72 HR Vegan Food Guide to Toronto

Toronto, Canada’s largest city, has a vegan scene that is growing just as fast. Discover everything from upscale dining to a late night, post party pizzeria.

In between meals there’s so much to do-- hop on North America’s busiest street car to check out the iconic 1850 foot tall CN tower in downtown Toronto and if you find yourself in Toronto during the winter make sure to go ice skating in Nathan Phillips Square and buy from some local vendors while you’re at it. Bonus: It’s an Instagram worthy location, so be sure to have your camera ready!

Now, for the real highlight of the trip. 

Here are 7 of Toronto’s BEST vegan restaurants ——

Tsuchi Cafe

Get a taste of Tokyo at this vegan Japanese cafe located in Little Italy, a beautiful neighborhood in Toronto. 

I ordered the Tokyo sando: large slices of fluffy bread stuffed with vegan chicken and slaw plus a fried kabocha squash-stuffed ball wrapped in crispy corn flakes. Yes--it was as good as it sounds, resembling a savory donut, need I say more?!

And of course you can’t visit a Japanese cafe without having a matcha latte which did NOT disappoint. 

Overall worth checking out, especially if you’re looking for a unique vegan food experience while you’re here.

Vegan Danish Bakery

West Queen street is a bustling street filled with all kinds of fun restaurants and bars. It’s also home to a quaint all-vegan Danish bakery. 

Due to the fact that pastries are unapologetically my WEAKNESS, I ordered a well-rounded assortment, a little bit of everything.

This included: a toasted chocolate stuffed croissant generously sprinkled with powdered sugar, a cinnamon bun swirled with caramel and chocolate, a plain croissant, and a savory treat. The savory treat was an empanada with a soft dough exterior filled with vegan ground beef, and to top it off I dipped it in their chimichurri which took this savory pastry to the next level. 

You can say my pastry needs were satisfied. The sweet and savory pastries along with the warm welcoming ambiance, this bakery was a hit.

Avelo

Feeling fancy? Treat yourself to Avelo, an upscale vegan restaurant where you only have two options: a 5-course and an 8-course meal. Adds to the fun doesn’t it?

I chose the 5 course meal--but let’s be real, I could've splurged on the 8-course meal easily, especially since the servings were on the smaller side. However, these small dishes were mighty in flavor and bold with creativity. 

I was served a sourdough bagel with kojified carrot, a kabocha squash soup with apple and turmeric, an amuse-bouche potato galette with tonberry and horseradish just to name a few. Fancy af, and quite tasty.

I’ll leave the rest for you to try on your own. ;)

Evviva

Is a Sunday morning really complete without a hearty brunch? I don’t think so. Whether you’re in the mood for a vegan omelette, breakfast muffin or benedict, your brunch needs will be met here at Evviva. 

Their extensive vegan menu has something for everyone and their ambiance adds an elegance to the experience with their floral decorations, intricate chandeliers and modern white walls. 

Eggs benedict is a brunch meal that is not too easy to find as a vegan, so I had to order the vegan benedict with the carrot lox, and to my surprise, it had a runny ‘egg.’ I also got a pastrami stacked vegan reuben with sauerkraut and melted vegan cheese with a side of home fries. Yum yum yum.

They also have pancakes, waffles and french toast and I of course had to get the french toast that tasted like churros. I was a happy (and full) camper..

This is a perfect spot to bring family or friends or even for the morning after a late night out if you know what I mean.

Pizza Pizza

This fast food chain in Ontario is perfect for late night munchies as this spot is open until 2am or 3am. 

From first glance you might not think this place has anything vegan but you would be so wrong: not only do they have vegan chicken sandwiches and pepperoni pizza, they also have a variety of vegan mayos and vegan cheese to choose from. 

I got a small vegan personal pizza with the brand Field Roast’s pepperoni and the spicy chicken sandwich made from the brand’s Lightlife vegan chicken. Hot tip: Make sure to ask them to spread some vegan mayo on that sando. 

If you like garlic bread (crazy question, I know) you have to try their half-moon vegan garlic cheese bread that's almost indistinguishable from non-vegan garlic cheese bread, said a non-vegan once.

Fat Choi

This is a permanent popup located inside of Soos restaurant that came about because the owners of Soos restaurant went vegan and they naturally wanted to reflect that in their menu. 

This menu specializes in Nyonya cuisine, a blend of Chinese and Malaysian dishes. 

For starters, I ordered the flaky thin and crispy roti with dahl to dip it in. It was mouth wateringly delicious to say the least. For the main course, I ordered a colorful, beautifully-presented curry dish with tofu, vegetables and rice which was swimming in a creamy savory broth. 

I couldn’t recommend this place more, a MUST TRY, especially if you’re wanting to try something new and different.

Well, we’ve made it. That’s a wrap for this round of my vegan tour in Toronto. But don’t worry, I barely scratched the surface here for Toronto’s vegan’s food scene, although this will surely get you off on the right foot. 

Oh! And while you’re here, don’t forget to swing by one of the Tim Horton coffee shops for a midday pick-me-up. Tim Horton’s is like the equivalent to Starbucks in the U.S. 

That’s all for now, thanks for reading and let me know what you think of these spots in the comments below!