218 Best Restaurants in Ontario, Canada

Every dish served is a work of art at this modern French-fusion establishment that offers a portfolio of lunch and dinner tasting menus for culinary thrill-seekers. The seven-course dinner menu offers luxuries like caviar-topped upgrades, dry-aged bison steak, and a wine pairing with presentations from the head sommelier. While the dishes change quarterly, there is a consistent Haitian influence that shows up where least expected.

Experience the future of food service at this all-you-can-eat Japanese joint where most items are brought to your table by real robots with storage compartments for bellies.

A den of oceanic delicacies, this playful basement raw bar is frequented by solo diners and showbiz types. Among the options are soft-shell steamer clams, a variety of smoked fish, East Coast lobster rolls, plus a rotating list of more than 20 varieties of oysters (including perfect Malpeques from owner Rodney Clark's own oyster beds on Prince Edward Island). A zap of Rodney's in-house line of condiments or a splash of vodka and freshly grated horseradish are eye-openers.  Ask about the daily \"white-plate\" specials.

Located where the Annex's western edge blends into Koreatown, this quirky café offers spins on Vietnamese sandwiches and mains, plus coffee and baked treats.

One of the city's fave ramen joints has the distinction of being one of a select few eateries invited to serve their wares at the presitigious ramen museum in Yokohama, Japan. The "pork blaster" ramen with eight slices of chashu is the crowd favorite—but if you're feeling particularly extravagant, there's also a version topped with Angus roast beef.

The longtime favorite for students and shoppers seeking an affordable meal occupies a second-floor dining room above Yonge Street. The menu features a wide range of curries and stir-fries, with favorites including classic pad Thai and Islamic noodles—a secret menu item made with coconut Panang curry sauce poured over a generous platter of noodles and vegetables.

In a city filled with independent "third wave" coffee bars, competition-trained espresso guru Sam James is a pioneer of lovingly made cappuccinos and lattes. The big, open, black-and-white styled Parkdale shop is filled with friendly local characters, a laid-back vibe, and an on-site bakery with freshly baked bread and pastries.

Tucked just behind its big-brother restaurant Fat Pasha, Schmaltz is a love letter to the Jewish appetizing shops of yore, turning out fresh bagel sandwiches with traditional toppings like smoked lox and whitefish salad.

In operation since 1948, this diner holds the distinction of being Toronto’s oldest continuously operating restaurant. It’s a go-to spot for the pre-theater crowd, families, mildly hungover locals, and everyone in between. The menu features classic staples such as Caesar salad, chicken pot pie, and freshly squeezed juices at brunch.

An 1874 Tudor-style mansion is the showcase for this branch of France's famous Cordon Bleu cooking school. Winning awards for its modern interpretation of French classical cuisine, the restaurant's menu includes lobster medallions with fresh mint oil and venison loin in a spiced bread crust with gratin of fig. Set menus include a four-course Vegetarian Menu (C$48), a three-course Taste of Canada Menu (C$62), a five-course Menu Dégustation (C$81), and a six-course Grand Market Menu (C$101).

Time seems to slow down at the Skyline, a classic old-school diner that's become a neighborhood hangout for tattooed youngsters and longtime Parkdale characters alike. Club sandwiches, patty melt burgers, and homemade pies make you feel like you're in a 1960s time machine, but long lines for brunch re-root you in present-day Toronto. Since finding new ownership in 2016, it's also found life as a popular spot for pints of Canadian craft beer after dark, and weekly trivia nights.

The big draw here is the revolving 360-degree view perched 520 feet above the Horseshoe Falls---it's simply breathtaking. The atmosphere puts it above those serving similar cuisine in the area, drawing an eclectic crowd of couples in cocktail attire and families in casual clothes. The menu revolves as well; tomahawk pork chops and chicken cordon bleu have made appearances. Reservations include free admission to the observation deck.

This Malaysian street food spot is a hidden gem on the busy Ossington strip. There are a variety of sharing-style plates like kapitan chicken tacos, rendang beef, and delicious stuffed roti---but a popular option is the "feed me" tasting menu. The once-separate vegan concept Fat Choi is now incorporated into the regular menu, so there are plenty of plant-based options as well.  

Hidden at the end of a side road north of the main Gerrard Street drag is this modern, plant-filled chocolate shop and factory. But it's just as popular a spot to sip a top-notch espresso or snack on a house-baked treat. Behind the glass walls, you can watch the team make single-origin, bean-to-bar chocolate—from fun flavored bars to 100% dark chocolate. Youc an even book a chocolate-making and -tasting workshop.

Yorkville is filled with ice cream and gelato shops, but Summer's is the most beloved. A family-run shop since the '80s, this ice cream parlor doesn't do anything fancy or trendy but excels with the classic, made-in-house flavors. There are always at least 26 of them, with favorites like chocolate fudge brownie, pralines 'n' cream, and Toronto Pothole (a little bit of everything) often seen on cones throughout the village. 

If there is an equivalent to a fast-paced, casual Hong Kong–style diner in Chinatown, this would be it: the food is inexpensive and honest, and the setting is bright and spare. Diners enjoy heaping bowls of congee and customized noodle soups, including the best fish ball and shrimp dumpling bowls in town.

White tablecloth service and an up-close-and-personal view of the rushing Horseshoe Falls rapids amount to a stunning dining experience. Prix-fixe dinners are recommended to take advantage of the hearty seasonal menus.

Toronto's longest-running indigenous restaurant puts staples like bison, fry bread, and arctic char front and center. If you want to get a sense of what indigenous Canadian food can be, this is a great place to start. It's a cozy, casual spot with little atmosphere but great food.

Open shelving lined with Italian provisions decorates this cool pizza joint, but it's the thin-crust pies, bubbled and blistered to perfection, that keep diners coming back. The menu suits all pizza lovers—from the simple Margherita to extravagant options like the Bruma, a white pizza with pancetta, egg, and black truffles. Daily pasta specials can be hit or miss, but desserts—like a warm, oozing round of flourless chocolate cake—are universally delicious.

Local Italian mini-chain Terroni has several locations around the city but this one, with the ground-floor Bar Centrale wine bar inspired by Italian train stations, is especially popular. Head upstairs to the bi-level Terroni for locally beloved thin-crust pizzas, seafood spaghetti, and Italian cheeses and mushrooms, along with stunning views.  Service is particular: no substitutions, no cheese on seafood dishes, and they won't cut your pie for you. Some find it a deal breaker; others say it adds to the Italian authenticity.

Niagara-on-the-Lake's only waterfront restaurant, the regal Tiara sits beside a marina with a view of the Niagara River beyond the sailboat masts. The elegant, amber-hue Georgian-meets-contemporary dining room is buttoned up but accented by a pretty stained-glass ceiling and near-panoramic windows that give nearly every table a water view. The outdoor tables next to the marina, however, are the ones to request to go with the exquisite French-influenced menu. Round out the meal with homemade ice cream topped with seasonal berries.

Swanky dining in a luxurious setting has come to Toronto at this elevated Italian restaurant that makes exclusive use of local ingredients. To really up the ante you can reserve seats at the chef's table, a private dining nook in the kitchen.

One of more than 15 restaurants in Little Italy, this café with crimson-color walls, ceilings, and tablecloths is known for its more than 5,000-bottle wine cellar and traditional Italian dishes. Chicken Princess, a tender piece of chicken accompanied by asparagus and mozzarella cheese, comes in a white wine sauce. Pasta accompanies every dish or you can opt for potatoes and vegetables. An accordionist plays Friday and Saturday evenings.

The popular Japanese dessert café chain arrived in Toronto in 2016, bringing new and creative ways to enjoy authentic, high-quality Japanese matcha. The menu features a variety of innovative drinks and sweets, with standout items like matcha soft serve, rare matcha cheesecake, and o-matcha espresso.

This meat-free Indian restaurant is beloved by herbivores and omnivores alike. The dosas are the thing to get here, but they also do excellent renditions of classic snacks like pakoras and bhaji, as well as curries like aloo gobi or saag paneer.

When this Japanese franchise arrived in Canada in 2015, people lined up to try its version of cheesecake—slightly eggier, firmer, and less sweet than the typical New York style. The brand’s success led to the opening of several additional locations across the city.

Just off King Street, this swanky restaurant with abstract industrial brass tube lighting, wood floors, and subdued teal banquettes offers a delightful French-themed menu. Start with fried artichokes or roasted mushrooms for the table; add a serving of buttery roasted scallops or a smoke-saturated blackened trout; and pair with a bottle of white wine from their extensive French, Italian, and Californian wine list.

The Walrus brings life, and a hodgepodge of quirks, to the typically buttoned-up Financial District, giving young cubicle tycoons a space to blow off steam amid loud music, funky lighting, and stone-sculpted bar tables. Health-oriented gluten-free options like quinoa bowls topped with buttery grilled avocado even out the surf, turf, and Asian fusion--styled menu.

Toronto's oldest bar, established in 1849, has upscaled its traditional sports bar menu to gastronomic proportions. Grab a patio perch in warmer months to take the pulse of the bustling King and Bathurst, while dining on offerings like XL-sized marinara meatballs, thick and crispy battered fish-and-chips with requisite mushy peas, or a juicy prime-rib sando washed down with a local beer. The evening cocktail game mimics the revamped food options, with suggestions for both classics and playful modern twists. 

This fun, lively counter-service joint serves up Southern California–style Mexican street food like burritos and tacos. It's more than the average fast-food joint, though, and patrons like to linger with friends over beers.