Budget
St Lawrence Market
93 front st. e. at jarvis, (http://www.stlawrencemark...). closed su and mo, best on saturday morning. great for grazing. options in the south market building include mustacio's downstairs for an eggplant or veal and eggplant sandwich or carousel bakery upstairs for a peameal bacon sandwich.
Burrito Boyz
218 adelaide st w west of simcoe, (http://www.burritoboyz.ca). open until 4am on weekends. very tasty burritos. the halibut burrito is especially popular. arrive early for lunch as there can be a long line-up by 12:30pm. large burrito $6-8.
Midrange
Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar
9 church street south of front st, 416 362 1957, (http://www.jkkitchens.com...). open mo-sa 11:30am-11pm, su 11am-11pm. tapas-style menu, casual atmosphere, open kitchen. a good place to dine alone if you sit at the bar.
KAMA
214 king street west, toronto, on, m5h3s6. tel: 416 599-5262. fax: 416 599-4640. indian buffet lunch $11.95, dinner $18.95, slightly whitewashed to suit tastes of largely non-indian clientele, but with very good selection. good way to introduce novices to indian foods.
C'est What
Front street at church (http://www.cestwhat.com) has an affordable, eclectic menu and an amazing selection of microbrews, including the house specialties coffee porter and hemp ale.
Beerbistro
18 king street east at yonge street, (http://www.beerbistro.com), open to 2am th-sa. over 130 ales and lagers. the dinner menu offers a wide range of appetizers and steak frites, mussel bowls, roasted knuckle of pork, seafood chowder and rabbit curry. patio. also open for lunch and brunch on weekends. $18-24 dinner mains.
Richtree Market
formerly movenpick marche, 42 yonge st brookfield place, (http://www.richtree.ca). good if you have to please many tastes as options include personal pizzas, pasta-of-the-day, sushi, stirfries, seafood, steak, rosti potatoes, soup, sandwiches, crepes, waffles, etc. casual, cafeteria style.
George's Chicken
Dundas east of sherbourne, open to 2am, whole barbecued chicken and fries with gravy. no seating. no whacking people ahead in line.
Pickle Barrel Grand
312 yonge street n. of dundas. a large menu of north-american cuisine. it also has a selection of dishes from further afield, their take on traditional english fish and chips is a nice surprise using halibut instead of cod or haddock. reasonable prices, decent food but nothing fancy. nowhere near as much fun as any of the above places.
Top end
Lai Wah Heen Restaurant
108 chestnut street the metropolitan hotel, +1 416 977-9899, (http://www.metropolitan.c...). open mo-su. dim sum at lunch, a la carte menus at lunch and dinner, take-out available. luxurious, hong kong-style dim sum.
Canoe
66 wellington street west td bank tower, 54th floor, +1 416 364-0054, (http://www.oliverbonacini...). regional canadian cuisine, breathtaking views of the city skyline. mains $40-44.
Bistro 990
990 bay street, +1 416 921-9990. great french food, good wine. game, seafood, homemade desserts. mains $30.
Vegetarian
Le Commensal
655 bay street, north of dundas, +1 416 596-9364. a good selection of vegetarian fare, served buffet-style and priced by weight.
For basic groceries, visit The Kitchen Table at the Atrium on Bay Dundas subway station.
This area had been generally considered a culinary wasteland. However, new places with good food are constantly opening and closing, and the vast array of Asian eating options in Chinatown are just a short walk away. King and Queen streets West of University avenue offer wide range of decent midrange restaurants. Some options: