13 new restaurants and bars to check out this fall
Where to eat veggie burgers, manakeesh and côte de boeuf right now
Aloette
163 Spadina Ave., 1st floor, 416-260-3444, aloetterestaurant.com
More on Aloette
Alo’s more casual (but still really good-looking) sister restaurant two storeys below at Queen and Spadina serves elevated diner classics, including a Beaufort cheese-topped burger and an apple pie sundae. The best part: you don’t need a reservation to get a table.
Ama
930 Queen St. W., no phone, amaalways.com
More on Ama
This Trinity Bellwoods spot serves a menu of Argentine staples, including ceviche, empanadas and choripan. Most of the cocktails here go unnamed as they’re often one-off custom concoctions created on the fly.
Bacchanal
60 Sudbury St., 416-586-1188, bacchanal.ca
More on Bacchanal
Filling the space briefly occupied by Recess, an all-day-breakfast diner, is this fancy French bistro from Alo, Le Sélect and Campagnolo alumni. The single-page menu offers traditional bistro classics (pâté, steak frites, côte de boeuf) but there’s also a raw bar and a carte blanche menu.
Bangarang
552 College St., no phone, bangarangbar.com
More on Bangarang
From the folks behind Little Italy’s lawn-games spot, Track and Field, comes Bangarang, another adult play place that’s also a cocktail bar. Here, guests can play corn hole (a.k.a. beanbag toss) and various tabletop games, including sjoelen (Dutch shuffleboard) and billard Japonais (a traditional French game).
Bar Sybanne
229 Ossington Ave., 647-350-9229, barsybanne.com
More on Bar Sybanne
Ossington’s new Mediterranean tapas bar from Howard Dubrovsky (L.A.B., Fonda Lola) serves a menu of sharing dishes divided into three categories: dips (hummus with sumac and za’atar), hot (fried chicken with orange-blossom honey) and cold (whitefish crudo). The restaurant’s signature cocktails were designed by the Drake’s Sandy de Almeida.
BlueBlood Steakhouse
1 Austin Terrace, 416-353-4647, bluebloodsteakhouse.com
More on BlueBlood Steakhouse
Toronto now has a swanky steakhouse in a castle. The super-luxe restaurant inside Casa Loma serves all the carnivore classics, with a section dedicated to fine beef cuts from around the world. There’s even a wagyu filet tasting. It’s like a wine flight…but with meat. (The steakhouse also recently hosted Drake for his 31st birthday.)
Hexagon
210 Lakeshore Rd. E., Oakville, 905-844-1286, hexagonrestaurant.com
More on Hexagon
Chef Sean MacDonald (the national winner of the 2016 San Pellegrino Young Chef competition) helms the kitchen at this new French restaurant in the heart of downtown Oakville. The short à la carte lunch menu includes bistro classics like steak frites and French onion soup. For dinner, guests can choose between a four-course tasting menu and a nine-course carte blanche.
Mahjong Bar
1276 Dundas St. W., 647-291-6097, @mahjongbar
More on Mahjong Bar
Hidden behind a storefront painted millenial pink, Dundas West’s newest speakeasy serves signature cocktails featuring Asian ingredients. The menu of Chinese small plates (wontons, noodles, eggplant and crispy pork) was developed by Tricia Soo of Ossington’s Malaysian restaurant, Soos.
Northern Maverick Brewing
115 Bathurst St., 416-540-4030, northernmaverick.ca
More on Northern Maverick
King West’s massive new brewery pours pints alongside chef Mark Cutrara’s (Cowbell, Bar Hop Brewco) menu that includes charcuterie boards, smoked trout, grilled octopus and steak. There’s also an oyster bar and weekend brunch.
Palm Lane
Yorkville Village, 55 Avenue Rd., 647-349-1085, palmlane.ca
More on Palm Lane
Aiming to prove that you really can win friends with salad, the Chase Hospitality Group has opened this fast-casual salad counter in Yorkville Village, serving healthful salads, grain bowls and smoothies.
Planta Burger
4 Temperance St., 647-348-7000, plantarestaurants.com
More on Planta Burger
The Chase Hospitality Group has two new spots in this restaurant roundup. Their new patty-based spin-off of Yorkville’s Planta serves a short menu of plant-based comfort food favourites: onion rings, fries, shakes and, of course, burgers.
Poor Romeo
1029 Gerrard St. E., no phone, @poor_romeo_bar
More on Poor Romeo
From the people behind Pinkertons, Leslieville’s late-night small-plates spot, comes neighbouring Poor Romeo, an all-American affair specializing in smashed burgers, craft beer and rock-and-roll.
Soufi’s
676 Queen St. W., 647-350-7737, soufis.ca
More on Soufi's
The Al Soufi family, along with a staff of Syrian newcomers, send out traditional Syrian dishes from their Queen West kitchen, including sweet knafeh cheese pastries and manakeesh.
 on Sep 22, 2017 at 3:07pm PDT
Aloette
163 Spadina Ave., 1st floor, 416-260-3444, aloetterestaurant.com
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:437065:1:" label="More%20on%20Aloette"]
Alo's more casual (but still really good-looking) sister restaurant two storeys below at Queen and Spadina serves elevated diner classics, including a Beaufort cheese-topped burger and an apple pie sundae. The best part: you don't need a reservation to get a table.
A post shared by ama (@ama.always) on Oct 13, 2017 at 9:44am PDT
Ama
930 Queen St. W., no phone, amaalways.com
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:434606:1:" label="More%20on%20Ama"]
This Trinity Bellwoods spot serves a menu of Argentine staples, including ceviche, empanadas and choripan. Most of the cocktails here go unnamed as they're often one-off custom concoctions created on the fly.
A post shared by Bacchanal (@bacchanal.to) on Sep 26, 2017 at 2:00pm PDT
Bacchanal
60 Sudbury St., 416-586-1188, bacchanal.ca
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:436292:1:" label="More%20on%20Bacchanal"]
Filling the space briefly occupied by Recess, an all-day-breakfast diner, is this fancy French bistro from Alo, Le Sélect and Campagnolo alumni. The single-page menu offers traditional bistro classics (pâté, steak frites, côte de boeuf) but there's also a raw bar and a carte blanche menu.
A post shared by Bangarang (@bangarangbar) on Oct 1, 2017 at 2:30pm PDT
Bangarang
552 College St., no phone, bangarangbar.com
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:437483:1:" label="More%20on%20Bangarang"]
From the folks behind Little Italy's lawn-games spot, Track and Field, comes Bangarang, another adult play place that's also a cocktail bar. Here, guests can play corn hole (a.k.a. beanbag toss) and various tabletop games, including sjoelen (Dutch shuffleboard) and billard Japonais (a traditional French game).
A post shared by Bar Sybanne (@barsybanne) on Sep 20, 2017 at 8:55am PDT
Bar Sybanne
229 Ossington Ave., 647-350-9229, barsybanne.com
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:436458:1:" label="More%20on%20Bar%20Sybanne"]
Ossington's new Mediterranean tapas bar from Howard Dubrovsky (L.A.B., Fonda Lola) serves a menu of sharing dishes divided into three categories: dips (hummus with sumac and za'atar), hot (fried chicken with orange-blossom honey) and cold (whitefish crudo). The restaurant's signature cocktails were designed by the Drake's Sandy de Almeida.
A post shared by BlueBlood Steakhouse (@blueblood_steakhouse) on Aug 25, 2017 at 1:02pm PDT
BlueBlood Steakhouse
1 Austin Terrace, 416-353-4647, bluebloodsteakhouse.com
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:433322:1:" label="More%20on%20BlueBlood%20Steakhouse"]
Toronto now has a swanky steakhouse in a castle. The super-luxe restaurant inside Casa Loma serves all the carnivore classics, with a section dedicated to fine beef cuts from around the world. There's even a wagyu filet tasting. It's like a wine flight...but with meat. (The steakhouse also recently hosted Drake for his 31st birthday.)
A post shared by Hexagon (@hexagonrestaurant) on Sep 11, 2017 at 5:59pm PDT
Hexagon
210 Lakeshore Rd. E., Oakville, 905-844-1286, hexagonrestaurant.com
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:437654:1:" label="More%20on%20Hexagon"]
Chef Sean MacDonald (the national winner of the 2016 San Pellegrino Young Chef competition) helms the kitchen at this new French restaurant in the heart of downtown Oakville. The short à la carte lunch menu includes bistro classics like steak frites and French onion soup. For dinner, guests can choose between a four-course tasting menu and a nine-course carte blanche.
A post shared by Mahjong Bar (@mahjongbar) on Sep 29, 2017 at 1:45pm PDT
Mahjong Bar
1276 Dundas St. W., 647-291-6097, @mahjongbar
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:435815:1:" label="More%20on%20Mahjong%20Bar"]
Hidden behind a storefront painted millenial pink, Dundas West's newest speakeasy serves signature cocktails featuring Asian ingredients. The menu of Chinese small plates (wontons, noodles, eggplant and crispy pork) was developed by Tricia Soo of Ossington's Malaysian restaurant, Soos.
A post shared by Northern Maverick Brewing Co. (@northernmaverickbrewing) on Oct 13, 2017 at 2:38pm PDT
Northern Maverick Brewing
115 Bathurst St., 416-540-4030, northernmaverick.ca
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:435199:1:" label="More%20on%20Northern%20Maverick"]
King West's massive new brewery pours pints alongside chef Mark Cutrara's (Cowbell, Bar Hop Brewco) menu that includes charcuterie boards, smoked trout, grilled octopus and steak. There's also an oyster bar and weekend brunch.
A post shared by Palm Lane (@eatpalmlane) on Oct 3, 2017 at 5:02am PDT
Palm Lane
Yorkville Village, 55 Avenue Rd., 647-349-1085, palmlane.ca
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:435712:1:" label="More%20on%20Palm%20Lane"]
Aiming to prove that you really can win friends with salad, the Chase Hospitality Group has opened this fast-casual salad counter in Yorkville Village, serving healthful salads, grain bowls and smoothies.
A post shared by Planta (@plantarestaurants) on Oct 16, 2017 at 2:01pm PDT
Planta Burger
4 Temperance St., 647-348-7000, plantarestaurants.com
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:433007:1:" label="More%20on%20Planta%20Burger"]
The Chase Hospitality Group has two new spots in this restaurant roundup. Their new patty-based spin-off of Yorkville's Planta serves a short menu of plant-based comfort food favourites: onion rings, fries, shakes and, of course, burgers.
A post shared by Poor Romeo (@poor_romeo_bar) on Sep 20, 2017 at 10:29pm PDT
Poor Romeo
1029 Gerrard St. E., no phone, @poor_romeo_bar
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:437190:1:" label="More%20on%20Poor%20Romeo"]
From the people behind Pinkertons, Leslieville's late-night small-plates spot, comes neighbouring Poor Romeo, an all-American affair specializing in smashed burgers, craft beer and rock-and-roll.
A post shared by Soufi's Restaurant (@soufis_to) on Jun 14, 2017 at 3:46pm PDT
Soufi's
676 Queen St. W., 647-350-7737, soufis.ca
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" posts="1:post_id:435566:1:" label="More%20on%20Soufi's"]
The Al Soufi family, along with a staff of Syrian newcomers, send out traditional Syrian dishes from their Queen West kitchen, including sweet knafeh cheese pastries and manakeesh.
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