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Food & Drink

East Side

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All restaurants or bars are licensed, take debit or credit cards and are open seven days a week unless otherwise indicated.


East Side: Queen East

AFT Kitchen & Bar

686 Queen E, at Broadview, 647-346-1541, aftbar.com. Texas-style barbecue in the old Toucan Taco backyard.

Ceili Cottage

1301 Queen E, at Alton, 416-406-1301, ceilicottage.com. Starfish oyster shucker Patrick McMurray converts a Leslieville garage into a Celtic pub with step-dancers, fiddlers and all-day weekend Irish breakfasts. Sunday roast dinners and matchmaking services, too.

Hanoi 3 Seasons

1135 Queen E, at Larchmount, 416-469-3010, hanoi3seasons.com. If it’s dirt-cheap pho you’re after, you’ve come to the wrong pizza parlour. But if its skilfully executed North Vietnamese specialties served on a gorgeous bamboo-lined deck, welcome home. Closed Monday.

Joy Bistro

884 Queen E, at Booth, 416-465-8855, joybistro.com. Insanely popular brunch spot with two completely different patios – one overlooking tennis courts, the other a faux Miami lounge complete with firepit.

Leslie Jones

1182 Queen E, at Rushbrooke, 416-463-5663. Summery salads and first-rate pizza in a tree-shrouded backyard hideaway, the only sounds the wind in the trees and the murmur of conversation. Closed Sunday, Monday, holidays.

Rakia Bar

1402 Queen E, at Greenwood, 416-778-8800, rakiabar.com. Serbian cocktail ‘n’ tapas bar expands onto a raised wooden deck across from the Ashbridges streetcar yard.

Stratenger’s

1130 Queen E, at Bertmount, 416-466-8934, strats.ca. Tandoori chicken pizza on a sunny west-facing deck.

Tango Palace

1156 Queen E, at Jones, 416-465-8085. Secluded backyard getaway backing on Leslie Grove Park. Unlicensed.

Te Aro

983 Queen E, at Pape, 416-465-2006, te-aro.ca. Kiwi coffee house in Leslieville known for its small-batch air-roasted beans. Other patio: 135 Ossington, at Argyle, 416-645-0273 Unlicensed.


East Side: The Beach

Beacher Cafe

2162 Queen E, at Glen Manor, 416-699-3874, thebeachercafe.com. Long-running jazzy resto-lounge in the east Beach with large curbside deck and popular weekend brunch.

Garden Gate

2379 Queen E, at Beech, 416-694-3605, thegoof.ca. Better known as the Goof, this gussied-up landmark diner might not be the greasy spoon it used to be, but it still has a certain insouciant je ne sais quoi. Sixty years of French fries ‘n’ gravy’ll do that. Unlicensed.

Ginger in the Beach

1985 Queen E, at Waverley, 416-694-3278, vietfooddelivery.com. Inexpensive health-conscious Vietnamese franchise with a multi-level streetside deck.

Murphy’s Law

1702 Queen East, at Kingston, 416-690-5516, murphyslaw.ca. Irish pub in a converted bank with three patios, including a fourth-floor rooftop deck that overlooks Ashbridges Bay Park and Lake Ontario beyond.

Outrigger Tap & Table

2232 Queen E, at Beech, 647-748-2232. Family-friendly beanery in the old Quigley’s and short-lived Honey’s Beestro.

Le Papillon on the Park

1001 Eastern, at Woodfield, 416-649-1001, lepapillonpark.com. Other than Boardwalk Place – né the Boardwalk Pub – the Beach has no patios remotely near the water. The exception: this tree-veiled deck atop the roof of a relocated French creperie on the edge of Woodbine Park. Closed Monday, Tuesday, holidays.

Sauvignon

1862 Queen E, at Rainsford, 416-686-1998, sauvignonbistro.com. An unpretentious French bistro on the edge of the Beach, a neighbourhood not known for its cuisine.


East Side: Little India

Gautama

1416 Gerrard E, at Hiawatha, 416-469-4444, thesiddhartha.com. Post-fire, the former Siddhartha resurfaces a few blocks west with an almost identical AYCE lunch and dinner buffet. The only licensed patio in the nabe!

Lahore Tikka House

1365 Gerrard E, at Highfield, 416-406-1668, lahoretikkahouse.com. Under billowing tents made from sari silk, more than 400 diners feast al fresco on a fiery card of tandoor-fired kebabs while sipping plastic tumblers of frothy sugar cane juice at family-style picnic tables lit by twinkling Christmas lights. Unlicensed.


East Side: Danforth

Allen’s

143 Danforth, at Broadview, 416-463-3086, allens.to. Shaded by a weeping willow, regulars sample from a large selection of microbrews, an all-QVA wine list and over 200 single-malt Scotches. Don’t miss the venerable saloon’s “unlisted” burger, 4 hand-formed ounces of grass-fed Angus beef dressed with blue cheese.

Astoria

390 Danforth, at Chester, 416-463-2838, astoriashishkebobhouse.com. Though this Greek resto’s decor may be stuck in 1986 – stucco and faux finishes, ahoy – its typical card of Mediterranean salads and kebabs rises above the competition.

Batifole

744 Gerrard E, at Howland, 416-462-9965, batifole.ca. Not only is Jean-Jacques Texier’s boîte the best French resto in Chinatown East, but it’s one of the best in town, period. Better yet, all starters are $10, mains $22. Closed Monday, Tuesday, holidays.

Big Carrot Organic Juice Bar

348 Danforth, at Hampton, 416-466-2129, thebigcarrot.ca. Bird-friendly fair trade coffee, health-conscious smoothies and grab ‘n’ go wraps on the Common. Unlicensed.

Dolce Gelato on the Danforth

414 Danforth, at Arundel, 416-546-2148, dolcegelato.net. Little Italy gelato joint brings its quality product to the east side. Other patio: 697 College, at Montrose, 416-915-0756.

Factory Girl

193 Danforth, at Ellerbeck, 647-352-2799, factorygirlrestaurant.com. In what was once the Willow’s backyard, an all-day pasta and pizza menu from a pub named for a Rolling Stones track.

Globe Bistro

124 Danforth, at Broadview, 416-466-2000, thinkglobaleatlocal.ca. Shaded by palm fronds, this eco-conscious eatery’s rooftop retreat showcases chef Daniel Sanders’s locavore lineup. Half-price appetizers and buck-a-shuck oysters daily from 4 to 6 pm.

Pizzeria Libretto

550 Danforth, at Carlaw, 416-466-0400, pizzerialibretto.com. Though the original Libretto on Ossington famously doesn’t take reservations, the east-side outpost of Toronto’s favourt pizzeria more than gladly does. And you’ll need them to guarantee a two-top on its small curbside terrace. Also: 221 Ossington, at Dundas W, 416-532-8000.

Sauce

1376 Danforth, at Gilliard, 647-748-1376, sauceondanforth.com. Self-described as a Victorian goth bordello, this cozy local features $5 pints on Mondays and $6 2-ounce cocktails every day before 6 pm.

Seven Numbers

307 Danforth, at Bowden, 416-469-5183, sevennumbers.com. Rustic southern Italian served tapas-style in a postmodern trat done intentionally on the cheap. Dress code: burlap! Also: 516 Eglinton W, at Headington, 416-322-5183. Closed Monday.


East Side: Beyond

Baton Rouge Scarborough

520 Progress, at Corporate, 416-296-2222, batonrougerestaurants.com. Once the historic Old Scott House, this beautiful farmhouse verandah now features franchise grub in the shadow of the 401.

Diana’s Oyster Bar and Grill

2105 Lawrence E, at Ainsdale, 416-288-1588, dianasseafood.com/restaurant. Pricey seafood appetizer platters and mains on a terrace next to their retail outlet.

Olde Stone Cottage Pub

3750 Kingston Rd, at Scarborough Golf Club Rd, 416-265-7932, stonecottagepub.com. Neighbourhood pub in an old stone cottage, oddly enough with a sunny, wraparound deck.

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