60 Best Restaurants in Toronto, Ontario

These award-winning cakey brioche donuts are fried fresh in the wee hours of the morning, dipped, and then ready to fly off the shelves by the time the converted storefront opens at 8:30 am. From the milky London Fog with an Earl Grey glaze to mini salted caramel Boston Creme bombs, you just can't go wrong.

Japanese perfectionism merges with French tradition at this minimalist coffee and pastry shop. The owners are always dreaming up new croissant creations like a flaky croissant cube (that needs to be seen to be believed), and the croffle, a—you guessed it—croissant/waffle hybrid prepared in a half-dozen ways, from churro-caramel sweet to ham-and-pesto savory.

Fulfill your dessert fantasies by picking up a sweet treat from Roselle, one of the city’s finest dessert shops. Stephanie Duong and Bruce Lee opened Roselle in 2015; since then, they’ve fed the sweet cravings of Torontonians with their playful take on classic flavors using French techniques. Offering curbside pickup only, the seasonality of Roselle’s offerings sets them apart and contributes to their enduring popularity: their pavlova toppings change several times a year; their summer soft-serve ice cream is creamy and refreshing; and their rotating cake cup flavors are perfectly portioned treats. Staples such as the banana éclair and Earl Grey cake slices are available year-round, and the shop also specializes in cookies and caramels.   

With only 10 seats, this taco joint almost always has long lines, but it's worth the wait. The menu brings the best of SoCal and Tijuana seafood together, featuring taco options like the gobernador (smoked marlin and shrimp), and a vegetarian option with corn fungus (trust us, it tastes better than it sounds).

No late-night craving goes unsatisfied at this decades-running 24-hour eatery specializing in lighter fare. Soups like Moroccan or vegetarian chili and sandwiches like sloppy joes and herbed chicken with honey mustard are comforting and filling. There is also a brunch menu.

On the edge of a small plaza—a gathering spot for Danforth locals—sits this venerable hole-in-the-wall spot, known for serving hot, fresh gyros and souvlaki into the wee hours.

Pick up a frosty treat—and some truffles or chocolate bars to take home—at this ice cream shop and chocolatier just off the main Danforth drag.

The lines might be long at this ice cream shop specializing in artisanal options like Cinnamon Toast and London Fog—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.

Imagine yourself lost at a Saigon night market at this trendy sandwich and snack bar that specializes in banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches). Not satisfied with the traditional crusty white bread, Banh Haus offers whole-wheat and fried banh tieu (Vietnamese donut) buns as a vessel for fillings like grilled lemongrass chicken, five-spice sweet pork sausage, or deep-fried tiger shrimp. Other modernized street food classics include rice-paper-wrapped summer rolls and green mango salad.

Brothers David, Philip, and Peter Chau have banh mi in their blood—their parents opened one of the original Vietnamese sandwich shops in Chinatown—but they've taken the classic and decked it out with top-notch ingredients such as melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, duck confit, and kalbi beef. Other offerings include Asian-inspired tacos and steamed bao.

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

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.

Known for making Pinterest-perfect cakes for some of the city's splashiest fetes, this charming bakery also offers bite-sized baked goods for a spot of on-the-go luxury.

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.

If the smell of fresh bread and buttery croissants doesn't draw you into this charming bakery, the decadent sweets on display—like cinnamon buns, butter tarts, or scones—certainly will. For heartier appetites there are items like pulled pork sandwiches and steak-and-stout pie.

Head to this colorful café for locally roasted espresso and reasonably priced Mediterranean brunch. Inspired by Greek kafeneio meeting places, it's a great spot to while away a few hours.

There's no better place for a quick espresso or another pick-me-up than at the poured-concrete walls of this uber-hip meeting spot, complete with front and back patios. Show up by night for a full-length bar menu of local and imported craft beers and an apothecary of spirits.

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. 

On an Ossington strip with plenty of restaurants but not many bakeries, Dear Grain is a veritable mecca of sourdough. The first standalone shop (or "Sourdough Studio") for the bread brand that built a cult following during the pandemic, this shop has a big wall of fresh daily loaves plus pastries, wines, tinned fish, local condiments and spreads, and even picnic boxes with meats and cheeses you can take over to nearby Trinity Bellwoods.

At this classic Toronto wing joint, crispy flats and drumettes are served with pristine celery sticks and creamy dill or blue-cheese dressing. The "medium" sauce is still fairly hot—but for those truly willing to tempt fate, the options go all the way up to "armageddon."

Fried dumplings stuffed with juicy shrimp and pork or the health-conscious steamed spinach and black mushroom wrappers are the stars of the show but ordering from the selection of northern Chinese staples is highly recommended too. Top crowd-pleasing picks are the ultra-thinly sliced semi-cooked potato threads cooked in a jolting spicy vinegar, and noodley tofu strips boiled and lightly stir-fried with pork and veggies.

Eataly's wonderland of fresh Italian groceries can also be enjoyed on-site in seven different restaurants, bars, counters, and cafés. There's the Trattoria Milano for northern Italian dishes and aperitivo, La Piazza for shareable plates like salumi and cheese, La Pizza & La Pasta (pretty self-explanatory), Birroteca for fresh beer in partnership with Indie Alehouse, multiple big patios to sip drinks like Aperol spritzes and wines, plus multiple cafés for pastries, sandwiches, pizzas, chocolates, and gelatos. 

This neighborhood scoop joint, featuring a long list of house-made flavors, is a hot spot for locals and families in the summer months. A second location serves Leslieville at 920 Queen Street East.

Egg Club’s breakfast sandwiches are hailed as some of the best in the city because of their expertly folded eggs, which are housed in a sweet and soft Japanese milk bread called shokupan. Sandwiches are made in an open kitchen before your eyes and sauces are also created in-house. Add the hash brown to your order to experience a sweet and savory, heavenly potato creation.

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. 

This local mini-chain does a brisk business in fresh, slow-cooked rotisserie chicken, either sold as combo meals or atop customizable salads.

Aside from European-style baked goods and all-day breakfasts, this spot also serves Old World recipes like cabbage rolls, schnitzel, and potato-cheese pierogi slathered with sour cream. It's beloved by the pastry-and-coffee crowd and by students wanting generous portions from early morning until late at night.

Watch tasty, filling Chinese noodles get stretched, folded, and beaten by hand to order at this busy and tiny shop, which specializes in Lanzhou-style lamian. Choose from seven types of noodle thickness in a beef broth; most people choose thicker noodles, which allows you to experience their full chewy texture and the soup flavor to cling to them more. The portion size of noodle soups is generous; ordering a small will easily satisfy people with modest appetites, but if you eat a lot dare to get a large or extra-large portion.

Every boardwalk needs a solid burger place—and this cute takeout counter ably covers all bases, from burger and hot dog combos to soft serve and house-made canned cocktails.

Toronto is filled with quick bubble tea—including many chains from Taiwan and other parts of Asia—but Icha Tea is a slower, homegrown shop that brews high-quality loose-leaf teas.