The HIT list: 10 of Toronto’s hottest restaurants to check out this summer
New restaurants, new menus, new chefs. The hottest restaurants in Toronto this summer are absolutely off the charts.
Add this bumper crop of bistros, cafes, and commissary to your to-do list.
Café Cancan
In Harbord Village, this new bistro from Victory Barry, Brendan Piunno, and Nikki Leigh Mckean has opened with a dinner menu rich with foie gras, chilled seafood, and other French standards. Brunch, lunch, and cafe menus are set to launch in the coming weeks.
Address: 88 Harbord Street, Toronto
Phone: 647-341-3100
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Drake Commissary
A workhorse among show ponies, this Drake property sells scratch-made foods wholesale to Toronto restaurants, while also offering the same products (bread, charcuterie, etc.) to the masses. To eat onsite, affordable menus for brunch, lunch, and dinner (launching soon), grab and go sandwiches, sweets, pizza, and more.
Address: 128 Sterling Road, Toronto
Phone: 416-432-2922
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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 Palma
A bakery and all-day dining destination from the folks behind Campagnolo. This new spot on Dundas West is serving up oven roasted ratatouille, chorizo meatballs, and a 100 Layer Lasagna.
Address: 849 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Phone: 416-368-4567
AF1 Caribbean Canteen
The chef behind The Dirty Bird opened this College Street canteen this spring and is serving up incredible Caribbean eats in a fun environment (avec patio!). On the menu, oxtail braised in sherry and beef stock, wood-smoked jerk pork, garlic lobster, and peppered prawns.
Address: 596 College Street, Toronto
Phone: 647-340-3924
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Dailo
New additions to the menu including seasonal soft shell crab specials, and pea dumplings finished with bone marrow, shimeji mushrooms, and summer truffles are very much worth a revisit to Nick Liu’s modern Chinese restaurant on College Street.
Address: 503 College Street, Toronto
Phone: 647-341-8882
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Madame Boeuf
Burgers and fries, cold beers, backyard vibes, transient flea market hawkers… it’s worth finding this hidden patio behind Anthony Rose’s Bar Begonia on Dupont Street.
Address: 252 Dupont Street, Toronto
Phone: 647-352-3337
NishDish
Discover traditional Anishnawbe (Nish) food Toronto’s new Bloor Street marketeria. The menu changes daily but has been known to include dishes like hominy corn soup, roasted elk with cranberry coulis, and pumpkin ‘frybread’ muffins.
Address: 690 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Phone: 416-855-4085
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Ufficio
On Dundas West, Toronto’s Italian pescatarian restaurant has undergone a noteworthy personnel change in the kitchen. Ivana Raca has come on as a partner and chef to introduce dishes like swordfish crudo, turmeric tortelli, and grilled octopus with cannellini ragu.
Address: 1214 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Phone: 416-535-8888
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Uncle Smoke
With summer officially here it’s BBQ season! Check out Toronto’s newest smokehouse this season to sink your teeth into pork back ribs, wings, brisket, sandwiches and an array of sides including barbecue baked beans, mac and cheese, corn salad, skillet breads, and more.
Address: 2285 Dundas Street West, Toronto,
Phone: 416-901-3663
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