Toronto Restaurant Openings and Closures: Late Summer to October 2026 Roundup

Toronto's restaurant scene keeps turning over, and the last few weeks have brought a mix of high-profile arrivals, neighbourhood newcomers and some long-running closures. Drawing on Stephanie Dickison's weekly Toronto and GTA openings and closings column for August 27 to September 2 and Streets of Toronto's list of 12 new restaurants published October 1, here is what is new and what is gone, grouped by area and style.

Chef-driven openings in the core and midtown

Streets of Toronto's October 1 list highlights Casa Rubia at 293 Palmerston Avenue, Grant van Gameren's new Spanish restaurant drawing on Basque and Galicia, with a suckling pig cooked in a wood-burning oven. Shay Ristorante at 1055 Yonge Street in Rosedale is chef Justin Friedlich's Italian concept with handmade pasta and tableside tartare. In Yorkville, Salt & Sand at 92 Yorkville Avenue centres on wine, caviar and truffles from small producers and includes a retail component. Midtown adds Second Story at 1954 Yonge Street, a reservation-only cocktail bar on the second floor, and Baba at 3204 Yonge Street, which moves from a daytime café to an evening snack bar with charcoal-grilled skewers.

Neighbourhood arrivals downtown

Dickison's column lists E.A.K. Ramen at 181 Bay Street in Brookfield Place, described as the first Canadian location of Machida Shoten, serving Yokohama-style iekei ramen with thick noodles. Cotti Coffee opened its third location at Queen and McCaul (200 Queen Street West). In Kensington Market, Tres Piggies Carnitas opened at 72 Kensington Avenue, while Willy's Candy Shop at 175 Harbord Street sells hard-to-find candy. Souper Hot Pot & Tea at 388 Bloor Street West, in the Annex, offers build-your-own hot pot. On Baldwin Street, Lhao at 39 Baldwin Street is a Thai-Chinese spot from the team behind Koh Lipe, and Teow Tem Toh at 237 Augusta Avenue serves Thai street food in mini servings, including a three-bowl noodle flight listed at $19.99.

East end, Scarborough and beyond

Horio Taverna at 516 Danforth Avenue serves Greek home cooking from a chef with over 25 years of experience, and Loukoumania Cafe at 1426 Danforth Avenue serves Greek loukoumades with more than 30 toppings. In Scarborough, Mirello Tiramisu & Gelato Cafe at 60 Danforth Road is billed as Toronto's first pay-by-weight tiramisu and gelato concept, while Chaat Pakodi at 3867 Lawrence Avenue East brings Indian street food to Scarborough as an expansion from Brampton. In Etobicoke, Koré Rooftop at 6628 Finch Avenue West offers modern Indian cooking in a cave-inspired space. Farther afield, Craig's Cookies opened in Port Credit and The Saigon Pho & Grill opened a second location at Square One in Mississauga.

Closures and changes

The same column records some notable goodbyes. Seven Lives Tacos y Mariscos at 72 Kensington Avenue, a Toronto stalwart since 2012, is being replaced by Tres Piggies Carnitas. Tapas at Embrujo at 97 Danforth Avenue, described as Toronto's oldest Spanish restaurant, established in 1972, has closed. Bar Niro on Dundas Street West, which operated from 2024 to 2026, and DoDener on Queen Street West, also 2024 to 2026, have closed, and La Cubana's final location at The Well has shut. The Fancy Induced Burger on Bloor Street West is relocating downtown.

What the openings suggest

Several trends stand out. Regional South Asian and Indo-Chinese concepts continue to expand outward from Brampton and Scarborough, hot pot and ramen specialists keep opening across the core and suburbs, and chef-driven Spanish and Italian rooms are clustering in midtown and Yorkville.

How to use this list

For a special occasion, Casa Rubia, Shay Ristorante and Salt & Sand are the strongest candidates. For a casual weeknight, look at Baba, Teow Tem Toh or Horio Taverna. For quick bites, try Chaat Pakodi or E.A.K. Ramen. New restaurants often change hours and menus in their first weeks, so confirm opening times and reservations with each venue before you go.