13 h. ago Here are some of Toronto's most exciting new patios for summer 2025

Patio season is perhaps the best season of all in Toronto, and these new patios are some of the best places to spend it.Whether you're sitting down for a feast or simply grabbing an after-work cocktail with the crew, everything tastes better in the open air, and, luckily for us, Toronto's food scene is full of perfect patios for every occasion.From luxe spots with waterfront views to colourful spots that will transport you around the globe, here are 10 of the best new patios in Toronto you need to visit this summer:Queen's HarbourThe mother of all waterfront restaurants in Toronto has officially opened its doors at 245 Queens Quay W., and it's secured a spot among the city's ultimate destinations for dining and drinking al fresco.Taking over a once long-vacant 23,000 sq. ft. warehouse smack dab in the middle of the action on Queens Quay, the new restaurant serves a blend of Mediterranean and Asian-inspired cuisines from several distinct dining areas, including a back area that featu...

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16 h. ago Team behind popular Toronto restaurant just opened a speakeasy next door

Hidden behind an unmarked door in Little Italy, Toronto’s new speakeasy-style bar is a surprisingly stylish new retreat.It hasn't even been a month since J's Steak Frites — the city's go-to spot for, you guessed it, steak frites — closed the doors of its original Queen West location permanently (don't worry, the College location is alive and well). Still, the team has already moved on to something completely new.Tucked away unassumingly in the same building as J's Steak Frites' Little Italy location, owners Jad Sfeir and Tara Tang have just launched Bitters & Bloom, a 1920s-inspired speakeasy serving up stylish cocktails and bar bites — a far cry from the one-item menu at J's.The sultry spot takes inspiration — as many speakeasy-style bars tend to do — from the jazz era, with dim lighting and rich, cozy interiors, but it’s not gimmicky. Instead, the space serves as a perfect backdrop for the sophisticat...

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17 h. ago One of Toronto's best rooftop patios has been shuttered for the whole summer

The unexpected closure of Bar Hop Brewco at the beginning of this year came as a huge blow to Toronto, with the restaurant's rooftop patio having served as one of the greatest not just in the Entertainment District, but in the entire city, for nearly a full decade.The expansive third-floor outdoor space and its views of downtown were a must-visit for locals during the warmer months, with dozens of different types of craft beers, pub-style grub, sunshine, and good vibes on tap.While the terrace was nearly always packed when open, business was apparently not good enough for the multi-level restaurant — which was the second location from Bar Hop and had more than 160 seats — to survive, especially post-COVID.Given that the closure happened all the way back in January, there was reasonable hope that the prime downtown space would end up occupied by a new venture come summer. The sales representative for the property...

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20 h. ago Toronto chef finds local inspiration for new French pizza venture

A Toronto restaurateur who made a name for himself with his French bistro is now pivoting to pizza, but French flavours won't be far away.When Ben Gundy, chef-owner at Taverne Tamblyn, decided to put an end to restaurant service at the Danforth East bistro in March of 2025, pizza wasn't necessarily at the top of his mind as a next move.At the time, amid mounting financial pressures and the already thin margins endemic to the restaurant industry, Ben's idea was to shift Taverne Tamblyn from a full-service restaurant to a prepared foods-centred business, where fans of the bistro's menu of French cuisine could pick up staples and eat them at home.He later began hosting a Friday night bistro series, where he'd serve up a rotating prix fixe menu out of the restaurant space weekly for those who simply could not live without Taverne Tamblyn in their lives. (We don't blame them.)While the business model overhaul was intended to provide financial relief, Ben quickly found that...

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64 h. ago The team behind Toronto's biggest celeb hot spot is opening a new restaurant

The people behind Toronto's always-popular Thai staple, Pai, are gearing up to open yet another restaurant in the city.Just months after opening their latest concept, Tha Phae Tavern — a playful, nightlife-inspired Thai restaurant — Chef Nuit and Jeff Regular, the unstoppable duo behind Pai, Khao San Road, and Kiin, are teaming up with Jeff's brother, Joel Regular, and preparing to open something entirely new in the city.Boasting Michelin recommendations for their Northern Thai cuisine at both Pai and Kiin, it would be all too easy for the team to rest on their laurels and stick with what they've already proven themselves to be good at — goodness knows the people of Toronto wouldn't stick their noses up at another Thai restaurant from the Regulars — but that's not what they're doing.Instead, while all of the team's past ventures have been odes to Chef Nuit's Thai background, their new venture, Makilala, will be an exploration of Jeff and J...

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5 d. ago Jimmy The Greek teams up with the Toronto Maple Leafs as the Official Greek Restaurant

New partnership kicked off July 1 with in-arena presence, and promo night. Toronto, July 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Jimmy The Greek, the country’s most recognized Greek quick-service restaurant, is excited to announce a multi-year partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Starting this upcoming 2025-26 season, Jimmy The Greek will become the Official Greek Restaurant […]

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6 d. ago Hidden gem noodle shop in Toronto closes and a Tim Hortons will replace it

A Toronto noodle restaurant popular in its neighbourhood has closed down permanently, and what's replacing it is so typical.In Toronto, we're lucky enough to have fantastic Chinese restaurants on seemingly every city block. Still, that doesn't mean that people aren't entitled to picking favourites.For Annex residents and folks who frequent the Bloor and Bathurst area alike, one such favourite was Szechuan Noodle Bowl, the only Toronto location of a three-restaurant chain specializing in Szechuan cuisine and noodle-based dishes. Go figure.Situated directly at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst, steps away from Bathurst subway station, the restaurant has been a hub for those searching for a steaming bowl of hand-pulled noodles priced at $15 or less.Their Dan Dan Noodles, might we add, are out of this world.Nowadays, though, Torontonians will have to travel to the chain's other locations in Mississauga or, if you're in the mood for a road trip, Hamilton, to get their fill,...

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6 d. ago Toronto woman opens new Portuguese restaurant with roots that go back decades

A brand-new Portuguese restaurant that’s opening very soon in Toronto is a whole lot more than just a pretty face.Paris Paris co-owner and Toronto native Kelly Amaral has known she wanted to open a Portuguese restaurant on Dundas West (the area known to many as Little Portugal) for years now, but the story behind Taberna Lx, the soon-to-open culmination of those dreams, actually starts before Kelly herself had even been born.Back in the 1950s, her father, born on Pico in the Azores, was among the first wave of Portuguese newcomers to arrive in Toronto. Shortly thereafter, her mother followed and, come the 1960s, they opened the first Portuguese business in what would later become known as Little Portugal."It was traditionally Ukrainian, Polish and Jewish, and [my parents] opened up a full-service supermarket with a full butcher shop… and then there was a full fish counter," Kelly tells us. Both the butcher and the fishmonger, on top of everyone who worked at t...

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7 d. ago Toronto Italian joint closes permanently for owners to start something else

An Italian restaurant in Toronto has closed down permanently as its whole team moves on to pursue a new project.The city has been wracked with restaurant closures lately, it seems. From 20-year-old Italian mainstay Vivoli to beloved Leslieville sandwich shop Leslieville Pumps, it feels like nothing is immune to the winds of change anymore.One of the latest Toronto restaurants to shutter is the Junction Triangle's Lucia, an Italian joint that kept the community fed with its fill of $25 weekday lunch prix fixe menus and indulgent standalone dishes like mozzarella-stuffed gnocchi and Nutella tiramisu for the better part of six years.Before Lucia, the team was behind the now also-closed Local Kitchen & Wine Bar, which, not unlike its sister restaurant, served a menu created with locally grown produce and ethically sourced ingredients served with a signature Italian flair.As of June 27, though, Lucia has officially gone the way of its forebear, as t...

Culture

8 d. ago Jesse Eisenberg leaves staff at a Toronto restaurant totally starstruck

The staff at one Toronto restaurant were shocked this week when they got a surprise visit from Oscar-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg.Though the actor is well-known for his Oscar-nominated performance in 2010's The Social Network, as well as more recent successes like A Real Pain (2024), for which he received an Oscar nomination for best screenplay, it appears as though Eisenberg isn't afraid to hit the streets of whatever city he's in and explore the local food scene.At least, that appears to be the case for him when he's in Toronto, as the actor recently made a surprise visit to West Queen West's Curryish Tavern, leaving the restaurant's owner and staff starstruck.Widely recognized as being among the best Indian restaurants in the city, it might come as no surprise that the stars would opt to spend their hard-earned days off there — but for owner Miheer Shete, it most certainly did.Miheer tells us that, prior to Eisenberg's appearance at the restau...

Transport

8 d. ago Toronto Italian restaurant shuts down after two decades in business

An Italian restaurant in Toronto that was a cornerstone of its neighbourhood has officially closed down after two decades in business.It should come as no surprise that, in Toronto's Little Italy neighbourhood, there's no shortage of Italian restaurants and businesses. That said, there are fewer today than there once were, when the neighbourhood was a magnet for waves of Italian newcomers eager to make their mark on Toronto.Just look at this year's Taste of Little Italy — if scores of attendees are to be believed, there was nary a cannoli or tortellini in sight.Even though the neighbourhood's concentration of Italian businesses has been on the downturn, a handful of long-standing businesses have managed to stick around while groovy fusion spots and farm-to-table concepts fill in the gaps between them. We're talking about places like Sotto Voce, San Francesco Foods, and Riviera Bakery, the kind of places you wouldn't be afraid to drag your Nonna to.Thoug...

Economics

1 week ago Upcoming Toronto festival will have more than 250 varieties of taco

There's a massive taco festival coming to Toronto this summer, and 45 different restaurants in Toronto are getting in on the fun.Summertime in Toronto is to tacos as winter is to the Distillery District Winter Village, which is to say that it just wouldn't be the same without it, so it's only fitting that the summer should be flooded with a variety of taco-based events to celebrate.Perhaps the biggest of the entire season is Taco Fest, which is set to return to Toronto for its ninth year this August.Whether you're a birria, pollo or carnitas fanatic, this festival has most certainly got you covered, featuring 45 Toronto restaurants that, combined, will be offering over 250 different varieties of the Mexican street food staple.While the entire food lineup of the festival has yet to be revealed, the early teasers already suggest that it's going to be a muy caliente event, indeed, with local staples like Placos Tacos, Birria Catrin...

Culture

1 week ago Toronto's restaurant in a gas station shuts down after 15 years

A longstanding barbecue restaurant in Toronto has closed after 15 years, and a new business is already set to move in.It's official: 2025 has seen Leslieville's food scene enter a state of complete flux. While beloved institutions like Ascari Enoteca, Greta Solomon's and Samaira's Kitchen — not to mention the century-old Reliable Fish & Chips in late 2024 — have gracefully bowed out of the neighbourhood, a flurry of new eateries have opened up shop.While Ascari and Samaira's usurpers have yet to make themselves known, the old Greta Solomon space is now home to Bar Mini, a chic snack and cocktail bar appealing to the neighbourhood's burgeoning young-and-hip population, and Reliable Fish & Chips has been replaced by a sister location of Dovercourt Village staple Masa Deli.All of this is to say that, as painful as the loss of longstanding local staples can be, with the businesses that have recently moved in, Leslieville just so happens to be ...

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1 week ago Upcoming Toronto festival will have more than 250 varieties of tacos

There's a massive taco festival coming to Toronto this summer, and 45 different restaurants in Toronto are getting in on the fun.Summertime in Toronto is to tacos as winter is to the Distillery District Winter Village, which is to say that it just wouldn't be the same without it, so it's only fitting that the summer should be flooded with a variety of taco-based events to celebrate.Perhaps the biggest of the entire season is Taco Fest, which is set to return to Toronto for its ninth year this August.Whether you're a birria, pollo or carnitas fanatic, this festival has most certainly got you covered, featuring 45 Toronto restaurants that, combined, will be offering over 250 different varieties of the Mexican street food staple.While the entire food lineup of the festival has yet to be revealed, the early teasers already suggest that it's going to be a muy caliente event, indeed, with local staples like Placos Tacos, Birria Catrin...

Culture

1 week ago Toronto's restaurant that started in a gas station shuts down after 15 years

A longstanding barbecue restaurant in Toronto has closed after 15 years, and a new business is already set to move in.It's official: 2025 has seen Leslieville's food scene enter a state of complete flux. While beloved institutions like Ascari Enoteca, Greta Solomon's and Samaira's Kitchen — not to mention the century-old Reliable Fish & Chips in late 2024 — have gracefully bowed out of the neighbourhood, a flurry of new eateries have opened up shop.While Ascari and Samaira's usurpers have yet to make themselves known, the old Greta Solomon space is now home to Bar Mini, a chic snack and cocktail bar appealing to the neighbourhood's burgeoning young-and-hip population, and Reliable Fish & Chips has been replaced by a sister location of Dovercourt Village staple Masa Deli.All of this is to say that, as painful as the loss of longstanding local staples can be, with the businesses that have recently moved in, Leslieville just so happens to be ...

Culture

1 week ago Toronto staple known for its steak frites is closing for good

A Toronto restaurant that has become a local hot spot just announced that it’ll be shutting down its original location later this month.When it comes to steak in Toronto, and steak frites more specifically, there's a nearly infinite number of options in the city where folks can get their fix, from Ossington's Cote de Boeuf to Jules Bistro in Leslieville.One restaurant, though, is devoted solely and entirely to the dish, and there's always something to be said for doing one thing really, really well.Ever since 2022, West Queen West's J's Steak Frites has cemented a spot on the city's culinary scene by serving nothing other than a set menu of salad, steak and unlimited fries, and, since day one, the city has been hooked.The concept proved so popular, in fact, that J's Steak Frites expanded to a second Little Italy location in July of 2024, which immediately drew just as large of a crowd as the original — if not...

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1 week ago Shuttered Toronto Mexican spot reopens in new location with beer garden

A Toronto restaurant from one of the city’s most well-regarded chefs has just been replaced with a new Mexican restaurant and beer garden.It was the closure heard around the city when renowned Toronto chef, Anthony Rose, decided to close the doors on Fet Zun, the quasi-sister location to Toronto's much-loved Fat Pasha.Okay, maybe it wasn't quite that big of a deal, but it still came as a shock to the scores of Annex locals who frequented the restaurant.Boasting a massive indoor footprint, as well as ample backyard space (which housed Madame Boeuf and Flea, its burger pop-up) and a spacious front patio, the restaurant, despite being open year-round, was particularly a summertime staple.Lingering dormant since Fet Zun's closure in December of 2024, the question loomed large as to what would replace it for months. What could possibly be worthy of the prized piece of Dupont real estate?Now, we finally have an answer.As of June 27, Fet Zun's old locat...

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2 w. ago Viral Toronto pizza spot honoured as one of the best in the world

A Toronto pizza restaurant was just ranked as one of the best in the world, making it one of just two Canadian restaurants to earn the distinction.Sure, Naples and Rome might get all the glory when it comes to pizza — heck, even New York City, Chicago and Detroit get plenty of recognition — but, for its part, Toronto all too often tends to fly under the radar. It shouldn't be that way, but that's the way it is.As the third annual Best Pizza Awards took over Milan on June 25, though, pizzerias, from around the world got the chance to put their pies centre stage and earn some well-deserved credit for their renditions of the Italian staple.It should come as no surprise to those in the know about the city's sublime pizza scene that one Toronto pizzeria actually did end up ranking among the world's top 100 pizza restaurants at the 2025 awards.Coming as even less of a surprise, the sole Toronto pizzeria to make it on the ranking was none oth...

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2 w. ago You can get $15 lunches from some of Toronto's hottest restaurants all summer

One of Toronto's most popular tourist destinations is launching a new weekly deal that will allow visitors to eat lunch for $15 or less.It's no secret that, across Canada, most of us are trying our best to pinch some pennies amid soaring food prices and general global uncertainty. It’s the responsible — if not necessary—thing to do, but let's face it, when you’re trying to save some coin, it’s often great food that gets the axe first.The people behind Stackt Market, North America's largest shipping container shopping centre and one of the city's hottest summertime destinations, are all too aware of the financial strain many Toronto residents and visitors are facing today, so they’re launching a new initiative that allows you to grab lunch from some of the city’s tastiest eateries for $15 or less.Taking place every Wednesday from July 2 through Sept. 17, Lunch & Local is a new event series that, on top of offering majo...

Economics

2 w. ago Toronto's hot dog scene is booming with multiple new frankfurter

Hot dog restaurants are popping up all over Toronto, and the people behind them believe it's time the treats got some time in the limelight.What could be a more quintessential summertime snack than a hot dog? From Loonie Tuesdays at Blue Jays Games to old reliable street meat vendors ready to refill your tank after a night out, there's no denying that a perfectly charred tube of mystery meat just hits the spot.Lately, though, the Toronto hot dog scene has been undergoing a glow-up of sorts, pushing the staples out from the city's most casual corners and into the spotlight, as hot dog-forward restaurants and concepts have begun to pop up like mushrooms.Within the past two months, no fewer than three hot dog-centric concepts have planted their roots in Toronto, and, as most good things tend to do, they're likely to continue multiplying as the hype builds.For Rafael Bastidas and Valerie Gil, the husband-and-wife team behind Tino’s in The Junction, w...

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