Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but summer is officially over. The changing of seasons seems to sting the most when patio season comes to a close and we have to start mentally preparing for the cold ahead. The good news is there are lots of great new Toronto restaurants where you can ease your troubles with spectacular dishes and darn good vino.
From newly appointed Michelin-Guide-selected spaces like Henry's Restaurant and Wine Bar to the return of a beloved Filipino brunch spot and a fan favourite French bistro, it's an exciting time for Toronto restaurants — albeit a challenging one with rising food costs, staffing shortages and supply chain issues, so please be nice or no french fries for you.
In case you've been living under a rock, Toronto's best restaurants have the attention of the Michelin Guide now, with five out of the 13 starred restaurants in Yorkville. While Yorkville has some amazing restaurants, there are lots of neighbourhoods throughout the city that are worth sticking a fork into like Kensington Market and the Ossington strip. But, if we're being biased (we are), we're the most stoked about these 14 new Toronto restaurants to try this fall.
14 of the best new restaurants in Toronto for fall
1. Le Sélect Bistro
432 Wellington St. W.
Le Sélect is back, baby! It's been two long years since we wined and dined on cassoulet and duck confit at the iconic French bistro and, man, have we missed it.
The Wellington Street location is the same, and fans will recognize the classics — tartare de boeuf, salade niçoise, a perfect omelette — but things are slightly different. It's still French here, but fancier, un peu.
Industry heavyweights like executive chef Ted Corrado (The Drake, Bar Chica) and head chef Zachary Barnes (Alo) have put together a menu that's bursting with skill, artistry and butter. A lot of care goes into each item, from the humble house-made baguette to the indulgent Coquilles St-Jacques (a.k.a. great scallops). See you at the zinc bar while we sift through the novel-length wine list.
2. Henry's Restaurant & Wine Bar
922 Queen St. W.
If you find yourself in the Trinity Bellwoods area, you might have noticed a new spot beyond the sliding doors at Queen and Shaw. Take a peek inside and you’ll find not only a charming restaurant and wine bar but also a bottle shop and private dining space.
Only a few months old, Henry's is already shaping up to be a destination for rare wines and fantastically creative small plates of seasonal fare from chef Kevin Le (Noma, Canis, Frilu).
From mind-bending vegan ceviche dishes that’ll have you scratching your head and licking your plate to a Vietnamese-inspired beef tartare that gelatinizes a phở broth and presents itself as a delicate tart, it’s artful but, importantly, it just tastes really, really good.
3. Alder
51 Camden St.
You've probably heard of Alo by now (ahem, the French tasting menu restaurant that wins all the awards and consistently tops best restaurant lists). But chef Patrick Kriss always has something new up his sleeve that diners can't seem to get enough of.
The latest is Alder, inside the recently opened Ace Hotel. Like all of Kriss's other endeavours, Alder is impeccably designed (by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects) with a focused, elegant menu that takes a heck of a lot of technique.
What stands Alder apart from the rest is the wood-fired grill, which brings seasonal delights to life with a kiss of char. The menu skews Mediterranean so expect lots of grilled fish, bright veggies and vibrant plates of delicate carpaccio and punchy crudo spread out before you like colourful wreaths.
4. Sunnys Chinese
60 Kensington Ave.
Kensington keeps it cool — without even trying that hard. And it just got a bit cooler with the addition of Sunnys Chinese, the pandemic baby from the folks behind MIMI Chinese.
Inspired by dining cultures found throughout China, Sunnys started as a casual, playful pop-up, but its popularity was hard to ignore. Its new permanent location shines just as bright with succulent lamb ribs, Yibin burning noodles, garlicky king mushroom stir fry, and an epic Hong Kong french toast.
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5. Bouffe
1173 Dundas St. W.
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You can’t keep a good chef down. La Nectarine shuttered earlier this year after just a few months of operation, but David Adjey is back serving up French cuisine — this time on Dundas West. Order champagne cocktails, slurp back escargots, and don't skip the Bouillabaisse Marseillaise, with a homemade broth that demands to be mopped up with a baguette.
6. Miss Likklemore's
433 King St. W.
Miss Likklemore's, another beloved pandemic pop-up, may have a new address on King West, but it's kept all the original feel-good energy and flair. Expect Caribbean eats so good and homey, you'd think you were having a meal in someone's kitchen. Go for the smoky, spicy jerk chicken. Don't worry, that macaroni pie is still there, too.
7. True History Brewing
154 St Clair Ave. W.
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Take a trip to a little European town by way of True History Brewing, St. Clair West Village's latest neighbourhood spot. This homey, light-filled brewery serves German- and Czech-style brews poured generously from behind the walnut bar. Definitely try a mlíko (milk in Czech) pour on a lager, which is heavy on the foam, on purpose. It's creamy-smooth like a meringue and delicious — and pairs perfectly with a salty, chewy Bavarian pretzel and other snacks from chef Aaron Okada.
8. Paradise Grapevine Winery
218 Geary Ave.
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Fans of Paradise Grapevine's wine bar on Bloor now have another place to sip their funky vino right from the source. Their newly opened second location at Geary and Dufferin isn’t just a place to swirl and sip a glass — it’s also a fully functional, indoor and outdoor winery. Indulge in special by-the-glass releases, single barrel wines and more exclusives, all sourced from gleaming tanks tucked just behind the patio.
9. Spaccio West
128A Sterling Rd.
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You can't miss Terroni’s new commissary kitchen in the Junction — it's 8,000-square-feet full of glorious carbs. Other than making all the bread, pizza dough and pasta for Terroni's mini empire, this sprawling space also has three dining areas where you can get your paws on Roman-style pizza, grilled seafood and all the tiramisu your little heart desires.
10. Danny's Pizza Tavern
611 College St.
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Smash burgers have been the burger for the past three years, but, you know, sometimes we miss a good ol' chuck. College Street's latest, Danny's Pizza Tavern more than delivers with their epic patty of half chuck, half brisket with all the classic toppings. The Tavern Pies are done thin-crust-style so they're nice and crispy. If you dig pineapples on your pizza, they do one of the best Hawaiian pizzas (invented in Chatham, Ont. believe it or not) with pickled onion and three types of cheese.
11. BB's
5 Brock Ave.
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BB's is the real comeback King and are we ever pumped about it. When its previous building was sold during the pandemic, this Filipino-style brunch hot spot had to find a new home. Now Parkdale has been blessed with BB’s fresh digs — although it’s full of nostalgic nods to sari-sari (convenience) stores in the Philippines.
From Friday to Sunday, you can get your paws on heaping plates of salty-delicious-hangover-curing silog (garlic-fried rice topped with a runny egg) with a choice of protein like longanisa (house sausage), fried milkfish or, our fave, corned beef hash. Caesar lovers will lose it over their tamarind spiked version.
12. Congee Queen
360 Yonge St.
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All hail Congee Queen and its first downtown Toronto location (near Yonge-Dundas Square). While we would gladly travel to any of their other eight locations across the GTA for their chicken and duck congee or barbecue pork belly, we're pretty thrilled about their new downtown digs.
13.Parc Ave
265 Davenport rd.
The dilemma: where to go when you want to dance but you need to sit down later? Check out Parc Ave — a new late-night spot that oozes sophistication. It's not a club, it's a cocktail lounge, where the couches are velvet, the floors are clean and the drinks are expensive. Spend the day bopping around nearby Yorkville, then spend the night bopping along to songs that you totally know the lyrics to.
14. Black+Blue (to come)
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The Vancouver-based steakhouse Black+Blue is slated to open in Toronto this fall. The former Toronto Stock Exchange inside the Exchange Tower will be sizzling with mouth-watering Wagyu, Kobe beef and Canadian Prime, however you like it (just please not well-done). Black+Blue also has something for herbivores — including lush salads.
