Toronto’s food scene kept us busy this year. From palatial Turkish restaurants and award-winning bakeries to BBQ spots putting the city on the global map, chefs and restaurateurs pushed the limits of flavour, design and ambition. We’ve rounded up the top five stories that had the city talking, drooling and lining up for seconds in 2025.
5. Toronto just got a new Turkish restaurant and it literally looks like a palace
Readers flocked to this story about this luxe new North York restaurant bringing downtown-style Turkish dining closer to home. With seafood towers, shareable platters and a stunning gold-and-emerald interior, the restaurant offered an elevated, Instagram-worthy experience that captured the city’s attention.
4. Toronto mourns Rodney Clark, the oysterman who changed how the city eats seafood
Toronto lost a culinary pioneer this year with the passing of Rodney Clark, founder of Rodney’s Oyster House. The oysterman and restaurateur transformed the city’s seafood scene, building a legacy of raw bars, oyster farms and generations of chefs inspired by his passion-first philosophy. Nearly four decades later, his influence lives on through his family, protégés and the city he helped teach to love oysters.
3. Six Toronto restaurants so good they only serve one thing
This year, Toronto restaurants proved less can be more, with spots building their menus around just one dish — and doing it flawlessly. From yolk-dripping egg sandwiches to Parisian steak frites, gooey mac and cheese and rotisserie-perfect poutine, these one-dish wonders turned simplicity into crave-worthy mastery.
2. Two Toronto smokehouses were just ranked among the best BBQ joints in the world
Toronto smoked its way onto the global stage this year, with two local BBQ spots ranking among the world’s top 15 BBQ joints outside the U.S. From Texas-style brisket to pit-smoked classics, these smokehouses proved the city is a serious contender for barbecue lovers everywhere.
1. This Toronto bakery was just crowned the best for cakes in all of Canada
A new ranking put a Toronto bakery at the very top of Canada’s cake scene, beating out spots from Vancouver, Calgary and beyond. The list, based on reviews, social buzz and search data, also revealed just how dominant Toronto’s bakeries really are, with four spots in the national top 10.
