The Best Seafood Restaurants in Toronto

The best seafood restaurants in Toronto are in a school all their own, celebrated for top quality fresh fish, lobsters, oysters and more. Without an ocean to pull inspiration from, Toronto kitchens do what they do best, drawing on cross-cultural culinary traditions to offer everything from Maritime comforts to Mediterranean cookery and fine French or Japanese flavours.

With few exceptions, it's also nice to see this list reflect changing tides in favour of sustainable fishing practices and ocean friendly eating.

Here is the list of the best seafood restaurants in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Oysters in Toronto
The Best Lobster Roll in Toronto
The Best Fish & Chips in Toronto
The Best Fish Stores in Toronto

Rodney's Oyster House

Rodney's is Toronto's preeminent oyster purveyor, importing salt and fresh water seafoods for its own restaurant on King West as well as countless others around the city. Just shucked oysters might be its forte but seasonal catches of lobster, king crab and clams make their way on the menu whenever they’re in their prime. More »

Rock Lobster

This casual Ossington Avenue eatery does a raw bar full of oysters, peel and eat shrimp and chilled lobster tails, along with iconic comfort foods elevated by the addition of premium seafood. The lobster rolls ($14) are some of the best in the city, but you can also find lobster poutine ($13) and full lobster dinners ($39) on the menu. More »

Hopgood's Foodliner

This Maritime themed restaurant on Roncesvalles sources inspiration and seafood from Canada's East coast. The menu offers a glimpse into owner, chef Geoff Hopgood’s Nova Scotian roots with nostalgic fare like Hot Crab Dip & Triscuits ($15) but also transcends into the realm of fine dining with plates like the Torched scallops, rhubarb and foie gras ($18). More »

Hoof Raw Bar

Situated on Dundas West, this year-old sister restaurant to the celebrated Black Hoof offers premium cocktails and a concise snacking menu showcasing raw goodies like oysters ($18-34) and sashimi ($16), plus the seafood riff on charcuterie, a cured fish board ($22). More »

Oyster Boy

At the edge of Trinity Bellwoods, this well-established West Queen West oyster house shucks 'mollusks for the masses' at the bar and offers a complete menu of seafood fare like daily soups, mountainous plates of fish and chips and steaming bowls of mussels or clams swimming in white wine. More »

Starfish Oyster Bed

The menu at this oyster house near Jarvis and Adelaide changes per the day’s catch but regularly features goodies like grilled sardines, steamed mussels and fish cakes. The oyster bar offers a variable selection of unusual and seasonal specimens shucked at the bar by World Oyster Opening Champion Patrick McMurray. More »

Catch

Catch on St. Clair West partners with Ocean Wise to showcase environmentally friendly fish and other seafood that are line-caught or responsibly farmed. Though the menu is always changing, look out for the East Coast clam bake ($25) featuring littleneck clams, pork belly, potatoes, sausage and corn, or, opt for one of the daily fresh whole fishes on offer. More »

Red Fish

Dedicated to sustainably responsible fare, this white-tableclothed resto on College Street partners with Ocean Wise as well as Lake Ontario Waterkeeper to ensure that every plate can be enjoyed with a clear conscious. In addition to daily a la carte offerings, there is also a Sunday fish fry served on sharable platters, Wednesday date night prix-fixe and weekend seafood focused brunch. More »

Joso's

This family owned and operated restaurant has served up fresh seafood since the ‘70s from its Davenport Road address (longer still from its original Yorkville cafe). It also claims to be the first to introduce Torontonians to calamari, clams Buzara and grilled octopus and attributes its longevity to its artful atmosphere, congenial service and Dalmatian coast inspired menu. More »