Skip to content
Very Toronto
NewsEatsEventsBest OfNew & HotDine 50
Best of Toronto

The Best Restaurants in Toronto (2026)

Toronto's strongest rooms right now — Alo's third-floor tasting, Edulis's Niagara house dinner, Osteria Giulia in Yorkville, Akin at 51 Colborne (the Queen East pin was wrong), Shoushin on Yonge, Quetzal's College Street fire, Dreyfus on Harbord, weekday-only Canoe, Scaramouche's South Hill view, DaiLo, Bar Isabel, Richmond Station, Taverne Bernhardt's, Grey Gardens, Buca Yorkville, Maple Leaf Tavern in Leslieville, and Le Swan on Queen West — verified August 2026.

Updated for 2026•17 Destinations
No.1
Alo Restaurant tasting-menu photography from alorestaurant.com
Restaurant• Queen West

Alo

“Best fine-dining flagship: third-floor tasting, first-Tuesday drop, closed Sunday–Monday.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Alo is still the third-floor tasting-menu room that defines Toronto fine dining: Patrick Kriss's 2015 sanctuary above Queen and Spadina, Michelin-starred, French technique with a Japanese whisper, the kind of night you book and then tell people about for a year. Official alorestaurant.com: 163 Spadina Avenue, 3rd Floor, Tuesday–Saturday, open at 5 p.m. Phone (416) 260-2222. Reservations for the dining room, parlour, and private dining drop the first Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. — on Tuesday, September 1st, November opens. Same-day leftovers live on DINR. First-timers: the dining-room tasting, not the bar, unless you already know you want à la carte. Jacket not required; seriousness is. Closed Sunday–Monday. Email dietary questions to info@alorestaurant.com before you lock the card — they ask you to.

Read Full Review
Website
No.2
Edulis dining photography from edulisrestaurant.com
Restaurant• King West

Edulis

“Best house-dinner tasting: seafood and wild mushrooms, Thursday–Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch only.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Edulis is the Niagara Street house dinner that still feels like being invited in: Michael Caballo and Tobey Nemeth, 169 Niagara Street, a seasonal feast built around seafood, vegetables, and wild mushrooms rather than a printed à la carte. Official edulisrestaurant.com is blunt about the calendar — Thursday, Friday, Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch only — and all bookings are prepaid. Phone on the profile (416) 703-4222. First-timers: tell them what you will and will not eat and let the kitchen cook; this is not a menu you shop. Do not plan a Monday–Wednesday night. The room is small, the pace is slow, and the point is conviviality, not Instagram lighting. Confirm the booking window on their reservation site before you get attached to a date.

Read Full Review
Website
No.3
Osteria Giulia Yorkville dining room from osteriagiulia.ca
Restaurant• Yorkville

Osteria Giulia

“Best special-occasion Italian: Michelin Ligurian cooking, focaccia di Recco, 14-day OpenTable window.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Osteria Giulia is still the Yorkville room you book when the night has to feel decided: Rob Rossi and David Minicucci's Ligurian sibling to Giulietta, one Michelin star, blond oak and travertine, candlelight that stays under control. The menu narrows on coastal Northern Italian: focaccia di Recco stuffed with stracchino, vitello tonnato, wild snow-crab tagliolini with smoked bottarga, rather than the generic red-sauce trap. Official osteriagiulia.ca (verified Sep 10, 2026) posts daily 5:00-10:00 p.m. with OpenTable on a rolling 14-day window that opens at midnight; walk-ins are a fantasy on Friday. First-timers: focaccia di Recco and whatever pasta special is running, then tiramisu. Jacket optional, seriousness not. Sister steakhouse Sammarco is a separate Best Steak lane, not this pasta/regional list.

Read Full Review
Website
No.4
Akin dining room photography from akintoronto.com
Restaurant• St. Lawrence

Akin

“Best modern-Asian tasting: Michelin debut at 51 Colborne — the Queen East pin was never the restaurant.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Akin is Eric Chong and Alvin Leung's Michelin-starred modern-Asian tasting — and the old 429 Queen East pin was wrong. Official akintoronto.com/contact: 51 Colborne Street (St. Lawrence), Tuesday–Saturday 5:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m., +1 (416) 363-0151. The 429 Queen East address is Akin Collective studios, not this restaurant. Ten-course blind tasting is $225 in the dining room and $300 at the four-seat chef's counter; reservations for the following month drop on the first of the previous month; no walk-ins; guests over 12; 72-hour cancel. First-timers: dining room unless you want the counter theatre. They cannot accommodate vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or shellfish-free menus — email info@akintoronto.com before you book. Closed Sunday–Monday. Canada's 100 Best 2026 ranked it No. 27 in its debut year.

Read Full Review
Website
No.5
Shoushin nigiri, official photo from shoushin.ca
Restaurant• Bedford Park

Shoushin

“Best Edomae north of Eglinton: hinoki counter, Jackie Lin, closed Sunday–Tuesday.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Shoushin is midtown's Edomae counter — 3328 Yonge Street, Bedford Park, opened October 2015. Official shoushin.ca: chef-owner Jackie Lin, a 200-year-old hinoki bar, wild-caught fish mostly imported from Japan. Two omakase tracks: Sakura (prix fixe, structured) and Obsession Perfection (leave it to the chef, extra pieces at the end if you still have room). Finish with crown musk melon from Shizuoka, served extra ripe. 12 counter seats plus 6 at tables. Reservations required: Tock or phone from 2:00 p.m. on open days. Official hours Wednesday–Saturday 5:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m.; closed Sunday–Tuesday. 416.488.9400, info@shoushin.ca. First-timers: counter if you can get it; flag allergies before you book — they may not accommodate vegetarian or no-raw. Lawrence subway, walk north on Yonge.

Read Full Review
Website
No.6
Quetzal open-fire Mexican photography from quetzaltoronto.com
Restaurant• Little Italy

Quetzal

“Best fire-pit night: masa, aguachile, Wednesday–Sunday 6–10 — book the counter if you want the flames.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Quetzal is the College Street fire-pit date: an eight-metre hearth, house-nixtamal masa, and a turquoise-banquette room that runs loud on purpose. Official info page: 419 College Street, open Wednesday–Sunday, reservations and walk-ins 6:00–10:00, +1 (647) 347-3663, info@quetzaltoronto.com. Closed Monday and Tuesday. First-timers: aguachile and anything on masa, then a grilled fish or lamb off the fire; tasting if you want the kitchen to drive. Counter stools face the flames if the show is the night; banquettes if you want to talk over the smoke. Book Friday or Saturday two to three weeks out. Walk-ins are real on the official site — useful on a Wednesday. This is a social, smoky room, not a whisper booth. North America's 50 Best and a Michelin Bib are on the footer; treat it as a special-occasion Mexican grill, not a taco counter.

Read Full Review
Website
No.7
Dreyfus Harbord dining photography from dreyfustoronto.com
Restaurant• Harbord Village

Dreyfus

“Best French-bistro night: Harbord townhouse, sharing plates, closed Sunday.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Dreyfus is the Harbord townhouse that still sets the city's French-bistro bar: Zach Kolomeir (Joe Beef alum) and Carmelina Imola, 96 Harbord Street, sharing plates, Ontario and Quebec producers, a marble bar that behaves like a house party with a wine list. Official dreyfustoronto.com: Monday to Saturday 5:30 p.m. to late, (416) 323-1385. Closed Sunday. Book Resy; walk-ins happen but are not a plan on Friday. First-timers: order more small plates than you think and let the floor pick a bottle. Buyouts for 7–24 exist if you are taking over the room. This is the neighbourhood special that people who live here actually use, not a tasting-menu pilgrimage. info@dreyfustoronto.com. Sister rooms: Taverne Bernhardt's on Dovercourt and N.L. Ginzburg on College.

Read Full Review
Website
No.8
Canoe 54th-floor dining room from canoerestaurant.com
Restaurant• Financial District

Canoe

“Best high-floor weekday table: 54 storeys, a Canadian tasting, and a hard no on Saturday.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Canoe is the 54th-floor Canadian room in TD Bank Tower — 66 Wellington Street West — that only behaves like a public restaurant on weekdays. Official reservation block: lunch Monday–Friday 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.; dinner Monday–Friday 5–9:30 p.m.; bar Monday–Friday 11:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m. Closed to the public Saturday and Sunday (private dining / buyouts). Phone 416-364-0054. Online reservations three months out, up to 12 guests; parties of 9–12 on the Chef's Choice menu. Tasting menu $170, +$125 wine pairings, Monday–Friday 5–9:30 p.m. First-timers: tasting menu if this is the anniversary; à la carte and a window if you want to talk. Bar seats from 6:30 p.m., walk-ins subject to availability. Ask for the glass if the view is the point — it is not guaranteed. Dress is smart. Do not plan this for a Saturday date; the official site is explicit about weekend closures.

Read Full Review
Website
No.9
Scaramouche dining room photography from scaramoucherestaurant.com
Restaurant• South Hill

Scaramouche

“Best view table in midtown: book the window, order the coconut cream pie, use the complimentary valet.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Scaramouche is the South Hill view date that has been running since 1980: One Benvenuto Place, complimentary valet, floor-to-ceiling downtown, and Keith Froggett's kitchen still cooking French-leaning seasonal plates instead of a trend cycle. Official hours: Monday–Friday from 5:00 p.m., last reservations 9:00 p.m., last order 9:30; Saturday from 5:00 p.m., last reservations 9:30 p.m., last order 10:00 — “enjoy your meal at your pace, no firm closing time.” Closed Labour Day Monday, September 7, 2026. Phone 416-961-8011; email scaramouche@rogers.com. First-timers: coconut cream pie is the house legend (whole pies for takeout Tuesday–Saturday 5–5:30 p.m.); tuna tartare or foie if you want the classic start; filet or the truffled mushroom pasta if you are sharing. Book the dining room for the view, the pasta bar if you want it slightly looser. Reservations well ahead. This is a proposal-and-anniversary room, not a walk-in.

Read Full Review
Website
No.10
DaiLo College Street photography from dailoto.com
Restaurant• Little Italy

DaiLo

“Best College Street celebration: truffle Hainanese chicken, closed Monday, late Friday.”

— Very Toronto Editors

DaiLo is Nick Liu's College Street 'big brother' — Cantonese cooking through French technique, a room that is loud on purpose, and a menu built to share. Official dailoto.com: 503 College Street, Tuesdays–Sundays 5:00–11:00 p.m., Friday–Saturday 5:00 p.m.–2:00 a.m., (647) 341-8882, office@dailoto.com. Closed Monday. First-timers: truffle Hainanese chicken, jicama octopus tacos, sweet-and-sour pork hock; tasting if you want the kitchen to drive. OpenTable is the booking path. Friday late is the night you can actually eat after a show. This is a neighbourhood celebration room, not a whisper booth.

Read Full Review
Website
No.11
Bar Isabel patio and dining photography from barisabel.com
Restaurant• Little Italy

Bar Isabel

“Best lively Spanish night: octopus, sherry, Basque cake — bar seats if the four-tops are gone.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Bar Isabel is the College Street Spanish date that still runs on octopus and sherry: Grant van Gameren's 2013 room at 797 College, tile floors, a long bar, red light. Official hours on the restaurant site: Saturday noon-11 p.m.; Sunday-Friday 5-11 p.m. Phone (416) 532-2222. Reservations 28 days out on OpenTable; 20% service on six or more; $40-per-guest late cancel; walk-ins until 10:55 p.m., kitchen 11 p.m. Patio (CafeTO curb lane) is parties of four or fewer, no dogs, neither heated nor covered : book inside if weather is the risk. First-timers: whole grilled octopus, jamón, boquerones, then Basque cake with hot sherry cream. Two people at the bar is as good as a four-top. This is lively, not hushed; sit early on a weeknight if you want to hear each other. Next door to Raval if the night is going to stand-up pintxos after.

Read Full Review
Website
No.12
Richmond Station dining room from richmondstation.ca
Restaurant• Financial District

Richmond Station

“Best downtown tavern: Station Burger, hospitality included, lunch weekdays and dinner seven days.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Richmond Station is still downtown's honest tavern: Carl Heinrich and Ryan Donovan, 1 Richmond Street West (just west of Yonge), subway tile, whole-animal butchery, and a regenerative garden up in Creemore. Official reservations page: lunch Monday–Friday 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; dinner Monday–Friday 4:30–10:30 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday 3:30–10:30 p.m. Phone (647) 748-1444, info@richmondstation.ca. Hospitality is included — prices on the menu already cover service and tipping is discouraged. First-timers: the Station Burger if you have never been; chef's tasting if you want the garden talking. Lunch reservations get 1.5 hours; dinner before 7:30 p.m. has a posted time cap. This is the unpretentious core-downtown pin, not a tasting-menu fight.

Read Full Review
Website
No.13
Taverne Bernhardt's photography from bernhardtstoronto.com
Restaurant• Dovercourt Park

Taverne Bernhardt's

“Best neighbourhood rotisserie: White Rock chicken, natural wine, open seven days.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Taverne Bernhardt's is the Dovercourt rotisserie house from the Dreyfus team: 202 Dovercourt Road, an Edwardian, White Rock chicken, gravy, pickles, fries or roasted garlic potatoes, natural wine, soft serve. Official bernhardtstoronto.com lists the room as 7/7, (416) 530-0008. Listings through 2026 put dinner roughly 5:00–10:00 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and 5:00–10:30 p.m. Friday–Saturday — confirm on Resy. First-timers: the chicken, the Big Greenie salad, a low-intervention bottle. Walk-ins when possible; $20-per-guest fee inside three hours. Parties of 7–12 are family-style at $75 a head. This is the every-night neighbourhood pin — Monday with kids or Saturday birthday — not a tasting counter.

Read Full Review
Website
No.14
Grey Gardens Kensington seafood and wine room hero
Restaurant• Kensington Market

Grey Gardens

“Best Kensington wine night: oysters, pasta, a low-intervention bottle — book the counter.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Grey Gardens is Jen Agg's Kensington seafood-and-wine room: 199 Augusta Ave, pastel plaster, foliage mural, oysters and pasta, a list that leans low-intervention Old World and oddball. Official greygardens.ca does not post a hours grid; the OpenTable widget on the site lists Mon–Sat 5:00–10:00 p.m. Phone on file (647) 351-1552 — confirm before you go. Category stays Restaurant / Seafood / Wine Bar because that is still the accurate read. First-timers: oysters and a pasta, then a bottle the floor is excited about. Reservations via OpenTable; the room is intimate, so walk-ins are luck. Not a casual bottle-shop stool bar — dress the date night.

Read Full Review
Website
No.15
Buca Yorkville photography from buca.ca
Restaurant• Yorkville

Buca Yorkville

“Best Yorkville Italian hang: tableside branzino and Roman pizza when Giulia is booked out.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Buca Yorkville (Buca Osteria & Bar) is the polished Scollard Street outpost of Toronto's Buca family : housemade pastas, Roman-style pizza, and a seafood focus that includes whole branzino carved tableside. Enter through the Four Seasons courtyard off Yorkville Avenue. Executive chef Jorge Fiestas keeps the room elegant without freezing the fun. OpenTable dinner daily roughly 5-10 p.m.; phone (416) 962-2822. Order the branzino or a pasta special and lean on the Italian wine list. Confirm hours on buca.ca before you go. This is the sit-down Italian night when Giulia's 14-day window is already gone.

Read Full Review
Website
No.16
Maple Leaf Tavern photography from mapleleaftavern.ca
Restaurant• Leslieville

Maple Leaf Tavern

“Best east-end tavern: wood grill and house sausage on Gerrard, closed Monday–Tuesday.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Maple Leaf Tavern is the 1935 Gerrard-and-Pape room that came back in 2016 as a wood-grill North American tavern — 955 Gerrard Street East, Leslieville, house sausage, cocktails, a proper bar. Official mapleleaftavern.ca posts the address, (416) 465-0955, and Resy; it does not print a hours table. August 2026 listings: closed Monday–Tuesday; Wednesday–Friday 5:00–10:00 p.m.; Saturday 4:00–10:00 p.m.; Sunday 4:00–9:00 p.m. — confirm on Resy before you go. First-timers: something off the wood grill and a house sausage; the cheeseburger if you want the tavern version. This is the east-end sit-down pin the west-end lists keep forgetting. Brunch shows up on the official food pages; dinner is the Best Of argument.

Read Full Review
Website
No.17
Le Swan French diner photography from leswan.ca
Restaurant• Queen West

Le Swan

“Best French-diner night: steak frites on Queen West, daily 5–11, no tasting-menu window.”

— Very Toronto Editors

Le Swan is Jen Agg's Queen West French diner: 892 Queen Street West, deco light, steak frites next to meatloaf, fondue on the board, a room that wants you to have a nice time. Official leswan.ca: everyday 5:00–11:00 p.m., (416) 536-4440, info@leswan.ca, Instagram @leswanfrenchdiner. Chef James Santon; Jake Skakun on wine one night a week. First-timers: steak frites or chicken fried steak, a milkshake if you are leaning into the diner, oysters if Jake is shucking. No tasting-menu theatre. Book OpenTable; walk-ins work off-peak. This is the neighbourhood night when you do not want a 14-day window.

Read Full Review
WebsiteInstagram