Looking for budget-friendly dining in Toronto and wondering where to find the best affordable restaurants?

Kor moo yang (grilled pork jowl blessed with a generous fat belt) also leaves a tingling buzz on the lips, thanks to its ample endowment of red chiles. For those who can’t stand the heat, pad woon sen cha-om is a tame yet solid choice: Springy glass noodles are tossed with crumbled egg and garlic, then finished with bitter acacia leaf that’s strewn across the stringy landscape. Open in Google Maps

What should I eat when I go to Toronto? Toronto is a foodie paradise with a diverse range of international cuisines, from haute cuisine to comfort food.

They’ve also partnered with Wong’s Ice Cream (a really awesome ice cream shop that closed down during the pandemic), and you can purchase pints of 5 of their most popular flavours in all Basil Box locations!

Don’t miss the steamed chicken momos, which are tender and tasty. Whether you’re a fan of international food or seeking a unique dining experience, it is a must-visit spot.

The spirit and flavors of Cairo permeate this East End brunch joint, which is always bustling. Patience is rewarded with the tactile pleasures of Maha’s Cairo Classic breakfast platter: intensely aromatic charred baladi bread, piquant ful (stewed, seasoned fava beans mixed with tomatoes and onions) to smear on top, and refreshing tomato-feta salad.

Satisfy your sushi cravings with a visit to Rollation, where sushi burritos and bowls take center stage. The contemporary and fresh atmosphere sets the tone for a delightful dining experience. Prices here typically range from $6 to $17. 

What this fast food joint lacks in frills, it more than makes up for check here in flavour, with its delicious and authentic Caribbean fare. For about $10, their small meals come with a protein like spicy jerk chicken, crispy fried chicken or (our favourite) oxtail, and a side of rice and peas — and even their small sizes are quite filling. Round out your meal with add-ons like coleslaw, dumplings and fried plantain.

Previous dinners have included sweetbread-stuffed ravioli with parsley cream sauce; heart tartare, vibrant with fermented shrimp and whipped bone marrow; a menacing smoked chicken leg (with claws intact) served with breast mousse; and a vigorously gamy duck-hen-partridge tourtière, complete with a head and legs peeking out of the pie. Open in Google Maps

Each of these spots has more than a few dinner options and will allow you to feast for two for less than $50 — pretty sweet in this economy. Eat, enjoy and order a second (or third) helping. We guarantee you won’t go hungry.

Standout selections by head chef Joseph Ysmael include the Husband + Wife Beef, an addictive inferno of tripe and shank cuts bathed in chile oil and finished with peanuts; chewy silver needle noodles that sing with a backbone of soy sauce and overtures of earthy black mushrooms; gnawable lamb ribs perfumed with cumin; and a favorite, plump cubes of mapo tofu topped with salty nuggets of dry-aged beef, Sichuan peppercorn, and garlic chives. Save room for the soft-serve dessert: a swirly-twirly, soybean-based wonder that gets a bear hug of crushed cinder toffee and a drizzle of mature soy sauce caramel. Open in Google Maps

From the trendiest spots to the coziest diners, including hidden gems on Dundas West, we’ve compiled a list that combines fancy restaurants with mid-range options.

Her three-tiered, frosted cakes are also wonders. The Pistachio and Olive Oil Birthday Cake is like a childhood confetti slice given a glow-up, while an entire summer romance is encapsulated in the Vanilla Sorrel and Raspberry Cake: a towering vanilla sponge cake offering bright mouthfuls of tangy sorrel buttercream, along with a tasty tango of vanilla pastry cream and raspberry coulis. Open in Google Maps

Copy Link The spirit and flavors of Cairo permeate this East End brunch joint, which is always bustling. Patience is rewarded with the tactile pleasures of Maha’s Cairo Classic breakfast platter: intensely aromatic charred baladi bread, piquant ful (stewed, seasoned fava beans mixed with tomatoes and onions) to smear on top, and refreshing tomato-feta salad.