Toronto

SAKE SUSHI TORONTO is a menu-led Roncesvalles sushi spot with late-night hours, a broad roll and sashimi range, and several clearly named paths for salmon, aburi, vegetarian, low-rice, and group ordering.

Pizzeria Badiali is the original Dovercourt slice shop from chef Ryan Baddeley and partners, known for long-fermented dough, crisp-edged New York-style pies, and a menu that makes Vodka Pie, Burrata Marinara, and Cacio e Pepe feel like the core order rather than one-off specials.

A polished CIBC Square steakhouse for dry-aged beef, tableside Caesar, raw bar, serious wine and occasion/business dining near Union Station.

The Lunch Lady brings Nguyen Thi Thanh's Saigon soup-stall legacy to Ossington through Benedict Lim's full-service Vietnamese menu: rotating noodle soups at lunch, crab-rich Banh Canh Cua, ribeye Steak Luc Lac, 24-hour beef broth, Vietnamese coffee desserts, and cocktails that carry the room into dinner.

RASA is a Harbord Village sharing-plates room from The Food Dudes, opened in 2014 and now led by executive chef Lia Silva and head chef Callum Smith. The strongest order runs through Truffle Gnudi, the brisket-and-gochujang RASA Burger, Spicy Ceviche, and the early-evening wine happy hour.

Liberty Soho is a Liberty Village social bar and restaurant with a Ruby Soho sibling identity, bookable seating, weekend brunch, happy hour, late-night food, cocktails, and a menu anchored by wagyu burgers, hot-honey chicken, spicy vodka rigatoni, wings and shareables.

Susur Lee's flagship now lives at Richmond and Portland as a polished Waterworks dining room built around shareable French-Southeast Asian signatures.

Sushi Masaki Saito is a Yorkville omakase counter built around Masaki Saito's Hokkaido-to-Tokyo-to-New-York arc, a seasonal chef-selected dinner, Japanese fish, aged-vinegar rice, a 200-year Hinoki counter, and reservation-only service.

OLDESEOUL TAVERN brings Korean-American comfort food into an easygoing Queen Street East tavern, turning familiar bar-room forms into sharper, more playful plates: a brisket burger with galbi jjim jus, squash poutine with Japanese curry, and soy-marinated devilled eggs finished with chicken crackling. The menu changes regularly, so the best visit pairs a few snacks with one substantial main and leaves room for whatever the kitchen is serving next.

Yakiniku Legend brings all-you-can-eat Japanese BBQ to McCaul Street, with table grills, Prime Kalbi, sushi, rice and noodle choices, desserts, daily midnight hours, and a late-night menu that makes it useful for downtown group meals.

Blu Ristorante is a long-running Toronto Italian dining room where owner Alfredo Rodríguez and chef Eric Bucher give continuity to an occasion-led King West experience. The menu balances familiar forms with detailed contemporary pairings: ahi tuna tartare carries saffron leek fonduta and pistachio, chestnut-ricotta tortelloni turns sweet and savoury with Medjool date and thyme beurre blanc, and woodfire-grilled branzino brings the meal to a clear main-course peak. Premium pricing, reservations, cocktails, and live music on select evenings make Blu best suited to diners planning a full night out.

PAI is Chef Nuit Regular and Jeff Regular's downtown Toronto Northern Thai restaurant, grounded in the Pai-to-Toronto origin story and a menu where Khao Soi, Chef Nuit's Pad Thai, Sai Ua, and the Northern Thai Platter carry the clearest reasons to book the Duncan Street room.

Mozy's turns Liberty Village charcoal chicken into a chef-built counter meal: brined, air-dried birds over charcoal, detailed dips and sauces, smart sides, and a tahini miso cookie that gives the compact menu a proper finish.

Pinky Swear is a playful Lakeshore Village dining room that shifts from weekend brunch to comfort-minded dinner, pairing dishes such as Sweet Potato Latke and Mushroom Orecchiette with wine, cocktails, and an unusually thoughtful zero-proof list.

Descendant Detroit Style Pizza is a Leslieville square-pan specialist built around crisp-edged Detroit-style pies, Toronto-minded topping combinations and the award-winning Daddy's Favourite. Order for the dough, stay for the crossover builds.

Foxley is a long-running Ossington pan-Asian bistro built around seafood ceviches, lamb-and-duck dumplings, sticky ribs, vegetable small plates, patio appeal, and Tom Thai's share-plate point of view.

Alo is Patrick Kriss's Spadina tasting-menu room: precise contemporary French cooking, a blind multi-course format, serious pairings, and room choices that range from Kitchen Counter seats to private dining.