Favourite Toronto Restaurants

Hi all!

I thought I would share with you all my favourite Toronto restaurants and dishes. I also wanted to share my friend Tara's food blog which is absolutely amazing. Tara is a total foodie and dines at the newest and trendiest restaurants and shares her honest opinion on her blog. Please check out her blog tarabites before you make a reservation, you won't be disappointed!

Caribbean Roti Palace

I have been going to this place for the last few years and love it! West Indian/Caribbean restaurants are sort of hit or miss in my experience in Toronto and I am so happy that I came across this hidden gem. The place isn't much to look at when you walk in but the food is fantastic and so authentic. My favourite dish from this place is the Chicken Roti and I usually get a double or two. For those of you who have never tried a double and plan to, I envy you. I wish I could go back in time to when I first tried one to experience it again. Doubles are these delicious, soft and warm flat breads about the size of your hand and sandwiched in between is a chickpea, curry and tamarind mixture. They are so flavourful and the tamarind sauce is slightly sweet which really balance out the other curry spices. It's my favourite Caribbean comfort food.

7 Numbers

I love, love, love 7 Numbers. First of all, I'm Italian (as I've mentioned in my other posts) and I'm quite particular when I'm choosing Italian restaurants to dine in and this place does not disappoint. The chef's name is Rosa and she is adorable and has always been at the Eglinton location cooking up a storm whenever I've been there. The place feels like you're in an Italian Nonna's basement. None of the cutlery or dishes really match but it's all part of the authentic feel. My favourite dishes are the calamari and the lasagna (which is Rosa's specialty). The kitchen is also open and exposed so you can see Rosa and her sous chef cooking away and it all adds to the homey and authentic feel of Italian comfort food.

Zaffron

Zaffron is my number one place in Toronto for Persian comfort food. Persian kebob is so delicious and I love the way they season their meat. Zaffron's portions are enormous, so I would definitely recommend this place if you have a huge appetite. I always start with the Zaffron bread, Maust Museer and pickles. Maust Museer is a delicious blend of creamy yogurt and shallots and their bread is flat and perfect for dipping. I always order the Vaziri for my main which is literally a platter of chicken and beef kebab, huge portion of Persian rice and a roasted tomato. Everything tastes so fresh and just off the grill and the service is great.

The Stockyards Smokehouse & Larder

I can't say enough about this place. The Stockyards Smokehouse & Larder is an amazing little nook serving up traditional southern dishes with a modern twist. The food is full fat, freaking delicious and leaves you totally satisfied. I love their Sunday brunch and always order the Fried Chicken and Waffles. That is basically one of my favourite dishes, ever. The batter on the fried chicken is crispy and soft in all the right places and they glaze the whole thing with this citrus, cayenne maple drizzle from heaven. If you want to go for brunch, I would suggest blocking off a good chunk of time in your day because the line up is really long to get in, but worth the wait. 

Dangerous Dan's

I've actually never stepped foot in this place and only ordered food for delivery but holy smokes, the menu is unlike any other place in the city. First of all, their portion sizes are on steroids. You can get the biggest burger you've ever laid eyes on and actually finish it because it tastes so good. I've had a number of things on their menu but my favourite is the The Big Cowboy which is an 8oz. burger with baked beans, a fried egg, bacon and Dan’s chipotle mayo. It's unreal. I usually order two sides, yup.. two sides, because clearly the 8 oz. burger isn't enough (haha) and I order the Poutine Perogies and Greek Fries. Salivating just thinking about this place!

Pizza e Pazzi

This place is fantastic for authentic Italian Neapolitan Pizza. The pizza I've had there totally took me back to when I was in Capri eating pizza on a beach side patio. Their calamari is also delicious, freshly fried rings piled high on a big plate and more than enough for two people to share. I was also really impressed with their dessert! I had the caramel panna cotta and it was so silky and the sweetness of the caramel paired with the richness from the panna cotta was just perfect. 

Bathurst Station Beef Patties

Ok, well this isn't an actual restaurant but, beef patties have pretty much been my favourite food from when I was like 4 and the beef patties at Bathurst Station are the best ones in the city. A lot of people have compared them to the Warden Station patties, but I haven't tried them so can't compare. The flaky and buttery outside and soft and flavorful minced meat on the inside are so good and immediately warm you up. You can also buy them by the box and freeze them at home. One tip, the ones marked with a pink or red dot are actually the mild ones! Don't make the mistake of getting the ones without the dot if you're not a fan of heat!

I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope you get to try some of my favourite meals! Comment below and share some of your favourite Toronto restaurants!

Thanks for reading!

- Netti, The Vintage Teacup Lady