People can't get over how cheap this bill from a fancy Toronto restaurant was in 2012

A recently unearthed receipt from a fancy Toronto restaurant in 2012 is giving people online a whole new perspective on just how expensive things have gotten in the city.

It's no secret that inflation in Toronto has been off the charts in recent years, but sometimes it takes finding proof of just how much cheaper things used to be to really put it into perspective.

For folks on the FoodToronto subreddit, that revelation most recently came about when poster leeron2000 shared a photo of a receipt from a lunch at Terroni Bar Centrale back in 2012.

Found a receipt from 2012. 5 people for under $100 at Terroni.
by u/leeron2000 in FoodToronto

The original poster reports that the meal fed five people for lunch and features three pizzas, a pasta dish, a farinata lingure (a type of pancake or flatbread made from chickpea flour), and a dessert of gelato, all for a subtotal of $83.75.

With HST, the total came to $94.64, a price that's nearly unimaginable for five people at Terroni in 2026. Today, the total after tax and before tip would come to about $134, a nearly 40 per cent increase in 14 years.

Reddit users were quick to offer their thoughts on the receipt.

"I want to cry," one person simply writes, echoing what most Toronto residents feel when we have to pay for... anything really.

Others were quick to point out that the change in Terroni's pricing is, more or less, consistent with inflation across the board, applauding the restaurant for its "great value."

Others still, however, call into question whether, even though the inflation has been relatively consistent, diners actually are getting the same bang for their buck today.

"I think whats missing though is the shrinkflation portion. Im sure pizza and pasta sizes have shrunk," one person writes.

"Yeah I definitely remember being filled at Terroni's in 2012. Last time I went to Terroni's, about a year ago, my 8 year old was still hungry after his main course and we were hungry enough say f it an get an extra pasta to share between the 3 of us. That's the shrinkflation," another user agrees.

As food prices in Canada rise faster than the rate of inflation, it poses a concerning question as to whether Terroni and other restaurants that have managed to keep their prices relatively stable amid inflation will be able to keep it up. Paired with the ever-increasing tipping standards in the city, there's no arguing that dining in Toronto costs the most it ever has. 

Good thing the city has no shortage of cheap eats to fall back on when your budget needs a break.