Toronto’s best oyster deals
Where to get the best shuck for your buck, every day of the week
Oysters are delicious year-round, but fall brings out their best qualities. As temperatures drop, many Canadian oysters become particularly plump and sweet, hitting their seasonal peak. Even as restaurant prices creep upward across the city, oyster deals remain surprisingly generous: one-buck shucks, extended happy hours and half-price specials that turn a quick snack into something more like a meal. Pull up a chair at any of these nine spots and start slurping.
Rodney’s Oyster House
Weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m.
This King West institution helped popularize oysters in Toronto when it opened back in 1987, and it remains one of the city’s best bivalve bars. The restaurant imports its own seafood, stocking anywhere from nine to 26 oyster varieties daily. Their Low Tide special drops oysters to $2 each on weekday afternoons between 3 and 6 p.m. Select cans of beer (Alpine and Beau’s) are $5 during the same window, and five-ounce glasses of discounted Sealegs Oyster White and Montalvini Spumante are just $9. 469 King St. W., rodneysoysterhouse.com
Island Oysters
Wednesdays from 5 to 10 p.m. and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m.
This small oyster bar in Bloordale specializes in Canadian oysters from both the Atlantic and Pacific waters. The vibe here is more coastal casual than stuffy seafood palace, with playful nautical touches throughout. The menu features over 40 varieties, depending on what’s arriving fresh from local farms. Wednesdays mean $2 half-shells all evening (that’s five full hours of oyster eating), and Thursdays spotlight Malpeques at $1.50 each from 5 to 7 p.m. 1165 Bloor St. W., islandoysters.ca
La Plume
Mondays from 4 to 6 p.m. and the rest of the week from 2 to 6 p.m.
O&B’s palatial French brasserie in the Well channels the laid-back charm of southern France across two light-filled floors. Their oyster special runs longer than most: Mondays starting at 4 p.m., then daily from 2 p.m., when the tidal treasures go for half-price until 6 p.m. They come with all the standard accoutrements: red wine mignonette, lemon, Tabasco and horseradish. Pair them with $12 cocktails or $10 glasses of wine during happy hour for a proper Provençal afternoon. 453 Wellington St. W., laplumebrasserie.com
Oyster Boy
Weekdays from 5 to 6 p.m.
For over 25 years, this Queen West mainstay has sourced daily shipments from small farms across Canada, supplying Toronto restaurants as a wholesaler and serving diners in their own space. Weekdays from 5 to 6 p.m. is the golden hour for shellfish enthusiasts, when the daily-changing selection is half-price. Grab a stool at the bar for front-row seats to all the shucking-station action—the oysters are half off, the show is free. 872 Queen St. W., oysterboy.ca
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Pure Spirits
Tuesdays from noon to 9 p.m.
Every Tuesday, this Distillery District spot slings $2 oysters for nine hours straight at their raw bar—which makes for a serious shellfish-consumption window. They shuck everything to order from a daily selection that spans Atlantic and Pacific waters. Between bivalves, explore their impressive whiskey collection or Ontario wine list. At just two bucks each, six slurps easily become 12—then suddenly you’re calling it dinner. 17 Tank House Ln., purespirits.ca
The Miller Tavern
Tuesdays, all day
Since 1857, this Hoggs Hollow institution has served North Toronto diners in a space that marries heritage charm with polished sophistication. The menu includes steakhouse staples and fresh seafood, but the second day of the workweek belongs to the bivalves. Buck-A-Shuck Tuesdays deliver $1 oysters all day at the uptown location, while supplies last. Few spots offer better value in nicer digs. 3885 Yonge St., themillertavern.com/uptown
Watson’s
Sundays and Mondays until 2 a.m.
This downtown watering hole draws a mix of industry workers, pre-dinner drinkers and late-night lingerers. On Sundays and Mondays, East Coast oysters go for $1 each and wine bottles are half-price, all day until 2 a.m. The bar’s lived-in lounge energy, with its comfy couches, warm light and crowd that feels more local than King West, makes it an easy place to settle in. 398 Richmond St. W., watsonstoronto.com
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Est
Tuesday and Thursday evenings
Chef Jordan Diniz’s intimate Riverside restaurant specializes in Italian and French tasting menus that are worth the splurge, but their Tuesday and Thursday oyster deal offers a different kind of luxury at bargain-basement prices. For just a buck a shuck, you get fresh oysters with four accompaniments: a punchy red wine mignonette, fermented hot sauce, fresh horseradish and lemon. Since the briny bivalves beg for accompanying bubbles, the same nights feature sparkling wine bottles at 25 per cent off. 729 Queen St. E., estrestaurant.ca
Pearl Diver
Thursdays until 10 p.m.
Pearl Diver’s Thursday special is tough to top for those who like their bivalves in bulk: 100 oysters for $100, available all evening until 10 p.m. If that sounds like too many slurps for one sitting, dial it back with the Diver’s Dozen, 12 New Brunswick Gaia oysters for $27 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every day, alongside discounts on Wellington beer, wine on tap and cocktails. Settle into one of their repurposed church pew booths and prepare to worship at the altar of shellfish. 100 Adelaide St. E., pearldiver.to
Jessica Huras is a freelance writer and editor with over a decade of experience creating food, travel and lifestyle content. She’s a content editor for the LCBO’s Food & Drink magazine, and her work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Chatelaine, Toronto Life and Elle Canada, among other publications.
