Cantina Mercatto is the newest addition to the Mercatto family of restaurants (Taverna, Locale, Trattoria and College) that started some 20 years ago on Toronto Street. Close to both the St. Lawrence Market and the Financial District, the new space is meant to be a one-stop shop for lunch meetings, special occasions as well as

Carole’s Cheesecake delivers on the promise of its name, offering over a dozen types of the delicious dessert which range from classic with fruit toppings to speciality varieties like Reese’s Peanut Butter. Founded in 1972, Carole’s also claims to have been the first bakery to introduce carrot cake to Toronto and they still make a

Named for one of the liveliest downtown neighbourhoods of Lisbon, Chiado is bringing a taste of Portugal to Toronto. Albino Silva, one of North America’s most critically acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs, is serving, what he calls, bold “progressive Portuguese” flavours with creative presentation. Fish from the Azores islands are flown in every day to ensure

One part Toronto-based couple, one part Italian gelato and one part Asian-influenced flavours is the makeup of Kekou Gelato House. This downtown spot is serving up gelato, Popsicles, and beverages inspired by the popular and hidden flavours of Asia. The gelato base is made from scratch, using the simplest of ingredients — egg yolk, milk,

Leña is the newest addition to the Oliver & Bonacini empire. For Anthony Walsh, the company’s corporate executive chef, this project is especially close to his heart. Leña is named after his Argentinian mother-in-law and pays homage to her country’s cuisine.

Saturday afternoons are meant for brunch at The County General, then a stroll through Trinity Bellwoods Park ­­­­ — or at least past it to pick up some goodies, whether it’s a coffee stop at White Squirrel, a croissant stop (if you’re lucky) at Clafouti or over to Nadège Patisserie for fine French pastries and a colourful display of macarons fitting for the hues of fall.

In 2009, Nadège Nourian, a fourth-generation pastry chef from France, boldly set up an eponymous bakery and café in the immediate vicinity of Dufflet and Clafouti on Queen West. Now thriving with four locations and an ice cream shop, Nadège is really taking over the city’s pastry scene. The focus here is less on sit-down

Osteria Rialto is the flagship restaurant in the historical Paradise building which also houses Bar Biltmore and Paradise Theatre. The restaurant, spearheaded by executive chef Basilio Pesce and bar director Robin Goodfellow (Bar Raval and PrettyUgly), takes its inspiration from non-regional Italian cuisine, using ingredients found in Ontario. This means Rialto is dedicated to Italian

Seafood lovers look no further. Oyster Mine is the spot for all things oysters, lobsters and shrimp. This upscale restaurant creates an elegant dining experience with a live seafood bar surrounded by private booths. You may as well bring your friends and enjoy the petite or grand seafood platter, consisting of oysters, shrimp, mussels, seared

Nortown’s own Padella is a great little taste of Italy way outside little Italy. Step inside into the warm ambience of modest yet refined decor, which, like the menu, is simple and straightforward, with no distractions, allowing for the flavours of the quality ingredients to be the star of the show. The fare is more

Longtime North York favourite Paese is living up to its name as an icon of Armour Heights. “Paese” is the Italian word for town or village, which takes on a more local and community- and neighbourhood-driven approach by the people behind Paese. Their menu is filled with options of handcrafted and house-made Italian-inspired dishes, each

To know ’em is to love ’em with Pizzeria Libretto. The chain of Neapolitan pizzerias is one of the city’s best known because it is so many people’s favourite. You should definitely come for the pizza no matter if you’re vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free. The funghi di boscowhite pizza is one of Pizzeria Libretto’s most

Sassafraz, the quintessential Yorkville hangout and celeb magnet, has been seriously revamped. The 20-year-old Victorian house has gone from a sunny yellow to a sophisticated sage green, and that’s just the beginning of the transformation. This new redesign is a culmination of two years of research. After all, it’s hard to revamp such a beloved

A restaurant so nice they named it twice! Ristorante Sotto Sotto is the Annex’s long-established destination for upscale, south-central Italian fare with all food made as if it were the old country. Owner and founder Marisa Rocca moved to Toronto from Rome over 25 years ago and, through much hard work and determination, has an

Summer’s Ice Cream is Yorkville’s most iconic ice cream parlour that has been serving up homemade ice cream and frozen yogurt since 1984. Owned and operated by the Tokey family, this multi-generational family business has been doing the same thing for more than 30 years and people are still lining up the stairs to get

Their latest opened inside Bayview Village just a few weeks ago and is drawing on established Tabülè favourites with a few new twists.

The Good Son’s new location at the Shops at Don Mills is just as inviting as the original spot on Queen Street West. Its menu is largely the same, with a few additions, such as a chicken caesar salad and a cubano sandwich. “We always wanted to expand our brand and bring the Good Son

Chef Vittorio Colacitti has an unusually varied resume. He’s done fine dining (at George, Lucien and Didier); he’s done corporate gigs (he was a chef with Loblaws); he’s done pizza (at Pizzeria Via Mercanti and in Italy) and he’s done television (he was on season four of Top Chef Canada). Now he’s doing his own thing with The Good Son.

The Inside Scoop is Toronto’s ice cream dream come true. With over 40 premium ice cream flavours, including dairy-free, sorbet and soft serve flavours, there’s no limit to the exuberant creations that can be made. Alongside scoops and litres full of ice cream, The Inside Scoop offers fully loaded ice cream masterpieces, including sundaes, milkshakes,

XO Gelato wants you to give your mother a big kiss. Situated in the heart of the Davisville village, this dessert destination is a family-run community staple that hand makes its own gelato and sorbets. XO also offers up crepes and panini as the main meal that is often known to precede the dessert. To