Don't tell Santa Claus, but summer in the city — when restaurants start offering their Toronto Summerlicious menus — is our pick for the most wonderful time of the year. These steep deals make those impromptu lunch dates with friends, or last-minute dinner plans on balmy summer nights, all the more enjoyable.
We're always on the edge of our seat to find out which of the best restaurants in Toronto — including those that made the Michelin Guide — have Summerlicious menus. Sure, we're no strangers to the city's most delicious cheap eats, but the allure of discounted tasting menus at spots that normally make our wallets shrivel in despair gets us in a tizzy. Everyone's feeling the pinch these days, so Toronto's Summerlicious couldn't have come at a better time.
There's a snag, though. With so many fabulous eateries participating, it can be tough to know which restaurants to hit up during Summerlicious Toronto. It's only on from July 5 to July 21, after all. That's why we've done the heavy lifting and compiled our favourite Summerlicious menus. These restaurants have impeccable atmospheres to pair with their mouth-watering meals, making them perfect for everything from date night to casual catch-ups with coworkers. Make reservations before Summerlicious Toronto is over, and ensure your summer adventures are full of good food this year.
1. Reign Restaurant + Bar
100 Front St. W.
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We’ve had some of the best meals of our lives at Reign, and Summerlicious is the perfect time to get a deal on dining at this high-end, high-priced spot inside the Fairmont Royal York. The $55 lunch and $75 dinner menus are almost identical, so take advantage of your summer Fridays or long summer lunches if you can. Roasted tomato soup, heirloom tomato salad, steak frites, arctic char and caramelized peach cheesecake are calling your name.
2. Nuna Kitchen & Bar
1265 Queen St. W.
This underrated Parkdale spot slings top-notch Peruvian fare in a cozy-chic atmosphere flanked by a curving white wood ceiling and exposed brick. Visit Nuna during Summerlicious Toronto for a $41 lunch featuring dishes like yuca croquettes and seafood pasta, or a $55 dinner of Shrimp al Ajillo (grilled shrimp), Steak a la Parrilla and Peruvian flan. There are vegan and vegetarian options here, too.
3. Chiado Restaurant
864 College St.
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You don’t need to head to the north end of the city for Portuguese fine dining. Chiado on College Street is an elegant spot with Old World charm and modern fare. For Summerlicious Toronto, dig into dishes like Lobster & Shrimp Bisque and seared fish for lunch ($55), or salmon ceviche and roasted Australian lamb shank for dinner ($75). Four different dessert options will satiate your sweet tooth.
4. Miss Likklemore’s
433 King St. W.
Spice up your summer plans with haute Caribbean cuisine at Miss Likklemore’s. Served to a glamourous King West crowd, the $65 Summerlicious Toronto dinner menu is packed with Caribbean classics. Start with doubles or Likkle Patties before tucking into charcoal grilled jerk chicken or Guyanese spiced branzino. Wrap up the meal with carrot cake, sorbet or a passionfruit tart.
5. Curryish Tavern
783 Queen St. W.
Chef Miheer Shete’s Michelin-recognized Indian restaurant, Curryish Tavern is anything but ordinary. His creative takes on classic flavours, served in the small dining room on Queen West, yield phenomenal results. On the Summerlicious Toronto menu, the gunpowder pork is served with curry leaves and tamarind; for mains, the kali mirch beef with cashew korma gets an aromatic boost from fenugreek cream.
6. Stelvio
791 Dundas St. W.
Italian food at this hidden gem on Dundas West is unlike anywhere else in the city. Stelvio specializes in the lesser-known, but just as delicious cuisine from northern Italy, specifically Valtellina. During Summerlicious Toronto, enjoy dinner for $45. Start with the Polpette e Zafferano (meatballs with homemade saffron mayo), then chow down on fresh handmade tagliolini with mushrooms and truffle or tortelli filled with pork rib. Cap off the night with salted caramel Italian cheesecake or chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream.
7. AP Restaurant
55 Bloor St. W. 51st Floor
AP is our favourite restaurant for dinner with a view. Antonia Park blends his Latin background with Japanese cuisine for unique dishes that will make you want to lick your plate clean. For $75, the dinner menu lets you indulge in a tuna taco or chicken gyoza, followed by omakase sushi or miso cod. For dessert, good luck deciding between a taro ice cream sandwich, coconut lemongrass ice cream bar or berry cheesecake.
8. Hawker
291 Augusta Ave.
For $45, you can enjoy Hawker’s inventive takes on naturalist vegan food with their Summerlicious Toronto menu. The tranquillity of the greenery-laden restaurant stops on the plate; Indian-inspired dishes, like the Starry Night (smoked poblano cream, smoked tomato sauce and biryani spices) are bold in presentation and flavours.
9. Baro
485 King St. W.
If you can swing it, grab a spot on Baro’s breezy rooftop patio to enjoy their $65 Summerlicious Toronto tasting menu. The multi-level, energetic Latin restaurant serves bright and colourful dishes like the yellowfin tuna, salsa negra and coconut lime ceviche; or a grilled octopus, with a fresh tomatillo vinaigrette.
10. La Carnita Queen
780 Queen St. E.
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Familiar Mexican eats, a vibrant atmosphere and tasty tequila cocktails — La Carnita’s east-end location doesn’t disappoint. For Summerlicious Toronto, chow down on any two tacos from the menu, plus your pick of either street corn, cali salad or carne asada short ribs. The churros, served with cajeta sauce, are scrumptious — but the real cherry on top is the $35 tasting menu price tag.
11. The Cottage Cheese
64 Oxford St.
This cozy eatery on a Kensington Market corner serves modern takes on classic Indian dishes. You’re spoiled for choice with their Summerlicious Toronto menu; for $45, you can select from a whopping 17 different plates like charcoal chicken tikka, lamb roganjosh, fish mango curry or a black rice pudding.
12. Leña
176 Yonge St.
When you’ve finished staring at this Financial District haunt’s award-winning design, tuck into excellent South American cuisine with Spanish and Italian influences. The six-ounce flat iron steak and frites with chimichurri is on the $55 dinner menu, along with a piña colada cake with coconut cream and rum-roasted pineapple.
13. Luma
350 King St. W. 2nd Floor
On the second floor above TIFF Lightbox, Luma looks out on a bustling corner of King West. Gaze out of the floor-to-ceiling windows while tucking into premium proteins like a charred leek roasted salmon fillet, or a grilled chicken with polenta. Cocktails aren’t included in Summerlicious Toronto, but these handcrafted beauties are well-worth the extra dollars.
14. Minami
225 King St. W.
The only thing that rivals Minami’s gorgeous interior is its delicious contemporary Japanese fare. Settle into a booth under a mural of swimming koi fish and cherry blossoms for a $48 lunch or $65 dinner during Summerlicious Toronto. Dishes like Hamachi tataki, a sushi selection with their signature seared oshi, sous-vide duck and black sesame crème brûlée
will delight the palate.
15. Moon Palace Cantonese Cuisine
Atrium on Bay, 40 Dundas St. W.
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You don’t have to leave downtown to find authentic Cantonese cuisine served in a white-tablecloth, ballroom-style atmosphere. During Summerlicious Toronto, try out Moon Palace in the Atrium on Bay near Dundas Square. Start with Chinese barbecue pork buns or veggie spring rolls before digging into $27 lunch mains like fried rice with shrimp and barbecue pork or Singapore noodles with curry, barbeque pork and seafood. The $35 dinner menu includes choices like sweet and sour pork or teriyaki Angus beef tenderloin. Finish with jasmine matcha cheese cake for dessert.
16. Figo
295 Adelaide St. W.
Nestled right in the heart of downtown, Figo is in a prime location for post-work patio hangs or grabbing dinner before a big night out. Sit out on the patio and order the Zucchini Fritti, a crispy spiraling tendril of fried zucchini, and prosciutto or spaghetti for lunch ($41). Mains like branzino, cavatelli with fennel sausage and a grilled half-chicken will be hard to choose from for dinner ($55). For dessert, deciding between tiramisu, cannoli and gelato presents a whole new challenge.
