10 of the top Toronto restaurants for seeing celebrities during TIFF 2026
The 2026 Toronto International Film Festival is about to fill the city with all the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown for its 51st year this Thursday, Sep. 10, bringing with it a swath of A-List celebrities and filmmakers.
And while the ozempi-demic may suggest otherwise, celebrities still need to eat. That's why, after red carpets, screenings and panels, restaurants are some of the best places in the city to spot your favourite stars between Sep. 10 and 20.
From swanky bars that host star-studded after-parties to restaurants at the hotels where the who's who of Hollywood rest their heads during the festival, there's no shortage of restaurants where you might run into your favourite celebrities.
That said, however lacquered they appear, celebrities are human beings, too — as are the people trying their best to keep their restaurants and bars running smoothly during one of the busiest times of year in the city — so, should you stumble upon a star this September, please be normal and treat everyone involved with due respect.
With that disclaimer out of the way, here are some of the best restaurants in Toronto for celebrity spotting during TIFF.
Vinny
At TIFF 2025, this King West vinyl bar was the ultimate celebrity party pad, hosting a star-studded patronage that included Charli xcx, Maude and Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, Sydney Sweeney and Angelina Jolie.
Will 2026 prove as popular for the bar? I'd wager word has spread about the wild, late nights spent there in 2025, and a whole new crop of talent is ready to experience it for themselves this month.
Cafe Boulud
The Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is, aside from the TIFF Lightbox and Festival Street, one of the biggest hubs of the festival, though its impact has virtually nothing to do with movies. Hosting a swath of major parties and events over TIFF's run, to say nothing of the attendees who'll stay there during the festival, you can expect to see a celebrity at any turn.
Make a reservation at this celebrated Daniel Boulud-helmed restaurant, and you can indulge in a TIFF-inspired five-course tasting menu that may just come along with a side of seeing your favourite star.
Epoch Bar & Kitchen Terrace
Similarly, you can always rely on the Ritz-Carlton to have some big names among its guests, many of whom may be inclined to grab a bite at any one of its three restaurants: TOCA, Epoch and LANO.
Epoch's peaceful vibe and refined terrace, however, make it a particularly preferred dining spot for celebrities and laymen alike, but you could also try your luck at staking out across the street the day before the festival begins and waiting to see a glimpse of everyone exiting the conga line of black Escalades. Not that I've done that before or anything.
Casa Madera
The 1 Hotel's lobby bar, The Flora Lounge, will transform into the Hollywood Reporter Green Room from Sep. 11 through 20, where stars and festivalgoers alike will visit for exclusive interviews and photoshoots amid all the excitement.
If you're looking for a full-blown meal, rather than cocktails and bar bites, book a reservation at the hotel's restaurant, and you'll likely catch some A-listers breezing through the doors.
Pai
We have Guillermo del Toro and a particularly killer Tom Yum soup to thank for solidifying this Entertainment District Thai restaurant as a certified star magnet in the city.
Located just off course from the beating heart of the festival, this restaurant's siren song is all but guaranteed to lure plenty of actors, directors, et ceterea into its warm waters.
Mister C.
Due south of Festival Street, the Bisha Hotel has, historically, hosted plenty of auxiliary fanfare surrounding TIFF, and 2026 is unlikely to prove any different. During the festival, the Deadline Portrait Studio, for example, calls the hotel home.
While Kost, the hotel's rooftop restaurant, tends to get all the glory, it's the lobby bar that offers up the best seats in the house when it comes to keeping tabs on arrivals.
Sotto Sotto
Amanda Seyfried, who is slated to appear at the festival this year, proudly told Dished Toronto of her fond memories of dining at this Yorkville Italian restaurant while filming Mean Girls, so could she return for nostalgia's sake?
Even if she doesn't, the restaurant has enough celebrity fans, like Drake and the Toronto Maple Leafs ' Auston Matthews, that some stragglers are bound to stop in regardless.
Nobu Toronto
Need I say more? The Toronto location of this Los Angeles-based chain is guaranteed to draw Hollywood residents looking for a taste of something familiar up here in the Great White North.
Already visited by Martha Stewart, Selena Gomez, Jacob Elordi and Pharrell Williams, to name just a few, don't let that sweet, sweet miso black cod distract you from keeping your eyes peeled.
Prime Seafood Palace
With celebrity endorsements from Benny Blanco and Stavros Halkias, as well as, of course, its small-screen star proprietor, Matty Matheson, this West Queen West steakhouse is likely to draw a few big names during the festival's run.
I'd advise you to order the burger on your visit, but in the event that you run into your celebrity hall pass, you may want to opt for something a little neater.
Mizunara
Seeing as this Entertainment District Japanese whisky bar is only in the early days of being open, no celebrities (that we know of, anyway) have stepped through its doors yet, but its dim, intimate setting, groovy vibe and proximity to the festival make it a shoo-in for attracting some who's who.
Fareen Karim
