It feels like there’s a new restaurant opening in Toronto every other day, and many of them look promising enough to become future go-tos for local foodies.
With so many new spots adding themselves to the Toronto food scene in the past few months, it can be hard to know where to try first, especially if you’re a foodie who loves tasting everything!
From unassuming stores selling steak sandwiches to elegant restaurants serving elevated South Indian cuisine, here are a bunch of new Toronto eateries that have caught our eye thanks to their incredible menus, immersive atmospheres, and intriguing concepts.
BEAR Steak Sandwiches
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: American
Address: 550A College St, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Social media has been all abuzz about this College Street sandwich joint that’s grown from a humble backyard pop-up in 2021 to a bona fide brick and mortar takeaway spot of its own.
The menu keeps things extremely simple, with their original steak sandwich loading perfectly cooked flank steak with house chimichurri on a pillowy Portuguese roll; or the roast pork sandwich with provolone, broccoli rabe, and jus on a sesame roll. The hearty handhelds have been earning raves from locals and line-ups out the door are not uncommon.
Accessibility: Ramp at entrance, no automatic door
Aamara
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Indian
Address: 1224 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Elevated South Indian cuisine is the star of the show at this intimate, elegant new restaurant in Corso Italia.
Richly flavourful and aromatic dishes blend traditional Indian recipes with contemporary techniques and touches. The classic comforts of butter chicken are kicked up a notch by using Cornish hen as the protein, and the beef seekh kebab employs well-seasoned, succulent Wagyu mince. It’s hard to go through Aamara’s plentiful, varied menu without drooling.
Accessibility: Small step at entrance, no automatic door
Ricky + Olivia
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Elevated American
Address: 996 Queen St E, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Freshly opened at the beginning of April, Ricky + Olivia is hardly a new operation. In fact, the namesake co-founding couple Ricky Casipe and Olivia Simpson have been following each other through various culinary stints since meeting in 2016 at Hawthorne Food & Drink, and they’ve hosted pop-up events together through their own business for years.
The next step in their journey is this new Queen East restaurant featuring a menu that employs sophisticated ingredients with fun, unpretentious touches. Their Lunchables are a more grown-up play on the classic schooltime snack with charcuterie items like St. Brigid’s beef pepperettes and 5 Brothers fenugreek gouda; and their chicken liver mousse is accompanied by VQA red wine gummies and sour cream bundt cake donuts.
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Electric Bill
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Australian
Address: 866 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Creative cocktails are matched with equally creative comfort food and snacks at this new Aussie-inspired cocktail bar from the team behind the acclaimed Civil Liberties.
The seasonally shifting cocktails are named after Australian slang terms like the Bin Chicken with beet switched Beefeater gin, Cocchi Americano, pineapple skin oleo, and leon; or the Two Pot Screamer with brandy, E.B. Winter vermouth, cynar, and marsala wine. They’re joined by bar bites like Aussie hand pies, sausage rolls, and chicken parm lollipops with plenty of vegetarian and vegan alternatives.
Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible
Azura
Price: 💸💸💸💸
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Address: 162 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Mediterranean flavours and recipes are given an elevated fine dining kick at this refined new restaurant in Greektown.
Don’t expect to know precisely what you’ll be eating in advance. Azura favours a multi-course tasting menu that’s left entirely for surprise; you won’t know exactly what’s on the menu until the dishes start hitting your table.
If you’re adventurous and eager to explore the variety of flavours Mediterranian cuisine offers, you shouldn’t skip this place.
Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible
Renaissance Pizza
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Detroit-style pizza
Address: 809 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Detroit-style pizza is trendy for good reason. It’s a thick, square pan pizza with endless creative possibilities for toppings, all surrounded by those coveted crispy, cheesy edges.
Renaissance Pizza is making some particularly decadent takes on the Detroit pie, with classic creations like pepperoni or Canadian matched by less common offerings like duck confit, tandoori paneer, and the Greek topped with souvlaki chicken and dollops of tzatziki.
Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible
The Fall Bright Tavern
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Elevated comfort food
Address: 840 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: This cozy new Christie Pits tavern specializes in a focused, compact menu of elevated comfort food plus standout wine and cocktails.
The intriguing menu — served in a homey, relaxed setting — is ever-changing but always sure to please, whether it’s a dish like chicken fried quail stuffed with sausage or a leek and salt cod pie with homemade tartar sauce.
But make sure you save room for dessert: The Fall Bright Tavern always has a few on hand including homemade pies, cakes, and ice cream sundaes.
Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible
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