Fill up on the healthy side at these Toronto vegetarian and vegan restaurants offering fresh flavours and global inspo.
Patio season means you get to try out a world of flavours in Toronto’s best summer months. It also means you get to try out something new. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian or even a true-blue meat eater, Toronto’s vegetarian and vegan restaurant scene is one you’ll want to check out. I’m talking comfort food (like you can’t believe that’s not a "real" burger), to filling healthy salads that get you glowing, to crazy delicious brunch options—all on some pretty great patios. Here are some of Toronto’s best patio options for vegetarian or vegan food.
Fat Choi
Located in fun and trendy Ossington Village, Fat Choi is one of those spots that’s perfect for a pre-night-out snack and cocktail. A “permanent pop-up” located within Soos, their plant-based menu is mostly sharable small plates, and brings on tons of flavour and spice. The rotating menu keeps your taste buds on their toes.
On their typical menu, you can’t go wrong with the 20-ingredient Prosperity Salad with a yuzu plum dressing for a burst of freshness. The red chili cauliflower and broccoli (with lemongrass turmeric chili toss, peanut, sesame), is another winner. I’m also currently swooning over the special Mango Cashew Tofu and the Sambal Dhal and Roti.
Maha’s Egyptian Brunch
When you want to have something more than just your typical brunch you need to head over to the Eastside’s Maha’s Egyptian Brunch . While not strictly vegetarian, Maha’s offers extensive plant-based options, plus a great patio that wraps around its corner location. No reservations, so come early and hungry, but know that this spot is worth every minute you wait to get on their patio.
Where do I even start with this menu—it’s all so good! They serve up traditional Egyptian breakfast street food like the Cairo Classic, foole (tomatoes and onions mixed with fava beans), with egg, falafel, homemade feta (yes!!) and charred balady bread. That’s just one of their signatures.
Other options include some of the best shakshuka in the city, a grilled cheese with dates (trust me, you need to try this), vegan lentil soup, and so much more. Go for the balady bread alone, and leave so full and satisfied from everything else.
Fresh Restaurants
Easily Toronto’s most classic vegetarian and vegan restaurant, the Fresh locations are always bursting with people, good food and quinoa onion rings that will change your life. All their Toronto locations have patios open: Fresh on Crawford, Fresh on Front, Fresh on Eglinton, Fresh on Danforth and Fresh on Bloor. Bowls of grains, noodles, rice, veggies, tofu and tempeh always make a satisfying meal—but you also can’t go wrong with the burgers and the smoothies. And trust me, you will want that order of onion rings!
—This story has been updated with new details since it was first published in June 2021.
