El Catrin Destileria is a modern mexican restaurant in Distillery District, Toronto.
El Catrin on Tank House Lane in the Distillery District runs Mexican tapas with Canada's largest mezcal and tequila collection, plus a Sergio Sanchez mural.
Signature dishes: Tapas-style Mexican plates, Mezcal flights
Must order: The cochinita pibil tacos and a flight of mezcal espadin.
Tip: The 400-seat patio is the largest in the Distillery District. Brunch service Saturday and Sunday.
Address: 18 Tank House Lane, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4
Lake Inez on Gerrard East is chef Robbie Hojilla's pan-Asian gastropub since 2016, Filipino, Thai, Vietnamese and Korean plates with a 24-tap beer list.
Signature: Pan-Asian small plates, Ontario craft beer flight
Order: Three or four small plates and a flight from the rotating beer list.
Tip: Walk-ins easy at the bar Tuesday through Thursday. Weekends book on Resy. The Byzantine mosaic on the wall is original.
Patois on Dundas West is chef Craig Wong's Jamaican-Chinese fusion kitchen since 2014, fine-dining French training applied to Caribbean home cooking.
Signature: Double Down patty sandwich, Juicy jerk chicken
Order: The Double Down sandwich, jerk chicken between two Jamaican patties.
Tip: JunePlum by Patois next door at 796 Dundas is the patty-and-drink offshoot. Closed Mondays.
Mamakas Taverna on Ossington is owner Thanos Tripi's 85-seat Aegean kitchen since 2015, traditional Greek taverna cooking from scratch each morning.
Signature: Whole grilled fish, Saganaki
Order: The whole grilled fish, dressed Aegean style with lemon and olive oil.
Tip: Sister Bar Mordecai sits at 1272 Dundas West for a pre-dinner drink. Weekend lunch runs into early dinner without a break.
Salt Wine Bar at the north end of Ossington is chef Dave Kemp's Iberian-Canadian tapas room since 2009 with a Portuguese-leaning natural wine list.
Signature: Iberian tapas, Portuguese wine flight
Order: A round of tapas at the bar with a Portuguese white from the cellar.
Tip: Closed Mondays. The wine list runs deeper Portuguese than Spanish; ask for the natural-wine section.
Byblos Downtown on Duncan Street is Charles Khabouth's Eastern Mediterranean room since 2014, family-style plates spread across the Storys Building.
Signature: Eastern Mediterranean small plates, Wood-grilled mains
Order: The mezze board to start and a wood-grilled main from the menu.
Tip: The first-floor bar runs spritzes from 16:00 and accepts walk-ins. Second floor needs a reservation.
The Pickle Barrel at Yonge and Eglinton has run the Toronto-based deli chain since 1971, smoked meat sandwiches and Jewish-deli classics on the 2nd floor.
Signature: Smoked meat sandwich, Deli classics
Order: A smoked meat sandwich on rye with deli pickle.
Tip: Multiple Toronto locations. The Yonge-Eglinton branch the most-visited, on the 2nd floor next to Cineplex.
