Near TIFF
Burger Brats 254 Adelaide W, at Duncan, 647-352-4786, burgerbrats.ca. Burger Priest clone, with the Hangover – three 6-ounce patties, three slices of processed cheddar, two slices of peameal bacon, fried mushrooms ‘n’ onions, romaine lettuce, field tomato and a fried egg on a bun ($15) – its Tower of Babel.
Burrito Boyz 218 Adelaide W, at Simcoe, 647-439-4065, burritoboyz.ca. It may have splintered into two separate operations, but the GTA’s first Mission-style cantina dedicated to Cal-Mex wraps is still the benchmark for all local burritos. Food-court seating.
Corned Beef House 270 Adelaide W, at John, 416-977-2333, cornedbeefhouse.com. Montreal-style smoked meat sandwiches in the old Avalon just down the block from the original digs. Best Reuben in town?
Dhaba 309 King W, at John, 416-740-6622, dhaba.ca. Terrific north Indian all-you-can-eat lunch buffet and salad bar from $11.95.
Ginger on Queen W 212 Queen W, at Duncan, 416-977-8778, gingercuisine.ca. Quick budget-minded pan-Asian stir fries and satays with lots of veggie options. Best bang for the buck? Vietnamese-style banh mi sandwiches stuffed with spicy grilled beef, pork, chicken or tofu ($3.50). Also: 355½ Yonge, at Elm, 416-694-3278 521 Bloor W, at Borden, 416-536-3131.
O&B Canteen 330 King W, at John, 647-288-4710, oliverbonacini.com. Stylish cafeteria on the ground floor of the TIFF tower.
Peter Pan 373 Queen W, at Peter, 416-593-0917, peterpanbistro.wordpress.com. This long-running entry-level bistro is an even bigger bargain at lunch, when a plate of simple Scarpetta-style pasta and a hunk of freshly baked focaccia goes for $8.95.
RaviSoups 322 Adelaide W, at Peter, 647-435-8365. Quality ingredients, attention to detail and fabulously rich flavours make ex-Mildred Pierce chef Ravi Kanagarajah’s deluxe soups some of the most sought-after in town.
Tutti Matti 364 Adelaide W, at Charlotte, 416-597-8839, tuttimatti.com. Tuscan-style Italian trat with a daily $17 lunch prix fixe.
Victor Hotel Le Germain, 30 Mercer, at John, 416-883-3431, victorrestaurant.com. Located off the lobby of the swanky Montreal-based Le Germain Hotel, Top Chef Canada runner-up David Chrystian’s low-key dining room offers a daily $40 three-course prix fixe from 4 pm.
Michael Watier
Near Ryerson and Yonge Dundas Cineplex
Barberian’s 7 Elm, at Yonge, 416-597-0335, barberians.com. Those wanting to star in their own episode of Mad Men should look no further than this venerable old-school steak house. Chateaubriand à deux and an especially deep wine cellar helped Richard Burton propose to Liz Taylor for the first time back in 1964.
New Treasure 150 Dundas W, at Elizabeth, 416-977-3778. All-day dim sum with carts in a basement around the corner from the bus station.
Paramount 253 Yonge, at Dundas Sq, 416-366-3600, paramountfinefoods.com. Middle Eastern grill and salad combos in a heritage building across from the Eaton Centre.
Queen & Beaver Public House 35 Elm, at Yonge, 647-347-2712, queenandbeaverpub.ca. UK-style gastro-pub in a two-storey Victorian with multiple patios. Don’t miss the bone-marrow-laced burgers and outstanding fish ‘n’ chips.
Salad King 340 Yonge, at Elm, 416-593-0333, saladking.com. Trendy and extremely noisy Thai noodle house upstairs from the Foot Locker.
Senator 249 Victoria, at Yonge-Dundas Sq, 416-364-7517, thesenator.com. Now in its 83rd year, this all-original art deco diner specializes in upscale takes on classic comfort food.
Spring Sushi 10 Dundas E, at Yonge, 416-596-6866, springsushi.com. Surprisingly okay all-you-can-eat sushi buffet on top of the AMC, where everything gets ordered directly from the kitchen via iPads on every table for as little as $14.99 at lunch. Students and AMC ticket-holders get an additional 10 per cent discount.
Near the Isabel Bader Theatre and Bloor Cinema
Big Fat Burrito on Bloor W 529 Bloor W, at Albany, 416-792-4244. California-style wraps with lots of veggie options to go. Also: 112 Dundas W, at Bay, 416-340-0340.
Caribbean Roti Palace 744 Bathurst, at Bloor, 416-533-7466. Trinidadian-style meal-in-wraps just down from Honest Ed’s.
Country Style 450 Bloor W, at Albany, 416-536-5966. The last of the Hungarian goulash houses, where the $39.95 schnitzel platter for two feeds the proverbial family of four.
Ghazale 504 Bloor W, at Bathurst, 416-537-4417, ghazale.ca. Extremely inexpensive Middle Eastern mezes and falafel just off the lobby of the Bloor Cinema.
Kenzo Ramen on Bloor W 372 Bloor W, at Walmer, 416-921-6787, kenzoramen.ca. Family-run mini-chain known for its humongous bowls of meal-in-one Japanese noodle soups. Not terribly vegetarian-friendly. Also: 138 Dundas W, at Elizabeth, 416-205-1155.
One Love Vegetarian 854 Bathurst, at London, 416-535-5683, oneloveveg.com. Superbly executed vegan dishes executed with seasonal ingredients prepared in a Jamaican stylee. Don’t miss their signature spicy corn soup!
