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Food & Drink

3 best patios for food downtown

1. George

111 Queen E, at Mutual, 416-863-6006, georgeonqueen.com. Chef Lorenzo Lesoto has made leaps and bounds since starting out as sous-chef at Susur Lee’s Lotus all those years ago. But the master’s attention to detail persists – witness summery plates like tuna tartare and berry pavlova that manage to be both light and complex. That he serves it all in a gorgeous atrium far from the downtown din is pure icing on the cake. Closed Sunday, holidays.

2. Lee Lounge

601 King W, at Portland, 416-504-7867, susur.com. Susur Lee has had such a staggering influence on the downtown dining scene that we tend to take him for granted. If he’s not gallivanting off to his successful outposts in Washington, DC, or Singapore, he’s popping up on some American food TV show. And while some may think his latest Lounge dumbs down the family brand, the food coming out of its kitchen has never been more inventive. Or affordable. We’ll gladly take his signature $19 Singapore slaw and a Singapore sling over a $400 tasting menu (even if it is served backwards) and a bottle of Veuve Cliquot any day of the week. Closed Sunday, holidays.

3. Torito

276 Augusta, at College, 416-961-7373, toritorestaurant.com. Now that Kensington has turned into something of a hipster shopping mall complete with jugglers and mimes, snagging a table on this exceptionally popular tapas bar’s 35-seat tented backyard patio is more difficult than ever. But it’s certainly worth the bother, if only to share the likes of clams à la Barcelona and Andalusian stew over bottomless pitchers of sangriaww. BYOB: zero corkage Sundays and Tuesdays! Closed Monday, some holidays.

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