Toronto’s best CaféTO patios for summer 2022
While CaféTO patios were born out of pandemic necessity, they’re here to stay. No longer are these streetside situations temporary; they’re full-on oases for dining, drinking, dancing and every other component of a hot, sweaty summer in the city. Check the forecast, slather on sunscreen and get set for patio season. Have a favourite you don’t see on the list? Email us at food@torontolife.com and we’ll fix that.
Slowhand Sourdough Pizza
This pandemic pop-up now has permanent digs on Pape, where it pumps out thick-crust pies with toppings like cilantro-lime crema, chili-dusted sweet corn, perfect pepperoni cups and pillowy dollops of ricotta. Take ’em to go or settle into a picnic table on the fully licensed patio.
Mercado Negro
Perhaps you’ve already booked a Portuguese sojourn now that travel requirements have been relaxed. But, if not, consider going to St. Clair West for a pretend trip to Portugal. Mercado Negro serves up platters of clams, grilled octopus, cured meats and lamb chops in a space covered by a canopy of coloured umbrellas and arranged with Porto patio-esque furniture.
White Lily Diner
Queen East’s quintessential hub for great diner grub now has a patio for soaking up the sun—and soaking up maple syrup with pancakes. Pack your pals into a picnic bench and dig in to pimento cheese, Southern-style buttermilk biscuits, toasted Westerns and sweet potato salads.
Banh Haus
Over in the heart of Chinatown, the Dinh family offers up build-your-own banh mis: pick your protein (including curry tofu and fried chicken) and then pick your carb, from rice to fluffy Vietnamese donuts. Grab your dish and find a spot on the patio’s low-to-the-ground, Vietnamese-style stools. And, if you have a long day ahead of you, don’t forget a cup of wake-the-dead Vietnamese coffee.
Mineral
One of the fancier CaféTO set-ups is Mineral’s built-out patio on a Rosedale side street. It’s a stellar place to order up oysters, prawn cocktails, or thinly sliced pineapple and kombu. And don’t skip the ensaymadas: indulgent warm little bread dumplings finished with truffle butter and hojicha honey.
Bar Sybanne
Ossington boasts some of the city’s best people-watching, and what better way to partake than with an excellent cocktail in hand on Bar Sybanne’s front patio. The food menu ranges from little bites—seared halloumi or dip plates—to larger plates of truffle cacio e pepe or vegetable tagine, with a variety of craft cocktails to wash it all down.
Poor Romeo Bar
There’s no use spending a hot summer night cooped up in a dimly lit bar. Poor Romeo’s patio is designed for wasting the day (and night) away. All summer long, Romeo will be slinging no-frills pub food: queso ’n’ chips, kale caesars, smash burgers, buffalo cauliflower. Cocktails come courtesy of the folks at Pinkerton’s, across the street.
Playa Cabana Cantina
This mini Mexican chain has a sweet set-up outside its Junction location. Tacos are the focal food group, including slow-roasted carnitas, Baja fish or braised cactus with jalapeno avocado salsa on soft shells as well as tacos chorreados (crispy shells fried with cheese) with green chorizo, red chili shrimp or chile poblano rajas. And don’t forget the real reason you’re here: margaritas.
Kinka Izakaya
Kinka Izakaya offers a full menu of cold and sizzling dishes on the covered patio at its Church Street location. Expect the same warm welcome as indoor dining but with a sunnier atmosphere. On service are pork chashu lettuce wraps, salmon tataki and matcha negronis.
Manita
Walk by this Ossington stay-all-day spot and you’ll likely be tempted to stop in for a drink of some kind, be it coffee, wine or an ice-cold martini. Scattered around the street are plenty of tables, usually filled with tourists taking a break, professionals enjoying an extended business lunch or hungry folks digging in to one of the restaurant’s excellent sandwiches.
Capocaccia
Casual Italian fare, a matching wine program and a lush patio set-up? Capocaccia is an easy sell. Crispy artichokes, fresh burrata, and a spread of pizzas (fried eggplant, truffle, pear and prosciutto) and pastas (zucchini risotto, linguine alle vongole, and bolognese) round out the food offerings.
Eataly
While there are plenty of sit-down spots for full Italian dinners inside, this Bay Street patio situation skews snackable. Think personal pan pizzas, burrata, calamari fritti and spiedini. Over on Bloor Street, the Italian grocery giant has set up the perfect aperitivo situation: a more casual stand-up bar specializing in spritzes and DIY G&Ts.
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Kate Dingwall is a writer, author and photographer covering spirits, business, culture, fashion and travel. By night, she’s a working sommelier. She has worked with Flare, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, Maxim, People, Southern Living, Rolling Stone, Eater, Elle, Toronto Life and the Toronto Star, among other publications. She frequently appears on both CTV and NPR, has co-authored a book on gin, judges Food & Wine’s Tastemakers and has strong opinions on the city’s best martini.
