Indoor dining is in full swing, but the Toronto restaurants coming online continue to be largely casual in nature. There’s new takeout, comfort food and cafes popping up – even a few more robo-coffee outposts.
The big news this week is the closure of a long-running Mississauga family restaurant and a popular name in the bagel world making a move downtown. Meanwhile, a takeout spot specializing in a particular kind of Japanese steamed pork bun is expanding the city’s comfort food options.
The lone fine dining opening in this week’s roundup is the return of Eataly’s second-floor Milanese restaurant, which was barely open before the first lockdown hit in winter 2020.
Here are the Toronto restaurants that opened and closed for the week of November 3-9.
Toronto restaurants that closed
Muddy Duck
After four decades, Mississauga restaurant Muddy Duck closed this past weekend. The Dundas East spot near the Etobicoke border was a GTA dining destination. Owner Luis Orozco told InSauga that he wasn’t comfortable signing a new long-term lease after being closed for a year during the pandemic.
Ritz Caribbean Foods
The Yonge and Eg outpost of this GTA chain (32 Eglinton West) seems to have closed for good. A notice posted on the door indicates that the landlord has seized the location for rent arrears.
Toronto restaurants that opened
The Bagel Hole
Oakwood Village bagel destination Primrose Bagel has opened a new business in Little Portugal behind Extra Burger. The Bagel Hole is a much smaller operation, selling takeout sandwiches, soups, $1 drip coffee, sweets and more. If you plan on buying bagels in bulk, you should head to the original location.
1265 Dundas West, instagram.com/primrosebagel
Bossanova
The Roncy spot, which opened at the end of October, specializes in hard-to-find beer and wine. It sells bottles and has a tasting bar – and a no tipping policy.
103 Roncesvalles, bossanova.to
Hunny by the Hogtown Vegan
The owner of the Hogtown Vegan officially opened new spot Hunny by the Hogtown Vegan in Bloorcourt on November 4. Check out the menu here.
1056 Bloor West, instagram.com/hunnytoronto
The Queen’s End Cafe & Emporium
There’s a new cafe serving the western strip of Queen West in Parkdale. Queen’s End Cafe & Emporium is promising cozy vibes, scratch-made baked goods, house-made soups and more.
1664 Queen West, instagram.com/thequeensendemporium
Musu Osaka Buns
Toronto continues to break new comfort food ground. Musu Osaka buns is billed as the city’s first restaurant specializing in Osaka Butaman, or Japanese-style steamed pork buns. It’s now up and running in Etobicoke.
20 Lockport, instagram.com/musu.osakabuns
Uncle Tetsu at Dufferin Mall
The Japanese cheesecake chain’s mall expansion continues with a new outpost in Dufferin Mall. A Vaughan Mills location is also coming soon.
3401 Dufferin Unit 226B, instagram.com/uncletetsucanada
RC Coffee Robo Cafe
It seems like automated coffee is here to stay. Robo-cafe chain RC Coffee has opened two new locations recently – one near the Hockey Hall of Fame and the other in Little Italy.
36 Church and 550 College, instagram.com/rccoffeebarista.
Trattoria Milano
Italian marketplace Eataly is reopening the restaurant Trattoria Milano on November 10. The second-floor spot, which is devoted to traditional Milanese cuisine, originally opened in February 2020 but closed when the pandemic hit.
55 Bloor West (Manulife Centre), eataly.ca
I Deal On The Park
As we reported a couple of months ago, I Deal Coffee spin-off I Deal on the Park opened in soft-launch mode. The Sorauren Park-adjacent spot is now coming out on Instagram and teasing future pop-ups.
221 Sorauren, idealcoffee.ca
