In 2025, the food scene in Toronto focused on substance over hype. Chefs experimented, bars got inventive, burgers grew thick and caviar went mainstream. These eight trends show what people really wanted to eat — and what was worth trying.
Italian fusion becomes the norm
Fusion is the new standard in Toronto’s Italian scene Radici Project in Little Italy pairs pasta with Japanese umami, like cappellacci in smoky dashi. N.L. Ginzburg filters the trattoria through a Jewish lens with charcoal-grilled comfort food and chopped liver crostini. Liliana on Queen West wows with Italian-Filipino mashups, including deboned chicken wings stuffed with black truffle risotto.
Savoury (and sweet) martinis
Martinis went sweet, savoury and a little wild. Toronto split its martini obsession down the middle. On the playful side, Small Talk on Ossington served Pornstar Martinis and Rhubarb Cosmos, cocktails as fun as the jazz that fuels the bar. Belle Isle went viral with its ‘This Cold Pizza is Curing My Depression’ martini, a savoury mix of tomato water and Aleppo oil that tastes exactly like a late-night slice.
Elevated bar snacks
Toronto bars ditched plain peanuts for snack plates worth sharing. Bar Roma serves salmon crudo with red caviar and lamb puri tacos with chili crisp. Hidden inside Eloise, Bar Cart plays with ricotta-honey mortadella skewers and warm pão de queijo. Lonely Diner is a fan of high-low nostalgia with their viral caviar fish filet and shrimp-stuffed shishitos.
The return of the big burger
The city’s burger obsession shifted from paper-thin patties to the return of the “big burger,” where thick, juicy stacks are on the most-wanted list. Susie’s Rise & Dine in Little Italy has gone all-in with its Cheeseburger Royale, a dry-aged beef patty cooked perfectly rare and served with a side of burger sauce for dipping. Even the city’s smash-burger king, Matty’s Patty’s, has gone big with a seven-ounce Italian Burger buried under marinara and mozzarella. Meanwhile, Dotty’s on Dupont keeps it classic with a chunky brisket-and-chuck blend cooked medium-rare.
Dubai Kunafa goes viral
The pistachio-filled Dubai Kunafa chocolate dominated feeds this year. Glossy cross-sections, crunchy kataifi pastry and that perfect mix of indulgent and slightly unhinged made it TikTok gold. Toronto bakeries quickly jumped on board, turning a niche Middle Eastern sweet into a citywide obsession — from doughnuts and cookies to ice cream and lattes.
Steak houses everywhere
Toronto is back on beef. Bisteccheria Sammarco stacks dry-aged Ontario prime with Italian panache. Animl turns the steakhouse up to Studio 54, with Wagyu flights and dark-glam vibes. Sal’s Pasta & Chops in Little Italy keeps it approachable, serving lamb chops, veal parm and house-made sausages. Meat is king, again.
Matcha mania
Toronto went green in 2025. Matcha isn’t just for health nuts anymore — it’s lattes, soft serve, cakes and even cocktails. The Camellia Matcha Latte at Icha Tea keeps it bright and earthy, while Forget Me Not Coffee twists it with a banana bread and vanilla cream latte. On the dessert side, Uncle Tetsu’s matcha cheesecake and Kream dessert’s matcha Kream bomb show the trend has moved well beyond drinks, turning green tea into a full-on citywide obsession.
Caviar craze
Toronto closed 2025 with a glittering obsession: caviar. The One Caviar Bar in Yorkville lets you sip Champagne while popping Imperial Crystal sturgeon on blinis, all while people-watching in the city’s most polished postal code. Powder Room turns late-night bites into theatre — Wagyu pups, truffle lobster and 100-egg-yolk tagliolini, each crowned with a touch of caviar. And for the casually decadent, General Public offers mini Yorkshires stuffed with 30g of caviar or the mischievous Bubbles and a Bump — 2g of caviar with 1oz of Champagne.
