Toronto
is in many ways a food lovers paradise, and we just wanted to share our
thoughts on the restaurants we’ve tried in this wonderful city in the past four
years. A * indicates a favourite of ours. We should note that we’ve avoided the
pricey places, so most places here can give you a meal for two (without drinks)
within about $35 (there are a few exceptions). Write to us with comments and
suggestions at maninisheker@hotmail.com or shami.ghosh@utoronto.ca. Buon Appetito!
467
Bloor St. W. (416) 840-9988
If
you’re looking for a cheap, tasty and authentic Thai meal, this is the place to
go. Their lunch specials are amazing; try the pad thai (the best in town, and
they DON’T use ketchup!!), or the cashew nut chicken. If you’re going a la carte,
don’t miss the Panang curry and the basil fried rice. The mango salad is a bit
disappointing, but they do also have some great desserts and young coconut
water.
525
Bloor St. W. (416) 588-8424
Though
they have the best mango salad we’ve tried, they tend to be inconsistent and
the atmosphere is gloomy. The mango salad is always good; the basil chicken is
normally good; other things are a bit hit and miss.
179
Dundas W.; (416) 977-4712
Reasonably
priced and reasonable tasting food; nothing exceptional.
BibimQ
597
Yonge St. (416) 922-6367
Cheap,
convenient, fast Korean, and extremely tasty: better than the others we’ve had.
Their bibimbop is excellent, and the Pork Bone Soup and Seaood Udon are
outstanding (get the Seafood Udon Korean style for a dollar extra if you like
it hot). The Kimchi Fried Rice and bbq options are really good too.
500
Queen St. W.; (416) 366-1220
More
upmarket than Thai Thani; though it says it’s been voted best Thai, we found
the food just ok; nothing memorable.
730
Yonge St. (416) 928-0021
Mediocre
at best; the pad thai is ketchupy.
Probably
the most popular chain for this sort of food; judging from the line-ups you
would think this is the best pan-Asian restaurant in town. The décor is hip and
the food is certainly good, but not as good as the hype.
730
Yonge St. (416) 964-8410
The
only ‘noodlery’ in town. You fill a bowl with vegetables, choose your noodle,
protein and sauce, and wait for it to be stir-fried and brought to you. It’s
fun to do, and pretty good, but probably not worth the price.
578
Yonge St. (416) 323-9819
Greasy,
disappointing so-called Szechuan food.
18
El m St. (416) 977-6748
They
just re-opened one of our favourite Thai restaurants, which has an extremely
elegant dining atmosphere, a good, upmarket (and pricey) Thai buffet (the à la
carte menu is outside our price range). One of the treats is the soup bar.
39
Baldwin St. (416) 596-2832
Our
new favourite restaurant. Everything is outstanding quality, and the seafood is
exquisite. A bit pricey, but the quality is worth the expense. Our favourite dishes:
sambal udang, nasi lemak, cashew nut prawn and mango chicken (it’s a bit
difficult for vegetarians to find much here). The desserts are excellent too.
126
Elizabeth St. (416) 977-0933
If you
like Hakka or Szechuan inspired Chinese dishes, you should try their chilli
chicken and Hakka noodles, probably the best we’ve had downtown. It’s greasy
but tasty and fast, and the price is not too bad.
130
St. George St. (just outside Robarts)
How
can you not be tempted to buy from this cute truck that stands outside Robarts
Library? Freshly stir-fried food at by far the best of the food trucks on
campus. You get a heaping box of rice or noodles with vegetables or meat for
$5; the ingredients always taste fresh (though they sometimes run out of stuff
by evening). Our favourites are the Shanghai noodles and the country style
noodles.
With
many downtown branches, this is a convenient option when you’re craving Korean
meat. It’s great for meataholics: the all you can eat bbq gets you several
platefuls of raw meat to grill for yourself. It’s a lot of fun, and you’ll
always see plenty of spectators on the street looking on as you grill your food
on the sunken grill in the middle of the table. Served with kimchi, radishes,
tofu and sprouts.
Kokuryo
649
Yonge St. (416) 972-7692
This
slightly dingy Korean bistro with friendly waitresses (who often speak little
English) and Korean-English hip-hop on the stereos is very popular with the
young Koreans downtown. They make a mean BBQ spicy chicken with what they call
a suicide sauce (for us, it’s never been as lethal as the waitress thinks – she
always looks worried when we order it), and reliable bulgogi, kalbi and soups.
Not as good as the best in Koreatown, but cheap and convenient if you’re
downtown. A word of warning: take a look at the health inspector’s sign on the
door.
Home
of Hot Taste
710
Yonge St. (416) 975-0000
They
say they’re a very popular chain in Korea, and they provide a Korean-style pub
atmosphere (two TVs with sports). The blazing fire chicken is indeed blazing,
and the pork bone soup and kimchi fried rice are also really good. Be warned
that here, some of the really spicy stuff can burn a hole in your
stomach.
Sushi
Club
41
Charles St. W. (416) 967-3388
Our
favourite sushi place in Toronto gives you fresh, well-balanced, and extremely
tasty sushi; quite cheap – not as cheap as Sushi on Bloor, but much better.
They do an excellent job with the usual favourites; the yam tempura and the
spicy tuna roll are particularly good.
604
Church St. (416) 934-9990
OK
sushi.
254
Queen St. W. (416) 848-9456 / 2352 Yonge St. (416) 322-6860
A
busy restaurant that serves reliable versions of Japanese/Korean standards.
Their lunch bento boxes are good deals, and the kalbi and bibimbop are
tasty.
Pho
Hung
350
Spadina Ave. (416) 593-4274
Pho
Hung serves good pho with interesting options like beef balls and tripe.
Filling and inexpensive.
Dumpling
House
328
Spadina Ave. (416) 596-8898
They
serve dumplings! To rats!!! (Just kidding – but they did fail the health inspection
this year…) We think their dumplings are overrated, but they always seem to
draw quite a few people.
Peter’s
Chung King
281
College St. (416) 928-2936
Though
this restaurant claims to have the best Szechuan in town, we found the food
mediocre at best. The service ranges from indifferent to unfriendly.
Miyaki
Sushi
222
The Esplanade (416) 203-8811
Korean/Japanese,
with good lunch specials, and tasty bulgogi in spicy sauce.
487 Bloor
St. W. (416) 975-9986
This
has the best falafel and shawarma downtown; the ingredients are always fresh
and tasty, and you can get it on whole-wheat pita too. It’s also extremely
cheap, and open till after midnight (till 4 a.m. Thu-Sat). Expect a line-up at
peak times.
508
Yonge St. (416) 929-8893
Good
value for money; the kebabs are always extremely tender and flavourful and the
saffron-barberry rice is simply exquisite. All meals come with warm, fresh
lahvash bread and butter, which is always a treat, and the main dishes also
have either salad or grilled tomatoes. The curries are also excellent: try the
fesenjoon: chicken in walnut and pomegranate curry. Can get very busy in the
evenings and sometimes at lunch.
390
Steeles Ave. West. (906) 764-6440
This
restaurant has been voted the best middle-eastern in Toronto for many years,
and it seems to deserve that. Everything is fresh and packed with flavour; the
kebabs are outstanding and the labaneh and mujadarah are wonderful. You can
also stock up on groceries at the store attached to the restaurant, or take out
dips and fast food.
Shawarma
Palace
668
Yonge St. (416) 916-1272
It’s
supposed to be Turkish, but the name itself reveals that it’s not that
authentic. If you get it with lots of garlic and chilli sauce, the adana
sandwich is excellent, and costs just $5. The other stuff is watered-down
Turkish: ok, but not great, and can’t compare to the doners of England and
Germany (and they have no lamb doner!). Open till 3 a.m. on weekends
Banu
777
Queen St. West (416) 777-2268
This
funky Persian restaurant was started by a U of T grad student, and aims to
provide something like an Iranian student hangout place. Most things are
organic (and therefore a bit pricey); the kebabs are excellent, and come with a
lovely flatbread, though we missed eating them with saffron rice.
South Asian
1365
Gerard St. E. (416) 406-4668
Tasty
but a tad expensive, this is probably the most popular Pakistani place in town
(evidenced by their never-ending renovation). The kababs and biryani are very
good, if oily; the kulfi is also excellent.
Exotic
Tandoori
11
Charles St. W. (416) 964-1616
Run
by a very friendly Pakistani guy, this tiny place provides a ridiculously
cheap, but also bad buffet; excellent kabab rolls; and an inconsistent biryani
that can be fantastic at times, and at other times is just chicken and rice.
The service is extremely iffy.
14
Prince Arthur Ave (416) 962-4678
This
is the best Indian buffet we’ve had downtown: authentic, and excellent Indian
food (albeit slightly more muted than would be the case in India).
Unfortunately the buffet is on only Thursday to Sunday, and the naans – on
their à la carte, the best we’ve had in North America – are not so good at the
buffet. The butter chicken is the best; other notables are the paneer tawa
masala, daal makhani, nawabi seekh kabab, and murg mirch tikka.
71
Jarvis St. (416) 368-8048
The
picture of Bill Clinton shaking hands with the proprietor says it all: the food
remained good after Clinton left the White House, but seems to have lost heart
along the way (with Bush’s re-election perhaps).
1920
Ellesmere Rd. (416) 439-9234
Indian
Chinese: if you’ve every tried it before, and liked it, this is the best we’ve
had in Toronto. They have everything from Hakka chowmein to chilli chicken and
chicken pakoras, and they even give you vinegar chillies with the food! It’s
also extremely cheap, and fast.
861
Danforth Ave. (416) 461-9238
Indian
Chinese downtown: not as good as Federick’s, but they do affordable, tasty
Hakka food (the Hakka chowmein is disappointing, though, and the hot & sour
soup is just bad). Try the Indian style chopsuey or the Manchurian fried rice,
and be sure to get their special hot sauce.
712
Queen St. W. (416) 306-1896
Run
by an extremely sweet couple, this cute restaurant is decorated with
breathtaking pictures of Tibet. The momos are excellent, as is the sauce that
comes with them.
Brar
Sweets
2646
Islington Ave (416) 745-4449
Excellent,
fresh, vegetarian (Indian) Punjabi food. Don’t miss the samosas (though if
you’re taking out a lot, you’ll have to haggle to get enough chutney).
4559
Hurontario St., Mississauga Market Place. (905) 290 0769
The
most authentic, tastiest South Indian food we’ve had outside of India; their
weekend brunch is excellent and good value, and the chutneys are wonderful (the
idlis are not so great, though). The brunch is also the best thing to go for;
the thaalis aren’t so good. If you go for the weekend brunch, be prepared to
queue.
630 Bloor
St. W. (416) 483-3593
Good
Malayalee food, and the only such restaurant in TO that we know.
Hopper
Hut
880
Ellesmere Rd. (416) 299-4311
Excellent
Sri Lankan Food. Ask for it mild, or line your stomach with iron!
307
Wellesley St. E. (416) 929-2099
Pricey,
but good; convenient because it’s really the only Sri Lankan downtown.
1460
Gerard St. E. (416) 405-8189
OK
South Indian food; nowhere near as good as the Udupi places in India.
*Halal
786
1330
Gerard East Toronto; (416) 406-0786
We
were delighted when they opened here, having tried the original Montreal
branch. Outstanding (Pakistani) Punjabi biryanis and curries – in our opinion,
the best Pakistani in Indiatown. The curries are authentic and fiery: try the
mutton achari qorma, keema fry, and the Lahrori fish is wonderful. And even
better: they deliver downtown (Bloor and Yonge)! Be warned, though, that all
the curries are literally (yes, literally!) drowning in oil.
Update
January 2009: they no longer deliver L
*Babu’s
catering
480
Sheppard Ave E. (416) 298-2228
Although
a bit chaotic (they sometimes mix up your order), but according to what we
heard, and our own tastes, it’s the best Sri Lankan in the Toronto area. Try
the mutton roast.
Mehran
398
Church St. (416) 595-6434
The
cab-driver’s favourite. Cheap and reasonable Pakistani fast food; the biryani
is pretty good, the other stuff is ok.
69
Yorkville Ave (416) 961-8349
The
extremely affable proprietor of this small but unassuming Yorkville place (with
fortunately not really Yorkville prices) serves up good, reliable North Indian
food; the saag paneer is outstanding.
King
Palace
820
Church St. (416) 515-8188
Another
cab-driver’s favourite; this one has a much larger selection than Mehran, but
the quality is about the same, and rather too greasy for our taste.
517
Yonge St. (416) 924 5787
Reliable
Indian standards and some Nepali dishes at reasonable prices.
Mediterranean
594
College St. (416) 534-4637
A
friendly, pleasant café, good place to watch the Euro cup, and they offer you
some flexibility, since you can choose the combination of sauce and pasta you
want. Try the gnocchi with the rosé or alla vodka sauce, but pass on the pizze.
Il
Fornello
207
Queens Quay West (416) 861-1028
Ok
Italian food; the linguine al frutti di mare is pretty good, but overall, this
place disappointed us. But then, we’re big Terroni fans.
720
Queen St. W. (416) 504-0320 / 1 Balmoral Ave. (416) 925-4040 / 47 Adelaide St.
E. (416) 203-3093
From
starters (try the funghi assoluti) to desserts to booze (try the limoncello, or
the vin santo with biscotti), it’s wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!! Italian
food as good (and sometimes better) than Italy! They have a rustic interior
with wooden booths and pictures of Italian villages on the walls. Almost
everything we’ve tried is outstanding. The pizzas are on amazingly thin crusts
with very flavourful toppings, the daily pastas (all homemade) are exquisite
(try the ricotta and chestnut ravioli in porcini and marsala cream sauce if
they have it, or the ravioli di mamma rita). If you like it spicy, ask for the
hot peppers in olive oil. Their desserts are also outstanding (tiramisu to die
for!!!). We’ve found the Balmoral location to be the most consistent in terms
of quality, but the Queen West location is cuter; the Adelaide location is
massive but cool, and draws an upmarket crowd.
97
Harbord St. (416) 920-2186
Skip
the pizzas, but go for the delicious Mediterranean inspired food. The goat cheese
phyllo triangles are a wonderful start to the meal and the Cornish hens
delight! The desserts are delicious too.
300-225
King St. W. (416) 351-9393
An
excellent place for pre-theatre or pre-concert Greek mezes; they do good
tzatziki and taramasalata, excellent lamb chops, ok moussaka. Don’t miss the
flambéed saganaki!!
1475
Danforth Ave (416) 778-7870
The
only Tunisian restaurant we know of in Toronto. The service is a bit slow – the
proprietor does everything on his own. The couscous isn’t as great as what
we’ve had in Paris, but still good; the merguez platter is amazing.
270
Bloor St. W. (416) 960-3877
Good,
reliable Italian food; the pizzas are very good (try the bocconcini pizza),
though we think not as good as Terroni’s.
36A Prince
Arthur Ave. (416) 323-0636
This
cozy Yorkville trattoria has a romantic patio with a lovely leafy canopy, and
does really good southern Italian food; all their seafood pastas are especially
good.
2035
Yonge St. (416) 440-1986
This
cute and charming restaurant with wooden tables and vintage posters lining the
walls has good Italian food; it is also a favourite among the literary circles
of Toronto, and functions as a sort of salon for the artsy crowd, with plenty
of readings and other events.
15
Toronto St. (416) 366-4657
This
cutely-decorated popular Italian bistro draws in the Bay Street crowd till it’s
busting open at the seams at lunchtime on weekdays. They have the usual fare of
panini, pasta and pizza, all of which are pretty good – but nothing to get
genuine Italian mammas too excited.
Massimos
Pizza
302
College St. (416) 967-0527
Go
here for those midnight cravings and indulge in a slice of cheesy goodness. Try
the hot peppers if you like it spicy.
Gigi
Pizza
189
Harbord St. (416) 535-4444
Good
place to grab a slice for a quick bite.
Latin American (inspired)
872
Bloor St. W (416) 913-4227
This
small Bloor Street place has an extremely friendly proprietor, who loves to
talk about Nicaragua and even put on a documentary on the tv for us. The food
is simple but tasty, and reasonably priced. For $10 you get a heaping plateful
of rice, beans, plantains, avocado and cheese.
161
Harbord St. (416) 961-7676
This
is a cute, charming and romantic restaurant, and a long-time favourite. The
menu is Peruvian and Peruvian-inspired, and most things on their relatively
short menu are excellent. Skip Lick’s to try the amazing boulevard burger with
a spiced patty topped with guacamole and served with outstanding Yukon gold
fries and salad. The char-broiled brochettes are also exceptional, and come
with a great dipping sauce. They also do a pretty good Sunday brunch, but
though it’s good, it’s not the best way to try their stuff. In the summers,
they have a wonderful covered patio, and in other seasons you can sit in their
cosy indoor rooms decked with pictures of Peruvian villagers. They also do some
wonderfully boozy cocktails – try their mojito. The upstairs has a fireplace
and is even cuter than the downstairs, but sometimes the food takes a little
longer to get to you there.
Big
Fat Burrito
285
Augusta Ave (416) 913-7487
Filling,
cheap and tasty burritos; you can choose what level of spice you want (and very
spicy is very spicy). They have limited seating, and the line-ups can be
long at lunch. The yam burrito is excellent.
202
Dovercourt Rd. (416) 532-7397
A
very cute and cozy tapas place, which occupies the ground floor of a house in a
nice west-end neighbourhood. The food is good, but not great; go for the
atmosphere.
MexiTaco
828
Bloor St. W. (416) 537-6693
Reliable
Mexican food; be warned that the vegetables are essentially heated up from bags
of frozen stuff.
Caribbean
The
Real Jerk
709
Queen St. E. (416) 463-6055
It
lives up to the name by serving excellent jerk chicken; the rotis are better
(but much further away) at Vena’s.
Ritz
Caribbean
606
Yonge St.; 450 Yonge St.; 45 Overlea Blvd (416) 966-2005
OK
fast-food Caribbean.
Vena’s
1263
Bloor St. West; (416) 532-3665
Many
signs proclaim that they’ve been voted the best roti in town, and after the
closing of Marcia’s lovely Island Thyme, this certainly is the best we know of.
Every year, inspired by their daughter’s birthday wish many years ago, they
serve up over 1,000 free meals to the homeless of their neighbourhood.
Sandwiches, burgers, pub food
58
The Esplanade (416) 862-7575; 600 King St. W. (416) 862-1175)
Outstanding
pub food! Their mussels are the best, the sausage platter is excellent, and
they have over 100 beers to choose from. Not cheap at all, but a great place
for a special treat.
Future’s
Bakery
483
Bloor St. W. (416) 922-5875
A
popular café for the midnight student crowd – after 11 pm Thursdays to
Saturdays, it’s hard to find an empty spot on the patio. The sandwiches and
burgers are decent, as is most of the regular ‘pub’ fare. Most people come for
the deals on the beer… Don’t miss the fabulous cheesecake!
152
Spadina Ave. (416) 504-4494
If
you’re looking for a relaxing, fresh-brewed cup of coffee to go with reading
the paper, this is the place to go. Their croissants and cookies are excellent,
and they have lovely sandwiches and salads too.
MBCo
100
Bloor Street West (416) 961-6226
A
very chi-chi, very pricey place that serves tasty, fresh, and innovative
sandwiches; way overpriced for what you get, but what d’you expect: it’s
Yorkville.
490
Bloor Street West (416) 516-7776
Funky
place that serves outstanding fish and chips (the halibut is best). Try their
hot pepper and garlic mayos; the other sauces and the coleslaw are also really
good. Weirdly, they don’t stay open late.
603
Yonge St. (416) 920-6288
A friendly
Yonge street joint that’s very popular on weekend evenings, and quite
affordable. They do a good New York steak, and nice weekend brunches; some of
the daily specials are also really good. Live music on some weekend nights.
Freshwood
Grill
197
½ Baldwin St. (Kensington Market) (416) 340-6262; 293 Roncesvalles Ave. (416)
537-1882
We’ve
only tried the Kensington location, which serves up very tasty organic beef and
bison burgers, a range of wraps and salads, and decent brunches. Some of the
daily specials are really good, and if you want to imbibe the vibe, they have a
few stools and a counter outside so that you can stare at Kensington pass you
by as you dig into the outstanding sweet potato fries with garlic mayo – the
best thing on the menu.
New
Yorker Deli
1140
Bay St. (416) 923-3354
Head
to this cool New York taxicab-themed deli for classic Reubens and latkes with
sour cream. Not cheap, but tasty and very filling, and the homemade
lemonade is zingy.
Mel’s
Montreal Deli
440 Bloor
Street West (416) 966-8881
They’re
always open – but that’s the main draw. If you want deli food at less unusual
hours, the New Yorker Deli is your best bet; the food at Mel’s is fine for
after a night of excessive imbibing at the Annex, but at other times, it will
probably disappoint.
The
Rectory Café
Ward’s
Island (416) 203-2152
Good
sandwiches and dip platters and very good desserts – try the Calebaut brownie.
The best part, of course, is being on the island, just off the boardwalk – this
is the only place on the island that serves genuinely good food, not just the
usual fast food junk.
67
Front Street East (416) 867-9499
Go
here for your favourite pub fare: the lamb burgers and the chicken strips are
especially tasty, but everything is good, and they have live music on many
weekend nights.
Ok
panini, freshly squeezed juices; a good place to hang out with your laptop while
getting a quick bite.
Le
petit dejeuner
191
King St. E. (416) 763-1560
This
is a cute and charming breakfast joint that often has line-ups just to get in;
the delicious breakfast fare is definitely worth the wait – wonderfully light
Belgian waffles with strawberries, organic maple syrup and chantilly cream and
delicious eggs that come with an apple coleslaw. If only their orange juice
were freshly squeezed.
Vietnamese
subs – Nguyen Hu’o’ng
322
Spadina Ave. (416) 599-9927
Of
the many places for these fusion sandwiches, this is the one we prefer. The
subs come in half-sized, sort-of-French baguettes, with paté, cold cuts (both
not quite French, but not quite what you’d associate with south-east Asia
either), some vegetables and chilli if you like it spicy. At $1.75, it’s a
steal.
Canadian, Fusion, and other cuisines
4
Gilead Place (647) 288-0680
This
cute café with walls lined with bottles of pickled vegetables, sauces and
preserves is just off King Street E., and is the latest edition to Jamie
Kennedy’s stable of restaurants. Drop in to sample wonderful cheeses, tarts and
salads; or enjoy their freshly prepared sandwiches like the fried halloumi with
heirloom tomatoes and caramelised onions. Everything is fresh and delicious and
of the highest quality and the best part is it’s AFFORDABLE!
7
Hart House Circle (416) 978-2445
One
of our favourite restaurants. The main dining room overlooking the chapel in
Hart House (University of Toronto), and the cozy lounge has a display case with
antique violas, and a beautiful view over the park. They offer a fresh and
seasonal menu, with each dish carefully crafted to highlight the time of year,
and paired with a local wine; everything on the menu is excellent. Closed
Saturdays, but try their Sunday brunch. It closes in July and August.
Fressen
478
Queen Street West (416) 504-5127
Vegan,
cute, atmospheric, and serves tapas-style food; for us, somewhat overpriced,
and not so tasty.
696
Queen Street West (416) 203-8882
One
of the most charming and romantic restaurants ever, with very cute couches and
lamps, and pictures of cats. The many teas are excellent; the main dishes are
unique: fusion that actually works. Their desserts are atrocious, however: dry
and flavourless and drowned in inches of icing. Be warned that this is also a
very pricey place, with somewhat eccentric timings and changing menus
1033
Bay Street (416) 923-8159
Though
the menu offers innovative items like Asian pear salad with mango chutney and blue
cheese, lamb roganjosh with mashed potatoes and feta, and grilled mahi-mahi
with coconut sauce and rice pilaf; the food is on the whole underwhelming and
the high prices seem to only be justified by the cutlery.
Ethiopian
House
4
Irwin Ave. (416) 923-5438
Good
downtown Ethiopian, though for the real thing, try one of the places on Bloor,
west of Koreatown.
750
Bloor Street W. (416) 962-4734
Interesting
flavours and good home made ice cream (try the roasted marshmallow); for us,
nothing beats good gelato (rare in Toronto).
787
Queen St. W. (416) 584-2870; 2638 Yonge St. (416) 484-9080; 1917 Queen St. E.
(416) 699-4900
One
of the best patisseries we’ve tried in Toronto. They supply many of the big
restaurants and coffee shops (including Second Cup). The lemon tart is one of
the best we’ve tried: wonderfully tart, silky texture and perfect crisp pastry.
The white chocolate raspberry mousse cake is the best we’ve ever had; a must
for all birthdays!
287
Augusta Ave. (416) 236-7585
It’s
all about the crust – and this has got to be the best pie-crust we’ve tasted in
Toronto! They have all your favourite pies: strawberry-rhubarb; Swiss apple;
wild blueberry; peach; chocolate pecan – get a slice with a scoop of ice cream
or a whole pie to go in a charming box!
1801
Lawrence Ave. E., Unit 9 (416) 755-6323
The
most exquisite baklava in the GTA! The Syrians are known for the best sweets
and food in the Middle East; unlike Greek baklava (too sweet and syrupy for our
taste), or the cheap stuff you get at Rabba, this is pure heaven in a bite!!!
They’re so popular, they offer UPS delivery of baklava to your door, anywhere
in North America…
Patachou
1095
Yonge St. (416) 927-1105
Excellent
pastries and elegant cakes for special occasions; the almond croissants have a
lovely texture (but not sufficient filling).
215
Madison Ave. (416) 926-0303
If
you like nuts, pastry and fruit, go here! Their frangipane tarts are simply
scrumptious, and the other stuff is excellent too.
Paloma
1357
St. Clair Ave. West (416) 656-2340
Good
gelato is hard to find in Toronto, and this is one of the few places that
supplies it (though it’s not as good as the best in Italy). It’s a bit far to
go just for gelato, though.