yu Hsiang scallops in spicy sauce.

On the ground floor of the renovated Anndore House hotel, this sprawling spot's open kitchen turns out varied fare like Middle Eastern mezes, pastas, and gorgeously plated desserts. Grilled meats are great here---especially the lamb burger---but vegetarian options abound.

Actor-turned-baker Craig Pike started this local chain of cookie shops as a small pop-up, but they've since gone viral and then turned ubiquitous throughout the city. The signature is a simple but addictive chocolate chip cookie with a little bit of salt to balance out the sweet, though there are many, many more options in this Church Street location's glass display case. The chocolate chip base becomes a vessel for all sorts of fillings like peanut butter cups, Pop-Tarts, Rice Krispies, chocolate bars like Twix and Toblerone, and, for a cookie-within-a-cookie, Oreo. 

On an Ossington strip with plenty of restaurants but not many bakeries, you'll find this veritable mecca of sourdough. The first standalone shop (or "Sourdough Studio") for the bread brand that built a cult following during the pandemic, this shop has a big wall of fresh daily loaves plus pastries, wines, tinned fish, local condiments and spreads, and even picnic boxes with meats and cheeses you can take over to nearby Trinity Bellwoods.

Toronto has its fair share of places that make delicate, thin-crust Neapolitan pizzas, but this is where the locals go to indulge their carb cravings with thick Detroit-style pies cooked in rectangular pans. Go simple with the classic pepperoni, or try an international twist with the Jaffna (a twist on Sri Lankan kothu roti) or a jerk chicken version with pineapple. The pizzas might seem small for the price, but don't let your eyes fool you: they're ridiculously dense.

Much like the museum that houses it, Diwan is an architectural wonder that incorporates walls, ceilings, and hanging lamps salvaged from a 19th-century Damascus merchant's home. The menu reflects the museum's mission by incorporating Middle Eastern, Indian, and Persian cuisine, with seasonal meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. The use of top-notch (and, when possible, local) ingredients is paramount to executive chef Mark McEwan's mandate.

At this classic Toronto wing joint, crispy flats and drumettes are served with pristine celery sticks and ranch, dill, or blue-cheese dressing (though the menu is not all wings). The "medium" sauce is still fairly hot—but for those truly willing to tempt fate, the options go all the way up to "armageddon."

Fried dumplings stuffed with juicy shrimp and pork (or the more health-conscious steamed spinach and black mushroom wrappers) are the stars of the show, but ordering from the selection of northern Chinese staples is highly recommended, too. Top crowd-pleasing picks are the ultra-thinly sliced, semi-cooked potato threads cooked in a jolting spicy vinegar, and noodley tofu strips boiled and lightly stir-fried with pork and veggies.

By day, e11even presents steak-house fare for the downtown business crowd; by night, concertgoers and sports fans slide into wooden booths for a refined meal or nightcap. The menu of North American classics includes savory-sweet maple-glazed bacon, salads flanked with seared tuna, filet mignon, and casual fare like burgers and kosher beef dogs. The wine list is also impressive.

Enter a Middle Eastern paradise where vegans and the health conscious can feast on delicious mock-meat renditions of classics like chicken shawarma and beef kebabs doused in a variety of flavored tahinis, like beet and lemon. Chef Isra re-created her grandmother's Egyptian recipes so faithfully that not even she can tell them apart.

This neighborhood scoop joint, featuring a long list of house-made flavors, is a hot spot for locals and families in the summer months. A second location serves Leslieville at 920 Queen Street East.

Open in one form or another since the 1980s, this neighborhood eatery strives to capture both contemporary and authentic Japanese washoku-style cooking. Think tempura, teriyaki, sushi, sashimi, poke bowls, and creative maki rolls. Hot pots and udon noodle bowls are a great way to warm up in the colder months.

Egg Club’s breakfast sandwiches are hailed as some of the best in the city because of their expertly folded eggs, which are housed in a sweet and soft Japanese milk bread called shokupan. Sandwiches are made in an open kitchen before your eyes and sauces are also created in-house. Add the hash brown to your order to experience a sweet and savory, heavenly potato creation.

Tucked away on a quiet street in Yorkville, this intimate, Michelin-starred spot delivers a world-class tasting menu experience in the heart of Toronto. Chef Quinton Bennett draws on global influences—from Japan to Scandinavia—to craft seasonal blind menus featuring luxury ingredients like Atlantic halibut, Australian wagyu, and chanterelles. For a slightly more accessible option, a lunch tasting is offered on Fridays and Saturdays. Expect elegant plating, discreet service, and an optional whisky pairing from the adjacent Macallan Lounge. Servings are small, but the inventive flavor pairings make a lasting impression.

As much Greek history museum as palace of gastronomy, here you'll find off-duty bankers, wealthy dowagers, and celebratory diners eating amongst enormous amphoras and ancient statues in alabaster surroundings. When you are ready to order, a server will walk you through the seafood market with fish and rare seafood (like deep-sea Carabineros prawns) flown in from Greece and Europe, all priced by the pound. Your seafood can be grilled, baked, or fried. Traditional green vegetables or oven-baked gigantes are recommended as sides. If it's land that suits your fancy, fresh racks of lamb, goat, rabbit, and AAA steaks hang ready for the fire. To finish, house-made yogurts and traditional Greek cakes are a must-try.

Don't let the opulent interior at this busy breakfast spot fool you: the meals here are affordable (and yummy). It's one of the closest brunch restaurants to the Rogers Centre, making it a good place to grab a cup of coffee and some pancakes before an afternoon Jays game.

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.

Brave the long lines for breakfast, and you'll be rewarded with skillets heaped high with melted cheddar, scrambled eggs, home fries, and tender brisket, triple-decker breakfast sandos layered with melt-in-your-mouth slow-smoked pork belly, or classic corned beef hash. It really is where Stratford meets for breakfast. Lunch is also available, with good burgers and other sandwiches.

Located smack in the middle of Kensington Market, locals flock to this highly versatile cultural hub that effortlessly merges brunch restaurant, gelateria, and evening cabaret. The sprawling front and back patio make it an ideal location for soaking in local culture over an umami-rich Japanese omelet and pink sakura latte, or cocktails paired with late-night Latin-themed bites. The choices are truly endless. 

This local mini-chain does a brisk business in fresh, slow-cooked rotisserie chicken, sold as part of a combo meal, atop customizable salads and bowls, or stuffed into sandwiches and wraps.

This kooky 1950s-style diner is a hit with the kids—and with parents looking for ample portions and well-priced meals. Menus are dressed up like a tabloid newspaper and feature an extensive list of flame-broiled diner classics, and then some.

For generations, hungry Torontonians have ended up at this reliable diner for classic breakfasts and greasy-spoon dishes. Burgers and Benedicts are staples, but the menu makes room for a variety of comfort food crowd-pleasers like lasagna, meat loaf, and steak. Save room for rice pudding.

Aside from European-style baked goods and all-day breakfasts, this spot also serves Old World recipes like cabbage rolls, schnitzel, and potato-cheese pierogi slathered with sour cream. It's beloved by the pastry-and-coffee crowd and by students wanting generous portions from early morning until late at night.

Watch tasty, filling Chinese noodles get stretched, folded, and beaten by hand to order at this busy and tiny shop, which specializes in Lanzhou-style lamian. Choose from seven types of noodle thickness in a beef broth; most people choose thicker noodles, which allows you to experience their full chewy texture and the soup flavor to cling to them more. The portion size of noodle soups is generous; ordering a small will easily satisfy people with modest appetites, but if you eat a lot dare to get a large or extra-large portion.

Traditional Italian food gets a modern revamp at this intimate eatery offering a wide, delicious variety of 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.

A neighborhood favorite with serious cult status, this Parkdale sandwich stop punches well above its weight. The tiny space (and even tinier menu) focuses on a handful of craveable classics: the eggy Gold Standard breakfast sandwich, delicious burgers, and vegan-friendly options are all crowd-pleasers. With most items under $10, it’s a budget-friendly gem for breakfast or lunch on the go. Seating is minimal, so plan to stroll with your sandwich in hand.

Bucking the trend toward relaxed fine dining, Harbour Sixty's four-floor complex 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 Australian wagyu tomahawk steaks and a shareable seafood tower. The fluffy coconut cream pie is a must-eat dessert.