Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Toronto

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Toronto? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Il Ponte

4.8

4.8 (548)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

Leslieville / Riverdale

About the restaurant

Ponte opens its doors in one of Toronto’s fastest growing, and most diverse neighbourhoods with a simple mission: To be a dependable local establishment that serves and grows with the families, businesses and residents of Riverside and Toronto proper. We invite you to join us in celebrating great food and culture at our new home at the eastern foot of the Queen St. Bridge. Our belief is that great service and delicious food is paramount to the dining experience. We hope to exceed your expectations. Il Ponte offers both a fast casual encounter as well as a leisurely affair.

Our fresh thinking on Italian cuisine is present in our seasonal menu dishes as well as in our many fresh made daily specials. By using local ingredients and importing authentic Italian products Il Ponte achieves our unique brand of ‘La Cucina Italiana’. Every dish aims to provide inspiration and palatial pleasure.

Top review

Jeffrey

Dined on Dec 7, 2024

A gem in Toronto’s east end, Il Ponte delivers on all fronts - from impeccable service to fine traditional Italian cuisine. A great place with great food. I’ll be back.

Donna's

4.8

4.8 (54)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Contemporary European

The Junction

About the restaurant

Donna’s is an all-day restaurant that starts off with breakfast sandwiches then transitions to lunch with a menu of sandwiches, salads, & small dishes. For dinner, the focus is on shared, family-style plates with a diverse influence of seasonal offerings. To accompany the food, we offer a wide array of beverage offerings, from natural wine, to cocktails & local beers. We accept reservations & walk-ins. We are also available for pick-up through Ambassador!

Top review

Jaeden

Dined 7 days ago

Had a delightful experience at Donna's, everything from food to to drinks to the vibes of the place and I would say that for it's moderate price tag, Donna's is a knockout. Standout dishes were the lamb liver on toast which was super rich in flavour, the leafy salad which had one of the best dressings I've had in a while, and the duck breast which was succulent to the max. We also had the steak tartare but honestly found it slightly underwhelming in comparison to the rest of the menu. Our servers were helpful and attentive. Can't wait to come back!

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Experience

Sunday Roast

Simpl Things

4.8

4.8 (20)

CAN$30 and under

Cocktail Bar

Roncesvalles

About the restaurant

SIMPL THINGS is an award-winning cocktail, wine and snack bar West of Downtown Toronto. Fun and casual aesthetic bar with a large patio, offering craft cocktails, natural wines and delightful bites from an adventurous, duo-concept kitchen. Join us for our famous handmade pastas from our Comfort Italian Lunch and Brunch menu during the day, or tryout Marrow Steak Tartare from our Asian Snack menu at night. Together they serve up a type of fusion that goes straight to the heart.

Founded by Evelyn Chick, together with Executive chef Cody Wilkes, they curate a space where you’ll experience amazing food, delightful drinks, good convos, and casual vibes. Great for large parties, date nights, birthdays and any special occasions.

Toronto Life Best Restaurants 2023
Canada's 50 Best Bars 2023, 2024
North America's 50 Best Bars 'One To Watch' 2024

Cocktail Hour Daily 3-5pm
Sunday 50% Off Bottles of Wine & 50% off Grill

Top review

Rachel

Dined on Jan 4, 2025

The tasting menu was perfection! And service spectacular!

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Experience

'Keep It Simpl' Tasting Menu

Experience

SIMPL Exchange - Baan Thai Pop-Up

Experience

Valentine's Day at SIMPL

Tinuno - Downtown

4.8

4.8 (25)

CAN$30 and under

Filipino

Cabbagetown

About the restaurant

Cathy Ortega & Gerald Aquintey didn't know what to expect after finally opening up a Filipino small grocery & takeout joint together. The shop was doing great but they wanted to do more. They wanted to give Toronto a much more authentic Filipino taste and experience without the price of a flight to the Philippines. Kamayan / Boodle Fight (the formality of eating with your hands) was the obvious solution.

Top review

Grizel

Dined 3 days ago

The kamayan was good and reasonably priced. I hope they have more options for the dipping sauce like calamansi, tomatoes but otherwise food was good and the portions was big.

Gift Shop

4.8

4.8 (10)

CAN$30 and under

Cocktail Bar

Ossington

About the restaurant

Follow the green light box through the barbershop and you’ll find a cocktail den full of strange splendours. This intimate space has played host to some of Toronto's most infamous nights out. A unique cocktail experience awaits, one not soon to be forgotten.

Top review

CameronVIP

Dined on Dec 14, 2024

Great bartender! We loved where we sat with a front row seat of his skills and the ambience of the bar. Thumbs up!

Paese Ristorante Bathurst St.

4.7

4.7 (1256)

CAN$30 and under

Italian

North York / Don Mills

About the restaurant

With regulars referring to Paese as their "kitchen away from home", Paese Ristorante has been serving Italian inspired food made from the finest local ingredients for the past 21 years.
Attention to quality of ingredients and healthy alternatives sets Paese apart. Paese Ristorante"s food philosophy, as directed by owner, Tony Loschiavo, is driven by a passion for bringing a modern twist on traditional favorites to North Toronto. Paese also boasts one of the city's most diverse lists of major producing wine regions. Paese also has three sommeliers on staff to assist with creating the perfect marriage of food and wine.
Whether you're in the mood for a delicious meal, share a pizza at the bar with a glass wine from the list of 10 glasses, Paese Ristorante's elegantly contemporary environment offers the idyllic backdrop for a truly tempting evening.
Wine Spectator 'Award of Excellence'
from 1997 - 2010 consecutively.

Top review

JudiVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Paese is back to being one of the better restaurants in Toronto. We loved dinner last nt.

Score on King

4.7

4.7 (226)

CAN$30 and under

Gastro Pub

King East

About the restaurant

With 11 TV’s and a 29 tap draft list, Score on King is the optimal place to watch all your favourite sports games. Our street side patio right on Church Street has a gorgeous view of St. James Cathedral and easy access to transportation to get to the Rogers Centre, Scotiabank Arena or any nearby hot spots that Downtown Toronto has to offer.

Reservations for the patio are noted but not promised, we will always do our best to accommodate! For the safety of our staff and guests we do not permit minors after 6pm.

Voted #1 Caesar bar in Toronto, come try out any of our 12 specialty food caesars! (The Checkmate and Grande caesar may not be available during brunch.)

Open 7 days a week;
Sunday to Thursday 11:00AM-1:00AM
Friday and Saturday 11:00AM-2:00AM

Brunch;
Saturday and Sunday 11:00AM-3:00PM

Top review

Roy

Dined on Jan 5, 2025

We loved the ambiance and that server was really good, quick and polite. We were coming in from out of town to see the Maple Leaf game and we were happy to come across your restaurant.

Rimini Rimini

4.7

4.7 (73)

CAN$51 and over

Italian

Yonge and Eglinton

About the restaurant

Rimini Rimini Restaurant is an Italian restaurant known for its cozy atmosphere and authentic Italian cuisine. The restaurant is known for its exquisite seafood and pasta dishes and impeccable hospitality.
The owners bring over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, and Chef Melsi is passionate about using seasonal products to create dishes that respect nature's cycles. The restaurant also offers private rooms for events like birthdays, corporate dinners, and proposals, as well as take-out, catering, and delivery services.

Top review

claudioVIP

Dined on Dec 25, 2024

excellent seafood, great service, highly recommended

Porzia's

4.7

4.7 (27)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

York

About the restaurant

Porzia's restaurant looks forward to welcoming you soon.

Top review

StellaVIP

Dined on Jan 6, 2025

10/10 service & food The best Italian in the city. We can’t wait to come back!

M2 by MATCHA MATCHA

4.7

4.7 (18)

CAN$30 and under

Cocktail Bar

Harbourfront

About the restaurant

Welcome to our distinguished café by day and sophisticated cocktail bar by night, featuring an innovative menu of tea-enhanced cocktails. Expertly crafted by our skilled mixologists, each cocktail combines the finest "teas" with premium spirits to offer a unique, refined experience.

Our selection ranges from the subtle elegance of floral teas to the rich depth of traditional blends, carefully designed to appeal to a discerning palate. Ideal for various occasions, our venue transitions seamlessly from the lively ambiance of a café to the refined elegance of a cocktail bar. Make your reservation on OpenTable for an unparalleled experience.

Top review

Neil

Dined on Dec 14, 2024

Excellent all around experience. Would recommend to anyone looking for a unique beverage experience.

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