43 h. ago Here's what replaced Toronto fine dining restaurant that closed in under a year

A fine dining restaurant in Toronto has closed its doors after less than a year, and it's already been replaced.Sigh. We know that not everything's built to last, but we had a good feeling about short-lived farm-to-table restaurant The Lost Land.A collaboration between Larry Feldmeier, chef de cuisine at Chicago's Oriole, a two-Michelin-star force, Pidapipo Gelato owner Edison Xue, and chef Cesar Karanapakorn of Judaline and Florette, the restaurant came with some serious promise.Still, it opened quietly to mixed reviews before, just months later, shuttering just as quietly as it arrived.It's not all bad news, though, because, just as swiftly as The Lost Land came and went, it's already been replaced, and its usurper looks just as promising.Now, the space at 146 Yonge St. is home to Bar Filo, a stylish Italian cocktail bar and restaurant, which opened its doors at the beginning of September.The name Filo, the Bar Filo team told ...

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66 h. ago Iconic French bistro in Toronto is expanding with a spinoff location

The team behind one of Toronto's most popular French bistros is about to open a new spot in a completely different neighbourhood.Ossington Avenue's Côte De Boeuf is frequently (and accurately) described as a piece of Paris transplanted onto the streets of Toronto.Unpretentious though undeniably luscious, it's been a staple on the Ossington strip for over a decade, founded by Midas touch-wielding Toronto restaurateur Teo Paul, who is also behind staples like Union and Hamilton's Le Tambour.It's the sort of place that earns a spot at the top of everyone's must-try list, not for its Instagram-worthy interiors (though we'd argue it has those too) or influencer endorsements, but for the simple brilliance of its food.For nearly as long as Côte De Boeuf has existed, it’' been managed by Eamon O'Dea.Now, O'Dea and Paul are teaming up to bring the Côte De Boeuf experience to a brand-new ne...

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3 d. ago Top Toronto pitmasters launching new barbecue restaurant this weekend

There's a new barbecue restaurant opening in Toronto this weekend, and it's helmed by two of the city's top pitmasters.When two of the top Toronto talents on the local barbecue scene join forces, there's bound to be some smoke. The type of smoke that renders brisket juicy and makes ribs fall off the bone, that is.That's exactly what's going down at the intersection of Dupont and Christie as Golden Horseshoe BBQ, the lovechild of 24-year-old barbecue savant Andrew Golden and Carbon Bar Executive Chef Kris Hansen.The pair are setting up shop in the former home of an oft-bemoaned Popeye's location in a historic building in The Annex, transforming it into a semi-quick-service spot with a collection of enormous smokers in the parking lot.A Depression-era bank building that has since been home to a revolving door of various concepts, the space, paired with the team of Golden, who made his name running pop-ups at local breweries, and Hansen, ...

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4 d. ago Toronto restaurant suddenly shuts down after over 30 years in business

A Toronto restaurant that was a neighbourhood staple for over 30 years has abruptly closed down permanently.East York may not have the same sheen as more buzzworthy neighbourhoods like Little Italy or Ossington, but that doesn't mean it's without its fair share of great restaurants.You just have to get good at looking beyond the often less-polished covers of non-downtown restaurants.Since 1992, one such hidden gem has been O'Connor Drive's Jawny Bakers Restaurant.A family-run operation through and through, the restaurant was just the sort of casual, neighbourhood institution that all too easily flies under the radar of those living elsewhere in the city.Sure, the menu was nothing terribly out-of-the-box, lots of steaks, sandwiches, pub staples and cheesy appetizers, but the restaurant itself became a home base of sorts for the neighbourhood nonetheless.Not only that, but it boasted one of the most breathtaking patios in the area, fully covered and heated with a ...

Economics

4 d. ago Chef left one of Toronto's top restaurants to start his own place and it opens soon

A Toronto chef who cut his teeth at one of the city's Michelin-recommended restaurants is finally breaking out on his own later this month.It's been nine months since a devastating fire forced Vela, a celebrated eclectic restaurant with an affinity for Asian flair, to close its doors, and there's still little word on when it'll make its comeback.While such a roadblock could easily be enough to thrust even the most time-hardened of chefs into despair, for Vela's then-executive chef and partner, Marvin Palomo, it marked a new beginning.No, we won't use a phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes analogy here, but if ever there were a time for it, it would be now.Palomo told us that after the fire at Vela, the opportunity to open a restaurant of his own presented itself, and he immediately "jumped at it."Now, Palomo's next chapter is nearly ready to open. It's called Liliana, and it's due to be a perfect nexus of all his career experience thu...

Culture

4 d. ago Famous Toronto chef opens latest restaurant in iconic building

A prolific Toronto chef and restaurateur is breathing new life into a historic building with his latest venture, which just opened its doors.The Financial District just got a whole lot tastier. And no, for once, that doesn't mean that another steakhouse just joined the neighbourhood.Rather, it's The Frederick, the latest venture by visionary Toronto chef Cory Vitiello, that's causing all the buzz, and despite its sister, The Chase, resting a few floors above The Frederick, there's nothing stuffy about it.Vitiello has a storied history on Toronto's food scene, from serving as the chef at the once-cherished Harbord Room to later acquiring The Chase and establishing The Chase Restaurant Group.Now, he's got something entirely new up his sleeve.Revitalizing the historic Dineen building, The Frederick is a reimagination of the classic bar and grill concept with rich colours, polished finishes and a timeless energy that translates directly from its interio...

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5 d. ago Here are the Toronto hot spots celebrities have been spotted at during TIFF 2025

TIFF 2025 hit the streets of Toronto with a bang this weekend, and here are the restaurants that the stars have been flocking to.Parties, press junkets and fly-by spottings have been the name of the game for Toronto since the Toronto International Film Festival's 50th anniversary season officially kicked off on Thursday, Sept. 4.While most folks are more focused on what the stars are doing on the silver screen, we want to know where they're eating, and we're sure we're not the only ones.That's why we've compiled a list of the Toronto bars and restaurants that have proven most popular among this year's crop of A-listers so far this season, so that you, too, can eat and drink like you just walked the red carpet.VinnyThe TIFF Lightbox might be the official heart of the film festival, but if we could name a second runner-up, it would be Vinny, the recently opened vinyl bar at 480 King St. W.One of the latest in Toronto hospitality super group INK En...

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5 d. ago Team behind hidden pierogi place in Toronto just opened a new restaurant

The team behind some of Toronto's best (albeit most secretive) pierogis just opened a new restaurant paying homage to Ukrainian cuisine.Churches, they're not just for church anymore. That's the standing belief at Heavenly Perogy, Toronto's not-so-secret pierogi restaurant, hidden in the basement of Little Italy's St. Volodymyr Cathedral.Founded in 2019 by Ukrainian Tanya Matkivska, who moved to Toronto in 2004, Heavenly Perogy has quickly become one of Toronto's favourite hidden gems, though the now-ample signage and undeniable street cred may have revoked its hidden status by now.Hidden or not, through Heavenly Perogy, Matkivska has become a culinary figurehead of the city's Ukrainian community.Now, Matkivska has turned her attention to a brand-new venture that pays respect to Ukrainian cuisine in a whole new way.Hoyra Gastrobar, Matkivska's new restaurant, officially opened its doors to the public about a month ago, in early August, and has alr...

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8 d. ago U.K. trend of loaded baked potatoes has crossed the pond to Toronto

A new restaurant in Toronto puts spuds on centre stage, serving up loaded baked potatoes with a range of international inspirations.If you're as chronically online as we are, there's no way you've missed them: steaming baked potatoes served out of a truck piled high with baked beans, cheese, and whatever other stereotypically British fixings one could dream up.English Jacket Potatoes have been making their rounds on social media for ages now, and loaded baked potatoes can be found on various pub and steakhouse menus across the city. But Toronto has, by and large, been devoid of restaurants that put potatoes in the spotlight.Until now, thanks to the good people behind Yonge Street’s new "creative potato" restaurant, Spotato.Located north of Yonge and Eglinton in a space that formerly housed Japanese pancake joint Fluffy Fluffy, Spotato stretches the concept of loaded baked potatoes far beyond its U.K. roots.Here, you'll be able to find p...

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8 d. ago Wildly popular Toronto BBQ restaurant opens new sandwich and salad concept

One of the city's most celebrated barbecue restaurants has branched out with a new concept, but don't worry: there’s still plenty of brisket.Toronto restaurateur extraordinaire Yannick Bigourdan, the man behind The Carbon Bar, Lucie and Amano, among many more, has once again put his Midas touch on the city's culinary scene. But his latest project is unlike anything he's done before.Meet The Carbon Snack Bar. Think of it like The Carbon Bar's yuppie, spin class-attending little sister. We mean that in the most complimentary way possible.Having officially opened its doors on Aug. 21, The Carbon Snack Bar takes over the historic building at the northwest corner of King West and Spadina, formerly home to Quantum Coffee.Here, Bigourdan and his team serve up a diverse selection of sandwiches, salads, pastries, beverages and coffee, designed to appeal to the hustling-bustling King West crowd, a divergence from the sumptuous sit-down experi...

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9 d. ago Legendary Caribbean restaurant in Toronto suddenly shuts down

A location of the city's most famous Caribbean restaurants has suddenly closed, while the future of another hangs in the balance.Toronto is, rightfully, crazy about our Caribbean cuisine. So much so that no small number of institutions serving island eats have risen to legendary status in the city.Few come close, however, to the level of iconicity enjoyed by Leslieville's The Real Jerk for the better part of the past four decades.Sure, it likely has its celebrity fans to thank for a large part of its notability, but, at the same time, its jerk chicken is some of the best in the city. Both things can be true.Open since 1984, the restaurant has had its fair share of expansion efforts and moves over the years. In 2012, it moved from its Riverside home at the corner of Queen and Broadview (now Duke's Refresher) to its current flagship in Leslieville at Gerrard and Carlaw.A few years later, a somewhat short-lived location in the Upper Beaches landed o...

Transport

1 week ago Dua Lipa casually pops in to dine at Ontario restaurant and staff were shocked

The owners at an Ontario restaurant were levitating with excitement after pop star Dua Lipa visited for lunch during a tour stop in Toronto.Toronto is riddled with celebrity hot spots; those places that simply don't surprise you when so-and-so A-lister swings by for a bite to eat. Heck, we even put together a whole list of them.There's something extra special, then, when the stars grace decidedly less sceney spots with their presence, and that's exactly what happened for Unionville Mediterranean restaurant, Watercolour, on Tuesday, Sept. 2.You heard that right, not only was Lipa spotted dining among the normal folk at a local restaurant, but she even ventured beyond Toronto city limits to do so.On a break between two lively nights at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena, Lipa ventured out to do a little sightseeing of her own, which, evidently, included delving into the area's culinary scene at the chic GTA fine dining restaurant.A representative f...

Sport

1 week ago These 9 Toronto restaurants opened this summer and are worth the hype

Toronto welcomed a slew of new restaurants during the summer of 2025, and here are just a few that you need to visit.We get it: the summer is busy, so we'll give you a pass if you haven't gotten the chance to get out there and try out the fresh crop of new restaurants that have opened in the city between the months of June and August.That said, a lot of the new restaurants that have opened in Toronto this season are good. Really good. So, take our advice and make the reservation.Here are nine restaurants that opened in Toronto this summer you need to try at least once.Antylia    View this post on Instagram           A post shared by Aldo Camarena (@aldo.camarena.jimenez)Officially opening its doors in early August, this Latin-American Bloorcourt restaurant quickly earned a reputation for being among the best new restaurants in the city, and there's good reason for that.It's the brainchild of h...

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2 w. ago Future of bustling Toronto nightlife spot in question after address listed for sale

A Toronto Italian restaurant that's become a popular nightlife hotspot is going up for sale. Is it time for the city to say goodbye?If you've gone out on King West any time within the past three years, there’s a good chance that you ended up at (or in line to enter) Pizza Wine Disco.Over its short, three-year tenure, the Italian restaurant that transforms into a lively bar after dark has become a staple on the scene, packed to the rafters weekend after weekend with pizza-fuelled party people.Sure, its clientele seems a little more eager to lean into the "disco" aspect of its offerings, but Pizza Wine Disco also operates as a full-service restaurant with an enthusiastic fan base in its own right.Being the juggernaut of the Toronto nightlife scene, it is, not to mention one backed by Liberty Entertainment Group (LEG), the hospitality group behind the likes of DaNico, Don Alfonso 1890 and Paris Texas, it came as a shock wh...

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2 w. ago Here are some of Toronto's top restaurants for stellar patio views

Anyone can throw together some aesthetically pleasing interiors, but at these Toronto restaurants, it's all about the great view outside.There's no shortage of dazzling rooftop bars and restaurants in the city that'll give you breathtaking views of the city (some of which even made their way onto this list), but you don't always have to look skyward to get some stunning views with your supper.From luxurious lakeside eateries to hidden gems in High Park, here's our list of 10 restaurants in Toronto that come served with a side of stunning views.Toronto Island BBQ & Beer Co.Where better to admire views of the city than off the mainland? This barbecue restaurant and bar at 120 Centre Island Dock boasts an expansive patio that overlooks the lake, offering an unparalleled view of the city skyline.Pro tip: They're only open in the summer, so get a move on if you want to check it out before the season ends.The Rooftop at the Broadview HotelThis ultra-popula...

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2 w. ago Hot pot chain known for dancing noodle staff opens new concept in Toronto

One of the world's longest-running and leading hot pot restaurant chains has just opened a brand-new concept in downtown Toronto.When it comes to hot pot in Toronto (and around the world, for that matter), the name Haidilao is as synonymous with the stuff as you can get.Home of the infamous Dancing Noodles, which arrive at your table by way of dancing servers, the chain — founded in Jianyang, China, back in 1994 — has since grown its footprint to include over 2,000 locations worldwide, including a handful in the GTA.As of Saturday, Aug. 23, Haidilao's Toronto fleet also includes something entirely new.The chain has officially launched a brand-new self-serve hot pot concept (a la Big Way Hot Pot, which is due to open a location in downtown Toronto soon) called Hi Bowl Malatang.Where, at Hai Di Lao, you order your food the old-fashioned way by telling your servers what you want and having it delivered to your table, Hi Bowl allows...

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2 w. ago Toronto getting new restaurant that puts a luxury spin on Korean comfort food

A new Korean restaurant is opening in Toronto this fall, putting comfort food and swanky experiences all under one roof.Sure, Toronto is already home to what seems like an infinite number of Korean restaurants, but being something of a set of Korean cuisine connoisseurs ourselves, we always get a little thrill when we know there's a new one on the horizon we'll soon get to try.This fall, the newest to enter the scene will be NOPO Korean Bistro, a brand-new venture from seasoned Toronto chef Gabriel Jeon.For his part, Jeon has a storied history spanning 15 years on the Canadian culinary scene, including a stint as a sous chef at an Italian restaurant, but a decade of his experience has been dedicated to perfecting the art of Korean cuisine.This fall, he's finally getting the chance to put all he's learned in the spotlight with his very own restaurant.Jeon will be joined by a crew of five talented chefs, all well-versed in both Western and Korean cuisines and toge...

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2 w. ago First North American location of viral Taiwanese bakery just opened in Toronto

A famous Taiwanese dessert restaurant that specializes in a singular dish has landed in Toronto, marking its first North American location.Fans of Taiwan-style wheel cakes, rejoice: one of the country's most popular chains specializing in the dessert just opened its first-ever location in North America, and it's right here in Toronto.Wheel cakes, also known as wheel pies, are a wildly popular Taiwanese dessert that has been gaining notoriety around the world thanks to their distinct appearance and versatility when it comes to flavoured fillings.There are hundreds of vendors out there who serve them, but if you ask the most tried-and-true wheel cake fans, they'll tell you that Taiwan's Misterwheel is among the best. Now, Toronto residents have the chance to judge that for themselves.If this is the first time you’ve ever heard of wheel cakes, here's what you need to know: the cakes are made from a batter, similar to pancake batter, cooked insid...

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2 w. ago Viral Toronto sandwich spot expanding beyond the city with first 905 location

A family-run restaurant that has exploded into one of Toronto's top sandwich spots over the course of just a few years is expanding with a new location — its first outside the city's bounds.Grandma Loves You has been at the forefront of the recent loaded sub wave, leading the pack when it comes to adding some serious layers of gourmet to a game that was, for too many years, dominated by chains like Subway and Mr. Sub.Its hot dogs and foot-long submarine sandwiches, which come in both hot and cold varieties ranging from veggie-laden cold cut to sauce-doused meatball, have garnered it a large following both on the ground and on social media, where it boasts more than 56,000 fans.And, any of those devotees who are located outside of Toronto proper (and who thus have to trek into the city for their fix) are in for a big treat, as the newest outpost of the shop is getting ready to open in the 'burbs.Owners announced...

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2 w. ago Toronto Mexican restaurant is opening a second location just for its tacos

A Toronto restaurant for Mexican-style fine dining is expanding with a new location, but this time, it’s all about the street food.It hasn't even been two years since Mexhico Foods landed with a splash in Baldwin Village in the winter of 2024, but the team behind the fine dining Mexican restaurant already find themselves antsy to try something new.That doesn't mean that they're giving up on Mexhico, though. Instead, they're gearing up to open a brand-new concept called La Taqueria by Mexhico in Chinatown, just one neighbourhood over from their auspicious flagship.Ever since opening its doors in February of 2024, Mexhico has continued to grow its street cred the best way any of us know how: with food. At Mexhico, it's with contemporary takes on traditional Mexican flavours, always plated to the nines.At La Taqueria, though, the team plans to take on a more relaxed — though no less delicious– approach."Mexhico Restaurant offers auth...

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