137 Best Restaurants in Toronto, Ontario

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Opened in 1997, World Food Market is a local landmark that operates 365 days a year. With more than 17 food vendors, this outdoor market offers a chance to experience the cultural diversity Toronto is known for—all at an affordable price. From the Caribbean to Nepal, India to Lebanon, and beyond, visitors can take a global culinary tour. Fresh food is served daily and enjoyed on a covered, heated patio. Reflecting the city’s inclusive spirit, all vendors are halal, with menus free of pork and alcohol.

You don't need to wait around until Oktoberfest to drink great German beer and indulge in delicious bratwurst; just walk into WVRST, a modern beer hall on King West. Choose amid the selection of sausages, from the traditional pork to vegetarian, or get a little wild with selections such as pheasant, duck, or bison.

With only 20 seats, this colorful family-run neighborhood spot showcases the delicious nuances of classic Mexican cuisine. Dishes here are rich in flavor and composed with care, from duck confit and grilled octopus to a mole that's been slow-simmered over eight hours.

This is the ultimate place to fuel up, and we're not just talking about the gas tank. Leslieville Pumps is a 24/7, kitschy gas station and general store with a look straight out of a John Wayne western. But—surprise!—it serves some of the best barbecue in town. Slow and low is their cooking philosophy, which they show off in tender pulled pork and brisket sandwiches. Country sides such as BBQ corn salad and Southern coleslaw make the meal complete. At 9 pm every night, the joint is busy serving up their curry and butter chicken with rice. It is the go-to place for cab drivers looking for a late-night bite.

One of the best spots to try bier schnapps (a traditional German-style spirit that is akin to tequila), this gastropub features classics with a twist such as crispy cornish hen with Sriracha maple glaze, or ultrameaty chicken wings. Even salads are anything but boring, like the red quinoa salad with sweet and tangy sherry vinaigrette. Fondue is served up with a duo of Oka and aged cheddar with roasted beets, house-made bratwurst, apples, and mini potatoes. For dessert, opt for Nonna's sugar donuts; they're melt-in-your-mouth and pillowy soft.