indoor dining ontario

Indoor dining is open at some restaurants in Ontario but it would be an expensive meal

With the latest round of lockdown measures, indoor dining is banned in Ontario, at least for the next few weeks.

Ontario reverted back to a modified version of Step 2 on the roadmap to reopening on Wednesday, which brought back the ban on indoor dining. Outdoor dining is permitted but with temperatures plunging, it doesn’t seem like a viable option right now.

But there is at least one place people can go for indoor dining in the GTA — the airport. Under the Reopening Ontario Act, the ban on indoor dining does not apply to "establishments on hospital premises or in an airport."

That includes at least some of the restaurants in Toronto Pearson Airport but only if you have a ticket to fly, Beverly MacDonald, spokesperson for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority confirms.

"Indoor dining is permitted post-security at 50% capacity, as per the government exemptions," MacDonald tells blogTO. "At this time, the airport is open only to employees and passengers, [while] restaurants pre-security are available for takeout options."

There is a range of different restaurants and bars in the airport, and MacDonald said approximately 85 per cent are open at this time. However, with Canada advising against any non-essential travel, it doesn't seem like the best idea to take a trip right now. People who need to travel will find some places to sit down and eat on their way, however.

For the rest of us, the best choice is takeout and maybe some of the other fun outdoor activities you can still do in the latest lockdown.

Lead photo by

Toronto Pearson Airport


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