Three restaurants in Ontario were just named among the best on the continent
North America's 50 best restaurants for 2025 have been revealed, and three Ontario eateries made their way onto the list.
For the first time ever, World's 50 Best, one of the leading awarding bodies for the best restaurants and bars in the world, has unveiled its list for the top 50 restaurants in North America — and three spots in Ontario made it on the list.
We may be biased, but let's be real, is anyone surprised?
Fresh off the heels of a major victory on the 2025 Toronto Michelin Guide, where it received two stars, making it the most awarded restaurant in Canada, Lincoln's Restaurant Pearl Morissette leads the pack with an impressive third-place ranking.
The Niagara region's restaurant and winery is celebrated for its commitment to local, seasonal cuisine and an endlessly changing menu crafted from ingredients sourced within the region.
If the third-place finish wasn't enough, Restaurant Pearl Morissette also walked away with the award for the Best Restaurant in Central Canada. Again, are we surprised?
The remaining two restaurants to land on the list are also fixtures on the Toronto Michelin Guide, one that boasts a One-Star designation, and another with a Bib Gourmand, which honours restaurants serving quality food at an affordable price.
Next up, in an also impressive 11th place, is Little Italy's Quetzal.
The Michelin-starred restaurant has consistently been among Toronto's most celebrated restaurants for years, famed for its interpretations of Mayan and Aztec cuisines with contemporary Mexican and Spanish influences.
Rustic ingredients meet sleek, warm interiors and elegant presentation at Quetzal, proving its place on lists of Toronto's, Canada's, and now North America's best restaurants year after year.
Lastly, Bloorcourt's Mhel landed a 44th-place spot on the list, thanks to its seasonally changing menu of Korean and Japanese-inspired dishes.
In response to the win, Mhel's owners, Min Yi and Hoon Ji, took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message of gratitude to everyone who has supported the restaurant over its relatively short lifespan.
"When we opened our doors two years ago, we never imagined we would be where we are today," Yi and Ji write in the caption of the Instagram post.
"We're still figuring things out, but one thing we know for certain is that today's achievements are worth savouring — and we'll raise a glass to today's memory for a long time to come, perhaps even on our 60th wedding anniversary."
Which restaurants had what it takes to top the list? First place went to New York City's Atomix, while a fellow Canadian entrant, Montreal's Mon Lapin, landed in second place.
Here's the complete inaugural list of North America's 50 Best Restaurants, from first to last:
- Atomix – New York
- Mon Lapin – Montreal
- Restaurant Pearl Morissette – Lincoln
- Smyth – Chicago
- Tanière3 – Quebec City
- Dakar NOLA – New Orleans
- Kalaya – Philadelphia
- SingleThread – Healdsburg
- Le Bernardin – New York
- Le Veau d'Or – New York
- Quetzal – Toronto
- Baan Lao – Richmond
- Benu – San Francisco
- Californios – San Francisco
- The Four Horsemen – New York
- Friday Saturday Sunday – Philadelphia
- Moon Rabbit – Washington, D.C.
- Via Carota – New York
- Chubby Fish – Charleston
- Locust – Nashville
- Saison – San Francisco
- Montréal Plaza – Montreal
- Kono – New York
- Aska – New York
- Lazy Bear – San Francisco
- Kato – Los Angeles
- Kann – Portland
- Published on Main – Vancouver
- Le Violon – Montreal
- Emeril's – New Orleans
- Kasama – Chicago
- Royal Sushi & Isakaya – Philadelphia
- Saga – New York
- Albi – Washington, D.C.
- Jungsik – New York
- Corima – New York
- Dōgon – Washington, D.C.
- César – New York
- Café Carmellini – New York
- Penny – New York
- Buzo Osteria Italiana – Bridgetown
- Holbox – Los Angeles
- Alma – Montreal
- Mhel – Toronto
- Alma Fonda Fina – Denver
- Atelier Crenn – San Francisco
- Providence – Los Angeles
- Quince – San Francisco
- Stush in the Bush – St. Ann
- Beba – Montreal
Jesse Milns at Quetzal
