Best of Toronto
The Best 24 Hour Restaurants in Toronto
The best 24 hour restaurants in Toronto are prime destinations to end a perfect night out. Whether in Scarborough, North York, or downtown Toronto, these spots welcome us (stumbling) in with open menus and smiles, ready to mask the evening's sins with stacks of pancakes and buttermilk fried chicken. Most of these never-close places in Toronto wouldn't exactly fit in the realm of upscale, but they satisfy all the same with all-day breakfasts and a consistent weekend crowd of characters. Just try to blend in.
Here is the list of the best 24 hour restaurants in Toronto.
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Lakeview Restaurant
The Lakeview at Dundas and Ossington is one of those remarkable spots that manages to be equally appealing both after last call and in the light of day. Great service is usually just the beginning, later fortified by solid milkshakes, tuna melts, and cheap, cheap drinks. This is the type of place you can go for pulled pork poutine as a snack after the bar, and show up again for an omelette and $3 mimosa the next morning. More »
The Thompson Diner
Perhaps one of the priciest options on this all-night list, Thompson Diner inside the Thompson Hotel on lower Bathurst tries to tote that “diner” vibe in a way that doesn’t completely fill you with regret. That’s especially impressive considering one of their most revered dishes is buttermilk fried chicken. In the wee hours, you’ll find Thompson Diner playing host to late night partiers from the nearby Hoxton, as well as lounge-hoppers who have sauntered south from King West. More »
7 West
7 West near Yonge and Bloor wins for ambiance, intimacy, and delicious pita pizzas (marks deducted for staircases, however, which are the persistent foe of late-night diners). 7 West has a cozy vibe that seems evermore appealing as the hours of the day dwindle, especially in the summertime when the third-floor patio is really best experienced. Banana chocolate cake is an easy call for a midnight treat, though 7 West’s breakfast tends to appear on tables on the earliest hours of the a.m. More »
Owl of Minerva
For when those pork bone soup cravings just won’t subside. With a few nicely spaced locations around Toronto to properly blanket the city, Owl of Minerva is one of those places that really comes alive in the wee hours. Though you might catch a few tables of bibimbap or bulgogi, pork bone soup usually dominates, and certainly for a good reason. More »
Frans Restaurant
Ah, Fran’s. Like a best friend but better, because this one always has pancakes on hand. The epitome of “diner,” Fran’s has options for every time of day, though the consistent favourite is, of course, its all-day breakfast. Just don’t mind the occasionally sticky menu. For steak and eggs, retro booths, and constant CP24 streaming, few do it better. Now with three locations in Toronto including this one at Yonge and College. More »
Khorak Supermarket
Yes, it’s a grocery store. But this is one where you can feast on Atlantic salmon, barbecue kebabs, and Persian cream puffs while you shop for ingredients for tomorrow’s dinner. This 24-hour spot near Yonge and Steeles doesn’t exactly catch the same midnight crowds as you’ll find downtown, but cheap kebab plates and a few tables for seating means that Khorak, too, sees steady streams of Friday night crowds. More »
Zet's Restaurant
Perfect for a snack just before catching the red-eye. Or after. Or just if you’re in the mood for some pretty tasty souvlaki. Right by the airport, Zet’s keeps its grills running all day and night, serving up huge portions of classic Greek plates, as well as homestyle burgers, sandwiches, and all-day breakfast. Cash only (Canadian currency, that is). More »
Vesta Lunch
This spot at Dupont and Bathurst has been reputable for decades and is still slinging the same fried foods that earned it that accolade so many years ago. If you’re lucky you’ll get your eggs prepared by owner George Golias himself, who can churn out a series of scrambled and hash, all while recounting the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. Call it a meal and entertainment. More »
Pho Pasteur
Chinatown certainly has its share of late night eat options, but Pho Pasteur takes the cake for never closing its doors. And maybe a few points for its pho, too. While not the cheapest bowl in the area, Pho Pasteur’s is certainly reputed as some of the most satisfying, served in three different (all massive) sizes. Vietnamese coffee here is also superb. More »
Commisso Bros.
For a pack of gum, or freshly piped cannoli, or veal sandwich at any time of day, Commisso Bros. in the Castlefield Design District offers its grocery, hot table, and bakery offerings at all hours, satisfying all cravings except any you might have for a seat. So just as long as you can juggle your lasagna and slice of cheesecake as you make your way out the door, you’ll be full and happy. More »
Kayagum
Not just revered for always being open (but that too), Kayagum does actually serve pretty delicious Korean food. Up in North York just south of Finch Station, Kayagum does a great bibimbap and bulgogi, with bottles of Ginggrae to wash it all down. Two can eat here for under $20, just don’t mind the curious faux spaceship stuck in the ceiling. The food is out of this world, maybe? More »
T Bones
Have you ever heard a better phrase than “24-hour steak?” Now, we’re not talking diner-style steak and eggs or takeout steak burritos, but real, juicy, 16 oz New York steaks, served with mashed potatoes and a side salad. For a bargain price, no less. While T-Bones in Scarborough does struggle a bit in the aesthetics department, an anytime steak dinner for the price of an overdressed personal pizza is surely worth the lack of modern design elements. More »
Mars Diner/Uptown
Open 24 hours on the weekends, Mars Diner on College St. is unapologetically stuck in some decade long gone and beloved because of it. Rumour has it that its menu does have something other than waffles, pancakes, and eggs Benedict in various forms, though most who stumble in after the bar seem to neglect any non-breakfast option on the menu. Greasy, cheap, filling, and adored. Midtowners can visit also visit their Yonge and Eglinton location. More »
Markham Station
A Scarborough gathering spot for those with an affinity for 4am banquet burgers. Markham Station does an impossibly awesome early bird breakfast special for just $4.99, but it keeps the grill going throughout the day for souvlaki dinners, steak and shrimp plates, t-bone platters and, of course, the rest of the breakfast menu. This is greasy food at its finest, and arguably, its cheapest. More »
Golden Griddle
Fulfilling student gastronomic dreams via omelette special Mondays and all-you-can-eat pancake Tuesdays, plus free WiFi. Perfect for an impoverished late night study session or a cheap way to soak up the beer after the bar, Golden Griddle binges may not represent your proudest dining moments, but there must be a reason why we all keep coming back for more. Oh yeah. Free WiFi and all-you-can-eat pancakes. With two TTC accessible locations near Yonge and Carlton and another near Yonge and Eglinton. More »
The Grille
The Grille on The Queensway does diner-style eats at all hours for the west end. Like many of the other spots on this list, the mantra at The Grille is cheap, big, and all-day breakfast. Arrive early and you can snag a breakfast plate for just $4.79, though many options, such as The Grille’s full rack of baby back ribs for $17.99, are available at all hours. Sounds like a pretty indulgent 7am choice to me. More »
Perfect Restaurant
At Sheppard and Brimley Road, Perfect Restaurant does Chinese dine-in and take-out 24 hours a day. While “perfect,” to some, might be a bit of an overstatement, the restaurant does satisfy for those looking for cheap dim sum or chicken wings at any time of night. The service can be a bit hit or miss, but anytime dim sum is pretty hard to argue against. More »
Hero Certified Burgers
Is it the burgers? Or just the fact that this location at Queen and Spadina is open 24 hours? Hero Certified Burgers isn't really Toronto's favourite burger joint, but the combination of location, topping options, drink options, and a pretty consistent patty renders this spot a faithful go-to for late night eats. I just wonder who, exactly, is stopping in for a burger at eight in the morning. More »
Discussion
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Half these places are dingy dirt traps that knowingly serve shit food to drunks and the remainder are for the film festival and King Street bottle service crowds.
Mel's is greatly missed!
I love how people come on here and write something accusatory with no proof. I dare you to find an establishment like this that DOES NOT have cockroaches in some form or another. The presence of roaches does not make it "a problem". You never see people say "I saw a fly at (insert restaurant) I am never going back!". I have never seen a cockroach on top of a pile of crap.
Let the troll responses begin.
i've been hearing a lot of complaints about markham station, and i once got indigestion from vesta lunch.
i think by sheer necessity thi is just a list of 24 hour restos in the city.
All in all, Toronto needs more late night eats!
Also, I've never seen a cockroach, but I'm sure they have them like every other restaurant in the city.
Finally...you hafta know dozens of bar/restaurant owners in the area are reading this post and are also scratching their heads/wondering the same thing. And as so many of them go on to open additional places in the neighbourhood, maybe they're also thinking of opening the next great 24hr shack.
Hope so.
Very late / early AM it can be mildly entertaining as the plethora of airport area strippers come in to feed, pole dancing is aerobic exercise, and a girls' got to eat.
(get a room you two!)