We’ve been pining for scorching weather since last November, and now that it’s here, we’ve been gloriously melting in the sunshine. If you’re hoping to escape the heat (or bask in it on one of Toronto's best patios) — and enjoy some of the city's best budget bites — dine at the best Summerlicious Toronto restaurants.
It’s not truly summer in the city until the best Summerlicious Toronto restaurants start offering their delicious, discounted menus. You know the drill: Over 220 participating businesses will offer three-course, prix-fixe meals at six different price points from July 4–20, and reservations are already open.
This year, though, we’re pumped to see some of the hottest new restaurants in Toronto, along with the tried-and-true best restaurants in Toronto, offer their excellent cooking at fixed prices. From Ayla Upstairs, the raved-about new spot above Patois, to swanky downtown Toronto steakhouses and Michelin Guide-recommended restaurants like chef Nuit Regular’s Kiin, Toronto’s Summerlicious restaurants run the gamut.
Grab your table at that spot you’ve always wanted to visit before Summerlicious Toronto is over, and ensure your summer is full of good food at great prices.
16 of the best Summerlicious Toronto restaurants for 2025
1. Piano Piano Restaurant Bloor
1006 Bloor St. W.
This year, the newest location of beloved Toronto chain Piano Piano is participating in Summerlicious. The neighbourhood Italian joint lands somewhere between casual and upscale, with its quirky but polished interior. The $34 lunch menu is stacked with three different pastas and four different pizzas to choose from for your main course, while the $45 dinner adds entrées like vegetarian eggplant parm and a half-roasted chicken to the options. We’ll be ordering the mushroom cavatelli with porcini cream, truffle-scented oyster mushroom, parmigiano and chive, plus the shrimp cocktail to start and the Nutella tiramisu for dessert.
2. Mother Tongue
348 Adelaide St. W.
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Under the Sonder Hotel, this excellent first date spot on Adelaide Street West is a neighbourhood favourite for its Pan-Asian and Filipino fare. Linger over their $55 Summerlicious dinner: the Fiery Filipino-style slaw is sweet, bright and tart; and we’ll be dreaming about the Korean beef short rib long after the special deal is over. If the date is going well, head downstairs to the Liquid Courage speakeasy for some of the best cocktails in the area.
3. Black + Blue
130 King St. W.
For $48 at lunch and $65 at dinner, feast on steak, sushi and seafood at this modern steakhouse during Summerlicious Toronto. Set in the heart of the Financial District, but tucked away from the hustle and bustle, Black + Blue is a sprawling, contemporary restaurant on the inside, with a beautiful, year-round, covered patio on the outside. Business lunches occupy the space during the day, while the romance turns on in the evening. Start with wagyu tataki, beef carpaccio or a king salmon roll to start, followed by steak, roasted chicken, bouillabaisse or the vegetarian summer risotto. The chocolate mousse cake is calling your name.
4. Hawker
291 Augusta Ave.
This petite, hidden Kensington gem started as a food truck in 2016. Today, it serves forward-thinking and elevated small plates that are creative playgrounds of texture and presentation. Chef Jeff Merkel and head chef Leah Steduto’s plates are inspired by elements of nature, they’re all vegan and — most importantly — utterly delicious. Sit at the bar and you’ll get a peek at their talented team prepping your food right in front of you. For Summerlicious, they’ve got a knockout $35 dinner menu, but their $27 lunch is where it’s at — especially their ginormous, comforting sandwiches.
5. Patois
794 Dundas St. W.
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With the summer heat in full swing, a trip to this tropical-themed Chinese Jamaican restaurant on Dundas really does feel like an escape to the Caribbean. Their $55 dinner menu for Summerlicious lets you choose between their famous fried chicken, served with mac and cheese, or juicy jerk chicken, served with rice and peas, along with the regular or veggie burger. Start with smoked brisket oxtail gravy patties or fried calamari, and finish off with Cookie Butter French Toast, Coconut Panna Cotta or a "Pineapple" Bun Profiterole. The $41 lunch menu is a slightly pared down version of the dinner options. Don’t skip on the tropical cocktails and mocktails to wash it all down.
6. Biff’s Bistro
2 Front St. E.
Good news: Biff’s Bistro’s decadent French onion soup is a starter option on the $55 Summerlicious dinner menu at this high-end French restaurant, along with caesar salad and white wine-steamed mussels. Visit on a cool summer evening to maximize your eating potential, and tuck into steak, Cornish hen, Atlantic salmon or spinach rigatoni for your main. Desserts like sponge cake with poached Niagara apricots will have you loosening your waistband. The $41 lunch menu is similar but simpler.
7. DaiLo
503 College St.
Summerlicious Toronto is the best time to try Nick Liu’s new-Asian cuisine, which blends the chef’s Hakka roots with his Canadian upbringing and formal French training. Served in a homey, casual-cool space on College, the $75 family-style menu includes your choice of two appetizers, which should definitely be the crispy octopus tacos with pork belly, along with pork and shrimp wontons. For the main course, Hainanese Chicken, Whole Fried Giggie Trout and Singapore Curry Cauliflower are all served with Panang Fried Eggplant and Burrata. Good luck deciding between the Soju Poached Pear or Yuzu Olive Cake for dessert.
8. ēst Restaurant
729 Queen St. E.
Having made headlines for declining to serve takeout and, more recently, refusing patio service, ēst restaurant has doubled down on the fact that dining in is the best way to experience their food. The $75 prix-fixe dinner menu lets you experience upscale plates like burrata and caviar, or foie gras parfait, on a budget. Chef Jordan Diniz’s French-Italian cooking in some of the best in the city — don’t miss out.
9. Kiin
326 Adelaide St. W.
Chef Nuit Regular needs no introduction, nor does her growing restaurant empire. One of the jewels in her crown is Kiin, a tasting menu spot serving refined, Royal Thai-inspired cuisine. It’s rare to experience a Michelin-recommended restaurant for an affordable price, but for Summerlicious, Kiin will serve mouth-watering mains like Khao soi pad haeng (coconut curry noodles with seared scallops, Thai jasmine flower dumplings, boombai short rib with roti and more for just $75.
10. Minami
225 King St. W. Suite 100
The gorgeous design of this high-end Entertainment District restaurant is only outdone by the excellent range of contemporary Japanese dishes, aburi sushi, nigiri and maki rolls that are served here. And during Summerlicious Toronto you can sample highlights like Madai Crudo, chef’s selection sushi, Saikyo Marinated Sablefish, beef tenderloin and more. If you’re as obsessed with matcha as the rest of Toronto, both the $48 lunch and $65 dinner menus offer a matcha ice cream sundae for dessert.
11. Lulu Bar
427 Wellington St. W.
The Well has become a bonafide dining destination thanks to forward-thinking spots like Lulu Bar, a chef-driven spot with a Pacific-inspired menu. Decorated with plenty of palm trees, funky art and pastel colours, the restaurant always feels summery, vibrant and lively. Their globetrotting Summerlicious menu (with a $34 lunch and $45 dinner) spans several Asian countries, Hawaii, Italy and more.
12. Miss Likklemore’s
433 King St. W.
Quality Caribbean cuisine is served in a high-end, tropical atmosphere at this King West spot, which feels right at home in this neighbourhood. Get ready for big flavours and a vibrant atmosphere to match. The $65 Summerlicious dinner menu includes hits like an oxtail or mushroom patty, curry goat arancini and loaded coleslaw to start. For the main course, choose between charcoal grilled chicken with mac pie, fried fish with coco rice or braised oxtail with Jamaican sweet potato mash. Cap things off with carrot cake, chocolate mousse cake or a seasonal sorbet.
13. Nuna Kitchen & Bar
1265 Queen St. W.
Whether you love Peruvian food or are unfamiliar with it, Summerlicious presents the perfect opportunity to visit Nuna to try dishes like yuca croquettes and steak chimichurri for lunch ($41), or beef carpaccio and shrimp risotto for dinner ($55). Desserts like Tres Leches Cake and passion fruit cheesecake are available day and night in the charming, modern dining room in Parkdale.
14. Ceci Bar
33 Yonge St. #101
With plates as bright and colourful as the stunning mural inside the dining room, Ceci Bar is always a good time. On the $45 dinner menu, opt for the bright, cheesy and fresh Mexican street corn salad; then sink your teeth into the sirloin steak sandwich with chimichurri mayo.
The piña colada panna cotta is a rum-soaked showstopper for dessert, too.
15. Ultra
12 St Clair Ave. E.
We love Ultra for its stunning, gold-cloaked dining room; big night out vibes; and its mature, sophisticated crowd. If you’re celebrating a special occasion during Summerlicious Toronto, head here for a $65 dinner of delicious Pan-Asian dishes served in an upbeat atmosphere, where you can still talk over the music — until the DJ comes out late in the evening.
16. The Dorset
457 Wellington St. W.
The space, divided between a warm, inviting main floor bar and an airy upstairs dining room, brings together the best of British gastropub dining, with plenty of coastal additions to the food and drink menu.
