The Annex is one of Toronto’s oldest neighbourhoods, but with its close proximity to the University of Toronto, it’s also one of the most popular places to find students and young adults bustling along the streets. And since students are always looking for places to eat and drink out to avoid their studies, you can be sure there is no shortage of great restaurants filling the neighbourhood.
Check out these top restaurants in the Annex.
10. Fuwa Fuwa Dessert Café
Occassionally, it’s acceptable to treat yourself with some dessert instead of dinner, like when you have the chance to visit Fuwa Fuwa Dessert Café. Meaning “fluffy fluffy” in Japanese, Fuwa Fuwa specializes in soufflé pancakes, a soft and light dessert that is exactly what it sound like—a mix of a soufflé and a pancake. Though they are traditionally saved for weddings and special events, Fuwa Fuwa is here to provide them any day of the week.
9. Famoso Italian Pizzeria + Bar
Right on Bloor Street, you’ll find an endless choice of pizza options, from Neapolitans to new world pizzas, each hand tossed and created with authentic ingredients and processes. With large pizzas and a menu of share plates and tapas, including chicken wings, bruschetta, and hummus platters, its not uncommon to find groups gathered around the table at Famoso Italian Pizzeria + Bar, eating in a classic Italian family style.
8. Loop Line Wine & Food
Loop Line Wine & Food is a bottle shop and restaurant that is a haven for wine lovers. Currently run by general manager, Nicole Richie, and co-owner Charles Baker, the snug restaurant is the perfect spot to swing by for a bottle of wine or wind down with a glass while enjoying a snack. As far as food goes, chef Sheyla Thurler da Silva has created a tapas-style menu that infuses her Brazilian heritage into classic bistro snacks. Along with a rotating list of charcuterie and cheese, spreads and house-made pickles, the menu focuses on hearty yet snackable items that are great for sharing.
7. Chadwick’s Craft Kitchen & Bar
For a cozy, comfortable atmosphere, Chadwick’s Craft Kitchen & Bar on Howland Avenue serves up seasonal comfort foods with local craft beer served on tap, with cold-pressed juices, and pasture-fed and naturally raised meats. Though Chadwick’s is most known for their weekend brunch menu, they only serve up made-from-scratch cuisine from around the world. Chadwick’s offers the ultimate late-night patio destination, with bright lights illuminating the space.
6. The Backyard Smokehouse
The Backyard Smokehouse is the meat-lover’s haven in the neighbourhood. Signature spices are used to marinate all of the meats on the menu—which is 100% halal—whether it’s the burger, chicken or pulled pork. The Ribyard Burger is a signature on the menu, complete with ground chuck beef patty, beef back rib, sauteed mushrooms, and a juicy barbeque sauce.
5. Victory Cafe
Full of pub grub and craft beer on tap, it’s truly no surprise that Victory Cafe is a hotspot for the college students living nearby. It also helps that there’s always a new event taking place at the casual haunt, from drag shows to live music, and trivia nights. But the homemade pizza, crafted in an Italian-style Napolitano woodfire pizza oven, is a draw to not just the students but the working professionals, families and visitors of the Annex, too.
4. By the Way
This Meditteranean restaurants was actually one of the first in the city to offer authentic Middle Eastern street food flavours. Now known for Mediterranean grill entrees and vegetarian fare, By the Way is a staple in the Annex. Inside, a stunning mural covers the wall in the dining area, while, outside, a spacious patio makes for a perfect Sunday brunch spot with friends.
3. Her Father’s Cider Bar + Kitchen
Off the main Bloor Street West strip of eateries and pubs, Harboured Street hosts a few spots that are a bit more hidden, giving you the chance to make a place all your own. Ciders from across Ontario can be found at Her Father’s Cider Bar + Kitchen, all displayed in the wide fridges which cover the span of the back wall. Large front windows let in light into a dining area, made comfortable by a velvety strip of seating, and kept casual by the bright geometric mural across the brick walls.
2. Kinka Izakaya
Kinka Izakaya first began with a location right downtown Toronto before opening across the city. The Annex location, nestled on Bloor street between a line-up of casual eateries, is the neighbourhood’s destination for Japanese eats. What makes Kina Izakaya unique is their zashiki room, imitating the traditional Japanese seating arrangement with low tables and cushioned seating. While standard dining and bar seating are also available, the zashiki rooms gives you the opportunity to experience authentic Japanese tradition.
1. Fat Pasha
Fat Pasha serves Israeli, Ashkenazi and European Jewish flavours; owner and Bib Gourmand recipient, Anthony Rose cites chef Yotam Ottolenghi as an inspiration. The 50-seat restaurant, decorated by Palmerston Design Consultants, features reclaimed wood, a marble bar top, filament bulbs and a black-and-white mural guest-starring Jerry Garcia (Rose is a proud Dead Head, and he’s scattered vintage Grateful Dead posters throughout the place).