Chippy's Fish and Chips

Rated this place:

893 Queen W, Toronto, ON, M6J1G5

Great fish and chips!: Chippy's is notably one the best spots if you've got a hankering for fish and chips in Toronto. It's a cute, old-style fish and chips spot with a window-front bar with stools for diners to order, wait, or down their fried breaded treats. The music is usually loud rock and roll - but that's how they like to run the place. The batter used for the fish is a Guinness beer batter while the prawns and scallops use panko bread crumbs. Fish is always dipped, breaded, fried to order which guarantees a plate of crispy, fresh fish and the fries or "chips" are double-fried making them extra crispy on the outside. The haddock is the classic version but slightly fishier-tasting than the cod - but both delicious! The tartar sauce is awesome but I'm partial to the pepper mayo. Definitely a fun place for a quick meal and some comfort fish & chips food.

Red Violin Brazilian Steakhouse

Rated this place:

95 Danforth Ave., Toronto, ON, M4K 1N2

Brazilian bbq: Review

Ruth's Chris Steak House

Rated this place:

145 Richmond St W, Toronto, ON, M5H2L2

Not bad, but a bit dated: There's a reason that Ruth's Chris has been standing tall at this corner of Richmond St. W. and University Ave. for many years. This Toronto location has become the go-to place for classic steakhouse fare - and it's got all the old-school frills - from chopped salad to surf and turf, mains and sides ordered separately, cigar room style decor meets modern steakhouse, and everything finished with butter. One of the best draws of this place is the service - attentive, professional, friendly - without the snooty-ness of most higher end places. The menus, on the other hand, really need work. Fried calamari appetizer was crunchy but lacking in appeal. You can't go wrong with the American-style steaks served here, flash cooked in a 1800-degree broiler. Be sure to get some 'surf' with your 'turf,' a giant lobster tail perfect for dipping in butter; with a couple of sides like potato au gratin or creamed spinach. Overall, I thought the restaurant was a bit dated and after a weekend savouring Alberta beef, Ruth's Chris was a bit of a disappointment and not worth the cost. Next time I've got hankering got steak, I'd visit Jacob & Co or Harbour Sixty.

Harbour Sixty Steakhouse

Rated this place:

60 Harbour St. (Toronto Harbour Commission Building), Toronto, ON, M5J1B7

yum beef: Review

La Bamboche

Rated this place:

4 Manor Road East, ON

It's all about the macarons at La Bamboche: La Bamboche's original location at Yonge Street & Manor Rd. has earned the reputation of having some of the city's best French-style macarons. It's also the epitome of a typical Parisian patisserie but echoes a similar style to Paris' Sadaharu Aoki - a blend of French-meets-Japanese. Pastry Chef Stephen Nason is the brain behind this place and the newest location at Avenue Rd. and Lawrence, just up the street from the Pusateri's. Here at La Bamboche, it's all about the macarons and haute-style fancy desserts. A menu of flavours will excite the palette: mint chocolate, cassis, yuzu, espresso, grand marnier, chocolate or my favourite, the salted caramel - at $2.50/piece. Tarts, domes, and fancy cakes like match and black sesame cake, chocolate with chantilly mousse, or a banana chocolate roulade are all displayed in the glass case for drooling customers and change on a daily basis. You can also check in for updates and drool over their photos: http://labamboche.blogspot.com .

Jacob & Co Steakhouse

Rated this place:

12 Brant Street, Toronto, ON

One of Toronto's top steakhouses: Review

Jules Cafe Patisserie

Rated this place:

617 Mount Pleasant, Toronto, ON, M4S2M5

Title: Almond croissants - heavy. Coffee needs work.

Milagro

Rated this place:

5 Mercer Street, Toronto, ON, M5V 1H2

True taste of Mexico: Ask Mexican locals in Toronto and they'll point you to Milagro's for authentic Mexican food. Like other Mexican joints in Toronto, it's a touch pricier - but worth every bite - and ten times better than most restaurants at King + Mercer. Start with a margarita and some deliciously smooth guacamole to get in the mood. Next, go with one of their five types of ceviches - the "ceviche de atun" is killer and has a great bite. Go for the tortilla soup for an authentic taste of Mexico or if you're jonesing for some tacos, go for the grilled shrimp tacos and they'll transport you right to a side-street family home taco stand in rural Mexico.

Terroni

Rated this place:

57 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1K6

Food is great!: Review

DavidsTea

Rated this place:

336 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M5V 2A2

tealicious: Review

The Stockyards

Rated this place:

699 St Clair Ave West, Toronto, ON

Doesn't get any better than the Stockyards : The Stockyards Smokehouse & Larder at Christie + St. Clair is not just another new fast food stop in Toronto. This place is as legit as it gets - everything is done the right way, recipes tried and tested until perfected - so perfect that many items sell out by dinner time. Take the butter milk fried chicken - a recipe that took owner Tom Davis four years and 70 chickens to get right - but the chicken isn't the only star of the show at the Stockyards. Smoked in an authentic wood fire smoke pit, the food here gets so much care and attention, it's no wonder it's delicious. From the smoker, get ribs or smoked chicken served only on Tuesday, Fridays, and Sundays; or try the succulent 15-20 day cured pastrami, porchetta, beef brisket, or fried chicken - you really can't go wrong here. Don't miss out on a made-to-order tower of super-crispy onion rings!

Poutini's House of Poutine

Rated this place:

1112 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON

True poutine love: You can't go wrong with poutine from Poutini, just as long as your arteries can take it. At Poutini, it starts with real cheesy curds brought in nearly every day from Maple Dale Farms so that the curds are as "squeaky" as possible. The curds get topped on double-fried hand-cut fries. Gravy is simmered for at least eight hours - not mixed from powder - and they even offer vegetarian gravy. Get your poutine Traditional or "Poutigly" done up with bacon; try the fries with homemade dipping mayo-based sauces; or baked potato-style poutine. Last but not least, wash it all down with some Balzac's coffee - you'll need it - and be sure to recycle the recyclable containers, forks & napkins! Super eco-friendliness gives this poutine spot an extra star, not to mention their playlist of local bands & musicians.

Owl of Minerva

Rated this place:

700 Bloor Street W., Toronto, ON

One of Toronto's best pork bone soups: If you're looking for a way to get over the winter chills, the remedy is a pork bone soup from Owl of Minerva at Koreatown (Christie and Bloor). Sure, you could call it exclusive, but the only way to recognize the restaurant is by the owl on its sign - the rest of it is written in Korean. Not only is it open all day and all night; this small second-floor restaurant is also packed all day and all night with students, couples, and locals looking for a quick, affordable meal. You don't even need to open the menu here - it's all about the pork bone soup. Shanks of pork and potato simmered in a red hot pepper soup with rice on the side. Of course, Korean side dishes grace the table: black beans, kimchi, potatoes, picked radish, and the like. It's the perfect and most affordable way to warm up on a cold Toronto day! You'll find another location at Yonge + Churchill Ave (north of Empress, south of Finch).

Frida Restaurant

Rated this place:

999 Eglinton St. W., Toronto, ON

Friendly local Mexican resto with soul: It isn't often that a restaurant is more than a restaurant - but so is the case with Frida Restaurant & Bar on the Eglinton West Strip. Here, the inspiration behind the restaurant is the art of Frida Kahlo, a revolutionary Mexican artist who's style aimed at delivering very real, raw art from the gut. The food at Frida aims to do the same - captivate its diners with elevated, rebellious, modern Mexican cuisine in Toronto - and the staff at Frida have been successful. The menu features many typical Mexican delights like guacamole, tortilla soup, and duck tacos - but also offers regional specialties like Barbacoa-style enchiladas, slow-braised lamb, or stuffed poblano peppers stuffed with Oaxacan cheese. Don't miss out on the popular Sunday brunch here, where reservations are required; or Tuesday and Thursday jazz nights. Desserts like the Churros Rellenos con Cajeta are a nice light way to finish the meal, along with some Mexican-coffee that has a hint of cinnamon.

John's Italian Caffe

Rated this place:

27 Baldwin St, Toronto, ON, M5T1L1

Casual spot to drink the night away: John's Italian Caffe is one of the most popular spots on Baldwin. During summertime, the sidewalk cafe is always busy with hospital staffers, U of T students and artsy OCADers. It's a great spot to stop in for a coffee and homemade tiramisu; or anytime for a great meal. The inside of the restaurant is one of the coziest spots in Toronto and almost transports you to a country inn in Italy. The special, pasta, and paninis are good but the thin-crust pizzas are the best way to spend your appetite for dinner. Wine is served in short tumblers making John's a great place to drink away a casual evening. I've had a hit-or-miss experience but usually does a good job. If you're looking for better service and food overall, hit up Terroni's.

Yung Sing Pastry Shop

Rated this place:

22 Baldwin St, Toronto, ON, M5T1L2

Toronto's most unique Chinese bakery: I'm proud to say that I've been coming to Yung Sing Bakery before I can remember - and though the threat of imminent closure has threatened this charming neighbourhood gem for decades on Baldwin street, Yung Sing Bakery has survived - and so it should.This home-style Chinese bakery is as authentic and unique as it gets in Toronto. Classic buns like fried rice buns, bbq pork, chicken with bamboo, and curry beef have been on the menu for years. One of their specialties are the classic dim sum dishes: har gow (shrimp dumplings) and siu mae (pork dumplings) which are always made to order - addictive and packed with lard, but comfort food at its best. Be sure to try their spring rolls, egg tarts, almond cookies, deep-fried glutinous rice balls, sweet sesame balls, and other tempting foods in the display window!

Zoe's Bakery Cafe Ltd

Rated this place:

548 King St. W., Toronto, ON, M5V1M3

Great sandwiches and cheesecake brownies!: This is a great little deli, bakery, and cafe at King and Brant which is always packed during lunch. It's great in summertime for its cozy patio outside; great in the wintertime for huddling inside over a coffee. What first drew me here was the coffee - the closest shop that serves up Illy nearby work. The second thing that brought me here and keeps me going back at least a couple times a month is the cheesecake brownies - perfect to brighten up seemingly long work days. Pizzas, wraps, and quiches are good but the gourmet sandwiches are gold - fresh bread, fresh ingredients, great flavours that work well together, stacked high and packed with substance. I'm a huge fan of the smoked turkey club with avocado and greens.It's great value for your money's worth - and a great combination with any of their daily soups and salads. Don't forget to pick up a brownie, cookie, or buttertart for the road!

Ackee Tree

Rated this place:

170 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 2C2

Caribbean lovin' in heart of downtown Toronto: What can I say - I love lunches, dinners, and snacks at Ackee Tree. What I don't love is the pricing which is significantly higher than other places around the area - but if you've got a hankering for Caribbean-style food, it's worth the extra coin.The warm friendly staff and owners show a real commitment to their customers, the quality of food, and green-friendly practices - and it shows. But let's get to the food. I'm a sucker for their oxtail curry & goat curry - fatty pieces of stewed meat that fall right off the bone - served with rice 'n peas + coleslaw. They've got a mean Caribbean-style roti which is huge and super filling, and you can get more obscure hard-to-find Caribbean dishes like saltfish + ackee. The show-stealer here is the jerk chicken. You can get it served with rice for the best lunch value, or my favourite - as a jerk chicken sandwich - served in coco bread. The sweet potato fries here are some of the best in the city; but be sure to try their jerk fries, too - with a side of homemade jerk mayo - and a ginger beer on the side.

Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu

Rated this place:

5445 Yonge St., North York, ON, M2N6K7

Delicious Korean stewed goodness: There's a reason that there are only a handful of dishes on the menu here at Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu - and an even better reason that "soon tofu" is featured in the restaurant's name.With two locations, they keep the delicious steaming tofu soup coming. Perfect for cold rainy or winter days, the options include a seafood soon tofu, a veggie soon tofu, a mixed (beef and seafood), a dumpling soon tofu, or a soy bean soon tofu. Soups come with a mild or spicy broth, an egg to be cracked and mixed into your steaming hot soup, and a fresh cooked bowl of high-quality rice. Sides are the usual Korean dishes: kimchi, pickled bean sprouts, daikon radish and dried soybeans with anchovies. A pretty mean dolsot bibimbap and bulgogi dish are also on the menu and shouldn't be missed!

Big Sushi

Rated this place:

388 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M5S1X4

Huge!: In the Annex at Bloor Street West & Dalton Road, just across from Brunswick House, Big Sushi is a goodie. On a block where Sushi Time, New Generation Sushi & Sushi on Bloor dominate the sushi restaurant scene - Big Sushi often gets left behind. Fortunately, that means not having to wait in lines for the rest of us. Sit in the front of the shop's vinyl booths or hideaway in the back for a little more privacy. It's a great place for lunch take-out, not to mention that the lunch specials are a great deal for smaller budgets starting at $5.99. Service is good though a little slow, food comes out quick, sushi is made to order and has an appropriate amount of rice. The udon noodle soup is exceptional and a nice surprise, compared to the other Bloor sushi spots, and the spicy salmon rolls actually bite back! The salmon/sushi combos are as good as any other on the block, the sweet potato/yam rolls are super popular, and the tempura is also great value. Pricing and quality at Big Sushi is why I'd go back!

Brassaii Bistro Lounge

Rated this place:

461 King St. W., Toronto, ON, M5V 1K7

Great food, great patio, great restaurant: Happily located next door to Crush Wine Bar, Brassaii Bistro Louge is no younger sibling. With one of the best patios in downtown Toronto, Brassai serves up non-pretentious business breakfasts, weekend brunches, quick lunches and just as tasty dinners to Toronto's creative web community and young professionals from King St. all the same. Whether it's after-work drinks, pre-clubbing drinks, or a romantic meal, Brassaii has you covered with lots of indoor and outdoor space. Converted into a restaurant/louge from a warehouse space, the lofty feel and modern design of Brassaii is a great compliment to its fare. Lunches start at $8 for soups up to $18 for a super-sized cobb salad. Favourite lunchtime treats: the Baked Goat Cheese & the Brassaii Club: delicious turkey, cheddar, a fried egg, bacon, avacado served up with Brassaii's perfectly fried french fries. Set lunch menus begin from $19 to $40. Dinner offers oyster trays, clam fritters, homemade pasta, and duck confit with set menus from $45 to $75. Don't forget dessert!

Dessert Trends

Rated this place:

154 Harbord St., Toronto, ON, M5S 1H2

Delicious desserts, brunch and afternoon tea: The brightly lit bistro-patisserie space is adorable and is a perfect day time spot along Harbord Street's growing restaurant and cafe lane. Unpretentious brunch dishes like french onion soup, sandwiches, quiches and omelettes are perfect weekend starters, the duck egg and chorizo sausage is one of my favourites. However, the star of the show at Dessert Trends is the display case of desserts, cakes, tarts and gelato - try the Frangelico Hazelnut Mousse Tart and you'll know why this place is known for desserts. Drop in on Saturday or Sunday afternoon during the spring or summer for a seat near the window.Dessert Trends is also a great for Afternoon Tea and small parties or bridal showers. They were also voted as having Toronto's Best Wedding Cakes. Their off-site bakery located on Weston Road, north of St. Clair sources their impeccably beautiful and delicious desserts to Pusateri's and Fresh & Wild, but is closed to the public.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• tea
• gelato
• desserts
• brunch
• Lunch

Kyoto House Japanese Restaurant

Rated this place:

143 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON

Pretty decent new AYCE sushi place: Recently open about 2 months ago, taking over another short-lived sushi restaurant that took over a donut shop - Kyoto House Japanese Restaurant is much better than your average all-you-can-eat Japanese sushi restaurant. Skeptical, I went with a large group of friends for a Sunday lunch. Although we were pressured for our orders and pressured even more to do the AYCE, we found that the lunch AYCE sushi at $11.99 was better than any option on their regular lunch menu. What a surprise! The Chicken Udon was delicious and flavourful and the rolls were freshly rolled - not the rations from the fridge that were rolled hours ago. Although lunch doesn't offer sashimi for the AYCE option, the sushi pieces the perfect size - they don't try to fill you up on lots of rice - but give you proper sushi pieces and handrolls with lots of fish/avacado/veg. Stick to the rolls, especially the spicy salmon crunch rolls - which were are tasty - as were the yam/sweet potato tempura rolls. All in a all, a deliciously surprising lunch experience.

Thobors Boulangerie

Rated this place:

627 Mt Pleasant Road, Toronto, ON, M4S 2M9

French pastry love: If you've got a free afternoon to wander midtown, then why not set out to visit Thobors Boulangerie Patisserie Cafe at Mount Pleasant & Manor Road, just south of Eglinton. Located next to Celestin Restaurant, Thobors was first Le Comptoir de Celestin before it was renamed when Pastry Chef Marc Thobor bought the cafe. A neighbourhood gem, locals and Toronto-bakery lovers come here for Marc's speciality sweet + savoury breads, including 3 types of French baguettes, large round breads (boules), pain au chocolat, brioches, eclairs, tarts and mini cakes, and croissants - my favourite, a killer chocolate + almond croissant. Fresh-made nougat along with both giant and mini Parisian macarons are also another hit. Macarons come in lavendar, orange, chocolate, pistachio, and mocha to name a few, but I recently tried a mint-chocolate macaron and fell in love. Enjoy!

Ehwa Restaurant

Rated this place:

5182 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON, M2N 5P6

Killer mushroom kam ja tang: With an intense number of Korean restaurants in this uptown Koreatown, it can be difficult to choose the good from the not so good. Owl of Minerva is always a staple for pork bone soup; Buk Chong Soon Tofu for a delicious spicy tofu stew. Ehwa is the Asian Legend of Korean food on Yonge - a more modern Korean restaurant that doles out traditional Korean dishes alongside Japanese appetizers. The first time I visited, I ordered a mushroom pork bone soup - and the flavour of mushroomy pork goodness was stellar. The bento boxes with kalbi/bulgogi, gyoza, and some other dishes isn't so bad. On another visit, I tried a spicy tofu stew which had a fish soup base which wasn't as tasty. Hit or miss, but if you stick with the plain mushroom or kimchi pork bone soup, you'll be safe!