10 Best Local Restaurants in Toronto

Sneaky Dee's is a Tex-Mex restaurant that also offers the chance to see up-and-coming local live musical acts as well as shows from national and international artists. Its original location was a restaurant and basement venue that hosted the very first Toronto Fringe Festival. Today it's at a larger location and is famed for its place in the Canadian punk rock scene. In fact, many bands and artists have created signature dishes on the menu like the Northern Blues Nachos, The Destroyer, Fifth Helena Homefries, and The Queen of Heart Attacks breakfast, among others.

Sneaky Dee's is a staple of alternative culture and the Toronto indie rock scene. It's on College Street, just minutes west of city centre.

Bandit Brewery is a small local brewpub offering up a wide range of craft beers with solid bar-style eats for a great time with your nearest and dearest. The expansive beer list offers a range of pilsners, sours, gose beers, stouts, barrel-aged beers, and more IPAs than you can shake a stick at. They also carry several wines and ciders as well as soft drinks and juice if you're the designated driver or just don't want to imbibe.

The food menu offers a range of shareables from cheese curds to French fries and chicken wings. Main dishes include burgers, fish and chips, steak frites, fried chicken sandwiches, and vegan options. Bandit is located about 12 minutes west of city centre.

Smoke's Poutinerie is tough to call local as it's a national franchise, but it offers a phenomenal take on the iconic dish and is worth mentioning as a local favourite. Founded by Ryan Smolkin, the restaurant seeks to bring classic Quebec poutine to the rest of the world. It did originate in Toronto, so that makes it a worthwhile inclusion here, and it has since spread to over 75 Canadian franchises and several across the United States. They host an annual World Poutine Eating Championship.

Poutine here comes in a wide range of styles including traditional, chicken, pork, beef, and vegetarian options. Smoke's Poutinerie can be found all across the greater Toronto area, with one located right city centre.

Carousel Bakery is the home of a famed and award-winning sandwich and has been serving up delicious food in the St. Lawrence Market for over 30 years. People come from miles around to enjoy their "world famous" and award-winning peameal bacon sandwich. The bakery has been featured on television all over the world from England to Japan, Ireland, Germany, Israel, and the United States. It's been profiled in many cooking magazines and publications.

Besides their peameal bacon sandwich, the bakery offers up a wide selection of deli sandwiches and wraps. From steak to veal parmigiana, chicken, and vegetarian options, you'll find it here with a huge selection of international bagels, rolls, and breads. Carousel Bakery is located city centre.

416 Snack Bar is a bar that serves up international cuisine in the form of snack foods from all over the world, from Jamaican burgers to margarita pizza and souvla. Toronto is an exceptionally multicultural city, and 416 seeks to celebrate that colour and culture by offering distinctive regional cuisines from all over the world. The menu changes regularly and at any time can include offerings like shrimp cocktail and oysters on the half shell, seasonal veggie fritters, steak tartare, General Tso's tofu, steamed buns, gourmet chocolate, and even a cheese plate.

They offer an extensive wine list to pair with your food as well. 416 Snack Bar is right in the heart of city centre.

Uncle Betty's Diner is a unique casual diner serving up comfort food on paper, all made fresh and American-style and focused on burgers, fries, and craft soft drink. Their goal is to offer filling food that tastes great and is made by experienced chefs using the highest-quality ingredients. They are a leading independent eatery in Toronto for their family-friendly, laid-back, and casual vibe as well as their delicious dishes.

Menu highlights include a breakfast hot dog, ultimate grilled cheese with pulled pork or meat loaf, the Sloppy Betty (chilli on a bun), and burgers and fries. Uncle Betty's is about 15 minutes north of city centre Toronto.

Descendant Detroit Style Pizza offers up exactly what it sounds like: Detroit-style pizza in the heart of Toronto with fresh ingredients and a taste of home. They are well-known for their bistro-style decor with hardwood floors, tin ceilings, antique-look lighting, and crazy wall art. Their menu, as you'd expect, is focused on square pizza with Sicilian crust lined with pepperoni, piled with cheese, and featuring a signature red sauce. Styles range from the Barese with lamb and pork sausage to the fennel sausage Gatt-Daddy and the Canadian with ranch dressing on top.

If artisanal pizza is your thing, Descendant Detroit Style Pizza is where you can find a bit of Detroit in Toronto. It's just minutes east of city centre.

Pho Tien Thanh is a classic Vietnamese sit-down or takeaway restaurant just west of city centre that offers no-frills dining, friendly service, and great food with traditional recipes. If Vietnamese cuisine is your thing, at this eatery you'll get authentic dishes that taste great. If you've never tried Vietnamese cuisine, Pho Tien Thanh is a good place to start. Some of the menu highlights include fried vegetable spring rolls, a huge selection of pho soups, fried wontons, egg noodle dishes, vermicelli-style noodles, congee, broken rice dishes, and others.

After dinner, try a hot or iced coffee with a selection of Vietnamese desserts. They also have a basic beer menu.

Chris Jerk is a small local restaurant that's a hidden gem of the Toronto food scene and has managed to thrive thanks to its jerk chicken shawarma. This unique dish is precisely what you would think: jerk chicken cooked shawarma-style and offering up a spicy kick with a juicy, tender palate; it's something first-time visitors must try. It comes on a wrap, topped with rice and peas, or poutine-style with regular or sweet potato fries. Other menu highlights include Jamaican staples like curried goat, kingfish and callaloo, jerk salmon, and oxtail.

Here you'll get uniquely delicious food and friendly service in a casual setting. Chris Jerk is about 25 minutes northeast of city centre.

St. Urbain Bagel resides in the St. Lawrence Market city centre and has been here for almost 30 years, serving up Montreal-style bagels baked fresh every day. You'll find all flavours and styles here from plain to onion-garlic, cinnamon raisin, blueberry, and even flaxseed. The cream cheese and Tofutti selections are equally good. They also cater, so if you're having a special event while you're in town or you're on a big group retreat, this is a fast, delicious, and simple place to hit to get your group fed.

It's not all about bagels here, though. They also serve up a full sandwich bar with meats and veggies, and a bourekas selection.