Since 1987, this East Toronto bar and restaurant, steps from Broadview station, has served up whiskey, beer, wine and food to both locals and those in the neighbourhood for a show at the adjacent Danforth Music Hall. The menu focuses on naturally-raised organic meats and Ontario produce, and is more ambitious than your regular pub

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

On the corner of Av and Dav (Avenue and Davenport) lives one of Toronto’s oldest diners, Avenue Diner. All they have is a phone number, no website or social media. Stepping into this small diner is like stepping back to 1944, the year it opened. You almost expect Michael J. Fox to come out in

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

Imagine if Canada got the same sun as the Mediterranean all year round. At least we’re privy to Mediterranean food all year round in Toronto. And Aviv Restaurant is a great place to help with that. Located along the St. Clair West strip of the Wychwood area, Aviv Restaurant pulls from Spanish, Italian, Israeli and

Since 1979, Bagel Plus has been serving all Torontonians classic Jewish comfort food from its location at Bathurst and Sheppard. They will always have you covered for when that bagel and schmear craving hits, but the menu also includes options such as eggplant Parmesan and fish and chips, branching outside the shtetl world of blintzes, pickled herring and rugelach.

Bagel World has been baking bagels (obviously), pastries and breads for over 50 years in the heart of the Bathurst and Wilson and Thornhill areas. Expect New York‒style bagels, with their tender interiors covered by a nice skin as the go-to bagel here, but what they're really famous for are their flat bagels and giant twister bagels, which are twisted before the loop is closed.

In an effort to enjoy the last few weeks of beautiful biking weather (when it’s just warm enough to ride, but not so cold that your hands need mittens), we made a brunch stop out on Queen East. Riding down the extravagant Sherbourne bike lanes (can we take a second to just say how sad it is that there are so few of these in the city?), our destination, like many brunching east-enders’, was Bonjour Brioche.

Eating off the menu at this fast casual restaurant will have you feeling like you’re dining on homemade Mediterranean cuisine. True Lebanese tastes merge with a modern and local twist at Boustan, which is why it’s become a household name across Quebec. With the success of Boustan’s Toronto locations, surely it will be all over

The food now is classic bistro with a luxurious twist. There’s plenty of personal Boulud touches (the beignet de calamar include deft Southeast Asian flavours) and nods to Toronto (the quenelle de brochette is made with Ontario-sourced pike.) In short, the rethink worked and Café Boulud is in a class by itself.

Oy vey, we thought we were sitting shiva for delis. The chicken soup they sling in those thinly disguised fast-food joints is like our bubby said: they maybe waved the chicken over the pot. The corned beef, it makes me so sad, it’s industrial. But then! Along comes Zane Caplansky, a nice Jewish boy. Instead

This popular restaurant is an ode to classic Filipino food, which is a melange of the various culinary cultures that have made their mark on the Philippines, including Spanish, Chinese and American. Casa Manila offers dine in and takeout and all-you-can-eat buffets as well as a full pig roast. Casa Manila also strives to bring

This is the best Montreal smoked meat money can buy: Tender, moist, gently spiced, heaven on rye. Add a crisp garlicky half-sour and nirvana is here. Wanna gild the lily? Their sweet frites get the job done. For those less in love with fat, chicken in a pot gets the Bubby seal of approval, for

Centre Street Deli is a Thornhill staple that draws a full house pretty much every Sunday. It’s a traditional diner that the whole family will enjoy. Take your ticket and wait until your number is called or sit down and enjoy a meal. The matzah ball soup will warm your stomach as well as your

For the people at Chadwick’s, a “craft” kitchen means that everything is made in-house. This includes the sausages and the burger buns, the dressings and condiments, and the succulent smoked brisket. The concept for their menu is based on a variety of street food and diner fare from around the world. Executive chef Pablo V

Yorkville’s own D|Bar was revamped in 2018 making it one of the hot spots for Toronto’s elite. Located in the swanky Four Seasons Hotel, chef Daniel Boulud reimagined the menu and transformed the space to become an intimate but elegant lounge. Here celebrities and mere mortals can exchange niceties over cutely named cocktails like the

You’re supposed to fuel up for a workout and replenish calories after, so if shopping is a workout, then the Vaughan Mills location of Evviva Breakfast & Lunch is where to eat before and after. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere in a plushy seat and eat the food that is as good as you hoped it

Fran’s has been a Toronto landmark since the first location opened in the 1940s. The vintage diner is a tribute to simpler times. The interior hasn’t changed much since Francis Deck opened Fran’s 70 years ago. The Yonge and College iteration opened in 1950, only 10 years after the flagship and since then has gotten

Looking to indulge in your 1920s fantasy? Well the Windsor Arms Hotel Gatsby and Piano Bar is the place to do it. Sit back and relax while sipping on a glass of champagne or one of the signature cocktails, as the house pianist plays Prohibition era tunes. With Gatsby and Piano Bar’s prix fix menu,

As seen in a Shawn Mendes music video, a Daniel Radcliffe film and a few others, the George Street Diner stakes its claim as one of Toronto’s most recognizable, while also maintaining the nostalgia feel customers expect in a diner. This local hangout on a great corner location feels like a real old-fashioned diner where