Fresh, local, environmentally aware—try these Toronto restaurants raising the bar on sustainability.
Sustainability has become a food industry buzzword for a variety of reasons, including environmental impact, social responsibility and consumer demand. Bonus: sourcing sustainable food ingredients often also translates into fresher, more flavourful dishes, too.
Ready to savour 7 takes on sustainability? Book a table at these 7 Toronto restaurants participating in this year’s Summerlicious (July 4–20, 2025) prix-fixe dining festival.
Amano Trattoria
Italian restaurant Amano Trattoria in downtown’s Old Town neighbourhood is a great dinner-with-friends destination, with its rustic-elegant exposed brick walls, reclaimed wood accents and iron fixtures.
Sustainability highlights: Amano Trattoria’s local suppliers include White Lily Farms, which procures organic vegetables from family farms. Another is Affinity Fish, which uses sustainable Japanese fish handling techniques for their harvests from the Great Lakes.
Standout Summerlicious dishes: beef carpaccio with beech mushrooms and hazelnut emulsion, saffron and mushroom risotto, and Nonna’s Tiramisu.
Little Sister
The King West-adjacent outpost of Indonesian-Dutch food bar Little Sister on Portland feels like a tropical eatery you’d find in Bali, with Southeast Asian accents throughout, including decorative lanterns and botanicals.
Sustainability highlights: Little Sister reduces waste by repurposing ingredients. For example, leftover fresh ginger used in cooking is recycled into a syrup for cocktails.
And the leftover pulp from the syrup? It’s dehydrated and blitzed into a powder which is used as a food and drink garnish.
Standout Summerlicious dishes: watermelon, cucumber and radish salad, Indonesian steak frites and Balinese Coconut Delight (coconut-pineapple dacquoise with salted caramel).
Luma
Luma is located inside the TIFF Lightbox, which provides lovely terrace views of all the action taking place below in the Entertainment District. The interior is designed with an eye to the visuals, with rich woods, leather, stone and eye-catching artwork.
Sustainability highlights: Luma’s suppliers include Ontario farms located within a 100-kilometre radius. Their meats come from Toronto’s Butcher Shoppe, their artisan vinegar is from Niagara’s Minus 8, and dairy is sourced from Hagersville’s Hewitt’s Dairy.
Summerlicious menu highlights: local spicy greens salad with whipped sumac and white bean spread, seafood spaghetti puttanesca and Limoncello Tiramisu.
Canteen
Located right below Luma, Canteen is TIFF Lightbox’s 3,500-square-foot street-level bistro. This brunch-perfect space is bright and airy, with floor-to-ceiling windows that let the sunlight flood in.
A casual, family-friendly restaurant, Canteen sources fresh Canadian ingredients wherever possible.
Sustainability highlights: Canteen reduces food waste by using ends and meat trimmings in its dishes, and by pooling resources with Luma to streamline transportation, reducing fuel use.
Standout Summerlicious dishes: tomato and cucumber gazpacho with mint and pea shoots, Jerked Ontario Tofu with pineapple salsa and grilled corn, and a potted banana split.
Soulas Modern Greek Cuisine
Soulas Modern Greek Cuisine can be found on the quietly eclectic Danforth Greektown strip. The menu is based on the traditional Mediterranean diet, with an abundance of plant-based foods, healthy fats and lean proteins.
Sustainability highlights: Soulas’ meat supplier—Mister Greek Meats—is located down the street. The family-owned butcher shop has been their go-to since the 1970s.
Another supplier is Niki Importing, which supports Greek artisans and sources food products that prioritize sustainable agriculture and fair labour practices.
Standout Summerlicious dishes: sesame-baked feta wrapped in crispy phyllo pastry, Ontario pork chop prepared in a traditional lemon-oregano marinade, and ravani (Greek cake with honey syrup and almonds).
Taline
Midtown’s Taline takes a deep dive into Armenian and Lebanese cuisine. The restaurant honours Chef Sebouh Yacoubian’s late mother in numerous ways, through both its menu and decor.
You’ll notice olive green, rose, earthy brown and copper colours—his mother’s favourites—woven throughout the restaurant's aesthetic.
Sustainability highlights: Seasonal ingredients are integral to Armenian cuisine and Taline stays true to tradition with local ingredients and a longstanding relationship with Diana's Seafood, which provides responsibly sourced seafood from healthy fisheries.
To minimize food waste, Taline incorporates leftover components into sauces, stocks, condiments and other flavour enhancers.
Standout Summerlicious dishes: tsenebek (Ontario Asparagus with dukkah, akawi and orange), kaghamp (braised cabbage with caramelized fennel tahini, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts), and halva with olive oil.
The Chef’s House
Located in the heart of Old Town, The Chefs’ House is an innovative dining concept led by students at George Brown College's Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts.
Guided by seasoned instructors, culinary students collaboratively design, execute and serve Canadian and international cuisine at this fine dining restaurant. Their menu changes seasonally in tandem with new cohorts of students and as different local ingredients become available.
Sustainability highlights: Prioritizing local is a key component of the curriculum. The restaurant favours smaller, responsible local purveyors, including Diana’s Seafood, King Cole Duck and The Butcher Shoppe.
Standout Summerlicious dishes: ajo blanco, (white gazpacho), miso cod, maple-glazed duck breast and dessert options like millionaire's chocolate tart.
—This story has been updated with new details since it was first published in June 2024.
