The top 10 new restaurants that opened in Toronto in 2017

Toronto’s dining scene is richer than ever as 2017 wraps up.

Among the most buzzed about and hype-worthy restaurant openings over the last year, these 10, ranging from Thai restaurants and upmarket brewpubs to French diners and food halls, are our top picks. AKA the must-tries that we can’t wait to eat at again and again.

Aloette

A follow-up to the highly acclaimed tasting-menu restaurant Alo, the French diner from Chef Patrick Kriss and GM Amanda Bradley is serving up east coast oysters alongside wedge salads, and beef tartare along with burgers. Best of all, it’s walk-ins only, so you need to wait months to get a table.

Address: 163 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
Phone: 416-260-3444

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Bacchanal

Tiered seafood towers, pork and duck liver pâté, and Moscovy duck breast paired with plums, parsnip and plump foie gras await you at this indulgent destination on Toronto’s west side.

Address: 60 Sudbury Street, Toronto
Phone: 416-586-1188

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Kiin

Vibrant dishes, bold flavours, and exotic ingredients imported straight from Thailand are what to expect from Nuit Regular’s pretty new restaurant on Adelaide Street West.

Address: 326 Adelaide Street West, Toronto
Phone: 647-490-5040

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La Banane

Chef Brandon Olsen’s French bistro replaced The Saint Tavern on Ossington at the onset of 2017 and has since had diners swooning over seafood towers, Eurobass en croûte, and one-of-a-kind desserts.

Address: 227 Ossington Avenue, Toronto
Phone: 416-551–6263

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Campo

By day, Campo Food Hall is a cafe, bakery, tapas bar, and marketplace, but by night, the space turns into Labora, a full-service Spanish restaurant dishing out prime rib cured and cut like Jamon Iberico, grilled octopus, patatas riojanas, and more.

Address: 433 King Street West, Toronto
Phone: 416-260-9993

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Copetín

Lobster ceviche, ricotta gnudi, and Thai curry sea scallops are among the highlights on the menu at Chef Claudio Aprile’s new King East restaurant, revamping the former address of Origin into a multi-faceted space featuring a dining room, lounge, and patio cantina.

Address: 107 King Street East, Toronto
Phone: 416-603-8009

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Grey Gardens

How does your garden grow? In Kensington Market, the wine bar from Black Hoof’s Jen Agg is flourishing. On the menu from chef Mitchell Bates (formerly Momofuku), a collection of small plates, snacks, noodles, and entrees including kabocha agnolotti with black bean and brown butter, and smoked beef cheek with brussel sprouts and sour cream.

Address: 199 Augusta Avenue, Toronto
Phone: 647-351-1552

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Lake Inez

At Robbie Hojilla’s new joint on Gerrard, the beer list is all-Ontario but the food menu is much broader. The menu features regional specialties from across Asia including Japanese-style devilled eggs, Filipino style BBQ pork skewers, and Malaysian-style roti.

Address: 1471 Gerrard Street East, Toronto
Phone: 416-792-1590

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Northern Maverick

Ultra-fresh beers in pints, flights, and to-go formats along with a killer menu from Chef Mark Cutrara make this new brewhouse a must. On the menu, snacks ranging from beer nuts and jerky to oxtail Jamaican patties and charcuterie boards, plus burgers, steaks, and more.

Address: 115 Bathurst Street, Toronto
Phone:  416-540-4030

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Skippa

Delicately crafted sashimi, sushi, yakimono, and yasai (vegetables) are available as ingredients are in season at this Japanese restaurant and sake bar in Toronto’s Harbord Village.

Address: 379 Harbord Street, Toronto
Phone: 416-535-8181

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Pinky’s Ca Phe

So Fly Rice, Pho Beef Dip You Dip I Dip, and backyard BBQ are what’s in store at this offshoot from the same folks behind Han Moto. The new spot in Little Italy specializes in Vietnamese style snack foods and cocktails!

Address: 53 Clinton Street, Toronto

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See also

• The RIP list: 39 Toronto restaurants that didn't make it through fall 2017
• 10 beloved Toronto institutions that shuttered in 2017
• 10 of Toronto's biggest restaurant flops in 2017