New Toronto Openings This Summer 2026: Where to Eat and Drink Right Now

Toronto's food scene rarely slows down, but the stretch from June into July 2026 has been unusually busy, with a wave of debuts spanning sushi counters, ice cream windows, wellness bars and coffee-meets-cocktails hybrids. If you are trying to decide where to spend your next night out, here is a grounded look at some of the most talked-about new spots opening across the city right now, and how to choose between them.

Dining bars and sushi counters

Two openings stand out for anyone who wants a proper sit-down meal. Bellis, a Japanese- and Italian-inspired dining bar, has opened at the base of the Annex's Nomas Hotel, and its appeal is its range: it works as a sunlit daytime cafe and then shifts into an intimate evening spot for cocktails and snacks. Over on Queen West, Shiroshi brings a more focused proposition, a new sushi restaurant led by a chef with deep omakase experience that leans on minimalist elegance and what it describes as affordable luxury. If you want flexibility across a whole day or evening, Bellis is the safer pick; if you are specifically after sushi and a quieter, chef-driven room, Shiroshi is worth the trip.

Seasonal and late-summer pop-ups

Summer in Toronto always brings a few limited-run concepts, and Schmaltz by Night is one to catch before it disappears. Running as an evening pop-up at Schmaltz Appetizing on Dupont Street, it channels a New England-style seafood shack, serving high-energy East Coast comfort food Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Because it is a pop-up rather than a permanent room, it is best treated as a here-and-now outing rather than something to save for later in the year.

Coffee, cocktails and everything in between

A couple of new openings blur the line between cafe and bar. BYND Coffee Bar, at the corner of Peter and Adelaide downtown, is built around the idea that you should not have to choose between good coffee and good cocktails, offering both under one roof. For a lighter, alcohol-free option, Transcend Studios has taken over the former Summer's Best space at Yonge and Lawrence, pouring matcha and hojicha lattes alongside protein smoothies in a wellness-bar format. The choice here is really about mood: BYND suits a downtown day that rolls into evening drinks, while Transcend is aimed at the matcha-and-smoothie crowd further uptown.

A sweet stop near the park

If your outing is more casual, Brokn Milk is a new ice cream shop across from Christie Pits Park, moving into the space that was Convenience 151 for years. It is an easy add-on to an afternoon in the west end, particularly if you are already spending time around the park.

How to choose

The simplest way to narrow things down is by the kind of night you want. For a full meal with room to linger, start with Bellis or Shiroshi. For a seasonal experience you cannot get later in the year, prioritize a pop-up like Schmaltz by Night. For flexible day-into-evening plans downtown, BYND Coffee Bar covers both coffee and cocktails, while Transcend Studios is the pick if you would rather keep it alcohol-free. And for a low-key treat, Brokn Milk near Christie Pits is hard to beat. Whatever you choose, these are all genuinely new arrivals, so calling ahead or checking current hours before you go is the smart move, especially for the pop-ups.