218 Best Restaurants in Ontario, Canada

Whether you're in need of an espresso, a hojicha tea latte, a sandwich, or a gorgeous slice of cake, this modern Japanese café has you covered.

Known for hefty, soft-centered cookies, from Oreo and s'more to Filipino-inspired delicacies, this bakery also ships its wares across Canada and the United States (in case you get a craving once you're back at home).

In hotly debated "best pizza in the city" barroom discussions, this local pizza chain is one of the top contenders. This location is a top spot in the Village for a tasty and crispy pie, slice, or handful of garlic knots.

A cut above the rest, The Oar entertains guests with its beautiful pinewood floors and rustic cabin-like interiors. Burgers and steaks are offered, but the upscale tavern menu has been known to include more interesting specials like lobster mac 'n cheese and pan-fried locally caught pickerel, plated with root veggies and pecans. Expect live music from locals and even an occasional Canadian star like Jim Cuddy. 

You can request a Yorkshire pudding to accompany any meal at this tavern just off Queen Street, which should tip you off to its British leanings, played out further in the decor: a warren of rooms with creaky floors and well-used wooden tables and chairs, low ceilings and exposed beams, and convivial chatter throughout. Ontario's oldest operating inn sets out pub fare such as shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, and steak-and-kidney pie. Entrées change periodically but always include the house specialty, prime rib of beef au jus.

The modern dining room 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.

Otto’s brings a nightlife-worthy spin to street snacks. The owners are former club promoters who fell in love with Berlin’s most popular street eats and set about bringing them to Toronto. You can sample shaved-meat-stuffed pita wraps, kebabs, and currywurst (sausages smothered in a ketchupy curry sauce).

Whether you order them baked, fried, or raw, oysters are the thing at this casual neighborhood spot. A chalkboard spells out what's fresh, along with sizing and prices for each, and there is an excellent selection of house-made condiments. The main thing here is obviously the bivalves, but the seafood chowder is also excellent.

This legendary deli has been serving kosher-style kishkes, knishes, and oversize smoked-meat-on-rye sandwiches since 1957.

This fast-casual take-out spot is an offshoot of one of the city's top catering companies, the Food Dudes---and though the salads and proteins here are produced in massive quantities, everything is handled with a deft, flavorful touch. Pick a combo size, then choose from the daily mix of multicultural offerings in the display case. Favorites include moist grilled salmon, various types of chicken (jerk, peri peri, shawarma, etc.), and hearty sides like truffle mac and cheese.

This Egyptian take-out spot is a welcome herbivore-friendly destination on this souvlaki-heavy strip. Many of the satisfying, delicious dishes here are vegan, with koshari (a savory lentil, pasta, and tomato dish), ful (spiced, slow-simmered fava beans) and tameya (crisp, herbaceous Egyptian falafel) the biggest draws.

One of the city's best and most convivial Italian restaurants is right in the heart of Stratford. The lower-level eatery focuses on creative pies with hearty toppings—many sourced from local neighboring businesses—as well as a delicious series of rotating dishes of house-made pastas. It's a popular meeting place after a play, offering soothing and modern decor as well as quick and friendly service.

The bubbling fountain and potted trees reduce the noise of people passing around this vegetarian restaurant in the center of Time Square, a Byward Market office building. For breakfast try waffles with fruit. Later you can opt for an Indian Thali plate of samosa, bottomless dahl, homemade yogurt, and salad. Or pick up a snack such as roll-ups of marinated Italian eggplant or vegan pizza. To wash it all down, try delicious steamed coconut milk or chai tea.

This beloved neighborhood staple has been serving fresh and delectable seafood dishes since its opening in 2015. Oysters take center stage on the menu, alongside crowd-pleasers like pan-seared steelhead trout, the signature PD burger, and the irresistible seafood tower, piled with oysters, pickled mussels, crab legs, and more. Be sure to try the black walnut old-fashioned and the lychee lime margarita—both crafted to evoke the elegance of a pearl in the water.

Ride the Queens Quay Terminal escalator to one of the city's hidden fine dim sum experiences. The view overlooking Lake Ontario is nearly as delicious as the restaurant's menu of traditional Cantonese classics like har gao shrimp dumplings, broad snow pea leaves decorated with chunks of king mushroom, and various fresh seafoods from the tank prepared with homemade sauces.

Folks flock from all over town for this take-out counter's fried chicken sandwiches from lunch until the wee hours.

When you're having a late-night craving for Vietnamese food, this is the place for authentic bowls of pho or hearty curries with a crusty baguette to sop up the sauces. To drink, savor a slow-drip coffee with sweetened condensed milk or an exotic fruit milkshake in flavors like soursop or avocado.

Pilot is known for roasting some of the city's finest beans and running a growing mini-empire of cafés; this spacious, laid-back location was their first. Be sure to peruse the bags of beans on display and grab a couple for your suitcase.

No matter what day or time, it's usually busy here, so reservations (which are now taken) are recommended. While the decor is slightly cliché, with Renaissance-style wall paintings, the classic Italian food is actually quite good, but the pizzas are the real attraction. With thin-crust, the pies are tossed in full view of the appreciative crowd, then baked to perfection.

This popular take-out joint serves up New York--style pizza by the slice, with a focus on simplicity and quality. Whether you're going for the signature vodka pie with its creamy rosé sauce or sticking with a timeless Margherita, no choice is the wrong choice. It's the perfect spot for a quick, affordable bite. Heads up: seating is scarce, so consider enjoying your pizza on a nearby park bench.

Authentic thin-crust pizzas are fired in an imported wood-burning oven at this pizza joint that adheres to the rules set by Naples's pizza authority. Go classic with the Margherita D.O.P.—with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, and fior di latte mozzarella—or branch out with nduja (spicy salami) or duck confit pies.

If you love Italian cuisine, this Toronto institution serves authentic sourdough Neapolitan and NYC-style pizzas and a selection of traditional antipasti to discerning locals. It caters to all dietary restrictions, including gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegetarian, and vegan. The King Street location is a great date spot, too.

This traditional pub will transport you straight to Dublin the moment you step inside. The lively, friendly atmosphere is a favorite among longtime customers who come to enjoy a pint or an authentic Irish meal, such as Kilkenny Ale-battered fish-and-chips, hearty beef-and-Guinness stew, or rich bread pudding soaked in whiskey and custard—just like gran used to make. Behind the first-floor bar, the Pat Quinn Lounge features a large projection TV, making it an ideal spot to watch sports or enjoy live music on weekends. The Fireplace Lounge, located on the second floor, offers a cozy and intimate space, perfect for unwinding with friends.

The upscale-yet-whimsical take on vegan food caused quite a stir when it opened in 2016, and the restaurant (now one of two in the city) is still a favorite of the Yorkville crowd. Menu standouts include satisfying thin-crust pizzas with plant-based mozzarella, an excellent veggie burger, and a spinach and artichoke dip that will fool even the pickiest cheese lover.

Chef Shawn Adler prepares dinner-plate-covering native "tacos" at his rustic 12-seater café and similarly sized front patio. Mains include piles of toppings for fusion brunch--focused dishes that incorporate everything from Indian curries, poached duck eggs, and edible flowers. If your main dish does not include fry bread, it can always be ordered on the side for the traditional experience.

Chef Bryan Steele, who is also senior cookery instructor at Stratford Chefs School, coaxes fresh local ingredients into innovative dishes with the best of what's available globally. Dishes change with the harvest, but have included Lake Huron whitefish meunière with asparagus and cinnamon cap mushrooms; and spring risotto with Parmesan, crispy egg, and wild leek pesto. The owners proudly source their meat from small family-owned farms.

This laid-back neighborhood institution has been popular with art students and broadcast-media types since the 1980s. The food is international, leaning toward Southeast Asian with European accents.

Inside a former refectory building dating from 1904, this gracious second-floor restaurant has a huge veranda overlooking the falls across Niagara Parkway. The kitchen is run by Niagara native Chef Matt Hemmingsen, whose menu reflects high-quality contemporary cuisine like burgers paired with hot-buttered Atlantic lobster, battered local pickerel tacos, and a decadent short rib lunch sandwich with gooey cheddar and provolone.

The idea here is that traditional Asian street food can exist side by side with modern haute cuisine, against a backdrop of fiery open kitchens and cavernous dining rooms. Experimental entrées borrow European ingredients like cauliflower couscous, maple syrup, and pan-seared foie gras on brioche. The cocktails make use of unconventional ingredients like spiced chamomile mist, bee pollen, and curry-infused gin.

Sunday-evening jazz adds flair to this popular restaurant, and the eclectic menu offers diners a melting pot of New American cuisine: a charred tomato and smoked chili sauce accompanies Brome Lake duck breast; tiger shrimp are sautéed with leeks, garlic, and tomatoes in a Pernod cream sauce; and prosciutto-wrapped Atlantic sea scallops top saffron-infused risotto. In summer you can dine on the patio and enjoy Byward Market's passing parade.