The top 25 new restaurants in Toronto by neighbourhood

New restaurants in Toronto have been serving up some delectable eats this year. Whether it’s a casual restaurant that makes its meals family-style in the west end, or a fine dining establishment with a heavily curated tapas menu downtown, these new restaurants are carrying on the city’s legacy as a food haven.

Here are some new restaurants to check out in neighbourhoods across Toronto.

Annex

If you’re looking for a vibrant tapas place in this neighbourhood, Mezcalero is it. The Mexican restaurant takes pride in its modern takes on its dishes, like the Esquites, which are deconstructed Mexican street corn made with both yellow and white corn. There are also plenty of mezcal and tequila-based cocktails on the menu.

Baldwin Village

Yunnan Noodle Shack has private booths for people who want to enjoy their meals solo — a popular concept in Japan. It bills itself as Toronto’s first solitary dining restaurant. While dining solo, you can try noodle-based dishes like the Kun-Ming Style Traditional Noodle with Gravy that comes with tofu, pork, and meat croutons.

Bloorcourt

Known for its thoughtfully executed tapas and extensive sake list, Mhel offers a fusion of Korean and Japanese cuisine. It’s an ever-changing menu, as dishes are planned based on what’s available by the restaurant’s suppliers.

Cabbagetown

New Retro is located in the basement of Zakkushi and offers quite a hospitable experience with its Japanese eats. You can try the hearty oxtail stew that’s cooked in hatcho miso and red wine for five days. There’s also the dashi maki, which is essentially a silky rolled omelette with dashi.

Chinatown

Located in Dragon City Mall, Master Pot excels at Cantonese Claypot Rice, also known as Bao Zai Fan. There are about 17 types of claypot rice to choose from, in addition to Hong Kong-styled street foods.

Corktown

The Rosebud recently took over a storefront that was vacant for more than 10 years and the community could not be more excited. The same team that’s behind Mira Mira is creating French dishes with a flair of Asian and Mediterranean influences at this new restaurant.

Corso Italia

A large, two-floor restaurant with a golden temple Savor Thai creates elegant Thai dishes that are à la carte or part of a tasting menu. Iron Chef Prasopchok Trakulphat (who also goes by Chef Art) is behind these tasty meals, which include the massaman curry, tom kah soup, and lobster northern Thai yellow curry.

Entertainment District

Focused on coastal Mediterranean cuisine, Abrielle aims to be a restaurant that makes luxury dining more approachable. You can have bar eats like croquetas, lamb ribs, and whipped eggplant, or shell out some more money to try bone-in Berkshire porkchop, octopus tentacles, and sea bream.

Financial District

With its swanky interiors, Laylak shines in Lebanese cuisine and has an array of classic dishes with a few modern twists. Some notable dishes on the menu include freekeh with beef cheek and wild-caught branzino.

Kensington Market

A sister spot to its Geary location, Parallel Basta offers Middle Eastern eats like in-house flatbread that’s baked in a wood fire oven, smoked falafel sandwiches, fatoush salad bowls, and its classic hummus bowls.

King West

Wang Lang specializes in making vibrant Thai dishes that are packed with flavour. You can try the Yum Salmon — made out of salmon sashimi and zesty dressing — as well as the restaurant’s signature entree, the Tiew Ruer Wagyu, which is a family recipe that consists of potato noodles and wagyu slices in beef broth.

Little Italy

At DaNico, you’ll find contemporary Italian cuisine with a bit of Asian influence. This swanky restaurant offers both a tasting menu and à la carte dishes — including wagyu tenderloin paired with shishito peppers and squash, black cod that’s steamed and deglazed with miso, and micro tortellini stuffed with braised lamb.

Mount Pleasant

Chef and owner Takeshi Sato takes you on an intimate dining experience at Kappo Sato. Here, you can take part in a multi-course meal while Sato prepares them and explains the significance of each dish. The restaurant has limited seating, with an eight-person capacity.

North York

If you’re all about that cuisine crossover, Grandpa Thai is serving up meals that pay tribute to both Thai and Hong Kong dishes. You can feast on lemongrass fish and mini tom yum seafood hot pot, as well as fried chicken cutlets and sausages.

Oakwood Village

Porzia’s started out as a pandemic pop-up and now has a brick-and-mortar space to serve its iconic Italian food, including its massive lasagnas. The space only seats 26 people at a time, so be sure to make your reservation early.

Parkdale

Kaminari Ramen Bar is serving up hearty, creamy, Tokyo-style ramen to the fullest. Try the clear Tokyo Soy Ramen and the Creamy Shio Ramen, as well as side dishes like tuna tartare and chicken drumsticks.

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Queen West

The owners of 416 Snack Bar sure love their snacks — their new restaurant Short Turn is all about them. You can try shareable snacks like spicy tuna hand rolls, steak tartare, and shucked oysters at this retro streetcar-themed restaurant.

Regent Park

Zuzu is a new addition to Cafe Zuzu that offers Italian cuisine, including chewy pastas. Some notable dishes are the pappardelle, rigatoni, and the Chicken Milanese.

Roncesvalles Village

A family-style kind of restaurant, Konia whips up hearty Vietnamese appetizers and platters. You can try the beef salad, pochettes, and Konia’s Style Chicken Platter.

Scarborough

Michelin-recognized restaurant Koh Lipe just opened its second location in this neighbourhood. Similar to its original spot, this restaurant offers classic Thai dishes, like the green coconut curry and curry beef with plantain.

Ossington

Like the name suggests, CHILL Thai Restaurant and Bar aims to be a relaxing spot where you can unwind with some Thai-styled tapas. A fan favourite is the kua kling, which consists of chicken that’s marinated in a Thai curry paste and then paired with pad thai.

West Queen West

The owners of La Palma are whipping up old-school Italian dishes at their sister restaurant, Bar Prima. Some notable menu items include the lobster fra diavola, bluefin tuna crudo, and the tagliatelle bambina with white truffle.

Yonge & Bloor

The Bar Jokbal Night Market serves up scrumptious Korean food at this new location. Some fan favourites include the marinated pig trotters, Mala Rose tteokboki that’s made with Sichuan peppercorn, and the clam chowder croquettes.

Yorkville

MSSM is the newest place to try edomae-style sushi (a modern type of Japanese cuisine). The menu is curated by two-star Michelin chef Masaki Saito and changes depending on what’s available during the season. Currently, you can try various nigiri, like Shima Suzuki and Toro, as well as the Torotaku hand roll.