Playa Cabana used to be one of those hidden gems tucked away in a residential area where those “in the know” would go to chow down on tacos that delivered big on flavour.

Located at College and Dufferin, one might breeze on by the unassuming spot as just another run-of-the-mill Vietnamese spot.  That would be a grave mistake. There are often line-ups out the door at this tiny jaunt but it’s worth the wait. A random mish mash of decor adorns the walls – posters of Vietnamese singers

Sometimes venturing outside of downtown is worth the trek and A La Turk is an example of that. As you may have guessed, this North York restaurant serves up authentic Turkish fare.  Its specialty is wood-fired pide (flatbread) and charcoal-grilled kebabs. While complimentary bread baskets are a thing of the past, here you are treated

If you’ve ever wanted to rub elbows with your favourite Toronto chefs, bartenders and servers then you’ll likely find them at 416 Snack Bar, a known industry favourite.  The menu reads like the ultimate international passport to gastropub (read, elevated bar food) fare. It is as it says on their website “all over the map.”

Barber shops that offer an array of accoutrements while you’re getting coiffed is all the rage these days, but Hastings Snack Bar isn’t quite that. Nearby Hastings Barber Shop owner Ania Garbos snatched up this spot and enlisted her mom as chef after its previous owner of 50+ years decided to retire. So a change

Konjiki’s original Tokyo spot has been included in Michelin’s Bib Gourmand guide for four years in a row, and when chef Atsushi Yamamoto led the Toronto expansion, the lines formed immediately. And for good reason. The menu is stacked with items you won’t find anywhere else, like velvety clam broth ramen scented with truffle, sous-vide chashu

There’s extremely limited seating at Seven Lives, so people eat standing up. They do so quickly and armed with many napkins. After all, you can’t venture very far before the heaping Gobernador, the specialty taco with smoked marlin, grilled shrimp and cheese, starts to fall apart.

Good Hombres, the “little brother” taqueria and torilleria from the team behind Campechano Taqueria is now open at Bathurst and Dundas, in the former Starbucks space across from Toronto Western Hospital. The new spot is a hybrid production facility, where a Mexico-imported machine cranks out tortillas, which Good Hombres produces for both its own restaurants and others in Toronto. Those looking to host legit

When did we get all grown up and write off handheld foods?  I’m sure most of us have been shoved out the door as a child with a patty in hand, as a breakfast food, as a snack food for after school.  Caribbean Queen of Patties combines our love for the Billy Ocean jam and

Dundas Street West has become a sort of “Little Japan” with its variety of eateries peddling everything from cheesecake, matcha soft serve and of course, ramen.

Customers zip in and out of Rudy’s wide double doors as fast as they can pay and scarf down a burger. It’s fast food with no hyperbole or gimmicks, just a classic Rudy, with a patty smashed to melty perfection and dressed with their creamy Rudy sauce, American cheese, lettuce and tomato, all comfortably wedged

While Toronto doesn’t have any Michelin stars or Michelin-recommended eateries, we’ve inherited some from afar and Ramen Misoya is just one of said restaurants hailing all the way from Japan.  With over 100 locations worldwide, you bet they have their ramen down to an art. As you may have guessed by its name, Ramen Misoya

Ryus Noodle bar relocated to Bloor and Broadview after a fire took its original location on Baldwin out of commission.  It enjoys a sort of monopoly in the ramen category in its new home, being the only ramen spot for blocks. But that’s not why they’re busy.  Ryus is arguably one of the best ramen

For a restaurant that’s been around forever, Taste of China still surprises its enthusiastic clientele of late night diners. The seafood is a focal point (apparent by the live lobsters hanging out in the tanks in the back), but ardent regulars come back for the mix of unapologetic Cantonese flavours in dishes ranging from chop

A twenty-four hour pho joint?  Yup, that’s Pho Pasteur. Located at the corner of Dundas and Spadina, this cash-only joint is here 24/7 to ensure no pho craving goes unsated.  The prices here are marginally higher than other pho joints in the neighbourhood but that’s justified to keep the lights on at all hours of

Porchetta & Co. is named after the iconic dish from Central Italy.  The boneless pork roast is traditionally stuffed with herbs and garlic, and is a salty slab of goodness.

With a closing time at 4 a.m, Rol San is available practically around the clock for dim sum fanatics. The restaurant eschews dim sum carts and makes everything to order, ensuring freshness with every little bamboo-covered dish that comes out of the kitchen and into the remarkably cavernous dining room. It’s minimally decorated, with thin

We don’t know what we love more, the pizza or the branding.  Part of the Food Dudes empire, chef Matt Blondin is cranking out pies with a lot of personality.  Pizza purists that adhere to a certain style like Neopolitan can look elsewhere, but the fermented dough here is worth the visit. Pizzas here fall

There are so many good (and filling) things to eat at Hopper Hut that it’s disrespectful to come here without a crew. Start with hoppers, a crepe-like batter cooked into a bowl shape, eaten with chili/coconut chutneys and curries. From there, get a bowl of mild mutton curry and blast furnace-spicy crab curry, with roti

The best time to go to Swatow is late on a Friday or Saturday night, when the room is packed with the after-drinks crowd, and servers effortlessly glide around large, circular tables refreshing waters, refilling teapots and laying heaping plates of fried rice and glistening General Tao chicken on plastic-covered tables. A good time to

If you’ve ever wondered where to go to get all your Japanese staples, the one-stop-shop is J-Town located at Woodbine & Steeles in Markham.  Inside you’ll find everything from onigiri, to sashimi to a Japanese bakery and also Izakaya Ju. The specialties of the house are the chargoal-grilled yakitori (meat on skewers). If you’re lucky

Quintessentially and iconically Chinatown, King’s Noodle draws gazes up and down the street for the dripping red-skinned ducks and geese, necks attached, and Herculean slabs of barbecued pork hanging in the window. Inside, chefs in white hats work their magic over flaming woks, deep-frying dough fritters for dipping into congee and delicately turning out fresh

Avenue Open Kitchen is one of those classic greasy spoons and somewhat of a Toronto institution.  They’ve been doling out classic breakfast staples like bacon and eggs and a variety of omelets and sandwiches like Canadian peameal bacon, Reubens, roast beef, Montreal smoked meat and pastrami since the 1950s.  Not much has changed by way

Buca and Buca Yorkville are two of the most luxurious restaurants in Toronto. Bar Buca, the company’s all-day bar and cafe, offers a wedge of that excellence for a fraction of the price. The soaring ceilings and wine list can entice you to spend more, but a schiacciata (focaccia sandwich) and a coffee is a

Tacos El Asador is located in Koreatown – not exactly what comes to mind when you are craving tamales, tacos and burritos. But the family-run restaurant has been around for 25 years and is a go-to for locals. The no-nonsense spot doesn’t woo you with its decor, but what it lacks in ambiance it makes

Bistro on Avenue has been a local favourite for some 40 years.  Louis Nemes, the owner is Toronto’s Lord of the Wings, having founded The Chick’N Deli as well as the first St. Louis Bar and Grill.  So it comes as no surprise that the wings and ribs are the star here. The wingers here

Grant van Gameren and Robin Goodfellow, of the superb Bar Isabel, opened Raval to mimic the tapas bars of Barcelona. Its look is pure Gaudi, mahogany carved into great swooping curves and cutouts, a triumph of gorgeous whimsy. It’s a bar. You stand. No cutlery save for a tiny fork, mostly finger food — pintxos

Que Ling is literally a hidden gem. Tucked away on a side street off Gerrard and Broadview you might assume it’s another run-of-the-mill Vietnamese spot. While all the usual suspects you’d expect to find are all here – pho, vermicelli bowls and rice dishes, you’ll want to opt for the bun rieu, a seafood tomato

One can be overwhelmed trying to decide where to eat at Christie and Bloor, aka Koreatown.  Doo Roo Ae is located across from the P.A.T. Mart and while it might seem like every other Korean restaurant at first glance – televisions blaring with KTV music videos, there are a few things that make it better.

It took a long time for Japanese ramen to become popular in Toronto. When it finally did, in 2012, the trend proliferated quickly, much of it mediocre. But since then, a few purveyors have risen above expectations, their broth a little more complex, their noodles a bit more springy. The long menu at Ramen Isshin

When your Montreal smoked meat cravings hit and you need instant gratification – look no further than Sumilicious. Owner Sumith Fernando once worked at the famed Schwartz’s Deli in Montreal for all the skeptics out there. The decor is stereotypical deli to a tee, with red and white checkered motifs on the wall.  The goods

Nino D’Aversa started out as a bakery but one glance and you’ll know it’s so much more.  Apart from its specialty breads and baked goods, you’ll also find a delicious spread of pasta, pizza and gelato at this Italian trattoria.   It’s a place where you can enjoy an espresso and a treat or bring the

Pho Hung is a family-run Vietnamese restaurant at the corner of Kensington Market in Chinatown.  It has been a go-to spot for, you guessed it, pho noodles for over a decade. Service is quick and efficient which makes it a great spot for a weekday lunch break.  While Vietnamese restaurants have become synonymous to pho

Centro Trattoria is your one-stop shop for all things Italian and has been a landmark on St. Clair West for over 30 years.  Cheese hanging from the ceiling, dry pastas, olives, coffees, breads and crackers, it is an Italian food emporium where the options are endless.  If grocery shopping has worked up your appetite, head

Harry’s Charbroiled has survived many transitions over its 52 years. The long-running Parkdale diner was taken over by chef Grant van Gameren in 2016, shuttered completely in October 2019 and then reemerged in April 2020 as a food truck. Harry’s Charbroiled has since found a home at College and Palmerston, where van Gameren has pared

Tiny restaurants are a thing. And Gold Standard is one of the many gems you’ll find. The team behind The Federal, famed for its brunch offering has partnered up with Reunion Island for the food equivalent of a speakeasy. Doling out a tight menu of sandwiches and Detroit-style burgers from the side window of Reunion

Aris Place has one of those old-school signs that makes you think twice about stepping inside, but those who dare to venture are in for a surprise.  They’ve been serving up souvlaki in Roncesvalles for 30+ years in addition to being an all-day breakfast spot for locals. You can feast your eyes on black and

Sud Forno, from the team behind iconic Italian stalwart Terroni’s, is a bakery, pizza joint and sandwich shop all rolled into one.  Upon entering you’ll be greeted with a glass display chock full of goods. A row of Italian sweets from cannoli, zeppola (donuts) and tiramisu await along with a short list of salads.  You’ll

Breakfast, dinner, breakfast for dinner? Dumplings are the perfect bite-sized go-to grub for anytime of day. Dumpling House is located near Kensington Market in Chinatown and is the spot when it comes to filling up on the cheap. The purists can opt for steamed dumplings but try as you may, you won’t be able to

Mi Mi is a Vietnamese restaurant in Riverdale.  It’s been around since the 90s and is a family-run, neighbourhood spot.  It’s also a spot where vegetarians can partake in pho, swapping beef with tofu and some gai lan for colour.  They also have a roster of noodles of the non-beef variety such as seafood with

Kensington Market always comes to mind when thinking of where to find a cluster of Latin-American eats. Latin Taste is a quaint bakery that peddles predominantly handhelds of the empanada, sandwich and tamal variety. On weekends only you’ll find a small menu of Peruvian dishes such as arroz con pollo and ceviche. On the sweet

This hip Parkdale vegan restaurant and bar is from the same owners of Kupfert and Kim, and their menu comprises a mix of K&K bowls plus a more extensive menu of handhelds like pulled pineapple sliders and kimchi burger. The all-day spot doles out everyday brunch so you don’t have to wait until the weekend,

A community hub and one of the best places for casual Iranian food in the city, Khorak Supermarket opened 30 years ago and has grown with the local Persian community near Yonge and Steeles. After picking up groceries, hungry shoppers return to the hot table for a meal of kebabs, saffron rice, lamb shanks and

Combining a respect for local provenance with greasy spoon ambitions, the White Lily Diner has been breakfast, lunch, and classic diner fare from its humble Riverside abode since 2016. Back in the summer of 2021, owners Ben Denham and Ashley Lloyd purchased a 40-acre working farm in Uxbridge, Ont. and, ever since, a great deal

Since it first opened in Bloordale Village at Bloor and Lansdowne in 2017, Sugo has become something of a neighbourhood institution and the go-to spot for classic, Italian-American comforts. True to its name (which means “sauce” in Italian), Sugo is a red sauce joint owned and operated by Scott Pennock, Alex Wallen and Conor Joerin

The line starts forming at 11:15 for a noon opening at this culinary dark horse of Geary Avenue. Behind Famiglia Baldassarre’s counter, pasta-makers stand at a large work top, forming perfectly uniform squares of ravioli, totally unfazed as the front of the room fills with hungry diners who are just getting a taste of whatever

A queue that long every weekend can’t be wrong: Maha’s Egyptian Brunch is like nothing else around. It has all the components of a truly delicious brunch: grilled cheese adorned with dates; a creamy (vegan) lentil soup; tender sautéed tomatoes for a perfect shakshuka; and an irresistible tray of sakalance, all in a bright, sunny dining room.

One can be overwhelmed with choices when it comes to choosing a spot to eat in Chinatown. House of Gourmet is one of those one-stop-spots. Its extensive menu covers the gamut of your Chinese food craving du jour from Hong Kong-style cafe dishes such as baked rice in an assortment of sauces to congee and

We may no longer have to venture out to Little India to find great Indian food anymore, but MotiMahal Restaurant has been a standing favourite for locals and those willing to make the trek. It is a popular take-out spot that doesn’t have much by way of decor where food is served on plastic trays

The stalwart of the rapidly trendifying Ossington strip, Pho Tien Thanh still has a packed house every night. Its candy floss pink walls and I LOVE PHO FOREVER sign might have been considered slapdash when it opened over 20 years ago, but it has settled into a quirky and enduring charm. The menu is at