Toronto dim sum is the Cantonese morning tea ritual: bamboo steamers of har gow, siu mai, pork buns and rice rolls served lunchtime in Chinatown rooms and weekend banquet halls.
Cantonese dim sum reached Toronto in the 1890s with the first Chinatown along Elizabeth Street, then expanded to Spadina from the 1950s. Hong Kong immigration in the 1970s and 1980s established the modern dim sum canon; Lai Wah Heen (1995) introduced cartless reservation-only dim sum at the Metropolitan Hotel, called the best in North America by the NYT. Pearl Harbourfront's waterfront view and Rol San's late-night menu are the city's other reference rooms.
3 editor picks for Cantonese dim sum in Toronto, ranked by editorial score. All Toronto signature dishes · Cantonese dim sum across every city.
Lai Wah Heen ★ 4.5
chinatown · 108 Chestnut Street, 2nd Floor, DoubleTree by Hilton, Toronto, ON M5G 1R3
Lai Wah Heen reopened on the second floor of the DoubleTree Hilton in July 2025 after a two-year hiatus, chefs Heyden Sin and Huang Zhenqing.
Pearl Harbourfront ★ 4.3
financial-district · 207 Queens Quay W, Suite 200, Toronto, ON M5J 1A7
Pearl Harbourfront on Queens Quay runs Cantonese dim sum overlooking Lake Ontario from the Queen's Quay Terminal, the city's waterfront dim sum room.
Rol San ★ 4.3
chinatown · 388 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 2G5
Rol San on Spadina has run Cantonese dim sum since 1994, founded by Paul and Paulie Li, reopened at 388 Spadina in 2024 after redevelopment.