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Restaurants
Caribbean Roti Palace 744 Bathurst, at Bloor, 416-533-7466. Straightforward Trinidad-style roti stuffed with boneless chicken, goat and veggies. Don’t forget to add the house’s wicked hot sauce! Closed Sunday, holidays. Unlicensed.
Cora Pizza 656A Spadina, at Harbord, 416-922-1188. More than a dozen traditional slices and old-school lasagna dished up till 5 am nightly. Unlicensed.
Ethiopian House 4 Irwin, at Yonge, 416-923-5438. Communal meals eaten with fingers at this intimate East African café make it a perfect dating destination. Warning: spicing ranges from mellow to apocalyptic.
Flip, Toss & Thai Kitchen 141 Harbord, at Brunswick, 416-966-6955. Modestly priced and expertly executed Thai cooking from a former Salad King cook. Not much seating, but they deliver. Closed holidays. Unlicensed.
Fresh by Juice for Life 326 Bloor W, at Spadina, 416-531-2635. Ruth Tal Brown’s diet-conscious cafés are undisputed favourites with the recently pierced, who dig her groovy veggie burgers and sweet potato frites. Also: 147 Spadina, at Queen, 416-599-4442 894 Queen W, at Crawford, 416-913-2720
Ghazale 504 Bloor W, at Bathurst, 416-537-4417. Inexpensive Lebanese comfort food — falafel, shawarma, stuffed vegetarian grape leaves — under the marquee of the Bloor rep cinema. Open nightly till 5 am. Also: 661 College, at Beatrice, 416-534-7441. Unlicensed. Cash only.
Harbord Fish & Chips 147 Harbord, at Borden, 416-925-2225. Tiny retro takeaway specializes in newspaper-wrapped halibut and haddock sided with freshly cut fries and prefab coleslaw. Unlicensed. Cash only.
Kensington Natural Bakery 460 Bloor W, at Brunswick, 416-534-1294. All-natural vegetarian cafeteria — no dairy, egg, refined sugar, artificial colouring or preservatives — offers nutritious pastries, breads and more than 20 diet-conscious casseroles and prepared salads sold by weight. Unlicensed. Cash only.
Live Organic Food Bar 264 Dupont, at Spadina, 416-515-2002. This 30-seat vegetarian bistro is not only 100 per cent vegan but features raw cuisine as well as a few cooked macrobiotic dishes. Closed Monday.
Mel’s Montreal Delicatessen 440 Bloor W, at Howland, 416-966-8881. Family-style Mel’s serves the closest thing to authentic Montreal-style smoked meat on rye you’ll find in town. Open 24-7.
New Generation Sushi 493 Bloor W, at Brunswick, 416-963-8861. Can’t get into Sushi on Bloor? This Japanese eatery features comfy booths and fresher than average fish. Bonus: 15 per cent discount on takeout.
Okonomi House 23 Charles W, at St. Nicholas, 416-925-6176. This Japanese fast food joint specializes in Hiroshima-style street food. Part omelette, part pancake, it’s a filling, quick meal for around 8 bucks. Closed holidays.
Papa Ceo 654 Spadina, at Harbord, 416-961-2222. With nearly 30 generously topped slices named this late-night pizza parlour goes head-to-head with Cora’s next door. Open till 4 am. Unlicensed.
Pho Hung 200 Bloor W, at Avenue Rd, 416-963-5080. Huge meal-in-one bowls of Vietnamese pho noodle soup garnished with fresh herbs, crushed peanuts and hot sauce for 6 bucks. Also: 350 Spadina, at St Andrew, 416-593-4274. Closed holidays.
Pizza Gigi 189 Harbord, at Borden, 416-535-4444. This bare-bones storefront has been flinging authentic old-school pies since the 60s. Bonus: delivery daily from 4 pm till 4 am! Unlicensed. Cash only.
Sushi On Bloor 515 Bloor W, at Brunswick, 416-516-3456. Often imitated, this modish spot rolls out bargain meal deals and budget-friendly sushi and sashimi combos.
Tacos El Asador 690 Bloor W, at Clinton, 416-538-9747. El Salvadoran takes on Mexican street food — tacos, pupusas, horchata shakes — in modest digs. Cash only.
Bars
Clinton’s 693 Bloor W, at Clinton, 416-535-9541. This log-lined multi-storey tavern features comedy Sundays and Mondays, live bands most nights and karaoke every night.
Ein Stein 229 College, at Beverley, 416-597-8346. Boisterous sports-themed pub with a slew of drink specials — $4.75 martinis Monday, $8.50 pitchers before 9 pm Thursday — plus Canadian Tire money accepted at par all weekend!
Green Room 296 Brunswick, at Bloor, 416-929-3253. Hidden down the alleyway behind Future Bakery, this no-frills pan-Asian eatery and downmarket booze emporium draws a literary set for cheap all-day breakfasts and pints on its courtyard patio. Also: Red Room, 444 Spadina, at College, 416-929-9964.
Madison 14 Madison, at Bloor, 416-927-1722. A maze of interconnected rooms spread over three Victorian row houses and four patios, this popular boozer has a Brit pub look and some 150 brass draft pumps with 20 beers on tap.
O’Grady’s 171 College, at McCaul, 416-596-0327. Friendly sports-themed suds parlour serves above-average pub grub till well after midnight. Also: 518 Church, at Maitland, 416-323-2822
Rowers 150 Harbord, at Major, 416-961-6277. With a racing scull hanging from the ceiling, this varsity party room is the spot to unwind after the game or the gym.
Sneaky Dee’s 431 College, at Bathurst, 416-603-3090. This cluttered Tex-Mex tavern encourages late-night lounging. After the bar closes on Friday and Saturday nights, it slings hangover helpers like cheesy nachos till 4:30 am.
Tallulah’s Cabaret 12 Alexander, at Yonge, 416-975-8555. The basement cabaret space of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre morphs into a retro-themed dance party weekends. Drag star Donnarama hosts Saturday night’s bash, while DJ K-Tel spins period vinyl. Closed Sunday to Thursday.
Victory Café 581 Markham, at Lennox, 416-516-5787. Rambling Victorian townhouse attracts the literary crowd for poetry slams. Those with a more boho bent can check out the Hot Jazz String Quartet Wednesday evenings.
Ye Olde Brunswick House 481 Bloor W, at Brunswick, 416-964-2242. Long an Animal House of collegiate hijinks, the new Brunny has been somewhat restored to its former Victorian splendour. Most nights, the rear party space rocks to top 40 DJs.
