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Toronto’s calling card—its ethnic diversity—offers up a potent mix of cuisines. But with that base, the city’s chefs are now pushing into new territory. Gone are the days of chefs gunning for white linen tablecloths; now pop-up vendors such as Fidel Gastro’s Lisa Marie and Seven Lives Tacos Y Mariscos draw a cult following big enough to open up brick-and-mortar locations.
And it’s not enough to have consistently good food: kitchens are pushed to be creative and embrace food trends. Spanish tapas and Korean fusion have replaced French and Thai as the newest crazes in the city and izakayas are out while ramen is in. Farm-to-table shows no sign of slowing down, with many menus citing the source of their meats and produce. While Toronto is still young as a foodie travel destination, it’s drawing in the crowds, or at a minimum world-famous chefs such as Daniel Boulud and David Chang, who have landed in Toronto with Café Boulud and Momofuku. And as locals will tell you, first come the chefs, then come the savvy foodie travelers, always posting a tweet or photo to Instagram at the city’s newest hot spots.
The thin-crust pies at this airy family-run pizzeria are authentically Neapolitan and consistently earn top marks on local (and even global) critics' lists thanks to their fresh ingredients and use of traditional methods. Pasta mains (with gluten-free options) like a fiery Naples-style rigatoni and seafood linguini may take second place but are certainly worth a look.
The lines might be long at this ice cream shop specializing in artisanal options like "Cinnamon Toast" (malted cinnamon ice cream) and "London Fog" (Earl Grey tea)—but oh is it worth the wait. The flavors are good on their own, but the queues form for their incredible ice cream sandwiches made with freshly baked cookies, Hong Kong waffles, carrot cake, and cinnamon buns.
Hearty sandwiches stuffed with toppings like mortadella, grilled veggies, and spreads made in-house are accompanied by selections of traditional brioche buns, and creative palm-size Viennoiseries at the local legendary boulangerie. It helps to get there earlier in the day to take score of other baked delights like tomato danishes and quirky chocolate corks.
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.
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.
A winning fusion of Dutch and Indonesian flavors sets this jungle hostel-themed resto-cocktail bar apart from the rest on Portland Street. Start off with rich beef rendang croquettes; sweet, spicy, sour satay lamb skewers; or an addictive pork crackling slaw. Groups can sip themselves all the way to Bali with carafe-sized, summery cocktails like the \"It's All Gone Peach Tong\" (made with melon gin and peach liqueur) or the \"Indo Citrus Sangria\" (made with citrus gin and elderflower liqueur). The house beer, a Dutch-style Session IPA, doesn't disappoint either.
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