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Jov Bistro
Divining its name from the initials of its chef-owners, sassy JOV Bistro is a neighborhood space for independent-minded foodies. Dinner and weekend reservations should be made in advance, but the forethought is worth it, especially for witty French reinterpretations of classic seafood dishes. You'd be best served by taking the chefs up on their 'Trust Me' four-course dinner (around C$70 ; wine pairings extra).
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Joy Bistro
The most recent venture by chef David Chrystian, Joy has a joyous park-side patio or fabulously stripy bench seats inside. Order from a menu emphasizing traditional meat dishes with French overtones (duck confit, Manitoba pork belly, slow-roasted lamb shank, etc). The wine list is impressively global, and the service impeccable. They play Jeff Buckley downstairs; upstairs is a bar called Over Joy (ha-ha).
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Julie's
This West Queen West neighborhood secret (not so secret now, eh?) has customers driving from as far away as Buffalo to enjoy trad Cuban dishes like ropa vieja (shredded beef in spicy tomato sauce with ripe plantains, white rice and black beans; around C$17 ). The restaurant was once a grocery store, and every effort has been made (or rather, not made) to preserve the vibe: original linoleum floors, old store shelves, even the 1960s sign. The front patio is a winner.
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Jumbo Empanadas
Real Chilean empanadas (toasted sandwich-like delights stuffed with beef, chicken, cheese or vegetables) and savory corn pie with beef, olives and eggs always sell out early in the day. Bread and salsas are also homemade.
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Katmandu
If 13 different types of naan and roti bread doesn't spark you're interest, you're probably reading the wrong guidebook. Use the aforementioned breads to mop up your selection from the huge menu of beef, goat, lamb, chicken and vegetarian curries. And check out the amazing clear-day photo of the Himalayas by the door!
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King's Table
A fraternal, back-slapping feeling suffuses this storefront, which we'll crown King of The Beaches' fish-and-chip shops. Cheery tables fill up fast as diners demand hearty halibut or salmon grills and basic salads.
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Kit Kat
A saving grace near the Theatre Block is Kit Kat, where the vibe manages to stay low-key (dare we say, bohemian) despite the surrounding glitz. It's a cute Italian shopfront restaurant, complete with red-and-white checked tablecloths, serving traditional southern Italian pasta and meat dishes like osso buco Milanese (around C$22 ) and spaghetti pescatore ($20).
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Latitude
A Uruguayan chef takes care with pan-Latin American fare, and although the menu occasionally speaks of Asia, there's always fried yucca or plantains on the side. Looking for a romantic tree-draped back patio? Head past the intimate wine bar, where the mojitos and margaritas kick like a mule.
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Le Gourmand
A nirvana for foodies, Le Gourmand is a classy grocery store stocking Napa Valley mustards, rare Mexican chocolates and jars of Italian eggplant pesto. Peruse the deli case and pastry shelves, sip a foamy cappuccino or cool off with a homemade gelato. As for breakfast, can we tempt you with a Portobello mushroom and goats' cheese omelette (around C$9 )?
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Leão D'ouro
This place has been here for 30 years and, except from the odd hockey game on TV, remains unflappably Portuguese - pretty Portuguese staff, 100% Portuguese wine and a superb Portuguese menu. Try the signature Seafood Rice for two with whole grilled fish (around C$60 ), or maybe the Santola à Leão - steamed crab with house special dip (around C$35 ). Delicioso !
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Leslie Jones
If you're not paying attention, you'll walk right past this moody, dim-lit room just east of Jones St in boomtown Leslieville (Leslieville, Jones St, Leslie Jones… oh so pithy). All-day breakfasts draw local arty types from beneath the rocks they've been hiding under, while pasta dishes, meaty mains and sandwiches like jerk pork with mango salsa and chili mayo (around C$9 ) are great value.
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Matahari Bar & Grill
An urbane hideaway with a peace-and-love vibe, Matahari's walls feature 'Good things are being said about you' and 'Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise' inscriptions. Sage words to ponder as you wait for your scented prawns in sweet and spicy tamarind (around C$18 ), chicken curry or Singaporean stir-fry. Desserts are inspired; so is the list of ice wines and imported beers.
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Mel's Montréal Delicatessen
You're here for one thing and one thing only: Mel's famous Jumbo Smoked Meat Sandwich (around C$11 ). A cardiac arrest on a plate, this 8oz spectacular struggles to contain many layers of Mel's old-fashioned meat, shipped in from Québec twice weekly and cut against the grain to keep the juices in. Along with a pile of corkscrew fries and an 10oz beer, one feed will last you a week.
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Mercatto
One of an effervescent string of Italian deli cafés, Mercatto serves up creative panini, pasta, risotto, frittata and pizza dishes at a central dining bench beneath entirely out-of-place chandeliers. No one's much concerned with what's above them though - faces are focused on the plates. You'll find a cappuccino bar and a toasty patio nook off the sidewalk. There's also a branch in Old York.
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Midi
Romantic in a restrained, sophisticated, Gallic kind of way, Midi serves trad faves like Alberta lamb shanks, fresh market fish, steamed mussels (done seven different ways) in its crimson-colored room. Couples purr over tables at night; business types discuss tomorrow's takeovers during lunch, which focuses on quiches, salads and terrines.
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Mildred Pearce
Formerly known as Mildred Pierce and located on Sudbury St, this restaurant may have a new name and location, but its quality continues. Super-courteous staff deliver meaty mains like pan-seared veal liver with bacon-roasted fingerling potatoes, rapini, Roquefort and thyme shallot jus.
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Monsoon
Clean Zen lines, outrageous tropical flowers and mid-century modern designs mix harmoniously in this sexy subterranean lounge. The menu offers a downpour of flavors, listing the likes of halibut seared in ginger-saké sauce or Bangkok bouillabaisse along with lemongrass sorbet to refresh your palate between glorious courses.
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Myth
Inside a converted movie house, Myth serves the Danforth's chicest mezes beneath bizarre medieval machinations suspended from the ceiling. Small portions of mezes approach mythical prices, but its balsamic-marinated octopus with roasted peppers or Mediterranean stuffed calamari might be the best you'll ever have.
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Nami
The name means 'wave' (as in tsunami) - look for the curly neon version on the sign out the front. Bustling about the sleek, black lacquered interior are kimono-clad matrons and intense-looking sushi chefs, who make only small concessions to North American palates. Robatayaki grilling is a specialty.
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Nevada
Painted in warm adobe hues, Nevada's menu isn't quite sure where it's from, wandering the map from Thai chicken salad to Shanghai cashew chicken stir-fry to vegetarian fajitas. Confusing, yes, but impressively versatile. Brunch plates are stacked high with blueberry pancakes or Montréal corned beef hash.
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North 44°
All deluxe mosaics and sculpted metal, Mark McEwan's sleek North 44° is still one of North America's top tables (Toronto sits at a latitude of 44° north, if you were wondering…). Solid main courses, such as a whole seared BC halibut baked in banana leaves with leek hearts, braised onion, coconut and coriander (around C$41 ), are paired with selections from a mind-boggling international wine list (17 pages, excluding bibliography). Magnificent.
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O7 West Café
Heeeey, now this place is cool! Three floors of moody lighting, textured jade paint, framed life drawings, wooden church pews and jaunty ceiling angles set the scene for a dazzling selection of pizzas, pastas and sandwiches and 24-hour breakfasts. Make like a vampire sipping blood-red wine (by the glass or bottle) as the moon dapples shadows across the street.
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Okonomi House
Authentic Okonomi House is one of the only places in Toronto, and perhaps North America, dishing up okonomiyaki , a savory Japanese cabbage pancake filled with your choice of meat, seafood or vegetables. It's perfect cold-weather comfort food (just ask Toronto's police force).
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Ouzeri
Sensibly priced mezes and sophisticated seafood endear this friendly place to local families. Roasted eggplant with a Greek salad and a cold beer will set you back around C$15 . There's live traditional Greek music on some nights (avoid if escalating bouzouki music isn't your thing).
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Pan On The Danforth
Colorful, casual Pan serves unpretentious fare with traditional Greek flavors, like Santorini chicken stuffed with spinach and feta, served with cracked pepper, new potatoes and seared veggies (around C$18 ). Finish with a chocolate baklava for dessert.
