Key Takeaways

• Toronto’s food scene is waiting to be sampled, from the classics to the local secrets, making every bite an adventure.

• Branch out with street food faves like peameal bacon sandwiches, Jamaican patties, and bao, serving up real local and international taste.

• Indulge in casual bites and indulgent dinners, from daring tacos and Vietnamese fusion to tasting menus and Michelin-starred sushi.

• Round off your evenings at Toronto’s eclectic bars and nightlife scenes, enjoying innovative cocktails and live music.

• For a true taste of Toronto, indulge in local specials and sweets like butter tarts, Nanaimo bars and creative ice cream sandwiches.

• Plan your Toronto food adventure today and find out why the city is considered a prime culinary destination!

Our favourite food spots in Toronto to discover offer you an incredible array of flavors, from Canadian dishes to swanky dining at favorite restaurants. You discover everything from street food vendors loaded with robust tastes to intimate coffee shops featuring crisp, fresh fare— all included in this full Toronto travel guide.

Every location adds its own flavor, so each meal is a discovery. So if you’re seeking good food, straightforward fare and warm, welcoming vibes, Toronto’s best food spots have got you covered in every borough.

Street Food Highlights

Toronto’s street food scene proudly displays the city’s multicultural heritage and global flavours. Walk the neighborhoods of Kensington Market, Chinatown and St. Lawrence Market, and you’ll come across food stands that highlight the vibrant foodie scene and affordable eateries. These vendors dish up everything from classic Canadian eats to worldwide street snacks, so you can sample the world with every bite.

Peameal Bacon Sandwiches at St. Lawrence Market

This sandwich is a Toronto institution and an essential quick meal taste test for any tourist. You’ll recognize it by the slabs of peameal bacon, cornmeal rolled, warm on a soft bun. The sandwich itself is modest but decadent, combining the salty pork with a hint of acidity from mustard or pickles.

St. Lawrence Market is the best place to get it, for these guys have been honing their recipes for years. The market is a wonderful mix of history and food, making your meal a little bite of Toronto’s past and present and a favourite Toronto snack.

Jamaican Patties

Kensington Market’s Jamaican patties (golden flaky pockets brimming with spicy beef or veggie filling) are a hot spot for those seeking authentic flavours. Local bakeries bake them fresh, and you can enjoy the Jamaican flavors warm on the run. Their take-along convenience has made them a staple for on-the-go foodies everywhere.

These patties represent Toronto’s Caribbean community and are loved by everyone — no matter where you’re from. You’ll discover other street favorites in the vicinity, like kathi rolls or Korean fried chicken. Every bakery and stand has their own twist, so there’s always something new to try.

Hot Dogs and Sausage Stands

Hot dog and sausage stands are everywhere downtown. They’re fast, inexpensive, and always stay up late. You choose your toppings—onions, peppers, mustard or relish—for a treat made just for you.

Some stands even have fusion options, like sausages with kimchi or curry. Vendors are woven into the fabric of the city, catering to residents and visitors at bustling street corners, music festivals and sporting events. They frequently feature poutine, butter tarts and even elephant ears on their menus so you can venture outside the box. For those seeking vegetarian options, many nearby vendors offer delicious alternatives with bombastic flavors.

Bao and Dumplings

Chinatown is where you get bao and dumplings, gentle as they are to eat on the go. Fillings vary from pork to mushrooms or spicy tofu. Steamed or fried, they’re packed with iconic flavors in every little bite.

Vendors tend to offer other Asian-inspired treats, like taiyaki or bubble tea. Test a couple varieties for an inexpensive, satisfying meal!

Main Chinatown is an awesome place to begin if you crave world flavors in one block, while East Chinatown offers more traditional eats.

Awesome place to begin if you crave world flavors in one block.

• Must-try options: peameal bacon sandwiches, Jamaican patties, hot dogs, bao, dumplings, poutine, kathi rolls, Korean fried chicken, tacos with fresh tortillas, burritos, elephant ears, butter tarts, taiyaki
• Visit: St. Lawrence Market, Kensington Market, Chinatown, downtown corners, food festivals. Don’t miss the top Chinese restaurants for authentic Chinese food.

Casual Dining Spots

Casual Dining in Toronto offers you a cozy good eating spot to relax. You come across numerous restaurants with an intimate atmosphere, ideal for encountering friends.

Seven Lives Tacos in Kensington Market serves up mexican food and savory dishes like Baja-style tacos, paired perfectly with mexican beers. There are weekend lines at the door, but they’re worth it. Nothing like a good Banh Mi!

Banh Mi Boys stuffs a Vietnamese sandwich with punchy, fresh flavors. Pai serves up Northern Thai street food, packed with spice and color.

Sneaky Dee’s offers giant nachos and Tex-Mex, open late for night cravings. They also feature a vibrant drinks list and a range of salsas and hot chili sauce to spice things up. Almost all provide lunch and dinner, but hours vary, so call ahead.

A lot of them are priced for most budgets—from $ to $$. Some spots don’t take bookings, so you might have to wait, especially on busy nights. Some places even operate as a makeshift restaurant, serving up funky food that’s fresh and exciting— truly some of Toronto’s most delicious foody spots.

Fine Dining Experiences

Toronto’s fine dining scene is notorious for its breadth and talent, featuring some of the city’s most quality restaurants. If you’re in the mood for a contemporary French tasting menu, Alo shines as a featured chef’s nice restaurant, with attention to seasonal ingredients and bright, straightforward dishes.

Canoe serves up sleek Canadian regional cuisine with a skyline vista, incorporating regional meats and seasonal produce with every plate—an experience that feels elevated yet rooted in the flavors of a classic Canadian diner.

For Japanese cuisine, Sushi Masaki Saito is tough to beat. This two-Michelin-star spot serves up an omakase tasting menu—every course selected by the chef, every piece of fish flown in fresh every day.

At both places you receive attention in every detail, from the presentation of the food to the ambience of the space. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a Canadian celebrity chef leading the kitchen. Reserve early for best times and menus.

Explore Toronto’s Bars

Toronto’s bars allow you to sample cuisines and beverages from across the globe. At Bar Raval, you’ll enjoy classic dishes and tasty cocktails alongside Spanish pintxos in a room with a giant circular window, fanning in light during the day and shimmering at night. It’s a true destination dining spot for locals and visitors alike.

Civil Liberties is craft all the way, allowing you to choose flavorings for a personalized beverage in a chill setting —perfect if you’re into bespoke drinks and an ever-changing cocktail list. The Drake Hotel combines live music with a bustling bar scene and a solid drinks menu.

In the Financial District, bars feature fresh food in smart rooms, with specials such as six-ounce house wine for $3. A few places attract celebrities—Justin Bieber and Drake have dropped in—adding to the sense of unforgettable dining experiences.

You’ll discover Mexican bites, a flavorful Mediterranean menu and wine lists with everything from Super Tuscans to Franciacortas.

Unique Culinary Delights

Toronto provides you with cuisine from across the world. Sample Canadian desserts like butter tarts, a sugar rush kind of delicacy, or nanaimo bars, which are available at virtually all bakeries. Canadian ingredients like maple syrup appear everywhere: maple this, maple that, from doughnuts to hot drinks.

Sample Ethiopian stews, Syrian flatbreads or spicy Szechuan noodles—all in the same city. Beef döner wraps and Caribbean plates are a cinch. Others offer kunefe, a hot cheese-phyllo-and-syrup dessert that contributes to the city’s international dessert scene, or a 30-day dry-aged rack of lamb.

For Korean BBQ joints, they dry-age their meats in-house and grill over oak charcoal. From hand-made tortillas cooked on a traditional comal oven to conveyor belt sushi with fresh Japanese bites.

Quick Snacks and Bites

You want quality eats right away post-flight. Toronto has lots. EAT warm bagels at St. Urbain BAGEL – St. Lawrence Market – chewy, filling, plain. Get some poutine at Smoke’s Poutinerie or NomNomNom Poutine – french fries, cheese curds, hot gravy, made for comfort and rooted in traditional dishes.

For something global, discover empanadas or samosas in the city’s ethnic neighborhoods. You can get pizza by the slice with tons of toppings, or taste test vegan ice cream in flavors of yellow, white and purple — a delicious combination that’s quickly becoming a local favorite.

Gourmet shops retail fresh cheese and croissants. Street vendors sell spiced meat from a spit. Got a sweet tooth? Sample kunefe, sticky cheese in syrup. All these joints — quick snacks and bites, big flavor, reasonable prices.

Sweet Treats and Desserts

Toronto has just the scene for your sugary urges. Bang Bang Ice Cream is notable for its creative ice cream sandwiches, where you select from fresh cookies and soft serve. Flavors tend to rotate a lot so there’s always something new to taste and you can opt for at least less sugary if you like— perfect for exciting meals and a bit of edible experimentation.

Here Daan Go Cake Lab treats you to eclectic flavors in Asian inspired pastries, colorful macarons and airy, little-too-much-sugar-free-please cakes. Dufflet Pastries, once beloved for its classic cakes, cheesecakes, and tarts that were rich but not heavy, has since closed its retail locations, though you can still find its desserts in select grocery stores across the city.

A lot of desserts, like waffles with ice cream or fruit, feature unconventional toppings and are perfect for warm days. You can keep frozen goodies on hand for a later date without sacrificing flavor.

Specialty Food Markets

Toronto’s specialty food markets give you access to the city’s food culture up close. Here, sample world flavors, discover fresh produce and connect with local foodies and culinary innovators. Not just shopping destinations, these markets are opportunities to sample, discover and experience new foods— a must-stop on any foodie itinerary.

St. Lawrence Market

This market is a Toronto landmark, tourist attraction, steeped in history and buzzing with energy. Vendors have remained in the same spots for generations, passing down traditional recipes and trades. Wandering the aisles, you’ll find an olive bar, cheese cave, cheese shop and fresh bread, meat, and seafood stalls.

Maybe sample a peameal bacon sandwich, a house specialty with clear Canadian influence, or grab a slice of old fashioned Canadian butter tart. Their cheese cave is a stop for small producer artisan cheeses. Samples are the norm here, so you can sample before you purchase.

Kensington Market

Kensington Market is a melting pot, from the international foods to the eclectic vibe. Food tours here expose you to Mexican flavors, Mexican cuisine, and tastes from Portugal, including a great Portuguese restaurant, the Caribbean, and the Philippines. You’ll see Jamaican patties, Filipino brunch, and Portuguese custard tarts.

Roasted coffees smell waft through the air, and little stalls beckon you to taste breads, cheeses and olives. The Chinese food scene is vibrant too, with options for Cantonese food alongside offerings of Indian cuisine and traditional Thai flavors. A lot of the vendors have been here for over 30 years! The market’s melange of street art and music further contributes to the upbeat atmosphere.

Eataly Toronto

Eataly Toronto was all about the Italian items, with fresh pasta lunch options, wood-fired style pizza and an extensive olive bar. They have a cheese market with a lot of Italian and local variety. Just sit back and watch as bakers and chefs work their magic, showcasing authentic Italian cooking.

Eataly’s Italian restaurant vibe is inviting, and the good restaurant atmosphere makes it a perfect spot to enjoy meals. Don’t miss their fresh breads topped with rich tomato salsa and other flavorful ingredients.

Tips for Exploring Toronto’s Food Scene

Toronto’s unique mix of world cultures and evolving food trends create an exciting culinary scene. From a filipino restaurant sharing rich traditions to eateries highlighting indian flavors and Toronto’s culinary past, there’s something for everyone. You’ll find spots with an excellent menu featuring fresh, seasonal Canadian ingredients and good quality food.

Whether you’re looking for a fast lunch or an upscale, sustainable dining experience, Toronto’s food scene has a tasty story for every palate and price point.

Plan your route

Do your homework. Download Google Maps and good food apps. These assist you in receiving candid reviews, maps and updates on what’s hot or underground.

Hop on the TTC for super fast, super cheap cross-neighbourhood travel, or rideshares if you want it even faster and more flexible. A good route lets you explore the iconic St. Lawrence Market, savor dishes at an Iranian restaurant, and sample Ethiopian stews, Sichuan noodles, or French pastries all in the same day.

So much is in proximity during your Canadian trip. You can have Hokkaido scallop nigiri at a sushi bar, then wander over to a Portuguese bakery for dessert.

Get an Ubigi eSIM data plan for connectivity

Keep connected with an Ubigi eSIM data plan for Canada. For short stays or light users, you can choose a 1GB plan or a 3GB plan. If you need more data, Ubigi also provides a 10GB plan or unlimited data plans. These options are perfect for longer trips (2 weeks or more) or sharing data via tethering.

If your travels take you beyond Canada, Ubigi also has regional plans like the 1GB Americas plan or “World” data plans.

All Ubigi eSIM plans are prepaid, with no hidden fees or roaming charges. Simply create your Ubigi account on the app and purchase your eSIM data plan. Activate your eSIM once you land at the airport and enjoy seamless internet access across Canada. You can easily top up or manage your plan through the Ubigi app. No Wi-Fi needed : it’s a key advantage of using an Ubigi eSIM.

A guided Toronto food tour provides you an up-close-and-personal look at the city’s eclectic cuisine. Our pro guide take you to restaurants with decades of history, new pop-ups and great vibes. You get to try beef ribs, salmon toro nigiri and more, frequently accompanied by tales of each dish’s origin.

Watch for daily and seasonal specials

Keep an eye open for weekly or seasonal specials. A lot of Toronto restaurants have special dishes that rotate frequently. Try maybe a lunch-only pasta or a summer-only Caribbean plate?

These specials are what transform an ordinary meal to a moment that punched through the memory fog.

Conclusion

Toronto dishes up international fare. You can enjoy smoky shawarma wraps on Queen Street, massive ramen bowls on Dundas and sugary, creamy gelato in Kensington. Every stop introduces new aromas, passionate banter and chefs who give a damn. You discover comforting diners, food trucks with a mile-long line – and bakeries emitting the aroma of fresh bread. Need a snack or a slow dinner! Toronto both in style!

For a date night spot or delicious celebration, the city offers great burgers, tender wagyu steaks, and dishes from fine dining pioneers. Here you’ll find some of the tastiest dishes around.

You meet smiling people, experiment with flavors and experience the city’s soul one delicious mouthful at a time. So next time you wander the city, bring your appetite and be adventurous! Pick somewhere from this guide and let the food run your day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Toronto’s street food special?

Toronto’s street food is exploding with international taste. You can sample everything from Asian potstickers to Mediterranean skewers. The variety here is unmatched—every mouthful is an adventure. We sure wouldn’t, and neither should you – the opportunity to sample every continent’s cuisine, all in one city.

Are there affordable dining options in Toronto?

For sure! Toronto has so many great casual and inexpensive restaurants. It’s a treat to have lunch at local diners, food courts and pop-ups. You don’t have to spend a fortune to eat well—there’s delicious eats for every price point.

Is Toronto a good city for vegetarian or vegan food?

Yes, you’ll find more than a few vegetarian and vegan options. With so many plant based menus in restaurants and specialty cafes that specialize in fresh, healthy ingredients. Toronto’s food scene embraces all, so you’ll never feel restricted, regardless of your diet.

Where can I try unique desserts in Toronto?

Toronto’s dessert scene is amazing and innovative. There’s everything from Japanese mochi and French pastries to local maple treats. Pop into specialty bakeries and dessert shops for a treat to remember. Spoil yourself—you earned it!

How do I find the best food markets in Toronto?

Check out the city’s iconic markets like St. Lawrence Market or Kensington Market. From fresh produce to international snacks to artisan foods. Locals and visitors agree: these markets are must-visit destinations for food lovers.

Are reservations needed for fine dining in Toronto?

Sure, book ahead, particularly with the more popular fine dining establishments. Toronto’s best restaurants fill up quick. Reserve your table ahead of time, and never miss out on the fun.

What should I know before exploring Toronto’s bar scene?

Toronto’s bars are alive and colorful. Verify age limits – generally 19 plus. Bring your ID, and come prepared to sample some local craft beverages. Have fun, but be safe and rooftop bars with incredible city views are a must!