Toronto, in Canada, is one of those cities with a bit of everything. From splendid neighbourhoods to flavoursome food, Toronto has a little something for everyone. Food is a significant part of popular culture, and in this age of food blogging, food enthusiasts have found an opportunity to try new cuisines every day. The best aspect of travelling to Canada is the opportunity to try Toronto must-eats. Almost every state prepares and serves food differently, and Toronto is no exception.
Every day there is a new food item on the market. Whether you are looking for the world’s cheesiest cheese pull or cookies you can drown in, restaurants in Toronto will not disappoint you. From the most bougie Toronto restaurant chain to the quirkiest stalls, here is the list of must-try foods in Toronto. The city showcases food trucks, breweries, pubs, fine dining and even market stalls.
Brace yourselves as we will take you on a journey of Toronto’s must-eats and best restaurants there. We hope this Toronto food guide doesn’t tempt you too much to book the next flight here!
Best Food in Toronto
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Poutine
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Best Food in Toronto that has been called the national dish of Canada lives in people’s hearts rent free. Poutine is prepared by combining fresh french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. It is only becoming more and more popular by the day, and many joints are coming up with novel ways to create something unique with poutine. the Enchanted Poutinerie, located at 730 Wilson Avenue, North York, ON, Toronto, serves several varieties of poutine. The most famous and blog worthy items that should be on your must try food in Toronto list are the Unicorn Poutine with multi-coloured gravy and the Lobster Poutine—with Prince Edward Island lobster, cheddar, mozzarella, and hollandaise sauce. Enzo Cammisuli and Carmine Riossi, the founders of Enchanted Poutinerie, also serve chicken nugget poutine, gnocchi poutine—with deep fried gnocchi, shaved parmesan cheese, tomato sauce and parsley, and vegan burger poutine with vegan cheese, beyond meat patty, vegan gravy, dijon mustard, ketchup and horseradish.
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Smash Bag
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As the name suggests, this is a place called Junked Food Co. that will let you experience eating out of a bag. Sounds weird? It won’t when you come to know what’s in it. You get a bag of Doritos, topped with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cheddar cheese, jalapeño, chilli sauce and sour cream. a package of crunch, cream and freshness doesn’t sound too intimidating now, right? That’s a smash bag! which will make you disregard your gym trainer. One of Toronto’s coolest catering kitchens, with all food mashups and treats. Junked Food Co. also offers smash bags topped with poutine, chicken, pulled pork, and cheddar mac and cheese.
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Stuff’D Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
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Stuff’D Grilled Cheese offers delicious soul food in the form of jam packed grilled cheese sandwiches as they like to put it. Grilled cheese sandwiches are a global favourite and the tastiest easy to make snack. it is located at 707 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, Canada, Toronto, M5T 2W6. Why is this place a must-visit if a grilled cheese can be prepared at home, one may ask? You will be stunned to know that they serve Blueberry-infused grilled cheese, the Toronto food you didn’t know you needed but you do! A sweet and savoury combination is always a winner when you want to satisfy a craving. They also serve a variety of classic tots, loaded tots, grilled cheese, combos and beverages. The most famous dishes of Stuff’D are the double cheeseburger tots, the Jamrock grilled cheese sandwich and the Bombay bad boy grilled cheese sandwich.
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CornDog
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Corndogs have taken social media by storm. The Korean wave has given us another amazing food item that doesn’t only look bomb but tastes like a stick of dynamite. A corndog is a Korean snack which is prepared by deep frying a battered and bread-crumb-wrapped hot dog, which is then topped with sugar and any sauce that you like. Chung Chun Rice Dog is a massive Korean chain which has expertise in one thing only: Korean-style corn dogs. It is an international brand, with more than 200 locations around the globe.
Unlike the traditional batter, they make their glutinous rice dough fresh every day, and the batter goes through 2 hours of fermentation. Their menu consists of the All Cheese Dogs, Chungchun Original Dog, Gamsung (which is also their best seller), Ramen Chip, Veggie Dog and even a Chocolate Dog, with a myriad of sauces and bits to top it off with. So this automatically gets promoted to your must try food in Toronto list.
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Churros
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Those craving something sweet in Toronto should head to one of Pancho’s Bakery’s two locations for freshly-fried churros, you can find them at Dufferin and Bloor and Kensington Market. Here, rich fried dough bars coated with cinnamon and sugar are stuffed with fillings ranging from condensed milk to jam. Chocolate is especially delicious. The bakery also sells churro cones, churro loops, rainbow grilled cheese sandwiches, churro cakes and a variety of other Mexican baked goods.
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Dessert Pizza
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It is not uncommon to see dessert pizzas with Nutella and cream cheese or melted chocolate. Well, we must tell you, Lammana’s does not serve ordinary desserts! This Toronto food place, Lammana’s, serves a huge slice of pizza with any topping you can think of! This epic slice comes topped with desserts, from doughnuts to pumpkin pies, cookies, and hot dogs on request! Dessert pizza is a must try food in Toronto and deserves a place in the Hall of Fame. Lammana’s even serves gelato pizza. Isn’t it bonkers? Italy might not approve of this, but we do! Don’t we?
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Peameal Bacon Sandwich
What options do you have when Anthony Bourdain tells you to eat the peameal bacon sandwich? This food item is Toronto’s iconic food for a reason! The goal here is to bring out the bacon’s saltiness and smoky goodness of the meat straight into the mouths of its hungry customers. Nothing more, nothing less there are more such juicy and spellbinding sandwiches that will make you want to come back for another bit. Find the food joint at Carousel Bakery, St. Lawrence Market.
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LOV
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Plant-based cuisine allows you to make a healthier choice for yourself and the planet. With the idea of creating balance with vegan food, their restaurants are scattered all over Canada with 5 spots that are: LOV Centropolis, LOV De La Montagne, LOV DIX30, LOV King West Toronto and LOV McGill. it is important to experience their brunch menus, which seem to be a popular choice today. LOV also offers cocktails, beers and takeout beverages for those on the go.
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Planta
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A vegan start-up and now an empire, “Planta” by Chef Davis Lee, was launched as a Yorkville location back in 2016, which is now the second Asian focused menu eatery on Queen Street. They also have a branch of Mexican food with Planta Cocina. The location is purely vegan and promotes finding versatility in using plant based elements. the most popular dishes at the restaurant are watermelon poke, coconut ceviche, 18 carrot dogs, Habibi salad, Beauty and the Beet (cocktail), vegan burgers and their sushi platters. Their step towards reducing the carbon footprint with not only the food but also their packaging has made it so popular amongst youngsters. You can find them in Yorkville, the Entertainment District and the Financial District in Toronto.
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Cookies
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If you want to have one of the best cookies in the world, come here to taste your cookies at Foxies Bake Shop! Give your tongue a taste of their 4 ounce stuffed cookies that have been in existence since 2018. we don’t think there is any doubt about why they are a must try food in Toronto. Their store is located at 669 Mount Pleasant Road in Toronto, ON. cookies always have our hearts, but this special place, unfortunately, is only accessible to people in Canada. This teamwork, headed by two sisters, delivers fresh cookies all over Canada. Must try their Cinnamon bun stuffed cookie topped with Cinnamon toast crunch, Smores cookie and Nutella Cookie.
10 Best Toronto Restaurants and Their Unmissable Specialties
The list of best restaurants in Toronto with their must-try food involves the following:
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Enchanted Poutinerie’s Poutine
Poutine tops the list of Toronto must-eats and has been called Canada’s national dish. The dish lives in people’s hearts rent-free. Poutine is prepared by combining fresh french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. It is only becoming increasingly popular by the day, and many joints are developing novel ways to create something unique with poutine. The Enchanted Poutinerie, located at 730 Wilson Avenue, North York, ON, Toronto, serves several varieties of poutine.
The most famous and blog-worthy items on your must-try food in Toronto list are the Unicorn Poutine with multi-coloured gravy and the Lobster Poutine—with Prince Edward Island lobster, cheddar, mozzarella, and hollandaise sauce. Enzo Cammisuli and Carmine Riossi, the founders of Enchanted Poutinerie, also serve chicken nugget poutine, gnocchi poutine—with deep-fried gnocchi, shaved parmesan cheese, tomato sauce and parsley, and vegan burger poutine with vegan cheese, beyond meat patty, vegan gravy, dijon mustard, ketchup and horseradish.
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Junked Food Co.’s Smash Bag
Smash Bag is a Canadian take on Frito pie, swapping Doritos with Fritos. Junked Food Co. is one of the best restaurants in Toronto that will let you experience eating out of a bag. Sounds weird, right? Well, it won’t matter when you know what’s in it!
You get a bag of Doritos, topped with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cheddar cheese, jalapeño, chilli sauce and sour cream. A package of crunch, cream and freshness doesn’t sound intimidating, but a smash bag will make you disregard your gym trainer. Junked Food Co. also offers smash bags topped with poutine, chicken, pulled pork, and cheddar mac and cheese.
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Stuff’D Grilled Cheese & Tots’ Sandwiches
Another must-try food in Toronto is Stuff’D Grilled Cheese & Tots’ Sandwiches. This Toronto restaurant offers delicious soul food in the form of jam-packed grilled cheese sandwiches, as they like to put it. Grilled cheese sandwiches are a global favourite and the tastiest easy-to-make snack. Stuff’D Grilled Cheese is located at 707 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, M5T 2W6, Canada.
You might be thinking, why is this place a must-visit if grilled cheese sandwiches can be prepared at home? You will be stunned to know that it is one of the best restaurants in Toronto that serves Blueberry-infused grilled cheese. A sweet and savoury combination is always a winner when you want to satisfy a craving. They also serve a variety of classic tots, loaded tots, grilled cheese, combos and beverages. The most famous dishes of Stuff’D are the double cheeseburger tots, the Jamrock grilled cheese sandwich and the Bombay bad boy grilled cheese sandwich.
-
Chung Chun Rice Dog’s Corn Dog
Corn Dogs have taken social media by storm. The Korean wave has given us another fantastic food item that doesn’t only look like a bomb but tastes like a stick of dynamite. A corn dog is a sausage on a stick prepared by deep frying a battered and bread-crumb-wrapped hot dog. The dish is topped with sugar and any sauce you like to offer a lip-smacking taste.
Chung Chun Rice Dog is a massive Korean chain which has expertise in one thing only: Korean-style corn dogs. It is an international brand with more than 200 locations around the globe. Unlike the traditional batter, they make their glutinous rice dough fresh every day, and the batter goes through 2 hours of fermentation. Their menu consists of the All Cheese Dogs, Chungchun Original Dog, Gamsung (their best seller), Ramen Chip, Veggie Dog and even a Chocolate Dog, with various sauces and bits to top it off. So this automatically gets promoted as one of the best Toronto restaurants.
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Pancho’s Bakery’s Churros
Those craving something sweet in Toronto should head to one of the Pancho’s Bakery’s two locations for freshly-fried churros. You can find them at Dufferin and Bloor, and Kensington Market. Here, rich fried dough bars coated with cinnamon and sugar are stuffed with fillings ranging from condensed milk to jam. Chocolate is incredibly delicious. The bakery also sells churro cones, churro loops, rainbow grilled cheese sandwiches, churro cakes and a variety of other Mexican baked goods.
-
Lamanna’s Bakery’s Dessert Pizza
Another delectable item in this Toronto food guide is Dessert Pizza. It is not uncommon to see dessert pizzas with Nutella and cream cheese or melted chocolate. We must tell you Lamanna’s Bakery does not serve ordinary desserts! This Toronto restaurant serves a massive slice of pizza with any topping you can think of! The epic slice comes topped with desserts, from doughnuts to pumpkin pies, cookies, and hot dogs on request!
Dessert pizza is a must-try food in Toronto and deserves a place in the Hall of Fame. Lamanna’s Bakery even serves gelato pizza. Isn’t it bonkers? Italy might not approve of this, but we do! Don’t we?
-
Carousel Bakery’s Peameal Bacon Sandwich
What options do you have when Anthony Bourdain tells you to eat the peameal bacon sandwich? This food item is Toronto’s iconic food for a reason! The goal here is to bring out the bacon’s saltiness and smoky goodness of the meat straight into the mouths of its hungry customers. Such juicy and spellbinding sandwiches will make you want to come back for another bite. Find this food joint in St. Lawrence Market that serves the best peameal bacon sandwiches.
-
LOV’s Burger
Plant-based cuisine allows you to make a healthier choice for yourself and the planet. With the idea of creating balance with vegan food, LOV restaurants are scattered all over Canada with five spots: LOV Centropolis, LOV De La Montagne, LOV DIX30, LOV King West Toronto and LOV McGill. It is important to experience their brunch menus, which are a popular choice today. The restaurant also offers mouth-watering burgers, cocktails, beers and takeout beverages for those on the go.
-
Planta’s Watermelon Poke
A vegan start-up and now an empire, “Planta” by Chef Davis Lee was launched as a Yorkville location back in 2016, which is now the second Asian-focused menu eatery on Queen Street. They also have a branch of Mexican food with Planta Cocina. This Toronto restaurant is purely vegan and promotes versatility in using plant-based elements. The most popular dishes at the restaurant are watermelon poke, coconut ceviche, Habibi salad, Beauty and the Beet (cocktail), vegan burgers and sushi platters.
Their step towards reducing the carbon footprint with not only the food but also their packaging has made it popular among youngsters. You can find them in Yorkville, the Entertainment District and the Financial District in Toronto.
-
Foxies Bake Shop’s Cookies
Last but not least, if you wish to try one of the tastiest cookies in the world, taste your kind of cookies at Foxies Bake Shop! Give your tongue a taste of their 4-ounce stuffed cookies that have existed since 2018. There is no doubt why their cookies are a must-try food in Toronto. Their store is located at 669 Mount Pleasant Road in Toronto, ON.
Cookies always have our hearts, but this special place, unfortunately, is only accessible to people in Canada. This teamwork, headed by two sisters, delivers fresh cookies across Canada. Make sure you try their Cinnamon bun stuffed cookie topped with Cinnamon toast crunch, Smores cookie and Nutella Cookie.
You May Also Read :
| Best Brunch in Toronto | St. Lawrence Market in Toronto |
| Canadian Food | Fun Things to Do in Toronto |
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
Toronto is a hub of diverse cultures and communities. People come from around the world to study or settle in the city. The must-try food in Toronto is Poutine. It is a flavour-loaded dish called ‘The National Dish of Canada’. In Toronto, one can find poutine in different varieties and ingredients.
Yes, one can find several vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Toronto. Indian food is a popular choice and one of Toronto's must-eats.
There are no such restrictions on foods sold in Canada under any federal legislation.
Some of the best food items you should be aware of in Toronto involve Corn Dog, Poutine, cookies, etc.
Peameal Bacon Sandwich is the favourite food of people living in Toronto. This delicious sandwich is the most distinct and iconic dish in the city.
Drake is a Canadian rapper, and his favourite Toronto restaurant is Sotto Sotto. It’s an Italian restaurant in Yorkville with a second location in Oakville. What is the main dish in Toronto?
Are there vegetarian food options available in Toronto?
Are there restrictions on foods sold in Toronto?
What is the most popular food in Toronto?
What is Toronto's favourite food?
Where does Drake eat in Toronto?
