The best restaurants in Toronto have quietly turned the city into one of North America’s most ambitious dining destinations. With Canada’s only two-Michelin-starred restaurant (Sushi Masaki Saito), seven one-Michelin-starred kitchens, more than a dozen Bib Gourmand recognitions, and a generation of chef-owned tasting-menu rooms (Alo, Edulis, Restaurant 20 Victoria) all within a 5-kilometre downtown stretch, the city’s fine-dining scene now consistently appears on global “world’s best” lists. The picks ahead run the full range — tasting-menu rooms, casual mid-range tables, and the chef-owned neighbourhood spots locals book first — each with notes on how far ahead to reserve and how dressy it runs. For the wider context around all of it, our guide to the Toronto food scene ties the city together.
For the official Michelin-starred list and updates, see the official Michelin Guide Toronto.
Best Restaurants in Toronto: Michelin-Starred Picks
Sushi Masaki Saito (Yorkville) — Two Michelin Stars
Canada’s only two-Michelin-star restaurant, Sushi Masaki Saito on Yorkville Avenue serves a 17-course omakase by Chef Masaki Saito with fish flown in daily from Japan’s Toyosu Market. Reservations open 30 days ahead and sell out within hours; expect to spend $400–$600+ per person. Best for special occasions and serious sushi enthusiasts. Smart-casual dress code, no children under 10.
Alo (Spadina) — One Michelin Star
Chef Patrick Kriss’s Alo on Spadina Avenue has been Canada’s top-rated restaurant for years. The 12-course French-contemporary tasting menu is served in a third-floor dining room in Chinatown; the casual sister Aloette downstairs offers a more accessible version of the same kitchen’s output. Alo reopened with a reimagined interior in March 2026. Expect $300–$400 per person at Alo, $80–$120 at Aloette.
Edulis (King West) — One Michelin Star
Edulis on Niagara Street is the gem of understated excellence among the best restaurants in Toronto — an intimate room with an ever-changing tasting menu focused on pristine seasonal ingredients prepared with Mediterranean technique and Canadian sensibility. Edulis is in its 11th consecutive year in the top tier of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants. Expect $250–$350 per person; reservations open 60 days ahead.
Restaurant 20 Victoria (Financial District) — One Michelin Star
Chef Julie Hyde’s contemporary seafood-focused tasting menu in a small room in the Financial District. Notable for the kitchen’s technical precision and wine pairings. Expect $250–$350 per person.
Don Alfonso 1890 (Financial District) — One Michelin Star
The Toronto outpost of the iconic Italian restaurant from the Iaccarino family in Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi. Don Alfonso 1890 occupies a stunning historic Financial District space with a dedicated lemon-grove-themed dining room. Expect $300–$400 per person.
Aburi Hana (Yorkville) — One Michelin Star
The kaiseki tasting menu specialist in Yorkville, with seasonal traditional Japanese cuisine in a refined room. Best for travellers wanting an authentic Japanese kaiseki experience without the price point of Sushi Masaki Saito.
Best Restaurants in Toronto: Fine Dining Without the Stars
Canoe (Financial District)
Forty-five floors above the Financial District in the TD Bank Tower, Canoe has been one of the best restaurants in Toronto for over 25 years for modern Canadian cuisine with a stunning view. Best for special occasions and corporate dinners; lunch is more accessible. Expect $150–$250 per person.
Buca (Yorkville & King West)
The Buca group has multiple Toronto locations — Buca Yorkville, Buca King, and Bar Buca — all delivering ambitious modern Italian cooking. Yorkville is the formal flagship; King West is more casual. Expect $80–$150 per person.
Joso’s (Yorkville)
The Adriatic seafood restaurant has been a Yorkville institution since 1968. Whole grilled fish, exceptional Croatian wine list, and a famous interior covered with maritime art. Expect $100–$180 per person.
Bar Isabel (Little Italy)
Chef Grant van Gameren’s Spanish-influenced shareable plates restaurant on College Street is consistently among the best restaurants in Toronto for both quality and atmosphere. The whole grilled octopus is the signature. Expect $60–$100 per person.
Bar Raval (Little Italy)
Sister restaurant to Bar Isabel and arguably the most beautiful room in the city — a stunning sculpted wooden interior. Spanish pintxos, exceptional natural-wine list, no reservations. Arrive at 5:30 p.m. for a chance at counter seats. Expect $50–$90 per person.
DaiLõ / Aloette / DaiLo (Multiple)
Chef Nick Liu’s Asian-fusion empire spans multiple locations, with the original DaiLõ on College Street the flagship for ambitious Asian-influenced fine dining. Expect $80–$150 per person.
Pukka (The Annex)
Chef Harsh Chawla’s contemporary Indian restaurant in The Annex consistently ranks among the best restaurants in Toronto for South Asian cuisine. Expect $60–$100 per person.
Ki Modern Japanese (Financial District)
Sleek modern Japanese restaurant with extensive sushi and izakaya options. Best for business dinners and groups. Expect $80–$150 per person.
Best Restaurants in Toronto by Cuisine
Italian
Buca Yorkville and Buca King for ambitious modern Italian; Don Alfonso 1890 for Michelin-starred classic Italian; Sotto Sotto for traditional Yorkville-Italian; Pizzeria Libretto and Pizzeria Defina for Neapolitan-style pizza; Osteria Giulia for the new wave of Italian.
Japanese & Sushi
Sushi Masaki Saito (two Michelin stars) and Aburi Hana (one star) are the headliners. Yasu, Shoushin, and Sushi Kaji round out the high-end. Hole-in-the-wall: Sushi by Bou. Casual: Ki Modern Japanese, Don Don Izakaya, Imanishi.
French & European
Alo (Michelin) for French-contemporary tasting menu; Edulis (Michelin) for Mediterranean-Canadian tasting menu; Le Sélect Bistro for classic Toronto French; Cafe Boulud at Four Seasons for Daniel Boulud’s Toronto outpost.
Indian
Pukka in The Annex (contemporary Indian); Banjara on Bloor (north Indian); Banjara Indian Cuisine in The Junction for casual; Cumbrae’s for South Indian dosa.
Chinese
Lai Wah Heen at the Metropolitan Hotel for fine-dining Cantonese; Rosewood Chinese Cuisine in Markham; Pearl Court on Gerrard for dim sum; Mother’s Dumplings for hand-rolled dumplings; Rol San on Spadina for Cantonese seafood.
Korean
Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu on Bloor (Korean tofu soup); Cho Sun Ok in Koreatown (Korean BBQ); Han Ba Tang for ambitious modern Korean.
Modern Canadian
Canoe (Financial District); Bar Buca (King West); Joni at Park Hyatt; ONE Restaurant at Hazelton Hotel; Drake Restaurant at Drake Hotel.
Thai
Pai Northern Thai Kitchen on Duncan; Khao San Road on King West; Soos in Riverside.
Mexican
Pozole Birrieria on Queen West; La Carnita at multiple locations; El Catrin at the Distillery District; El Trompo in Kensington Market.
Vietnamese
Pho Hung on Spadina; Pho Tien Thanh in Bayview; Banh Mi Boys for sandwiches; Saigon Sister for upscale Vietnamese.
Best Restaurants in Toronto by Neighbourhood
Yorkville
The highest concentration of fine-dining and Michelin-starred restaurants in the city. Sushi Masaki Saito, Aburi Hana, Enigma Yorkville, Alobar Yorkville, Osteria Giulia, Buca Yorkville, ONE Restaurant, Joso’s, Café Boulud.
King West
Edulis (Michelin), Bar Isabel, Bar Raval, Buca King, Buca Bar, Patois, Khao San Road, El Catrin, Lapinou.
Financial District
Canoe, DaNico, Restaurant 20 Victoria, Don Alfonso 1890, Ki Modern Japanese, Bymark.
Chinatown / Spadina
Alo (Michelin), Pho Hung, Rol San, Mother’s Dumplings, R&D, House of Gourmet.
Little Italy & College Street
Bar Isabel, Bar Raval, DaiLõ, Trattoria Taverniti, Fat Pasha, Maker.
The Danforth (Greektown)
Pappas Grill, Pantheon, Mezes, Christina’s on the Danforth, Astoria.
Queen West
Patois, Pizzeria Libretto, Khao San Road, Sense Appeal, BarChef (cocktails), Drake Restaurant.
Roncesvalles
Cafe Polonez, Bar Mordecai, Brick Brewery, Mabel’s Bakery, Easy Restaurant.
Leslieville & East End
Lake Inez, Le Comptoir de Sasha, Lady Marmalade for brunch, Eulalie’s Corner Store, The Tulip Steakhouse.
How to Get Reservations at the Best Restaurants in Toronto
Book early. Sushi Masaki Saito, Alo, and Edulis all release reservations 30–60 days ahead and routinely sell out within hours. Set calendar reminders.
Use OpenTable, Resy, and Tock. Most Toronto fine-dining restaurants use one of these three platforms. Tock is particularly common for tasting-menu restaurants requiring deposits.
Try midweek. Tuesday and Wednesday reservations are easier to land than Friday and Saturday at most of the best restaurants in Toronto.
Lunch is often easier. Restaurants that are impossible at dinner (Canoe, Edulis, Buca) often have lunch availability.
Walk-in counter seats. Bar Isabel, Bar Raval, Sushi Bar at Yasu, and BarChef all hold counter seats for walk-ins. Arrive at opening for the best chance.
Concierge connections. If you’re staying at a luxury hotel, ask the concierge to call — sometimes Hazelton, Four Seasons, and Ritz-Carlton concierges can secure tables that are otherwise impossible to book.
Cancellation alerts. Resy and OpenTable both offer cancellation-alert features that ping you when a reservation opens up. Worth setting for hard-to-book spots.
Tipping & Dining Etiquette in Toronto
Standard Toronto restaurant tipping is 18–20% of the pre-tax bill at sit-down restaurants. Many fine-dining restaurants automatically include a service charge for parties of 6+; check the bill before adding additional tip.
Dress codes vary: smart casual is universally appropriate; no Toronto restaurant requires jacket-and-tie any longer. Athletic wear, ripped clothing, and beachwear are inappropriate for fine-dining rooms. Sushi Masaki Saito and Alo specifically request that diners refrain from heavy perfume or cologne.
Best Times to Eat at the Best Restaurants in Toronto
Pre-Theatre Dinners (5–6 p.m.) at Lapinou, Buca King, and Pai Northern Thai are easier to book than peak dinner hours.
Late Night (10 p.m.+) tables sometimes open at the most popular restaurants — especially at counter-seat spots like Bar Isabel and Bar Raval.
Sunday Dinners are often quieter than Friday/Saturday at fine-dining restaurants — many of the best restaurants in Toronto specifically offer Sunday-only family-style menus (Edulis truffle dinner, Bar Buca pasta night).
Brunch is a Toronto specialty. See our guide to best brunch in Toronto.
Frequently Asked Questions: Best Restaurants in Toronto
What is the best restaurant in Toronto?
The best restaurants in Toronto by Michelin star count are Sushi Masaki Saito (two stars) and Alo, Edulis, Restaurant 20 Victoria, Don Alfonso 1890, and Aburi Hana (one star each). Alo and Sushi Masaki Saito routinely top “best in Canada” lists.
How many Michelin-starred restaurants are in Toronto?
Toronto has Canada’s only two-Michelin-star restaurant (Sushi Masaki Saito) plus seven one-Michelin-star restaurants. Multiple additional restaurants hold Bib Gourmand recognition.
How much do fine-dining restaurants in Toronto cost?
Two-Michelin-star (Sushi Masaki Saito): $400–$600+ per person. One-Michelin-star tasting menus: $250–$400 per person. Mid-range fine dining: $80–$150 per person. Casual upscale: $50–$90 per person.
Where do locals eat in Toronto?
Locals tend to favour the chef-driven mid-range scene: Bar Isabel, Bar Raval, Buca, Pai Northern Thai, Pizzeria Libretto, Lake Inez, Patois. Yorkville and the Financial District lean more toward visitors and special occasions.
Are reservations required at the best restaurants in Toronto?
Yes for Michelin-starred kitchens and most fine-dining restaurants. Bar Isabel, Bar Raval, and several other counter-seat spots take walk-ins.
What time should I book dinner in Toronto?
Most Toronto fine-dining restaurants serve dinner from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. The 7–8:30 p.m. window is the most competitive; 5:30–6:30 and 9:30+ are easier to book.
Can you walk in at the best restaurants in Toronto?
Bar Isabel, Bar Raval, BarChef, Aloette, and several other counter-seat spots take walk-ins. Most fine-dining tasting-menu restaurants do not.
What is the dress code at Toronto fine-dining restaurants?
Smart casual is universally appropriate. Long pants, collared shirts, and closed-toe shoes are recommended. No Toronto restaurant currently requires jacket-and-tie.
Where can I eat near my hotel?
Most Toronto downtown hotels have multiple notable restaurants within a 5- to 10-minute walk. Use the OpenTable map filter or Tock’s neighbourhood search to find current openings.
Are the best restaurants in Toronto kid-friendly?
Most fine-dining restaurants welcome older children but discourage children under 8–10. Casual options like Pai Northern Thai, Pizzeria Libretto, and most King West restaurants are family-friendly.
Plan Your Toronto Restaurant Reservations
The best restaurants in Toronto reward planners. Book the must-do tasting menus (Alo, Edulis, Sushi Masaki Saito) 30–60 days ahead via Tock or Resy. Layer in counter-seat options (Bar Isabel, Bar Raval, BarChef) as walk-ins or last-minute bookings. Use neighbourhoods to your advantage: Yorkville for fine dining, King West for chef-driven mid-range, Chinatown for budget-friendly, Little Italy for late-night drinks-and-tapas. Toronto’s restaurant scene now competes with any major North American dining city — treat reservations like a TIFF screening and you’ll eat exceptionally well.
A great dinner is rarely the whole trip. Our brunch guide covers the weekend mornings, the cheap-eats guide keeps the in-between meals affordable, and the street-food guide — along with the broader Toronto food scene — fills in everything around the reservation.