Ten restaurants making their Winterlicious debuts and what to order at each

Winterlicious 2026 kicks off on January 30, bringing special prix-fixe menus to hundreds of restaurants across the city until February 12. While the annual event is often associated with long-standing favourites, it’s also one of the few times when newly opened kitchens get to step into the spotlight. This year’s lineup includes 243 restaurants, among them a wave of first-time participants. Here, 10 new additions to this year’s Winterlicious lineup.

Related: Ten restaurants with prix-fixe menus for $60 or less

Pii Nong Thai

3321 Yonge St., piinongthai.com

This is Canada’s first fully integrated three-in-one Thai experience, where visitors can dine, shop and recharge all under one roof. Guests can enjoy a full meal, purchase Thai staples at the attached mini market and book a traditional Thai (or Swedish) massage at Lamai Thai Massage, located on the second floor of the 10,000-square-foot space. The best approach is to arrive early, book a massage, then settle in for a very relaxed three-course meal.

Menu highlights: Get the som tum (papaya salad) followed by Bangkok street-style pad Thai, cooked in a fresh tamarind sauce with that unmistakable wok-fired flavour, slightly charred and smoky in all the right ways. For dessert, try the mango sticky rice, which brings four colourful moulds of subtly flavoured rice—pandan, Thai tea, mango and butterfly pea flower—all arranged around a fresh mango rose. Most of the menu can be made vegetarian or vegan.

Honey Chinese

600 King St. W., honeychineseto.com

The newly opened Honey Chinese is—believe it or not—King West’s only Chinese restaurant. Taking up the third floor inside Portland Square, a multi-level dining and entertainment complex from Charles Khabouth and co., Honey is hard to miss, with red lanterns and lacquered tables befitting the neighbourhood’s nightlife-driven vibe.

Menu highlights: Peking duck tacos to start, followed by Beijing Beef, wok-fired flank steak glazed in a savoury soy sauce and paired with roasted green beans and a side of steamed rice. To finish, jujube sticky toffee pudding, a creative twist on a classic made with red Chinese dates and a nutty sesame tuile.

Hoyra Gastrobar

1566 Bloor St. W., eathoyra.com

An elevated Ukrainian gastrobar has landed in High Park. Hoyra reimagines home-style dishes with a focus on warmth and tradition, pairing piled-high plates with craft beers and signature cocktails. Rooted in Ukrainian recipes, the menu reflects the region’s cross-cultural influences, offering a taste of eastern Europe’s rich flavours.

Menu highlights: Start with the borscht, obviously. And while there’s never a wrong time for schnitzel, we suggest following up the hearty soup with the Adjarian khachapuri, warm boat-shaped Georgian bread filled with molten cheese, finished with butter and crowned with a bright egg yolk. End on an intentionally sour note with some cherry varenyky, hand-folded dumplings stuffed with tart fruit and drizzled with warm white chocolate.

Primadonna

600 King St. W., primadonnatoronto.com

Also located in Portland Square is Primadonna, Honey’s cinematic Italian American sister restaurant upstairs. Vintage lampshades and statement chandeliers set the scene, and a private dining room with a long table draped in red-and-white-checkered linens evokes the warmth of a classic Italian family dinner.

Menu highlights: The bresaola carpaccio makes a great first impression. For the main, classics like chicken (or eggplant) parm are guaranteed crowd-pleasers, but the osso buco—tender braised veal in a rich marsala jus, served with citrusy polenta and kale—is the star of this menu. For dessert, pass on the tiramisu and get the Neapolitan panettone rum baba, boozy, rum-soaked brioche with pastry cream and sour cherries.

Vinny Restaurant and Vinyl Bar

480 King St. W., vinnytoronto.com

King West’s new listening bar offers a chill dining experience where spinning LPs provide the soundtrack. Inspired by the soulful spirit of the ’70s, Vinny is a place where you come for dinner but stay for the music. The menu features comfort food from around the world.

Menu highlights: Begin with the baked French onion soup, topped with gruyère and golden crostini. Next up is the steak frites, served with thick-cut fries and rich Café de Paris butter. And finish with a customizable ice cream sundae.

Related: Ten Italian restaurants in Toronto with the best aperitivo hours

Oro

501 College St., orotoronto.com

Chef Hemant Bhagwani’s newest project is designed to regularly rotate its concept, its space and even its chef. It’s essentially a recurring pop-up experience that keeps pace with a city of diners who are constantly on the lookout for something new.

Menu highlights: Some dishes are difficult to imagine, and those are the ones you should order. To start, try the tempered eggplant toast, the red pepper coulis and mozzarella on challah bread, or the smoked avocado tartare. For the main, get the butter chicken kulchezza, a Bhagwani creation that blends traditional kulcha bread with pizza vibes. To end, the Eton Mess, layers of lemon-infused white chocolate, pistachio sponge, raspberry cream and cassis pâte de fruits.

Notte Ristorante

9 Church St., notteristorante.ca

On the Winterlicious website, this restaurant is still labelled as Amano Trattoria, but it’s now Notte Ristorante—same chef, same address, same cuisine, new name.

Menu highlights: Kick things off with the carpaccio, paper-thin slices of beef dressed with pickled beech mushrooms, hazelnut emulsion, fresh greens and parmigiano-reggiano. For a main, try the grilled branzino, which comes with lobster bisque, ’nduja oil, grilled fennel, Sicilian olives, capers and a herb salad. To finish, the chocolate torta, with rich gianduja, candied hazelnuts, chocolate crumbs and a cloud of vanilla whipped cream.

Deauville Club

92 Peter St., deauvilleclubrestaurant.com

The menu at the Revery Hotel’s brand-new restaurant blends French classics with Mediterranean freshness, Italian-inspired comfort and Asian flavours.

Menu highlights: Start with the Hail Caesar, Deauville’s take on the classic salad with a garlic-and-mustard egg emulsion, crispy prosciutto, sun-dried tomato pangrattato and grana padano. Move on to the Frenched Chicken Supreme Paillard, which comes with parsnip purée, king oyster mushrooms, garlicky sautéed spinach, citrus butter and a drizzle of herb oil. End on a decadent note with the chocolate truffle cake.

Convivium

83 Yonge St., myconvivium.com

Convivium Dining Community is located in the historic Tin and Copper Smith Building, an 1857 heritage landmark in the Financial District. The menu goes beyond basics, using refined techniques and rich flavours inspired by Europe but made with Canadian ingredients.

Menu highlights: Start with the fig salad, a mix of peppery baby arugula, creamy goat cheese, crisp green apples and caramelized walnuts, tossed in a zesty citrus dressing. Then choose one of three luxurious risottos: tender veal osso buco paired with saffron risotto, rich duck confit (also over saffron risotto), or a comforting and earthy mushroom risotto. For dessert: crème brûlée.

Pizzeria Libretto Ossington

221 Ossington Ave., pizzerialibretto.com

Libretto opened its Ossington location way back in 2008, but this marks the first time the pizzeria has brought its authentic pizza Napoletana to the Winterlicious lineup.

Menu highlights: Start with the arugula salad, tossed with aged piave cheese, pear slices and roasted walnuts and finished with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Of the pizzas on offer, a standout is the Neapolitan ’nduja, topped with spicy Calabrian sausage, San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, fior di latte mozzarella, stracciatella and fresh basil. To finish: espresso-cinnamon gelato.