Food Guide

Toronto Food Guide

Latin Street Eats

Grand Electric: Easily my new favorite restaurant in town, but seems to be just about everyone else’s favourite place to grab tacos too. Expect to wait anywhere from an hour to two. The fish tacos are definitely worth it though. Best fish tacos in the city.

Playa Cabana: Very hidden, but another favorite of mine. Fish tacos are right up there with GE while its other Mexican dishes are much more on point.

Tacos el Asador has to be the only non air conditioned restaurant that is good enough to keep me eating there even on the hottest summer day. Its delicious Latin street eats are truly unique – nothing like the items you would find on a Taco Bell menu – and very reasonably priced. It also remains one of the few places in Toronto that knows how to make good guacamole! Nothing fancy, but it’s a nice, homely spot complete with picnic benches for tables. A great spot to grab a lunch with a few friends. Don’t expect any of that disgusting Taco Bell like ground beef either.

Big Fat Burrito (Augusta Street in Kensington market): Yes, I love them big and fat! Great burrito’s for less than $6, with choices of chicken, beef, or steak. Apparently they put sour cream in their guacamole though, so if you’re, by chance, a guacamole fanatic, this place may not be the place for you. However, then again, even still, they probably are the best *meat* burritos in town.

Jumbo Empanadas is a nice Chilean place located on the same street that serves yummy, cheap, and huge empanadas as well as delicious corn pies.

Burrito Boys: These are not your average burritos!! If you’re looking for something a bit different, their halibut and shrimp burritos are both uniquely delicious! Arguably the best burrito in Toronto. Night owls can rejoice that this place stays open when most bars close.

Chipotle (Across from the Eaton Centre): Very popular and well known chain throughout the states. Great selection of tacos and burritos. Everything on the menu is the same price and everything is filling. I have found a hair in my food on my last two visits though, so am not exactly looking to run back.

Julie’s Cuban Restaurant (202 Dovercourt Rd): Starry skies and dinner by candlelight makes Julie’s a fantastic date spot. Share tapas with your lover in a cozy, romantic atmosphere. The menu is ideal for sharing and everything tastes great.

Thai Food

Mengrai (Ontario Street and Richmond): Definitely the best Thai food in town, and their lychee martinis might just be the yummiest drink ever!!! Beautiful decor and food that will have you recommending this place to all your friends. Try their red curry chicken or shrimp served IN A PINEAPPLE with lychees and chunks of pineapple.

Salad King (Yonge Street): Great Thai food in a high school cafeteria like atmosphere. One of the most fun things about the restaurant is the ability to pick how hot you want your food by selecting from the chili grading system. The place is always very loud and busy, and the seating arrangements aren’t the most comfortable; but the food does make up for it – and I happen to like real live and active places, so that part of it actually appeals to me. The Green Curry and Shrimp Delight dishes are my personal favorites.

Golden Thai (Church & Richmond): The place to be if you’re a scallop lover. The menu is real extensive and the meals are served in nice portions, making it a perfect place to take a couple of friends or to introduce some people to Thai food.

Spring Rolls (pretty much everywhere!): It’s a great place to take/meet people because of its great atmosphere and menu – assuming you like Thai food.

Cajun/Southern

Southern Accent: The Place that taught me it’s not all about the size of your menu. Real cozy place with rooms perfect for small parties. Mardi Gras themed, with great calamari and gumbo. Blackened chicken is another safe order and the hot corn bread makes for a terrific side. The side dishes that accompany the main dishes change every so often, which can be both a gift and a curse. Changing things up keeps the menu fresh and exciting, but getting served brussels sprouts when you were expecting a perfectly dressed bok choy that you previously fell in love with hurts.

Big Daddy’s Crab shack: Another Mardi Gras themed cajun restaurant in Toronto, but this one focuses on seafood. Don’t miss the alligator bites!!!

Baton Rouge (in the Eaton’s Center): On the expensive side, but nothing is overpriced. They’re famous for their ribs, and Cajun style dishes. The ribs are delicious and melt right into your mouth. The Cajun spiced fries and  cinnamon apples make for a unique and tasty accompaniment!

Indian / Pakistani

Lahore Tika House (Gerrard, Little India): Their transformation from small little gem to bright and shiny palace has taken forever and is still not complete, but the saucy and delicious Indo-Pakistani spot still hasn’t lost its flair. The plastic chairs and paper plates give off a picnic like vibe to make for a very cozy place great for going with friends. Always order their Aloo Gobi and beef curry. Both taste great with the naan. Unfortunately, no liquor is served, but it’s hard to find such good food for so low prices.

Bombay Bhel: Another great place to share with friends and to introduce people to a new cuisine. I’ve had better butter chicken, but everything still tastes good and the food and service continues to improve. I suggest going with a group and ordering a little bit of everything.

Dhaba (309 King Street W): Some of the best Indian food in Toronto. Portions are small and pricey, so not for everyone, but it’s still a great experience. Butter chicken is delicious, as are the Tiger Prawns and Garlic Naan bread.

Ghandi’s Roti: My expectations for the Butter Chicken roti were REALLY high, and to my surprise, Ghandi’s did not disappoint! A few places probably serve better, and a few friends have complained that it’s too salty for their liking, but the added spiciness has really won me over.

Italian Food

Pizzeria Libretto: My new hangout and favorite pizza in Toronto. True Neapolitan pizza at its finest!! A creative and authentic pizza joint located in the heart of Toronto’s hipster community. There’s nothing quite like fresh, creamy mozzerella over thin crust pizza. For $15 a pie, you can’t ask for much more.

Terroni’s: Authentic Italian food for fairly reasonable prices!! They don’t take reservations, so you might have to wait in line if you arrive after six, but the food is well worth it. Best Pizza in Toronto? Maybe. Gnocchi is a personal favorite.

Splendido (88 Harbord Street): Probably Toronto’s best Italian restaurant right now. A cosy atmosphere with some great fresh and flavourful Italian favourites. Charcuterie platter is a personal favourite.

KitKat Bar & Grill (297 King St. West): Great date spot. If you want to share, their Pasta Misto for two (choice of any three pastas) is a personal favorite. Intimate setting with jazz music playing in the background.

Calabria (1772 Midland Ave) and Francesca’s (2 Invergordon Avenue, Scarborough): Best canolis in Toronto!! These two places are perfect for lunch. Authentic homemade Italian food. Great veal sandwiches, pasta specials, and pizza. Calabria gets pretty packed on Thursdays when it serves wood oven pizzas. Francesca’s makes fresh gelato.

Remezzo’s (3335 Sheppard Avenue East): One of Scarborough’s treasures. Extensive menu where everything tastes great!

Cafe Diplomatico (594 College St.): One of Toronto’s nicest patios. Serves all the classic Italian favorites. Food is far from gourmet, but still a great spot to enjoy some drinks and classic Italian.

Sotto Sotto / Spuntini (116 Avenue Road): Sister restaurants with the same address. Spuntini is a bit cheaper and more casual, but just as great. Arguably Toronto’s best Italian food, so expect a swanky crowd and reservations are recommended.

Hey Meatball (719 College Street): Beautiful meatballs and home-made sodas. This new restaurant is quickly becoming a favourite for many.

Japanese/Sushi

Guu Izakaya (398 Church Street): A casual dining experience you’ll never forget. From the second you walk in the door you will be greeted by the entire staff as they shout out ‘welcome’ in Japanese. Get there early if you want a seat, as they don’t take reservations. Japanese tapas where you can’t really go wrong no matter what you order. Get hit by the wasabi stem served with the grilled octopus or sample some of the city’s finest Sashimi.

Aji Sai (Queen Street): I usually avoid this place when I’m not hungry (expensive a la carte items and horrible service), but it’s hard to pass up its all-you-can-eat lunch – especially for $10 Monday-Thursday!! Great mix of soft and crunchy.

Big Sushi (Bloor Street): Best Green Dragon rolls in Toronto. Very generous with the avocado. Haven’t tried much else, but I’d still happily recommend it.

Sushi On Bloor (515 Bloor Street): Possibly the best bang for your buck as far as sushi goes. Very reasonable prices, good portions, and fresh sushi!

Omi Sushi (243 Carlton): Honestly, this place makes the list for their torched scallop pizza alone. It’s small, and it’s certain;y not cheap; however, easily one of the tastiest appetizers I have ever had. Nothing is cheap, really. At least it’s hard to argue with the quality!

Ki: More of a Japanese restaurant made for the business people of Toronto, but don’t be discouraged. Boasts a creative menu perfect for sharing and displayed beautifully. Not the best place to go if you’re hungry, as it can get pretty expensive, but it’s still a great place to experience.

Everything Else

The Bier Markt: Great live music and a selection of over 100 beers from around the world always has this place busy on a Friday or Saturday night. For these two reasons alone the place makes for a great hang out. If the Esplanade location is too busy, loud, and crowded for you, check out the much cozier 600 King Street West location. As far as food goes, one can expect great and flavorful mussels as well as great fondue.

Joey’s (1090 Don Mills or the Eaton Centre): I’ve yet to try any of the main dishes, but this place get’s a nod for the atmosphere alone. It’s always buzzing, always hard to get a  table. The staff is beautiful and very friendly. Great service and a fun place to grab drinks or a few snacks. I don’t know how the edamame can be so expensive, but it’s tasty, so I continue to order it. The chilli chicken is another frequent order. The fish tacos and lobster grilled cheese, on the other hand, are enjoyable yet still pretty mediocre. If you’re going, it’s probably more for the fun atmosphere than the great food.

Rodney’s: Pretty much right across the street from the Bier Markt on King. Definitely one of my new favorites. Best oysters in town, and jerk shrimps are hard to beat. Even with the menu really short, it’s hard to choose what to order since everything tastes great.

WEGZ Stadium Bar (Vaughan): The place is complete with one massive theatre style screen and many more smaller yet still very watchable tv screens showing whatever sport events happen to be going on. Perfect to watch a game with a large group of friends.  

Richtree Market Restaurants (on Yonge): Nothing there jumps out at you, but the variety is sure to overwhelm you. They have a little bit of everything: Sushi, steak, pasta, crepes, pizza, and the list goes on… The set-up is pretty fun, as you get to go from stand to stand while ordering what you want: it’s set up like a market place.

The Prague (638 Queen Street West): Great Czech food, especially the chicken schnitzel and soup selection.

More Cultural Experiences

Jerusalem (4777 Leslie Street for buffet): Not as pretty as Sultan’s Tent, but can expect the same belly dancing and arguably better food at much more reasonable prices. It’s a buffet, so all you can eat too!!

Ethiopian House (Yonge Street): Surprsingly, I actually liked what I ordered! It’s basically just a meat and potatoes place that uses a cold spongee bread in place of forks.

Pho Hung Vietnamese Restaurant: Delicious and affordable! The place is always busy, and has some great vermicelli dishes packed with a wide range of different flavors. Service could be better, but never takes long once you get their attention.

Best of the Best

Best Margaritas: Margarita’s Fiesta Room (14 Baldwin Street)

Best Martinis: If you don’t mind horrible service, make sure to hit up Hey Lucy (King West strip) on a Wednesday. Hard to complain too much over the service after ordering a Jolly Rancher Martini for $3.50.

Best Burgers: I’ve always loved Licks, but Big Smoke Burger  (formerly Craft Burger, 573 King Street West) has much better fries and the advocado is a nice touch to the burgers.

Best BBQ: If it wasn’t so far, I’d probably visit The Stockyards (699 St. Clair) quite regularly. Delicious ribs, and arguably the best pulled pork sandwich you can find.

Best Pizza: Terroni is still my place to beat. For a fast slice, I usually got to Bitondo Pizzeria for peperoni or Amato Pizza for its unconventional toppings.

Best Oysters: It’s all about the sauce, and Rodney’s delivers!!

Best Wings: I love All Star Wings & Ribs (Woodbine Av), but it would be much better if they listed the spices used for the 150+ flavors of wings. Still can’t believe I was turned away from this place on a Friday night because they were out of wings though. Shame on them!

Best Fish & Chips: My vote goes to Duckworth’s (2638 Danforth Avenue), but you can more frequently find me at  Chippy’s Fish and Chips.

Best Dim Sum: Another place with lousy service but great food is Rol San.

Best Buffets: I’ll always be a sucker for Mandarin, but for Indian food I usually trust Host.

Best Big Franchise: It’s hard not to enjoy Yonge & Dundas’ Jack Astor’s location. The restaurant has a beautiful view of Toronto’s very own Times Square. I would stick to the soups, burgers, salads, and appetizers though. Stay away from the Thai.

Best Sunday Brunch: Live Music seems to add to the lively atmosphere at Hot House Cafe. Great fruit plate, plenty of desserts, omelets made to order, and plenty more hot lunch and breakfast favorites,

Best Bubble Tea: It amazes me how Go4Tea (Thornhill) and Destiny (across the street) both manage to sell no alcohol yet are still packed with people every Friday and Saturday night until early in the morning. Both are great social places to grab some Bubble Tea and a few appetizers with a bunch of friends. I prefer Go 4 Tea for Bubble Tea.

Best Ice Cream: Greg’s Icecream (Bloor Street, not too far from St.George) makes great homemade ice cream, and their choices change pretty much daily. They’re famous for their Roasted Marshmallow flavor, but I personally hate it. I LOVE their Chocolate Orange, Cinnamon, and Pumpkin flavors!

Best Desserts: Dufflet Pastries (Queen West) is a nice dessert place with all sorts of fancy stuff. I haven’t really tried much of what they have to offer, but still enjoy what I have tasted; and they do have a great reputation.

Best Crepes: Cafe Crepe (accross from Much Music) is my favorite, mainly because I have an incredible sweet tooth. They have a whole bunch of delicious crepes, but I stick to the sweet dessert ones. They do have more than crepes to offer, but I would stay away from anything not made in a crepe. So far, the Nutella and banana crepe is probably my favorite, but I’m still getting to know the place! Unfortunately, who’s making your crepe their does make a huge difference. One guy has always made them just right, but others have been known to make them too crispy. I prefer to eat them ‘on the go’ but they do have a restaurant type set-up if you prefer that.