Neighbourhoods
Chinatown
Sometimes referred to as Old Chinatown, the Chinatown on Spadina Avenue around Dundas Street West is one of the largest in North America but just one of seven distinct Chinatowns in the greater Toronto area. Local businesses reflect a mix of Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese influences making this area a great (and cheap!) place to eat. Many restaurants are open late (check the best spots to indulge in late night Chinese food). By day, Spadina is a hub of activity as residents and tourists elbow for cheap housewares, fruits and vegetables. On weekends, the Bright Pearl is just one of many popular options for some traditional dim sum.
Looking for something
specific in Chinatown?
Ajisen Ramen Chinatown / Restaurants
Ajisen Ramen has opened shop in Chinatown, making this their third GTA location. I have to admit it -- I'm a bit of a ramen fiend. And rarely does a week...
Asian Legend / Restaurants
Asian Legend has a large menu of banquet dishes and every time I go I think about trying a new dish - but never do. I always get the...
Bahn Mi & Che Cali / Restaurants
Bahn Mi & Che Cali (BMCC) has long been my go-to spot for random Vietnamese desserts. I'm not always sure what's being scooped into my take-out containers, but I know...
Banh Mi Ba Le / Restaurants
The first time I walk into Banh Mi Ba Le on Dundas Street just west of Spadina Avenue, there's a strange sound similar to skates swooshing through ice on a...
Banh Mi Nguyen Huong / Restaurants
Banh Mi Nguyen Huong Vietnamese Sandwiches is one of the most famous Pho bun bakeries in Chinatown. For only $1.75 you can chow down on a Vietnamese sandwiches with a...
Bo De Duyen / Restaurants
Bo De Duyen has re-opened in Chinatown. Exclusively offering take-out, this re-incarnation is all about fresh juices, smoothies, bubble tea, fruit and frozen vegetarian dinners....
Bun Saigon / Restaurants
Bun Saigon in Chinatown is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood's pho landscape. Service is super fast and the offerings are fresh and reasonably priced....
Butterfly Bakery / Baked Goods
Butterfly Bakery is the new kid on the block in the hustling center of Chinatown. With a wide selection of baked goods including traditional Chinese pastries as well as...
Canton Chilli / Restaurants
Canton Chilli is obviously keen on a little heat, which might be just what you need for a pick-me-up after a long night. Open until 4 a.m. during the week...
Chan Sheung Kee Book Company / Bookstores
Chan Sheung Kee Book Company is the perfect store for those looking for a place that sells a variety of Asian literature. From the most up-to-date Chinese newspapers and...
Chinatown Optical / Fashion Stores
Chinatown Optical has been on Dundas West for over 20 years. This roomy but well-stocked store features lines like Mikita and Philippe Starck, at prices ranging from $200 to $800....
Chinese Bakery / Baked Goods
Chinese Bakery offers simple and straightforward fare. This is not to say, however, that its offerings aren't delicious. And wow, the black sesame mousse looks good. Best item: Pineapple custard...
Chinese Traditional Buns / Restaurants
I love the almost musical lilt of Mandarin. I've studied it on-and-off for years, vainly hoping that some of it would stick. It definitely takes a little while for...
Dark Horse Espresso Bar (Chinatown) / Cafes
Dark Horse Espresso Bar has expanded where space is concerned, centralized where location is concerned, and is the opposite of dark (...where light is concerned). The new home of this...
Ding Dong Pastries & Cafe / Restaurants
The Ding Dong bun house is a narrow, pleasant Chinatown shop. The walls are lined with tanned and golden buns, reclining under steam-clouded domes, weirdly reminiscent of Brigitte Bardot...
Dumpling House Restaurant / Restaurants
Picking out a restaurant in Chinatown can be a little daunting sometimes. There's always an overload of options and you want to make sure you leave satisfied without a large...
Dundas Spring Garden / Restaurants
Dundas Spring Garden serves up reasonably priced Chinese fare in Chinatown. There are hundreds of items on the menu so there's no lacking in variety....
E-Pan / Restaurants
E-Pan brings a touch of class to Toronto's Chinatown. Nowhere to be found are the familiar plastic tablecloths or neon signs. E-Pan does it up in a contemporary setting. Most...
El Mocambo / Bars
One of Toronto's most famous and best-loved live music venues, the two-story El Mo features indie bands, DJ sets and live performances at least three nights a week....
Family Dumpling House / Restaurants
Is Family Dumpling House what we get when Mother's Dumplings has a quarrel with father? If you're looking for the insider's answer I don't have it. What I do know...
Furama Cake and Desserts / Baked Goods
Furama is part bakery, part social hub. The infamous Furama is nearly always full of older Chinatown residents catching up on gossip over tea and buns. The chaotic atmosphere may...
Gold Stone Noodle / Restaurants
Gold Stone Noodle is one of the few Chinese restaurants south of Dundas on Spadina. It's open late and serves up terrific steamed dumplings, hot and sour soup and more...
Golden Pineapple / Restaurants
Golden Pineapple is the latest name for this revolving door of a restaurant at the corner of Spadina and Grange. Like its predecessors, the restaurant offers plenty of seating and...
Grossman's Tavern / Bars
A blues institution in Chinatown since 1948, Grossman's Tavern holds the Toronto record for the longest-running Sunday night jam....
Gwartzman's Art Supplies / Design Stores
A tour of Toronto art supply stores (if there was such a thing) wouldn't be complete without a stop at Gwartzman's. Located on Spadina on the edges of Chinatown, it's...
Hong Kong Island Bakery / Baked Goods
Hong Kong Island Bakery is a new addition in Chinatown where customers are greeted with a collection of pastries, tempting them to indulge in delicately designed bakes. With a...
Hotel Ocho / Hotels
Hotel Ocho will soon join the ranks of Toronto's existing boutique hotels come June, but manager Kenneth McElheran tells me it will have a decidedly different vibe. "No one wants...
House of Gourmet / Restaurants
When going for dinner in Chinatown, it's so easy to stick to a few fave places and ignore the rest. Sometimes though, it's nice to try someting new... and...
K&K Specialty Tropical Fruits / Grocery Stores
Just because a shop has tropical fruits, doesn't mean they have good tropical fruits. I've spotted many long dead rambutaans, but not at K&K. K&K Tropical Fruits consistently...
Kim Moon / Restaurants
I go to Kim Moon Bakery for breakfast when Toronto's feeling like Hong Kong - polluted, muggy, and crowded. I guess it's the weather that gives me a craving for...
King Lobster / Restaurants
King Lobster in Chinatown is there to satisfy those pesky scallop cravings right up until 6 a.m. on Saturday nights (or Sunday mornings). Open until 5 a.m. all other days,...
King's Noodle House / Restaurants
Beyond the roast duck and squid hanging in window, King's Noodle House has been serving up fresh noodles (along with a full Chinese menu) to hungry patrons for decades. ...
Kom Jug Yuen / Restaurants
Kom Jug Yuen is an unassuming spot and regular hangout for white-haired grannies and grandpas seeking out senior's deals after their daily stroll around the 'hood. It's definitely an old...
Krudar Muay Thai / Fitness Clubs
Krudar Muay Thai is a relative newcomer in the old world of Thai Boxing instruction, and has built a name for itself quickly over the past few years. The club's...
Lee Garden / Restaurants
Lee Garden is a favourite late night spot to dig into vegetable fried rice or some other fresh out of the kitchen creation. ...
Lucky Moose Food Mart / Grocery Stores
Lucky Moose Food Mart in Chinatown has a clean and simple layout. You can easily navigate through the aisles and find exotic ingredients and imported snacks at a reasonable price....
Mashion Bakery / Baked Goods
Mashion Bakery may be the relative new kid on the block, but it has wasted no time in attracting a large and loyal customer base (myself included). The staff is...
Material Matters / Galleries
Material Matters, located in the heart of Chinatown, features contemporary Canadian glass art. ...
Minh Chau Optical / Fashion Stores
Minh Chau Optical is a recent arrival in Chinatown that specializes in blingy eyewear designs from labels like Chrome Hearts and IC! Berlin, and while their range starts on the...
Mio Japanese & Thai Fusion / Restaurants
Mio is a recently open restaurant on Spadina in the heart of Chinatown. The menu features sushi and Thai cuisine....
Mother's Dumplings / Restaurants
It was a Tuesday night and I was being led down the stairs of 79 Huron Street by friends who swore I was about to try the best dumplings in...
Nak Won (Chinatown) / Restaurants
Nak Won, the popular Korean restaurant, finally has an outpost downtown. Find it just east of Spadina on Dundas in the heart of Chinatown....
New Ho King / Restaurants
New Ho King is one of the few tied, tested, and true go-to places for late night Chinese eats in Chinatown. Open until 4am, it's a hot spot for post...
New Sky Restaurant / Restaurants
New Sky Restaurant takes me back to childhood memories of banging chopsticks, spilling tea and poking holes into plastic table coverings. This is a classic destination for large groups and...
Noble Restaurant / Restaurants
Rainbow Restaurant on Dundas (just west of Spadina) is definitely my favourite cheap dim sum place in Toronto. Partly because Mon-Fri til 4pm you can get near any dish...
Number 2 Restaurant / Restaurants
Number 2 Restaurant offers cheap, all-day dim sum near the corner of College and Spadina. ...
Ocho Restaurant / Restaurants
Ocho is the restaurant, cafe and lounge space in the new Ocho boutique hotel near Queen and Spadina. The airy two floor space is decked out with designer furniture but...
One Hour / Cafes
One Hour probably has the best seating of any downtown restaurant or café. So simple, yet so often overlooked; the bean bag chair. I thought they were long retired since...
Owl of Minerva (Dragon City) / Restaurants
Owl of Minerva has many locations in the GTA but perhaps none as famous as this 24 hour destination inside Dragon City mall at Dundas and Spadina....
People's Eatery / Restaurants
At first glance, People's Eatery on Spadina just north of Dundas looks like any other Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown. Other than its clean appearance, the one thing that intrigues me...
Pho 88 / Restaurants
The last time I did a Chinatown eatery post, I spoke highly of the cheap and yummy pho noodle dishes served up at Pho Hung. You all suggested I hit up...
Pho Ai My / Restaurants
Pho Ai My is yet another restaurant that joins the sprawling Vietnamese community in Chinatown. Walking into a white-on- white concept dining room in this neighbourhood is like finding...
Pho Hung / Restaurants
After spending Saturday afternoon at work in an underground office with only tictacs (having forgotten my lunch at home), I decided that lunner (yes, lunch/dinner) was going to have to...
Plaiter Place / Design Stores
Plaiter Place is the wicker heaven where they feature various woven baskets and goods of all sizes and finishing. They also have a collection of paper, wood and a...
Planet Traveler / Hotels
The Planet Traveler is the newest hostel to open in Toronto. And not only does this College and Spadina hostel have the cleanest rooms, they're the most eco-friendly too. Find...
Prince Bakery Hot Pot Cafe / Restaurants
Prince Bakery Hot Pot Cafe is where to go in Chinatown when looking for some tasty and cheap hot pot. This place used to be called Taste of Shanghai....
Queen's Patisserie / Baked Goods
Queen's Patisserie is a small chain of Chinese bakeries including the above location at 442 Dundas West. Inside, the bakery sells an assortment of cellophane wrapped treats like sinfully delicious...
Red Apple Baby Furniture / Fashion Stores
Red Apple Baby Furniture is where to go in Chinatown for baby furniture, strollers and car seats....
Red Room / Restaurants
Gothic older sister of the Annex's Green Room Cafe, the Red Room welcomes you into it's lantern-lit embrace with eclectic cheap-eats kind of menu and one kick-ass Sangria recipe....
Rol San / Restaurants
Rol San may not stand out from an exterior perspective, amidst the mashup of Chinese food eateries that line the Spadina corridor on the north end of Chinatown, but its...
Sal's Tattoo & Barber Shop / Services
Sal's Tattoo & Barber Shop doesn't cut hair. They used to, a while back, but not any longer. There's just an antiquated barber's chair that sits alone in the front...
Second Floor Restaurant / Restaurants
Second Floor Restaurant is a Chinese restaurant near Dundas and Spadina....
Seor Ak San / Restaurants
Seor Ak San is a good bet for cheap and tasty Korean eats in the heart of Chinatown. Go for the bibimbap....
Shima / Restaurants
Shima is a Japanese restaurant in Chinatown that serves a huge range of Japanese dishes including Lobster sashimi, maki, udon, tempura, six types of sushi pizza and various bento box...
Sonic / Cafes
Sonic in Chinatown is going to be an urban cyclists' pit stop in a couple of months. This urban cyclist in question bikes every day to and from work,...
Studio Gallery / Galleries
Studio Gallery isn't exactly the most conspicuous space I've ever visited. But, while the second floor location at College and Spadina may not be the easiest for pedestrians to...
Sugar Marmalade / Cafes
Sugar Marmalade is a drink and dessert café in Dragon City, with a menu of puddings, jellies, slushes and teas. Along with traditional items such as sweet almond soup, soya...
Super 8 Hotel Toronto / Hotels
The Super 8 Hotel is where to stay in Toronto if you want to be in the heart of Chinatown. Most Torontonians probably don't even know this exists - it...
Sushi World / Restaurants
Sushi World is a cheap sushi restaurant just west of Spadina on College St. They've got a decent select of maki, lunch specials and other Japanese eats....
Swatow / Restaurants
Walking into Swatow in the middle of the night is like walking into some kind of night-owl clubhouse. A crowd of regulars shuffle in and out, greeting the staff...
Tap Phong / Design Stores
Tap Phong is the place to go when looking for kitchen supplies on the cheap. From restaurant-grade dishes, top quality knives, ceramics, cookware, kitchen utensils, rice cookers and bento box...
Taste Garden / Restaurants
Taste Garden is a serviceable but average restaurant in the heart of Toronto's Chinatown that specializes in Cantonese fare....
Taste of China / Restaurants
Taste of China has an incredibly thorough menu, which is optimal for those who like a lot of choice. For indecisive people such as myself, a multitude of options, especially...
Ten Mile Aroma / Restaurants
Ten Mile Aroma, a quiet, simple eatery in the heart of Toronto's Chinatown, is entered by red carpet. Appropriate, not because a fancy, haute interior greets my entrance, but because...
Ten Ren Tea Co. / Cafes
Ten Ren's is truly passionate about the art of tea and ginseng. Order a skillfully crafted bubble tea as you explore a selection of pu-erh, white, green, black, and herbal...
Tenshi Teriyaki / Restaurants
Tenshi Teriyaki is a tiny take-out restaurant just step from UofT campus. Go here for cheap teriyaki meals and tasty bento box combos....
Thai Bangkok Restaurant / Restaurants
Walking home on a bitterly cold January evening is hardly my idea of a good time, but one positive side-effect is friends' willingness to try out any restaurant I pick...
Trung Tam Giai Khat / Cafes
Trung Tam Giai Khat is always buzzing, and for good reason. At $2.50 for a small bubble tea, it beats much of the competition on price without sacrificing quality. The...
Xe Lua Vietnamese Cuisine / Restaurants
I think that pho may be the world's most perfect food .Warming on cold days, hydrating on warm ones and always delicious, pho is the ideal antidote to whatever pains...
Neighbourhoods
Other Neighbourhoods
- Annex
- Baldwin Village
- Bayview and Leaside
- Beaches
- Bloor West Village
- Bloorcourt
- Bloordale Village
- Cabbagetown
- Chinatown
- Church Wellesley Village
- Corktown
- Corso Italia
- Danforth
- Distillery District
- Dundas West
- East Chinatown
- Eglinton West
- Etobicoke
- Financial District
- Forest Hill Village
- Harbourfront
- Junction
- Junction Triangle
- Kensington Market
- King East
- King West
- Koreatown
- Leslieville
- Liberty Village
- Little India
- Little Italy
- Markham
- Mount Pleasant
- North York
- Ossington
- Pape Village
- Parkdale
- Port Lands
- Queen West
- Richmond Hill
- Riverside
- Roncesvalles Village
- Rosedale
- Scarborough
- St. Clair West
- St. Lawrence Market
- Upper Beaches
- West Queen West
- Yonge & Bloor
- Yonge & College
- Yonge & Dundas
- Yonge & Eglinton
- Yonge & St. Clair
- Yonge & Wellesley
- Yorkville
Community
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Know a great local business we should include on the site?
