10 New Toronto Restaurants to Add to Your Summer Dining List – Part One

From a quaint Italian spot to the most coveted restaurant of summer 2021, here are the hottest new spots in Toronto add to your dining list. Part one of a two-part series.

Crosley’s
214 Ossington Avenue
@crosleystoronto

Having checked out Crosley’s when it was just a fresh new pop-up, co-owners Myles Harrison and Joachim (Joe) Hayward set the bar high for what was to come. Once you snag a reservation at this cozy spot on the Ossington strip and experience it for yourself, you’ll understand why. Crosley’s community-driven ethos and refined yet approachable dishes are the perfect ingredients for amazing memories.

Salvo
5 St. Joseph Street
@salvotoronto

Tucked away on a side street near Yonge and Wellesley, Salvo is the spot for hearty rustic Italian fare at reasonable prices. Snag an outdoor table for excellent people watching, sip on Aperol spritz, and order dishes that will have you coming back: Hand rolled gnocchi with squash cream, pizza topped with wild mushroom ragu, blue cheese and arugula, and wild mushroom risotto, to name a few.

Vela
602 King Street West
@velatoronto

Glamorous and elegant, Vela pays homage to the Roaring Twenties with its grand, hotel lobby inspired ambiance. On the menu, you can expect American classics with a refined twist, such as shrimp cocktails, wedge salads, homemade pastas, a whole section dedicated to steaks and an impressive plant-based selection that taste as authentic as their carne counterparts (artichoke cakes, anyone?). The Insta-worthy menu item is definitely the caviar sandwich!

20 Victoria
20 Victoria Street
@twentyvictoria

The best thing to come from the death of Brothers Food & Wine was the birth of 20 Victoria, a venture from co-owners Jonathan Nicolaou and Chris White. Dishes such as stewed Iranian cucumber with beef jus, alongside Japanese milk buns are what dreams are made of. While it’s nearly impossible to score a reservation at Toronto’s most coveted restaurant of the summer, when you do, your friends will be green with envy. This is quite possibly the best restaurant to emerge from the pandemic.

Bar Pompette
607 College Street
@barpompette_to

French bistros and cafes are a dime a dozen in Toronto, but this quaint French cafe from the team behind Pompette sets itself apart. The laid-back cafe has something for everyone—morning, noon and night. Freshly baked pastries, baguettes and espresso-based beverages are a mainstay during the day, while small sharable plates, such as smoked cod roe tarama and 18-month aged comet, are the perfect pairing for a bevvy or two in the later hours. 

Come back for part two next week!

Bon appétit!

Bisous,

Mme. M. xoxo

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