Toronto eats like nowhere else: half its residents were born abroad, and they brought their kitchens. Three days of Jamaican patties on Eglinton, Sichuan on Spadina, Vietnamese pho on Ossington and peameal bacon sandwiches downtown.
Open Tue–Fri 9–19, Sat 7–17, closed Sun–Mon. Carousel Bakery's peameal bacon sandwich (about CA$8.50) is the market signature; Kozlik's mustard, Scheffler's cheese and Buster's Sea Cove fish tacos fill the lower level.
A ten-seat counter at 69 Kensington Ave serving Baja-style seafood tacos since 2012. The gobernador — smoked marlin, shrimp and melted cheese — runs about CA$7.50 each; two or three make lunch. Cash and card, no reservations.
Wander Baldwin and Augusta: Global Cheese for samples, Perola's Supermarket for dried chiles and Latin American groceries, Blackbird Baking Co. for sourdough, and Rasta Pasta for jerk-chicken tacos in the same three blocks.
At 421 Spadina Ave, this Beijing-style dumpling house has hand-folded its wrappers in an open kitchen since 2003. Steamed pork-and-chive dumplings run around CA$12 for a dozen; the scallion pancakes and dan dan noodles are equally reliable.
Dundas West's Portuguese bakery counter turns out pastéis de nata at roughly CA$1.75 each, plus bolo de arroz and strong bica espresso for about CA$2. Standing room at the counter, Portuguese spoken over the till, open from 7am daily.
Roughly 100 South Asian businesses stretch along Gerrard East from Coxwell to Greenwood. Lahore Tikka House grills seekh kebabs on open coals; Udupi Palace does South Indian dosas; Kohinoor and BJ Supermarket sell spices by the kilo.
One of Toronto's older Vietnamese dining rooms, at 350 Spadina Ave. A large bowl of pho tai nam with brisket and rare beef costs around CA$16, arriving with Thai basil, lime and hoisin. Bun cha gio and vermicelli bowls round out the menu.
The stretch between Queen West and Dundas West packs Bar Raval's Spanish pintxos under carved mahogany, Pizzeria Libretto's Neapolitan ovens and Ascari Enoteca's pasta into six blocks — most walk-in only, most busiest after 8pm.
Eglinton Ave West between Marlee and Keele has been the Caribbean heart of Toronto since the 1960s. Randy's Patties sells beef patties for about CA$3; Rap's and Chris Jerk grill jerk chicken over pimento wood by the quarter and half.
Toronto's Polish high street runs south from Dundas West station. Cafe Polonez plates pierogi and bigos hunter's stew; Benna's Bakery and Granowska's sell poppy-seed roll and paczki, and the delis still slice kabanos to order.
Opened 2012 at 124 Ossington Ave in a converted garage, Bellwoods built its name on Jelly King sour and Witchshark imperial IPA. Pints run about CA$9-11, tasting flights around CA$14, and the walled patio fills the moment the sun hits.
At 472 Queen St W, this candlelit room has been building multi-sensory cocktails since 2008 — the Vanilla and Hickory Smoked Manhattan arrives under a cloche of smoke. Classic cocktails from around CA$18, experimental ones CA$25-45.