Craving a meal so memorable you’d hop on a plane for it? Turns out Toronto is serving up nearly a third of the best, according to Air Canada’s top 30 restaurants.
Ever had a meal in Toronto that you think you’ll remember forever? Or are you someone who swears Toronto has the best cuisine? Well, a new list from Air Canada shows that you might be on to something.
Local airline Air Canada has released its 2026 Best New Restaurants Finalists last week, spotlighting 30 restaurants worth catching a flight for.
Luckily for Torontonians, nine out of the 30 are Toronto restaurants. Here’s what you need to know.
Antylia
Location: 1059 Bloor St W.
Be transported to Latin America without ever leaving Toronto. Latin American restaurant Antylia offers an interactive space centred around a large open-kitchen chef’s counter, where chefs explain each course before you dine.
Expect Pan-American and Mexican-inspired seasonal dishes, and much of the menu to be gluten-free. If you like the taste of local eateries Quetzal, Piano Piano, Azhar or Guiletta, then this might be your new obsession, as this restaurant comes from those same owners.
Bar Eugenie
Location: 89 Harbord St.
Bar Eugenie has also scored a spot in the top 30 list. This Toronto ingredient-driven restaurant and cocktail bar is run by a trio of ALo Food Group alumni.
The kitchen is led by Chef Rebekah Bruce (formerly of Alobar Downtown) and the menu offers a rotating, date-stamped selection of shareable plates influenced by Canadian ingredients and subtle nods to her Filipino heritage. There’s also a wood-burning oven, and a drink program leaning into aperitivos and seasonal wine-adjacent cocktails.
Liliana
Location: 1198 Queen St W.
Taste great Italian cuisine at Liliana right in the heart of Toronto. Liliana is an intimate 30-seat fine dining restaurant that blends Italian techniques with bold Asian and Filipino flavours. The eatery gives off a cozy, rustic vibe with an open kitchen, allowing guests to watch the chefs work. Liliana is halal and includes dishes from pasta to octopus and more.
N.L. Ginzburg
Location: 548 College St.
N.L. Ginzburg is an Italo-Jewish trattoria right in the heart of Toronto’s Little Italy. Expect hyper-seasonal Canadian and local Ontario ingredients, alongside comforting handmade pastas.
The menu combines the two cultures, referencing Tuscan-based food and Jewish fare.
OLDESEOUL TAVERN
Location: 1911 Queen St E.
Taste this Korean-American fusion gastropub in Toronto’s The Beaches neighbourhood. OLDESEOUL TAVERN took over the former Otherside Pizza space and blends pizza with Seoul-inspired neighbourhood comfort food.
The moody, intimate and retro vibe features checkerboard floors, red lighting, and exposed brick walls. Beyond traditional drinks like an Old Fashioned, expect Korean selections like makgeolli (rice wine).
Radici Project
Location: 588 College St.
Check out this Italian-Japanese fusion restaurant, Radici Project, in Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood. The husband-and-wife duo behind this restaurant brings experience from Michelin-starred kitchens, including DaNico or Nobu Toronto.
The intimate space seats 44 guests and offers food focusing on idameshi – melding the fundamental techniques and seasonal sensibilities of regional Italian and Japanese cooking while using local Canadian ingredients.
Bisteccheria Sammarco
Location: 4 Front St E.
Bisteccheria Sammarco is an opulent, modern Italian steakhouse founded by Michelin-starred Chef Rob Rossi and restaurateur David Minicucci – the duo behind Giulietta and Osteria Guilia.
Expect long-crafted food such as beef, partnered with premier butcher Cumbrae’s to source top-tier Canadian beef, dry-aged in-house for up to 60 days, and custom cocktails – known for tableside martinis.
Seahorse
Location: 1226 Yonge St.
Enjoy oysters and seafood such as tuna tartare or house-made crab at Seahorse. The Toronto restaurant in the Summerhill neighbourhood includes team members who are all professionals in the field.
Eamon Clark is an 11-time Canadian oyster-shucking champion, running the raw bar, whileFrederico Garcia is a chef with experience as a sous-chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant Quetzal. There’s also a curated bar program featuring dirty martinis and signature spritzes to accompany your meal.
Zia’s Place
Location: 1543 Dundas St W.
Zia’s Place is a cozy, casual fine dining restaurant in Little Portugal, serving southern Italian cooking. The space is designed to feel like a lively, nostalgic Sunday lunch at your aunt’s house, with warm lighting and rich accents. The menu focuses on regional, hand-rolled pastas and sharable plates.
Air Canada is celebrating 25 years of its best new restaurants list, and has included a list of restaurants all over Canada.
“This year isn’t just about looking back at the icons who transformed our food culture; it’s about fuelling the future,” Andy Shibata, Vice President, Brand at Air Canada said in a news release.
“From the 30 standout finalists on this year’s list to the young aspiring chefs entering the kitchen for the first time, we’re proud to back the talent, diversity, and creativity driving Canadian dining forward.”
