Toronto and Niagara restaurants make list of best new hotspots in Canada

The accolades keep coming in for southern Ontario restaurants.

After a busy year marked by new and sustained Michelin stars, local eateries making the list of Canada’s top 100 restaurants and a young Pickering-born chef winning the Canadian portion of the prestigious S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition, more good news has recently emerged about Ontario’s thriving food scene. 

Four southern Ontario restaurants recently–three in Toronto and one in St. Catharines–made Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants list.

The list, which includes 10 restaurants from across the country, is curated by “eater-in-chief” Tara O’Brady, who scours Canada in search of the best new places to eat. On its website, Air Canada says the list was compiled after O’Brady boarded 19 flights, made over 30 reservations and indulged in 176 dishes. 

This year, half the restaurants selected are run by couples, proving that a family affair can gain quite a bit of traction. 

Here’s a look at who made the list in Ontario:

Mhel 

Located on Havelock Street in the Bloorcourt neighbourhood, this Korean restaurant is run by a duo with Michelin-star credentials. The name, which translates to “Mhel is anchovy,” pays homage to an important ingredient and the pair’s roots. According to Air Canada, the couple’s first restaurant is a “harmonious ode to Japan and South Korea.” Menu items that wowed O’Brady include charcoal-seared kanpachi sashimi and charred broccolini finished with negi soy and brown-butter toasted panko and a Japanese rendition of creme caramel (which was chosen as the dessert of the year). 

Takja BBQ House

Another restaurant specializing in Korean cuisine, this barbecue restaurant on College Street in Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood came in at number four on the list. Operated by Oroshi Fish Co. owners Edward Bang, Jason Ching and Jeff Kang, the restaurant sets itself apart by tasking the staff–not the diner–with cooking the food at the table. The eater-in-chief praised the seafood pancake and all the meat and fish dishes that came to the table. The resto also earned points for having the best side dishes of the year. 

Bar Prima

A sophisticated Queen West restaurant, Bar Prima came in at number seven on the list. Described as feeling like the inside of a genie’s lamp, O’Brady praises Craig Harding and Julian D’Ippolito’s (La Palma, Constantine) “old-meets-New World Italian menu.” Menu items mentioned in the list include the Rockefeller, which uses broiled scallops in place of oysters, the clam toast, and the pea and asparagus primavera. The resto got a nod for design of the year. 

Fat Rabbit

Placing eight on Air Canada’s list is another feather in the cap of a much-talked-about St. Catharines restaurant that recently earned a mention in the Michelin Guide for its casual vibe and focus on house-made charcuterie and “excellent” charcoal-grilled steaks. Located close to the Meridian Centre, the Geneva Street restaurant earned accolades for its bold decision to feature a pig’s head in the cold case–a reminder that the food belonged to a real creature whose sacrifice deserves respect. Helmed by chef and co-owner Zach Smith (Bar Raval, Matheson’s Meat + Three), the list mentions the resto’s seasonal burrata plate and the “tiger-striped Miami-cut short ribs, sliced striploin and Linton Pasture Pork lit up with streaks of Aji Amarillo.” The resto was awarded “concept of the year.” 

Other restaurants that made the list include Sabayon (Montreal), Maison de Soma (Mont Tremblant), Cafe Malabar (Victoria), Parapluie (Montreal), Gary’s (Vancouver) and Crumb Queen/Andy’s Lunch (Winnipeg).