A short decade ago, King west of Spadina was a ghost town when it came to dining, but in the past few years great restaurants have opened up offering something for every taste.
For instance, the freshest fish and seafood in town can be found at Rodney’s (469 King West, at Brant, 416-363-8105, rodneysoysterhouse.com, @RodneysToronto), including oysters from around the world.
Top chefs like Susur Lee have also migrated to the nabe, where cheeseburger spring rolls and other famed Asian fusion dishes are on Lee‘s (601 King West, at Portland, 416-504-7867, susur.com/lee, @susurlee) menu.
If meat and beer are more to your liking, head a few doors west to Wvrst (609 King West, at Portland, 416-703-7775, wvrst.com, @wvrstbeerhall), a raucous German-style beer hall serving great sausage made in house from a variety of meats and a fantastic selection of craft beer.
The freshest flavours of South America make for a non-stop party across the street at Valdez (606 King West, at Portland, 416-363-8388, valdezrestaurant.com, @thevaldezTO), where chef Steve Gonzalez (aka El Jefe) cooks up brilliant Latin street food including some of the best ceviche in town. (Really, it’s mind-blowing).
If nose-to-tail sustainable dining with local, seasonal ingredients is more your style, Beast‘s Scott Vivian makes all animals tasty and does “whole beast” dinners for private events (96 Tecumseth, at Whitaker, 647-352-6000, thebeastrestaurant.com, @beastrestaurant).
And finally, if all that partying and eating has left you feeling rough, cater to your hangover at Cheesewerks (56 Bathurst, at Wellington, 416-243-3327, cheesewerks.com, @cheesewerks), where just about anything from avocado to citrus-cured pork gets put in a grilled cheese sandwich.
