Toronto Food Guide

Toronto does not have one signature dish. It has dozens, because roughly half the city was born elsewhere and cooks accordingly. The sensible way to eat here is to follow neighbourhoods, since each district preserves a cuisine along its main street. Think of the city as a food atlas drawn on the subway map.

The classics to try

The local reference point is the peameal bacon sandwich: back bacon rolled in cornmeal, grilled and served on a soft bun. The standard place to eat one is St. Lawrence Market, which also sells cheeses, smoked fish, pastries and prepared lunches. Beyond that, look for butter tarts (a small pastry with a sweet, runny filling), Jamaican patties (spiced pastry pockets, a Toronto staple), and poutine, the Quebec dish of chips, cheese curds and gravy that is easy to find here. Street carts also sell hot dogs and sausages, which are a convenient quick lunch between sights.

Eating by neighbourhood

• Chinatown and Spadina: dim sum, noodle shops, bakeries and barbecue meats along Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue. Our Chinatown guide maps it.
• Kensington Market: tacos, empanadas, falafel, coffee and baked goods in a compact grid of lanes. See the Kensington Market guide.
• Little India on Gerrard Street East: South Asian restaurants, sweet shops and sari stores, with many vegetarian choices. The Little India guide has the details.
• The Danforth: Greek grills, souvlaki, seafood and pastry shops, busiest on summer evenings (Danforth guide).
• College Street: Italian cafés, pizza and gelato, covered in the Little Italy guide.
• Roncesvalles and Bloor West: Polish and Eastern European bakeries and delis, from pierogi to rye bread.

What to skip

We would skip eating every meal beside the big attractions. Restaurants clustered next to the CN Tower and the Entertainment District tend to cater to large crowds, and the prices and quality reflect that. Chains in the Eaton Centre food court are fine for a quick refuel but tell you nothing about Toronto. Also be wary of crossing the whole city for one famous restaurant at the cost of a whole afternoon; the neighbourhood next door is nearly always as interesting.

Expect Toronto to be expensive at the upscale end, particularly in Yorkville and downtown steakhouses. Bakeries, markets, noodle shops and lunch counters keep a day affordable, and a single bigger dinner gives the trip a high point. The budget guide covers how to spread spending.

Sweet things and drinks

Toronto's bakery culture is as international as its restaurants. Portuguese custard tarts, Italian pastries, Chinese bakery buns, Caribbean bread and Polish cakes are all within a subway ride of each other. Canadian dessert classics include Nanaimo bars, a layered chocolate and custard square from British Columbia, and maple products of every kind. Craft breweries and coffee roasters are scattered across the east and west ends, and many neighbourhood cafés roast their own beans, so a coffee stop often doubles as a local discovery. Ontario wine and cider are widely poured; ask a server for a local pairing.

How to plan a food day

Change the style of each meal as well as the cuisine. A market breakfast at St. Lawrence, a snack crawl through Kensington and Chinatown in the afternoon, and a sit-down dinner somewhere calmer gives a very different day from three similar restaurant meals. Reservations matter for popular dinner spots on weekends, so book those ahead and leave lunch loose. Dietary needs are well understood, with vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher options easy to find, especially in the south Asian and Middle Eastern districts. Menus and kitchens change, so check a restaurant's current details before you travel.

If you only have a short stay, the 3-day itinerary already routes you through the most food-rich areas.