Make the most of the harvest season, where you can sample the flavours of Ontario in seasonal, locavore and field-to-table menus.
Farm-to-table dining continues to tantalize sustainability-focused foodies, with several Toronto restaurants serving locally grown and sourced food and drink.
From chic breweries to upscale dining in the sky, here are 10 Toronto restaurants where you can eat locally grown and sourced ingredients from Ontario.
TIP: To sample the most dedicated locavore cuisine, look for the FeastON symbol, which designates restaurants recognized for their commitment to sourcing and serving from within the province.
Carnivores will want to try their prime rib roast or bone-in striploin, which features Guelph-raised cattle. Pescatarians should order East Coast halibut served with locally sourced greens for a field-to-sea-to-table meal.
Drom Taberna
Offering a culinary journey through the Baltic, Balkan and Black Sea regions, this Queen West tavern is known for its live music and eclectic, Romani-inspired cuisine.
Its FeastON-recognised menu is updated regularly and includes gems like Acadian smoked sturgeon (sustainably sourced in New Brunswick) and fried Ontario quail paprikash.
360 Restaurant
Known as the rotating restaurant at the top of the CN Tower, 360 Restaurant is also a great place to eat Canadian-grown food.
Dine on dishes sourced from local farm wholesalers, New Farm, and Ocean Wise certified sustainable fisheries while taking in jaw-dropping city and lake views from 350 m (1151 ft) above street level.
Standout dishes featuring regional ingredients include the Heirloom Tomato Salad with Ontario Burrata and the B.C. Humboldt Squid served over local frisée.
Your drink choice is practically guaranteed local, as the entire wine, beer and cider menu (except for Port) comes from Ontario.
Avling Brewery
This Eastside brewery has made a name for itself with unique beers and a brewpub menu showcasing local ingredients—including some from their own rooftop kitchen garden.
Incorporating the field-to-table ethos in their beverages and plates, Avling Brewery updates its menu based on what is in season or available through suppliers like 100km Foods Inc.
Local favourites are the lager-battered lake pickerel and bone-in ribeye pork chops from Stratford, Ontario’s Perth Pork. Tuck into red fyfe buttermilk pancakes served with wild blueberry and local peach preserves for brunch.
Richmond Station
Richmond Station is an upscale FeastON-certified restaurant in Toronto’s bustling Financial District. You’ll understand what the hype is about when you try their braised Penokan Hills beef served with basil-cream mashed potatoes paired with a small-batch beer from Left Field Brewery.
If you’re hungry (and adventurous), opt for the chef-curated tasting menu, which changes every two weeks and is inspired by local and seasonal ingredients.
Many of the restaurant’s veggies, herbs and flowers are grown at the restaurant’s own regenerative-organic garden in Creemore, Ontario.
Named after Canada’s national tree, the Maple Leaf Tavern is a cozy spot in Toronto’s east end where you can dine on dry-aged Ontario meats and sip on local wine, beer and spirits.
Each dish is swapped seasonally to showcase the best flavours of Ontario, like a green salad made with lettuces from Clear Water Farms (Willow Beach, Ontario) or a caper and mustard sauced pork chop plate featuring pasture-raised meat.
DaiLo
When it comes to cool restaurants in Toronto, College Street’s DaiLo is one of the first that comes to mind. Chef Nick Liu’s gem fuses small-plates Chinese fare and flavours with French culinary traditions to become one of the most sought-after restaurants in the city.
The restaurant has received a FeastON designation for its reliance on local suppliers like The Butcher Shoppe, Monforte Dairy, 100km Foods Inc. and King Cole Ducks—as featured in their flavour bomb Smoked Duck Bokkeum.
Antler Kitchen & Bar
A carnivore’s paradise in Little Portugal, Antler Kitchen & Bar has built its reputation on serving local game paired with local produce. Chef Michael Hunter is an avid outdoorsman with the stated aim of bringing the flavours of the near north to Toronto.
Try Ontario mushroom Bolognese on housemade pasta, or chow down on a wild-boar-bison-and-deer burger with fries. Pescatarians can dig into an appetizer of BC side stripe shrimp ceviche with Ontario sweet corn relish, while vegetarians can indulge in a roasted hen of the woods mushroom salad.
Aburi Hana
The multi-course tasting menu at Yorkville’s 1 MICHELIN Star Aburi Hana is a culinary experience that includes seasonal Ontario-grown ingredients with the Japanese Kyōto-style Kaiseki concept.
Here you’ll find crisp Ontario Granny Smith apples, seasonal strawberries or other seasonal produce alongside seafood and other delicacies seared on the restaurant’s signature Aburi flame.
Another 1 MICHELIN Star restaurant, Quetzal, crafts traditional Mexican dishes from locally grown and sourced ingredients. Creative Mexican dishes and craft cocktails will satisfy locavores, with ingredients from nearby spots like Sanagan’s Meat Locker and 100km Foods Inc.
Order the mushroom and shishito peppers made with Shogun maitake from London, Ontario and Trinity Farm oyster mushrooms from Ancaster, Ontario for a truly local bite.
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Author
Caleigh Alleyne
Travel journalist Caleigh Alleyne was born and raised in Toronto. You can read her articles in many international publications or catch her on CTV’s The Social, where she’s a regular travel expert. On the weekends, Caleigh can be found hitting up a cozy spot for brunch in the west end or hiking one of Toronto’s many urban trails. Secret Toronto Spot: The West Toronto Railpath to hike and Prairie Boy Bread for a treat! Instagram: @caleigh.alleyne
