Toronto’s restaurant scene has gone from “underrated” to “genuinely world-class” in the span of a decade. With over 9,000 restaurants in the city — one of the highest concentrations per capita in North America — the challenge isn’t finding somewhere good to eat. It’s knowing where to actually go.
Here’s a guide organized by neighbourhood and occasion, skipping the chains and focusing on the places worth making a plan around.
The Best Brunch in Toronto
Toronto takes brunch seriously to the point of competitive fervour, and the weekend lineups at the city’s best spots are a reliable institution.
Mildred’s Temple Kitchen in Liberty Village is the undisputed institution — the pioneer of Toronto’s brunch culture, with buttermilk pancakes that have been a local obsession since 1989.
Eggspectation (multiple locations) handles volume well without sacrificing quality — a reliable choice when you’re feeding a group with varied tastes.
Lady Marmalade in Leslieville is the east end’s answer, with a daily-changing menu and a reputation that regularly results in hour-long waits on Sunday mornings. Worth it.
Brothers Food and Wine on Ossington does a more refined, wine-forward brunch for those who want Champagne with their eggs.
Best for a Special Occasion
Canoe Restaurant on the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower has the most dramatic view in the city’s dining scene — Toronto’s skyline and the harbour below, with a menu of elevated Canadian cuisine that matches the setting.
Alo on Spadina Avenue consistently ranks among Canada’s best restaurants — a tasting menu experience that’s as close to a destination restaurant as Toronto gets. Book weeks in advance.
George Restaurant near the St. Lawrence Market area is a quieter, more intimate choice for a special occasion without the tasting-menu formality.
Best for Authentic International
Sichuan Cuisine on Spadina (and the surrounding blocks of Chinatown): authentic regional Chinese cooking including cumin lamb, mala hot pot, and proper dan dan noodles.
Lahore Tikka House on Gerrard Street East (Little India): one of the city’s most beloved South Asian restaurants, known for seekh kebabs cooked in a clay tandoor and served at outdoor picnic tables in summer.
La Paloma in Little Portugal on Dundas West: a tiny Portuguese restaurant that does everything right — salt cod, grilled sardines, pastéis de nata to finish.
Salad King near Ryerson: a Thai restaurant that has fed generations of Toronto students and remains the city’s most beloved casual Thai option.
Best Patios
Toronto’s short patio season is taken very seriously. The city’s best outdoor dining:
Café Boulud at the Four Seasons has a terrace that manages to feel secluded despite being in the middle of Yorkville.
Barsa Taberna near St. Lawrence Market does Spanish tapas on a covered terrace that works even when it rains.
The Feathers Pub in the Beach neighbourhood has a massive back patio under mature trees — the best unpretentious patio in the east end.
The patios along King Street West (especially between Bathurst and Strachan) are the most social and concentrated, best for groups who want to move between spots over the course of an evening.
Best for Steak
Toronto has a competitive steakhouse market driven partly by the Bay Street financial district’s expense-account culture.
Jacobs & Co. is the city’s best steakhouse — a serious, well-edited menu of prime dry-aged beef in a refined room near the Entertainment District.
Harbour Sixty in the historic harbour commission building has the most dramatic setting of any steakhouse in the city.
The Keg (multiple locations) remains the reliable, family-accessible option — not the most exciting choice, but consistently well-executed and worth knowing about when you need to feed a group.
Best Pizza and Italian
Libretto on Ossington was the restaurant that started Toronto’s serious Neapolitan pizza conversation — wood-fired, certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, and still very good.
Pizza Libretto (same operators, multiple locations) has expanded across the city. For a slightly different style, Ferro Bar & Café on Eglinton does a more Roman-style pizza al taglio worth seeking out.
For a full Italian dinner, Giulietta on College Street is the current consensus pick for the best full-service Italian restaurant in the city.
Practical Notes
Reservations: Book in advance for dinner at any restaurant mentioned in the special occasion or upscale sections. Toronto’s better restaurants fill up, especially on Friday and Saturday. OpenTable and Resy are both widely used.
Hours: Most Toronto restaurants don’t open for dinner until 5 or 5:30pm. Many stop accepting reservations by 9:30pm. Late-night dining options are more limited than in some other major cities.
Price range: Toronto’s restaurant prices have increased significantly since 2022. Budget $35–55 CAD per person for a mid-range dinner with a drink. Tasting menus at top restaurants run $150–200+ per person before wine.
Looking for more Toronto content? Read our guides to [Free Things to Do in Toronto →], [Kid-Friendly Toronto →], and our [Toronto Neighbourhoods Guide →].
