Carousel Bakery
Order The peameal bacon sandwich on a kaiser, choose mustard at the counter.
Carousel Bakery in St Lawrence Market Upper Level 42 has run the city's reference peameal bacon sandwich since 1977, the Biancolin family the operators.
40 cheap eats places in Toronto, editor-picked. The best low-budget spots in Toronto: the places editors actually return to. All Toronto food.
The cheap eats list
40 places
Sam James Coffee Bar Harbord
Order The cortado and a single-origin filter from the day's rotation.
Sam James Coffee Bar's Harbord original since 2009 is the city's third-wave reference counter, the espresso bar that trained much of Toronto's baristas.
Pilot Coffee Roasters Te Aro
- ★ 4.6
- Café
- $
- Leslieville
Order A filter coffee from the day's single-origin offering.
Pilot Coffee Roasters Te Aro on Queen East opened 2009 as the flagship third-wave roastery cafe, named for a Wellington suburb, wood-fronted bar.
Book food experiences in Toronto
Hodo Kwaja
- ★ 4.6
- Korean
- $
- Koreatown
Order A dozen walnut pastries hot from the mold to share at the counter.
Hodo Kwaja on Bloor West Koreatown bakes walnut-shaped pastries since 2005, fresh chestnut-mold red-bean and walnut pastries at 12 for $5, the counter view.
Mother's Dumplings
Order The pan-fried pork and chive dumplings and a green onion pancake.
Mother's Dumplings on Spadina has run northern Chinese comfort food in Chinatown since 2005, Shenyang-born Zhen Feng pressing dumplings by hand.
Tre Mari Bakery
Order A cannoli filled to order with the espresso at the back counter.
Tre Mari on Corso Italia has been the Deleo family's Italian bakery since 1960, cannoli filled to order, sfogliatelle and panettone at Christmas.
Pilot Coffee Roasters
- ★ 4.5
- Coffee roaster
- $
- Leslieville
Order A single-origin filter from the rotating daily list.
Pilot Coffee Roasters has run the Toronto third-wave canon since 2009, the Queen East cafe-roastery the flagship, beans across 100+ Toronto cafes and retail.
Sam James Coffee Bar
- ★ 4.5
- Coffee roaster
- $
- The Annex
Order The cortado at the Harbord counter or a 250g bag of the seasonal espresso.
Sam James roasts in a small Toronto facility since 2009, Harbord original the flagship cafe, beans across 20+ Toronto shops plus an online subscription.
Patty King Bakery
Order A spicy beef patty in coco bread, plus a Ting from the cooler.
Patty King on Baldwin Street is a family-owned Caribbean patty bakery since 1981, supplying Toronto convenience stores and cafeterias citywide.
Caribbean Queen of Patties
- ★ 4.5
- Caribbean
- $
- The Junction
Order A spicy beef patty plus a chicken patty in coco bread.
Caribbean Queen of Patties on Bloor West runs Jamaican beef and chicken patties, the city's reference west-end patty counter under owner Georgie.
Where to stay in Toronto
A sample of Toronto hotels from our booking partner, who list 1,016 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Toronto Travellers Home
With a stay at Toronto Travellers Home in Toronto (Chinatown), you'll be within a 5-minute walk of Spadina ...
Check dates
Toronto North Travellers Home
With a stay at Toronto North Travellers Home in Toronto (North York), you'll be within a 5-minute drive of ...
Check dates
Super 8 by Wyndham Toronto East ON
With a stay at Super 8 by Wyndham Toronto East ON in Toronto (Scarborough), you'll be within a 5-minute dri...
Check dates
Canadas Best Value Inn Toronto
Located in Toronto (Etobicoke), Canadas Best Value Inn Toronto is within a 5-minute drive of Sherway Garden...
Check dates
Sandman Signature Toronto Airport Hotel
Located in Toronto (Etobicoke), Sandman Signature Toronto Airport Hotel is within a 5-minute drive of Toron...
Check dates
Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel
With a stay at Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel in Toronto (Etobicoke), you'll be a 2-minute drive from Toron...
Check dates
Courtyard by Marriott Toronto Airport
With a stay at Courtyard by Marriott Toronto Airport in Toronto (Etobicoke), you'll be a 3-minute drive fro...
Check dates
Toronto Don Valley Hotel and Suites
Located in Toronto (North York), Toronto Don Valley Hotel and Suites is within a 5-minute drive of Aga Khan...
Check dates
Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel & Conference Centre
Located in Toronto (Etobicoke), Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel & Conference Centre is within a 5-minute dri...
Check dates
Willowdale Hotel Toronto North York
With a stay at Willowdale Hotel Toronto North York in Toronto (North York), you'll be within a 15-minute wa...
Check dates
Residence Inn by Marriott Toronto Airport
With a stay at Residence Inn by Marriott Toronto Airport in Toronto (Etobicoke), you'll be within a 5-minut...
Check dates
Cambridge Suites Hotel - Toronto
Cambridge Suites Hotel - Toronto is centrally located in Toronto, a 4-minute walk from Elgin and Winter Gar...
Check dates
Also compare: Zen Hotels in Toronto from USD 85/night · Holidu in Toronto from USD 66/night · LateRooms in Toronto from 49/night
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Bang Bang Ice Cream and Bakery
Order A Hong Kong egg waffle filled with The Bee's Knees and a salted caramel cookie sandwich.
Bang Bang on Ossington has been the strip's reference ice cream and Hong Kong egg-waffle counter since 2014, burnt toffee and matcha among the staples.
Caldense Bakery
- ★ 4.4
- Portuguese
- $
- Ossington
Order A pastel de nata at the counter, plus a galao for the walk home.
Caldense Bakery on Dundas West has run Portuguese pastries since 1968, the pastel de nata baked through the day plus full savoury counter with rissois.
Sam James Coffee Bar Ossington
Order The pour-over filter or a Mexican cinnamon flat white.
Sam James on Ossington is the strip's reference takeaway counter, a small room with a Slayer espresso machine and rotating Sam James single-origin beans.
De Mello Coffee Roasters
- ★ 4.4
- Coffee roaster
- $
- Yorkville
Order The Wassa Ethiopian single origin, brewed as filter.
De Mello roasts on St Clair West since 2014, an award-winning Toronto specialty roaster serving six Toronto cafes plus a Seoul retail outpost.
Blood Brothers Brewing
- ★ 4.4
- Brewery
- $
- The Junction
Order A Shumei IPA in the taproom plus the seasonal sour.
Blood Brothers on Geary Avenue is brothers Brayden and Dustin Jones's brewery since 2014, the Geary strip's reference taproom for sour ales and German lagers.
Banh Mi Boys
- ★ 4.4
- Vietnamese
- $
- Queen West
Order The five-spice pork belly banh mi and the kimchi fries.
Banh Mi Boys on Queen West is the Pham brothers' banh mi counter since 2011, fusion fillings on Vietnamese baguettes plus steamed bao and rice bowls.
Buster's Sea Cove
- ★ 4.4
- Seafood
- $
- Financial District / Old Town
Order The cod fish and chips with house tartar.
Buster's Sea Cove on St Lawrence Market's lower level has run fish and chips, lobster rolls and oyster po'boys since 1995, the market's seafood counter.
Lambo's Deli
- ★ 4.4
- Italian
- $
- Queen West
Order The Italian Trio with hot peppers; add a Coke and eat in Trinity Bellwoods Park.
Lambo's Deli on Bellwoods is the takeout-only Italian sandwich counter since 2021, thinly sliced cured meats on a fresh roll, the Italian Trio the staple.
Pho Hung
Order The pho tai with brisket, plus a half order of fried chicken wings on the side.
Pho Hung on Spadina is the Chinatown Vietnamese counter the Nguyen family opened in 1985, with a 30-year broth recipe and the famous fried chicken wings.
Benna's Bakery and Deli
- ★ 4.3
- Polish
- $
- Roncesvalles
Order A paczki with rose-petal or plum jam plus a takeaway tub of pierogi for the freezer.
Benna's on Roncesvalles is the family-owned Polish bakery and deli, paczki and pierogi alongside in-house smoked meats and European groceries.
Brick Street Bakery
Order The sticky bun and a slice of pork pie for the patio.
Brick Street Bakery on Trinity Street in the Distillery District has run rustic European-style bread and pastries since 2003, sticky buns and savoury pies.
Dineen Coffee Company
Order A cappuccino at the marble counter with a kouign-amann.
Dineen Coffee on Yonge at Temperance occupies the 1897 Dineen heritage building, the city's reference financial-district espresso bar with restored Edwardian.
Fahrenheit Coffee
Order A traditional macchiato pulled tight.
Fahrenheit on Lombard is owner Vahe Tcheulian's tiny espresso counter in the financial district since 2010, a six-stool room with the Toronto-roasted Manic.
Propeller Coffee Co
- ★ 4.3
- Coffee roaster
- $
- The Junction
Order A pour-over flight of the day's three single-origins.
Propeller Coffee on Wade Avenue in the Junction Triangle is roaster Chris Kessel and Geoff Polci's specialty cafe-roastery since 2014, single-origin focused.
Sneaky Dee's
Order The King's Crown Nachos with a pitcher of Stella.
Sneaky Dee's at College and Bathurst runs the city's reference late-night Tex-Mex kitchen until 04:30 on Friday and Saturday nights since 1987.
Rol San
Order BBQ pork over rice or a plate of late-night siu mai.
Rol San on Spadina runs Cantonese dim sum and roast meat until 05:00 weekends since 1994, the late-night post-bar dim sum the city's reference.
Bitondo Pizzeria
Order The panzerotti, folded over and fried with mozzarella and tomato.
Bitondo Pizzeria on Clinton Street has run a Little Italy storefront since 1960, panzerotti and meatball sandwiches with hot sauce and sweet peppers.
De Mello Coffee Yonge
Order A nitro cold brew or a single-origin filter from the day's selection.
De Mello Coffee on Yonge near Lawrence is the award-winning Toronto roaster's flagship cafe, single-origin filters and a cold-brew tap on bar.
Left Field Brewery
- ★ 4.2
- Brewery
- $
- Leslieville
Order An Eephus 12oz brown ale at the bar.
Left Field on Wagstaff Drive south of Greenwood is brothers Mandie and Mark Murphy's baseball-themed brewery since 2013, the Eephus 12oz brown ale plus hoppy.
Uncle Tetsu
Order A whole jiggly cotton cheesecake, hot from the oven.
Uncle Tetsu on Bay Street is Toronto's first North American outpost of the Japanese cheesecake brand since 2015, jiggly cotton cheesecakes baked daily.
House of Gourmet
Order BBQ pork over rice or a plate of late-night siu mai.
House of Gourmet on Dundas West in Chinatown runs Cantonese roast meat and dim sum until 04:00 daily since 2000, a 30-page menu for the post-bar crowd.
Swatow Restaurant
Order Salted-fish chicken fried rice and a clay-pot eggplant.
Swatow on Spadina runs Chiu Chow Cantonese until 02:00 since 1979, the salted-fish chicken fried rice and clay-pot eggplant the late-night order.
Balzac's Coffee Distillery District
- ★ 4.1
- Café
- $
- Distillery District
Order The Atwood Blend latte at the mezzanine looking down on the espresso bar.
Balzac's flagship in the Distillery District is the brand's heritage building cafe since 2002, a two-storey Victorian space named for Honore de Balzac.
Reunion Island Coffee
- ★ 4.1
- Coffee roaster
- $
- Queen West
Order A 12oz bag of the Coyote House Blend for filter.
Reunion Island has roasted in Etobicoke since 1995, a wholesale-first Toronto roaster supplying restaurants and offices across Ontario and Quebec.
The Done Right Inn
- ★ 4.1
- Cocktail bar
- $
- Queen West
Order A $4.50 domestic bottle on the back patio, BYO food from down the street.
The Done Right Inn on Queen West is the strip's reference dive bar, $4.50 domestic bottles, $6 pints and a century-old tree shading the back patio.
Fran's Restaurant
- ★ 4.0
- American diner
- $
- Yorkville
Order The all-day breakfast with two eggs, toast and bottomless coffee.
Fran's Restaurant at College and Yonge has run a 24-hour diner since 1940, the breakfast served at any hour the post-shift staple plus Reubens and burgers.
Future Bistro
Order A slice of chocolate truffle cake with a coffee at the window.
Future Bakery on Bloor in the Annex has run since 1982 as the city's cafeteria-style Eastern European bakery, hot meals plus a cake counter to 23:00.
White Squirrel Coffee Shop
- ★ 4.0
- Café
- $
- Queen West
Order A latte and a scone on the patio facing the park entrance.
White Squirrel on Queen West backs onto Trinity Bellwoods Park, the city's reference park-side patio cafe with Reunion Island beans and a baked-goods counter.
Lit Espresso Bar (Leaside)
- ★ 4.0
- Café
- $
- Leaside
Order A flat white pulled with the single-origin espresso of the day.
Lit Espresso Bar's Leaside room on Bayview Avenue carries the brand after College and Roncesvalles closed; third-wave espresso, single-origin filters.
Smoke's Poutinerie
- ★ 4.0
- Street food
- $
- Queen West
Order A butter chicken poutine with extra curds and a side of perogies.
Smoke's Poutinerie on Queen West is the Canadian chain's reference late-night counter, 30 gourmet poutines including butter chicken and Philly cheesesteak.
Nothing matches.