Toronto is well known for its international flavor. Restaurant recommendations from the locals are listed at the top of this page. Please see the bottom of the page for local attractions.
Restaurant Recommendations
Asian
- Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot – All You Can Eat hot pot dining, great for groups.
- Asian Legend – Northern chinese cuisine, great quality and variety.
- GB Hand-Pulled Noodles – Like the name says, you can watch them make the noodles that they serve you.
- Sansotei Ramen – High-quality ramen joint. Try the black tonkotsu bowl!
- Swatow – Mainstay Cantonese restaurant, open super late!
- Rol San – The area’s most popular dim sum restaurant.
- Rolltation – Customizable sushi burritos and poke bowls
- Mihito Sushi Laboratory – More customizable sushi and poke bowls!
- Omai – Higher- end Japanese hand rolls and other dishes.
- KAKA Izakaya – All You Can Eat sushi, with good quality and great selection.
- Pho Hung – Tried and true Vietnamese food (excellent pho & vermicelli)
- Banh Mi Ba Le – Excellent Vietnames sandwiches, quick and cheap and tasty.
- Bangkok Garden – Authentic Thai restaurant that’s been around forever.
Canadian
- Bannock – Canadian comfort food (much more affordable than others on this list)
- Canis – Very cool examples of Canadiana in tasty dishes.
- Osgoode Hall Restaurant – Eat where the law school professors eat!
- Edulis – Cross-country ingredients and cuisine, pricey but worth it. Need to get reservations early!
- Woodlot – Canadian comfort food made from local ingredients.
- Canoe – Top floor of TD towers, also pricey but great for treating somebody special.
- Richmond Station – A bit pricey too, but totally worth it. Get the tasting menu, if you can.
Fusion
- R&D Restaurant – Asian fusion cuisine, run by Master Chef Canada winner Eric Chong.
- Los Vietnamita Taqueria – Vietnamese tacos. You have to try it to believe it.
Latin American
- Seven Lives Tacos Y Mariscos – Tiny but delicious taqueria in Kensington Market.
- Taqueria Gus – Another delicious taqueria in Kensington Market.
- Latin Taste – Tiny hole-in-the-wall with delicious Peruvian offerings
Casual Eats
- Big Trouble Pizza – Tasty pizza, with some unusual flavour options.
- Bacon Nation – Everything on the menu has bacon in it!
- Hemispheres – The restaurant in the Metropolitan Hotel. Good if you need a convenient breakfast before attending your sessions.
Vegetarian
- Vegetarian Haven – Asian-inspired vegetarian cuisine.
- Karine’s Vegan – Offers all-day breakfast
- Freshii – Not exclusively vegetarian, but zero animal protein unless you ask for it.
International
- Poke Guys – Lots of poke restaurants in Toronto. This one is the closest.
- Dirty Bird Chicken + Waffles – Chicken and waffle joint. Enough said.
- Me Va Me Kitchen Express – Mideastern meat skewers, with the smoothest hummus, creamiest baba ghanouj and fluffiest pitas you’ve ever had.
- Queen and Beaver Public House – More than just a pub, its drinks and food are a cut above.
- Bonafide – Tapas, cocktails and buck-a-shuck oysters on Wednesdays.
- Bodega – French food in Baldwin Village, always reliable for lunch or dinner.
- Barberian’s Steak House – If you want the full steakhouse experience.
Upscale
- Alo – Incredibly cool and innovative cuisine. Might be impossible to get a reservation though.
- Aloette – Alo’s more casual cousin, first-come first-served diner-style sharing plates. Come when they open at 5pm if you want to snag a spot.
- Lai Wah Heen – Probably the most upscale Chinese restaurants in Toronto, located on the top floor of the Metropolitan Hotel.
- The Elm Tree Restaurant – Slightly fancy Mediterranean food, if you don’t mind dressing up a bit. Not as pricey as the others
Dessert/Drinks
- Wafels and More – Belgian waffle bar in Kensington Market
- Little Pebbles – Artisanal Japanese baked goods, coffee & tea.
- Light Cafe – Cool Asian coffee & dessert (try the cotton candy latte)
- Sweet O’Clock – Bubble tea and asian dessert bowls.
- Crimson Teas – Takes you on a deep dive into Chinese tea drinking.
- Jimmy’s Coffee – Good coffee in Kensington Market
- Tim Horton’s – A Canadian institution for coffee and donuts. The main reason for going there is so you can tell other Canadians that you’ve tried it.
Activities
- The Ballroom – Believe it or not, there are bowling alleys (and pool tables) in downtown Toronto.
- Movie theatres (Cineplex Odeon):
- Theatre District:
- Princess of Wales Theatre – Show TBA
- Royal Alexandra Theatre – Show TBA
- CAA Theatre – The Office! A Musical Parody
- Elgin Theatre – Come From Away
- Ed Mirvish Theatre – Waitress
- Sony Centre
- Reservoir Lounge – Live jazz
Attractions
- CN Tower – The main Toronto landmark, you can get a great view of the city from their revolving restaurant or their glass floor. Afterwards, have fun at the tourist activities featured at ground level.
- Kensington Market – One of Toronto’s most vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods. A great place to eat, shop or just wander around.
- Eaton Centre – Over 250 high-end shops in a giant indoor mall.
- Royal Ontario Museum – A great all-around museum, with special Canadian exhibits.
- Art Gallery of Ontario – Great art selection, including the hugely popular Infinity Mirrored Room.
- Rogers Centre – Where to go to catch a Blue Jays game (vs the Texas Rangers)
- Scotiabank Arena – Featuring WWE SummerSlam, Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live
- Hockey Hall of Fame
- Ripley’s Aquarium – Recently built, can occupy a few hours. Look for coupons online before you go.
- Casa Loma – Toronto has a castle! It’s not as accessible as the other attractions, but it’s worth an Uber up if you’re into it.
In addition to local attractions, the Niagara region, which is home to Niagara Falls as well as a numerous wineries, is about 65 km from Toronto. The easiest way to visit the region is by car (1.5 hours each way from downtown Toronto), but you can also take regional transit (2 hours each way from Union Station) or look into a guided winery tour from Toronto.