The Best Delis in Toronto

Stock up on favourite meats, cheeses, pickles and more before sampling the lot in custom sandwiches at this famed Yonge & Eglinton spot. Made to order, sandwiches here can be lavish or modest, but always reveal the team's proficiency and the premium quality of each and every ingredient. 

A family-run North York institution, this bustling restaurant tempts with Jewish deli staples, from knishes and chopped liver to homemade pastrami immoderately stacked onto fresh slices of mustard-slicked bread. Though prices have crept up since the doors first opened in 1957, dining here still feels like stepping back in time. 

Its reputation built on a savoury menu of neatly packed, New York-style subs, this Dundas West takeout spot is torture for the sodium-conscious. For everyone else, though, it's a must-stop shop for handheld meals crafted from spicy, smoky salumi, buttery cheeses and zippy house spreads.

Juicy, fatty ribbons of Montreal-style smoked meat star in sandwiches, poutine and platters at this Scarborough restaurant. With house pickles, fries, karnatzel and smoked poultry (including duck, chicken and turkey) rounding out the menu, deli stans have plenty to discover with every visit. 

Paying homage to European delis of yesteryear, this Junction fixture is the place for locally-sourced meats transformed via cheffy tricks and techniques. Options abound, meaning you can pop in for weekend peameal on a bun, hand-sliced porchetta midweek, and jerk chicken meals as a Friday reward.   

A direct descendant of Linny's steakhouse, this Ossington deli is as popular for its quality smoked meat and full-sour pickles as it is for its nostalgic vibes. Though prices are soberingly contemporary, the tight menu of pastrami on rye, smoked fish, turkey and must-try sides is as timeless as our cravings. 

Having mastered smoking and grilling, the team from Cherry Street BBQ branched into sandwich-making with this local chain. Here, Italy informs a menu of subs built from a collection of house-smoked meats, scratch-made sauces, pickles, and cheeses. From spiced porchetta to pastrami cloaked in provolone, there's no wrong way to fill the team's delicate buns.

A place that stands out, even in the food-crowded St. Lawrence Market, this decades-old deli dedicates every inch of retail space to delectable edible bits and bobs. Stock up on imported cheeses, pâtés, charcuterie, spreads and deli meats, and give your sandwiches a serious glow-up.

With a menu that hits morning, noon or night, this cozy restaurant at Yonge & Bloor is as popular for lox and bagels as it is for meatloaf dinners. Available at all hours, deli sandwiches — filled with pastrami, chicken salad, chopped liver, and more — are perennial faves.