20 Best Restaurants in Yorkville, Church and Wellesley, Rosedale, and Cabbagetown, Toronto

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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 tiny café, just outside the Rosedale subway station, serves some of the city's favorite sandwiches.

The original location of the artisan coffee shop/wine-and-spirit bar mini-chain that now has eclectic locations throughout the city, this Summerhill spot is a relaxed but lively spot from morning to evening. Located in a two-story Victorian home (and former dry cleaner), Boxcar Social has a bustling bar, a quiet and sophisticated upstairs lounge, a nice back patio, and a next-door bottle shop for those who prefer takeout.

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. 

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.

Sensuous paintings of nudes and the sea and signed celebrity photos line the walls at this two-story seafood institution. The kitchen prepares dishes from the Dalmatian side of the Adriatic Sea, and members of the international artistic community who frequent the place adore the unusual and healthy array of seafood and fish. The black risotto with squid, served in a shareable portion size, is a must, as are the grilled prawns with lemon garlic butter.

This laid-back Cabbagetown favorite is all about fresh, thoughtful Japanese food done right. The star of the show is the tasting platter—12 beautifully presented bite-sized dishes that change daily based on the chef's selection and in-season ingredients. Pair it with buttery sashimi or flavorful udon, then swing by the in-house market for frozen ramen kits, bento boxes, and pantry gems to take home. 

This Ossington staple brings its sunny, cozy vibes uptown, landing in Rosedale with the same easygoing charm and seriously good food. The all-day café serves up bright, tasty dishes like soft scrambled eggs on fresh bread, hearty salads, and roast chicken that’s anything but basic. Open daily from 10 am to 10 pm, it’s the perfect spot to linger over a latte, split a bottle of orange wine, or settle in for a relaxed meal that delivers on flavor. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.