Peameal bacon sandwich
Peameal bacon is brine-cured pork loin rolled in cornmeal, sliced thick and griddled. Toronto's signature sandwich stacks it on a soft kaiser with mustard at the St Lawrence Market counter.
Where: Carousel Bakery
Toronto eats by neighbourhood. Old Chinatown on Spadina runs the city's Cantonese and Hong Kong canon, from Mother's Dumplings on Spadina to dim sum at Rol San. The Danforth's Greektown serves Greek souvlaki at Astoria Shish Kebob House and Mezes, and Taste of the Danforth in August closes the street. Little Italy on College Street is where Grant van Gameren's Bar Isabel and Bar Raval pour Iberian wines and pintxos. Roncesvalles Avenue runs the Polish line with the Polish Festival every September. The Michelin Guide arrived in 2022 with stars for Alo, Sushi Masaki Saito and Edulis, and added Quetzal as Toronto's first Mexican Michelin star. Peameal bacon sandwiches at Carousel Bakery in St Lawrence Market, Jamaican beef patties at Patty King and Caribbean Queen of Patties, butter tarts and Nanaimo bars hold the casual canon. Coffee culture runs through Pilot Coffee, Sam James and Boxcar Social.
Eat your way through Toronto
Browse by price
Map of Toronto
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Toronto, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Where to eat in Toronto: editor-picked starting points
5 institutional venues to anchor a Toronto food trip
- Alo - French fine dining, chef Patrick Kriss
- Sushi Masaki Saito - Japanese sushi, chef Masaki Saito
- Edulis - Modern European, chef Tobey Nemeth and Michael Caballo
- Quetzal - Modern Mexican, chef Steven Molnar
- Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto - Japanese kaiseki, chef Masaki Hashimoto
Must-try Toronto dishes
- Peameal bacon sandwich - Peameal bacon is brine-cured pork loin rolled in cornmeal, sliced thick and griddled
- Jamaican beef patty - Jamaican beef patty in Toronto is a turmeric-yellow flaky pastry turnover filled with spiced ground beef, often served in coco bread
- Butter tart - The butter tart is the Ontario gooey-runny pastry filled with butter, brown sugar, eggs and corn syrup, sometimes raisins or pecans
- Caesar cocktail - The Caesar is Canada's tomato-and-clam-juice cocktail, vodka with Clamato, hot sauce, Worcestershire and celery salt rim
- Hawaiian pizza - Hawaiian pizza is the contentious pineapple-and-ham pizza invented in Chatham, Ontario in 1962
Best Toronto neighborhoods for food
- Chinatown (Spadina) - Spadina between Dundas and College runs Toronto's Cantonese and Hong Kong canon
- Kensington Market - Pedestrian-priority streets between Spadina and Bathurst north of Dundas
- Little Italy (College West) - College Street between Bathurst and Ossington
- The Danforth (Greektown) - Danforth Avenue between Broadview and Pape carries the Greek diaspora line: Astoria Shish Kebob House and Mezes the longest-running souvlaki and meze rooms
Must-try dishes in Toronto
The plates that define eating in Toronto.
Jamaican beef patty
Jamaican beef patty in Toronto is a turmeric-yellow flaky pastry turnover filled with spiced ground beef, often served in coco bread. The Toronto-style buttery crust differs from the Jamaican original.
Where: Patty King Bakery, Caribbean Queen of Patties
Butter tart
The butter tart is the Ontario gooey-runny pastry filled with butter, brown sugar, eggs and corn syrup, sometimes raisins or pecans. The crust is short and flaky; the filling pours when you bite.
Where: Wanda's Pie in the Sky
Caesar cocktail
The Caesar is Canada's tomato-and-clam-juice cocktail, vodka with Clamato, hot sauce, Worcestershire and celery salt rim. It is Canada's national cocktail and ordered hourly at Toronto bars.
Where: Bar Raval, Bymark
Hawaiian pizza
Hawaiian pizza is the contentious pineapple-and-ham pizza invented in Chatham, Ontario in 1962. Toronto chains like Pizzaiolo and the city's pizzerias claim it as a Canadian original.
Where: Pizzeria Libretto, Pizzeria Libretto University, Bitondo Pizzeria
Khao soi
Khao soi is northern Thai egg noodle curry, the coconut-curry broth ladled over boiled noodles with crispy fried noodles, chicken or beef, pickled mustard greens, lime and shallot.
Where: Pai Northern Thai Kitchen, Khao San Road
Restaurants to know in Toronto
A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Toronto.
Alo
Alo on the third floor of 163 Spadina has run Toronto's reference contemporary tasting room since 2015, a Michelin one-star kitchen under chef Patrick Kriss.
Signature: Contemporary tasting menu, Seasonal Canadian-French plates
Edulis
Edulis on Niagara Street has been chefs Tobey Nemeth and Michael Caballo's truffle-and-game tasting kitchen since 2011, Michelin one-star since 2022.
Signature: Seafood tasting, Wild mushroom dishes
Quetzal
Quetzal on College at Bathurst earned Toronto's first Mexican Michelin star in 2024, a wood-fire kitchen under chef Steven Molnar with an agave-driven bar.
Signature: Wood-fired Mexican plates, Agave cocktails
Canoe
Canoe on the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower runs a Canadian-ingredient tasting menu since 1995, the city's reference business-lunch and skyline dinner.
Signature: Canadian regional tasting, Wood-fired bison
Bar Raval
Bar Raval on College Street opened 2015 as Grant van Gameren's pintxos counter, Michelin Bib Gourmand since 2022 with mahogany-carved Partisans interior.
Signature: Pintxos, Conservas, Sherry pours
Bar Isabel
Bar Isabel on College Street has been Grant van Gameren's Spanish-influenced tavern since 2013, Michelin Plate the last three guides and an Iberian wine list.
Signature: Whole grilled octopus, Spanish tapas
Where to eat by neighborhood
Chinatown (Spadina) (chinatown/spadina/chinatown-spadina)
Spadina between Dundas and College runs Toronto's Cantonese and Hong Kong canon. Mother's Dumplings at 421 Spadina, Rol San dim sum, Sky Dragon banquet, plus the side streets off Baldwin and Augusta.
Best for: Dim sum, Cantonese roast meat, Dumplings, Late night
Kensington Market (kensington-market/kensington)
Pedestrian-priority streets between Spadina and Bathurst north of Dundas. Caribbean, Mexican and Portuguese pockets, plus the city's strongest cheese, fish and produce vendors in a four-block grid.
Best for: Tacos, Cheese, Produce, Caribbean
Little Italy (College West) (little-italy/college-west/college-street)
College Street between Bathurst and Ossington. Grant van Gameren's Bar Isabel and Bar Raval anchor the natural-wine and pintxo line; Cafe Diplomatico and Bitondo's Pizzeria carry the older Italian-Canadian story.
Best for: Spanish tapas, Italian, Cocktails, Late night
The Danforth (Greektown) (the-danforth/greektown/danforth)
Danforth Avenue between Broadview and Pape carries the Greek diaspora line: Astoria Shish Kebob House and Mezes the longest-running souvlaki and meze rooms. Taste of the Danforth closes the strip in early August.
Best for: Greek, Souvlaki, Patio dining, Festivals
Yorkville (yorkville)
Toronto's luxury shopping district between Bay and Avenue Road north of Bloor. Joso's Dalmatian seafood since 1967, Sotto Sotto Italian, Sushi Masaki Saito Michelin omakase at the InterContinental, plus the Mink Mile patios.
Best for: Sushi, Italian, Luxury hotel dining, Patios
Roncesvalles (roncesvalles/roncy)
Polish-Canadian strip between Queen and Howard Park. Cafe Polonez, Granowska's Bakery and the Roncesvalles Polish Festival every September. New-wave: Donna's all-day on Lansdowne, Barque Smokehouse.
Best for: Polish, Brunch, Bakeries, Family dining
When to come hungry in Toronto
Peak food season: June through October for Ontario stone fruit, peaches and tomatoes from Niagara, plus the patio season across King West, Ossington and Dundas West. Taste of the Danforth runs early August. Winterlicious prix-fixe runs late January through early February. Niagara wine festival weekends through October. St Lawrence Market Saturdays year round; Saturday morning at the North building's farmers market is the busiest window.
Local dining hours: Lunch 11:30-14:00. Dinner 17:30-22:00; last seating runs to 21:30 at fine-dining rooms. Late-night kitchens close 02:00 on Friday and Saturday on College and Ossington. Sunday brunch peaks 09:30-14:00 across Roncesvalles, Leslieville and Little Italy. Chinatown dim sum runs 09:00-15:00. Bars close 02:00 by Toronto licensing law.
Tipping: Tip 18 to 20 percent on the pre-tax total at sit-down restaurants. Counters and bars take $1 to $2 per drink or 15 percent. Tasting menus at Alo and Sushi Masaki Saito do not include service; check the bill before adding more. Patty shops and pho counters expect cash tips on the till. Hotels add a 1 to 3 percent destination marketing fee on top.
Toronto food, FAQ
What food is Toronto known for?
Toronto's signature dishes include Peameal bacon sandwich, Jamaican beef patty, Butter tart, Caesar cocktail, Hawaiian pizza. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
What are the best food neighborhoods in Toronto?
TableJourney editors map Toronto by district. Chinatown (Spadina), Kensington Market, Little Italy (College West), The Danforth (Greektown) are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Where should I eat fine dining in Toronto?
Editor picks in Toronto include Alo, Sushi Masaki Saito, Edulis, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
Are there food tours in Toronto?
TableJourney covers 5 editor-picked food tours in Toronto, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
Does Toronto have good vegetarian or vegan food?
TableJourney's Toronto dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal, kosher venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.