Best new restaurants on Ossington in Toronto
Published April 7, 2025 at 5:06 pm
Toronto’s runway for food and fashion has some new players.
Ossington Avenue is often known to be in a state of culinary renewal, as over the last decade, the strip has provided some unforgettable cuisine.
While Toronto’s streets are changing — and places come and go — Ossington continues to thrive as a playground for the city’s best restaurateurs.
Here are a few of the best new restaurants that have opened up on Ossington Avenue.
No Vacancy
Believe us when we say this new Japanese-hybrid restaurant has earned its name, as grabbing a seat here on a busy night can be a tall order.
However, if you make your way inside, you’ll be welcomed to a speakeasy-style bar/restaurant that excels at offering raw cuisine and inspired classic bar snacks.
Here are a few must-try selections at Ossington’s new nighttime snack bar.
Smokey Nagata’s Supra
Since you are in a speakeasy-style space, the first thing you should do is order a stiff drink, and if you are going to order one, get the Smokey Nagata’s Supra.
Compared to the 18 other cocktails offered here, this mezcal-forward fusion is accompanied by black sugar, mixed with a balance of pear sake and coffee liquor, rounded out with black walnut amaro.
The Mosaic
Keeping in theme with this location — with on-the-nose naming conventions — we kick things off with the Mosaic.
A selection of mixed raw fish bursting with umami that rounds itself out with an accompanying seaweed salad, smoked ponzu (think citrus and soy), and tobiko.
Steak Frites
A testament to No Vacancy’s raw-centric menu, the steak frites offered here come with a stellar twist.
Take all the best things about steak tartare, and the best things about steak frites, and you get a knockout dish delivered on confit potatoes, with sirloin tartare all dressed with thinly sliced black truffles.
Karubi
Closing things out with an entrée, we come to the Karubi.
Slow-cooked gourmet beef ribs accompanied by a soy demiglace, this monster of a main course is gently placed on a bed of puréed grits, delivering one of the best ‘east meets west’ dishes you can get on the strip.
Bonito’s
On the surface, this corner spot may look like a refurbished convenience store, and it is, as visitors can grab a can of soda or a bag of chips as they pass by.
However, hidden behind the cotton candy and lotto tickets lies a fully renovated South American/Asian fusion snack bar offering great food for a great price.
It also may be in the running for Ossington’s best new place to meet up with friends.
Caracoco
Kick off your visit with one of Ossington’s best new cocktails — an espresso martini with a tropical kick.
This cocktail is built on coconut-infused tequila, banana liqueur, and is shaken on ice with chilled espresso.
If you need a little pick-me-up for a night out, this is the way to start.
Yuca Fries
A snack not as French as its counterparts, these delicious fries are made with coconut yuca (a root vegetable) instead of potatoes.
The result is a warm and flavourful treat that is crispy and chewy.
Paired with a Peruvian green sauce known as aji verde, this is a great snack to start your night with.
Pomelo Salad
Throwing in some greens, this dynamic salad pairs with the entire menu and is perfect to share.
A mixed bed of perilla (think mint), ginger floss, and other veggies, all topped off with delicious yuzu kosho dressing, this salad is a great companion for the numerous snacks you’ll likely be ordering.
Hamachi Ceviche
A bed of fresh cucumber, peppers, cabbage, and pear topped with thinly sliced hamachi, if you only have time for one snack on the menu, this is the way to go.
Throw in some dried plantains for scooping, and you have Ossington’s best new snack to couple with a beer or cocktail.
Stuffed Wings
Yes, you heard that right.
Whole breaded chicken wings stuffed with bacon chicken mousse, caramelized shitake, and fresh carrots.
Paired with yuzu ranch for dipping, this one may be hard to order just once.
Linny’s
Our final stop for this visit at Ossington is a new gourmet steakhouse that echoes the golden age of New York cuisine.
Upon entering, you will be greeted by a massive space that reminds you that the age of old-time luxury never died, it has just been hiding in secret for you to discover.
In essence, that is what Linny’s feels like, a secret place just for you to take a breath and treat yourself to some of the best new cuisine not only on Ossington, but in the entirety of Toronto.
The B.M.P
Likely one of the most dynamic cocktails currently in Toronto, the B.M. P is a perfect display of mixology at its finest.
Aquavit, beetroot, citrus, and raspberry syrup, all mixed to create a cocktail that is earthy, sweet, and wonderfully hearty.
Garnished with just a sprig of dill, this is the perfect treat for your personal palette.
Challah Service
This fresh-as-it-gets loaf of Challah is the perfect way to start working your way to the literal meat and potatoes of Linny’s stellar menu.
Paired with a cheese spread with a blueberry centre, throw in a couple of pickles on the side of varying acidity, and you have Toronto’s best deli-style snack to have by candlelight.
House Broccoli, Fries, and the Romanian
While not served together on the menu, this combination is the perfect way to understand what Linny’s is all about.
The fresh broccoli is wonderfully mixed with whitefish, the fries are crisped and served with fresh kosher salt, and the Romanian is a thinly sliced hanger steak sensationally seared with a slow-cooked garlic clove and a dried portion of Speckle Park beef.
If you have the chance, and want to enjoy some of the finer things in life (and Ossington), Linny’s is the place to be.