Toronto’s latest restaurant openings span everything from Thai street noodles and Mexican-inspired bowls to Japanese Wagyu smash burgers and old-school smoked meat sandwiches. Here are the new places giving Toronto diners something different to try.
1. Teow Tem Toh
Kensington Market has a new Thai street food spot in Teow Tem Toh, serving everything from boat noodles and pad Thai to stir-fried dishes and grilled meats. The menu includes Ayutthaya-style boat noodles in regular and mini sizes, Teow Sukhothai noodles with pork, braised beef pad kaprao and grilled pork jowl tossed with a spicy, lime-forward dressing. There are also crispy shrimp, fried pork wontons and Thai desserts, including mango sticky rice and pandan bread. 237 Augusta Ave.
2. Billy’s Bodega
The Distillery District has a new sandwich shop and bodega. Billy’s, from the team behind Spirit of York, takes inspiration from old-school corner stores, with a menu of deli sandwiches, milkshakes and snacks. The signature Little Billy comes piled with 150 grams of smoked meat, brined for seven days, while the Big Billy doubles the portion. There’s also a French dip, meatball sub and Caprese, plus pantry staples, household essentials and local finds.
3. Vū Café | Studio
Vū Café | Studio is a new Dundas West café that brings together coffee, fresh food, local art and creative workshops under one roof. The thoughtfully designed space features sculptural walls, ceramics, rotating art exhibitions and an underground studio for events and classes. The menu includes flatbreads, breakfast sandwiches, grilled cheese, chia pudding and coffee drinks such as blueberry matcha and croissant cold brew. Come evening, the space also serves drinks and hosts intimate gatherings. 844 Dundas St. W.
4. Smash Daddy
Ottawa-born Smash Daddy has brought its smash burgers to Queen West, with a menu built around halal AAA Canadian grass-fed beef, buttered brioche buns and plenty of cheese. The signature Smash Daddy comes with double patties, American cheese, griddled onions, dill pickles and house sauce, while the Wagyu Daddy swaps in Japanese Wagyu beef. There’s also crispy torpedo shrimp and hand-cut, double-fried fries. 1112 Queen St. W.
5. Azul
Azul has opened a new Little Italy location, bringing its Mexican-inspired fast-casual menu to the neighbourhood. The Toronto-based restaurant serves build-your-own milpa bowls, tacos and tortas filled with options like slow-cooked birria, chilorio, halal pollo adobado, roasted mushrooms and poblano peppers. The menu comes from Mexico City-born co-founder and chef Joao Medina, who draws on his roots for dishes that include traditional Mexican flavours with a modern take. 601 College St.
6. Raani
Toronto’s Financial District has a new destination for Indian dining with the opening of Raani. Restaurateur Ambica Jain’s latest venture draws inspiration from India’s royal kitchens, with executive chef Shrikant Tadke serving dishes such as pit-cooked rabbit and Konkani red snapper. The two-level restaurant also features a 23-seat lotus-shaped cocktail bar, a 10-seat chef’s table coming soon and a former bank vault set to become a speakeasy. 360 Bay St.
7. Karasu
At Karasu, yakitori gets a Latin twist. The new restaurant on Adelaide Street West serves a 14-course omakase built around chicken grilled over binchotan charcoal, with Japanese techniques meeting Latin flavours. There are just 14 seats at the chef’s counter, where diners can watch each skewer hit the grill, including specialty cuts and offal alongside seasonal vegetables and signature dishes. Chicken is prepared in-house daily, and the soft-opening menu is priced at $175 per person before moving to $198. 495 Adelaide St. W.
8. Celeb Thai Kitchen & Bar
Celeb Thai has opened on Bloor Street West, bringing family recipes with a history that goes back to the owners’ grandmother, whose mother cooked for a Thai nobleman. The menu covers Thai favourites, from Pad Thai and mango salad to Massaman curry served with flaky roti. There’s also Thai iced tea to wash it all down. Find it just west of Spadina at 394 Bloor St. W.
9. Kiss the Beast
After closing Kiss My Pans and Agak Agak in September, owners Jeanne Chow and David Burga are back with Kiss the Beast, a takeout spot dedicated to Hainanese chicken rice. Now open in their former space, the Little Italy shop serves roasted or poached chicken with fragrant rice cooked in chicken fat, housemade ginger chilli sauce and dark soy molasses. The menu also includes sides, apps and family meals for an easy Singaporean-inspired feast. 713 College St.
10. Yakitori Momiji
Chef Masaki Saito, behind Sushi Masaki Saito, MSSM and Ramen Tabetai, has partnered with chef Takuma Mukouzaka to open Yakitori Momiji in Yorkville. The 12-seat restaurant serves a $248, 15-course yakitori omakase featuring heritage chickens raised for 16 weeks on an Ontario farm using Japanese poultry-raising techniques. Each cut is grilled over imported Japanese binchotan charcoal, with every detail carefully considered. 156 Cumberland St.
11. Wine Stand Bistro
Hidden on the second floor above Bathurst Local, Wine Stand ワイン Bistro brings Japanese and French bistro cooking together in a tiny, low-key space. The menu runs from miso-glazed eggplant and salmon-scallop carpaccio to hayashi beef rice and smoked pork chop, with wine and sake to match. It’s walk-in only, and the owners have little patience for ring lights or espresso martinis — just come hungry and ready to relax. 322 Bathurst St. 2nd floor.