Summerlicious is here! Book a table at Toronto’s top restaurants to indulge in amazing prix-fixe values.
Calling all foodies: Summerlicious is here! Running from July 7 to July 23, 2023, this annual restaurant festival sets the stage for unforgettable weekend getaways for couples or friends in one of the best foodie cities.
Sit down to inventive three-course menus at over 200+ participating restaurants. With six different lunch and dinner price points, you can decide whether to save or splurge. Here are 30 top Toronto restaurants where you can get a taste of the city.
Fuel your adventures with 15 delicious Summerlicious lunch options
Budget-friendly $20 & $27 Summerlicious lunches
Authentic Indian & Hakka cuisine at Mannat
Little Italy is home to Mannat Indian & Hakka Bar, where you can find the increasingly elusive Summerlicious $20 lunch prix-fixe menu. Start with tandoor-broiled fish tikka, choose between five mains, including butter chicken, and then cap the meal with chilled kheer rice pudding.
Japanese-Inspired Mexican at The Haam
The Haam serves up zesty East meets South cuisine in the Entertainment District. Choices abound on their $27 lunch menu, but chilli-oil spiked hamachi tiradito to start, followed by spicy salmon tacos and, finally, churros with house-made dulce de leche sound good to us.
If you like fusion cuisine, also see: 6 Fusion Restaurants That Serve The Ultimate Mash-Up
Locally sourced ingredients at Amano
Whether you’re hungry for the classics or something more contemporary, Amano Italian Kitchen delivers with $27 lunch options like arancini, cacio e pepe pasta and seasonal cannoli. This business-friendly option is in Old Town’s Union Station, just a short walk from the Financial District.
TIP: Stay on budget by filtering Summerlicious restaurants by price point.
Mid-priced $34 & $41 Summerlicious lunches
Patio lunching at Hunters Landing
Enjoy summer breezes on one of Toronto’s largest tree-covered patios at Hunters Landing. Located in the South Core, a short walk from Scotiabank Arena and the Waterfront district, it offers a $34 lunch with choices like truffled mushroom crostini, a bacon jam burger and mascarpone cheesecake.
Laidback locavore at Hotel Ocho
Hotel Ocho Restaurant Bar is a quiet gem tucked away in Chinatown. The casual gastropub offers a chill patio or light-filled interior where you can dine on a $41 lunch with dishes crafted from local ingredients, including bagna cauda (anchovy dip with summer veggies), pan-seared trout and Ontario strawberry shortcake.
Want to keep exploring Chinatown? See 12 Hours: Where to Eat, Shop & Play in Toronto’s Chinatown.
Stellar seafood at Lobster Burger Bar
East Coast seafood reigns supreme in the Entertainment District’s Lobster Burger Bar, deemed by cognoscenti to serve one of Toronto’s best lobster rolls.
Decide for yourself. Build your $41 Summerlicious lunch around the dish, after starting with a Caesar salad and finishing with chocolate lava cake. Yum!
TIP: Looking for vegan restaurant options? Use the “Vegan” filter to preview 31 vegan Summerlicious menus.
Luxe $48 & $55 Summerlicious lunches
Old World flair at Adega
A quiet retreat tucked off downtown Yonge Street, Adega boasts Mediterranean cuisine by way of Portugal.
Renowned for its seafood-heavy menu, their $48 Summerlicious lunch includes Luso classics like caldo verde soup, grilled sardines, roasted capon with piri piri sauce and a dessert of poached pear in Madeira wine.
Estate vibes at Gatsby
Swanky Gatsby By Windsor Arms is the perfect stop whilst power shopping through chic Yorkville.
The $48 lunch offers uncomplicated satisfaction, with starters like gazpacho or summer salad and mains such as wagyu burgers, salmon poke and eggplant lasagna. Palate cleansing sorbet is the perfect dessert on a summer day.
Fancy a cuppa? The Windsor Arms is well-known for its tea service along with these other hotspots for afternoon tea.
Old-school Japanese at Nami
One of Toronto’s oldest Japanese restaurants, Nami Japanese Restaurant introduced sushi to the city in 1984. Walking into the serene space, with its tatami rooms and shoji screens, is a cherished Old Town experience.
Its $55 menu includes options like fresh oysters with ponzu, followed by, say, straw-smoked unagi, and a trad dessert like daifuku mochi.
Start the evening with 15 unforgettable Summerlicious dinner choices
Budget-friendly $25 & $35 Summerlicious dinners
Affordable Indian Cuisine at Bukhara
Head west to Etobicoke for plenty of delicious Indian options at Bukhara Grill. That rare $25 Summerlicious dinner value, this white-tablecloth resto offers reliable starters like onion bhaji or veggie samosas, followed by mains such as prawn jalfrezi or lamb madras, followed by desserts like rasmalai (cheese soaked in sweet syrup).
Patio dining at Valens
Cap an Art Gallery of Ontario visit with a relaxed patio dinner at Valens in nearby Baldwin Village. Its crowd-pleasing global menu hits the right spots with $35 dinner options such as beet or Caesar salad, followed by pasta, risotto or steak, then tiramisu or crème brulée.
Indian Classics at The Cottage Cheese
Boho Kensington Market is home to The Cottage Cheese’s elegant “urban Indian” cuisine. Their $35 dinner starts with a daily amuse-bouche, followed by apps like kale and spinach pakora or gilafi chicken kebab. Five main options include classic butter chicken or fish mali curry, and desserts include a modern twist on gulab jamun.
TIP: Prefer accessible dining options? Filter by “Accessible Restaurant” for 112 accessible Summerlicious restaurants.
Mid-priced $45 & $55 Summerlicious dinners
Mexican vegan at Rosalinda
A solid vegan option close to the Financial and Entertainment districts, Rosalinda offers 100% plant-based fare in a lush, expansive, greenery-filled environment. Starters like street-corn-esque esquites, mains like chile relleno, and desserts like pastel de tres leches cake spark delight on their $45 menu.
A locavore feast at Oakwood Hardware
Chopped Canada winner Chef Anna Sorrenti helms Uptown’s Oakwood Hardware Food & Drink. This neighbourhood gem offers patio dining and a $45 Summerlicious menu jam-packed with local ingredients.
Start with zweibelkuchen, a crisp pastry topped with Ontario smoked gouda, then feast on grilled summer veggies and indulgent desserts like malted chocolate whoopie pie.
Pan-Asian vibes at Dasha
Known for its upscale karaoke rooms, Dasha is a bangin’ option on the dynamic King Street West strip. Its $55 Summerlicious dinner includes starters like truffle-ponzu watermelon salad or pork belly bao, followed by spicy shrimp noodles or General Tao chicken. Finish up with Thai lime pie and then hit the karaoke bar.
Luxe $65 & $75 Summerlicious dinners
Upscale locavore at Bosk
Looking for authentic local Canadian cuisine? Head to the Financial District’s Bosk, for refined dishes that showcase regional ingredients.
Start with roasted corn chowder for its Ontario corn and East Coast Fogo Island shrimp. Move on to Quebec Brome Lake duck confit with grilled Ontario peaches. Finish your $65 cross-Canada culinary tour with panna cotta with local strawberries.
France meets Italy at ēst
Head to up-and-coming Riverside for a $75 seasonally inspired Summerlicious dinner at ēst. Truffle burrata or charred octopus are apt apps for top-notch mains like local beef tenderloin with king oyster mushrooms or 12-hour braised short rib. Cap it all with Earl Grey crème brulée or the restaurant’s signature chocolate cake.
Portuguese seafood at Via Norte
With fresh fish shipped from Portugal, Via Norte has built its reputation on stellar seafood. Tuck into traditional grilled sardines or chouriço sausage, then move on to pan-seared steak topped with Mediterranean relish. For dessert, try the molotof, a meringue of egg whites with fruit coulis and caramel drizzle.
TIP: Reservations open June 29, 2023, so book ahead with participating restaurants to snag your Summerlicious table. Bon appétit!
