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The comprehensive index of every blog post, magazine story and restaurant review that appears on Torontolife.com
This legendary haute Chinese kitchen delivers a full—and fully delicious—dim sum experience in less than an hour
Seafood dumplings and cream tarts
The place: Perched on the second floor of the Metropolitan Hotel, Lai Wah Heen has long been Toronto’s go-to spot for haute contemporary Chinese dining. A maple-panelled room provides privacy for VIPs, but the main room has its own austere calm, despite the lunch rush.
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Toronto’s wealth of new indie cafés has been a boon to community life, but mostly for neighbourhoods south of Bloor. That’s not the case with Hub, which opened last weekend on a residential stretch of Shaw Street near Dupont. The spot has already gained a following from the residents of Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction who are thankful they no longer have to hop on their bikes to find a quick lunch, a latte or a cool escape from un-air-conditioned townhouses. At midday on a Wednesday, the place is bustling with moms with strollers and dads giving their daughters piggyback rides.
Breakfast is served at Around the Corner (Image: Signe Langford)
New Toronto—that little pocket of post-war bungalows at Islington and Lakeshore—is teetering on the brink of gentrification. Just off the tired, time-worn main strip, new residents are tearing down the dinky houses to build dream homes by the water. Stepping in to feed these folks is Mark Ali, the enterprising foodie-locavore who has owned and operated The Village Butcher for the past three years. At his new café, Around the Corner, Ali shifts his devotion to all things fresh and local to the world of gluten-free eating.
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Say “hello” to one of the city’s best bakeries, which also happens to serve a pretty fantastic lunch.
The place: The best French bakery west of Leslieville is as famous for its pastries as it is for its weekend brunch (and lineups), but on a weekday afternoon, we’re seated in no time on the cozy, shaded patio. The small interior, cluttered with baker’s racks, is charmingly no frills.
The crowd: From Riverdale families to work-at-home freelancers to shoppers taking a break from antiquing, everyone on this sunny Wednesday seems to be moving at a languid, mid-summer pace.
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This urban oasis near U of T nails the ’50s nostalgia and the chicken sandwich
The French dishes at this Harbord Street restaurant stun as much at lunch as they do at dinner
(Images: Renée Suen)
The place: This south Annex gem promises gourmet bistro fare both noon and night, but there’s extra incentive in the summer: Loire’s breezy canopy-covered terrace.
The crowd: Neighbourhood regulars, golf shirt-clad businessmen, university professors and administrators playing hooky.
The deal: The midday menu of French-inspired comfort foods may be priced the same as it is at dinner, but the selections are excellently matched with the time of day.
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Have your cake—and bento box, too—at the city’s most charming tea house
The place: The vibrant cakes on display in the Red Tea Box’s Queen West storefront window only hint at the wonderful setting beyond: mismatched furniture set up in a hidden coach house and on the whimsical back patio. The latter, with its Asian decor and shady pear tree, makes a resplendent setting for a summer lunch.
The crowd: Most tables are full and occupied by women enjoying a break from work or Queen West shopping.
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Ossington’s French-Cuban fixture has started serving lunch—and there’s plenty to celebrate
Cubano sandwich at Delux (Images: Catherine Hayday)
The place: Now chugging toward its third year, Delux was among the first to set up kitchen on Ossington’s restaurant row. Though the dinner menu is described as “rustic French,” the midday card is distinctly, deliciously Cuban.
The crowd: Three quarters of the tables are occupied by stylish people who have the sort of jobs that accommodate regular leisurely west-end lunches. (No, we don’t know what they do, either.)
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The patio season started early this year, which simply means there’s more time to hit the city’s best al fresco dining and drinking destinations. Here, 10 of our favourites »
The restaurant at this downtown hotel goes all out for its weekly $27 prix fixe
Steak, poutine and slaw at Hemispheres
The place: The Metropolitan Hotel’s lobby-level restaurant offers classic hotel glitz and glamour. Surrounded by beech wall panels and large murals, diners may peer into the open kitchen for some culinary theatre or meditate on the white orchids that decorate every table.
The crowd: The kitchen acts quickly to cater to the strict schedules of busy lawyers, judges and city hall officials, including one ex–mayoral candidate. We’re told that plates generally take no longer than 15 minutes to arrive at tables, “unless it’s chicken.”
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This iconic purveyor of Canadian cuisine—and one of the best restaurants in Toronto—dazzles as much at lunch as it does at dinner
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The place: Visiting at midday gives diners the opportunity for a full, day-lit view of the city; the simple decor, wisely, makes no attempt to compete.
The crowd: Food lovers of every ilk, including high-powered execs, political aides, office mavens and a few recognizable faces dressed in everything from suits to jeans.
The deal: Consistently topping Toronto (and Canada) best-of lists, Canoe’s lunchtime menu impresses. Executive chef Anthony Walsh and chef de cuisine John Horne draw on ingredients from coast to coast, from maple B.C. salmon gravlax ($17) to the Canoe classic tourtière ($23) to Yarmouth lobster and chicken pot pie ($26). And like the dinner menu, you can super-size any appetizer to meal-sized portion for an extra $6.
The $18 midday menu at this legendary French fixture is the best lunch north of Bloor
This Little Italy sandwich shop sets a new standard for Toronto panino makers
Is it just us, or has the humble sandwich conquered every menu in the city? Below, four tasty picks from this year’s sandwich invasion
(Photo by Daniel Shipp)
This raw food café brings fresh life to St. Lawrence Market with dishes even a carnivore will love
The place: The two-month-old raw food joint (“cruda” is Spanish for “raw”) is the brainchild of chef Claudia Gaviria, who proudly offers mostly uncooked options to office dwellers who work too far from Rawlicious or Urban Herbivore. Tucked away in the northeast corner of the lower level, Cruda is a welcome reprieve from the market’s long-standing deep-fried lunch options. Don’t be turned off by the “raw” and “vegan” labels; this is satisfying food by any standard. Read the rest of this entry »
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