Toronto Life
After two years of takeout and home cooking, Toronto diners have been keen to splurge on prime cuts of beef, seafood towers and caviar, so much caviar. And this is all happening during a time when chicken breasts are going for $23 a kilogram and we’re price-matching at supermarket checkouts like it’s a bloodsport. The message, in short, is that if people choose to dine out, they’re going big (or they’re staying home).
And, while a Scarborough taco counter, a North York food hall vendor and a Tel Aviv–born fast-casual kitchen made the cut this year, most of the places on our list are for that special night out. There’s more than one French bistro, a two-person-minimum omakase spot and a restaurant that identifies as a palace. It’s a far cry from the sandwich, smash burger and pizza places that proliferated during the pandemic. Here, 20 restaurants where we’re more than happy to put our money where our mouths are.
The 2023 List
1 Prime Seafood Palace • 2 Kappo Sato • 3 Adrak • 4 Casa Paco • 5 Sunnys Chinese • 6 Dotty’s • 7 Yokai Izakaya • 8 Miss Likklemore’s • 9 Parquet • 10 Alder • 11 Curryish Tavern • 12 Inmigrante • 13 Taverne Tamblyn • 14 Simpl Things • 15 Miznon • 16 Bitter Melon • 17 Teta’s Kitchen • 18 Ramen Buta-Nibo • 19 Afrobeat Kitchen • 20 Vasan’s Tacos
JUNE 2023: WHERE TO EAT NOW
Toronto Life June issue shows the 20 restaurants listed above with all the enticing food pictures. You can subscribe to Toronto Life Subscribe today.